Pirates Assign Konnor Griffin To Minor League Camp
The Pirates announced that star prospect Konnor Griffin has been reassigned to the team’s minor league spring camp. Barring something surprising like a last-minute contract extension, the transaction seems to confirm that Griffin won’t be part of Pittsburgh’s Opening Day roster.
More to come…
Blue Jays Release Connor Seabold, Option Lazaro Estrada
The Blue Jays announced that they have granted right-hander Connor Seabold his release, making him a free agent (link via Mitch Bannon of the Athletic). Right-hander Lazaro Estrada has also been optioned to Triple-A.
More to come.
Merrill Kelly To Begin Season On Diamondbacks’ 15-Day IL
Back problems have limited Merrill Kelly to just two Spring Training outings, and thus it isn’t any surprise that Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo announced today that Kelly would start the season on the 15-day injured list. Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports) that the club’s starting five will consist of Zac Gallen, Ryne Nelson, Eduardo Rodriguez, Michael Soroka, and Brandon Pfaadt while Kelly recovers.
Kelly’s injury issues surfaced about a month ago, and it was enough to immediately scuttle plans for Kelly to get the Opening Day start. The right-hander received some injections that helped ease the discomfort enough that there was hope that the IL could be avoided altogether, though Kelly didn’t get into any game action until March 13. Over two Cactus League starts, Kelly has been rocked for an 8.31 ERA in 4 1/3 innings, so it’s clear he isn’t quite ready for prime time.
The results themselves aren’t really a red flag, since Kelly is still in the relatively early stages of his ramp-up given how his normal routine was interrupted by his bad back. Assuming he is able to get through extended Spring Training as expected, Kelly may just miss the minimum amount of time on the injured list.
A right shoulder strain 2024 and a nerve impingement in 2020 were both notable injuries for the right-hander, but Kelly has by and large been pretty durable over his seven MLB seasons, including a 184-inning campaign with the D’Backs and Rangers in 2025. After being traded to Texas at the deadline, Kelly returned to Arizona on a two-year, $40MM deal with a vesting option for the 2028 campaign (which would be Kelly’s age-39 season).
Between Kelly’s return and Gallen also somewhat surprising re-signing with Arizona on a one-year deal after his free agent market failed to develop, Soroka is the only new face within a familiar Diamondbacks rotation mix. Corbin Burnes will be back at some point in the second half once he recovers from his Tommy John surgery, so if all goes well, the D’Backs might be dealing with a surplus of arms later in the season if everyone is pitching well. Soroka is the likeliest candidate to move to the bullpen once Kelly is activated from the IL.
Reese McGuire Opts Out Of Brewers Contract
The Brewers announced that catcher Reese McGuire has become a free agent after exercising an out clause in his minor league contract. Rather than an Article XX(B) free agent situation, this was a specific clause in McGuire’s deal, and Curt Hogg of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes that McGuire can return to the Brewers if he doesn’t sign elsewhere within the next 72 hours.
William Contreras has Milwaukee’s starting catching job on lock, and Gary Sanchez was signed to a guaranteed big league deal in February. The Sanchez signing was a major roadblock to McGuire’s chances of winning the backup job, plus highly-touted catching prospect Jeferson Quero is at Triple-A and is likely to make his MLB debut before 2026 is over.
This crowded depth chart made it unlikely McGuire would be breaking camp with the team, which is probably why this interesting release clause was negotiated into his contract in the first place. McGuire has over five years of big league service time and can’t be optioned to the minors without his permission, so this 72-hour window gives him some time to access his options before deciding whether or not to accept a trip to the Brewers’ Triple-A affiliate.
Catching depth is enough of a need around baseball that McGuire could find another job on a team with a clearer path to MLB playing time. McGuire has a good reputation as a defensive catcher, and he has carved out an eight-year career with four different teams at the Major League level, including a 44-game stint with the Cubs last year that saw the backstop hit .226/.245/.444 with nine homers over 140 plate appearances. That little power surge in Wrigleyville was an outlier, as McGuire has hit only .242/.286/.352 over his last 1040 PA.
Brewers Option Logan Henderson, Blake Perkins
TODAY: Lockridge and Sproat have been told they’re making the Opening Day roster, as per Adam McCalvy.
MARCH 19: The Brewers made a few camp cuts on Thursday. Starter Logan Henderson, outfielder Blake Perkins, and corner bat Tyler Black were all sent out and will open the season with Triple-A Nashville.
Two weeks ago, Henderson had seemingly been well positioned for a spot in the Opening Day rotation. There are at least two jobs up for grabs after the Freddy Peralta trade and with Quinn Priester beginning the season on the injured list. The Brewers have rotation roles committed to Jacob Misiorowski, Chad Patrick and (assuming he’s fully built up) Brandon Woodruff.
