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Angels To Sign Tayler Saucedo

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The Angels are signing left-hander Tayler Saucedo, as Saucedo himself indicated recently on his personal Instagram account. The exact details of Saucedo’s contract aren’t yet known, but it’s likely to be a minor league deal with an invite to big league Spring Training.

Saucedo, 32, made his big league debut as a member of the Blue Jays back in 2021 but got the majority of his work over the years with the Mariners after Seattle picked him up off waivers prior to the 2023 season. Saucedo proved to be a viable middle relief arm for the Mariners across two seasons, pitching to a 3.54 ERA in 86 1/3 innings of work with a 21.7% strikeout rate against a walk rate of 11.0%. That latter figure is elevated relative to Saucedo’s strikeout ability, but the lefty was able to make up for it by generating an excellent 55.0% ground ball rate. Saucedo’s 3.79 FIP and 4.05 SIERA were more pedestrian than elite, but there was still reason for optimism regarding the southpaw’s profile.

That’s because Saucedo’s combination of strikeouts and grounders was very encouraging. Among relievers with a ground ball rate of 55.0% or higher between 2023 and ’24, the lefty’s strikeout rate ranked tenth. That combination of strikeouts and grounders is hard to come by, and among those who fit that bill are high-end closers like Andres Munoz and Jhoan Duran. Saucedo was held back from reaching those elite levels primarily by a his penchant for allowing free passes. While ground ball like Camilo Doval and Aaron Bummer have managed to make walk rates in the 11-12% range work in high leverage situations, they do so with a much healthier helping of strikeouts than Saucedo can muster.

Despite his flaws, Saucedo entered 2025 figuring to be a key piece of the Seattle bullpen. Unfortunately, that didn’t pan out as the lefty struggled in ten MLB appearances this year. His 7.43 ERA across 13 1/3 innings in the majors this season left him to spend most of the season at Triple-A Tacoma. After being optioned to the minors, he was sidelined for two months by a lat strain that sent his season further off the rails. The lefty looked good for Tacoma upon his return to action, with a 2.75 ERA overall across 22 appearances at the level to go with a 27.9% strikeout rate. That performance wasn’t enough to convince the Mariners to keep him in the fold, however, and he was non-tendered back in November as a result.

Now with the Angels, Saucedo figures to enter Spring Training with an opportunity to grab a spot in a mostly unsettled Angels bullpen. Robert Stephenson, Drew Pomeranz, and Kirby Yates figure to handle the late innings, while Ben Joyce will be a factor later in the year upon his return from last year’s shoulder surgery. If Saucedo finds a role in Anaheim, it figures to be in the middle innings. Besides Pomeranz, the only other lefty in the team’s current projected bullpen is Brock Burke. Burke turned in a dominant 2022 season as a member of the Rangers but has been less impressive in the years since; he posted 3.36 ERA with a 4.16 FIP in 69 appearances for the Angels last year. That’s solid enough production for a middle relief lefty, but there could still be room for Saucedo to join Burke (as well as righty Jordan Romano) in the middle innings.

Blue Jays Sign Kazuma Okamoto

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The Blue Jays have finally made a big strike in the Japanese market, as Toronto has signed infielder Kazuma Okamoto to a four-year, $60MM contract.  It is a straight four-year deal without any opt-outs.  The contract breaks down as a $5MM signing bonus and a $7MM salary for Okamoto in 2026, and then $16MM in each of the deal’s final three years.  Okamoto is represented by the Boras Corporation.

Okamoto’s 45-day posting window was set to expire tomorrow at 4pm CT, so it was expected that the infielder would settle on his first Major League team today and finalize the agreement (i.e. complete a physical) before Sunday’s deadline.  MLB Trade Rumors ranked Okamoto 19th on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, and our projection of a four-year, $64MM deal was just slightly above what Okamoto landed from the Jays.

Matching financial expectations is no small feat, given how Tatsuya Imai (three years/$54MM guarantee from the Astros with two opt-out clauses) and Munetaka Murakami (two years, $34MM from the White Sox) both had to settle for shorter-term deals in their trips through the posting window this winter.  Evaluators and scouts didn’t quite view Okamoto, Imai, and Murakami in the same tier as other big-ticket NPB arrivals from past seasons, though Okamoto perhaps had fewer red flags, resulting in his nice payday.

Okamoto’s contract also translates to a $10.875MM posting fee for the Yomiuri Giants, the infielder’s now-former NPB team.  As per the terms of the NPB/MLB posting system, the NPB team’s fee is 20% of the first $25MM of a player’s guaranteed MLB contract, 17.5% of the next $25MM, and 15% of all further spending.

