José Berríos Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos has had a full Tommy John surgery, per manager John Schneider, as relayed by Hazel Mae of Sportsnet. He will miss the entire 2026 season and a good chunk of 2027 as well. He is on the 15-day injured list but will be transferred to the 60-day IL whenever the Jays need a 40-man roster spot.
It has been a strange injury odyssey for Berríos, who was the most durable pitcher in the league until late last year. From 2018 through 2024, he made 32 starts in each full season, plus 12 in the shortened 2020 campaign. In 2025, he made 31 appearances but landed on the IL late in the year due to right elbow inflammation, his first time going on the IL as a big leaguer.
Berríos missed Toronto’s playoff run last year but appeared to be healthy going into 2026, making three spring training starts. He was then going to join the Puerto Rico team in the World Baseball Classic. A routine physical for that tournament showed some more elbow inflammation, even though he wasn’t experiencing any pain or symptoms. Things got stranger still when further testing revealed a stress fracture.
Despite the ominous diagnosis, Berríos began throwing again not long after and started a rehab assignment in mid-April. However, his results during those rehab starts were not good and his velocity started dropping. It was reported a few days ago that Berríos would undergo some kind of surgery here on Wednesday, but the details wouldn’t be known until it took place. Elbow surgery is always a big deal but it still seemed possible that a relatively minor procedure to address loose bodies, with a rough timeline of a few months, was a possibility.
But now the worst-case scenario has come to pass. Per Shi Davidi of Sportsnet, the stress fracture damaged the ulnar collateral ligament, which made this surgery necessary. It’s been an unusual sequence of events, taken all together. It’s unclear exactly how or when this stress fracture occurred, since Berríos wasn’t in pain and it was seemingly only discovered by accident. If there was a risk of the fracture damaging the ligament, it’s unclear why Berríos was allowed to resume throwing or if there were any alternate paths to take.
Perhaps there will be some more clarity on the whole saga in time. Regardless, the result is that Berríos is now slated for a long recovery. A full Tommy John surgery usually requires a pitcher to take 14 months or more to get back on the mound, so Berríos might be looking at a return around the 2027 All-Star break in a best-case scenario from this point forward.
Back in 2021, Berríos and the Jays signed a seven-year extension worth $131MM. That deal allowed him to opt out after 2026, walking away from the final two years, both of which come with salaries of $24MM. Leaving two years and $48MM on the table would have seemed viable at his peak but Berríos wasn’t trending in the right direction. His strikeout rate dipped below 20% in both 2024 and 2025. This injury makes it a lock that he’ll forgo the opt-out and play out the remainder of the contract.
For the 2026 Blue Jays, this only adds to the huge number of rotation issues they have had to deal with. At one point earlier this year, it looked like they were eight starters deep on paper. In addition to Berríos, they had Kevin Gausman, Dylan Cease, Trey Yesavage, Shane Bieber, Cody Ponce, Max Scherzer and Eric Lauer. Berríos, Bieber and Yesavage all started the season on the IL, quickly dropping the Jays from eight to five. Ponce suffered a season-ending knee injury in his first start, prompting the Jays to sign Patrick Corbin. Yesavage eventually came off the IL but Scherzer went the other way.
In addition to the injuries to those big league starters, the bodies have also been piling up in the depth department. Bowden Francis required Tommy John surgery a few months ago. Lazaro Estrada is on the IL with a shoulder impingement. Ricky Tiedemann‘s hasn’t pitched in official game action this year due to his ongoing injury issues. Jake Bloss is still working back from last year’s Tommy John, having just started a rehab assignment this month.
On top of the injuries, Lauer pitched so poorly that he got designated for assignment and then traded to the Dodgers. The Jays have four healthy starters in Gausman, Cease, Yesavage and Corbin but are currently patching together Lauer’s spot with bullpen games led by Rule 5 pick Spencer Miles, who came into the year with fewer than 15 innings in the minors and no appearances above Single-A.
