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Five Non-Tendered Hitters To Keep An Eye On This Winter

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Every year, MLB’s non-tender deadline sees clubs allow some of their players who remain under team control to test the open market early, whether it be due to an increasing price tag in arbitration or a need for additional space on the club’s 40-man roster. Previous seasons have seen a number of high-profile players wind up non-tendered, with Kyle Schwarber, Cody Bellinger, and Brandon Woodruff all having been non-tendered at one point or another in their careers only to this year appear on MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.

While players of that caliber who reach free agency by way of a non-tender are extremely rare, plenty of others find themselves cut loose early by their clubs only to make an impact elsewhere down the line. That could be as a regular in the lineup or rotation or simply as a solid contributor off the bench or out of the bullpen. Let’s take a look at five hitters who hit free agency following last week’s non-tender deadline and could be worth keeping an eye on throughout the coming offseason. Players are listed in alphabetical order, with their age for the 2026 season in parentheses.

JJ Bleday (28)

Bleday has quite the pedigree behind him, as he was drafted fourth overall by the Marlins back in 2019. A consensus top-50 prospect in the game prior to his MLB debut in 2022, Bleday struggled for the Marlins and A’s across his first two seasons in the majors before enjoying what looked to be a breakout 2024 campaign. That year, he slashed .243/.327/.437 (120 wRC+), cut his strikeout rate to just 19.5% while maintaining a solid 10.4% walk rate, and showed enough pop in his bat to hit 20 homers and a whopping 43 doubles. He was a below average but not disastrous defender in center field, and that in combination with his strong offensive production allowed him to put together a 3.2 fWAR season.

Unfortunately, Bleday’s star fell back to Earth this year with a tough season where his strikeout rate ticked back up to 26.5% while his power dissipated, leaving with a .212/.294/.404 slash line and a wRC+ of just 90. Things got bleak enough that the A’s actually optioned Bleday to the minors multiple times this season. Perhaps a change of scenery can help Bleday recapture the form he flashed in 2024, and it’s not hard to imagine an outfield-needy team like the Royals or Guardians scooping him up. One sign of optimism regarding Bleday is his performance over the season’s final two months, as he slashed .252/.306/.495 (115 wRC+) with six homers and seven doubles in 111 plate appearances after being recalled to the majors on August 2nd.

Nathaniel Lowe (30)

By far the most established hitter on this list, Lowe has a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger award, and a World Series ring on his mantle for his work with the Rangers from 2021-24. Over that four-year stretch, he slashed a strong .274/.359/.432 with 78 home runs and a 124 wRC+. That’s the performance of a quality regular and left him good for around three WAR per season at first base. Lowe was shipped from Texas to D.C. last offseason, however, and his time with the Nationals left much to be desired.

He hit just .216/.292/.373 across 119 games before he was cut loose from the organization, and while his time with the Red Sox saw him rebound to a .280/.370/.420 slash line closer to what he’s posted in the past, that 34-game stint in Boston only brought his season-long wRC+ back up to 91. While Lowe is hardly likely to get the sort of attention pieces like Pete Alonso or even Luis Arraez will garner this winter, he’d still be an upgrade to a club in need of help at first base like the Padres, Diamondbacks, or Twins.

Christopher Morel (27)

The youngest player on this list by more than a year, Morel arguably has the highest upside of any player on this list but significant flaws that could hold him back from getting a starting job somewhere. The youngster’s big league career started with a bang in 2022, and over his first two seasons with the Cubs Morel slashed .241/.311/.471 with 42 homers in 220 games and a wRC+ of 115. While he struck out at a massive 31.6% clip and was a below-average fielder everywhere he played on the diamond, his impressive power and ability to take walks were enough to make him a well above average hitter.

The past two years have been brutal for the slugger, however, as his production has largely dissipated. Morel’s first half with the Cubs in 2024 was unusual, as his numbers dipped (91 wRC+) despite most of his peripherals trending in the right direction, including a strikeout rate that dropped to 24.5% while his walk rate climbed to 11.1% with 18 home runs. While the usual above-average production wasn’t quite there, the Rays were interested enough to make him a centerpiece of the return for Isaac Paredes at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, Morel’s production completely collapsed during his time with the Rays as he hit just .208/.277/.355 (79 wRC+) in 495 plate appearances over the past two years. While it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a team try and unlock the upside Morel flashed with the Cubs early in his career given his youth and three years of remaining team control, his lack of defensive ability could make him a tough fit for many teams.

