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Braves To Sign Jonah Heim

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Veteran catcher Jonah Heim is at Braves camp this morning, per MLB.com’s Mark Bowman. The team hasn’t formally announced a deal, but MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports that the two parties are in agreement on a one-year, major league contract. Heim is represented by the Beverly Hills Sports Council.

Heim, 31 in June, was a key factor in the Rangers’ World Series victory during the 2023 season, breaking out with a .258/.317/.438 batting line (107 wRC+) and swatting 18 home runs. He coupled that better-than-average offense — particularly relative to his position — with top-of-the-scale defensive grades; Heim nabbed 29.3% of the runners who attempted to swipe a base against him (well above that season’s average 20.6%), was solid in terms of blocking balls in the dirt, and was the fourth-best catcher in the sport in terms of pitch framing, per Statcast.

Given that the league-average catcher tends to be about 10-12% worse than the league-average hitter at the plate, having a plus defender behind the dish with 15- to 20-homer pop and better-than-average rate stats is immensely valuable. Heim rated as a plus defender in both 2021 and 2022, and his offensive improvements in ’23 looked to have thrust himself into the conversation for one of the most valuable all-around catchers in the game.

Instead, all aspects of his skill set have taken a step back in the two seasons since. He’s drawn league-average framing grades since 2023 and seen his throwing drop off considerably, with just a 13.7% caught-stealing rate in 2024-25. His pop time behind the plate has crept north of two seconds, and his average velocity on throws to second base dipped from 81.1 mph in ’23 to 79.5 mph in ’25.

Heim’s offensive decline has been even more glaring. He’s taken 924 plate appearances since that standout 2023 campaign but turned in an awful .217/.269/.334 batting line that checks in about 29% worse than league-average, by measure of wRC+. His strikeout rate hasn’t changed much at all, but he’s lost a couple percentage points off his walk rate and seen declines in terms of average exit velocity, barrel rate and hard-hit rate. He’s also seen his line-drive rate fall a couple percentage points while his grounder rate and infield fly rate have crept north.

None of the changes in those key offensive rate stats are particularly large on their own, but a couple ticks in the wrong direction for that many rate stats has a significant cumulative effect. That’s especially true for a player who was only a bit above average with the bat in the first place. The Rangers, looking to scale back payroll, non-tendered Heim in November after failing to find a trade partner willing to take him on at his expected arbitration price. (MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected a $6MM salary for the 2026 season.)

Heim now joins a Braves club looking for a short-term backup to reigning NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin. Baldwin and veteran Sean Murphy looked locked in as Atlanta’s catching tandem last summer — until Murphy required surgery to repair a torn labrum in his hip. A timetable for his return remains a bit murky. Bowman suggests that Murphy is hoping to be ready at some point in May, though it’s not clear whether that’s early in the month or closer to Memorial Day weekend. The team figures to provide one in the near future with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp this week (today, in the Braves’ case).

Baldwin and Murphy are the only catchers on Atlanta’s 40-man roster at the moment. With Murphy expected to be sidelined to begin the season, backup options for Baldwin have included non-roster invitees Chadwick Tromp, Sandy Leon and Jair Camargo. Heim adds a higher-upside option and, after signing a big league deal, is the immediate front-runner for the backup job to Baldwin.

Heim has more than five years of major league service time, so once Murphy is ready for activation, Heim cannot be optioned without his consent. Those five years of MLB service also are enough that he can reject an outright assignment to Triple-A Gwinnett and retain any remaining guaranteed money on his contract.

The Opener: Pitchers & Catchers, Arraez, Arbitration Decisions

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Baseball is back! Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world as Spring Training commences:

1. Pitchers and catchers begin reporting:

Spring Training is officially getting underway today… for a handful of teams, at least. As noted by MLB.com, the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Rangers, and Giants have their first workout for pitchers and catchers today in Arizona’s Cactus League. Meanwhile, over in Florida, the Grapefruit League’s workouts kick off with the Braves and Red Sox. Boston (Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray), Texas (MacKenzie Gore, Danny Jansen), and San Francisco (Adrian Houser, Tyler Mahle) all figure to have some exciting new faces around camp today, while the White Sox (Erick Fedde) and Diamondbacks (Merrill Kelly) will welcome back old friends who re-signed over the offseason. The opening of camp typically reveals some news of offseason injuries, and it’s common for a handful off free agents to pop up in camp with clubs after finalizing a late agreement. There ought to be plenty of news throughout the week as players continue to report.