They will now have to proceed knowing there’s no chance of Berríos coming back late in the year to help out. For the time being, they will be hoping that Scherzer, Bieber, Estrada or Bloss get healthy and re-enter the mix. Until that happens, some of their depth options at Triple-A include Josh Fleming, Austin Voth, Chad Dallas and CJ Van Eyk. Fleming has good numbers in Triple-A this year but was lit up by the Dodgers when called up to the majors. Voth has a solid ERA in Triple-A but with a very low strikeout rate. Dallas and Van Eyk both have ERAs under 3.50 this year but they don’t currently have any major league experience nor a spot on the 40-man.
It’s possible the Jays will enhance their efforts to add external arms, though the options aren’t amazing at this time of year. There aren’t really notable free agents and a big trade is hard to pull off as few teams are looking to sell this early.
In the longer term, the Jays will no longer be able to pencil Berríos into their rotation for the start of 2027. Gausman, Bieber and Scherzer are all impending free agents after 2026. The Jays should have Cease and Yesavage in two slots. Ponce will probably get a chance to take a spot, though he’ll be coming off an essentially lost season. Perhaps guys like Bloss, Estrada or others could push into the mix later this year, but there are clear gaps. Even before this news, the Jays were probably going to be looking for pitching in the coming offseason. Subtracting Berríos from the plans should only increase those odds.
Photo courtesy of Brian Fluharty, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks Release Joe Ross
The D-backs released veteran right-hander Joe Ross, who’d been pitching with their Triple-A affiliate in Reno, per the MiLB.com transaction log.
Ross signed a minor league deal with the Snakes over the winter and cracked the Opening Day roster. He pitched only 3 2/3 innings before being designated for assignment, at which point he cleared waivers, elected free agency and returned to the organization on a new minor league contract. He’s been pitching with Reno since.
It’s been a decent year for Ross with the D-backs’ top affiliate. He’s tossed 21 innings, working mostly in long relief, and posted a 4.29 earned run average in that hitter-friendly setting. The 32-year-old (33 tomorrow) has just a 14% strikeout rate on the year, but he’s offset that lack of whiffs with a 5.8% walk rate, a 47.8% grounder rate and plenty of light contact (87.7 mph average exit velocity, 38% hard-hit rate).
Ross has pitched in parts of nine big league seasons and sits just one day shy of eight years of major league service. He showed glimpses of breaking out as a quality big league starter early in his career, but much like his older brother (Tyson Ross) was routinely set back by injuries. He’s had a pair of Tommy John surgeries in his career in addition to a procedure to remove bone spurs from his elbow. Ross has also had multiple IL stints due to lower back injuries and shoulder troubles.
Ross had a nice season with the ’24 Brewers, tossing 74 innings with a 3.77 ERA and rate stats that were only slightly worse than league average. He was hit hard in a partial season with the ’25 Phillies though, yielding a 5.12 ERA with a career-low 17.1% strikeout rate. Overall, the big 6’4″ righty has a 4.37 ERA, 20.6% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate and 43% ground-ball rate in 572 major league frames.
Teams in need of some length in the bullpen and/or rotation depth could take a minimal-risk flier on Ross now that he’s a free agent again. He’s stretched out enough for a swingman role right now and could be built up to a starter’s workload without much issue; Ross has a pair of three-inning outings on the books already, the most recent coming early this month. He’s been sitting 95.6 mph with his four-seamer and 96.2 mph with his sinker in Reno. Both would be career-best marks.
The White Sox’ Infield Is Mashing
The White Sox have been one of the pleasant surprises of the 2026 season. Last night's ninth-inning comeback in Seattle pushed them back to two games above .500 at 25-23. They're not far behind the Guardians in the AL Central and one of only four American League teams (the Rays and Yankees being the others) taking a winning record into Wednesday's games.
It's the best stretch of play by the White Sox since the first half of 2023. They're still not a great team overall, but it's the most exciting time for the fanbase in a while. Almost no one would've picked the White Sox as a live playoff threat after one of the worst three-year stretches in MLB history. Even if getting to October still feels like a long shot, they're putting together a legitimate offense.
