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Angels Outright Four Players

By Leo Morgenstern | October 23, 2025 at 5:57pm CDT

October 23: Brogdon and Fulmer have cleared waivers and elected free agency, according to a team announcement.

October 22: The Angels removed a pair of infielders from their roster today, the team announced. Carter Kieboom and Logan Davidson both cleared waivers, and the Angels sent them outright to Triple-A Salt Lake. This was the first career outright for Davidson, who therefore had no choice but to accept the assignment. Kieboom, however, was outrighted by the Nationals in March 2024. So, he had the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, a right he quickly exercised.

According to the transaction tracker on MLB.com, the Angels have also outrighted right-handers Connor Brogdon and Carson Fulmer (h/t to Ethan Hullihen on X). However, neither player was mentioned in the team’s announcement today. Both Brogdon and Fulmer have the necessary service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, and the team may be simply waiting on Brogdon and Fulmer to formally make that decision – a decision they are both all but certain to make, presuming they have indeed been removed from the 40-man roster.

Kieboom, 28, was once a highly-touted prospect in the Nationals organization. Yet, he just couldn’t translate all that potential into big league success. All told, he played 133 games for Washington from 2019-23, batting .199 with a .598 OPS. He struck out 138 times and ground into 17 double plays in 508 trips to the plate. His -2.0 FanGraphs WAR might be overstating just how much he struggled with the Nationals – he was somehow worth -0.6 fWAR in just 11 games in 2019 – but with those numbers, and his frequent injuries, it was hardly surprising to see him outrighted before the 2024 campaign.

After slashing .265/.365/.386 (103 wRC+) in 91 games at Triple-A that year, Kieboom elected free agency and signed a minor league pact with the Angels last December. He put up very similar numbers with the Salt Lake Bees for most of 2025, until the major league club selected his contract in mid-September. Playing first base for the first time in his MLB career, he appeared in three games for L.A., going 2-for-8 with one RBI. Now a free agent once again, he will presumably look to sign a new minor league deal and try to earn a more substantial big league opportunity in 2026.

Davidson, 27, made his MLB debut earlier this year with the Athletics. He was the A’s first-round pick in 2019, but a fall down the defensive spectrum and continued struggles with the strikeout caused his prospect shine to fade. He played in nine games for the Athletics in May and June before he was optioned, and about a month later, he was designated for assignment. The Astros claimed him off waivers, but a .681 OPS with Triple-A Sugar Land led to another DFA in September. That’s when the Angels swooped in. Davidson went 4-for-22 in 10 games with L.A. until he was optioned once again toward the end of the season. He will stick around in the organization for now and hope to earn his way back to the big league roster.

Poll: Will The White Sox Trade Andrew Benintendi This Winter?

By Nick Deeds | October 23, 2025 at 5:23pm CDT

After winning 19 more times in 2025 than they did last season, the White Sox are showing some signs of life for the first time in a while. The beginnings of a young core centered around top prospects Colson Montgomery and Kyle Teel, both of whom impressed in their MLB debuts this year, as well as Rule 5 pick Shane Smith, appear to be forming. Controllable pieces like Miguel Vargas, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, and Wikelman Gonzalez have the look of what could be a solid supporting cast, as well.

Even with those steps forward acknowledged, however, it must be understood that the White Sox remain a long way from contention. Even with all of that improvement over a historically disastrous 2024 campaign, they still lost more than 100 games for the third consecutive season. They finished the season a whopping 28 games back of the Guardians for the division lead and a 2-2 record in March is the only thing preventing them from having lost more games than they won in every month of this year’s campaign. A 28-37 record after the All-Star break was certainly an improvement over a 32-65 first half, but even that second half record was a 92-loss pace. They allowed the 10th most runs in the majors this year while scoring the fourth fewest.

In other words, contention in 2026 remains a pipe dream on the south side of Chicago even after this season’s improvements. That surely means another year of prioritizing a farm system that has fallen into the middle of the pack on both ESPN and MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings after the graduations of Montgomery, Teel, and Edgar Quero. Unfortunately for the White Sox, they’re running out of tradable assets. A Luis Robert Jr. trade has been speculated upon for years now, but appears to be just as much of a non-starter now as it was over the summer. Mike Tauchman’s impressive 2025 campaign could make him an attractive target for a team in need of outfield help on the cheap, but no journeyman outfielder headed into his age-35 season should be expected to bring back a big return. Players like Vargas and Lenyn Sosa won’t be free agents until after the 2029 season, a point by which the Sox are surely hoping to be back in contention.

With so few resources through which they can upgrade their farm system on the trade market, might outfielder Andrew Benintendi actually prove to be their best asset on the trade market? Benintendi is coming off his best season in a White Sox uniform, though that bar is quite low. He hit .240/.307/.431 (103 wRC+) in 116 games this year with 20 home runs, an 8.5% walk rate, and a 17.4% strikeout rate. Poor defense in left field limited Benintendi’s overall value, but he was still worth 1.0 bWAR in less than a full season of work. Heading into his age-31 season, it’s not completely impossible to imagine Benintendi building on last year’s performance and getting back into the 110 wRC+ range he sat comfortably in for his career prior to arriving in Chicago.

If Benintendi were a free agent this winter, an outfield-needy team without much money to spend surely would have interest in his services for 2025. The problem, then, is Benintendi’s contract. $31MM guaranteed over the next two seasons is hardly the most onerous contract out there, but it’s still far more money than the veteran’s production has been worth, and no team is likely to be eager to take that deal of Chicago’s hands, much less surrender significant prospect talent for it.

With that being said, the White Sox have reportedly expressed willingness as recently as this summer to pay down some of Benintendi’s salary in order to facilitate a deal. To get a meaningful return for him, the Sox would surely need to cover the vast majority of his salary for the next two years. That might not be as unreasonable as it would seem, given that RosterResource projects the club for a payroll of just $45MM next year as things stand. That figure doesn’t include the $20MM club option on Luis Robert Jr.’s services next year, but even so, the White Sox should have plenty of money to work with this winter. Essentially buying a better prospect return from a club acquiring Benintendi by paying down his salary could be the best use of those resources.

With that said, there are some obstacles to that plan. For one thing, the White Sox have shown a reluctance to sell low on their players, as shown in their handling of Robert. Another problem could be that the best fits for Benintendi might be the team’s division rivals. Small-market clubs in significant need of outfield help would be the perfect trade partners for a deal like this, but both the Royals and Guardians reside in the AL Central alongside the White Sox, and it’s unclear if the the team would be willing to pay Benintendi to play for their direct opponents for the next two seasons.

The Pirates and Rockies are two other clubs that could be at least plausible fits for a Benintendi trade, but the market would surely be much softer if Cleveland and Kansas City aren’t involved. Another option could be to simply accept little to no return for Benintendi and try to offload as much of his salary as possible, though that wouldn’t do much for the team’s long-term outlook given their existing financial flexibility.

How do MLBTR readers think the White Sox offseason will play out with regards to Benintendi? Will they be able to leverage his decent 2025 season in order to get some type of return for him this winter? Will they resort to trading him in a salary dump to get a portion of his deal off the books while they can? Or will they hold onto him and hope for improvement in 2026? Have your say in the poll below:

Offseason Outlook: Minnesota Twins

By Steve Adams | October 23, 2025 at 4:27pm CDT

The Twins gutted their roster at the trade deadline, fired their manager after the season and still haven't divulged any information on their new limited partners who bought a heavy share of the club. To call morale "low" among fans would be an egregious understatement, and the looming offseason doesn't offer much reason for optimism.

