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Dodgers Have Discussed Teoscar Hernandez In Trade Talks

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Though the Dodgers are in the market for an outfielder, they’ve also discussed the possibility of dealing from their current group. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that Teoscar Hernandez’s name has popped up in some of the front office’s trade talks with other clubs, though the team doesn’t feel a deal is likely.

Hernandez, who turned 33 in October, is coming off a down season at the plate. His .247/.284/.454 batting line (102 wRC+) was his weakest since establishing himself as a major leaguer. He bounced back somewhat with a nice overall postseason showing, though, and Hernandez still ripped 25 home runs during 134 regular season games (546 plate appearances). This year’s 24.5% strikeout rate, while higher than league average, was the lowest of Hernandez’s career. Then again — that’s also true of his lowly 4.8% walk rate.

Hernandez’s batted-ball profile is still solid; his average exit velocity, hard-hit rate and barrel rate are all better than league average. However, he’s seen noticeable dips in each area over the past two seasons, which corresponds with a decline in his bat speed, as measured by Statcast. As someone who’s practically an all-bat player at this point in his career, the trend lines are fairly concerning.

That’s particularly true for a Dodgers club that can’t transition Hernandez to designated hitter, due to the presence of Shohei Ohtani. Hernandez drew roughly average marks for his right field glovework in the eyes of Defensive Runs Saved, but Statcast was far more bearish, dinging him for negative-9 Outs Above Average. Statcast pegged Hernandez’s range in just the third percentile of MLB outfielders. He’s never had a positive OAA mark dating back to his 2016 MLB debut, nor has he ever topped a +1 DRS mark in his ten big league seasons.

Hernandez is entering the second season of a three-year, $66MM contract signed in free agency last winter. He’s still owed $33MM over the next two seasons — $12MM in ’26, $14.5MM in ’27 and a $6.5MM buyout on a 2028 club option — though $16MM of that sum is deferred and will not begin to be paid out until 2031.

Home runs notwithstanding, Hernandez is a questionable corner-only defender whose OBP flatlined at a career-worst .284 in 2025. By measure of wRC+, he was only 2% better than the average big league hitter in 2025. It’s fair to wonder whether he could match that $33MM guarantee if he were a free agent at the moment. Hernandez is a prominent name, and the five dingers he smacked in the playoffs are fresh in everyone’s memory, but his stock isn’t exactly at a high point. In terms of WAR, both FanGraphs (0.6) and Baseball-Reference (1.5) felt this was his worst or second-worst performance in a full season.

Trading Hernandez would create a bevy of possibilities for Los Angeles as they look to improve their defense. With so many versatile players on the roster (e.g. Mookie Betts, Tommy Edman, Andy Pages, the recently re-signed Miguel Rojas), the Dodgers boast innumerable potential defensive alignment and could thus pursue a wide range of free agent and trade targets.

Notably, Rosenthal echoes previous reporting from colleague Fabian Ardaya, ESPN’s Jeff Passan and others in suggesting that Kyle Tucker will likely command more than the Dodgers prefer to spend; they’d reportedly be amenable to a shorter-than-expected deal, but Tucker still seems likely to command a significant long-term pact.

Even if a (still very hypothetical) Hernandez trade wouldn’t pave the way for an earnest pursuit of Tucker, shedding his salary and freeing up roster space would bring about ample room for creativity. Speculatively speaking, the Dodgers could rekindle their deadline interest in Guardians left fielder Steven Kwan, make a run at one of the Red Sox’ likely available outfielders (Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu) or once again jump into the fray for a versatile Cardinals utilityman (Brendan Donovan). If they’re open to shifting Betts back to the outfield, the possibilities expand even further.

Diamondbacks Interested In Pete Fairbanks

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Diamondbacks general manager Mike Hazen has admitted that upgrading the bullpen is a priority this offseason. One specific name on their list of targets is Pete Fairbanks, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports that the Snakes have engaged in discussions with the right-hander.

The relief market has been the hottest section of the offseason so far and Fairbanks has been a popular part of it. Devin Williams, Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, Raisel Iglesias, Emilio Pagán and other relievers have already come off the board. Fairbanks is still out there but he has been connected to the Blue Jays, Dodgers, Marlins and Tigers, with the Diamondbacks now added to the list. Presumably, there are several other clubs on that list who have not been publicly named.