2. Arraez deal to be made official:

Luis Arraez’s one-year deal with the Giants has yet to be made official. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, that delay is so that Arraez can get his physical with the club at their Spring Training facilities, thereby streamlining the process. Slusser adds that Arraez’s signing figures to be made official today. San Francisco’s 40-man roster is full at the moment, meaning that a corresponding transaction will need to be announced alongside the Arraez deal. That could be a minor trade or a player being designated for assignment, but with the start of Spring Training it’s possible the club could simply look to put a player like Randy Rodriguez or Jason Foley on the 60-day injured list. Rodriguez underwent Tommy John surgery last September. Foley had shoulder surgery last May.

3. Arbitration decisions to be handed down:

The Associated Press reports that a arbitration results from two hearings should be expected today: catcher Tyler Stephenson (who filed at $6.8MM) and the Reds (who filed at $6.55MM) as well as southpaw Reid Detmers (who filed at $2.925MM) and the Angels (who filed at $2.625MM). Players have won the majority of cases so far, with Orioles lefty Keegan Akin taking the only arbitration loss of the year to this point. Lefties Dylan Lee of the Braves and Eric Lauer of the Blue Jays have already been to hearings but are having their decisions withheld until later this week. Royals southpaw Kris Bubic, Brewers catcher William Contreras, and Marlins righty Calvin Faucher all have hearings scheduled for the future to round out this year’s slate of arbitration cases.

Red Sox Acquire Caleb Durbin In Six-Player Trade

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The Red Sox and Brewers pulled off a six-player trade on Monday. Boston acquired infielders Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler, as well as Milwaukee’s Competitive Balance Round B pick in exchange for pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan and infielder David Hamilton. All six players in question were on their clubs’ 40-man roster, so no corresponding moves were necessary.

Durbin is a notable pickup for the Boston infield and should be penciled in for everyday at-bats — presumably at third base, though he can also handle second base if the Red Sox prefer Marcelo Mayer at the hot corner from a defensive standpoint. The 25-year-old Durbin (26 in a couple weeks) finished third in National League Rookie of the Year voting in 2025 after he batted .256/.334/.387 with 11 home runs, 25 doubles, 18 steals (24 attempts), a 5.9% walk rate and a tiny 9.9% strikeout rate. He turned in above-average marks for his glovework at third in the estimation of both Defensive Runs Saved (5) and Outs Above Average (2).

He’s not the big middle-of-the-order presence many Sox fans have coveted, but Durbin is an affordable, controllable and versatile defender who’ll further the Red Sox’ pivot toward run prevention and help to lower a team strikeout rate that was 10th-highest in the sport last year at 22.9%. He’s a right-handed hitter whose pull percentage (43.3%) is a bit higher than league average (40.6%), which should play well with the Green Monster at Fenway Park. Durbin comes to the Red Sox with five full seasons of club control and two minor league option years remaining (not that there’ll be any thought of optioning him to the minors anytime soon after last year’s strong performance).

If Durbin is ticketed for the hot corner, that’ll leave second base to a combination of the left-handed-hitting Mayer and righty-swinging Romy Gonzalez. Recently signed utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa can back up both those positions as well as shortstop.

The 28-year-old Monasterio could also factor in at either second or third base, although like Gonzalez and Kiner-Falefa, he’s a right-handed hitter. As is the case with Gonzalez, Monasterio also carries notable platoon splits. He’s a career .255/.352/.375 batter against lefties but a .246/.303/.338 hitter against fellow righties. He’s coming off a career-best showing in the majors — albeit in a limited sample of 135 plate appearances — having slashed .270/.319/.437 (111 wRC+) with four homers. He’s controllable for another four seasons and won’t be arbitration-eligible until at least next offseason (possibly later, depending on how much time he spends in the minors this year).

Monasterio also has nearly 3500 professional innings at shortstop under his belt, so he gives Boston another backup option to oft-injured Trevor Story at shortstop (alongside Kiner-Falefa). He also has a full slate of three minor league option years remaining, so there’s no guarantee he’ll open the season on Boston’s major league roster. He’ll have the opportunity to win a role in camp, but barring injury and/or trade, Boston’s bench seems likely to include Gonzalez, Kiner-Falefa, catcher Connor Wong and outfielder/designated hitter Masataka Yoshida.

All of that assumes that Mayer makes the Opening Day roster, but it’s possible that the former No. 4 overall pick could open the season in Triple-A Worcester, too. Mayer’s .228/.272/.402 slash was well below league-average in 2025, but he only turned 23 in December and has an impressive minor league track record. That includes a .271/.347/.471 showing in Triple-A last year. He’ll have every opportunity to win a starting job in camp with the Red Sox, but late additions of Durbin and Kiner-Falefa lessen the team’s reliance on the still largely untested top prospect.