The Sox are middle of the pack in scoring but land in the top 10 in both OPS and wRC+. Only the Yankees have hit more home runs than Chicago's 67, which is tied with Atlanta for second. They're sixth in slugging percentage and third in ISO (slugging minus average) after the Yankees and Braves. They've hit at this level despite zero at-bats from catcher Kyle Teel, one of their two best hitters in 2025 who hasn't played this season because of hamstring and knee issues. This is suddenly one of the better power-hitting teams in the league. Most of that comes from an infield that has a claim for best in baseball.
Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription
- Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
- Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
- Remove ads and support our writers.
- Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker
Rockies Designate Blaine Crim For Assignment
The Rockies announced Wednesday that first baseman Blaine Crim has been designated for assignment. His 40-man roster spot goes to veteran righty Keegan Thompson, whose contract has been selected from Triple-A Albuquerque. Colorado placed right-handed reliever Victor Vodnik on the 15-day injured list due to ulnar nerve inflammation in his right arm.
Crim joined the Rockies last August when they claimed him off waivers from the Rangers. He went on to rip five homers in only 15 games and 61 plate appearances, though his .295 on-base percentage and huge 36% strikeout rate both tamped down reason for optimism. This season’s .265/.339/.449 slash in Triple-A looks solid at first glance, but in the ultra-hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League, it’s about 13% worse than league-average (by measure of wRC+).
The 29-year-old Crim has played in parts of five Triple-A seasons, slashing a combined .281/.370/.479 in 1882 trips to the plate. It’s about 11% better than average, and Crim has turned in encouraging strikeout and walk rates of 18.4% and 11.5%, respectively, along the way. Crim, however, has well below-average speed (21st percentile in 2025, per Statcast) and is limited to first base and designated hitter. He’s been passed over in multiple Rule 5 Drafts and has now been designated for assignment twice in the past eight months, so it seems many big league clubs are skeptical of his ability to carry that production over to the majors.
The Rockies might have had an opening for Crim at first base this year, but offseason acquisitions of TJ Rumfield (from the Yankees for reliever Angel Chivilli) and Edouard Julien (from the Twins for prospect Jace Kaminska) pushed him down the depth chart.
Crim’s solid track record in the upper minors could potentially hold appeal to other clubs in need of some right-handed punch and/or help at first base/designated hitter. He’s in the second of three minor league option years, so a new club wouldn’t need to carry him on the major league roster right away. He’ll be traded or placed on waivers within the next five days, and we’ll know the outcome of his DFA within a week’s time.
The 31-year-old Thompson, another waiver claim (from the Reds), cleared waivers earlier this season but now joins the big league roster after a nice run in Albuquerque. He’s appeared in 11 games, five of them starts, and posted a 3.34 ERA in 32 1/3 innings. He’s only struck out 13.1% of his opponents, which is a concern, but his 7.1% walk rate is strong and his 43.6% ground-ball rate is a hair north of average.
Thompson has pitched in four big league seasons, all with the Cubs. He owns a career 3.64 ERA, 23% strikeout rate and 11.3% walk rate in 227 2/3 major league innings. He’s sitting 92.2 mph on his four-seamer this season, down from his 93.9 peak as a rookie in 2021.
Thompson adds some length to a Rockies bullpen that could use extra innings. Starters Chase Dollander and Ryan Feltner are both on the injured list, which has pushed Tanner Gordon, at least in effect. Gordon hasn’t started a game but has worked behind an opener his past couple times out. He’s sitting on a 6.59 ERA in 27 1/3 frames this season, however. Looking up and down the rest of Colorado’s rotation, Tomoyuki Sugano is the only starter who’s averaged even five innings per start. Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana and Kyle Freeland are all averaging about 4 2/3 frames per trip the mound, underscoring the need for a reliever like Thompson who can work several innings at a time.
As for the 26-year-old Vodnik, he started the season well, yielding only two runs in his first nine innings. He’s been rocked over the past month, however. In his past 10 appearances, he’s totaled only nine innings and been shelled for 14 runs on 15 hits and nine walks with 11 strikeouts. The flamethrowing righty has been far better in the past couple seasons, logging 124 1/3 innings of 3.76 ERA ball.