There are likely varying opinions on what Fairbanks can provide going forward. A few years ago, his results were elite but he was often injury prone. More recently, he has been healthier but less dominant. From 2020 to 2023, he posted a 2.66 earned run average. His 10.1% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 34.8% of batters faced and got grounders on 46.9% of balls in play.

Over the past two seasons, he has still posted a strong 3.15 ERA and his walk rate improved to 8.2%. His 60 1/3 innings pitched in 2025 were a career high by 15 frames. However, he only punched out 24% of batters faced over the 2024 and 2025 seasons. That’s slightly above average but a big drop from his previous campaigns. He averaged 97.3 miles per hour on his fastball in each of the past two seasons. That’s still good zip but he averaged 99 mph in 2022.

Fairbanks is clearly still capable of good results but he’s about to turn 32 years old and there’s enough uncertainty to have impacted his market. The Rays could have retained him for 2026 via an $11MM club option but they instead opted for the $1MM buyout, sending him to free agency. Presumably, the Rays tried trading Fairbanks before making that call. Perhaps there were some teams willing to pay Fairbanks at that price but Tampa couldn’t find one willing to both pick up the option and also give them a meaningful trade return.

Now that Fairbanks is a free agent, he will cost only cash and has plenty of suitors. The Diamondbacks are a sensible one. Their bullpen fell apart in 2025. A.J. Puk and Justin Martínez were supposed to be the top two guys in the relief corps. Both required UCL surgery in the summer and other arms hit the injured list as well. Arizona relievers finished the year with a collective 4.82 ERA. The Nationals, Rockies and Angels were the only three big league teams who finished worse in that department.

Puk and Martínez could perhaps return in the summer of 2026 but the bullpen is clearly a weak spot for now. Fairbanks is presumably just one of many relievers the Snakes are pursuing. What’s unclear is how much spending capacity the club has.

Owner Ken Kendrick has said the payroll might drop a bit relative to 2025, but Hazen has downplayed how much that will impact his ability to build out the roster. RosterResource currently projects their 2026 payroll about $40MM shy of 2025. It’s unclear where they plan to end up, as they try to address needs in the rotation, bullpen and position player group.

Instead of free agency, they could try to deal with those needs via the trade market. Piecoro notes that the Snakes are open to trading young position players and/or prospects, including Jordan Lawlar.

Lawlar is an interesting case as he has been and still is one of the top prospects in the league. Teams normally cling tightly to those players but there are some signs suggesting the Snakes and Lawlar may be a special case. As a prospect, he has destroyed minor league pitching but hasn’t been able to carve out a big league role in Arizona. He climbed the minor league ladder as a shortstop but the Diamondbacks have Geraldo Perdomo locked in there and Ketel Marte at second. Until recently, third base was also blocked by the presence of Eugenio Suárez.

Lawlar hit so much in Triple-A to start 2025, slashing .336/.413/.579 in 37 games, that the Diamondbacks called him up anyway. But they didn’t find much playing time for him and optioned him back down a few weeks later. He then suffered a hamstring strain in June which sidelined him for weeks. Arizona traded Suárez to Seattle at the deadline but Lawlar was still recovering at that time.

He was eventually healthy enough to be recalled at the end of August, which could have finally been the big league runway he needed, but it didn’t play out as hoped. He committed several throwing errors from third base in the first half of September. In the latter half of the month, the club mostly used him as a pinch-hitter and designated hitter. It was reported about a month ago that the Diamondbacks would have him take center field reps in winter ball. Playing for Tigres del Licey in the Dominican Republic, he has logged 58 innings at short, 27 in center and nine at third while slashing .167/.217/.214 over 12 games.

Put it all together and it’s possible that the Snakes don’t have as tight a grip on Lawlar as maybe some other clubs would with a top prospect. He is still just 23 years old and could still be a star but he might make more sense for a rebuilding club who can afford to be patient with him and his defensive uncertainty. Since the Snakes have a number of needs on the roster and a bit of a payroll squeeze, perhaps they could use Lawlar in a trade to bring back some affordable big leaguers.

Being willing to make a trade doesn’t mean it’s going to happen or is even likely. With the Marte situation, Hazen has been clear that it’s his job to listen to offers but that doesn’t mean he’s likely to move his star second baseman. The situation with Lawlar is surely similar but he will be an interesting name to watch in the coming weeks and months as there are undoubtedly teams who would love to take a chance on him.