Guaranteed Contracts

Byron Buxton, OF: $45MM through 2028
Pablo Lopez, RHP: $43MM through 2027

Other Financial Commitments

$30MM owed to Astros through 2028 as part of Carlos Correa trade ($10MM annually)

Total 2026 commitments: $46.5MM
Total long-term commitments: $118MM through 2028

Option Decisions

Justin Topa, RHP: $2MM club option with $225K buyout (Topa remains under control via arbitration if Twins decline)

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; salary projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Genesis Cabrera (5.149): $1.4MM
Ryan Jeffers (5.089): $6.6MM
Justin Topa (5.044): $1.7MM (Twins hold a $2MM club option with a $225K buyout)
Michael Tonkin (5.044): $1.4MM
Bailey Ober (4.093): $4.6MM
Joe Ryan (4.033): $5.8MM
Trevor Larnach (4.014): $4.7MM
Royce Lewis (3.142): $3MM
Anthony Misiewicz (3.082): $1.1MM
Cole Sands (3.017): $1.3MM

Non-tender candidates: Cabrera, Tonkin, Larnach, Misiewicz

Free Agents

Christian Vazquez

The Twins were in contention for much of the season's first half, even rattling off a 13-game winning streak from early May into the middle portion of the month. When things went south and the club fell below .500 with the deadline approaching, Minnesota emerged as a clear seller. It was originally expected to be a minor sale of pending free agents like Willi Castro, Chris Paddack and Harrison Bader. Instead, Minnesota traded a staggering 11 players, including several who were controlled beyond the current season -- in some instances (e.g. Louis Varland) as far out as 2030.

Whether that was due to the front office acting opportunistically in a market that lacked many pure sellers or (more likely) because ownership mandated further payroll cuts after being unable to find a buyer for the team due to a reported $400MM+ in outstanding debt, Minnesota's stunning deadline fire sale set the stage for what feels like a notable step back that will continue into the forthcoming offseason.

The large-scale changes didn't stop at the deadline. Manager Rocco Baldelli was the sacrificial lamb at season's end, getting fired with a year to go on his contract. Baldelli's tenure was far from perfect, as the Twins have had their share of disappointing seasons (including 2024's September collapse), but no manager could have succeeded in the wake of such a dramatic teardown, which included shipping out the five best relievers in what had been an excellent bullpen.

The Twins' offseason, accordingly, commences with a managerial search that has already seen them tied to names like former Mariners skipper Scott Servais, Red Sox bench coach Ramon Vazquez, and old friends Derek Shelton, James Rowson and (stretching much further back) Nick Punto. Change is coming in the Twins' dugout, but there's also still a fair bit of turnover possible on the roster itself.

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Mets Sign Richard Lovelady To Major League Contract

By AJ Eustace | October 23, 2025 at 3:17pm CDT

The Mets announced this afternoon that they have signed left-handed pitcher Richard Lovelady to a one-year major league contract. The Mets have multiple vacancies on their 40-man roster, so no corresponding moves will be necessary.

Lovelady, 30, made two appearances for the Blue Jays at the beginning of the season but was designated for assignment on March 30 and eventually became a free agent. He signed a minor league deal with the Twins and pitched for their Triple-A affiliate in St. Paul from early April to mid-June, when he opted out of that deal. He then signed with the Mets on June 18. From June 23 through the end of the season, Lovelady saw his contract selected and then designated for assignment three times. That the Mets signed him to a major league deal this time around is notable for him, as it might give him a shot at a role in the big league bullpen in 2026 after spending most of this year at the Triple-A level.

The lefty did not find success during his limited time in the majors in 2025, posting an 8.49 ERA across 11 2/3 innings with the Mets and Blue Jays. In 111 career innings from 2019-25, he has a 5.35 ERA along with a 21.1% strikeout rate and an 8.7% walk rate. His 4.08 career xERA and 4.54 FIP are are more favorable but still not great. In addition, Lovelady’s four-seam fastball velocity declined from 92.4 mph in 2024 to 91.7 mph this year. His sinker, which he now uses 34.4% of the time, similarly declined from 92.2 to 91.4 mph. With below average velocity, it is perhaps unsurprising that Lovelady has allowed more hard contact than average, with a career hard-hit rate of 42.2%. For context, the league average in 2025 was 40.9%.

However, it should be noted that Lovelady has had success in the big leagues before. In 2021 with the Royals, he pitched 20 1/3 innings with a 3.48 ERA while getting ground balls at a well above average 56.6% rate. That came in a small sample, of course, but Lovelady has actually gotten grounders at a rate of 50.9% in his career, including 51.4% during his big league time in 2025. He also performed very well in Triple-A this year, with a 1.66 ERA, a 26.3% strikeout rate, and a 52.6% groundball rate in 38 innings. It’s possible the Mets could look to harness his ground ball potential while cutting down on the hard contact in 2026.

At present, Lovelady and Brooks Raley are the only lefties in the Mets’ bullpen. Raley is 37 and missed significant time while recovering from last year’s Tommy John surgery, although he performed well upon his return in July. The team holds a club option on Raley for 2026 and could either pick that up or re-sign him at a cheaper rate given his age. Gregory Soto made 25 appearances for the Mets after being acquired from the Orioles in July, though he is now a free agent.

Brewers Promote Matt Arnold To President Of Baseball Operations

By AJ Eustace | October 23, 2025 at 2:23pm CDT

The Brewers have promoted general manager Matt Arnold to president of baseball operations, per Adam McCalvy of MLB.com. “Since joining our organization in 2015, Matt Arnold has been instrumental in developing a culture and process that has led to seven postseason appearances over the past eight seasons,” said Brewers owner Mark Attanasio, adding, “We are proud of what Matt has accomplished and even more excited for what the future holds under his leadership.” McCalvy notes that Arnold’s responsibilities atop the front office will not change, though he will now hold both the president of baseball operations and GM titles.

Arnold was hired in October 2015 by then-president of baseball operations David Stearns and was promoted to GM in November 2020. Stearns would step down from his role after the 2022 season, leading to Arnold being put in charge of the front office, but still with the GM title. Clearly, the club is impressed with his results in the years since for him to receive this promotion. Since the start of 2023, the Brewers have posted a record of 282-204 (.580) and finished in first place in the NL Central in every year. This year’s 97-65 (.599) record was the best in the majors. The club lost in the Wild Card Series in 2023 and 2024 but made it to the NLCS in 2025, though they were swept by the Dodgers in four games.

While Arnold’s responsibilities with the Brewers are unchanged, he will presumably get a raise to go with his new title. More importantly, his promotion also prevents other clubs from offering the president title to hire him away from Milwaukee. Teams generally allow their executives to interview with other teams if they are offered a promotion. By promoting Arnold themselves, the Brewers are signaling their confidence in his leadership and securing their front office as they look to continue their recent dominance in the NL Central.

