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Yankees Notes: Chisholm, Lombard, Rice

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Yankees infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. is one year away from free agency. He has expressed his desire to stay with the club via an extension. However, general manager Brian Cashman told Brendan Kuty of The Athletic at the general managers meetings this week that he has yet to approach Chisholm’s reps about extension talks.

“Not sure how that would play out,” Cashman said. “But we have not had any conversations outside of he’s looking forward to playing next year, he loves playing here, and, if we’re open (to), if you want to have a legitimate conversation about value, (he’s) open to a longer-term conversation as well.”

The Yankees don’t do many extensions in general. According to MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, which has data going back to the start of 2006, the Yankees have done six extensions in that almost-20-year time frame. There have been none since 2019, when they did three deals for Luis Severino, Aaron Hicks and Aroldis Chapman. None of those three deals worked out especially well for the club, so it’s perhaps not surprising that they haven’t gone back to that well.

Chisholm is coming off a good season. His 27.9% strikeout rate was on the high side but he increased his walk rate to 10.9%, the best of his career. He also hit 31 home runs and stole 31 bases. His .242/.332/.481 batting line translated to a 126 wRC+. His third base defense wasn’t strong but the Yankees acquired Ryan McMahon and moved Chisholm to second, where he graded out better. Put it all together and FanGraphs credited him with 4.4 wins above replacement.

It’s possible the Yankees are content to let Chisholm play his final arbitration season, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a $10.2MM salary, and then let him walk. Assuming he has another season like he did in 2025, he would easily turn down a qualifying offer in search of a strong multi-year pact beginning with his age-29 season.

By that time, it’s possible that prospect George Lombard Jr. has arrived and pushed his way into the middle infield conversation. Lombard, 21 in June, was the club’s first-round pick in 2023. He has been climbing the minor league ladder and reached Double-A in May. He got into 108 games at that level this year and should reach Triple-A in 2026, maybe even right out of camp. He only hit eight home runs and had just a .215 batting average at that level, but he drew walks at a strong 13.6% clip. His .215/.337/.358 line translated to a 111 wRC+.

Though that offense isn’t overwhelming, Lombard was young for the level. He’s still regarded by most outlets as one of the top 50 prospects in the league. His defense is considered strong enough for him to stick at shortstop. Per Kuty, Cashman said this week that Lombard could reach the majors in 2026 but 2027 is more likely. “Defensively, he’s ready to go,” the GM said. “And offensively, it looks like he needs more time, and we’re looking to drive that time and those reps. So I wouldn’t think ’26 is on the horizon, but I wouldn’t (rule out) ’26 at the same time.”

The Yankees can control Anthony Volpe via arbitration through 2028 and José Caballero through 2029. Perhaps they feel that Chisholm’s departure and Lombard’s arrival can sync up fairly nicely so that the middle infield can be addressed internally, allowing them to commit their resources towards pitching or the outfield. Then again, it’s also possible they could circle back to Chisholm later, especially with the uncertainty surrounding Volpe’s shoulder injury and poor performance in 2025. The most common time for extension talks is in the spring, after a club has spent the offseason focusing on external additions.

As for Ben Rice, his fit isn’t locked down but he’ll be in there one way or another. As relayed by Gary Phillips of the New York Daily News, Cashman didn’t firmly declare whether Rice would be catching or at first base, but he said first base was more likely. One way or another, Cashman confirmed he would be be an everyday player.

That’s not surprising, as Rice hit 26 home runs this year, helping him produce a .255/.337/.499 slash line and 133 wRC+. He did a bit of catching but spent more time at first. With Paul Goldschmidt now a free agent, it’s possible Rice could just take up that spot on an everyday basis. Like most lefty hitters, he was better against righties in 2025, but his work against southpaws was passable. His batting average wasn’t great in the split but he hit seven homers in 119 plate appearances without the platoon advantage, leading to a .208/.271/.481 slash and 104 wRC+.

Phillips also notes that Cashman spoke of a desire to add a catcher who swings from the right side, since each of Austin Wells, Rice and J.C. Escarra are lefty bats. Cashman described the market as “very thin” but there are righty bats out there. J.T. Realmuto is too good for a short-side platoon job and the same is likely true of Victor Caratini, but guys like Danny Jansen, James McCann, Luke Maile, Mitch Garver and old friend Gary Sánchez are available.

