33 Veterans With Looming Opt-Out Dates
The 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement implemented a series of uniform opt-out dates for Article XX(B) free agents who sign a minor league deal in free agency at least 10 days before the start of the regular season. That designation mostly falls on players with six-plus years of MLB service time who finished the preceding season on a major league roster or injured list. Some contracts for players coming over from a foreign professional league like Nippon Professional Baseball or the Korea Baseball Organization will also have language written into their contracts allowing them to qualify as a XX(b) free agent despite a lack of six years of service.
The three uniform opt-out dates on those contracts land five days before Opening Day, on May 1 and on June 1. With the regular season set to kick off next Wednesday, the Article XX(b) free agents who are in camp on minor league contracts will have the opportunity to opt out this weekend. (That presumably does not apply to Tommy Kahnle, who agreed to his minor league contract with the Red Sox eight days before the start of the regular season.) A player triggering one of these out clauses gives his club 48 hours to either add him to the 40-man roster or let him become a free agent.
There are other ways to secure opt-outs in contracts, of course. Many players who don’t qualify for XX(b) designation will still have opt-out opportunities negotiated into their minor league deals in free agency.
For this list, players with negotiated opt-out dates will be marked with an asterisk; all others are Article XX(b) free agents who have uniform opt-out dates on March 21, May 1 and June 1. Spring Training stats are through play on Monday, March 16.
Orlando Arcia, INF, Twins: The Twins don’t have a clear backup option for Brooks Lee at shortstop. Lee is making the move to shortstop full-time for the first time in his big league career. There are concerns both about whether he can hit well enough to handle the everyday gig and whether he can play a passable shortstop with the glove. Arcia has had a decent spring but has competition on the 40-man from slick-fielding/light-hitting utilityman Ryan Kreidler. Arcia had a nice run with the 2022-23 Braves but has hit .214/.263/.337 in 816 MLB plate appearances since.
Ryan Brasier, RHP, Rangers: Brasier’s average fastball is down more than a mile per hour this spring, per Statcast, and he’s fanned just two of his 34 opponents while yielding seven runs (six earned) in 7 1/3 frames. The 38-year-old hasn’t walked anyone yet. Brasier has missed time due to injury in each of the past two seasons, posting a combined 4.00 ERA in 54 frames between the Dodgers and Cubs. Texas had a pretty open bullpen mix earlier in the winter but has signed four free agent relievers (five, counting the since-DFA’ed Alexis Díaz) to big league deals this winter and made a Rule 5 pick. Brasier will have a hard time cracking the roster.
Walker Buehler, RHP, Padres: Buehler has had a middling spring but is one of the favorites for a spot at the back of an already thin Padres rotation that has been further whittled down by injuries and the poor performance of free agent pickup Germán Márquez. Outside of his 2024 World Series heroics, Buehler has produced below-average results since returning from his second Tommy John surgery a couple years ago. His last healthy, productive season was back in 2021. The Padres don’t have a ton of options though, so he has a good chance to crack the roster.
Andrew Chafin, LHP, Twins: Chafin is sitting in the upper 80s with his fastball this spring, but he’s held opponents to a couple runs in five innings after logging a 3.03 ERA over his past 267 1/3 MLB frames (including a 2.41 ERA in 33 2/3 innings in 2025). The Twins’ bullpen is in shambles after last July’s sell-off and an offseason neglecting the relief corps (and the roster in general). He should have a decent chance to crack the roster.
Michael Conforto, OF, Cubs: After a career-worst season at the plate with the Dodgers in 2025, Conforto took a minor league deal on a Cubs team that didn’t have a path to regular playing time. Seiya Suzuki is questionable for Opening Day after suffering a PCL sprain during the World Baseball Classic. That has cracked the door open for a depth outfielder, but the 33-year-old Conforto has logged a punchless .261/.320/.348 slash this spring. It’s a small sample of 25 plate appearances, of course, but he has competition from prospect Kevin Alcántara and fellow non-roster players Dylan Carlson and Chas McCormick.
Paul DeJong, INF, Yankees: DeJong made sense as a Yankees NRI, given that shortstop Anthony Volpe will open the season on the injured list while recovering from shoulder surgery. New York needed a backup shortstop for interim starter José Caballero and didn’t have many options. They’ve since traded for Max Schuemann and given Ryan McMahon some spring shortstop reps. Manager Aaron Boone has voiced comfort with McMahon playing the position in a regular-season game if needed. DeJong could back up at multiple infield spots, but that’s also true of Amed Rosario, who’s on the 40-man roster and who hits lefties much better than DeJong. There doesn’t seem like a real chance for DeJong to make the roster, barring injuries.
Elias Díaz, C, Royals: Díaz is anywhere from third to fifth on the Royals catching depth chart. Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen will split duties to begin the season and aren’t in any danger of being displaced. Prospect Blake Mitchell and fellow veteran Jorge Alfaro were also brought to camp as non-roster invitees (though Alfaro has been playing with Colombia in the World Baseball Classic). Kansas City also signed Luke Maile (another XX(b) free agent) on a non-roster deal, but he left the club to deal with a personal issue before camp began. Bottom line: there’s a lot of competition for Díaz and no clear path to a spot.
Kyle Farmer, INF, Braves: Ha-Seong Kim was slated to play shortstop for Atlanta until he tore a tendon in his hand back in January. He’ll be back at some point — likely in May — but Kim’s injury prompted the Braves to sign Jorge Mateo to a big league deal and bring Farmer in on a non-roster deal. Utilityman Mauricio Dubón will start at short to begin the season. Mateo has the leg up on a bench spot, given that he’s on the 40-man roster, but Farmer has handily outperformed him this spring. Farmer can play all over the infield but does most of his damage against lefties. Mateo is one of the game’s fastest players and can play center field as well. Infielder/outfielder Brett Wisely, out of minor league options, is another bench candidate. He’s having a big spring as well. Farmer doesn’t have a great path to make the club.