The 24-year-old Henderson was firmly in the mix after impressing over his first five MLB starts a year ago. His odds of breaking camp were set back when he reported minor elbow soreness last week. Henderson had finished the 2025 season on the injured list with elbow inflammation. The team didn’t consider this recent flareup especially alarming — he’s already throwing again — but he hasn’t appeared in a Spring Training game in two weeks.
Skipper Pat Murphy indicated the demotion is largely about giving Henderson a chance to build his workload in the minors. “Part of this move is to make sure he can go post regularly,” Murphy told reporters (link via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). “We’re not going to immediately build him up to five innings. We’re going to let him go two innings and see how he responds, two innings and see how he responds. Just make sure he’s responding each time because he’s had (an injury) history.”
This probably paves the way for Brandon Sproat and Kyle Harrison to round out the rotation. Harrison left yesterday’s appearance with a blister, but it’s not expected to be an issue moving forward. Robert Gasser and Shane Drohan are also still in the mix, with Drohan having the far more impressive camp of those two.
Acquired from the Red Sox in the Caleb Durbin trade, Harrison has allowed 12 runs (eight earned) across 9 2/3 spring innings. That’s obviously not ideal, but he has struck out 15 opponents while averaging 95 mph on his fastball. Sproat came over from the Mets as part of the Peralta return. He has allowed five runs with a 10:2 strikeout-to-walk ratio over nine innings.
In any case, the Brewers will lean heavily on their bullpen while frequently shuttling starters up and down from Nashville. There’s more clarity on the position player side, which is down to 14 a week before Opening Day. The final camp cut will almost certainly be third catcher Reese McGuire, a non-roster invitee.
McCalvy notes that the Perkins option means Brandon Lockridge is heading north with the club. The speedster won the fourth outfield role by hitting .314 with four homers and three steals in 12 games this spring. He’ll join Gary Sánchez, Jake Bauers and utility infielder David Hamilton on the season-opening bench.
Rangers Release Ryan Brasier
The Rangers announced that right-hander Ryan Brasier has been released from his minor league contract. As an Article XX(B) free agent, Brasier could use the first of three opt-out dates if Texas didn’t add him to its 40-man roster this weekend, and the Rangers have apparently chosen to let Brasier explore his options elsewhere.
The 38-year-old was having a tough time of it in camp, with a 7.36 ERA over 7 1/3 spring innings. It wasn’t specified if Brasier exercised his opt-out clause or if the Rangers just released him, yet it didn’t seem like there was much chance he would be part of the Opening Day bullpen.
Brasier has had plenty of ups and downs over a nine-season MLB career, with the highs including World Series rings with the 2018 Red Sox and 2024 Dodgers. His move to Los Angeles partway through the 2023 season seemed to get Brasier back on track, as he had a 1.89 ERA over 66 2/3 innings in a Dodgers uniform. L.A. still chose to designate Brasier for assignment and then trade him to the Cubs last winter, and Brasier posted a 4.50 ERA, 4.8% walk rate, and 19% strikeout rate over 26 innings for Chicago.
Groin problems limited Brasier’s playing time in 2025, and a calf strain also kept him on the injured list for a good chunk of the 2024 campaign. Between these health concerns, his so-so numbers with the Cubs, and his age, Brasier was limited to just the non-guaranteed deal with Texas this winter. He’ll probably have to settle for another minors contract in his next destination as well, as Brasier didn’t do much to boost his stock in Cactus League play.
Nationals Release Drew Smith
The Nationals announced that right-hander Drew Smith has been released. Smith signed a minor league deal last month, and the Nats had to make a decision by this weekend about including the righty on the 40-man roster, or else Smith could trigger the first of three built-in opt-out dates within his contract.
Smith hasn’t pitched in the majors or minors since June 2024, as a UCL surgery kept the veteran reliever in rehab and recovery mode for the entirety of the 2025 season. Back in November, the Mets declined their $2MM club option on Smith’s services for next year, sending him to free agency for the second straight winter. The minor league deal with Washington seemed to provide a good opportunity for Smith given the unsettled state of the Nats’ bullpen, and 5 1/3 scoreless innings this spring seemed to be boost for Smith’s bid for a roster spot.
Instead, the Nationals have decided to move on from the 32-year-old. It could be that the Nationals wanted to focus more on younger arms, or the timing of the opt-out clause forced the Nats into a decision they didn’t yet want to make about Smith’s status. As is sometimes the case with the Article XX(B) deadline, Smith could possibly re-sign with Washington on a fresh minors deal in a few days, with today’s release just a means to sidestep the first opt-out deadline and give the team a little more time to evaluate their options.
If Smith does test the market, he might well find some interest given his past track record with the Mets. Smith posted a 3.48 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate, and 9.3% walk rate for New York over 196 1/3 innings from 2018-24. That walk rate spiked upward in 2023-24 but his 29.1K% in 2024 was also a career best, and Smith has pretty evenly solid numbers against both right-handed and left-handed batters over his career.