Photo courtesy of Albert Cesare, Imagn Images

Reds Hire Oscar Marin As Bullpen Coach

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The Reds on Thursday announced the hiring of Oscar Marin as their new bullpen coach. Marin, who served as the Pirates’ pitching coach from 2020-25, will take over for Matt Tracy, who’s moved from bullpen coach to assistant pitching coach. Last year’s assistant pitching coach, Simon Mathews, was hired away as the Nationals’ new pitching coach earlier this week.

Marin broke into pro ball back in 2010 with the Rangers, working as a coach and assistant in their minor league ranks for seven years. He then joined the Mariners as their minor league pitching coordinator from 2017-18 before returning to the Rangers organization as their bullpen coach in 2019.

Plenty went wrong for the Pirates during Marin’s tenure with the organization, although generally speaking, the pitching staff was far down the list of the team’s problems. Pittsburgh’s offense and struggles to develop young hitters are known flaws of the organization, but the Pirates have done well in drafting and developing young pitchers. While many Pirates top hitting prospects have stalled out in Triple-A or the majors, pitchers like Paul Skenes, Bubba Chandler, Jared Jones, Braxton Ashcraft, Mike Burrows, Mitch Keller and others have had plenty of success at the MLB level with Marin as their lead pitching instructor.

Marin was one of the Pirates’ first hires after initially tabbing Derek Shelton as their manager. Shelton was dismissed in May — he’s since been hired as the new Twins’ manager — and replaced by bench coach Don Kelly, whose contract was extended at season’s end. While Kelly and Marin have worked together for several years, the Bucs opted not to renew Marin’s contract. The Pirates hired former Astros pitching coach Bill Murphy to fill their pitching coach vacancy late last month.

The 42-year-old Marin (43 next month) will now join Terry Francona’s staff and bring more than a half decade of experience as a pitching coach — some of it spent alongside highly respected Brent Strom — to a Cincinnati team that is deep in pitching talent (albeit more in the rotation than in the bullpen at present).

Rays Eyeing Short-Term Rotation Help

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The Rays opened the offseason with the fairly surprising decision to decline their option on closer Pete Fairbanks, but they’re still intent on adding to the roster. Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic report that Tampa Bay is hoping to add a starter who can eat innings to their rotation — ideally on a short-term deal.

It’s not a riveting target for Rays fans to sink their teeth into, but it’s a sensible enough pursuit. The Rays have a solid rotation on paper, with Shane McClanahan expected to return from a two-year injury absence to join Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Pepiot and Shane Baz on the staff. Candidates for the fifth spot currently include Ian Seymour, Joe Rock, Joe Boyle and prospect Yoniel Curet. There’s plenty of talent in that group. Both McClanahan and Rasmussen have pitched like top-of-the-rotation starters at their best.

That said, McClanahan will surely be on an innings limit. He missed all of 2024 due to Tommy John surgery and was targeting a summer return before a nerve issue in his left arm prompted a second surgery that ended his season. He pitched just 3 1/3 innings on his rehab assignment before being shut down by that injury, and those are the only innings he’s pitched since the end of the 2023 campaign.

Rasmussen just made his own return from a UCL procedure and tossed a career-high 150 innings in 2025. Baz, similarly, missed all of 2023 due to Tommy John surgery and has slowly built his innings back up, topping out with a career-high 166 1/3 in 2025. Pepiot hasn’t had any major arm injuries recently, but this past season’s 167 2/3 frames was a career-high for the righty, who did spend ample time on the injured list earlier in his professional career.

It’d be a surprise to see the Rays make a significant expenditure, as they did three winters ago when signing Zach Eflin to a three-year, $40MM contract (which he was traded halfway through). But the market figures to include plenty of stable veteran arms who could sign for one year or possibly two at a modest annual value. Names like Michael Lorenzen, Jose Quintana, Chris Paddack, Patrick Corbin, Tyler Anderson and Miles Mikolas all made at least 24 starts and are likely in line for one-year commitments. The Rays could roll the dice on a younger upside play like Walker Buehler or Dustin May, as well, but both are coming off dismal seasons.