It was a little under a month ago that Toronto was first linked to Okamoto, and the 29-year-old now projects to be the Jays’ regular third baseman.  Okamoto also has experience playing first base (making him an overqualified backup option to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.) and in the outfield, so he joins Addison Barger and Davis Schneider as Blue Jays players who can contribute in both infield and outfield roles.

For Barger in particular, it now seems like he’ll platoon with Okamoto at third base, while playing in the corner outfield when he isn’t at the hot corner.  This could bump Ernie Clement into primarily a second base role, with Andres Gimenez expected to move from second base to an everyday shortstop role.  The right-handed hitting Clement can also spell the lefty-swinging Gimenez at shortstop when a southpaw is on the mound, with Schneider (another righty bat) moving to second base in those circumstances.

All of these moving pieces don’t even factor in the possibility that Bo Bichette could still re-sign with the Blue Jays, even with Okamoto now in the fold.  If Bichette returns to an everyday role at either shortstop or (perhaps more likely) second base, Barger or Okamoto could see more time in the outfield.  On the flip side, if the Blue Jays were to land another rumored target in outfielder Kyle Tucker, Toronto would then likely have to trade from a crowded outfield mix that would include Tucker, Daulton Varsho, George Springer and Anthony Santander splitting DH duty and one corner outfield slot, Nathan Lukes, Myles Straw, Joey Loperfido, and Okamoto, Barger, and Schneider all available in a part-time outfield capacity.

However things play out, it adds to what has already been a fascinating offseason for a Blue Jays team that came within two outs of winning Game 7 of the World Series.  The team’s efforts to add the final piece of the puzzle have mostly focused on pitching to date, with Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce signed to reinforce the rotation, and Tyler Rogers added to the relief corps.

Bichette and Tucker have naturally dominated the rumor mill when it came to possible lineup additions, and players like Cody Bellinger, Ketel Marte, Alex Bregman, and Yoan Moncada were also reportedly on Toronto’s radar.  The Okamoto signing probably closes the door on Bregman and Moncada specifically since the two are third basemen, unless the Jays made the curious decision of using Okamoto primarily as a corner outfielder.

Okamoto’s third base defense was strong enough to earn Golden Glove awards when playing with Yomiuri Giants in 2021-22, though he has played an increased amount at first base in the last three years.  Scouts generally view Okamoto as at least a decent defensive third baseman at the MLB level, and his ability to also capably handle first base and left field adds to his versatility around the diamond.

Moreso than his glovework, however, Okamoto’s biggest plus is his bat.  One of the top hitters in Japan for most of the last decade, Okamoto has hit .277/.361/.521 with 248 home runs over 4494 plate appearances with the Giants.  He had a run of six straight seasons of 30+ homers from 2018-23 before dropping to 27 long balls in 2024, and he hit 15 homers with a .322/.411/.581 slash line over 314 PA in 2025 in a season interrupted by an elbow injury that cost Okamoto roughly three months of the NPB campaign.

A six-time NPB All-Star and a member of Japan’s World Baseball Classic-winning team in 2023, Okamoto is known for his ability to generate power while still making a lot of hard contact without many strikeouts.  This approach fits right into the offensive gameplan that worked so well for the Jays in 2025.  Blue Jays hitting coach David Popkins drew raves for his work in helping several Toronto hitters break out last season, and he could certainly aid Okamoto in making a smooth transition to MLB, perhaps particularly when it comes to adjusting to higher-velocity pitching.  As noted by Fangraphs’ Eric Longenhagen, Okamoto has been inconsistent against higher-velo (94mph+) pitches, but he already showed improvement in this department in 2025.

The signing also represents a breakthrough for the Jays in their efforts to land a high-profile Japanese star.  The Blue Jays’ attempts to sign Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and Roki Sasaki during the previous two offseasons were all thwarted by the Dodgers, which added some extra sting when all three players (particularly World Series MVP Yamamoto) contributed heavily to Los Angeles’ narrow win over the Jays in the Fall Classic.

While the Dodgers weren’t publicly known to be in on Okamoto, such teams as the Red Sox, Pirates, Cubs, Angels, Mariners, and Padres were all linked to his market.  Earlier this afternoon, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand indicated that San Diego “could be the frontrunner,” but instead it was Toronto who ended up sealing the deal.

Okamoto’s $60MM contract represents another big expenditure for a Blue Jays organization that has already taken spending to team-record heights in recent years, and now put the club in the upper echelons of league-wide spending.  RosterResource estimates a $286MM payroll for the Jays in 2026, and a luxury tax number of around $308.8MM.