Ty France, 1B, Padres: Back with the organization that drafted him, France is putting the ball in play and piling up singles in Padres camp. That’s what he’s done for the past three years, more or less. France had an under-the-radar run as a much stronger, middle-of-the-order bat from 2020-22 (.285/.355/.443), but he’s a righty-swinging platoon first baseman who lacks pop. That might still land him a bench job to platoon with Gavin Sheets early in the year, but he’ll need to fend off fellow non-roster righty first baseman Jose Miranda, who’s younger and having a better showing.
Adam Frazier, INF/OF, Angels: After Christian Moore was optioned to Triple-A, Frazier seems like the favorite to open the season as the Angels’ second baseman. He’s having a nice spring but hasn’t had an above-average season at the plate since 2021. From 2022-25, Frazier slashed .241/.302/.343. Former Yankees prospect Oswald Peraza is having a big spring and could push Frazier for second base reps, but the Angels have a thin enough roster that it’d be pretty easy to accommodate both.
Mitch Garver, C/DH, Mariners: It’s been a rough spring for Garver, who was always a long shot to break the roster with Cal Raleigh aboard and journeyman Andrew Knizner signing on a one-year, major league contract. Garver was a potent offensive force from 2018-23 between the Twins and Rangers (.254/.343/.488), but he had consecutive poor seasons with the Mariners in 2024-25 and is just 2-for-16 with nine strikeouts in 20 plate appearances this spring.
Randal Grichuk, OF, Yankees: The previously mentioned McMahon shortstop experiment could very well pave the way for Grichuk to make the roster. The Yankees’ bench will include catcher J.C. Escarra, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and aforementioned infielder Amed Rosario. There’s one spot up for grabs, and Grichuk’s track record as righty swinging outfielder who can handle all three spots and pummel left-handed pitching makes him a nice fit for a Yankees club needing a platoon partner for Trent Grisham.
Liam Hendriks, RHP, Twins: One of the best relievers in the game from 2019-22, the Aussie-born Hendriks has barely pitched in the three seasons since. That’s due both to Tommy John surgery and a frightening brush with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which he thankfully beat. Hendriks announced that he was cancer-free in Aug. 2023. He’s back with his original organization and trying to win a spot in a bullpen the Twins gutted at last year’s deadline when they traded five relievers. Hendriks struggled in Boston last year and has three walks (plus a hit batter) this spring against just two strikeouts. He’s 37, so he may not have much left in the tank, but the Twins have arguably the worst projected bullpen in the American League, so he could still have a chance.
Rhys Hoskins, 1B, Guardians: Hoskins has popped a couple spring homers with the Guards while punching out at a sky-high rate. The 33-year-old (as of today — happy birthday, Rhys!) was Cleveland’s only offensive addition of any real note this winter. He’s coming off a pair of disappointing seasons in Milwaukee after losing the 2023 campaign to a spring ACL tear. It’s not clear Hoskins can return to his previous heights as a 30-homer threat, but the Guardians’ anemic offense can certainly afford to find out.
Craig Kimbrel, RHP, Mets: Like Hendriks, Kimbrel is 37 years old and had a run as one of the sport’s top bullpen arms. The likely Hall of Famer was released by the Orioles in 2024 and only pitched a dozen MLB frames last year. He’s only allowed one run in four spring innings but has four walks and a pair of plunked hitters versus just two strikeouts. The Mets’ pitching staff already looks full. They have six starting pitchers, five relievers who can’t be optioned and two more with options but who’ve already been more or less declared to have made the team (Huascar Brazobán, Tobias Myers). It’s tough to see Kimbrel winning a spot, particularly when his fastball is sitting 92.6 mph, which would be a career-low by a wide margin.
Peter Lambert, RHP, Astros*: Lambert isn’t an XX(b) free agent, but Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported recently that his contract contains an opt-out clause. He’s allowed only one run in nine spring innings and has reportedly caught the eye of Houston brass with his performance and the quality of his stuff thus far. Houston’s roster is similar to that of the Mets: six starters and four set relievers who can’t be optioned (five once Josh Hader returns). Hader’s season-opening IL placement could create some room in the short-term, however.
Derek Law, RHP, Diamondbacks: Law had season-ending flexor surgery last July and is expected to be sidelined into April or May. He’s not going to take this opt-out and will spend the early portion of the season rehabbing with the D-backs, who signed him in free agency just six weeks ago.
Jonathan Loaísiga, RHP, Diamondbacks: The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro recently wrote that Loaísiga has the inside track for one of Arizona’s bullpen vacancies, and it’s easy to see why. From 2019-23, he posted a 3.30 ERA with an average strikeout rate, good command and a plus ground-ball rate. Injuries wiped out most of his 2024-25 campaigns, but he’s in camp with the Snakes this year and has held opponents to two runs in six innings with rate stats that look similar to his pre-injury levels. There’s a very good chance he makes the club.
Tim Mayza, LHP, Phillies: Mayza has generally been effective when healthy, but injuries limited him to 16 2/3 innings last year. He’s allowed five earned runs in 6 1/3 spring frames, albeit with a 6-to-1 K/BB ratio and a quality ground-ball rate. The Phillies have José Alvarado, Tanner Banks and trade pickup Kyle Backhus (five shutout innings, three hits, 6-to-1 K/BB this spring) penciled into the ‘pen. Mayza has a tough road barring a late injury.
Andrew McCutchen, OF/DH, Rangers: After a three-year run back where it all started in Pittsburgh, McCutchen voiced some frustration with the Pirates’ lack of communication before they ultimately signed Marcell Ozuna. Cutch signed a minor league deal with Texas and has hit the ground running (7-for-12, three doubles, five walks, three strikeouts). He’d make a right-handed complement for DH Joc Pederson and could see some time in the outfield, too. It’s likelier than not that he’ll make the team.
John Means, LHP, Royals: Means is still recovering from an Achilles rupture he suffered during his offseason workouts. He signed a two-year minor league deal with Kansas City. He’s not taking this opt-out. He’ll spend the year rehabbing with the Royals and try to win a spot on the 2027 staff.
Rafael Montero, RHP, Yankees: Montero’s arrival in Yankees camp has been slowed by visa issues. He’s not going to make the Opening Day roster at this point, but he could head to Triple-A once he sorts through the visa troubles.