Mike Tauchman (35)

Tauchman is the oldest player on the list, and returns after also being listed in last year’s edition of this post. Non-tendered by the Cubs last winter, Tauchman stayed in Chicago by way of a deal with the White Sox and generally made good on his contract with the South Siders, hitting .263/.356/.400 (115 wRC+) across 385 plate appearances. Tauchman may not still be the capable center fielder defender he was earlier in his career, but a teams would be hard pressed to find a player who can more reliably provide on-base ability.

That’s especially true at his expected price tag, which could draw in suitors with tight budgets this winter. Among the 229 players to record at least 1000 plate appearances since the start of the 2023 season, Tauchman’s .359 OBP ranks 21st, sandwiched between Rafael Devers and Kyle Schwarber. His production naturally falls well short of those star players thanks to a lack of power, as he’s not hit even ten homers in a season since 2019. Even so, he’d be a valuable addition to a team like the Royals, Astros, or Rays in either a bench or platoon role.

Ramon Urias (32)

Urias stands out among this group as being the most valuable defender of the bunch. Bleday and Tauchman are both restricted to the outfield and profile poorly in center, while Lowe is a first base-only defender. Morel has experience at valuable positions like center field and third base, but has graded out terribly at them by defensive metrics and profiles best as a DH. Urias, by contrast, is a Gold Glove winner at third base who has substantial experience at both second base and shortstop as well. His +5 Outs Above Average around the infield this year ranked in the 88th percentile among all fielders.

Typically, Urias pairs that strong glove with a decent bat that makes him a solid second-division regular or high-quality part-time player. In parts of six seasons in the majors, Urias is a career .257/.321/.403 (104 wRC+) hitter who had consistently been at or above league average until this season. This year, however, Urias hit just .241/.292/.384 (87 wRC+). That performance is in part dragged down by a rough stint in Houston after being dealt to the Astros at the trade deadline, but even his mark with Baltimore was below league-average. Questionable as Urias’s numbers were this year, his overall track record and ability to provide solid infield defense should make him an attractive addition for a team, particularly given a thin infield market with few everyday options. The Yankees, Brewers, Mariners, and Tigers are among the many teams Urias could make at least some sense for.

Tigers Among Teams Interested In Ryan Helsley As Starting Pitcher

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Ryan Helsley is drawing interest from clubs as a starting pitcher, and the Tigers are among the teams who have spoken to him about a possible move to the rotation according to a report from Ken Rosenthal, Cody Stavenhagen, and Katie Woo of The Athletic.

It’s become a trend for relievers with starting experience to garner interest for rotation jobs around the league. For players like Reynaldo Lopez, Seth Lugo, and Michael King, the move has gone incredibly well and ended in them garnering attention in Cy Young conversations. For others, like Helsley’s former teammate Jordan Hicks, the move doesn’t go quite so swimmingly. Since signing with the Giants as a starter during the 2023-24 offseason, Hicks has a 5.19 ERA across 177 innings and ultimately had his contract dumped in a trade with the Red Sox, where he served as a salary offset in the Rafael Devers deal.

The risk of an outcome like Hicks had comes with substantial reward for both player and team. For teams, signing a reliever and giving them the opportunity to start affords them a chance at a top-shelf arm at a steep bargain compared to the nine-figure contracts routinely commanded by the league’s established front-end arms. For the player, meanwhile, the chance to return to starting could mean that a team is willing to invest in a more substantial contract than they would be for a less-than-elite reliever and could mean an even more substantial contract if they find success and return to free agency with an established track record of starting at a high level.

Common as the trend has been in recent years, Helsley is an unusual candidate for a move to the rotation. Most players that move to the rotation have starting experience in the majors, a pitch mix that lends itself towards starting, and lack a track record as an established closer in the majors. While there are some pitchers in this free agent class that all applies to (and Brad Keller is notably already garnering interest for a potential move back to the rotation himself), none of it is true of Helsley. Rosenthal notes that more than 90% of his pitches thrown last year were either his four-seamer or his slider, though he does also have a cutter and a curveball in his repertoire. Helsley also has zero starts at the big league level with 105 saves picked up across his time as a closer for the Cardinals.