This puts Toronto over the highest tax threshold of $304MM, meaning the team will again see their first-round pick in the 2027 draft dropped back 10 places, plus a 110% surcharge on any further spending.  It’s clear that the Jays and Rogers Communications (the team’s ownership group) are ready to flex their financial muscle more than ever in pursuit of a World Series banner, so more splurges on Bichette or Tucker can’t be ruled out.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report the signing, and Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the contract’s length and value.  MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand added the details about the $5MM signing bonus and the lack of opt-outs, and the Associated Press had the annual salary breakdown.

The Nationals’ Closer Options

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The swap of Jose A. Ferrer for Harry Ford brought the Nationals their potential catcher of the future. It also left an already-thin bullpen without a clear closer for the upcoming season. The rebuilding club is unlikely to pursue an impact reliever in free agency. If they make a move, it’ll likely be finding a cheap veteran with closing experience in the hopes of flipping them at the trade deadline after a few months of decent production.

The Nationals ranked dead last in bullpen ERA by a significant margin in 2025. The team was 0.4 runs worse than the next-closest team (Colorado). Washington has been able to rely on Kyle Finnegan for the past few seasons. The righty threaded the needle of being capable of holding down the job, while not being talented enough to leave via trade or free agency. He fell back into the Nats’ lap in late February after garnering minimal interest on the open market. Washington moved him to Detroit at the trade deadline.

The Finnegan trade led to the emergence of Ferrer, who earned 11 saves over the final two months of the season. The hard-throwing lefty’s overall numbers weren’t amazing, but a 3.24 SIERA and a 3.43 xFIP suggested the best was yet to come. Ferrer will now join Seattle’s elite bullpen.

Washington has a new general manager and a first-time skipper. It’s the perfect time to unearth a stud reliever out of a rag-tag mix of arms. So who could the closer-in-waiting be?

Cole Henry

After multiple years as one of the organization’s top pitching prospects, Henry moved to a relief role in 2025. Persistent injury issues kept the 2020 second-round pick from putting it all together as a starter. Henry opened the season in the minors, but was quickly promoted to the big-league club. He slowly worked his way into a high-leverage role. The righty finished the season with 10 holds, which ranked behind only Ferrer. He also notched a pair of saves.

Henry has the fastball to be a closer. The 26-year-old’s four-seamer sits in the mid-90s with well-above-average arm-side movement. The pitch held hitters to a .191 batting average and recorded a +4 Run Value. Henry’s curveball is a decent complement, with its solid whiff rate and tight shape. As a former starter, Henry unsurprisingly used a deep pitch mix, but his sinker, cutter, and changeup were unremarkable. The key will be narrowing down an arsenal he can throw for strikes. Henry had a 13.3% walk rate, which ranked in the second percentile. He posted a miserable 85 Location+.

Clayton Beeter

If the season started today, Beeter would likely draw the 9th-inning assignment. He finished just behind Henry with nine holds and also chipped in a save. Beeter closed the season with a save and five holds over his final seven appearances. Interim manager Miguel Cairo leaned on him when Ferrer faltered down the stretch. He’s another former starter who recently made the move to the bullpen.

Beeter has the strikeout numbers of an elite reliever. After multiple minor league seasons with a strikeout rate above 35%, he’s continued to punch out hitters in the majors. Beeter has a 31.9% strikeout rate across 29 MLB innings over the past two years. It’s a straightforward repertoire, just an upper-90s fastball and a hard slider. Beeter’s slider had a massive 49.1% whiff rate last season. It was responsible for 29 of his 33 strikeouts. Beeter had a 2.97 xFIP with the Nats, so his 2.49 ERA seems somewhat legit. If there’s an internal option who could rack up 15 saves and be on the move in late July, it’s probably Beeter.

PJ Poulin or Konnor Pilkington

Washington only has two left-handed relievers on the 40-man roster, so while Poulin and Pilkington are locked into MLB roles, neither is likely to be reserved for the 9th inning. A free agent addition of the southpaw variety would probably be the only way for one of them to step into the gig. If that happens, there’s a route toward Poulin or Pilkington vying for the job.

Poulin would be a non-traditional pick, even as lefties go. His heater barely cracks 90 mph, and he walks too many hitters for a soft-tosser. But, he did compile a 2.10 ERA across Double-A and Triple-A in Detroit’s system in 2024. He had multiple stops with big strikeout numbers, including a 33.7% strikeout rate with Triple-A Toledo before getting claimed by the Nats.

Pilkington’s velocity jumped up in the Nats’ bullpen compared to his days as a starter with the Guardians. He was sitting above 94 mph as a reliever this past year. Pilkington missed bats at an above-average rate, but walked too many and was barreled too frequently.

Marquis Grissom Jr.