Photo courtesy of Vincent Carchietta, Imagn Images

Giants To Hire Ron Washington As Infield Coach

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The Giants are hiring former Rangers/Angels manager and former Athletics/Braves coach Ron Washington as their infield coach for the upcoming season, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports.

Washington, 73, was a first base coach, third base coach and infield coach with the Athletics from 1996 to 2006. He left the A’s for an eight-year stint as the manager for the division-rival Rangers, guiding Texas to consecutive World Series appearances in 2010-11 — though the Rangers ultimately fell short in both instances. The Giants won a 4-1 World Series in 2010, and Washington’s Rangers fell to the Cardinals in a seven-game classic in 2011. One of the key factors in that 2010 World Series was then-rookie catcher Buster Posey, who’s now San Francisco’s president of baseball operations.

After his run as the Rangers’ skipper, Washington returned to Oakland for the 2015-16 seasons, stepping back into his old role of third base coach. The Braves interviewed Washington for their managerial vacancy in the 2016-17 offseason and were impressed enough to hire Washington to the coaching staff despite ultimately giving the skipper’s role to Brian Snitker. Washington spent seven seasons in Atlanta as third base and infield coach, winning a World Series ring in 2021, before being hired as the new Angels manager in the 2023-24 offseason.

Washington’s time in Anaheim would only last one-plus seasons. The 2024 Halos lost 99 games and finished in last place in the AL West. In 2025, Washington only managed 74 of the team’s 162 games. He stepped away from the club due to health reasons in mid-June and revealed a couple months later that he’d undergone a quadruple bypass procedure. Bench coach Ray Montgomery took over for him on an interim basis. Washington had said he hoped to return to his managerial post with the Angels in 2026, but the team opted to make a change and hire someone from the opposite end of the experience spectrum: former big league catcher Kurt Suzuki, who’ll be in his first year as a coach or manager next season.

This will be Washington’s 21st overall as a major league coach. Add in his decade of managerial experience, and Washington has spent more than 30 years as one of the game’s most respected coaching/managerial minds. He’ll inherit a pair of talented defenders on the left side of the infield in Matt Chapman and Willy Adames, but Washington will be a vital piece of the puzzle as the Giants continue familiarizing Rafael Devers and young slugger Bryce Eldridge with the intricacies of first base. He’ll also give new skipper Tony Vitello an experienced ear on which to rely as he makes the transition from college ball to managing at the professional level.

The Opener: Tucker Market, Rays Roster, Signings

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

1. Movement in Tucker’s market?

It’s been a fairly active week on the free agent market, but things have mostly been quiet surrounding star outfielder Kyle Tucker. That changed yesterday, however, when a report emerged that Tucker had visited the Blue Jays’ spring training facility in Dunedin, Florida. It’s the first known meeting between the winter’s top free agent and a team, and the news continues a trend of Toronto being by far the most aggressive team in baseball to this point in the offseason. Adding Dylan Cease to the rotation and Kyle Tucker to the lineup would be enough for a banner offseason by itself, to say nothing of the Jays’ deal with Cody Ponce or their reported pursuits of players like Bo Bichette and Pete Fairbanks, who are still on the market.

Does Tucker have other in-person visits lined up? Are the Jays preparing a formal offer? More details on his market could emerge in the near future.

2. Rays 40-man roster move incoming:

The Rays reached an agreement with outfielder Cedric Mullins on a one-year deal yesterday, adding to an outfield that was in desperate need of reinforcements beyond re-signing Jake Fraley shortly after his non-tender. Tampa Bay will need to clear a spot on their 40-man roster to accommodate Mullins. The most common way to accomplish that is simply by designating a player for assignment, but it’s also possible the Rays could look to work out a trade that clears 40-man roster space instead. Tampa Bay is hardly a stranger to the trade market, and players on the roster like Brandon Lowe are already garnering attention as potential trade pieces this winter.

3. Other signings to be made official:

Mullins isn’t the only reported deal that has yet to be made official. Deals between the Dodgers and Miguel Rojas, the Blue Jays and Cody Ponce, the White Sox and Anthony Kay, as well as the Reds and Emilio Pagan are all still pending physicals and will need to be formalized in the coming days. That’s in addition to the deal between the Astros and Ryan Weiss, which has still yet to be made official and (unlike Rojas, Ponce, Kay, and Pagan) will require a 40-man roster move on the part of Houston. With the Winter Meetings fast approaching, signings and the subsequently required 40-man roster maintenance necessary to accommodate those fresh deals will surely continue to pile up.