Boston also picks up the 26-year-old Seigler, who’ll provide some depth in the upper minors and could be a frequently used bench piece over the course of the coming season. He’s batted just .194/.292/.210 in an insignificant sample of 73 major league plate appearances, but Seigler hit .285/.414/.478 with eight homers, 16 doubles, four triples, 23 steals (27 attempts), a 16.9% walk rate and a 19.2% strikeout rate in 307 Triple-A plate appearances this past season. He’s been used as an infielder (second base, specifically) far more frequently than a catcher in recent seasons due to troubles controlling the run game and a susceptibility to passed balls.

Even if he’s rarely deployed behind the plate, Seigler is at the very least an interesting third catcher option who also is comfortable at second base and third base. He has two minor league option years remaining and doesn’t even have a full season of major league service, making him controllable for at least the next six full seasons.

The Red Sox also add a Competitive Balance draft choice — the only picks permissible to be traded under MLB rules. Milwaukee’s Round B selection is the first in that round, currently 67th overall (although that could change by a spot or two depending on what happens with Zac Gallen, the final remaining free agent who rejected a qualifying offer and is thus subject to draft pick compensation). They’ll not only get to add an extra player but will also add that selection’s slot value to their draft bonus pool. Last year’s No. 67 selection came with a $1.285MM value. This year’s should be up from that a bit. The Red Sox don’t need to spend that amount on this pick specifically; the slot value will be added to their bonus pool, which they can freely divide up among their picks how they see fit.

Turning to Milwaukee’s side of the swap, it feels like a precursor to another acquisition. The Brewers not only traded their incumbent starter at third base — they traded two of the top depth options behind him in the same swap. Perhaps there’s some infield shuffling on the horizon, but it feels like the Brewers will need to add some help on the dirt. Hamilton could see reps at the hot corner this spring but has spent far more time at second base in the Red Sox organization. Shortstop Joey Ortiz and second baseman Brice Turang are plus defenders who could both slide one position over to the left, but doing so might weaken the overall defensive aptitude of the group.

Bringing in some help at third base seems prudent, but options there are few and far between. Time will tell if president of baseball operations Matt Arnold has another move up his sleeve, but for right now, the Brewers look thin at third base.

Their pitching depth, however, continues to grow — even after trading ace Freddy Peralta to the Mets last month. Today’s trade brings in a pair of big league-ready arms. Harrison, 24, already has 42 big league games (37 starts) under his belt. He’s pitched to a 4.39 ERA with a 22.9% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate in that time.

At the moment, Harrison profiles as a fifth starter option for the Brewers, but he carries more upside than most back-of-the-rotation candidates. The 2020 third-round pick ranked as one of the top minor league talents in all of baseball for several years, peaking as the No. 26 prospect in the entire sport on Baseball America’s top-100 prior to the 2023 season. He’s yet to put it all together in the majors, but Harrison has fanned better than 30% of his opponents in parts of two Triple-A seasons.

The Brewers have developed a reputation as one of the sport’s top “pitch labs.” They worked wonders with righty Quinn Priester in 2025 and have helped to facilitate turnarounds or breakouts from relievers like Trevor Megill, Joel Payamps, Bryse Wilson, Colin Rea, Nick Mears, Jared Koenig and others. There are plenty of parallels between Priester’s trajectory and that of Harrison; both were former top prospects traded to Boston and quickly buried on the Red Sox depth chart. The Brewers will hope to convert on that same profile for a second consecutive season now.

Drohan just turned 27 last month, making him old for a “prospect,” but he nonetheless sat 15th on Baseball America’s recent update of Boston’s system. His path to big leagues has been slowed both by injury and a selection in the Rule 5 Draft. The White Sox took Drohan back in 2023 after Boston left him unprotected. He required a nerve decompression surgery in his shoulder that spring, however, which limited him to 16 1/3 rehab innings that season. A forearm injury in 2025 limited him to 54 minor league frames.

When he’s been healthy, Drohan has looked the part of an interesting prospect. His Triple-A numbers are skewed by a rough showing late in 2023 and during some rehab work in 2024 — both potentially impacted by his shoulder — but he was excellent last season, tossing 47 2/3 innings with Worcester and recording a 2.27 ERA, a 35.3% strikeout rate, an 8.4% walk rate and a massive 17.3% swinging-strike rate. He also posted a 2.17 ERA in parts of two Double-A seasons and was part of the 2023 Futures Game. Drohan sat 93.3 mph with his four-seamer in Triple-A in 2025, complementing the pitch with an 84.7 mph slider, an 88.8 mph cutter, an 84.3 mph changeup and a 77.9 mph curveball (listed in order of usage rate).

Hamilton, 28, returns to the club that originally drafted him but traded him to Boston as part of 2021’s Hunter Renfroe swap. He’s played in parts of three seasons with Boston and totaled 550 plate appearances with a .222/.283/.359 batting line.