Dylan Moore, INF/OF, Phillies: The versatile Moore has followed up a poor 2025 season (.201/.267/.374) with a rough showing in Phillies camp (.185/.281/.222 in 32 plate appearances). The suspension for outfielder Johan Rojas may still have opened a door for Moore to make the club as a right-handed bench bat.
Martín Pérez, LHP, Braves: Injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep and Joey Wentz have clearly opened the door for Pérez to potentially win the fifth starter’s spot in Atlanta. He’s had a nice spring, allowing four runs in nine innings with a 9-to-2 K/BB ratio and huge 58% grounder rate. Pérez was having a nice year with the White Sox in 2025 before a forearm strain wiped out most of his season. He has a 4.01 ERA over his past 705 MLB frames, dating back to 2020. Pérez, 35 in April, is a fourth/fifth starter but has a decent track record. The main thing working against him is that his primary rotation competitor, Bryce Elder, is out of minor league options. Atlanta could keep Elder in a swingman role, but doing so would mean jettisoning lefty José Suárez, who’s also out of minor league options. That seems like a plausible route, and Pérez should have a decent chance to make the club.
Brendan Rodgers, INF, Red Sox: Rodgers was competing for an infield job with the Red Sox but suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Austin Slater, OF, Tigers: Slater and journeyman Jahmai Jones are effectively competing for the same role: righty-swinging backup outfielder who can platoon with Kerry Carpenter and/or Parker Meadows. Slater has a long track record of solid offense versus lefties (.267/.357/.430) and is having a far better spring than Jones (.250/.382/.464 to Jones’ .143/.294/.214). Jones is younger and already on the 40-man roster, however, and he also mashed at a .287/.387/.550 clip with seven homers in 150 plate appearances in this role for Detroit last year.
Dominic Smith, 1B, Braves: Jurickson Profar‘s 162-game PED ban has opened the door for Smith to potentially make the roster as the team’s top DH option against right-handed pitching. He gave the Giants 225 plate appearances of above-average offense last summer (.284/.333/.417) and has had a solid showing this spring.
Drew Smith, RHP, Nationals: The Nats have one of the worst on-paper bullpens in baseball, if not the worst. Smith has been sharp in a small sample of 3 1/3 innings this spring after missing the 2025 campaign due to UCL surgery. The former Mets setup man logged a 3.35 ERA, 26.2 K% and 10.2 BB% in 161 1/3 innings from 2021-24. His 93.2 mph average heater is way down from the 95.2 mph he averaged in 2021-24, but Washington’s bullpen is so bleak that Smith’s track record alone should earn him a spot as long as he’s healthy.
Hunter Strickland, RHP, Angels: Back with the Halos on a minor league deal, this would be Strickland’s third straight season as an Angel if he makes the club. He’s pitched to a 3.30 ERA in 95 1/3 frames in Anaheim since 2024 and has fired four shutout frames in camp. The Angels’ bullpen is rife with uncertainty, and the organization knows Strickland well (although he’d be working with a revamped coaching staff in 2026).
Mike Tauchman, OF, Mets*: Tauchman isn’t an XX(b) free agent but has a March 25 opt-out opportunity negotiated into his deal. The 35-year-old left-handed hitter is coming off a three-year run in which he’s slashed .255/.359/.381 with a huge 13% walk rate. Tauchman is competing with top prospect Carson Benge for a roster spot. The Mets have minimal bench flexibility (Luis Torrens, Mark Vientos and Tyrone Taylor can’t be optioned), so for Tauchman to make the club he’ll probably need to beat Benge for the right field job. Failing that, he should draw interest from clubs seeking outfield help. The Astros, in particular, are looking for a left-handed hitter on the grass.
Chris Taylor, INF/OF, Angels: Taylor has had a nice spring (.235/.395/.441, nine walks, seven strikeouts in 43 plate appearances) and can play all over the diamond. Is that enough to outweigh the grisly .196/.284/.301 slash he’s posted in his past 371 major league plate appearances? It seems somewhat doubtful.
Lou Trivino, RHP, Phillies: Trivino returned from a two-year injury layoff to pitch 47 2/3 MLB frames with a 3.97 ERA last season. His strikeout and walk rates weren’t close to peak levels, however, and his velocity was down more than a mile per hour. It’s more of the same this spring. Trivino has given up six runs, walked five batters and tossed two wild pitches in seven innings. The Phillies only have two bullpen spots up for grabs (assuming Rule 5 pick Zach McCambley is returned to Miami). Trivino would fill one of those two with a veteran reliever who can’t be optioned. It seems rather unlikely.
Christian Vázquez, C, Astros: Houston GM Dana Brown has said at multiple points in camp that he hopes to add another backup catcher option. César Salazar is the only catcher on the 40-man roster other than starter Yainer Diaz. Vázquez and the ‘Stros reunited on a minor league deal earlier this month. He’s been playing for his native Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic but will get a chance to win the job now that he’s back with his former teammates, with whom he won a 2022 World Series. Vázquez hasn’t hit at all over the past four seasons but remains a plus defender.
Rockies Notes: Rotation, Gordon, Amador
The Rockies made a pair of camp cuts on Tuesday, optioning right-hander Tanner Gordon and second baseman Adael Amador. Both players will open the season in Triple-A Albuquerque.
Gordon made 15 starts a year ago, holding a rotation spot throughout the second half. The 28-year-old righty allowed a 6.33 ERA with a modest 18.4% strikeout rate. Gordon pitched well this spring, striking out 12 against two walks across 11 innings. He only surrendered eight hits and two runs. It wasn’t enough to overcome last year’s regular season production to hold a spot in a revamped Colorado rotation.
The Rockies signed Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana and Tomoyuki Sugano to one-year deals. They’ll all hold rotation spots behind Kyle Freeland, whom the Rox have tabbed as their Opening Day starter for a third straight season (and franchise-record fifth overall). That leaves one spot in the season-opening staff up for grabs.
Thomas Harding of MLB.com writes that the Rockies still haven’t decided whether they’ll go with Ryan Feltner or Chase Dollander. Feltner is the more experienced pitcher and made 30 starts with a 4.49 ERA and league average peripherals back in 2024. He was limited to six MLB appearances last year by injury, most notably back spasms.