MLB Mailbag: Mets, Red Sox, Murakami, Expansion, Cubs, Tatis

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This week's mailbag gets into the Mets' offseason thus far, Craig Breslow's tenure atop Boston's front office, the Munetaka Murakami situation, how an expansion draft works, the Cubs' anti-deferral policy, Fernando Tatis Jr.'s trade value, and much more.

Ed asks:

I'm finding it hard to understand the Mets thinking. I'm scratching my head about the Marcus Semien/ Brandon Nimmo trade. I asked my friend who's a big Mets fan (his last name is Metz) what he thought and he responded that it depends on what outfielder they replace Nimmo with. I told him that unless they break the bank on Kyle Tucker its not going to be a clear upgrade. I'd say Cody Bellinger is an slight upgrade but after looking at their numbers its amazing how similar Bellinger and Nimmo are offensively and I don't see Cody putting up as good numbers in Citi Field.

Then I heard they are shopping Senga, instead of signing Framber Valdez or Ranger Suarez to compliment Senga they are looking to move on all together. Again I think both Framber and Ranger are probably a little better than Senga but if you sign one of them and keep Senga he becomes your # 2 which he is much better suited for.

I believe last year was more of a fluke for Devin Williams than the new norm, but would rather have Diaz, especially since William's problem might have been that he just can't handle the New York limelight. The Mets are now going with Williams as closer unless they resign Diaz and yes it probably closes the door on Diaz unless they want to invest over $100 million on two back end of the bullpen guys.

Just curious what you think of these moves. Do you feel the Mets will be stronger in the OF, Starting and Relief pitching in 2026?

Abner asks:

As a NY Mets fan I would love to see a late innings duo of Edwin Díaz & Devin Williams. But knowing how does David Stearns operate, how realistic is the Mets signing Díaz with Williams already in the fold? Will they look for cheaper options getting a guy like Tyler Rogers and/or Emilio Pagán to be the setup man while Williams is the closer? If they decide to invest heavily in Williams and Díaz, does that mean that they will not invest in an ace for the starting rotation this offseason? Thanks in advance.

On the Nimmo/Semien trade, I agree with Ed's friend.  So far, we've seen a portion of the Mets' offseason puzzle.  It's not close to being complete.

At age 33, Nimmo projects as roughly a 2.5 WAR player next year.  It's true that the free agent market is light on outfielders who are capable of that, beyond Tucker and Bellinger.  But it's also true that 34 MLB outfielders were worth 2.5+ WAR this year, including several few saw coming.  And that doesn't account for platoons that combined for 2.5 WAR-type value.

There's also collapse risk with the 33-year-old Nimmo, who is under contract through 2030.  Let's take a quick look at the last five years and see how many 33-year-old outfielders were worth 2.5+ WAR:

Nimmo's track record is very good, and a projection system is not going to project him to fall off a cliff after a 3-WAR season.  But outfield is a young man's game, and you can see how rare good seasons are at 33+.  With Nimmo, this could be a case of the old adage about trading a player a year too early rather than a year too late.  So I don't mind subtracting a player who probably won't age well, saving some money long-term and bringing in a second baseman with strong defense.  That's not to say Semien doesn't have his own collapse risk at 35, but his speed and defense are holding strong.

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Rays, Cedric Mullins Agree To One-Year Deal

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The Rays and outfielder Cedric Mullins are in agreement on a one-year deal, reports Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. It’s worth $7MM, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. Mullins is represented by Cote Sports Management. The Rays have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move for this Mullins deal to become official.

Mullins and the Rays will both be hoping that he can engineer a bounceback season in 2026. Now 31, he has spent the past few seasons primarily with the Orioles, serving as a well-rounded center fielder capable of providing a bit of pop, some speed and quality defense. However, 2025 was his worst season since he became a full-time major leaguer.

Back in 2021, he had a tremendous breakout year. He hit 30 home runs, stole 30 bases and ran the ball down in the outfield. He slashed .291/.360/.518 for a 136 wRC+. FanGraphs credited him with six wins above replacement.