Since he took over that role in 2022, the two-time All-Star has a 2.49 ERA with a 2.80 FIP and a 31.9% strikeout rate across 210 appearances. He’s overwhelmingly been used as a one-inning arm as well, with just three outings that lasted longer than three outs over the past two seasons. Taken together, it all makes him an odd fit for a move to the rotation. Rosenthal suggests that the idea could have something to do with the state of the market this winter.

After a host of rotation arms expected to be available this winter (Jack Flaherty, Shane Bieber, Shota Imanaga, and Brandon Woodruff) either exercised player options with their current clubs or accepted a qualifying offer, there’s fewer quality starters available than once seemed likely. That relative shortage in conjunction with the fact that this winter’s market lacks a slam-dunk ace on the level of Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Corbin Burnes could leave teams a bit more willing than usual to get creative with their pitching additions this winter. From Helsley’s perspective, meanwhile, he’s coming off the worst season he’s had since becoming a closer as he posted an ERA of 4.50 with a 4.14 FIP across 56 innings with the Cardinals and Mets.

That could put a damper on his market in a winter with plenty of closing options available. Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams, Robert Suarez, Luke Weaver, Emilio Pagan, Pete Fairbanks, Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen are all quality relievers with ninth-inning experience coming off stronger seasons than Helsley, not to mention other arms like Keller who lack that closing experience but still figure to command significant dollars this winter. With such a deep group of late-inning relievers, perhaps Helsley can separate himself from the crowd by leaving the door to starting a game for the first time since he made his major league debut on the table.

Turning to the Tigers’ interest in Helsley more specifically, it’s not hard to see why Detroit might want more help for its rotation. Even as a trade of ace Tarik Skubal seems unlikely and Flaherty unexpectedly decided to stick around for another year, there’s not much certainty in the Tigers rotation outside of that duo and Casey Mize. Reese Olson is sure to be in rotation when healthy but made just 13 starts this year due to shoulder surgery. Troy Melton impressed in his rookie season but made just four starts for the Tigers in the majors this year. Even Mize and Flaherty will both join Skubal in free agency next winter, meaning that Detroit faces a major exodus of talent that could make signing a long-term starter with possible front-of-the-rotation upside this winter quite attractive.

Of course, it must be noted that Detroit surely isn’t the only team with interest in Helsley, even as a starter, and that the Tigers themselves could ultimately prefer a more established arm to serve as the bridge between their current rotation and the one they’ll need to build for 2027 and beyond. While the possibility of Helsley becoming the next King or Lopez is certainly enticing, if the Tigers are willing to go out and sign a more proven arm like Ranger Suarez or Dylan Cease that would offer a lot more certainty.

Orioles Outright Luis Vazquez

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The Orioles announced this morning that infielder Luis Vazquez has cleared outright waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. He’ll serve as non-roster depth for Baltimore heading into the 2026 season.

Vazquez, 25, was acquired by the Orioles in a minor trade with the Cubs last offseason. A 14th-round pick by Chicago back in 2017, he didn’t make his big league debut until last year in an 11-game cameo with the Cubs. He got a larger look in a bench role with Baltimore this past year, but still has yet to establish himself as more than a depth option at the big league level. In 67 plate appearances across 47 games in the majors between both clubs, Vazquez has hit just .145/.194/.210 (13 wRC+). With a 29.9% career strikeout rate in the majors, a walk rate of 4.5%, and little power to speak of, it’s hard to see Vazquez hitting enough to be a reliable bench option at the big league level without another step forward in his development.

That didn’t stop the Orioles from signing Vazquez to a big league contract earlier this month, however. It’s a tactic that creates a win-win situation for both player and team; Vazquez gets a guaranteed salary slightly higher than the MLB minimum, while the Orioles can safely outright him off the roster without fear of another team claiming him or Vazquez rejecting the assignment in favor of free agency. That can allow Vazquez to serve as a depth piece for Baltimore while also potentially continuing his development at Triple-A. Despite his poor results in the majors, Vazquez has done quite well for himself at the Orioles’ Norfolk affiliate with a .271/.343/.413 (106 wRC+) slash line at the level.