Grissom has steadily worked his way up Washington’s system, reaching Triple-A this past season. While he stumbled with Rochester, there’s enough of a minor league track record to believe Grissom could make an impact with the big-league club. He posted a 2.21 ERA across two minor league levels in 2024. That earned Grissom an invite to MLB Spring Training in 2025. He also played in the Futures Game this past year, where he went up against his dad (who was managing the AL team). Grissom has totaled 27 saves in the minors over the past three seasons. The fact that he isn’t on the 40-man roster hurts his chances, but the club doesn’t have many obvious impact relievers in the minors.

Brad Lord

A team bereft of reliable starters outside of MacKenzie Gore probably can’t afford to keep Lord in the bullpen, though his stuff is enticing there. Lord scooped up seven holds in a hybrid role last season. He was sitting at 96 mph at times as a reliever. Lord put together a two-month stretch from mid-May to mid-July with a 2.70 ERA and a 23.5% strikeout rate over 26 relief appearances. He doesn’t have a clear answer for lefties (which will be a problem as a starter), but the fastball/sinker/slider combo could play with the velocity bump out of the bullpen.

The Brewers’ First Base Possibilities

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The Brewers have struggled to find competent first base play for the entirety of this decade. Not since Prince Fielder in the early 2010s has the club had a standout contributor at the position for more than a season. Milwaukee’s regular first baseman (by games played) hasn’t exceeded 1.0 WAR (per Baseball Reference) in a season since Eric Thames in 2019. The team has won the NL Central in four of the last five years, but they’ve shuffled through journeymen and platoon bats at the cold corner during that span.

Andrew Vaughn might be the answer. A mid-June trade from the White Sox seemed to revive the former third overall pick. Vaughn’s underwhelming career hit rock bottom in May, when he was demoted by Chicago after hitting .189 over the first two months of the season. The White Sox dealt him to the Brewers for Aaron Civale, which says a lot about his value at the time.

Rhys Hoskins sprained his thumb in early July, opening the door for a Vaughn promotion. He joined the big-league club and immediately hit the ground running. Vaughn launched a three-run homer off Yoshinobu Yamamoto in his first at-bat with the Brewers. He went on to post a 1.157 OPS in July. After hitting five home runs in 48 games with the White Sox to start the season, Vaughn left the yard five times in his first 15 games with the Brewers.

Vaughn cooled off considerably in August, slashing .250/.320/.375. He managed just six extra-base hits in 29 games. A day off to begin September seemed to do Vaughn some good, as he heated back up to close the season. The 27-year-old hit .368 with a .509 SLG over the last month of the campaign. His performance was enough to bump Hoskins off the NLDS roster. Vaughn had a solid series against the Cubs, popping two homers and driving in four runs. He then went 0-for-12 in a four-game NLCS sweep by the Dodgers.

Despite the hitless series against the L.A., Vaughn heads into 2026 as the top candidate to hold down first base for the Brewers. The club didn’t pick up its end of the mutual option with Hoskins, so Vaughn and Jake Bauers are the only primary first basemen on the roster. Catcher William Contreras and utilityman Andruw Monasterio also have a bit of experience at the position. It seems like Vaughn’s job to lose, but he’s got a lengthy MLB track record of mediocrity. Here’s how first base could play out for Milwaukee in 2026…

Vaughn runs away with the job

The reason behind Vaughn’s takeoff in Milwaukee could be as simple as a change of scenery for a former top pick on a struggling team. However, he did make some clear improvements this past season. He’d always hit the ball hard (46.6% career hard-hit rate), it just hadn’t translated into much production. The guy getting 60 raw power grades as Chicago’s top prospect never hit more than 21 home runs with the club.

Milwaukee was able to get Vaughn to turn his hard contact into better results in multiple ways. The young slugger posted career bests in line drive rate (25.2%), pull rate (37.5%), and pulled air rate (18%) this past season. Those marks are still right around league average, but they’re a solid improvement on Vaughn’s previous work. He also ranked in the 85th percentile in launch angle sweet spot rate and in the 92nd percentile in squared-up rate.

It wasn’t just the batted balls, either. Vaughn took significant steps forward in terms of plate discipline with Milwaukee. After striking out a career-worst 22.3% of the time with Chicago to open the year, he cut that number to 14.6% with the Brewers. He also pushed his walk rate up to 9.4%. Vaughn hasn’t had a walk rate above 7% since his rookie season in 2021.

There’s a chance July and September were the “new” Vaughn, and he’s just going to be a high-.800s OPS bat for the duration of his prime. The pedigree was evident, considering his legendary college career and the draft capital invested in acquiring him. It just took five years and a new home to make good on it.