Vodnik doesn’t miss as many bats as one might expect for a reliever who averages nearly 99 mph on his heater, but he’s a clearly talented righty who’s been in the Rox’ late-inning mix since 2024. If a trip to the injured list helps him right the ship, he’ll likely factor back into the closer committee alongside Antonio Senzatela and Juan Mejia.
Mets Select Zach Thornton
May 20th: Thornton has now been officially selected, per a team announcement. Right-hander Daniel Duarte was optioned as the corresponding active roster move. They opened a 40-man spot yesterday when they designated outfielder Austin Slater for assignment and recalled Nick Morabito.
May 18th: The Mets are going to promote pitching prospect Zach Thornton this week. Manager Carlos Mendoza informed reporters, including Tim Britton of The Athletic, that Thornton will play some kind of role for the Mets on Wednesday. That could be as a starter or working as a bulk guy behind an opener. Thornton is not yet on the 40-man roster, so the Mets will have to make room for him somehow.
Thornton, now 24, was a fifth-round pick of the Mets in 2023. He put himself on the prospect map with a strong 2025 season. He only made 14 starts before an oblique injury ended his season, but the numbers were good. Between High-A and Double-A, he tossed 72 2/3 innings, allowing 1.98 earned runs per nine. He struck out 28.5% of batters faced and only walked 4% of opponents. He also induced grounders on 43.2% of balls in play.
Coming into 2026, Baseball America ranked him the #13 prospect in the system and FanGraphs had him 12th. He doesn’t have huge velocity, averaging just 91 miles per hour with his fastball these days, but both BA and FG highlight his excellent command. FG also highlights his vertical slot and his ability to hide the ball as part of his delivery. His full arsenal includes a four-seamer, sinker, slider, cutter, curveball and changeup.
He has continued to post good numbers this year, with five Double-A starts and two at Triple-A. Combined, he has thrown 37 innings with a 3.16 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, 7.9% walk rate and 44.4% ground ball rate. BA bumped him up to #10 in the system in today’s update.
The Mets are dipping into their depth due to the recent injury to Clay Holmes, who fractured his right fibula and might be sidelined into August. Christian Scott is starting tonight and Nolan McLean tomorrow. Wednesday would have been Holmes’s turn. The Mets have some long relief options on the roster, although Sean Manaea just tossed four innings behind Freddy Peralta yesterday. Tobias Myers has starting experience but hasn’t tossed more than three innings in any game this year.
Thornton will at least get a spot start. What remains to be seen is if he’ll get sent back to the minors after that or if he’ll stick around. For the next turn, they could put Manaea or Myers into the Holmes spot. They could also turn to someone else on the farm, such as Jonah Tong, Jack Wenninger or Jonathan Pintaro.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
MLB Mailbag: Top Prospect Success Rates, Rangers, Buxton, Abrams
This week's mailbag gets into success rates for top-five prospects, the Rangers' woeful offense, Byron Buxton's willingness to accept a trade, and possible CJ Abrams suitors.
Don asks:
Of the Mariners' top drafted-or-or-traded for hitting prospects, three have been outright failures (Dustin Ackley, Jarred Kelenic, Jésus Montero) and only two (A-Rod and Junior) lived up to expectations. Is the M's experience typical of other teams, or do the M's simply have bad vibes?
I guess what I'm asking is what's the success record for, say, the top five prospects each year?
Let's assess the likelihood of success for a Baseball America preseason top five prospect! For this mini-study, I decided to end with the year 2019. That way, we're capturing players who have mostly had their chance to make a Major League impact, particularly within their six-year control period.
There is subjectivity to this process, but a sample of around 50 different players feels appropriate. To reach that total, I had to look at the time period of 2007-19, since many players are ranked top five in multiple years. For what it's worth, Ackley fell outside this sample because he topped out at #11, while Kelenic was omitted because his highest prospect ranking was in 2021 at #4.
Jesus Montero is on here, while Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr. are not because I didn't extend the study that far back.
My way of assessing this is to look at the player's FanGraphs WAR for his first six years of team control. Finding that window for each player requires some manual legwork, which is why I didn't make the sample larger. Check out my data here!
Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription
- Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
- Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
- Remove ads and support our writers.
- Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker
Braves Designate José Azócar For Assignment
The Braves announced that outfielder Eli White has been reinstated from the ten-day injured list. Fellow outfielder José Azócar has been designated for assignment in a corresponding roster move.
Azócar, 30, signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in the offseason. He was added to the roster in May when Ronald Acuña Jr. hit the injured list. A few days later, they decided to promote infielder Jim Jarvis and move Mauricio Dubón to the outfield mix. Since Azócar is out of options, he was bumped off the 40-man. After clearing waivers, he quickly re-signed and then got added back to the roster in the wake of White hitting the IL.
Around those transactions, Azócar has put up good numbers. He has a .333/.375/.467 slash line but he surely wasn’t going to maintain that kind of production. He put up that line in a tiny sample of 16 plate appearances with a huge .417 batting average on balls in play. That’s nowhere near his career track record, which consists of 434 plate appearances with a .248/.293/.325 slash line.
Broadly speaking, Azócar is a glove-first depth outfielder. He gets good reviews for his defense and can steal a base from time to time but his offense has mostly been subpar. Atlanta clearly still views him that way and hasn’t been swayed by a few extra batted balls finding holes in the past few weeks.
Azócar now heads to DFA limbo again. Atlanta can take some time to explore trade interest but it’s possible he ends up back on waivers and clears, like he did a few weeks back, though it’s also possible a team with some recent injury trouble has a need for an extra outfielder and puts in a claim. If Azócar does clear again, he has the right to elect free agency since he has a previous career outright. That’s the way things played out earlier this month but Atlanta quickly re-signed him to a new minors deal.
Photo courtesy of Brett Davis, Imagn Images
Twins Grant Releases To Matt Bowman, John Brebbia
The Twins granted right-handers Matt Bowman and John Brebbia their releases Wednesday, per Dan Hayes of The Athletic and Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Both veteran relievers were pitching with the team’s Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul, and both triggered opt-out clauses in their contracts on Sunday. The Twins had until this afternoon to add one or both to the 40-man roster or allow them to become free agents. They’ve gone with the latter option in both cases.
Bowman, 34, has pitched in parts of seven big league seasons. That includes a 2024 run with Minnesota, during which he tossed 7 2/3 decent innings. He carries a 4.38 ERA in 240 2/3 major league innings split among seven clubs. Bowman has a below-average 18.7% strikeout rate but a solid 8% walk rate and a very strong 52.3% ground-ball rate. He’s been excellent in Triple-A thus far, totaling 21 1/3 innings with a 1.69 ERA, a 28.1% strikeout rate and a 6.7% walk rate.
Bowman doesn’t throw particularly hard, by today’s standards. He’s sitting 91.8 mph on his sinker this year, which is below average but a slight bit north of his career 91.3 mph mark. Bowman complements the pitch with a 90 mph cutter and a splitter and slider that both reside in the low 80s. He doesn’t overwhelm opponents but also has neutral platoon splits in his career; lefties have hit .249/.322/.402 against him, while righties are at .245/.307/.383.
The 35-year-old Brebbia has the lengthier MLB track record but hasn’t pitched as well in 2026 (or in general, over the past few seasons). He has eight years of major league service to Bowman’s five, and Brebbia has worked to a 4.04 ERA in 378 1/3 big league frames. Broadly speaking, he’s missed bats and limited walks at better-than-average levels (25.6% and 7.5%, respectively), but the past few years haven’t been kind to the well-traveled righty. He’s pitched 78 2/3 innings between three teams — White Sox, Braves, Tigers — and been rocked for a 6.41 earned run average. Home runs have been his Achilles heel during that time. He’s averaged 1.83 dingers per nine innings pitched.
Brebbia has tossed 20 1/3 innings with the Saints this year but stumbled to a 6.20 ERA that closely mirrors his major league work from 2024-25. He’s punched out more than 28% of his opponents but has also issued walks at a 10.9% clip and served up four homers (1.77 HR/9). He started the season brilliantly, allowing just one run with a 17-to-3 K/BB ratio in his first 10 2/3 frames, but Brebbia has since been tagged for 13 runs in 9 2/3 innings. All four of his homers allowed have come in that span, and he’s walked nearly as many batters (seven) as he’s set down on strikes (nine).