Whether Vazquez manages to take a step forward at the plate or not, he’s still valuable depth for Baltimore given his defensive ability and versatility. A solid defender at shortstop as well as both second and third base, Vazquez has also made brief cameos at first base and the outfield corners. A quality infield glove with the versatility to play the outfield in a pinch and the speed to be a solid pinch runner has value as a potential stopgap to fill out a team’s roster if injuries create vacancies over the course of the season, and the fact that Vazquez can fill that role while still being young enough to have the potential upside of future development made him an intriguing enough asset for the Orioles to offer him a little extra guaranteed money in order to keep him in the fold.

Turning to the big league bench, the Orioles figure to carry some combination of Leody Taveras, Jeremiah Jackson, Maverick Handley, Ryan Noda, and Heston Kjerstad as reserve players, with Taveras having the firmest grip of a bench spot of that group. Two spots on the bench currently appear likely to be used on a platoon between Ryan Mountcastle and Samuel Basallo at DH as well as a Tyler O’Neill/Dylan Beavers platoon in right field. Of course, the Orioles’ positional mix could still be altered substantially before Opening Day if a trade thins the herd or Baltimore continues their pursuit of a big bat even after adding Taylor Ward, as seems likely.

CPBL’s Wei Chuan Dragons To Post Jo Hsi Hsu

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The Wei Chuan Dragons of Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League are posting right-hander Jo Hsi Hsu for MLB clubs, as noted by CPBL Stats. Hsu is considering a jump to either MLB or Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan this offseason. Hsu himself told reporters that he’s already visited Japan and had dinner with NPB legend Sadaharu Oh, who now serves as the chief baseball officer for the SoftBank Hawks. According to Taiwanese outlet TSNA, Hsu has also garnered stateside interest from the Dodgers.

CPBL players can be posted for international free agency with the permission of their club after they’ve reached three years of service time. Hsu, 25, is in the midst of that process now and will market himself coming off a 2025 season where he pitched to a sterling 2.05 ERA with a 28.0% strikeout rate across 19 starts and 114 innings of work. That workload is fairly standard for the 119-game CPBL season, but it leaves questions about how well he’d be able to handle the rigors of a 162-game schedule as a starter in the big leagues.

Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan of Fangraphs took a look at Hsu’s profile last month and suggested that it’s “probable” most MLB clubs will view him as a reliever as he was unable to maintain his top velocity throughout even that 19-start campaign in the CPBL this year. Longehagen and Fegan both suggest that Hsu has the talent to be a late-inning set-up man in the majors, and a player headed into his age-25 season who could immediately slot into the back of any bullpen would surely be an attractive piece for teams to consider. With that being said, Longenhagen and Fegan both suggest that Hsu might prefer to first go to Japan to attempt to hone his skills as a starter before making the jump to MLB.

That’s a path that could be attractive for financial reasons. Hsu is young enough that even if he spent two or three years in Japan, he’d be able to come to MLB much younger than the average free agent pitcher. That could set him up for a more lucrative payday, particularly because then all posting fees owed to his the Dragons would be attached to his NPB contract. That would leave MLB teams able to offer Hsu the full amount they believe him to be worth rather than sending a portion of that money overseas to the Dragons. The CPBL posting fee is 20% of the first $25MM a player earns in their MLB contract, 17.5% of the next $25MM, and 15% of any dollars above $50MM. For minor league contracts, the posting fee is equivalent to 25% of the player’s signing bonus.

Beneficial as a stop in NPB might be financially, Hsu certainly wouldn’t be the first player to eschew a larger immediate payday for the opportunity to pitch in the majors sooner. Roki Sasaki opted to be posted last winter, when he wasn’t yet old enough to sign more than a minor league contract, and Shohei Ohtani famously did the same when he first came over to the United States. If Hsu does come stateside, it seems as though the Dodgers have at least some interest in his services. L.A. is hardly a club that’s been shy about making a splash in international markets, and while those efforts have been primarily focused on NPB (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sasaki) and KBO (Hyeseong Kim) players in recent offseasons, it wouldn’t be a shock to see them expand their horizons to Taiwan.

It seems silly to call anything about a back-to-back World Series champion disappointing, but the Dodgers made a big investment in the back of their bullpen by picking up Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates last winter that ultimately did not pan out. Adding an arm like Hsu to the fold alongside Scott could give L.A. some additional firepower in the bullpen to help make up for the loss of Evan Phillips, who underwent Tommy John surgery in June and was non-tendered this past week.