Hamilton hasn’t hit much but is a plus runner with 95th percentile sprint speed, per Statcast, and 57 career steals in 68 attempts (83.8%). On a rate basis, he’s been one of the game’s elite defensive second basemen during his time in the majors, piling up 16 Defensive Runs Saved and 8 Outs Above Average in only 679 innings.

The Brewers originally drafted Hamilton in the eighth round of the 2019 draft out of the University of Texas. Arnold and top lieutenants like AGMs Matt Kleine, Will Hudgins and Karl Mueller were all in the Milwaukee front office when they first signed Hamilton out of the draft. That familiarity with him both as a player and as a person presumably played a role in this morning’s trade.

Adam McCalvy of MLB.com reports that Hamilton will see plenty of reps at third base this spring. Whether his stellar second base defense carries over to third base and whether Hamilton performs well enough to secure a job will determine his roster status come Opening Day. He has a minor league option year remaining, so if the Brewers do make another acquisition or if Hamilton simply struggles to a great enough extent this spring, he can be sent to Triple-A Nashville without needing to pass through waivers. The Brewers can control him for at least four additional seasons — five if he spends more than 25 days in the minors this year.

For the Red Sox, today’s trade seems to largely round out the infield. With Kiner-Falefa also aboard as a glove-first utility option, there doesn’t appear to be much more room to add. Durbin should be an upgrade of a couple wins, and his extreme put-the-ball-in-play approach and defensive aptitude should help to raise Boston’s floor quite a bit, even if the offense as a whole looks suspect beyond the top few hitters.

The Brewers are now 10 to 12 deep in their rotation mix, which could set the stage for another trade. They could also simply hold onto that depth, knowing they’ll need an army of pitchers to get through a 162-game season and that many of their current arms have less than a full year of experience in the majors, but some form of additional infield depth seems likely to be on the horizon after today’s trade thinned them out.

Jeff Passan of ESPN was first to report Durbin, Harrison, Drohan and Hamilton’s inclusions. Will Sammon of The Athletic first reported Seigler, Monasterio and the draft choice.

Pirates To Sign Marcell Ozuna

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The Pirates and slugger Marcell Ozuna are reportedly in agreement on a one-year, $12MM contract, pending a physical. The CAA client will be paid a $10.5MM salary this year, plus a $1.5MM buyout on a $16MM mutual option for the 2027 season. A mutual option hasn’t been exercised by both parties since 2014, so that option effectively just kicks a portion of the guarantee down the road by a year.

Ozuna turned 35 in November. The 2025 season was a down showing by his standards, but he was still a better-than-average offensive performer overall down in Atlanta. He batted .232/.355/.400 with a career-high 15.9% walk rate, a 24.3% strikeout rate, 21 homers and 19 doubles in 592 plate appearances. That overall line was weighed down by a brutal stretch in the middle of a roller-coaster season. Ozuna raced out to a scorching start in April and May, was one of the league’s worst hitters in June, and then settled in as a slightly above-average hitter for the season’s final three months.

The downturn in production dovetailed with a hip injury through which Ozuna continued to play at less than 100%. It’s impossible to say for certain whether that, age, or a combination of both was the driving factor in last season’s dip in bat speed, but Statcast measured his bat speed at 75 mph in 2023 (86th percentile of MLB hitters), 74 mph in 2024 (81st percentile) and 72.9 mph in 2025 (64th percentile). Accordingly, his typically elite exit velocity and hard-hit rate both fell. Ozuna averaged 89.9 mph off the bat and logged a 44.4% hard-hit rate in 2025. Both are still decent marks, but they’re down considerably from the 92.2 mph and 53.3% marks he posted as recently as 2024.

While Ozuna ought to be an upgrade to Pittsburgh’s lineup overall, the fit isn’t exactly perfect. Beyond the fact that PNC Park is perhaps the worst environment in MLB for right-handed power, the Buccos’ roster is a bit cluttered with corner bats who could use some of the DH time that Ozuna will now command on an everyday basis. Spencer Horwitz and Ryan O’Hearn had been lined up to share time at first base and designated hitter, with O’Hearn perhaps seeing some time in left. Horwitz, after a slow start to his season in 2025, finished the year out on a blistering .314/.402/.539 tear in his final two-plus months of play. He’s locked into an everyday role. O’Hearn can play in the outfield corners, but Bryan Reynolds has one of those two spots locked down.

Signing Ozuna, who has hasn’t played in the field at all in either of the past two seasons (and only logged 14 innings in 2023), likely pushes O’Hearn into an everyday role in the outfield. He has plenty of experience on the grass but rates as a sub-par defender there, whereas he’s an above-average defender at first base. Horwitz does have 604 professional innings in left field to his credit, so he could perhaps be on option in left as well, but all 604 of those frames have been in the minors — half of them back in 2019 and 2021. He’s played some second base, too, but that was a short experiment and the Pirates already acquired Brandon Lowe to man that position.