It’s still possible both players will return to the Twins. That’s relatively common for journeyman veterans who trigger midseason opt-out clauses. Heyman suggests that Bowman could have a major league offer waiting somewhere else, however, which wouldn’t be all that surprising with how well he’s pitched. If anything, it’s at least a mild surprise that the Twins themselves wouldn’t find a way to take a look at Bowman in the majors. Minnesota relievers have the third-worst ERA in baseball.
MLBTR Podcast: Colt Emerson Debuts, Blue Jays’ Rotation Issues, And What To Make Of The Mets And Astros
The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.
This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…
- The Mariners calling up Colt Emerson (3:40)
- The Blue Jays losing José Berríos to surgery and trading Eric Lauer (10:50)
- The Dodgers losing Blake Snell to surgery (17:05)
- The Mets losing Francisco Alvarez to surgery and Clay Holmes to a fibula fracture (21:00)
- The Astros losing Jose Altuve to an oblique strain (31:35)
Plus, we answer your questions, including…
- Which teams have been the biggest positive surprises so far this season? (43:00)
- With the Dodgers having a lot of outfield prospects and trending towards a surplus, do they put together a trade or hold and develop them? (54:10)
Check out our past episodes!
- Patrick Bailey To Cleveland, The Struggling Astros, And Arizona’s Outfield Changes – listen here
- Skubal’s Injury, The Marlins’ Catchers, Eldridge Called Up, And Volpe Sent Down – listen here
- The Alex Cora Situation, Lucas Giolito Signs, And The Phillies Fire Rob Thomson – listen here
The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
2026-27 Club Options: NL East
In recent weeks, MLBTR has looked forward to next winter’s option classes. We’ll move now to the NL East, where a former MVP and Cy Young winner are the most notable names.
Previous: AL East, AL Central, AL West
Atlanta Braves
- Ronald Acuña Jr., RF: $17MM club option ($10MM buyout)
This is as easy as they get. The Braves will exercise their $17MM option for 2027 and have a matching provision for the ’28 season. The first comes with a $10MM buyout, while the second has no buyout. It’s highly likely the Braves are going to pick them both up anyway, but it could be a moderately closer call for Atlanta after 2027 if Acuña has a bad or injury-riddled year.
The Braves have remarkably raced to the second-best start in MLB despite relatively underwhelming work from the five-time All-Star. Acuña has only connected on two home runs with a .252/.367/.382 slash line through his first 35 games. He missed a couple weeks with a Grade 1 strain of his left hamstring and returned to the lineup yesterday.
- Ozzie Albies, 2B: $7MM club option (no buyout)
Albies agreed to a pair of $7MM team options on his exceedingly club-friendly 2019 extension. He signed away up to four free agent years for a $35MM guarantee that’d max out at $45MM if the Braves exercised the options — the first of which contained a $4MM buyout.
For a few years, it was among the biggest bargain contracts in the league. A pair of down seasons in 2024-25 reduced the surplus value somewhat, though Atlanta still had an easy call to exercise the first option last winter. Picking up the second should require even less deliberation.
Albies has rebounded to hit .271/.329/.441 and is third among second basemen with eight home runs. The NL second base field is crowded, but Albies is putting together a strong case for his fourth All-Star selection while playing on a salary just above what Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Miguel Rojas commanded as free agents.
- Tyler Kinley, RHP: $5.5MM club option ($1.25MM buyout)
Atlanta acquired Kinley from the Rockies last summer. He pitched brilliantly down the stretch, but they nevertheless declined his $5.5MM option for 2026 in favor of a $750K buyout. They re-signed Kinley two months later on a $4.25MM free agent deal. He’s making $3MM this season and will be paid either a $1.25MM buyout or stick around for next season via $5.5MM team option.
Kinley, a slider specialist, has had a somewhat shaky start this season. His 23% strikeout rate is virtually unchanged from last year, but his walks have ticked up and he has been victimized by the home run ball. Kinley has given up a longball in four of his last eight times out. He’s up to 10 runs allowed (nine earned) across 20 2/3 innings.