Of course, the Dodgers are hardly the only team who could have interest in Hsu’s services. International relief signings have typically come in at a fairly affordable price tag that could make him an interesting target for virtually any club searching for bullpen help this winter. Woo-Suk Go (two years, $4.5MM), Yuki Matsui (five years, $28MM), and Shintaro Fujinami (one year, $3.5MM) are all players who signed from the international market as relievers in recent years, and none came with the typical price tag associated with late-inning relievers already established in MLB.

Orioles’ Mike Elias On Rodriguez/Ward Trade, Pitching Search, Non-Tender Decisions

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Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias held a video conference with reporters (including Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com) on Friday to discuss both the team’s decisions at the non-tender deadline and several other topics, most notably the major one-for-one swap earlier this week that sent Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels in exchange for Taylor Ward.

The trade represented something of a long-term goal for the front office, as Elias said Ward is “somebody that we’ve been chasing for at least for a couple years, just because of the profile, the big right-handed power.”  Adding Ward brought more balance to a Baltimore lineup that was pretty heavy in left-handed bats, and finally making the move to obtain him now was related to both the Orioles’ needs and broader market conditions.  “I wasn’t confident where else somebody like him would come from on the free agent and trade market right now that has the sort of bat that we think he has and what he did last year,” Elias said.

With this perceived scarcity in mind, the Orioles were ultimately willing to move Rodriguez, which counted as a surprise on many levels.  Injuries have kept G-Rod off a big league mound since July 31, 2024, yet it wasn’t long ago that the former top prospect was viewed as a building block of the Orioles’ rotation.  Rodriguez also isn’t slated for free agency until after the 2029 season, whereas Ward is controlled through just the 2026 season.

Elias cited Ward as a potential qualifying offer candidate heading into free agency, “so that could change that equation a little bit” in terms of “the mismatch in the amount of potential team control.”  But in general, the O’s were ultimately willing to take the risk of moving Rodriguez in order to pry Ward away from Los Angeles.

“It’s uncomfortable to make trades, usually.  It’s hard to line up, and you’re going to give something up,” Elias said.  “That is always going to be difficult and interesting….Grayson’s a great kid.  We loved bringing him up in this organization and rearing him, and he’s got a bright future.  And sometimes, trades are a part of baseball.”

Losing Rodriguez deepens Baltimore’s need for starting pitching, which Elias reiterated as a chief goal of the club’s offseason.  Kyle Bradish, Trevor Rogers, Dean Kremer, Tyler Wells, and Cade Povich now line up as the projected starting five, with Brandon Young and Chayce McDermott in the minors as the top depth options.  It’s a group that needed more experience and clear top-of-the-rotation upside even when Rodriguez was still in the fold, and Elias said again that his team is looking at many pitchers, “whether it’s top or front or top half of the rotation, all those buckets.  We’re trying, and there are guys out there and we are in pursuit of every one of them.”

With both the rotation and bullpen as needs, a reunion with swingman Albert Suarez could help on two fronts, and Elias said the Orioles were interested in a reunion even after non-tendering the right-hander yesterday.  “I don’t want to go into details about our decision-making as we approach these tender decisions, but we very much are fans of Albert and we’re very much hoping to continue talking to him, and made that clear to him and his group,” the PBO said.

Suarez is another pitcher looking to rebound from a lost 2025 season, as he tossed only 11 2/3 innings for the Orioles last year.  A right rotator cuff sidelined Suarez for most of the year, and he was also hit by a flexor tendon strain in his right forearm near the end of the season.  The flexor strain was said to be minor enough that surgery didn’t seem necessary, and Suarez was expected to resume a throwing program after a recovery period.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected that Suarez would receive a $900K salary in his first trip through the arbitration process, as Suarez’s earning potential was obviously dampened by his lack of time on the mound in 2025.  Despite that modest salary and the Orioles’ remaining years of control, the team still opted to part ways with Suarez.  It could be that the O’s think they can bring Suarez back at an even lower price tag, or the club may have some misgivings about Suarez’s health situation.