Presumably, the primary alignment moving forward will have O’Hearn in left field, Lowe at second, Horwitz at first base and Ozuna at designated hitter. It’s not Pittsburgh’s ideal setup from a defensive standpoint, but the Pirates will make that sacrifice in the name of getting some quality bats into the middle of what has typically been one of MLB’s weakest lineups over the past decade-plus. Newcomers O’Hearn, Lowe and Ozuna will join holdovers like Reynolds, Horwitz and Oneil Cruz, giving the Bucs a potentially strong top six in their order at the very least — and that’s before counting shortstop Konnor Griffin, who is the sport’s consensus No. 1 overall prospect and should debut in 2026.

Bringing Ozuna into the fold also seems to formally put an end to Andrew McCutchen’s second act in Pittsburgh. He could feasibly be a right-handed bench bat who takes some occasional corner outfield reps, but McCutchen played 120 games at designated hitter in 2025. Signing Ozuna clearly displaces him from that role, and it’s hard to see the two fitting together on the same roster. McCutchen recently met with Pirates owner Bob Nutting, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported last week — a meeting that came on the heels of the franchise icon voicing some frustration with the manner in which the team had handled offseason talks.

Adding Ozuna pushes the Pirates’ payroll to $102.25MM, per Ethan Hullihen, which will somewhat remarkably establish a new franchise-record for Opening Day payroll. It’s still a very modest total relative to the rest of the league, but the Bucs have spent more than $50MM in free agency overall and also taken on Lowe’s $11.5MM salary in a trade with the Rays. It’s possible there are additional moves to come. The Pirates have been in the market for third base upgrades as well. That market has been largely picked over, but there are still surely some creative options they can pursue on the trade market.

It’s not clear exactly how much more ownership is willing to boost the payroll, but the team’s reported four-year, $120-125MM offer to Kyle Schwarber and the flurry of subsequent additions pretty clearly indicates that Nutting is willing to spend at levels he has not considered approaching in the past. The Bucs currently have a plus defender at the hot corner in Jared Triolo, but he’s a well below-average hitter who’s capable of fielding multiple spots around the infield, so he could fit nicely in a utility/bench role if GM Ben Cherington can find a third base acquisition to his liking on the trade market.

Jon Heyman of The New York Post first reported Ozuna and the Pirates agreed to a $12MM deal. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the $10.5MM salary and $1.5MM buyout on a $16MM mutual option.

Phillies Seeking Rotation Depth With Wheeler Doubtful For Opening Day

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Zack Wheeler is maybe the biggest wild card as the Phillies try to claim a third straight NL East title. The ace is working back from the thoracic outlet surgery that ended his 2025 season. The procedure came with a six to eight month recovery timeline from the end of September, calling his availability for the start of ’26 into question.

As camp gets underway, manager Rob Thomson provided a vague timetable for Wheeler’s return. “I don’t think he’ll be ready for Opening Day but it’s not going to be too far beyond that,” Thomson told reporters (link via Paul Casella of MLB.com). The 35-year-old righty is throwing from flat ground and “doing well” in the manager’s words, yet the Phils are obviously going to be cautious with the three-time All-Star. He has not progressed to mound work.

Between Wheeler’s injury and the free agent departure of Ranger Suárez, it’s a thinner starting staff than usual. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski told reporters (including Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer) they’ll look to deepen that group throughout the spring. “When our scouts go out there, that’ll be one of our focuses. And we may develop that internally, too; there’s some guys that we do like. But that’ll be a focus of ours, is starting pitching depth,” Dombrowski said.

That’s not to say the Phillies are likely to add Zac Gallen, Lucas Giolito or Chris Bassitt. It’s generally expected that their three-year deal to bring back J.T. Realmuto was the final big move of an offseason built around re-signing Kyle Schwarber that also saw them sign right fielder Adolis García and reliever Brad Keller.

There are some potential swing options available in free agency (e.g. Jose Quintana, Aaron Civale), though Dombrowski suggested there might be opportunities on the trade front. He noted that the relatively slow-moving free agent market for starting pitching could make some fringe arms on those signing teams available via trade — though that could certainly be counteracted as teams start losing pitchers to injury, as happens every year during Spring Training. A trade would also provide the Phillies with some extra roster flexibility if they can add someone who still has options remaining. Most free agents have the five-plus years of service time that gives them the right to refuse a minor league assignment.