The Rays have new ownership, as longtime owner Stuart Sternberg sold to a group fronted by Jacksonville-based real estate developer Patrick Zalupski. It’s still not clear whether that change will bring about an uptick in payroll, though the Rays played their home games at a minor league park in 2025 and accordingly drew the second-fewest fans in the American League (trailing only the A’s, who also played their home games in a Triple-A park).

Tampa Bay’s payroll, perennially near the bottom of the league, is already on pace to be higher than it was in 2025. Per RosterResource, the Rays project for about $95.5MM in 2026 commitments, including arbitration-eligible players. That’s up from last year’s Opening Day mark of $78MM and close to 2024’s franchise-record $99MM Opening Day payroll. A handful of non-tenders could bring that number down, and it’s plausible that the Rays will shop second baseman Brandon Lowe, who’s owed $11.5MM next year. That’d certainly free them up to add some innings to the rotation.

Braves Claim Carson Ragsdale, Josh Walker

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The Braves have claimed left-hander Josh Walker and right-hander Carson Ragsdale off waivers from the Orioles, according to announcements from both clubs. Both pitchers were designated for assignment by Baltimore a week ago. Atlanta’s 40-man roster count goes from 35 to 37.

This is the second time Atlanta has grabbed Ragsdale from the waiver wire. The first came in the middle of September, but the O’s claimed him back about a week later. Ragsdale, 28 in May, just made his major league debut in 2025. He made two appearances for the O’s, allowing eight earned runs in five innings. That is obviously a small and unimpressive sample, so Atlanta is presumably putting more stock in his minor league track record.

Prior to 2025, Ragsdale had been in the Giants’ system. He generally flashed a high-strikeout and high-walk profile. From 2021 to 2024, he logged 267 2/3 minor league innings with a 4.07 earned run average. He struck out 32.1% of batters faced while giving out walks 9.8% of the time.

The Giants put him on their 40-man roster in November of 2024 to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. His results backed up this year, so they designated him for assignment at the end of July. That led him to Baltimore, Atlanta and then Baltimore again via the waiver wire. He finished 2025 having thrown 89 2/3 Triple-A innings with a 5.22 ERA, 19.5% strikeout rate and 12.2% walk rate.

It obviously wasn’t a good year but Ragsdale is not too far removed from being a notable prospect for the Giants. Going into 2025, Baseball America ranked him #17 in the system while FanGraphs had him at #11. He still has a couple of options, so Atlanta can keep him in Triple-A, either continuing his development as a starter or perhaps moving him to the bullpen.

Walker, 31 in December, is a straightforward lefty reliever. His major league track record isn’t especially long, with 26 appearances scattered over the past three seasons, pitching for the Mets and Blue Jays. He has a 6.59 ERA in 27 1/3 innings. His minor league work is intriguing, however. From 2022 to 2025, he tossed 131 2/3 innings on the farm with a 3.90 ERA. His 11.6% walk rate was certainly high but he also punched out 30.5% of batters faced in that time with a steady diet of grounders as well.

The southpaw bounced around the league in 2025, going from the Jays to the Phillies via a small trade and then to the Orioles via waivers. He exhausted his final option season along the way and is now out of options.

He still has less than a year of service time but the O’s signed him to a major league deal earlier this month. The salary figures weren’t reported but Walker is presumably going to be paid at a rate nominally above league minimum. The idea of the O’s agreeing to such a deal is that it would theoretically make it more likely that he passes through waivers unclaimed and sticks around as non-roster depth.