While Elias mentioned the Orioles’ wide-ranging search for pitching, he didn’t directly allude to the possibility of pivoting and now trading a bat for rotation help.  This seemed like a logical avenue for Baltimore to explore heading into the offseason, and the tactic perhaps makes even more sense in the wake of both the Ward trade and the fact that the O’s tendered a contract to Ryan Mountcastle.  Between Mountcastle’s projected $7.8MM arbitration salary, his disappointing 2025 numbers, and a first base picture that also includes Samuel Basallo and Coby Mayo, there was plenty of speculation that the Orioles would just part ways with Mountcastle entirely.

Instead, the O’s kept Mountcastle because “we think he’s a great hitter,” Elias stated, noting that Mountcastle’s production was impacted by a hamstring strain that kept him on the injured list for over two months.  Elias isn’t concerned over any potential roster surplus, as he again pointed to the many injury concerns that helped sink the Orioles’ 2025 season.

“As we lived through last year, you have to worry about depth, too.  This is something that will sort itself out.  I think the main thing is we don’t want to discard a good hitter if we don’t have to, and we want to keep our talent, and these guys are all really promising bats,” Elias said.

Another bat or two might yet join the mix, as Elias said “we are definitely still pursuing upgrades to the lineup.  But I think that Taylor’s presence really solidifies the outfield picture in a way that gives us more flexibility with hunting that next impact bat and where that person plays.”  In terms of specific positions, Elias said the team would like to have more center field depth, even with Colton Cowser and the newly-acquired Leody Taveras currently lined up up the middle.

Nationals Re-Sign Erick Mejia

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Infielder-turned-pitcher Erick Mejia is back with the Nationals on a minor league deal, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America. The former shortstop converted to pitching last season and reached Triple-A by the end of the year.

After logging a single inning on the mound at Triple-A in 2024, Mejia truly began his pitching journey this past season. He opened the year in Single-A, posting an impressive 33.3% strikeout rate over 12 innings. Mejia earned a couple of saves and a win with Fredericksburg. He moved up to Double-A and delivered a 2.33 ERA across 24 appearances. Mejia’s strikeouts tailed off, while his walk rate spiked to 18.6%, but he limited hitters to a .174 batting average. He found himself back in Rochester by August, though he was knocked around for 12 earned runs in 10 innings. Mejia’s walk rate remained a bloated 18%.

Seattle signed Mejia as an international free agent in 2012. He was obviously still a shortstop back then. Mejia climbed through the Mariners’ system with a strong hitting profile and a bit of speed. He was dealt to the Dodgers in January 2016 for Joe Wieland. Mejia upped his base-stealing with the Dodgers, but reached Triple-A for just a game. He was dealt again in January 2018, this time to Kansas City in a three-team trade headlined by Joakim Soria. Mejia debuted with the Royals in 2019. He went 5-for-22 over nine games. Mejia got another brief shot with the big-league club during the shortened 2020 season, going 1-for-14 in eight appearances.

After a season at Triple-A with Seattle in 2022, Mejia landed with the Nationals. He struggled mightily at the plate in two seasons at Triple-A with the organization. A 61 wRC+ in 66 games with the Red Wings in 2024 prompted the position switch. Given Mejia’s intriguing strikeout numbers in the minors, along with Washington’s current trajectory, it’s not unthinkable that he could find himself on a big-league mound in 2026.

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

Red Sox Release Yasmani Grandal

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The Red Sox released catcher Yasmani Grandal earlier this month, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Grandal stepped away from the organization back in June. There’s been no word regarding a potential retirement.

Grandal joined Boston on a minor league deal in April. He played in 23 games at Triple-A, posting a solid 110 wRC+ with his typically strong plate discipline (15 strikeouts to 13 walks). Grandal last suited up for Worcester on June 1, going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. Manager Chad Tracy told MassLive’s Katie Morrison-O’Day that he talked to Grandal the next day about his future. “I knew he was going to pack up and go…his response was ‘it’s time to be dad.’”

Grandal was placed on the restricted list on June 4. Tracy was complimentary of the veteran’s time with the team. “He didn’t isolate himself, he was right in the middle of everything teaching young guys,” Tracy said. “It was great.”

The 37-year-old last appeared in the big leagues in 2024 with Pittsburgh. He played in 72 games with the Pirates, slashing a respectable .228/.304/.400. He hit nine home runs in his only year with the club.