Dollander is coming off a frustrating rookie season, allowing a 6.52 ERA across his first 21 starts. He pitched fairly well on the road (3.46 ERA with a 22.2% strikeout rate in 52 innings) but was destroyed for 55 runs over 46 frames at Coors Field. The 24-year-old Dollander is a former top 10 overall pick who is one of the most important players with the organization in a complete rebuild.
Neither pitcher has done much to impress this spring. Dollander has walked seven and hit three batters in 14 innings. He has given up 11 runs (1o earned) on 18 hits with 10 strikeouts. Feltner has been rocked for 13 runs with 10 walks in 11 2/3 frames. Gordon handily outperformed both of them in camp, but he’s a lower-ceiling pitcher whom the front office evidently wasn’t seriously considering for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
The Rockies are expected to keep Antonio Senzatela in a long relief role. Dollander and Feltner both have minor league options. Whomever doesn’t win the fifth starter job will probably begin the season alongside Gordon in the Albuquerque rotation. Gabriel Hughes and McCade Brown are the other depth starters on the 40-man roster. They were both optioned out in early March.
As for Amador, it’s moderately disappointing that he didn’t win a roster spot. The switch-hitting infielder has been one of the team’s more well-known prospects for a few seasons. Amador hasn’t hit at all in 51 MLB games over the past two years, batting .176/.242/.250 through 164 plate appearances.
His Spring Training production (.229/.270/.429 with two homers in 12 games) wasn’t good. Amador is coming off a strong .303/.405/.478 season with more walks than strikeouts in Triple-A, though that comes with the caveat of Albuquerque’s very hitter-friendly environment. Colorado acquired Edouard Julien from the Twins and signed utilityman Willi Castro to a two-year free agent deal to factor in at second base. They can each move to a corner infield spot (first and third base, respectively) if the Rockies decide to take another look at Amador midseason.
White Sox Finalize Season-Opening Rotation
White Sox manager Will Venable informed reporters (including Mark Feinsand of MLB.com) on Tuesday that the team has finalized its season-opening rotation. Opening Day starter Shane Smith will be followed in some order by Sean Burke, Davis Martin and offseason signees Anthony Kay and Erick Fedde.
Mike Vasil’s bid for a rotation spot was unfortunately dashed by an elbow injury that’ll require Tommy John surgery. Venable confirmed this afternoon that lefty Sean Newcomb will pitch out of the bullpen. The Sox optioned Jonathan Cannon, meaning he’ll open the season at Triple-A Charlotte.
There aren’t any huge surprises. Newcomb signed with an eye towards competing for a rotation spot, but Chicago’s subsequent $1.5MM deal with Fedde made it likelier the southpaw would end up in the bullpen. Newcomb also had a shaky Spring Training, allowing 10 runs (eight earned) across 12 innings. Fedde worked 8 2/3 frames of three-run ball with seven strikeouts and two walks.
Kay was more or less locked into the rotation once he signed a two-year, $12MM deal to return from NPB. The former Mets’ first-round pick has also had the best camp of anyone in the group. Kay has allowed only four runs while leading the team with 15 strikeouts across 16 1/3 frames. His fastball has averaged 95.4 mph.
No one else in the rotation mix has had a standout camp. Smith was the obvious choice to start on Opening Day after strong rookie season. Fedde was one of the worst pitchers in MLB last year but is a year removed from a solid ’24 campaign divided between the Sox and Cardinals. Martin and Burke are fringe starters but performed better than Cannon did in 2025. They entered the spring ahead of him on the depth chart. Cannon’s fine but unexceptional Spring Training numbers (11 innings, five runs, 10:5 strikeout-to-ratio) weren’t enough to flip that.
The rebuilding White Sox have begun to incorporate some potential foundational pieces on offense. The pitching is still quite a bit behind, as this is arguably the weakest on-paper rotation in the American League. The Kay signing provides an interesting wild card, though, and the White Sox added a mid-level pitching prospect (David Sandlin) by taking on part of Jordan Hicks’ contract in a trade with Boston.
Sandlin was optioned early in Spring Training but would be in the mix for a midseason promotion if he shows well in Triple-A. Non-roster prospects Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz probably have the highest ceilings of any pitchers in the organization. They each face questions about whether they’ll throw enough strikes to be mid-rotation or better arms and are looking to rebound from shaky ’25 seasons in the minors.
Red Sox, Tommy Kahnle Agree To Minor League Deal
The Red Sox reached agreement with veteran reliever Tommy Kahnle on a minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The Covenant Sports Group client will presumably be in camp as a non-roster invitee. Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News reports that the deal comes with a $1.5MM base salary and $250K in bonuses if he reaches the MLB roster.
Kahnle spent the 2025 season in Detroit on a $7.75MM free agent deal. It didn’t pan out as the Tigers envisioned. The right-hander allowed a 4.43 earned run average while striking out only 18.7% of opponents, easily a career low. The drop in production really came in the second half. Kahnle took a 1.77 ERA and solid 23.3% strikeout rate into July. He was blitzed for nearly eight runs per nine innings while walking more batters than he struck out the rest of the way.
There wasn’t any kind of dramatic drop-off in Kahnle’s stuff — not that hitters weren’t fully aware what was coming either way. Kahnle throws his changeup more than 85% of the time. That’s the highest rate in MLB by a mile. Devin Williams was the only other pitcher to throw a changeup (which is how Statcast buckets his trademark “Airbender”) at least half the time. Williams went to that pitch at a 52% clip.
Kahnle has had success with this approach for years, so it’s not as if hitters suddenly caught onto the pattern at last season’s All-Star Break. They did a better job laying off when he threw it out of the zone, though, leading to a drop in whiffs and a spike in walks down the stretch. The Tigers continued to use Kahnle in reasonably high-leverage spots and pitched him four times in eight playoff games. He gave up three runs (one earned) on five hits and two walks across 2 1/3 innings in October.