Atlanta prevented that from happening in this case. They had multiple open roster spots and used one of them to grab Walker. For now, he gives them another lefty relief option, alongside Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee and others. However, it wouldn’t be surprising if Atlanta tries to pass Walker through waivers later, so that they are the ones who get to keep him as a depth option without him taking up a roster spot.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Sousa, Imagn Images

Enter The MLBTR Free Agent Prediction Contest

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The MLB Trade Rumors Free Agent Prediction Contest is still open!  Click here to enter your picks for the destinations for our top 50 free agents.  The deadline for entry is TONIGHT at 11pm central time!  You can edit your picks until then.  Further contest info:

  • After the window to make picks has closed, we’ll post a public leaderboard page so you can see who’s winning the contest as players sign with teams.  We’re going to use entrants’ full names on it.  So, if that concerns you, please do not enter the contest.  Entries with inappropriate names will be deleted.
  • We are also collecting email addresses, which I will use to notify winners.
  • If a player signs between now and the close of the contest, that player will be excluded from the contest.
  • After you submit your picks, you’ll receive an email from Google Forms.  In that email, you’ll see a button that allows you to edit your picks.
  • We will announce the winners on MLBTR once all 50 free agents have signed.  We will award $500 to first place, $300 to second place, and $100 to third place.  We will also be giving  one-year memberships to Trade Rumors Front Office for everyone who finishes in the top 15.  Winners must respond to an email within one week.
  • The winners of this contest will be declared on March 25th, 2026, and any unsigned players will be excluded from the competition.
  • Ties in the correct number of picks will be broken by summing up the rankings of the free agents of the correct picks and taking the lower total.  For example: Tim and Steve each get two picks correct.  Tim gets Kyle Tucker (#1 ranking) and Robert Suarez (#21 ranking) for a total of 22 points.  Steve gets Framber Valdez (#6) and Michael King (#14) for a total of 20 points.  Steve’s total is lower and he’s ahead of Tim for tiebreaker purposes.

If you have any further questions, ask us in the comment section of this post!  Otherwise, make your picks now!

Astros Hire Anthony Iapoce As Assistant Hitting Coach

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Coach Poce has a new gig. Houston general manager Dana Brown told reporters, including Brian McTaggart of MLB.com, that the club is hiring Anthony Iapoce as an assistant hitting coach. The former Tigers first base coach will assist Victor Rodriguez, who was hired as lead hitting coach in early November. Brown also mentioned that Dan Hennigan was promoted to director of hitting and offensive coordinator.

Iapoce was in the Tigers organization for the past three seasons. He had served as first base coach since 2024. Iapoce was well-regarded in Detroit, with players rocking “Coach Poce” t-shirts before games.

It’s not the first time Iapoce will work as a hitting coach. He got his coaching start with the Marlins as a minor league hitting coach from 2006 to 2009. He then moved on to Toronto as minor league hitting coordinator, a role he held for three seasons. Iapoce’s first six seasons on a big-league staff came as a hitting coach, first with the Rangers (2016-2018) and then with the Cubs (2019-2021).

Iapoce, Rodriguez, and Hennigan will be looking to revive an offense that uncharacteristically struggled last season. The Astros ranked 21st in scoring, the first time in over a decade they’d finished in the bottom 10 in runs. Houston severely lacked punch in the middle of the order after trading Kyle Tucker and losing Alex Bregman in free agency. Long-term injuries to Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes further limited the lineup.

The Astros did get a breakout season from Jeremy Pena, who slashed .304/.363/.477 over 125 games. The shortstop stole 20 bases for the second straight season and added 17 home runs. Old friend Carlos Correa also provided nice production after coming over at the trade deadline, hitting .290 across 220 plate appearances. If the coaching staff can coax a bounce-back season from Christian Walker, plus decent campaigns from some of the younger hitters (Cam Smith, Zach Cole, Yainer Diaz), Houston should return to being a strong offensive unit.

Photo courtesy of  Junfu Han, Imagn Images

Orioles Pursuing Prominent Pitching Upgrades, Open To Signing Qualifying Offer Recipients

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On the heels of a disappointing 2025 season, Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias is striking a much more aggressive tenor in his early media appearances this offseason than last. Baltimore’s baseball ops leader candidly acknowledged this week that he’s hopeful of adding a starter who can give his team “innings and front-half-of-the-rotation stuff” as well as a reliever “who has closer experience” (links via Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner and Jake Rill of MLB.com. Just as notably, Elias voiced that he is “fully prepared” to forfeit draft pick(s) to sign free agents who have rejected a qualifying offer.