This year, the Brewers finished ninth in the majors with a 107 team wRC+ while scoring 806 runs, which ranked third. As a group, the team succeeded by avoiding strikeouts and getting on base, with a 20.3% strikeout rate that was tied for fourth-lowest in the majors and a 9.1% walk rate that was tied for fifth-best. The team saw five qualified hitters – Brice Turang, Christian Yelich, Sal Frelick, William Contreras, and Jackson Chourio – finish with a wRC+ of at least 110. The last of them, Chourio, was signed to an eight-year, $82MM extension before he debuted in the big leagues, which was the largest pre-debut extension at that time. Chourio has rewarded the team’s faith with a 115 wRC+ and a combined 6.9 fWAR from 2024-25, and the contract looks like it will be a highlight of Arnold’s tenure atop the baseball ops department.

Of course, the Brewers are also known as a strong pitching team, and that strength was on full display in 2025. The team pitched to a collective 3.59 ERA, a mark only bested by the Rangers (3.49), while striking out opposing hitters at a rate of 23.7%, which was tied for sixth in the majors. In addition to missing bats, Brewers pitchers also excelled by limiting hard contact. The team allowed hard hits at a rate of just 38.6%, which was second-best behind the Reds, while opponents hit for an average exit velocity of just 88.9 mph, which tied for fourth-best. The rotation was led by ace Freddy Peralta, who posted a 2.70 ERA and struck out an above average 28.2% of hitters in 176 2/3 innings. Quinn Priester, Jose Quintana, and Chad Patrick all posted ERAs under 4.00, while Jacob Misiorowski showed promise in 15 appearances (14 starts). The bullpen also excelled in 2025. Headlined by Abner Uribe, Trevor Megill, and Aaron Ashby, Brewers relievers tied for sixth in the majors with an ERA of 3.63 and posted the ninth-best strikeout rate at 23.3%. Peralta, Uribe, and others had been in the organization before Arnold took over as head of baseball ops, but Priester, Quintana, and Megill (acquired in 2023) stand out as solid additions under his tenure.

Ultimately, the club’s sustained performance over 2023-25 was enough for the club to give Arnold his promotion. The team will surely be looking for more of the same in 2026. Yelich and Contreras are under club control through at least 2027, while Chourio, Turang, and Frelick are under control through at least 2029. The club should fare well offensively next year with those five in the lineup. The pitching is a little less certain. The team holds mutual options on Quintana and Brandon Woodruff, who did well upon his return from injury but is expected to depart this winter. Mutual options are almost never picked up anyway, though the club may look to retain Quintana for the back of the rotation on another one-year deal.

The Brewers have historically run a low payroll compared to other teams. RosterResource has them at $123MM in payroll in 2025, which ranks 22nd in the league. The club holds an $8MM club option on Peralta. That’s practically a bargain for a player of his caliber, but he has been floated as a trade candidate recently. For his part, Arnold downplayed the possibility of a Peralta trade in the club’s end-of-season presser. “To be honest, it’s not at the front of my mind,” he said during the conference. The club will also see the departures of Woodruff, Rhys Hoskins (assuming his own mutual option is not picked up), and Shelby Miller, who combined for $24MM in payroll in 2025. If Arnold retains Peralta and reinforces the rotation through trades or low-cost signings, the Brewers will look to win the NL Central and make another deep postseason run in 2026.

Fielding Bible Award Winners Announced

By Darragh McDonald | October 23, 2025 at 2:17pm CDT

Sports Info Solutions announced the winners of the 2025 Fielding Bible Awards today, the 20th year the awards have been given out. The awards are voted on by a panel of experts who consider statistical analysis, the eye test, and any other factors that they wish to utilize.

This year’s winners are:

Catcher: Patrick Bailey, Giants
First base: Matt Olson, Braves
Second base: Nico Hoerner, Cubs
Third base: Ke’Bryan Hayes, Reds
Shortstop: Mookie Betts, Dodgers
Left field: Steven Kwan, Guardians
Center field: Ceddanne Rafaela, Red Sox
Right field: Fernando Tatis Jr., Padres
Pitcher: Max Fried, Yankees
Multi-position: Ernie Clement, Blue Jays
Player of the year: Patrick Bailey, Giants
Team of the Year: Cubs

Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images

Previewing The 2025-26 Free Agent Class: Right-Handed Relief

By Darragh McDonald | October 23, 2025 at 12:56pm CDT

A number of teams (and their fanbases) have already turned their attention towards the offseason. Identifying free agent targets is a big part of that prep work, so it’s worth taking a look at the players who’ll be available at each position.

The group of right-handed relievers is a real mixed bag, as usual. There are established closers, guys looking for bouncebacks and plenty of other wildcards. Ages listed are for the 2026 season.

Previous entries in this series: catcher, first base, second base, third base, shortstop, center field, corner outfield, designated hitter

Closers Expected To Opt Out

Edwin Díaz (32)

Díaz has the ability to opt out of his deal and he should do so. He would be walking away from $38MM over two years but he should be able to beat that, even after rejecting a qualifying offer. The best relievers generally get around $20MM on multi-year deals. Díaz himself got $102MM over five years on his current deal, plus the opt-out. Josh Hader got $95MM over five. Tanner Scott got $72MM over four. Liam Hendriks got $54MM over three.

While Díaz isn’t quite as good as he was a few years ago, he’s still one of the best relievers around. He struck out 50.2% of batters faced in 2022 just before getting his last deal. He then missed the entire 2023 season due to right knee surgery. His 2024 and 2025 seasons have seen his strikeout rate down a bit below 40%, a big drop from 2022, but still with excellent results overall.

Over the 2024 and 2025 seasons, Díaz tossed 120 innings with a 2.48 earned run average, 38.4% strikeout rate, 8.6% walk rate and 46.4% ground ball rate. He earned 48 saves in that span. Among pitchers with at least ten innings pitched over those two years, only Mason Miller had a higher strikeout rate. Díaz allowed fewer walks and got more grounders than Miller. He missed time in 2024 due to a shoulder impingement and a sticky stuff suspension but he stayed on the roster throughout 2025 and posted a 1.63 ERA on the year. He’s a few years older than last time but still young enough to get a strong multi-year deal.

Robert Suarez (35)

Suarez can also walk away from two guaranteed years and has a strong case to do so. He tossed 69 2/3 innings for the Padres this year with a 2.97 ERA. He struck out 27.9% of batters faced and only gave out walks at a 5.9% clip. He racked up 40 saves, his second straight year with at least 36.

His deal only pays him $8MM annually for the next two seasons, meaning he would be walking away from just $16MM by opting out. He should be able to beat that guarantee but might still be limited to two years offers on account of his age. It’s possible that the Padres won’t issue him a qualifying offer. $22.025MM on a one-year deal would be a lot for a closer who is pretty good but not elite. That’s especially true for the Friars, given their perennially tight payroll. Assuming he doesn’t get tagged with a QO, that will help his market.

Big Helium Guy

Brad Keller (30)

Keller spent a bunch of years as a decent groundball starter for the Royals. Some of those years were okay. Others were not. He had surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome late in 2023. He didn’t do much in 2024 and had to settle for a minor league deal with the Cubs coming into 2025.

That deal worked out tremendously for both sides. Keller was used as a reliever and was able to average about 97 miles per hour on his fastball, up a few ticks from his time as a starter. He gave the Cubs 69 2/3 innings with a 2.07 ERA. His 27.2% strikeout rate was about 10 points higher than his earlier rotation work. He didn’t sacrifice any of the ground balls, as his 56.1% rate this year was actually a career high. His 8% walk rate was around average. He worked his way into a leverage role with the Cubs, earning three saves and 25 holds.