The Braves have still used Kinley in a decent number of leverage situations. He’s tied for second on the team behind Dylan Lee with six holds. This one could go either way, but he’ll need to get on track to remain in skipper Walt Weiss’ circle of trust.
Miami Marlins
- Sandy Alcantara, RHP: $21MM club option ($2MM buyout)
The Marlins’ deadline will hinge largely on what to do with Alcantara. He’s making $17MM in the final guaranteed season of the $56MM extension he signed in 2021. Alcantara has rebounded from an abysmal first half of the ’25 campaign, as he clearly had trouble dialing in his command when he initially returned from a Tommy John procedure.
Alcantara carries a 3.53 ERA with an above-average 49% grounder rate over his first 10 starts. He has allowed 3.47 earned runs per nine in 23 starts going back to last summer’s All-Star Break. The Cy Young form probably isn’t coming back, but Alcantara would be a lock for a team’s playoff rotation. He’s still sitting in the 97-98 mph range with his four-seamer and sinker, albeit with a slight drop in strikeouts.
Miami’s only guaranteed money for the 2027 season is the $10MM they’ll send to the Yankees on the Giancarlo Stanton contract. None of their arbitration-eligible players would cost more than a few million dollars. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic wrote earlier this month that Alcantara is a favorite of owner Bruce Sherman.
It would take another major injury or an atrocious second half for Alcantara’s option not to get picked up. The bigger question is whether that’ll be by the Marlins. They’re 22-27 and fourth from the bottom in a competitive National League. FanGraphs has their postseason chances below 5%. The prospect return would be higher this summer than it’d be at the 2027 deadline given the extra playoff run they’re marketing to a contender. Will the Fish keep Alcantara as a veteran rotation anchor or shop him as one of the best available arms?
New York Mets
- Luis Robert Jr., CF: $20MM club option ($2MM buyout)
The Mets took on Robert’s $20MM salary for the 2026 season in last winter’s trade with the White Sox. They didn’t surrender a whole lot in terms of young talent — Luisangel Acuña’s stock has tumbled over the past couple seasons — but it was still a sizable financial bet on Robert staying healthy and rebounding from two straight subpar offensive years.
Robert hit well for the first two weeks before falling into a slump in the middle of April. He had a .224/.327/.329 slash over 98 plate appearances when he landed on the injured list with lumbar disc inflammation. Initial hopes that it’d be close to a minimal stint haven’t panned out. He’s coming up on a monthlong absence without a clear timeline for when he’ll ramp up baseball activities.
The bet on Robert’s tools and early-career success hasn’t panned out so far. They’ve needed to call upon prospect A.J. Ewing earlier than expected. Ewing has shown a very disciplined approach through his first eight MLB games after an excellent start to the year in Triple-A. It’s too early to simply lock Ewing into the 2027 center field job, but the Mets would be better for it if he nails down the position with a strong rookie season. That’d solidify the increasingly probable chance that Robert gets bought out.
Philadelphia Phillies
- None.
Washington Nationals
- Zack Littell, RHP: $12MM mutual option ($4MM buyout)
Washington added Littell on a one-year, $7MM free agent deal. They included a $12MM mutual option that comes with a $4MM buyout. That’s an accounting mechanism that allows them to pay Littell more than half the money at the end of the season rather than throughout the summer in salary. They presumably hoped to shed some of the buyout responsibility by flipping Littell at the deadline, though the backloaded nature meant they’d have needed to cover some of it to find a trade partner.
That’s probably a moot point, as Littell hasn’t pitched well enough to merit much attention. He owns a 6.10 ERA with a career-low 10.6% strikeout rate while giving up 14 home runs in just 41 1/3 innings. He’s the only pitcher with 40+ frames who is allowing a homer once in every three innings pitched. Most of that damage came in April, but Littell has only recorded four strikeouts in 12 1/3 frames this month. If the Nationals didn’t have one of the worst rotations in MLB, they’d probably have given more consideration to moving on from Littell already.
Note: The Nationals hold respective club options on Cade Cavalli ($4MM) and Max Kranick ($850K). Both players would remain eligible for arbitration if Washington declines.