It’s a notable departure from Baltimore’s 2024-25 offseason. The O’s made a multi-year offer to Corbin Burnes that wasn’t accepted. It’s not clear how many — if any — other free agents received multi-year offers from the Orioles.

Ultimately, Elias & Co. handed out almost exclusively one-year deals, signing Charlie Morton ($15MM), Tomoyuki Sugano ($13MM), Andrew Kittredge ($10MM), Gary Sanchez ($8.5MM), Ramon Laureano ($4MM) and Dylan Carlson ($975K) for the 2025 season. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill was the lone recipient of a multi-year guarantee, landing three years and $49.5MM. Even that deal came with an opt-out opportunity following the 2025 season.

O’Neill was not only the lone multi-year free agent signing for the Orioles last winter — he’s the only free agent Elias has signed to a multi-year deal in seven offseasons leading Baltimore’s baseball operations. For much of that time, the team has been rebuilding, which helps to explain the lack of a multi-year investment. Elias told Darragh McDonald in a recent guest appearance on the MLBTR Podcast that there’s no organizational aversion to multi-year free agent deals, they simply haven’t lined up on one during his tenure.

At least based on his early comments, Elias seems more resolute in his efforts to pursue higher-end talent. The O’s have a pair of notable arms in Kyle Bradish and the resurgent Trevor Rogers atop their rotation, but Rogers is a free agent next winter and Bradish only returned from Tommy John surgery this past summer. Voicing a preference to sign someone who can pitch in the “front half” of the rotation and expressing a willingness to punt draft picks both signal a more aggressive playbook this winter.

On the free agent side of things, the market has several interesting names. Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Michael King, Brandon Woodruff and Zac Gallen all received qualifying offers. None are expected to accept. NPB star Tatsuya Imai will also be posted for MLB clubs, adding a 28-year-old wild card to the mix. Notably, Elias was the Astros’ scouting director when the team signed Valdez as an amateur in 2016. The two overlapped in Houston’s organization for a couple years.

On the trade side of the coin, there are a number of high-profile arms likely to be available. Much as it pains fans of pitching-hungry clubs, there’s minimal chance the Tigers will trade Tarik Skubal. The Brewers seem inclined to hang onto Freddy Peralta. Twins president Derek Falvey has said he plans to add to the roster until he’s told otherwise, which casts some doubt on the immediate availability of Joe Ryan and/or Pablo Lopez. But the market still includes names like MacKenzie Gore, Sonny Gray, Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera and Mitch Keller, among others.

Broadly speaking, whether it’s via free agency or trade, there’s benefit in the Orioles adding a starter who’s controlled/signed beyond 2026. Rogers, as mentioned, is a free agent next winter. Righties Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells will be free agents after the 2027 season. There’s little doubting the pure talent of righty Grayson Rodriguez, but by the time Opening Day 2026 rolls around, he’ll be 20 months removed from pitching in a big league game. There’s very little long-term stability in the group.

As for the relief market, the number of qualified free agents is far lower. Devin Williams didn’t receive a QO from the Yankees. Robert Suarez didn’t get one from the Padres. Edwin Diaz was the only reliever tagged with a QO. That said, there are a number of a high-profile names from which to choose. Diaz, Suarez, Williams, Ryan Helsley, Raisel Iglesias, Kyle Finnegan and Pete Fairbanks all have extensive closing experience in the majors. If the preference is a one-year deal, 38-year-old Kenley Jansen keeps getting the job done even as he inches closer to his 40th birthday.

Whoever ends up emerging as the priority, payroll shouldn’t be an issue. The only players guaranteed anything beyond the 2026 season are O’Neill and catcher Samuel Basallo, who inked a long-term extension just days after making his MLB debut. They’re owed a combined $17.5MM in 2027. After ’27, Basallo’s eight-year, $67MM deal is the only contract on the books. It’d be a surprise to see the Orioles sign a high-end starter and a prominent reliever to multi-year deals, but only because they haven’t operated that way in quite some time. Payroll-wise, there’s no reason they couldn’t bring in a pair of prominent free agents.