Although he’s signing just over a week from Opening Day, the 36-year-old Kahnle should be ready for the beginning of the season. He pitched in the World Baseball Classic for Israel, tossing two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. The Sox have seven more Spring Training contests before heading to Cincinnati to open the regular season on March 26.
The timing of the signing probably isn’t a coincidence. Kahnle was an Article XX(b) free agent because he finished last season on Detroit’s major league roster. Those players receive automatic opt-out chances five days before Opening Day, May 1 and June 1 if they sign a minor league contract at least 10 days before the start of the regular season. Assuming Kahnle’s deal didn’t become official until today, he won’t meet that criteria. His camp could have negotiated separate opt-out dates into the contract, but there’s a decent chance he’ll open the season at Triple-A Worcester.
Joe La Sorsa Has Upward Mobility Clause In Pirates Deal
Left-hander Joe La Sorsa has an upward mobility clause at the end of spring training in his minor league deal with the Pirates, reports Ari Alexander of 7 News Boston. If he triggers that clause, he’ll be offered up to the other 29 clubs. If any of them are willing to give him a roster spot, then the Pirates have to either give him a roster spot themselves or trade him to another club that will. If no club offers him a roster spot, then he can be sent to the minors as non-roster depth.
La Sorsa, 28 in April, agreed to a minor league deal with the Bucs right as free agency was beginning in early November. He hasn’t spent much time in camp because he joined the Italian team for the World Baseball Classic. The Azzurri went on a Cinderella run that just ended last night when they were eliminated by Venezuela in the semifinals. The lefty made four appearance for Italy, logging 2 2/3 innings, allowing two earned runs via two hits and one hit-by-pitch while striking out four.
His major league track record consists of 57 innings thrown for the Rays, Nationals and Reds over the past three years. In that time, he has a 5.21 ERA, 17.5% strikeout rate, 6.3% walk rate and 39.2% ground ball rate. In 2025, he only made five appearances in the majors. He spent most of the year in Triple-A, posting a 2.59 ERA in 48 2/3 innings. His 21.2% strikeout rate and 42.1% ground ball rate at that level were close to average but he walked 13% of batters faced.
With the upward mobility clause, La Sorsa will get a major league roster spot as long as one of the 30 clubs is willing to give him one, whether that’s the Pirates or not. The Bucs should have Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery as their two primary lefties in the bullpen. Evan Sisk is also on the roster but he has already been optioned, so he should start the season in Triple-A. If La Sorsa does get a roster spot somewhere, he still has a minor league option remaining.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images
Seiya Suzuki Diagnosed With PCL Sprain
March 17th: Manager Craig Counsell provided reporters, including Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, with an update on Suzuki today. The outfielder has been diagnosed with a minor sprain of the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. They will see how he progresses in the next few days before deciding whether or not he will require a season-opening stint on the injured list. (Members of the Cubs beat all initially used the word “strain” but Jordan Bastian of MLB.com later issued a correction and said that it’s actually a sprain.)
March 15th: During yesterday’s quarterfinal game between Samurai Japan and Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki limped off the field during the first inning after getting caught stealing second base (as noted by Yakyu Cosmopolitan on social media). Last night, Kevin Barral of Fish On First reported that Suzuki was removed due to discomfort in his right knee and that the team would continue to evaluate him. After the game, superstar Shohei Ohtani spoke to reporters (including Bob Nightengale of USA Today) and noted that Suzuki hadn’t yet undergone imaging to determine the severity of the issue, though he will presumably do so in relatively short order.
If the injury proves to be a serious one, that would be a major blow to both Suzuki and the Cubs. The 31-year-old has been on a torrid stretch all spring, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a strikeout during his brief stay in camp with Chicago before joining Samurai Japan and going 3-for-9 with a strikeout, two homers, and six walks during his four games playing in the WBC. That left him in strong position to carry his hot streak into the regular season, but now he runs the risk of being sidelined when the season begins with Opening Day less than two weeks away. 2025 was a strong season for Suzuki, as he spent most of the season playing DH for the Cubs in deference to Kyle Tucker in right field. He managed to put together a banner year from the DH slot, appearing in 151 games and slashing .245/.326/.478 (123 wRC+) with 32 homers.
2026 is an especially important year for Suzuki as his contract with the Cubs is set to expire, allowing him to reach free agency this coming November. In a free agent class with a relative dearth of high-end offensive talent, another strong year from Suzuki could make him one of the most coveted players available next offseason. He’s a career 127 wRC+ hitter in the majors across four MLB seasons, and over the past two years he’s slashed .263/.345/.480 (129 wRC+) with 53 homers and 21 steals across 283 games. Just 17 players have posted at least 50 home runs and 20 stolen bases over the past two years, and among them only George Springer, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr., Jose Ramirez, Juan Soto, Ohtani, and Aaron Judge have a higher on-base percentage.
There’s an argument to be made, then, that Suzuki has been among the most complete hitters in baseball in recent years. Another strong season for Suzuki where he posts similar offensive numbers to the past two seasons would cement his status as one of the top bats available in free agency, particularly given that he’s expected to return to right field on a regular basis this year with Moises Ballesteros getting a crack at regular DH time. Missing the start of the season would put a damper on all that, especially given that Suzuki averaged just 127 games a year over his first three seasons in the majors due to various trips to the injured list.
As for the Cubs, the team would certainly miss one of its top hitters if he does wind up starting the season on the injured list. The good news for Chicago, however, is that they’re relatively well-stocked in terms of depth at this point. Matt Shaw has begun getting reps in the outfield this spring after being bumped out of the regular third base job by the addition of Alex Bregman, while Michael Conforto is in camp with the Cubs on a minor league deal. Conforto already seemed to be in strong position to make the team’s roster as a bench bat, and if Suzuki were to start the season on the IL he’d surely join Shaw as one of the favorites for regular reps in right field to open the year. Chicago could also view an injury to Suzuki as an opportunity to get top outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara a look at the big league level as he heads into his final option year while facing a fairly crowded outfield mix.
Guardians Release Pedro Avila
Right-hander Pedro Avila is heading back to the open market. Per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com, the righty was informed he would not be making the Opening Day roster with the Guards and was granted his release, perhaps indicating he had some kind of opt-out in his deal.