Assuming Wheeler begins the season on the injured list, Cy Young runner-up Cristopher Sánchez should get his first Opening Day start. He’ll be followed in the rotation by Jesús Luzardo and Aaron Nola. Taijuan Walker worked in a swing role last year but seems more or less assured of a season-opening rotation spot.

That’d leave the fifth spot available in a camp battle. Top prospect Andrew Painter has a legitimate chance to win the job. Philly needed to add him to the 40-man roster this offseason because he’d reached Rule 5 eligibility. His stock has dipped a little from the time that he was widely viewed as the #1 pitching prospect in the sport. An elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery cost him the 2023-24 seasons.

Painter’s numbers at Triple-A Lehigh Valley last year weren’t as impressive. He surrendered a 5.40 ERA with a good but not elite 23.4% strikeout rate over 22 starts. He proved more susceptible to the home run than the Phillies would have liked, though his raw stuff remained very impressive. Painter averaged nearly 97 mph on his four-seam fastball while mixing in three breaking pitches (cutter, slider, curveball) and a changeup. He got whiffs on a strong 13% of his offerings. He remains one of the better pitching prospects in MLB and one of Philly’s top three minor league talents alongside shortstop Aidan Miller and outfielder Justin Crawford.

If Painter scuffles during Spring Training, the Phils can option him back to Lehigh Valley. They’re currently without many real alternatives to hold the fort until Wheeler’s season debut, however. Their other starters on the 40-man roster (e.g. Jean Cabrera, Yoniel Curet, Alan Rangel) also have little to no MLB experience. Non-roster invitees Tucker Davidson and Bryse Wilson don’t inspire a ton of confidence. Keller has starting experience but was signed to be a high-leverage reliever.

It’s understandable the Phillies want to leave the door open for Painter to win the job, especially if they anticipate Wheeler coming back within the first few weeks of the regular season. At the same time, even one more injury would leave the rotation looking precarious. Nola is coming off a bad season and Walker’s tenure in Philly has been a mixed bag. Wheeler is no guarantee to look the same as he did before the surgery. Adding some kind of swing depth is a must.

Phillies Looking To Move Nick Castellanos This Week

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Phillies position players are scheduled for their first official workout next Monday. It’d make for an awkward situation if Nick Castellanos is still on the team. Matt Gelb of The Athletic reported at the end of last season that the Phils would trade or release the outfielder. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski has all but confirmed as much on the record, pointing to the need for a change of scenery.

Keeping Castellanos on the 40-man roster into Spring Training would be a needless distraction. It comes as little surprise that the Phils are motivated to get something done within the next week. “We’re doing everything we can to make a move by (Monday),” Dombrowski told reporters (link via Scott Lauber of The Philadelphia Inquirer). “I’ll leave it at that right now.”

Dombrowski noted that they’re “(continuing) to talk to clubs” in trying to line up a trade. Whether that’s gamesmanship should soon be apparent. Castellanos isn’t going to net the Phillies any notable prospects. They’re trying to offload a fraction of the $20MM salary he’s owed in the final season of a five-year deal.

A release would leave the Phils on the hook for all but the $780K league minimum, assuming he signs a major league deal with another team. The hope is to find a team willing to eat a couple million dollars of that salary rather than waiting until the Phillies release him. If Castellanos becomes a free agent, he’d obviously have a choice of where to sign. He doesn’t have that freedom if a team lines up a trade that saves the Phillies a little bit of money.

The outfielder’s relationship with Philly manager Rob Thomson seemingly became untenable. Castellanos was benched for a game midway through last season after he made what the manager called “an inappropriate comment” after being removed from a game for defensive purposes. As his playing time decreased down the stretch, Castellanos took a shot at Thomson’s communication skills. Philadelphia signed the veteran skipper to an extension this offseason and added Adolis García on a $10MM free agent deal to replace Castellanos as the everyday right fielder.

Castellanos is entering his age-34 season. He’s coming off a .250/.294/.400 showing with 17 home runs over 589 plate appearances. He has been durable and has twice topped 20 home runs during his time in Philadelphia, but his rate statistics (.260/.306/.426) are exactly league average. That’s not what the Phillies had in mind considering Castellanos is arguably the game’s worst defensive outfielder. He should be a full-time designated hitter but obviously doesn’t have that luxury on a team with Kyle Schwarber.

FanGraphs and Baseball Reference each had Castellanos below replacement level last year. That said, a team that can offer him DH at-bats should view him as a capable complementary bat from the right side. The acquisition cost will be minimal, and a 20-homer season with strong numbers against lefty pitching doesn’t seem out of the question.