Elias also suggested that the O’s will be on the lookout for an additional option in center field. While he praised Colton Cowser’s long-term outlook and expressed confidence that the 25-year-old (26 next March) can handle the position defensively, Baltimore’s president also noted that “you can’t get through the year with one center fielder.”

A reunion with Cedric Mullins seems unlikely, as he’ll presumably want everyday at-bats (or close to it) wherever he goes, while the O’s have O’Neill, Cowser and Dylan Beavers already in the mix for playing time, to say nothing of recently signed Leody Taveras and former top prospect Heston Kjerstad. Enrique Bradfield Jr., the No. 17 overall pick in 2023 and one of the system’s top prospects, reached Triple-A last year and could debut in 2026.

Part-time center field options on the market could include Lane Thomas, Harrison Bader or Chas McCormick, whom Elias drafted with the Astros back in 2017. Trade possibilities could include Arizona’s Alek Thomas or Colorado’s Brenton Doyle. If Twins ownership winds up pushing the front office to further scale back payroll, then not only would Lopez and Ryan be available — Byron Buxton may even be amenable to waiving his no-trade clause.

As always, this is far from an exhaustive list of targets for the Orioles or possibilities to fill those needs. In all likelihood, the O’s will be looking for multiple relievers, additional bench pieces and ample minor league depth in both the rotation and bullpen (at the very least). There’s been some suggestion that they could pursue a more prominent bat to hit in the middle of the lineup. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman called them a dark horse for Pete Alonso, noting that there’s “some interest” from the O’s. Be that as it may, it’d be a surprise if they did anything more than lurk on the periphery of his market to offer a soft landing if Alonso again struggles to find a long-term deal this winter.

Reds Claim Ben Rortvedt

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November 13th: Prior to being put on waivers, Rortvedt and the Dodgers avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $1.25MM deal, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The Dodgers presumably hoped that Rortvedt would clear waivers and accept an outright assignment, therefore staying as depth without taking up a roster spot. However, the Reds prevented that from happening.

November 12th: The Dodgers announced that catcher Ben Rortvedt has been claimed off waivers by the Reds. There was no previous indication that Rortvedt had been designated for assignment, so this drops the Los Angeles 40-man roster count to 39. The Reds, meanwhile, go from 37 to 38.

Rortvedt, 28, has bounced around the league quite a bit. He has just 227 big league games under his belt but those have come with four different teams. He has suited up for the Twins, Yankees, Rays and Dodgers. He has put up good defensive numbers in that time but hasn’t hit much. Overall, he has a .190/.279/.270 batting line in 633 plate appearances.

Given the strength of his glovework, even a bit more offense can make him a valuable player. He showed that with the Rays in 2024. His .228/.317/.303 slash wasn’t great in a vacuum. It led to an 87 wRC, indicating he was 13% below league average overall. However, that’s not so bad for a catchers, as backstops are usually about 10% below par. Thanks to his glovework and that passable offense, FanGraphs credited him with 1.4 wins above replacement on the year.

He couldn’t keep it going into 2025. He started the year with a .095/.186/.111 performance and was outrighted to the minors by early June. He was then flipped to the Dodgers as part of the three-team deadline deal which sent Zack Littell to Cincinnati. Rortvedt was called up when Will Smith was injured and hit a more serviceable .224/.309/.327 down the stretch. With Smith still injured as the playoffs began, Rortvedt was the club’s regular behind the plate. He put up a hilarious .429/.500/.571 line in four games before Smith took over. Rortvedt stayed on the roster through the rest of the playoffs but didn’t play in the NLCS or World Series.

Going into 2026, Smith and Dalton Rushing project as the Dodgers’ top two catchers. Rortvedt is out of options. He’s also eligible for arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $1.3MM salary. Presumably, the Dodgers weren’t planning to tender him a contract. They put him on waivers and gave him a chance to land somewhere else.

The Reds are an interesting landing spot for Rortvedt. They had Tyler Stephenson and Jose Trevino as their primary catchers in 2025. Trevino has been a strong defender in his career but was closer to average in 2025. His bat has never been great but his .238/.272/.351 line in 2025 was below his own standards. He is signed through 2027 with a club option for 2028.