This is just one season after some time in the injury wilderness and with some mediocre results prior to that. However, pitchers have been able to ride this kind of momentum to nice multi-year deals before. Jeff Hoffman and Robert Stephenson are some recent examples of guys who didn’t pan out as starters before reinventing themselves as relievers. Both signed deals worth $33MM over three years.

Hoffman had two strong relief years, compared to Keller having just one. Stephenson was only good for about half a year before his deal but his level of dominance in that span was more extreme. The Stephenson deal has blown up on the Angels since he’s been hurt since signing, but Hoffman became Toronto’s closer and has just helped them to the World Series.

They are not perfect analogies but the point is Keller could have big earning power, even with just one really strong season. It’s also possible some clubs want to stretch him back out. Clay Holmes got $38MM over three years, with the Mets hoping his ground balls could help him eat some rotation innings. That bet largely worked out after one year, with Holmes posting a 3.53 ERA in 2025.
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Veteran Closers

Kyle Finnegan (34)

Finnegan has racked up 112 saves over the past five seasons, mostly with the Nationals, but he also notched a few with the Tigers this year after a deadline deal. His rate stats have been more good than great. From 2021 to 2024, he had a 3.62 ERA, 23.3% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate and 47.2% ground ball rate. Ahead of the 2025 season, the Nationals non-tendered him instead of paying him a projected $8.6MM salary for his final year of club control.

After lingering on the market for a while, Finnegan returned to the Nats in early March, a $6MM guarantee with some deferrals. He pitched okay and got flipped to Detroit at the deadline, when his results ticked up. The Tigers had him throw his splitter way more, at the expense of his fastball. In 18 innings after the deal, he had a 1.50 ERA, 34.8% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate. He also made six postseason appearances but without the same level of dominance.

The track record of being a passable closer is already pretty good. Last time he was a free agent, he didn’t have a ton of juice, but perhaps some clubs will be intrigued by the extra gear he showed down the stretch with the different pitch mix. That could get him into multi-year deal territory.

Raisel Iglesias (36)

Iglesias has a pretty lengthy track record of reliability in the closer’s role. He racked up 28 saves with the Reds back in 2017 and has reached double digits in each full season since then. He was a free agent four years ago and secured a four-year, $58MM deal from the Angels, though he was traded to Atlanta in the first season of that pact.

He’s now older and coming off an uneven year. He had a 4.42 ERA but settled down with a 1.76 ERA in the second half. Altogether, he tossed 67 1/3 innings with a 3.21 ERA, 27.4% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate. His age could limit him to one-year offers but a second year isn’t totally out of the question. In recent years, pitchers like Blake Treinen, Chris Martin, Adam Ottavino and Mark Melancon have received two-year deals worth $14MM or more for their age-37 seasons. Iglesias will be one year younger than that.

Kenley Jansen (38)

Jansen is one of most successful closers in baseball history. He now has 476 saves, fourth on the all-time list. He’s still miles away from Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman but he’s only two saves away from tying Lee Smith in the number three spot.

Due to his age, he’s been signing short-term deals lately. He got a one-year pact with Atlanta in 2022, two years with the Red Sox for 2023-24, then one with the Angels for 2025. He just wrapped up another good season. He gave the Halos 59 innings with a 2.59 ERA, 24.4% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate. He’s not as dominant as he once was but still racked up 29 saves. Another solid one-year deal should be out there for him somewhere.

Emilio Pagán (35)

Pagán has been in the big leagues for years with a pretty consistent profile. His strikeout and walk rates are good but he gives up too many home runs. Despite the flaws, he was a free agent two years ago and secured a two-year, $16MM guarantee with an opt-out.

That deal was with the Reds, a club with one of the most homer-friendly ballparks in the majors. Predictably, the first year didn’t go well. Pagán missed a couple of months with a lat strain and posted a 4.50 ERA. He decided not to trigger his opt out, staying in Cincinnati for 2025.

Surprisingly, that worked out. Pagán logged 68 2/3 innings this year with a 2.88 ERA, 30% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate. He seemingly had a bit of help from a .200 batting average on balls in play and 76.5% strand rate. Regardless, his 3.72 FIP and 3.18 SIERA suggest he would have done okay even with less luck from the baseball gods. He took over the closer’s role and racked up 32 saves.

The under-the-hood numbers will give clubs some pause but Pagán had enough interest to get a nice multi-year deal the last time he was out there. He’s obviously older now but is perhaps heading back to the market with some nice juice after some success in the ninth inning.

Notable Bounceback Candidates

Hunter Harvey (31)

The injury bug has been on Harvey for the past year-plus. The Royals acquired him from the Nationals in July of 2024. Unfortunately, mid-back tightness put him on the injured list for most of the remainder of that season. In 2025, a teres major strain and a right adductor strain wiped out most of the season. He only made 18 appearances for the Royals despite being with them for about a year and a half.

There will be some natural uncertainty with Harvey after those absences but the numbers are good. Dating back to the start of 2022, he has thrown 161 1/3 innings with a 3.07 ERA, 27.4% strikeout rate, 6.5% walk rate and 43.1% ground ball rate. He earned 11 saves and 58 holds in that time. There’s some health risk but Harvey makes for an intriguing buy-low opportunity, likely on a one-year deal.

Ryan Helsley (31)

One year ago, Helsley seemed on track to be one of the top relievers of this winter’s class. That is no longer the case. He finished 2025 with a 4.50 ERA. He was particularly bad after being traded to the Mets at the deadline, with a 7.20 ERA after that swap.

That performance obviously cuts into his earning power, but some clubs may be able to find some glimmers of hope. The pre-2025 track record is great. From 2022 to 2024, he logged 167 2/3 innings with a 1.83 ERA while striking out 34.6% of batters faced. It’s been suggested that his struggles this year were the result of him tipping his pitches, so his results could come back with a minor adjustment. His velocity is mostly still there, as he averaged 99.3 mph this year, only a slight drop from his 99.7 mph peak.

The more pessimistic perspective is that Helsley has been trending in the wrong direction for a while now. His strikeout rate peaked at 39.3% in 2022 but has been dropping since. It was 35.6% in 2023 and 29.7% last year. Here in 2025, he dropped to 26.1% with Cards and then to 23.2% after being traded to the Mets. There are likely clubs who can see a way to reverse the trends but he might be limited to one-year pillow offers. It’s possible the velocity gets enough interest that he commands a two-year deal with an opt-out.

Liam Hendriks (36)

Hendriks was one of the top closers in baseball from 2019 to 2022 but he’s mostly been in the wilderness since. He missed time early in 2023 while getting treatment for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was able to beat cancer and get back on the mound that summer but then required Tommy John surgery in August.

He signed a two-year deal with the Red Sox for 2024 and 2025 but missed all of 2024 while recovering. The Sox were surely hoping for a fully healthy season from Hendriks in 2025 but didn’t get it. He was on and off the IL all year due to elbow/forearm issues, making 14 appearances for the big league club. He underwent a right elbow ulnar nerve transposition surgery at the end of September. His health status for next season isn’t clear.