The Padres are looking for another bat in the DH/bench mix and made an unsuccessful run at signing Paul Goldschmidt away from the Yankees. The Guardians could use a right-handed complement to lefty swingers Kyle Manzardo, George Valera and C.J. Kayfus between first base, right field and designated hitter. No team had fewer home runs or a lower slugging percentage from their right-handed bats than Cleveland. The Marlins ranked 25th in slugging among righties and don’t have a clear answer at first base, and Castellanos is a Miami native. His old team in Detroit doesn’t have much in the way of right-handed power aside from Spencer Torkelson and could use him in a short-side platoon role at DH alongside Kerry Carpenter.

Dodgers Sign Seby Zavala, Jordan Weems To Minor League Deals

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The Dodgers announced their full slate of 32 non-roster invitees to Spring Training. The majority of the group are from the farm system or playing on minor league contracts that had already been reported, but the team revealed a couple unknown names who evidently signed minor league deals. Catcher Seby Zavala and reliever Jordan Weems are among those in camp, according to the team.

Weems, 33, is a righty who has pitched in MLB in six consecutive seasons. He was limited to four appearances with the Astros last year, allowing seven runs across 4 1/3 innings. That brought his career earned run average to 5.51 over 160 frames. Weems spent the majority of the season between the Triple-A clubs of the Astros and Braves, pitching to a 4.44 ERA in 46 2/3 innings. He struck out a solid 24% of batters faced with an elevated 11.2% walk rate.

Zavala is a right-handed hitting catcher who joins Chuckie Robinson as non-roster backstops who have MLB experience. The 32-year-old is a glove-only depth type who owns a .205/.271/.342 line in 194 career games. Zavala spent last season in Triple-A with the Red Sox, limping to a .164/.273/.333 line while striking out 36% of the time.

The Dodgers recently re-claimed Ben Rortvedt from Cincinnati. He’s out of options and trying to win the backup job behind Will Smith, though second-year player Dalton Rushing enters camp as the favorite for that spot. There’s a decent chance the Dodgers lose Rortvedt again if he doesn’t break camp and needs to go on waivers, which would leave Zavala and Robinson as their most experienced third catching options.

Also receiving non-roster invites are relievers Wyatt Mills, Carlos Duran and Antoine Kelly. Mills, who posted a 6.21 ERA in 38 appearances with the Mariners and Royals between 2021-22, signed a minor league deal last August but was assigned to the complex and did not pitch in an affiliated game. He remains in the organization, as does former #2 overall pick Nick Senzel. The infielder signed a minor league contract last May and hit .252/.341/.408 at Triple-A Oklahoma City. It seems that was a two-year minor league deal, as Senzel did not elect free agency at season’s end and will be in camp.

Duran and Kelly were early offseason signees. They’re power arms who’ll serve as bullpen depth. Duran spent the majority of his career in the L.A. system but was traded to the A’s last April for Esteury Ruiz. He made his MLB debut with the A’s last May but gave up three runs to the Angels while recording one out. The 6’7″ righty walked almost 19% of Triple-A opponents last year. Kelly is a 6’5″ lefty with a 96-97 MPH heater but untenable command. He walked 14% of batters faced while posting a 5.63 ERA in 34 games for the Rockies’ top affiliate a year ago.

Pirates Notes: Third Base, Paredes, McCutchen

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The Pirates added a big bat to the lineup this morning, signing Marcell Ozuna to a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027. The agreement is yet another addition for a Pittsburgh front office that has had an uncharacteristically active offseason. The club might not be done making moves, either. Pittsburgh remains in the market for an upgrade at third base, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. The team is also looking for a left-handed starter.

Getting better production at the hot corner won’t be difficult, considering the Pirates finished dead last by a decent margin in OPS at the position in 2025. Pittsburgh’s third basemen compiled a .573 mark, nearly 50 points worse than the next-closest team (the Cubs at .621). Ke’Bryan Hayes took the majority of the reps at third base before getting dealt to the Reds. Jared Triolo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, and Cam Devanney also mixed in. Triolo is penciled in at the position as the roster currently stands.

The free agent market has largely been wiped out. Veterans Luis Rengifo, Ramon Urias, and Santiago Espinal headline the unsigned players. Kiké Hernández is also still available, though a reunion in L.A. seems like the most likely scenario for him.

Isaac Paredes has been the hottest name on the trade market, and Pittsburgh was said to be interested, though that might change after the $12MM investment in Ozuna. Mackey noted the Ozuna signing probably removes Pittsburgh as a Paredes suitor. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic shared a similar sentiment in an appearance on Foul Territory. “They’re probably at their payroll limit, or at least close to it,” Rosenthal said.

FanGraphs’ RosterResource tool estimates Pittsburgh’s financial commitments at $105MM for 2026. As Steve Adams noted in the Ozuna post, the club is trending toward a new franchise record for Opening Day payroll. Paredes is set to make $9.35MM in 2026. Unless the team sent back a notable salary in return, a Paredes trade would push the Pirates’ payroll beyond last year’s mark by more than $25MM.