Stephenson, meanwhile, has never received strong grades for his work behind the plate. He has been a good hitter in his career, however. He was league average in 2025 but has shown the potential for more. He slashed .296/.369/.454 for a 120 wRC+ from 2020 to 2022. Over the past three years, he has a .246/.325/.414 line and 99 wRC+. Stephenson is heading into his final arbitration season with a projected salary of $6.4MM.

With Rortvedt now in the fold, the Reds have some options. Since Stephenson isn’t a strong defender, perhaps he could spend more time at first base this year, while leaving the catching duties to Trevino and Rortvedt. It’s also possible the Reds look to see if there’s any trade interest in Stephenson or Trevino. Alternatively, they could hold all three. They could tender Rortvedt a contract and then try to pass him through waivers later. Since his service time is between three and five years, he would have the right to elect free agency but would have to forfeit his salary commitments in exercising that right.

Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images

Grant Taylor Expected To Stay In Relief Role

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Right-hander Grant Taylor emerged as one of Chicago’s top bullpen arms last season. The current plan is for the former top prospect to reprise that role in 2026. White Sox general manager Chris Getz told reporters, including James Fegan of Sox Machine, that Taylor will not operate as a starter next season and will instead serve in a multi-inning relief role. “It’s important for him to pitch multiple innings, and that goes to many of our arms in the bullpen,” Getz said. “It’s more focused on the arsenal and ability to have deeper outings, rather than him grabbing starts next year.”

Taylor entered the season ranked sixth among White Sox prospects at FanGraphs. Baseball Prospectus and FanGraphs both had him inside the top 100 overall. The 23-year-old was called up in mid-June to operate out of the bullpen. Taylor posted a 4.91 ERA across 36 2/3 innings. He made 36 appearances, 34 of which came as a reliever. Taylor’s two “starts” were as an opener, tossing an inning in each outing. Taylor’s 2.34 xFIP and 2.65 SIERA suggest he was much more effective than his ERA would indicate. A .420 BABIP and a 61.5% LOB% were the main culprits for the inflated ERA.

Working in shorter stints, at least until he builds up a significant workload, could make sense for Taylor given his career trajectory. He had Tommy John surgery in 2023, wiping out his sophomore season at LSU. Chicago selected him in the second round of the draft that year. Taylor made his professional debut in 2024, but only logged 19 1/3 innings in the low minors before going down with a lat injury. Taylor opened the 2025 campaign at Double-A, making his first six appearances as a starter before moving into a relief role. He excelled with Birmingham, allowing just three earned runs over 26 2/3 innings with a 36.6% strikeout rate. Taylor didn’t cede a run in any of his nine outings as a reliever.

Taylor immediately stepped into a high-leverage role with the White Sox, earning a save or a hold in eight of his first 11 appearances. He finished his debut season with six saves and nine holds. Jordan Leasure edged Taylor for the team lead in saves with seven. Chicago didn’t have a dedicated closer for much of the season, and Getz’s mention of multiple innings for Taylor’s role might mean he won’t be the full-time stopper in 2026. The stuff seems to be there if the White Sox did want to hand Taylor the job. He notched a 34.4% strikeout rate with the help of a 98 mph fastball and elite extension. Taylor’s 50% hard-hit rate isn’t ideal, but a lot of that contact came on the ground. He had just a 17% fly ball rate and didn’t give up a single home run, which is a nice attribute for a closer.

Chicago had nine different relievers record a save in 2025. Leasure might have the upper hand on the closer role heading into next season, with Taylor and potentially Mike Vasil (four saves last year) factoring into the 9th inning strategy. The club hasn’t had a reliever reach double-digit saves since Liam Hendriks had 37 in 2022.

The commitment to keeping Taylor in the bullpen means he won’t factor into the rotation mix. With Martin Perez hitting the market, the staff currently includes Shane Smith, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, and Jonathan Cannon, though Getz said the latter two would need to earn their spots this spring. Yoendrys Gomez closed the season in the rotation and would likely push for a spot if the team doesn’t bring in another arm. Top prospects Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz are also looming as future options. It’s an inexperienced group, and Getz said the team is interested in adding pitching via free agency, but framed it in terms of safeguarding the younger arms from handling a heavy burden. “In terms of protecting some of these players and creating depth, tapping into the free agent market might be the right decision as well.”