That season now looks like an outlier. His subsequent campaigns haven’t been quite as good but he’s still been a very useful well-rounded contributor. The past four seasons have seen Mullins finish with a home run tally between 15 and 18, barely half of his 2021 total but still nothing to sneeze at. His stolen base numbers have oscillated but stayed near the 30ish range. He only swiped 19 in 2023 but he was limited to 116 games that year.

From 2022 to 2024, even with the diminished power, he slashed .244/.311/.407 for a 103 wRC+. He stole 85 bases and mostly got good review for his glovework. He tallied 7.7 fWAR, about two to three wins per season.

He got out to a hot start at the plate in 2025. At the end of April, he had six home runs, a .278/.412/.515 line and 163 wRC+. With free agency just a few months away, he seemed to have a shot at a nine-figure deal. Unfortunately, he went cold after that and never really recovered. From May 1st to the end of the season, he put up a dismal .198/.263/.355 line. A deadline deal to the Mets didn’t help get him back on track.

Ultimately, his full 2025 line of .216/.299/.391 isn’t too bad. The 94 wRC+ indicates he was only 6% below league average, but it’s obviously not ideal for a free agent to hit the open market riding a five-month slump.

His glovework is also arguably less stable now, perhaps not shocking for a guy who is now 31 years old. Outs Above Average still considers him an above average fielder but by a smaller margin now. He was credited with at least 10 OAA in both 2021 and 2022 but was below five in each of the two most recent seasons. Defensive Runs Saved ranked him as a strong defender a few years ago but tagged him with a -4 grade in 2024 and -14 in 2025, dropping him to -11 DRS for his career.

The combination of trends left Mullins with diminished earning power but he’s a sensible flier for the Rays to take. They used a mishmash of different guys in their outfield group in 2025. Each of Chandler Simpson, Jake Mangum, Josh Lowe, Christopher Morel and Kameron Misner took between 216 and 429 plate appearances as an outfielder for Tampa this year, with others appearing for smaller samples as well. None of those five guys had even league average offense this year. Misner and Morel were designated for assignment at the end of the season. Misner was traded to the Royals. Morel was non-tendered and is now a free agent. The Rays recently brought in another outfielder by signing Jake Fraley.

Last month, Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander admitted that upgrading the outfield would be a target for this offseason. However, spending big has never really been the club’s style. That’s presumably extra true after a season in which they had to move to a minor league park, which led to extra expenses and then smaller crowds. The Rays decided to pass on picking up an $11MM club option for Pete Fairbanks, despite a fairly affordable $10MM price difference between that option and the $1MM buyout.

The Rays wouldn’t be serious contenders for signing someone like Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger. Even if they were willing to splurge on a mid-market free agent, this year doesn’t really have any outfielders who fit the description. Trent Grisham would have been in there but he accepted a qualifying offer from the Yankees. That left the Rays with the trade market and then free agents like Mullins, Harrison Bader, Mike Yastrzemski and others.

RosterResource currently estimates the Rays for a $77MM payroll in 2026, before factoring in Mullins. They finished 2025 at $88MM. It’s unknown how much they plan to spend next year but they will be pretty close to last year’s outlay once Mullins is officially on the books.

Presumably, Mullins will be penciled in as the everyday center fielder as the Rays hope he finds a way to return to form. Their remaining outfielders can battle over the playing time in the corners, with Mullins perhaps acting as a veteran mentor for them.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Hanisch, Mitch Stringer, Imagn Images

Reds To Re-Sign Emilio Pagán

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The Reds are reportedly bringing back closer Emilio Pagán on a two-year, $20MM contract. The deal, which is pending a physical, allows the Ballengee Group client to opt out after next season. Cincinnati’s 40-man roster count will climb to 39 once the signing is finalized.

Pagán returns on another two-year deal after one of the best seasons of his career. The Reds surprisingly signed him to a $16MM contract over the 2023-24 offseason. There was obvious risk in adding a fly-ball pitcher to work in high-leverage spots at one of the sport’s most hitter-friendly parks. Pagán didn’t post great numbers and missed a couple months with a lat injury in 2024, so he had an easy call to bypass an opt-out and return to Cincinnati.

This year went a lot more smoothly. Pagán took over the closer role from Alexis Díaz and recorded a career-high 32 saves. He did blow six save chances but had a strong season overall, pitching to a 2.88 earned run average across 68 2/3 innings. He punched out 30% of opponents against a solid 8.1% walk rate. Pagán avoided any injuries and pitched well against left- and right-handed batters alike. He got swinging strikes at a strong 14.6% clip while sitting in the 95-96 MPH range with his fastball.