Avila, now 29, has 146 1/3 big league innings under his belt. Most of that action was out of the Padres’ bullpen but he was flipped to Cleveland a couple of years ago. At the end of the 2024 season, he had a 3.51 earned run average in his career. His 10.6% walk rate was a bit on the high side but he struck out 23.8% of batters faced and induced grounders on 49.2% of balls in play. He tossed four scoreless innings for the Guards in the 2024 postseason.
Despite those pretty decent numbers, Avila was nudged off Cleveland’s roster in the 2024-25 offseason. He then signed with the Yakult Swallows of Nippon Professional Baseball and got stretched out in Japan. He tossed 82 1/3 innings over 15 appearances with a 4.04 ERA. His 17.8% strikeout rate and 43.9% ground ball rate were both a few ticks lower than his MLB work but his walk rate dropped to 8.7%.
Avila returned to the Guards this winter via a minor league deal. He made six appearances in Cactus League action, logging 8 1/3 innings, allowing three earned runs via ten hits and a walk while striking out four.
The Cleveland bullpen has Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Shawn Armstrong projected for three leverage roles. Matt Festa and Connor Brogdon seem likely to get spots and both are out of options. Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin are optionable but are the top two left-handed options. Peyton Pallette is a Rule 5 pick and can’t be sent down if the Guards plan to hang onto him.
The Guards evidently didn’t want to squeeze Avila in there, so he’s been cut loose. He’ll now have a chance to suss out opportunities with other clubs as Opening Day looms next week. There should be a decent amount of roster shuffling as teams make their final roster decisions. Some players will trigger opt-outs or end up on waivers, which will lead to a few transactions.
Photo courtesy of Jordan Johnson, Imagn Images
Braves Sign Kyle Nelson To Minor League Deal
The Braves have signed left-hander Kyle Nelson to a minor league deal, according to Matt Eddy of Baseball America. It’s unclear if the Beverly Hills Sports Council client will be in major league or minor league camp.
Nelson, now 29, had his best stretch in the majors in 2022 and 2023. He tossed 93 innings for the Diamondbacks over those two seasons, primarily as a reliever though with a few starts as an opener. He allowed 3.39 earned runs per nine frames in that time, with a 24.9% strikeout rate and 7.2% walk rate that were both a bit better than league average.
Unfortunately, he hasn’t been at that level since. He required thoracic outlet syndrome surgery in April of 2024 and missed most of that season. He was back on the mound in 2025 but with diminished stuff and results. His fastball averaged around 92 miles per hour in 2022 and 2023 but was down to around 90 mph last year. He was mostly kept in the minors. He only made three big league appearances and posted an ugly 9.09 ERA in Triple-A. The Snakes outrighted him off the roster in July. He was selected back to the roster in August but was outrighted again in November. He elected free agency after that second outright.
For Atlanta, there’s no harm in bringing Nelson aboard via a non-roster pact. They project to have Dylan Lee and Aaron Bummer as their top two lefty relievers. José Suarez may be in the bullpen but likely as a long reliever/swingman. Dylan Dodd and Hayden Harris are on the 40-man but they are optionable and still have fairly limited big league track records, so they may oscillate between Triple-A and the majors this year. If Nelson can get back on track and onto the roster, he still has one option season remaining.
Photo courtesy of Allan Henry, Imagn Images
Offseason In Review: Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays reinforced their rotation, said goodbye to longtime shortstop Bo Bichette, and (again) lost a major free agent bidding war to the Dodgers.
Major League Signings
- Dylan Cease, RHP: Seven years, $210MM ($64MM deferred)
- Kazuma Okamoto, 3B/OF: Four years, $60MM (Blue Jays also paid $10.875MM posting fee to the Yomiuri Giants)
- Tyler Rogers, RHP: Three years, $37MM (includes $1MM buyout of 2029 club/vesting option)
- Cody Ponce, RHP: Three years, $30MM
- Max Scherzer, RHP: One year, $3MM
2026 spending: $70MM
Total spending: $340MM
Trades And Claims
- Acquired OF Jesus Sanchez from Astros for OF Joey Loperfido
- Acquired RHP Chase Lee from Tigers for minor league LHP Johan Simon
- Acquired cash considerations from Guardians for LHP Justin Bruihl
- Selected RHP Spencer Miles from the Giants in the Rule 5 Draft
Option Decisions
- Shane Bieber, RHP: Exercised $16MM player option for 2026
Notable Minor League Signings
- Eloy Jimenez, Juan Yepez, Jorge Alcala, Josh Winckowski, Joe Mantiply, Nic Enright, Jesse Hahn, Connor Seabold, Josh Fleming, CJ Stubbs, Caleb Freeman, Michael Plassmeyer
Extensions
- None to date
Notable Losses
- Loperfido, Bo Bichette, Chris Bassitt, Seranthony Dominguez, Ty France, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Nick Sandlin, Paxton Schultz, Ryan Borucki, Easton Lucas, Ryan Burr, Dillon Tate
The usual “Toronto is interested in everyone” rumors barely got a chance to get rolling before the Blue Jays made the early strike of signing Dylan Cease before the end of November. Even with some deferred money involved, Cease’s seven-year, $210MM pact is the largest free agent signing in Jays history, and it was the first indication that the Jays would again be shopping at the top of the market.
The durable Cease has logged 942 1/3 innings since the start of the 2020 season, and he has never been on the big league injured list apart from a brief stint on the COVID-19 IL in 2021. Beyond this ability to stay on the mound, Cease misses a lot of bats (29.7% strikeout rate over the last five years), and he is a hard thrower with some of the best fastball spin rates in the league. The down side is that Cease has below-average control and he has been prone to giving up hard contact, which is why Cease’s ERAs (like his 4.55 mark with the Padres in 2025) can be higher than his peripheral numbers would reflect.
It is certainly possible the Jays think pitching coach Pete Walker and the team’s development staff can help Cease find more consistency, and ideally get him back to his 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up form. Even the current version of Cease, however, is a pitcher the Blue Jays view as capable of starting playoff games come October.