Michael Kopech (30)

Kopech never really made it as a starter but a bullpen move in 2024 seemed to be the right path for him. Between the White Sox and Dodgers that year, he tossed 67 2/3 innings with a 3.46 ERA. His 12.2% walk rate was high but he punched out 31.5% of batters faced. He racked up 15 saves and nine holds on the year.

2025 was mostly a lost season, however, as he only logged 11 innings. Reports of forearm inflammation popped up way back in January. He started the season on the IL due to a shoulder impingement, reportedly due to him trying to quickly ramp up for the Tokyo Series after the forearm stuff. He was off the IL in early June but was back on the shelf later than month due to right knee inflammation. He underwent surgery to address a torn meniscus in July. He came off the IL at the start of September but inflammation in that knee put him back on the IL a few weeks later. Even as the Dodgers have pushed into the World Series, there’s been no suggestion that Kopech is getting close to rejoining the roster. The injuries probably limit Kopech to a one-year deal but there’s perhaps some intriguing upside based on his 2024 breakout.

Jose Leclerc (32)

Leclerc spent the 2016 to 2024 seasons with the Rangers. He tossed 360 1/3 innings with a 3.27 ERA. His 13.2% walk rate was high but he also punched out 31.2% of batters faced. He was a key part of the club’s 2023 World Series run.

The Athletics gave him a one-year, $10MM deal for the 2025 season, but that investment turned into a bust. Leclerc only tossed nine innings for the A’s before requiring season-ending shoulder surgery. It’s unclear if he’s expected to be healthy by the start of next season.

Jordan Romano (33)

Romano had a three-year run as the Blue Jays closer. From 2021 to 2023, he racked up 95 saves while posting a 2.37 ERA with a 30.3% strikeout rate, 9.2% walk rate and 42.3% ground ball rate. But in 2024, he was on and off the IL with elbow issues and only tossed 13 2/3 innings. The Jays non-tendered him instead of paying a projected $7.75MM salary for his final arbitration season.

The Phils tried for a bounceback, giving Romano $8.5MM. It didn’t pan out. Romano posted an 8.23 ERA across 42 2/3 innings this year. It surely wasn’t quite as bad as that ERA makes it seem. His 49% strand rate in 2025 was tiny. His 25.1% strikeout rate wasn’t as high as his peak but was still pretty good. His 3.66 SIERA would suggest he was extremely unlucky.

Even if luck played a notable role, Romano should have less earning power than a year ago. His 95.5 mph fastball velocity was a couple of ticks below his peak and even below the 96.4 he managed in his injury-marred 2024 campaign.

Paul Sewald (36)

Sewald racked up double digit saves in each season from 2021 to 2024. In that span, he tossed 229 innings with a 3.18 ERA, 32.5% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate. The final year of that stretch wasn’t his best. He battled some injuries and lost the closer’s role in Arizona.

Though he went into free agency on a bit of a down note, the Guardians still gave him a $7MM guarantee on a one-year deal. He technically has a mutual option for 2026 but those provisions are almost never picked up by both sides. The Guards twice put him on the IL due to a shoulder strain. He was still on the IL at the deadline when he was flipped to the Tigers, with Detroit absorbing the roughly $2.6MM still to be paid out. He made four appearances for the Tigers late in the year but didn’t crack the playoff roster.

Sewald finished this year with a 4.58 ERA, 24.7% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate. Those aren’t disastrous numbers and it’s perhaps notable that the Guards and Tigers were both willing to spend money on him this year. However, his fastball velocity was down to 90.4 mph this year around the shoulder issues.

Devin Williams (31)

Williams came into this year as one of the best relievers alive. From 2020 to 2024, he tossed 222 innings with a minuscule 1.70 ERA. His 12% walk rate was high but he counteracted that by striking out 40.8% of batters faced and keeping 48.9% of balls in play on the ground. After Josh Hader was traded, Williams took over the closer’s role in Milwaukee. He earned 36 saves in 2023, though back issues limited him to just 14 in 2024.

He was traded to the Yankees ahead of the 2025 season and went on to post a 4.79 ERA, eventually losing his grip on the closer’s role. However, most of his underlying stats were still strong. His 34.7% strikeout rate and 44.6% ground ball rate moved in the wrong direction but were both still well above average. His 9.7% walk rate was actually his best in years.

The main reason for his ERA spike seems to be bad luck. His 55.2% strand rate was well below the 72.3% league average and his career rate of 75.8%. ERA estimators like his 2.68 FIP and 2.67 SIERA suggest he was almost as dominant as before.

There will perhaps be some talk that Williams couldn’t handle the bright lights of New York City but some may ignore that. For any team overlooking the fluky-looking ERA spike, it’s a chance to grab one of the best pitchers in baseball, perhaps with a soft market. A two-year deal with an opt-out could be possible but it’s also feasible that there’s enough faith in his stuff to get him a strong three- or four-year deal.

Kirby Yates (39)

Yates has been really up and down lately. He had a massive breakout a few years back, including a 41-save season with a 1.19 ERA in the juiced-ball campaign of 2019. Then he was in the injury wilderness for a while but gradually got back on track. He racked up 33 saves for the Rangers in 2024 while posting a 1.17 ERA with a 35.9% strikeout rate and 11.8% walk rate.

The Dodgers gave him a one-year, $13MM deal for 2025. He spent time on the IL with hamstring and back injuries. Around those, he tossed 41 1/3 innings with a 5.23 ERA. His 29.2% strikeout rate was actually quite good and his 9.6% walk rate acceptable, but 17% of his fly balls left the yard. He finished the season on the shelf with a hamstring strain and hasn’t appeared in the postseason for the Dodgers.

Some ERA estimators consider home runs to be the fault of the pitcher while others consider them to be more random. That perhaps explains the difference between Yates’s 4.76 FIP and 3.33 SIERA this year. Regardless, it wasn’t an ideal season. But he’s shown an elite ceiling in the past, including as recently as last year, so another decent one-year deal could be out there for him.

Veteran Setup Guys

Shawn Armstrong (35)

Armstrong has 421 1/3 career innings under his belt with a 3.82 ERA, 24.3% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate. The Rangers scooped him up for $1.25MM on a one-year deal for 2025. He gave them 74 innings with a 2.31 ERA, 26.1% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate. He earned nine saves and 12 holds. He should get another one-year deal from some club looking to bolster the setup group.

Seranthony Domínguez (31)

Domínguez has long been a power arm in the big leagues, combining good strikeout and ground ball numbers with some wildness. He has thrown 306 innings with a 3.50 ERA, 27.9% strikeout rate, 10.5% walk rate and 45.3% ground ball rate. He does have 40 career saves but has never topped 16 in a season. He’s been deployed more as a setup guy, with 78 holds in his career.

The Blue Jays acquired him from the Orioles at the trade deadline. The move came as the two clubs were playing a doubleheader against each other, which allowed Domínguez to swap clubhouses between the two games. He’s been a key part of Toronto’s playoff bullpen, having already made seven appearances.

He’s not the best reliever in this post but there’s a lot to like. His fastball averages almost 98 mph, helping him get those strikeouts and grounders. He added a splitter this year to try to even out his platoon splits, though he still struggled with lefties in 2025. A decent multi-year deal is a possibility.