Vaughn regresses, but the lineup makes up for it

Milwaukee’s offense took a unique shape in 2025. The club didn’t have a regular with an OPS over .800 for the full season, but also had just one everyday player with a mark below .700 (glove-first Joey Ortiz at .593). The result was a team that finished third in scoring behind only the Yankees and Dodgers. Isaac Collins was dealt to Kansas City, but the rest of the group should be back next season. Barring an offseason addition, some combination of Bauers, Garrett Mitchell, and Blake Perkins will fill the void left by Collins in the outfield.

The supportive offensive environment could allow Vaughn to exist in the lineup as a moderately productive piece. That’s basically what he was in Chicago. He never had a truly standout season, but his worst year with the team still resulted in a 93 wRC+. At the very least, he could form a strong platoon with Bauers at first base. Vaughn has always hit lefties, even in his White Sox days. He has a career .787 OPS against southpaws, compared to .702 versus righties.

This outcome hasn’t hindered Milwaukee in the past, as they’ve gotten by with decent contributions from the likes of Hoskins, Rowdy Tellez, and Daniel Vogelbach. Vaughn is set to hit free agency after the 2027 season. Milwaukee could ride this out at a reasonable price and let him walk when the time comes. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Vaughn to make $7.8MM in arbitration this year.

Tyler Black, come on down

Vaughn was unplayable as recently as May of this past season. Those struggles briefly returned in August with the Brewers. A player getting a jolt after going from the cellar to a competitive club, then reverting to previous form, certainly wouldn’t be an unheard-of outcome.

A Vaughn flameout would likely lead to a renewed opportunity for Black. The 25-year-old has put together solid results in the minors, but has only made 23 appearances in the majors. Black struggled in his brief 2024 debut, then only played a handful of games with the Brewers this past season.

There are questions about Black’s ability to consistently make contact at the highest level. He also might not be a long-term defensive fit at first base (or anywhere else). It just seems like Milwaukee needs to exhaust Black as a possibility before it’s too late. He’s down to one minor league option. He’s already in his mid-20s. MLB.com had Black ranked fourth among the Brewers prospects as recently as 2024. He had a 117 wRC+ at Triple-A that year. He’s shown enough to get an extended look in the big leagues.

If it’s not Black waiting in the wings, maybe it’s Luke Adams? The 21-year-old reached Double-A by the end of last season. He put up a stellar 157 wRC+ across three minor league levels in 2025. Adams kept it rolling in the Arizona Fall League, posting a 1.039 OPS in 16 games. MLB.com has Adams at No. 8 in Milwaukee’s prospect rankings heading into next season. He could be next up if Vaughn falters and Black doesn’t get the nod.

Photo courtesy of Benny Sieu, Imagn Images

Phillies Interested In Bo Bichette

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Free agent infielder Bo Bichette has thus far drawn interest from the Blue Jays and Red Sox. The Yankees, Cubs, and Dodgers have also checked in on his market. Now, Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds that the Phillies are among the big-market suitors for Bichette.

Philadelphia’s biggest offseason move has been the re-signing of Kyle Schwarber to a five-year, $150MM contract. Outside of that, the team has added Adolis Garcia to the outfield mix on a one-year deal. They also retooled the bullpen by trading away Matt Strahm, acquiring Kyle Backhus, and signing Brad Keller and Zach Pop. Last month, it was reported that the club is looking for a righty platoon bat and some rotation depth, as well as a reunion with J.T. Realmuto. In contrast, the infield hasn’t been mentioned as a target for an upgrade, so it’s possible that the Phillies are just doing due diligence on Bichette.

The club has Trea Turner entrenched at shortstop. The 32-year-old continues to perform at a high level. In 2025, he batted .304/.355/.457 in 141 games with a 125 wRC+ that was sixth-best among qualified shortstops. He also lowered his strikeout rate to just 16.7% and hit 15 home runs while stealing 36 bases. Crucially, after two seasons of below-average defense, Turner was worth 2 Defensive Runs Saved as well as 16 Outs Above Average in 2025, the latter ranking fourth among qualified shortstops. That stands in stark contrast to Bichette, who was worth -12 DRS and -13 OAA for the Blue Jays this year.

The presence of Turner makes the Phillies less of an obvious fit for Bichette the shortstop. With Schwarber taking the DH slot, Bichette would need to play second or third base if he were to sign. The keystone is the more likely outcome, with Bichette telling interested teams that he is willing to play there. He notably played five games at second base during the World Series, with Andres Gimenez covering shortstop. Before that, Bichette had only spent 262 1/3 innings at the keystone in his career, all in the minor leagues.