Grandal has played for five different teams across 13 MLB seasons. He was taken by Cincinnati in the first round of the 2010 draft. The Reds shipped him to the Padres in the Mat Latos trade. He debuted with San Diego in 2012. Grandal was part of another significant trade in 2014, heading to the Dodgers in the Matt Kemp deal. He became one of the most productive backstops in the league with LA, hitting 73 home runs across three seasons. Grandal went to the Brewers as a free agent in 2019 and socked a career-high 28 home runs. He cashed in on that season by signing a four-year, $73MM deal with the White Sox.

Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images

Craig Albernaz’s Impact On Orioles’ Catchers

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Baltimore moved on from Brandon Hyde during the 2025 season, but they’ll replace him this year with another former catcher. New manager Craig Albernaz was a backstop for nine seasons in the minors. After his playing career wrapped up, he entered the coaching ranks. Albernaz’s first gig at the major-league level was as a catching instructor and bench coach with the Giants.

Albernaz’s lengthy catching experience as a player and coach could come in handy with Baltimore. Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo are two of the club’s key players, both for 2026 and beyond.

“I’m excited,” Albernaz told reporters earlier this month, including Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. “Adley and Basallo both have a ton of talent. Obviously, Basallo coming in, relatively not a lot of experience at the big league level, but you just see the talent jump right at you. And Adley, even before he got to the big leagues, and his pedigree behind the plate.”

The trade of Alex Jackson on Friday could increase Baltimore’s reliance on Rutschman and Basallo. Jackson has mostly been a backup in his career, but he had the second-most plate appearances at catcher for Baltimore last season. There was a chance the team would carry all three catchers next year. Basallo started 20 games behind the plate, but also made a pair of starts at first base and spent time at DH. Scouting reports aren’t glowing about his defensive capabilities, outside of a strong arm. FanGraphs gave him a 30 scouting grade for his current fielding ability and a 40 future grade. MLB.com was more generous, though a 45 fielding grade still isn’t ideal.

Rutschman had 18 appearances at DH in 2025, though oblique issues limited him to a career-low 90 games. He had at least 45 DH appearances in both 2023 and 2024. Rutschman is a solid defender, but injuries have limited his offensive production in back-to-back seasons. The backstop took a ball off the hand midway through the 2024 season. He didn’t go on the IL, but hit just .200 over the final three months of the season. Rutschman strained both his left and his right obliques this past season. He managed just 365 plate appearances, his fewest since his first professional season in 2019.

Albernaz has worked with some strong options behind the plate in his coaching career. Buster Posey’s final year in San Francisco was Albernaz’s first full season as catching instructor. Albernaz’s final season with the team saw Patrick Bailey emerge as an everyday option. Bailey hasn’t been much of an offensive contributor, but he’s been elite at pitching framing and controlling the running game. He’s a two-time Gold Glove winner. Rutschman might not be Posey and Basallo probably won’t be Bailey, but figuring out how to utilize both players will be key for Albernaz.

“I’m biased toward catching, having a great tandem behind the plate should help us win a lot of games in itself, and with those two guys, I’m going to lean on them a lot,” Albernaz said. “I’m going to give them a lot of information as far as how to help lead this team, our pitching staff, and also hold the coaches accountable. Because a high-functioning team, those catchers are involved in a lot of the process.”

Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images.

Grayson Rodriguez Provides Health Update

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Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez said in an interview on the show Foul Territory that he’s “throwing and feeling good” following August surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow (h/t Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner for reporting on Rodriguez’s comments). The newly minted Angel added that he considered surgery in Spring Training, but decided against it, only for the discomfort to become unbearable. “It got to a point where I was like, ‘I can’t take it.’”

Rodriguez has battled injuries for the majority of his career. He missed the entire 2025 campaign with shoulder and lat issues. He was sidelined for part of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury. A lat strain capped Rodriguez at 17 starts in 2022 and likely pushed his MLB debut back a season.

According to Rodriguez, the bone spurs have been an issue for quite some time. “They’ve been in there for three or four years. This is something that I’ve dealt with for a while, ever since I was in Double-A, Triple-A.” The righty added that the bone spurs seemed to have led to the recurring lat problems, as the muscle was working harder to slow his arm after releasing each pitch.