Chris Martin (40)

Martin said a year ago that 2025 would likely be his final season. He hasn’t yet confirmed that, but it’s possible he’s now going to retire. If he wants to come back for one more, he should have interest. He got a one-year, $5.5MM deal from the Rangers for 2025 and delivered solid results. He posted a 2.98 ERA over 42 1/3 innings. He struck out 24.7% of batters faced and continued to show his elite control with a 4.6% walk rate.

Phil Maton (33)

Maton always puts up good numbers but the market never really seems to value him, likely due to his middling velocity. He got $6.5MM from the Rays two offseasons ago and just $2MM from the Cards last winter. Between the Cards and Rangers this year, he logged 61 1/3 innings with a 2.79 ERA, 32.7% strikeout rate, 9.3% walk rate and 44.4% ground ball rate. Based on precedent, another one-year deal should be a bargain for some club out there.

Tyler Rogers (35)

Rogers has even less velocity than Maton, as his fastballs average in the low-to-mid-80s. However, there’s not really another pitcher like him in the majors. His submariner delivery is incredibly unique. He’s very durable, having never gone on the big league injured list, which has allowed him to toss at least 70 innings in each of the last five seasons. Over those five seasons, he has a 2.71 ERA. His 17% strikeout rate isn’t impressive but his 4.4% walk rate is tiny and his 56.3% ground ball rate is huge. He’s one of the best in the league at staying off barrels and limiting hard contact.

Teams generally prefer to have power pitchers in their setup roles but Rogers appears to be a special case. He reached 30 holds in four of the last five seasons. The Mets made him a key deadline pickup, sending a notable package of talent to the Giants. They then had him in a high leverage role down the stretch. That’s partly due to the struggles of Helsley and others but Rogers also held his own with a 2.30 ERA for the Mets.

It’s one of the harder markets to predict. Will teams overlook the nonexistent velocity and tiny strikeout numbers, focusing more on the control and weak contact? Or will clubs scoff at the profile like with Maton?

Luke Weaver (32)

Weaver’s career as a starter went through many ups and downs but he finally settled in as a solid reliever in recent years. Going into 2024, the Yankees signed him to a one-year, $2MM deal with a $2.5MM club option for 2025 and performance bonuses. That turned into a bargain for them. Weaver tossed 148 2/3 innings over the course of that pact with a 3.21 ERA, 29.5% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate. He earned 12 saves and 43 holds.

The deal ended on a sour note, as Weaver allowed five runs over three postseason appearances, recording just one out. But from a wider viewpoint, it was two years of solid setup man results. Those kinds of guys can often find solid multi-year pacts, with recent examples including Jordan Hicks, Clay Holmes, Rafael Montero, Taylor Rogers and Reynaldo López. Some of those guys were signed to be stretched out as starters, something that Weaver hasn’t closed the door on.

Swing Types

Jakob Junis (33)

Junis has worked as both as a starter and a reliever throughout most of his career, though he was exclusively used as a reliever in 2025. The Guardians gave him a one-year, $4.5MM deal coming into the season. He gave them 66 2/3 innings with a 2.97 ERA. His 20.1% strikeout rate was subpar but he limited walks to a 6.6% clip. It was mostly low leverage work, as he earned only six holds and no saves. He should be able to secure another one-year pact for a low-leverage relief role or a gig as a swingman.

Nick Martinez (35)

Martinez has shown a decent ability to be shuttled back and forth between the rotation and bullpen. His relief work is better but his starting work is passable and teams seem to value that flexibility. The Reds surprisingly made him a $21.05MM qualifying offer a year ago, which he accepted. He gave them 165 2/3 innings over 26 starts and 14 relief appearances. His 4.45 ERA wasn’t amazing, nor was his 17% strikeout rate, but he only walked 6.1% of batters faced and did a good job limiting hard contact. He had a 2.61 ERA in his relief outings this year, though while only striking out 11.1% of opponents.

Prior to accepting this QO, he was able to secure multi-year deals with opt-outs, seeming to have a strong willingness to bet on himself and repeatedly return to the market. He’s getting older now but it wouldn’t be a shock to see him get another multi-year pact.

Michael Soroka (28)

Is Soroka a starter? The question seems to always go unanswered. After many years in the injury wilderness, he had an intriguing 2024 season with the White Sox. He didn’t pan out as a starter but finished the year strong as a multi-inning reliever. He logged 36 frames over his final 16 appearances with a 2.75 ERA and 39% strikeout rate, though the 13% walk rate was ugly.

The Nats gave him a one-year, $9MM deal and an opportunity to start again. He started for them 16 times with a 4.87 ERA, 25.4% strikeout rate, 7% walk rate and 42.6% ground ball rate. Those are decent numbers but it’s still not clear if he should be facing hitters multiple times. He held opponents to a .193/.250/.329 line when facing them the first time but gave up a .218/.302/.395 line the second time through. Hitters facing him a third time slashed .319/.467/.574.

He was traded to the Cubs ahead of the deadline but made just one more start before a shoulder strain sent him to the IL. He was able to come off the shelf late in the year but was kept in the bullpen. If he wants another shot at starting, he should be able to find one since a relief role is a decent fallback, though there’s enough uncertainty that he’ll likely still be limited to another one-year deal.

Options/Opt-Outs

Scott Barlow (33)

The Reds signed Barlow to a one-year, $2.5MM deal last offseason. That came in the form of a $1.5MM salary and a $1MM buyout on a $6.5MM club option. He gave them 68 1/3 innings with a 4.21 ERA, basically in line with the 4.25 ERA he had with Cleveland the year prior. However, his strikeout rate dropped from 28.2% to 24.8%, his walk rate climbed from 12.9% to 14.9% and his grounder rate fell from 47.1% to 42.9%. With the needles moving in the wrong direction, the Reds should cut their losses, which would leave Barlow looking for another one-year deal.

Pete Fairbanks (32)

Fairbanks can be retained via an $11MM club option with a $1MM buyout. His strikeout rate isn’t quite what it once was, but he’s still getting decent results. He just gave the Rays 60 1/3 innings with a 2.83 ERA, 24.2% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate and 45.1% ground ball rate. He recorded 27 saves, his third straight season with at least 23. The net $10MM decision is justifiable enough for the Rays to pick it up, though they will probably trade Fairbanks to a club with a bigger payroll.

Pierce Johnson (35)

Johnson’s deal contains a $7MM club option with a $250K buyout. His strikeout rate dropped to 24.8% in 2025, after being around 30% in prior seasons. On the other hand, his control improved. His walk rate landed at 8% this year after being in the 10-13% range for many seasons before that. The result was a 3.05 ERA, 16 holds and one save. He’s not elite but Atlanta has plenty of bullpen questions and probably picks this up.

Tyler Kinley (35)

Despite being out of contention at the deadline, Atlanta acquired Kinley from the Rockies, presumably because they wanted to bolster their 2026 bullpen without having to wait for the offseason. Kinley’s contains a $5.5MM club option with a $750K buyout. After getting away from Coors Field, he gave Atlanta 25 innings with 0.72 ERA, 23.4% strikeout rate and 6.4% walk rate. It would be a surprise if he’s not back in the Atlanta bullpen next year.