Statcast takes an unfavorable view of Bichette’s arm strength (36th percentile) and sprint speed (21st percentile). A move to second base would allow him to make shorter throws and limit his exposure to batted balls from right-handed hitters, with which he has historically struggled. Meanwhile, the Phillies’ incumbent second baseman is Bryson Stott. His 2025 batting line of .257/.328/.391 was league average by wRC+. On defense, he was seen as average (0 DRS) to positive (7 OAA). Altogether, he was worth 3.1 fWAR this year, which was sixth among qualified second basemen.

Signing Bichette to play second might force Stott to the hot corner, where has only played 15 big-league innings. That could still be a good defensive alignment of the two. Whereas Bichette struggles against batted balls by right-handed hitters, Stott was worth an equal 4 OAA against right-handed and left-handed batters in 2025. Slotting him at third base to accommodate Bichette wouldn’t be a perfect fit, given Stott’s below-average arm strength. Still, his better performance against batted balls by righties, as well as his plus range and sprint speed, could help him adapt to the hot corner better than Bichette could.

An alignment of Stott at third, Turner at short, and Bichette at second would leave Alec Bohm without a regular position. Bohm batted .287/.331/.409 with a 105 wRC+ in 120 games this year as the Phillies’ primary third baseman. That’s certainly not terrible, but it was a drop-off from his 113 wRC+ in 2024. He also declined on defense, dropping from 4 OAA in 2024 to -2 OAA this year. Bohm is entering his last year of team control and is projected for a $10.3MM salary in arbitration, which makes him a potential trade candidate. Indeed, back in October, 69.72% of MLBTR readers believed the Phillies would trade him.

It remains to be seen whether the Phillies are seriously interested in Bichette or just doing their due diligence. That said, if they were to sign him and trade Bohm, they’d be upgrading their offense and potentially their infield defense. We at MLBTR ranked Bichette at No. 2 on our Top 50 Free Agents list, projecting an eight-year, $208MM deal. Adding that $26MM annual salary while subtracting Bohm’s $10.3MM would bring the team’s 2026 payroll to just under $281MM, according to RosterResource. That would leave about $10MM for a reunion with Realmuto and other additions, assuming the team matches its 2025 payroll of $291MM.

Photo courtesy of Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images

Poll: How Can The Rockies Best Improve Their Starting Pitching?

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The Rockies are coming off a 119-loss season, which stands as one of the worst seasons in modern baseball history. The team’s starting pitching was a key factor in that poor performance. In 2025, Rockies starters had a 6.65 ERA, a league-worst 7.4% K-BB rate, and allowed a league-worst 1.79 HR/9. It is therefore unsurprising that Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta identified the rotation as “an era of focus” for his newly-hired front office.

“We would like to add some stability to the rotation,” said DePodesta in a phone interview with Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post. “I think that’s obvious … given our current situation.” He went on to say that the team will consider trading from their bullpen and outfield depth to acquire starters, while also counting on improvement from existing starters. Referring to his coaching staff, DePodesta said, “Given the sheer manpower we have allocated to the pitching side, there’s definitely room for improvement with the players we have.”

The comments come across as generic boilerplate. As is well-known, Rockies pitchers have the challenge of playing half the season at high altitude. Dating back to 2021, the club’s starters have posted a league-worst 5.60 ERA and 28.3 fWAR, including a mere 1.5 fWAR in 2025. Its top starters this year by innings pitched were Kyle Freeland, Germán Márquez, and Antonio Senzatela. Freeland was once an above-average starter but logged a 4.98 ERA in 162 2/3 innings this year, including a 5.75 mark at home. Though he remains onboard as the nominal “ace,” he will play 2026 at age 33 and is unlikely to recover his old form.

Márquez had a nightmarish 6.70 ERA in 126 1/3 innings in 2025, with a well-below-average strikeout rate of 14.0%. He is now a free agent and unlikely to be re-signed. Meanwhile, Senzatela’s 11.8% strikeout rate was a career-low. He was demoted to the bullpen for the last month of the year and won’t be guaranteed a rotation spot in 2026. Chase Dollander and Tanner Gordon were the only other Rockies starters to reach 60 innings this year, and they both had ERAs in the mid-6.00s and struggled with the long ball.

Given those struggles, it’s hardly a surprise that DePodesta wants to make upgrades. Of course, that’s easier said than done. Colorado is an unlikely destination for free agent starters who do not want to see their stats decline from pitching at Coors. Indeed, the only major-league free agent starting pitchers to sign with the Rockies since 2021 are Chad Kuhl, José Ureña, and Dakota Hudson. All three signed for one year and were reclamation projects at best. Ureña, whose $3.5MM contract in November 2022 was the highest value of the bunch, only made five starts for the Rockies in 2023 before being released that April.