Cody Ponce’s three-year, $30MM deal was another intriguing investment in the rotation. Ponce’s MLB resume consists of a 5.86 ERA over 55 1/3 innings with the 2020-21 Pirates, but the right-hander then went overseas, spending three seasons in Japan before heading to the KBO League’s Hanwha Eagles in 2025. The result was a sparkling 1.89 ERA, 36.2% K%, and six percent walk rate over 180 2/3 innings, and Ponce earned both KBO MVP and the Dong-Won Choi Award (the equivalent of the Cy Young) while helping lead the Eagles to a berth in the Korean Series.
The Blue Jays obviously wouldn’t mind if Ponce continues this form in his return to the majors, but more realistically, Ponce becoming a decent mid-range starter would still make his contract a relative bargain, when compared to the broader starting pitching market as a whole. Ponce will be used as a starter, and if that role doesn’t work out, his skillset could perhaps translate well to relief work, so the Jays could still some return on their investment.
Cease and Ponce are the newcomers joining a pair of familiar faces returning to the Jays rotation. Max Scherzer waited until early March to decide on his next team, and he opted for a return engagement in Toronto on a one-year, $3MM guarantee that includes up to $10MM in innings-based bonuses. Shane Bieber was the first pitching domino to fall in the Jays offseason when he eschewed free agency altogether, passing on a opt-out clause to instead remain in his contract on a $16MM salary for 2026.
Bieber’s decision was a surprise at the time, though reports emerged in December that Bieber pitched through some forearm fatigue during the end of the 2025 season. To that end, the Blue Jays will place Bieber on the 15-day IL to begin the coming season so that he can fully ramp up, since he has yet to start throwing off a mound this spring.
The Jays’ knowledge of Bieber’s situation surely informed their contract with Scherzer, which added to a rotation picture is overcrowded on paper. If everyone is healthy, there technically won’t be enough starts to go around between Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios, Cease, Ponce, Scherzer, Bieber, and swingman Eric Lauer.
As is often the way in baseball, there’s no such thing as “too much” pitching. Beyond Bieber, Berrios is also dealing with elbow inflammation and could be an IL candidate. The Jays are giving Yesavage a gradual build as they manage his innings heading into the postseason hero’s first full Major League season. Ponce is an unproven commodity in MLB action, and Scherzer is 41 with a checkered injury history. Even beyond the names set for the 26-man roster, depth starter Bowden Francis will miss the season due to Tommy John surgery, and former top prospect Ricky Tiedemann dealt with some elbow soreness this spring as he continues his own return from a TJ procedure.
Even if Berrios had some hard feelings about the end of his 2025 season or Lauer would’ve preferred a clear-cut starting job, there should be enough starts to go around for everyone. Since the Blue Jays are intent on winning the World Series, the team is building a pitching staff for a seven-month run, not just a six-month regular season.
This plan extends to the bullpen, which is why Tyler Rogers received a hefty three-year, $37MM contract on the open market. Though Rogers is entering his age-35 season, the veteran right-hander has been the picture of durability, as well as having some of the best command of any pitcher in the sport. An old-school outlier in today’s velocity-centric game, Rogers’ sinker doesn’t even reach the mid-80s, but he is a master at inducing grounders and soft contact.
Rogers is the only real new face within a bullpen that lost Seranthony Dominguez in free agency, and won’t have Yimi Garcia available at the start of the year. Trade acquisition Chase Lee could become a part of the picture as the season develops, and Rule 5 selections Angel Bastardo and Spencer Miles (selected in the last two R5s) will have trouble fitting onto the roster or staying in the Jays organization.
A minor league signing like Connor Seabold or Joe Mantiply could stand out, and a southpaw like Mantiply could benefit from the unsettled nature of the pen’s left-handed corps. Brendon Little and Mason Fluharty struggled down the stretch and in the playoffs, and Lauer isn’t really a fit in a true left-handed specialist sense since he’ll be kept stretched out for at least multi-inning work if the Jays ever need to quickly call on him for a start.
Left-handed bullpen help could therefore be on Toronto’s radar come the trade deadline, and a more high-profile move for a closer also shouldn’t be ruled out. Jeff Hoffman will return as the Blue Jays’ ninth-inning man, even though GM Ross Atkins suggested back in November that Hoffman was fine with moving into a set-up role if necessary. The team’s explorations into the bullpen market bore out its interest in a new closer, as the Jays reportedly had interest in such free agents as Edwin Diaz, Robert Suarez, Raisel Iglesias, Pete Fairbanks, and Ryan Helsley.
Other pitchers on Toronto’s radar included relievers like Luke Weaver, Phil Maton, and Brad Keller, while such free agent starters as Framber Valdez, Michael King, and former Blue Jay Chris Bassitt drew at least some interest. There was some speculation that the Jays could make a late push for Valdez after he lingered on the market into February, but the left-hander instead signed with the Tigers, and Toronto pivoted to Scherzer a month later.
Moving into the position-player ranks, Alex Bregman, Ketel Marte, Cody Bellinger, Munetaka Murakami, and Yoan Moncada were all linked to the Blue Jays at various points this winter. These players were primarily viewed as backup plans for the Jays, however, as Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette were seen as Toronto’s biggest targets. As the offseason continued and the markets for both players remained unclear, there was some thought that the Jays could even sign both Tucker and Bichette, if the team wanted to go all out with its spending.
As it turned out, both Tucker and Bichette will be playing elsewhere in 2026. In Tucker’s case, the Blue Jays were reportedly the only suitor who made a major long-term offer, in the form of a ten-year, $350MM deal. The Mets offered Tucker a four-year, $220MM contract with multiple opt-outs, and the Dodgers a slightly larger four-year, $240MM pact (also with opt-outs) that Tucker ended up signing. Tucker could conceivably return to free agency as early as the 2027-28 offseason, but for the next two years, he’ll be joining the Dodgers’ push for more rings.
Bichette could be a free agent again next winter, if he triggers the first of the two opt-outs in his three-year, $126MM deal with the Mets, as New York quickly moved on from Tucker to sign another multi-time All-Star to a similar contract structure. In Bichette’s case, it was the Phillies who offered a longer-term (seven years and between $190-$200MM) deal, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski felt “we were very close to having a deal done,” before Bichette chose New York over Philadelphia.