Andrew Kittredge (36)

Kittredge signed a one-year, $10MM pact with the Orioles last winter. That came in the form of a $9MM salary and $1MM buyout on a $9MM club option for 2026. A left knee injury kept him out of action until mid-May but he got back on track and was dealt to the Cubs at the deadline. Between those two teams, he tossed 53 innings with a 3.40 ERA, 30.8% strikeout rate, 5.3% walk rate and 49.2% ground ball rate. He made Chicago’s playoff roster and made five more appearances in the postseason.

Given his continued strong results, $8MM feels like a fair price to keep Kittredge around. That’s especially true for the Cubs, who seem to prefer to avoid lengthy and expensive investments in the relief corps.

Jonathan Loáisiga (31)

Loáisiga has some talent but hasn’t been able to stay healthy for a lengthy period of time lately. He started this season on the injured list, recovering from UCL surgery. He came off the IL but had to head back there due to back tightness. While on the IL, he suffered a flexor strain that ended his season. Even when on the mound, his 18.5% strikeout rate was well below the mid-20s rates he had in his earlier seasons. There’s a $5MM club option, with no buyout, but the Yanks should be able to walk away. Even if they want to give him another shot, they should be able to get him back for less than that.

Andrés Muñoz (27)

Muñoz is one of the best closers in baseball. The club option is only for $7MM and there are two affordable club options for 2027 and 2028. This is definitely getting picked up.

Drew Smith (32)

Smith required UCL surgery in July of 2024, just a few months before reaching free agency. The Mets signed him to a one-year deal with a $1MM salary in 2025 with a $2MM club option for 2026. He didn’t pitch at all in 2025 but the $2MM price point is fair if the Mets expect him to be ready for a full healthy season in 2026. From 2021 to 2024, he tossed 161 1/3 innings with a 3.35 ERA, 26.2% strikeout rate and 10.2% walk rate.

Established Japanese Arms

Takahiro Norimoto (35)

Norimoto had a long run as a successful starter for the Rakuten Golden Eagles in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He moved to the bullpen in 2024, his age-33 season, and has spent the past two seasons as the Eagles’ closer. A 3.23 ERA and 48 saves in 53 tries through 108 2/3 frames as closer looks solid enough, but Norimoto’s strikeout rate has fallen to around 18%. His fastball was still touching 98 mph in 2024, but MLBTR spoke to a scout who clocked him 92-94 mph during the current season. Norimoto’s track record might get him a big league deal, but it’d probably be a cheap deal along the lines of those signed by countrymen Yoshihisa Hirano (two years, $6MM) and Hirokazu Sawamura (two years, $3MM) when they jumped to the majors in their mid-30s. A non-roster deal is also possible, and Norimoto could probably earn decent money staying in Japan if MLB offers aren’t enticing.

Kona Takahashi (29)

The Seibu Lions are expected to post Takahashi this offseason. The right-hander has a 3.39 ERA in nearly 1200 innings at Japan’s top level. He’s coming off a 3.04 mark over 148 innings. While the run prevention is solid, Takahashi doesn’t have the bat-missing stuff that’d generate huge big league interest. He struck out just 14% of opponents this past season. An MLB deal is possible, but he’s unlikely to command more than a couple million dollars. There are some similarities between Takahshi and Shinnosuke Ogasawara, who signed a two-year, $3.5MM deal and pitched in a swing role for the Nationals.

Depth Types

Scott Blewett (30)
Ryan Brasier (38)
John Brebbia (36)
Nabil Crismatt (31)
Chris Devenski (35)
Alexis Díaz (29)
Dane Dunning (31)
Chris Flexen (31)
Luis García (39)
Kendall Graveman (35)
Chad Green (35)
Carlos Hernández (29)
Luke Jackson (34)
Tommy Kahnle (36)
Jorge López (33)
Shelby Miller (35)
Rafael Montero (35)
Héctor Neris (37)
Adam Ottavino (40)
Ryan Pressly (37)
Tanner Rainey (33)
Erasmo Ramírez (36)
Joe Ross (33)
Tayler Scott (34)
Lucas Sims (32)
Ryne Stanek (34)
Chris Stratton (35)
Hunter Strickland (37)
Erik Swanson (32)
Lou Trivino (34)
José Ureña (34)
Bryse Wilson (28)
Jake Woodford (29)

Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images

Mariners Expected To Prioritize Josh Naylor In Free Agency

By Steve Adams | October 23, 2025 at 10:52am CDT

The Mariners’ season ended with heartbreak in Game 7 of the ALCS versus the Blue Jays, and they’ll now turn their focus to an offseason aimed at building upon what was clearly a World Series-caliber roster (even if they fell just short). They’ll be faced with several key free agent departures — Eugenio Suarez, Josh Naylor and Jorge Polanco chief among them. Per both Daniel Kramer of MLB.com and Adam Jude of the Seattle Times, Naylor is the team’s top priority among all of its potential free agents.

The 28-year-old Naylor (29 next June) was outstanding after being acquired in a deal sending young pitchers Ashton Izzi and Brandyn Garcia back to Arizona. Already in the midst of a nice season with the D-backs (.292/.360/.447), Naylor found another gear in the Emerald City, erupting for a .299/.341/.490 slash (137 wRC+) and astonishingly stealing nearly as many bases (19) in 54 games as he had in his entire career prior (25).

In many ways, Naylor embodies the approach the Mariners have sought in recent offseasons where improving the club’s contact skills has been a goal (one that’s largely eluded them). He punched out in only 13.7% of his plate appearances this year (16.2% with the Mariners) and carries just a 15.2% strikeout rate dating all the way back to 2020. He’s not a traditional slugging first baseman, but Naylor is typically good for around 20 homers per seasons — he hit nine in his 54 games with the M’s — and does have a 31-homer campaign on his résumé with the 2024 Guardians.

Heading into his age-29 season and coming off a career-best year with no qualifying offer attached — he’s ineligible to receive one after being traded midseason — Naylor will be a hot commodity in free agency. In president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s nearly a decade running baseball operations in Seattle, he has only given out one multi-year deal to a free agent position player, that being Mitch Garver’s modest two-year, $24MM pact a couple offseasons ago. Clearly, that will need to change in order to retain Naylor.

That said, Dipoto told MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald on our podcast last month that the Mariners have definite interest in keeping Naylor long-term and believe the feeling is mutual. Dipoto noted that Naylor is “as good as anybody that’s played in the last handful of years at hitting [at T-Mobile Park]” — notoriously one of the most pitcher-friendly stadiums in the game. Naylor himself spoke about that to Jude’s colleague Ryan Divish last month, too, stating that as a visitor he “couldn’t wait” to come to T-Mobile Park and emphasizing how much he enjoys the stadium and the atmosphere created by the fan base. He used the word “awesome” multiple times in his more recent chat with Kramer and Jude about his experience in Seattle and the “ride-or-die” mentality of Seattle fans.

Even with mutual interest, the Mariners will have to extend well beyond their prior comfort levels in free agency to keep Naylor. At just 28 years old and coming off four straight seasons of well above-average offense, he should be in position to command a deal of at least four and possibly up to six years in length. In all likelihood, Seattle will need to more than triple and perhaps quadruple its investment to Garver in order to keep Naylor. Currently, the M’s have about $139MM on next year’s books (once Andres Munoz’s option is exercised), per RosterResource, though non-tenders and trades will surely impact that sum. They finished up the current season at about $166MM in payroll.