The team faces a similar problem in attempting to add starting pitchers via trade. Potential partners can use the Rockies’ home-field disadvantage and need for pitching to gain leverage in trade talks. Dating back to 2021, most of the Rockies’ starting pitching acquisitions have been low-level trades and cash transactions. Arguably the highest-profile acquisition was that of Cal Quantrill in November 2024. He threw 186 1/3 innings with a 3.38 ERA for the Guardians in 2023 but struggled badly in 2024 and was recently designated for assignment when he came to Colorado. With a disadvantage in trade talks, the club is forced to lean heavily on internal options for starting pitching.

While teams obviously want to get all the value they can from their existing players, the current rotation led by Freeland doesn’t inspire much confidence. For his part, DePodesta expressed confidence in his new pitching coaches, but also acknowledged that internal improvement is only part of the equation. A trade involving outfielders or relievers might be difficult to pull off. Center fielder Brenton Doyle is unlikely to be traded, while top relievers Jimmy Herget and Juan Mejia were good in 2025 but have minimal track records otherwise. The team could give young lefty Carson Palmquist a bigger look, but he struggled badly with control and home runs in his debut this year. Meanwhile, the Rockies have two prospects among MLB.com’s Top 100 list, neither of whom are pitchers.

What do you think is the best way for the Rockies to improve their starting pitching? Let us know in the poll below:

Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images

Twins Sign Orlando Arcia To Minor League Deal

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The Twins have signed infielder Orlando Arcia to a minors contract, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports.  The deal presumably includes an invitation for Arcia to attend Minnesota’s Major League spring camp.

Arcia is now a veteran of 10 Major League seasons, after amassing 214 plate appearances over 76 games with the Braves and Rockies in 2025.  The majority (62 games) of that work came in Colorado, after Atlanta released Arcia in May and the Rockies quickly moved in to bring Arcia aboard on a big league contract.  While Arcia has never been known for his bat, he hit only .202/.238/.291 over those 214 PA.  His 33 wRC+ was both a career low and the second-lowest of any player who took at least 200 trips to the plate in 2025.

Once an excellent defensive shortstop back in his time with the Brewers, Arcia’s glovework has declined to just passable levels, and he played at all four infield positions in Colorado (including his first bit of MLB work at first base).  Becoming a full-fledged utilityman is probably Arcia’s best ticket to sticking in the majors as a versatile backup off the Twins’ bench.

For the shortstop job in particular, Arcia provides some cover if presumptive starter Brooks Lee struggles, but Minnesota is naturally going to give a former top prospect like Lee plenty of rope.  If Arcia doesn’t break camp with the Twins and sticks around in the minors, he’ll be far and away the most veteran member of a farm system that is lacking in big league experience.

Kona Takahashi To Return To NPB For 2026 Season

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2:20PM: Feinsand reports that Takahashi had offers from three Major League clubs.  7 News Boston’s Ari Alexander heard during the Winter Meetings that the Astros were interested in Takahashi, but it isn’t known if Houston was one of the teams who made the righty a formal offer.

1:30PM: Kona Takahashi’s 45-day posting window for finding a contract with MLB teams closes tomorrow, but The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports that the right-hander will instead return to Japan and the Seibu Lions.

There wasn’t much buzz about Takahashi’s bid to join a big league team, and reports began to emerge a few days ago that returning to Nippon Professional Baseball was a distinct possibility for the 28-year-old.  MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand and Brian Murphy reported that Takahashi received just one offer from a Major League team, and it apparently wasn’t enticing enough for the righty to make the jump.

Takahashi doesn’t yet qualify for full international free agency.  Feinsand and Murphy suggested that he could pursue a multi-year deal with the Lions that includes an opt-out clause next winter, so Takahashi could freely pursue another contract with a Major League team.  Sammon writes that Takahashi and the Lions are indeed discussing such a contract — though the Lions still control Takahashi’s rights, the club was already willing to post him this offseason, so a longer-term deal with opt-outs somewhat formalizes the situation.  It does mean that the Lions wouldn’t be able to receive a posting fee, which would’ve been 20% of any contract worth $25MM of less in guaranteed money.

The general expectation was that Takahashi’s foray into the posting system was going to result in a low-level guarantee at best, or perhaps even a contract without any guaranteed money.  Takahashi has a solid 3.39 ERA over 1199 career innings with the Lions, and achieved success by inducing grounders at roughly a 50 percent rate and limiting walks.  The big red flag for MLB scouts was undoubtedly Takahashi’s lackluster 17.17% career strikeout rate.