Locating a left-handed starter should be a bit easier. Pittsburgh has been known to scoop up a reliable veteran or two to fill out the rotation.  Andrew Heaney and Bailey Falter served in that capacity in 2025. Jose Quintana, Martín Pérez, and Tyler Anderson have done it in recent years. Quintana and Anderson are still in the market. Patrick Corbin has yet to find a home after a bounce-back season.

[Related: The Pirates’ Rotation Options]

The Ozuna deal could also close the door on another move. As Mackey notes, adding a full-time DH has ramifications for a reunion with longtime star Andrew McCutchen. Ozuna hasn’t played the field since 2023. His time on the grass that season amounted to just a pair of starts. The 35-year-old probably won’t need his glove at any point moving forward. McCutchen has only made 20 appearances in the outfield from 2023 to 2025 in Pittsburgh. He had 445 at-bats at DH last year.

The club was still in talks with the 39-year-old last month, though he expressed frustration about the handling of the situation. McCutchen spent the first nine seasons of his career as a Pirate. He won the 2013 NL MVP award with the club. After bouncing around to the Giants, Yankees, Phillies, and Brewers, McCutchen has returned to the Pirates on identical one-year, $5MM deals the past three seasons.

Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images

Tigers To Sign Konnor Pilkington To Minor League Deal

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The Tigers are adding left-hander Konnor Pilkington on a minor league agreement, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. The 28-year-old made 32 appearances out of the Nationals’ bullpen last season. He was designated for assignment and elected free agency last week. Pilkington’s deal includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training. It’s worth $1.2MM if he’s in the big leagues, per Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press.

The former Guardian delivered 28 1/3 innings of a 4.45 ERA in his lone season in Washington. He pushed his strikeout rate to a career-best 27.6%, but his walk rate also climbed to 13.8%. Pilkington has walked batters at a 12.4% clip or higher in all three of his MLB seasons.

Pilkington came up as a starter with Cleveland in 2022. He kept his ERA under 4.00 across 15 appearances (11 starts), but his xFIP and SIERA were more than a run higher. Pilkington appeared in just one game with the Guardians the following season. He was dealt to Arizona for cash early in the year. He did not reach the big leagues with the Diamondbacks.

The Nats added Pilkington on a minor league deal ahead of the 2025 campaign. He was called up in July to serve as a full-time reliever. The permanent transition to the bullpen saw Pilkington’s arsenal take a step forward. Starters moving to the bullpen typically see an increase in velocity, and the veteran lefty saw a bump of more than 2 mph on his fastball as a reliever. Pilkington also raised his slider usage, and the pitch notched an elite 46.3% whiff rate. He’ll now get a chance to compete for a spot in Detroit’s bullpen.

Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images 

Brewers To Sign Peter Strzelecki To A Minor League Deal

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The Brewers are expected to add reliever Peter Strzelecki on a minor league deal, per multiple reports (including Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). The righty debuted with the club in 2022. Strzelecki last appeared in the big leagues with the Guardians in 2024. He’s a client of O’Connell Sports Management.

The 31-year-old Strzelecki spent last season at Triple-A with the Rays and Pirates. He scuffled to a 9.41 ERA across 22 innings. Strzelecki has pitched in parts of three MLB seasons with a trio of clubs. He posted a 2.31 ERA in 10 appearances with Cleveland in his most recent big-league stint.

Strzelecki emerged as a strong contributor in the Brewers ’pen when he first arrived in the big leagues. He notched a 2.83 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning across 35 frames. The lone mark against Strzelecki was a double-digit walk rate, but keeping the ball in the yard helped him limit the impact of the traffic on the base paths.

The 2023 season did not go as well. Strzelecki stumbled to a mid-4.00s ERA and found himself bumped back to Triple-A by the end of June. He was dealt to the Diamondbacks for fellow reliever Andrew Chafin at the trade deadline. Strzelecki appeared in just one game with Arizona. He latched on with Cleveland the following season, providing solid results in his brief time in the majors.

Strzelecki was a four-seam/changeup/sweeper guy when he first came up with the Brewers. He added a sinker in 2023, which he used nearly 20% of the time. Strzelecki introduced a cutter to lefties during his stretch with the Guardians. The changeup missed bats at a 35.7% clip in his rookie year, but it’s ticked down since then. The rest of his arsenal has also trended in the wrong direction. Strzelecki posted a meager 5.7% swinging-strike rate with Cleveland. For a pitcher who gets ground balls at a below-average rate, failing to miss bats tends to be an issue.

Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images

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