To be clear, the Mariners have signed players to lucrative long-term deals under Dipoto — just not specifically free agent position players. Left-hander Robbie Ray signed a five-year, $115MM deal in free agency following his Cy Young win back in 2021. The Mariners extended Luis Castillo on a five-year, $108MM deal after acquiring him from the Reds in a deadline swap. And of course, homegrown stars Cal Raleigh (six years, $105MM) and Julio Rodriguez (12 years, $210MM) signed nine-figure extensions to remain in Seattle for the long haul.

That the Mariners will prioritize Naylor over other free agents doesn’t necessarily make it a foregone conclusion that Polanco and Suarez will depart. Both Jude and Kramer suggest that with top prospect Colt Emerson and slick-fielding Ben Williamson in the mix at third base, re-signing Suarez on a weighty multi-year deal that covers his mid-30s is unlikely. However, both also note interest in retaining Polanco, who enjoyed a remarkable rebound campaign after re-signing on the heels of a 2024 season that was ruined by a knee injury.

Polanco underwent surgery last October and roared back into relevance this year with a .265/.326/.495 batting line (132 wRC+) and 26 homers during the regular season. He added three more postseason homers, including a pair of long balls against likely AL Cy Young winner (for the second consecutive season) Tarik Skubal.

The Mariners have a high-upside long-term option at second base in former first-round pick and top prospect Cole Young, but the 22-year-old Young hit just .211/.302/.305 in his first 77 MLB games this year. Even if Young is the long-term answer at second base — and some early struggles in fewer than 300 plate appearances hardly erodes the chances of that happening — Seattle could bring Polanco back as a primary designated hitter and part-time infielder. That’s the role he filled in 2025, tallying 88 games at DH, 38 at second base, five at third base and even one at first base.

As with Naylor, Polanco would require the Mariners to commit a multi-year deal, although not nearly on the same scale. Polanco will turn 33 early next July. A deal for him seems likely to be capped at three years, particularly when considering his recent injury troubles. He’d still require a more sizable commitment than the one made to Garver in free agency two years ago, but not by an especially large margin.

Mariners brass is set to talk with the media at an end-of-season press conference later this morning (1oam PT), and they’ll surely touch on this and a broad range of topics as they look ahead to the offseason, so there could be a fair bit of Mariners news emerging in the very near future.

Offseason Outlook: Philadelphia Phillies

By Mark Polishuk | October 23, 2025 at 10:02am CDT

For the second straight season, the Phillies won the NL East and earned a bye to the NLDS, only to lose in four games. The Phils again face some big decisions about retaining or replacing members of their core, and the bigger-picture question might be if this core group needs a larger shakeup to get the team over the top.

Guaranteed Contracts

Trea Turner, SS: $218.19MM through 2033
Bryce Harper, 1B: $144MM through 2031
Aaron Nola, SP: $122.86MM through 2030
Zack Wheeler, SP: $84MM through 2027
Nick Castellanos, OF: $20MM through 2026
Cristopher Sanchez, SP: $19MM through 2028 (includes $1MM buyout of $14MM club option for 2029; Phillies also have $15MM club option for 2030 with $1MM buyout)
Taijuan Walker, SP: $18MM through 2026
Matt Strahm, RP: $7.5MM through 2026

Option Decisions

Harrison Bader, OF: $10MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Jose Alvarado, RP: $9MM club option for 2026 ($500K buyout)

2026 financial commitments (assuming Alvarado's option is exercised):$177.34MM
Total future commitments (assuming Alvarado's option is exercised): $642.54M

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Jesus Luzardo (5.165): $10.4MM
Edmundo Sosa (5.140): $3.9MM
Alec Bohm (5.106): $10.3MM
Garrett Stubbs (4.148): $925K
Brandon Marsh (4.078): $4.5MM
Jhoan Duran (4.000): $7.6MM
Bryson Stott (4.000): $5.8MM
Tanner Banks (3.092): $1.2MM
Rafael Marchan (3.006): $1MM
Non-tender candidates: Bohm, Stubbs, Marchan

Free Agents

Kyle Schwarber, Ranger Suarez, J.T. Realmuto, Max Kepler, Jordan Romano, Walker Buehler, David Robertson, Tim Mayza, Lou Trivino, Bader (assuming mutual option is declined)

Coming off a 56-homer season, Kyle Schwarber is understandably looking to cash in, and could aim for a five-year free agent deal that would cover his age 33-37 seasons. That would be a hefty commitment to a player who is basically a DH-only bat at this point in his career, though it is possible that in exchange for a longer term, Schwarber and his reps at Excel might be willing to bend a little on the contract's average annual value.

Speculating on the tenor of negotiations could be a moot point, however, since there is a sense that the Phillies are dead set on bringing Schwarber back. There has been public interest in a reunion from Schwarber himself, from president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, and (most importantly) from owner John Middleton. The Phils have been more than willing to pay top dollar to retain most of their top talents during the Middleton era, ranging from Zack Wheeler's extension to new contracts with Aaron Nola and J.T. Realmuto after first letting them test free agency.

Realmuto is back on the market again now that his five-year, $115.5MM deal is up. It was money well spent, as Cal Raleigh is the only catcher in baseball to post a higher fWAR than Realmuto's 17.8 number over the 2021-25 span. On the flip side, Realmuto's production at the plate dropped in his age-34 season, as he hit .257/.315/.384 with 12 homers (for a 94 wRC+) over 550 plate appearances in 2025.

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The Opener: World Series, Mariners, Manager/GM Searches

By Nick Deeds | October 23, 2025 at 8:54am CDT

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:`

1. World Series heads to Toronto:

While Game 1 of the World Series won’t begin until tomorrow, both teams are now in Toronto for a pre-series workout day. Both Blue Jays manager John Schneider and Dodgers manager Dave Roberts will meet with the media, as will the Game 1 starters for both clubs. For the Dodgers, that’s expected to be southpaw Blake Snell, but it’s not yet clear who will be taking the bump for Toronto. There will be a period where both clubhouses are also fully available to the media today, offering opportunities for reporters to interview the rest of the club’s roster. Today’s workouts could also serve as an important step for any players dealing with injuries who are hoping to make the World Series roster.

2. Mariners end-of-season presser:

The Mariners are set to make president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto, GM Justin Hollander, and manger Dan Wilson available to the media later today, with a press conference scheduled for 10am local time this morning. Coming off one of the best seasons in Mariners history, where the club won the AL West and finished just one game short of reaching the World Series for the first time ever, Seattle now faces the impending exits of Josh Naylor, Eugenio Suarez, and Jorge Polanco. Replacing that offensive talent will surely be the biggest task the front office is faced with this winter, and today’s press conferences figures to shine some light on how they intend to accomplish that goal.

3. Managerial vacancies down to six:

The Giants officially hired Tony Vitello to take over as their next manager yesterday, leaving just six teams with uncertainty about who will manage them next year: the Padres, Rockies, Braves, Orioles, Twins, and Nationals. Most of those clubs have been progressing through the interview process, though the Rockies will not even decide on the status of interim manager Warren Schaeffer until a new head of baseball operations is in place. That search may even be the next one to reach its conclusion, seeing as Colorado has narrowed its list of contenders for the position to a handful of finalists. Guardians assistant GM Matt Forman and Diamondbacks assistant GM Amiel Sawdaye are two candidates known to be remaining and may even be the only two candidates remaining.

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