It isn’t known what the Blue Jays offered Bichette, or if the team necessarily even put a concrete offer on the table to its longtime infielder. While re-signing Bichette seemed like a more realistic scenario for Toronto than pursuing a Bregman or a Bellinger, it always somewhat felt like Toronto was expecting Bichette to leave — even dating back to last winter, when Andres Gimenez was acquired from the Guardians as an unofficial shortstop-in-waiting.
The Kazuma Okamoto signing also cast more doubt on a Bichette return. With Bichette, Tucker, and plenty of other position players still available, the Jays instead pivoted to sign the Japanese star to a four-year, $60MM deal. Given how the Blue Jays like to move players around the diamond, Okamoto might see some time in left field or playing first base if Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is getting a DH day, but Okamoto is expected to settle in as the regular third baseman.
As with all high-profile NPB signings, there’s risk in committing such a significant amount of money to a player with no experience in North American baseball. There’s good reason to believe Okamoto’s high-contact approach can translate well to the Show, however, and Okamoto hit so well in Japan (.277/.361/.521 with 248 homers over 4494 plate appearances) that it was clear why he was drawing interest from multiple Major League teams before the Blue Jays won the bidding.
With Okamoto now at the hot corner, the rest of Toronto’s lineup consists of Gimenez at shortstop, Ernie Clement at second base, Guerrero at first base, Alejandro Kirk catching, George Springer at DH, and a starting outfield of Addison Barger, Daulton Varsho, and Jesus Sanchez. The left-handed hitting Sanchez is expected to platoon with Davis Schneider in left field, and the presence of Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw as outfield depth could allow Barger to get some time back at third base if Okamoto needs an off-day, or has some difficulty adjusting to big league pitching.
Shoulder surgery will keep Anthony Santander out of this mix until at least July, as the slugger is already looking at what might be a second lost season in a row. Santander was limited to 54 games in 2025 due to shoulder problems, and he hit only .175/.271/.294 over 221 PA. The hope was that a healthy Santander could rebound and start providing some return in the second season of his five-year, $92.5MM contract, yet he’ll now again be sidelined until the second half.
Shortly after word broke about Santander’s surgery, the Jays landed Sanchez from the Astros in exchange for Joey Loperfido, another left-handed hitting outfielder with less MLB experience. Sanchez has six seasons under his belt with the Marlins and Astros, and poor numbers against southpaws have kept the outfielder from thriving as a true regular. As noted, the Jays only need him to be the strong side of a platoon with Schneider, and the team is hoping Sanchez can at least match his .253/.324/.450 career slash line against right-handed pitching.
Looking at the position-player depth chart as a whole, it isn’t much different from the offense that was one of the league’s best in 2025. That said, replacing Bichette with Okamoto is an obvious downgrade for now based on Major League track record, even if the Jays will get a defensive boost by installing Gimenez at shortstop. Counting on Barger or Clement to be regular starters also carries some risk, as their huge playoff performances came after much more ordinary production over the regular season.
After a 2024 campaign that saw almost the entire lineup struggle at the plate, the 2025 Blue Jays enjoyed a dream year that saw pretty much every batter significantly improve. The question now facing the Jays is whether the truth about their position players falls somewhere in between, or if 2025 was just the start of an offensive awakening under hitting coach David Popkins. Tucker, Bichette, or another proven veteran bat would’ve helped solidify the lineup quite a bit, and depending on how the season progresses, adding such a hitter might well be on Atkins’ shopping list at the trade deadline.
Aggressive moves and aggressive spending have become the calling card for the organization. This winter’s investments have again brought the payroll to new levels — as per RosterResource‘s estimates, the Blue Jays have a $289MM payroll, and a whopping $318.1MM luxury tax number. The latter figure puts the Jays well over the highest luxury tax penalization tier of $304MM, which means they’ll face a 90% surcharge on any dollar spent above the $304MM mark.
It is safe to say at this point that the front office doesn’t care about the short-term tax implications, or details like giving up two draft picks and $1MM in international bonus money to sign Cease (a qualifying offer-rejecting free agent). Last year’s playoff run and the near-miss in the World Series galvanized support for the Blue Jays all across Canada, creating both a ton of extra revenue for the Rogers Communications ownership group and a greater desire to finish the story with a championship in 2026. The Jays will face tough competition just to retain their AL East crown, yet Toronto figures to be contenders again come October.
How would you grade the Blue Jays' offseason?
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Steve Adams
- Greetings! Happy Tuesday / St. Patrick’s Day / WBC final! I’ll get going at 1pm, but feel free to start sending in questions ahead of time if you prefer.
- Hello!
- Let’s begin
Lucas Giolito
- What date do I have to wait until so I don’t have draft pick compensation attached?
Steve Adams
- He didn’t receive a qualifying offer. He’s not attached to draft pick compensation.
Silky Johnson
- McGonigle can’t NOT make the opening day roster at this point, right?!?!
Steve Adams
- Darragh and I discussed this on the podcast episode we recorded this morning, which will drop tomorrow. But in short, yeah, at this point I’m fully expecting it. He’s been so good at every stop, including MLB spring training. There are no clear roadblocks to playing time for him. The Tigers are all in on 2026. I’ll be very surprised if he’s not the Opening Day SS.
MattStats5
- Thanks for doing these chats, Steve. Are the Orioles really going to carry four 1B/DH (counting Mayo once Westburg returns) into Opening Day, or is a trade more likely? A few teams have 1B/DH at-bats available, making Mountcastle a nice trade chip.
Steve Adams
- I don’t really agree all that much that Mountcastle is a nice trade chip. I mean, I’m sure there’d be some modest interest if they shopped him, but RHH first basemen are about the least valued position in the game, he’s making decent money, and he’s coming off a down/injury-marred year.I have no doubt that some clubs would happily plug him into a 1B/DH role, but probably not for any particularly interesting return.
Still seems like the eventual odd man out, though. I agree on that much