Photo courtesy Brad Mills, Imagn Images

Brewers President Downplays Possibility Of Freddy Peralta Trade

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Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta is a speculative trade candidate since he’s now just a year away from free agency. However, president of baseball operations Matt Arnold downplayed the possibility in speaking to Robert Murray of FanSided. “I anticipate him being part of our team moving forward,” Arnold said.

Arnold didn’t completely wipe a trade from the table, acknowledging the reality of Peralta’s situation. “We’ve had to make tough decisions on the (Josh) Hader’s and Corbin Burnes’ of the world,” Arnold said. “Freddy is certainly in that conversation.” He noted that the Brewers have to listen to offers because “we’re the smallest market in the league” but it seems they would prefer to keep Peralta in blue and yellow.

One can’t always take baseball executives at their word, as it’s usually in their best interest to hide their true intentions. If Arnold were shopping Peralta, admitting it publicly would only diminish his leverage in trade talks. However, Andy Martino of SNY reports that rival teams are expecting Peralta to stay. Perhaps some club can bowl the Brewers over with an overwhelming offer, but it seems the winds are blowing Peralta back to Milwaukee for the moment.

The reason it’s a discussion comes from the club’s history, as Arnold alluded to. The Brewers have traded key players as they have neared free agency, with Hader and Burnes two notable examples. Devin Williams is another. A trade seemed plausible enough that MLBTR gave Peralta the #8 spot on the list of Top 40 Trade Candidates for this offseason. However, it doesn’t always play out that way, as Milwaukee held Willy Adames until he reached free agency. They received draft pick compensation after he rejected a qualifying offer and signed with the Giants.

Peralta is only going to make $8MM this year, as part of the extension he signed back in 2020, which has worked out brilliantly for the club. Peralta wasn’t fully established as a big league starter at that time, as he also worked out of the bullpen earlier in his career. He took over a rotation gig in 2021 and logged 738 1/3 innings over the past five seasons with a 3.30 earned run average, 29.6% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate.

The $8MM salary is far less onerous than when the Brewers have been in this situation before. Burnes was going to make $15.6375MM in 2024 when he was flipped to the Orioles. Hader was making $11MM when he was traded at the deadline in 2022 and was going to get another raise in 2023. Adames made $12.25MM with the Brewers in his final season before free agency. Williams made $8.6MM with the Yankees in 2025. Even for a low-spending club like the Brewers, $8MM for a front-of-rotation starter is very affordable.

There could still be an argument for trading Peralta to upgrade other parts of the roster, but it would weaken the rotation. When the Brewers traded Burnes, they knew they could still count on Peralta to step up and take over as the ace. The succession plan wouldn’t be as smooth now. It’s theoretically possible for someone like Jacob Misiorowski to inherit that crown but he isn’t fully established yet. He has great stuff and made his big league debut this year but posted a 5.36 ERA in the second half and doesn’t turn 24 until April.

It’s possible something changes in the coming months but perhaps the Brewers will again have Peralta anchoring the rotation in 2026. He’ll be followed by some combination of Misiorowski, Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser and Tobias Myers.

Arnold added to Murray that the Brewers would love to bring Brandon Woodruff back. That’s not a surprising admission, as Woodruff has thus far spent his entire career with the Brewers. Milwaukee made him a $22.025MM qualifying offer even though he has some health question marks. He just came back from a lengthy absence due to shoulder surgery and also finished the 2025 season back on the injured list with a lat strain.

In between those IL stints, he was excellent. His velocity was down relative to his pre-surgery work but he still managed to post a 3.20 ERA over 12 starts. His 32.3% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate were both excellent numbers.

Even with the question marks and the QO attached, MLBTR predicted he could still secure a three-year, $66MM deal. It would be pretty surprising if the Brewers gave out a deal like that. They have only once gone beyond $50MM for a free agent, which was their $80MM deal for Lorenzo Cain back in 2018. If Woodruff signs elsewhere, the Brewers would be entitled to draft pick compensation.

Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images

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