Phillies Acquire Carter Kieboom From Guardians
The Phillies have acquired infielder Carter Kieboom from the Guardians in exchange for cash considerations, as reported by MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins shortly before the Guards officially announced the trade.
Kieboom signed a minor league deal with Cleveland during the offseason and had only a .512 OPS over 26 Spring Training plate appearances. Since Kieboom didn’t appear to be in the Guardians’ plans, the Phillies stepped in to trade for the 28-year-old, likely just as a depth option for Philadelphia at the Triple-A level.
At one point it seemed like Kieboom was going to be a prominent division foe for the Phillies, as the former first-rounder was a top-100 prospect during his time in the Nationals’ farm system. However, Kieboom just hasn’t produced against big league pitching, with just a .200/.297/.300 slash line to show for 516 career plate appearances in the Show. He didn’t play in the majors at all in 2024, and a minor league deal with the Angels last winter resulted in only three MLB games for Kieboom in 2025.
It is anyone’s guess if a late-career breakout of some kind may still be possible, but for now, Kieboom would be happy with sticking on a Major League roster in any capacity. Kieboom has primary been a corner infielder for the last few years with a handful of games at second base, so he could provide some utility infield depth should the Phillies ever have a need to select him to the 26-man roster.
Padres To Select Ty France’s Contract
The Padres have told first baseman Ty France that he has made the Opening Day roster, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee reports. France will need to have his contract officially selected before the Padres take the field on March 26, but the team has an open space on its 40-man roster.
As per the terms of the minor league contract France signed last month, he’ll earn a $1.35MM salary for making San Diego’s roster. It also officially completes the full-circle nature of France’s signing, as he was drafted by the Padres (as a 34th-round pick) in 2015 and he broke into the majors with the club in 2019.
Now 31 years old, France returns to the Padres as the AL’s reigning Gold Glove winner at first base, and with a track record as a pretty solid regular during his time with the Mariners. Over the last two seasons, however, France’s offense has dipped to a subpar .245/.312/.363 over 1025 plate appearances with the Mariners, Twins, Mariners, and Blue Jays.
Some big numbers in camp helped France earn his spot on the 26-man, and his selection also just about ensures that Sung-Mun Song will begin the season on the 10-day injured list. Song has been battling oblique tightness and only resumed swinging a bat this past week, so he’ll need more time to get fully prepared for his debut in North American baseball.
Song’s injury created room for France, even if he’ll join a crowded first base picture. Gavin Sheets is ostensibly the starting first baseman but he probably won’t face much left-handed pitching, allowing room for France, Miguel Andujar, or newly-converted first baseman Nick Castellanos (all righty bats) to get playing time. The DH spot is also a revolving door in San Diego, giving the team more leeway in finding at-bats for all of these players.
As an Article XX(B) free agent, France has the ability to exercise the first of three opt-out dates in his minor league contract this weekend if the Padres didn’t add him to the 40-man roster. It isn’t known if France actually triggered his opt-out or if the Padres added him to the roster in advance of any decision, but the end result is that France is now sticking around in San Diego.
Orioles Option Dean Kremer To Minors
The Orioles trimmed their spring roster to 43 players with four more cuts today. The team announced that right-handers Hans Crouse, Nestor German, and Trey Gibson were all reassigned to the minor league camp, and in a much more surprising move, right-hander Dean Kremer was optioned to the minor league camp.
Kremer’s move was due to roster needs, rather than a reflection of his performance. Between Opening Day and April 10, the Orioles have three off-days, meaning that even a five-man rotation isn’t really needed for a team that had to choose between six starters. Trevor Rogers, Chris Bassitt, Kyle Bradish, and Shane Baz had four of those rotation spots covered, leaving Kremer and Zach Eflin as the likeliest candidates for the fifth starter’s job.
Eflin underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy procedure last August, leaving his availability for Opening Day in question. The O’s felt good enough in Eflin’s overall health to sign the righty to a one-year, $10MM contract in December, and Eflin has progressed well enough in camp that a stint on the injured list no longer seems necessary.
It leaves Kremer as the odd man out, despite his solid work in Baltimore’s rotation over the last four seasons. The right-hander has a 3.95 ERA over 599 1/3 innings from 2022-25, with a 7.4% walk rate and 20.3% strikeout rate. Kremer is lacking in punchouts and velocity, but he has been a durable starter with mostly strong control, and he has been increasingly good at inducing soft contact over the last two years.
In all likelihood, Kremer will be back in the Show once the Orioles get onto a more regular schedule, or even earlier if an injury arises. It remains to be seen how Baltimore will deploy its starters over the course of the season or if a six-man rotation could eventually be used, but injuries or ineffectiveness usually end up solving any temporary pitching surpluses. For now, at least, the O’s are in the rare “good problem to have” position of too many healthy starters for too few rotation spots.