It might take a particularly strong 2026 NPB season for Takahashi to elevate his stock in the eyes of big league scouts, but he’ll still be relatively young (turning 30 in February 2027) in advance of what would be his first MLB campaign.  With another year of good results and eating innings, Takahashi might draw more attention as a back-end rotation arm or perhaps as a multi-inning reliever next winter, should he end up opting out of his next contract.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

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Mark P

  • Earlier edition of The Weekend Chat this time, but hopefully with no shortage of questions and hot takes filing in from our readers.  Let’s see what’s up….

Luca

  • Are the Rays still in on Ketel Marte? Anyone else there targeting?

Mark P

  • In all likelihood, the Rays are targeting players much less expensive than Marte.  He’d be a huge help for their lineup, of course, but with a remaining price tag that wouldn’t seem to fit Tampa’s budget.

    Hindsight being 50-50, if the Rays had exercised Fairbanks’ option, I wonder if he might’ve been part of a hypothetical Marte trade package — both as salary offset, and because Arizona needs ninth-inning help

Kwallington

  • Has the Cardinals trade stuff stalled? It’s been a while since any updates.

Mark P

  • Not surprising that things slowed down over the holidays.  The Cards have already moved Gray and Contreras, leaving Arenado as the last big contract remaining, and Donovan/JoJo/maybe Gorman or Nootbaar as less-expensive but more sought-after trade chips.
  • The Cardinals certainly aren’t done with their swaps yet, and it feels like Donovan, Romero, and Arenado will all be elsewhere by Opening Day

Cj james

  • The Braves should worry about the bullpen more than the starters. Do you agree?

Mark P

  • Probably, though Suarez and the re-signed Iglesias solve a couple of big question marks.

Steve

  • Who is more likely to be in a different uniform next year, Duran or Casas?

Mark P

  • Casas

Read more

Mariners Involved In Kazuma Okamoto’s Market

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Kazuma Okamoto’s posting window closes at 4pm CT on Sunday, and there isn’t yet any sense where the Japanese star might sign even as his deadline nears.  Such teams as the Cubs, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Angels, Pirates, and Padres have reportedly shown some interest in Okamoto’s services, and MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand adds the Mariners to this list of clubs “connected to” the chase for the 29-year-old.

Signing Okamoto would represent an interesting pivot for Seattle, as the Mariners have been focusing more on second base as the target spot for an infield upgrade.  The M’s want to see what they have in such third base candidates as top prospect Colt Emerson, or other youngsters like Cole Young and Ben Williamson.

Former Mariner Eugenio Suarez has been pretty much the only third baseman on Seattle’s radar, and even if Suarez did re-sign with the team, it seems likely that Suarez would get a healthy dose of usage as designated hitter rather than an everyday assignment at the hot corner.  Trade target Brendan Donovan also has some experience as a third baseman, but Donovan’s versatility makes him a candidate to be used all over the diamond, and second base would probably be his most frequent position if the M’s did manage to pry him away from the Cardinals.

While Okamoto has spent a lot of his career at the hot corner, however, he is more of a corner infielder than a true third baseman.  During his time with the Yomiuri Giants, Okamoto logged 662 games played at third base and 478 games at first base.  He also made 77 appearances in the outfield, so a Major League team might be open to using Okamoto as an occasional left fielder, as The Athletic’s Will Sammon recently noted.

Seattle has Josh Naylor and Randy Arozarena lined up for everyday work at first base and left field, respectively, but Okamoto could get some work at those positions if Naylor or Arozarena are receiving a DH day or a full off-day.  Arozarena is also a free agent after the 2026 season, so any playing time for Okamoto in left field could be viewed as a potential audition to see if he could be a longer-term fit going forward.

If Okamoto can deliver anything close to his NPB numbers, he would be a terrific addition to the Mariners’ (or any team’s) lineup.  Okamoto has a .277/.361/.521 slash line and 248 homers over 4494 plate appearances with the Giants, and his outstanding resume includes six NPB All-Star nods, two NPB Golden Gloves, and a gold medal as a member of Japan’s winning team at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.

MLB Trade Rumors ranked Okamoto 19th on our list of the offseason’s top 50 free agents, and predicted a four-year, $64MM contract.  Given how Tatsuya Imai and Munetaka Murakami both had to settle for contracts far below ours and others’ projections, it certainly seems possible that Okamoto might also sign for a lower price tag than expected.  This opens the door for the Mariners or any number of other suitors to get involved.

A “bet on yourself” type of short-term contract with opt-out clauses could appeal to the Mariners, with some extra financial outlay possibly being preferable to meeting a high demand for a player like Donovan or Ketel Marte.  Seattle would seemingly have particular appeal to Okamoto, given how the M’s seem poised to contend again in 2026, and the Mariners’ long history of welcoming Japanese players.

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