Los Angeles is betting on better health for Rodriguez. The Angels landed the talented righty in a straight swap for outfielder Taylor Ward earlier this week. Ward is coming off a career-best 36-homer season. He’s been a mainstay in the middle of LA’s lineup for the past four seasons. Ward will be a free agent after 2026, while Rodriguez is under team control through 2029. The trade helped the Angels free up some capital, as Ward is projected to earn $13.7MM in his last year of arbitration.

Rodriguez said he was caught off guard by the move, but is “pumped” to head to his new team. “I didn’t think the Orioles would trade me. But, obviously, the Angels wanted me bad enough, and it’s kind of a cool feeling.”

If the bone spur removal gets Rodriguez back on track from a health perspective, Los Angeles could have their ace of the future. The 26-year-old is just a few years removed from being the top pitching prospect in the league. After scuffling in his first taste of big-league action, he put together a 13-start stretch with a 2.58 ERA to close his rookie season. Rodriguez was on his way to a breakout 2024 before the shoulder injury cut his season short. The righty improved his strikeout rate to 26.5% while cutting his hard-hit rate by 4%. His xFIP (3.57) and SIERA (3.61) backed up his 3.86 ERA.

Rodriguez’s health update is in line with the info relayed by Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias back in September. The executive told reporters that Rodriguez was on track for 2026 Spring Training.

If the righty is indeed good to go for the spring, it’ll mark the first time he’s pitched competitively since July 2024. Rodriguez’s velocity will be important to monitor once he gets back on the mound. He averaged 97.4 mph on his fastball in his rookie season, but that number fell to 96.1 mph in 2024. Rodriguez’s arsenal will also be something to keep an eye on. He threw six different pitches in 2023, but trimmed that to four pitches the following season. Rodriguez ditched the cutter and sweeper in 2024, while throwing the curveball a bit harder and the slider slightly softer.

Rodriguez will slot in behind Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano for the Angels. While Rodriguez’s health will be a main focus, there are plenty more questions to be answered in the rotation. Reid Detmers seems like he’ll get another shot as a starter after putting together a strong season out of the bullpen. Caden Dana and Mitch Farris closed 2025 in the rotation and are candidates for spots, though both had ERAs over 6.00 last year. Prospects George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri, acquired from the Phillies in the Carlos Estevez trade, could also factor into the equation.

Photo courtesy of Tommy Gilligan, Imagn Images

Brewers Re-Sign JB Bukauskas

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The Brewers have inked righty JB Bukauskas to a minor league deal, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Bukauskas had a non-roster invite to Spring Training with Milwaukee last season, but missed the entire year with a lat injury. It’s the same issue that cost him much of the 2024 campaign.

Bukauskas has been in the Brewers’ organization since April 2023, when the club claimed him off waivers from Seattle. He tossed six scoreless innings out of the bullpen that season, but missed time with neck and finger injuries. Bukauskas allowed just one earned run over six frames to open the 2024 season, then went down in mid-April with a lat injury that ended his season. Milwaukee designated him for assignment at the end of the year, which he accepted.

Houston took Bukauskas with the 15th overall pick in 2017. Injuries limited him to 17 appearances over his first two professional seasons. Bukauskas reached Double-A for his final start of 2018. He remained at the level in 2019, posting a 5.25 ERA across 20 appearances (14 starts). The Astros shipped Bukauskas, Corbin Martin, Josh Rojas, and Seth Beer to the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline for Zack Greinke.

Bukauskas debuted for Arizona in 2021. He struggled to a 7.79 ERA in 17 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Bukauskas’ 4.50 xFIP and 4.49 SIERA suggest he pitched better than his ERA would indicate. He missed time with a flexor strain midway through that year, then went down with a shoulder injury ahead of the 2022 season. He made 23 minor league appearances that year. Arizona designated Bukauskas for assignment at the end of the 2022 campaign, and Seattle scooped him up. Bukauskas made a single appearance with the Mariners in 2023, allowing one earned run over an inning.

The 29-year-old Bukauskas has an ERA over 5.00 in his brief time in the big leagues, but his pedigree and minor league results could give Milwaukee hope that he could contribute in the bullpen if he manages to stay healthy. Bukauskas has a 3.35 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning across 76 career appearances at Triple-A.

Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images

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