Pagán has always had an elite strikeout and walk profile. He hasn’t had the year-by-year consistency of the sport’s best closers, though. The fly-ball approach still leaves him vulnerable to the home run ball. Pagán has only had one season in his nine-year career in which he has allowed fewer home runs than the average reliever. He has surrendered 85 home runs since entering the league in 2017. That’s 19 more than any other reliever over that stretch.

The longball is always going to be an issue, but Pagán sticking around as a high-leverage reliever despite the homers is a testament to his effectiveness in other areas. He’s a reliable control artist with above-average velocity. His splitter gives him an option to attack opposite-handed hitters, while he mixes in a cutter as his main offspeed pitch versus righty batters. Pagán has generally been durable outside of the aforementioned lat strain. He has topped 50 innings in every other full schedule of his career, including six years with 60+ frames.

Pagán’s strong walk year earns him a nice contract for his age 35-36 seasons. The guarantee narrowly beats our two-year, $16MM prediction. Pagán also gets the upside of the out clause, which allows him to get back to free agency if he has an equally strong ’26 season. Another two-year deal at age 36 would be rare but not unprecedented, so it’s not out of the question that he pitches well enough to consider that route.

Assuming Terry Francona slots Pagán back in the ninth inning, he’ll pitch behind a solid setup group that includes Tony Santillan, Connor Phillips and Graham Ashcraft. Cincinnati should add a left-hander at some point. The only southpaw who’d be in their bullpen at the moment is Sam Moll, who was up and down from Triple-A Louisville throughout the year.

Cincinnati has $32.275MM in guaranteed contracts to six players: Pagán, Hunter Greene, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Jose Trevino, Ben Rortvedt, and Moll. They owe $15MM in dead money ($12MM salary and a $3MM option buyout payable after the World Series) to Jeimer Candelario. Cincinnati has a sizable arbitration class which MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects to cost around $45MM. They’d owe another $8-10MM in minimum salary players, which puts their current commitments in the $100-105MM range. President of baseball operations Nick Krall said he expects payroll to be around the $116MM at which they opened the 2025 season.

That’d leave them with roughly $15-20MM to spend. They’re in the market for an impact bat and reportedly trying to bring Kyle Schwarber back to the Cincinnati area. That would surely cost more than $20MM annually. It’s possible ownership would make an exception for someone like Schwarber or Pete Alonso. The front office could also look to trade a player or two from the arbitration class to free up more spending capacity if they feel they’ve got a strong chance to sign an elite hitter.

Ken Rosenthal and C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic first reported that the Reds and Pagán had reached a two-year, $20MM deal with an out. Image courtesy of Imagn Images.

Dodgers To Re-Sign Miguel Rojas

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Miguel Rojas will play his final season as a Dodger. The World Series hero is reportedly in agreement with Los Angeles on a one-year, $5.5MM contract. Rojas, a client of Beverly Hills Sports Council, announced in October that he would retire after the 2026 season. He’ll reportedly jump right into a player development position with the Dodgers once his playing career is finished. That’ll push the team’s 40-man roster count to 38 once it’s official.

It’ll be Rojas’ fourth consecutive season in L.A. and his fifth as a Dodger overall. He broke into the majors with the team in 2014 but was traded to the Marlins after his rookie year. Rojas spent eight seasons in Miami, much of it as an everyday shortstop, until the Fish traded him back to the Dodgers over the 2022-23 offseason. He has worked in a utility role for the past three seasons and has been a strong contributor off the bench for Dave Roberts in the most recent two years.

Rojas owns a .273/.328/.404 batting line across 654 plate appearances in the past two seasons. He remains one of the toughest players in the league to strike out. Rojas is no longer an everyday shortstop but can back up Mookie Betts while logging more time between second and third base. He remains a quality utility piece who has also been regarded as a clubhouse leader in Miami and Los Angeles. The Dodgers intend to keep him in the organization beyond his playing days, which reflects his clearly strong relationship with the coaching staff and front office.

That all made it likely that the Dodgers would bring Rojas back regardless of what happened in the postseason. He then cemented himself in franchise lore and baseball history with one of the most dramatic, improbable home runs of all time.

Roberts penciled Rojas into the starting lineup for Games 6 and 7 of the World Series. He came up with one out in the ninth inning of the decider against Jeff Hoffman. With the Dodgers trailing by one, Rojas (who has never hit more than 11 home runs in a season) took Hoffman deep to left field to tie the game. It was one of the most impactful single plays ever, and the Dodgers went on to win in extras when Will Smith homered off Shane Bieber.

That one swing probably doesn’t have much bearing on Rojas’ contract. His $5.5MM salary is narrowly above the $5MM that he made in both 2024 and ’25. The Dodgers were very likely to bring him back to continue playing a utility role regardless. He’ll offer a right-handed complement to lefty hitting Max Muncy and Hyeseong Kim around the infield. The Dodgers could look to re-sign Kiké Hernández for a similar job, though that again wouldn’t leave much playing time for well-regarded prospect Alex Freeland.

The Dodgers have a projected payroll of $337MM for next season, according to RosterResource. A good portion of that money is deferred, of course. Their competitive balance tax number — which adjusts for contracts’ post-deferral values — sits at an estimated $319MM. They’re already in the top tax bracket and pay the highest fees as three-time repeat payors, meaning they’re hit with a 110% tax on any additions. They’ll pay $6.05MM in taxes on this deal, bringing the overall investment to $11.55MM. That’s not much by Dodgers standards, and they’ll hope Rojas plays a role in becoming the first team to win three straight titles since the 1998-2000 Yankees.

Daniel Álvarez-Montes of El Extrabase first reported the signing and terms. Image courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images.

MLBTR Podcast: An Agent’s Perspective with B.B. Abbott – Also, Cease, Williams, Helsley, And Gray

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by B.B. Abbott of Wasserman Baseball to discuss…

  • Abbott’s approach to free agency (3:30)
  • The impact of the media on free agency (10:00)
  • The different levels of player involvement in free agency (17:00)
  • The decision to sign an extension instead of going to free agency (20:15)
  • Chris Sale and his extensions with the White Sox, Red Sox and Braves (23:00)
  • Byron Buxton and his extension with the Twins (28:50)
  • Representing young players going into the draft (32:10)
  • The general state of baseball (35:50)

Plus, Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors joins the show to discuss…

Check out our past episodes!

  • Some “Classic Baseball Trades,” Nimmo For Semien, And Ward For Rodriguez – listen here
  • Offseason Preview Megapod: Top 50 Free Agents – listen here
  • Surprising Option Decisions, Qualifying Offers, And Paul DePodesta – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images

St. Petersburg Officials Optimistic About Tropicana Field Being Ready For Opening Day

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Work continues to repair the hurricane damage that rendered Tropicana Field unplayable in 2025. St. Petersburg officials updated the local media on the construction efforts on Wednesday, expressing optimism that everything will be completed by Opening Day.

“At this moment in time, we have no concern about being ready for opening day April 6. And we hope we keep it that way,” city administrator Beth Herendeen told reporters (including Marc Topkin of The Tampa Bay Times and Kristie Ackert of The Associated Press). The city finished reinstalling roof panels last month and is now focused on interior work. That includes repairs to the clubhouses, seating areas, and improvements to the video board.

There’ll also be a new artificial turf. Ackert writes that work on the playing surface could begin in January, while Topkin notes that the team is hopeful that’ll be complete by the end of Spring Training. That’d enable them to familiarize themselves with the turf before regular season games get underway. The Rays begin the season with road series in St. Louis, Milwaukee and Minnesota. They’re set to host the Cubs and Yankees from April 6-12 in their first homestand.

The Rays played the 2025 season at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field. That’s an outdoor stadium with a capacity around 11,000. While the Trop has been frequently maligned in comparison to other MLB stadiums, it’s no doubt preferable to playing in an A-ball facility.

The Rays’ lease at Tropicana Field initially ran through 2027. That was extended by a year when the facility was taken out of commission. Assuming everything remains on track for next season, the lease will expire after the ’28 campaign. The City of St. Petersburg was responsible for the repair costs as the lessor and approved a little under $60MM to that end. The Rays remain in search of a long-term stadium deal in the Tampa area. That’s the primary goal for new owner Patrick Zalupski, who purchased the franchise from Stu Sternberg after the latter’s efforts to renegotiate the stadium deal following the 2024 hurricanes stalled.

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