Astros Notes: Outfield, Rotation, Pearson
The Astros spent most of the offseason looking to add a left-handed hitting outfielder. That hasn’t materialized with three weeks to go before the start of the regular season. General manager Dana Brown suggested the team was still hopeful of making such an acquisition after swapping Jesús Sánchez to Toronto for Joey Loperfido in the middle of February.
An external addition before Opening Day becomes less likely with every day that passes. Nevertheless, manager Joe Espada declined to name starters at any of the three outfield positions over the weekend (link via Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle).
“I’m not ready to say that,” Espada said. “Obviously, we know what Jake Meyers can do in center, I feel really good about that. I feel really good about what Cam Smith can do in right. Zach Cole and the rest of those guys can play all three. But when it comes to who’s in there day one, not there yet.”
On paper, Meyers feels like the safest bet to play every day. He’s a plus defender in center field and is coming off his best season at the plate. The 29-year-old hit .292/.354/.373 with 16 stolen bases and a career-low 17.6% strikeout rate. A right calf strain bothered him during the second half and kept him to just under 400 plate appearances.
Cole and Smith are much less established. The former debuted in September and popped four home runs in his first 15 games. He also struck out 20 times in 52 plate appearances after fanning at a 35% clip in Triple-A. It’s tough to see that profile working over a larger sample unless he makes far more consistent contact.
Smith, a top prospect acquired in the Kyle Tucker trade, hit well for a few months before his numbers cratered in the second half. Smith’s upper minors experience before his promotion consisted of five games at Double-A. It’s impressive that he was able to keep his head above water in the big leagues with such little work against higher level pitching, but he should probably open this season in Triple-A. That’d be easier for the Astros to sort out if they’re able to acquire a veteran corner outfield bat.
Along with the outfield, the back end of the rotation has some uncertainty. Houston added a pair of mid-rotation hopefuls in Tatsuya Imai and Mike Burrows to slot behind Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier. The Astros are planning to begin the season with a six-man rotation. They only have two scheduled off days within the first 28 days. Most teams that sign a high-profile pitcher from Japan also prefer to use a six-man rotation to match the once a week schedule on which NPB starters are used.
The Astros took one-year fliers on Ryan Weiss and Nate Pearson to compete with internal options Lance McCullers Jr., AJ Blubaugh, Spencer Arrighetti and Jason Alexander for the final two jobs. Pearson is out of options and needs to be on the MLB roster in some capacity or exposed to waivers. It looks like he’ll be forced to begin the season on the 15-day injured list, however.
Espada said this afternoon that Pearson has slowed down his throwing program due to elbow soreness (relayed by Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). Pearson, who underwent a cleanup surgery on his elbow over the offseason, had been throwing bullpen sessions. He hasn’t gotten into a Grapefruit League game.
Quinn Priester Slightly Behind Schedule, May Begin Season On IL
Brewers starter Quinn Priester may be facing a season-opening injured list stint. Manager Pat Murphy told reporters that the righty is slightly behind schedule in his buildup and isn’t a lock for Opening Day (link via Curt Hogg of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel).
Priester battled wrist soreness at the end of last season. He avoided an IL stint and was healthy enough to make two playoff appearances (albeit with poor results). The team and pitcher decided to take things a little slower than usual over the offseason to reduce the risk of the wrist flaring back up. He’s throwing but hasn’t made any appearances this spring.
There’s minimal concern about this being a long-term issue. Priester seems likely to get some game reps before camp is finished. He might not have time to build into a starter’s workload within the next three weeks, though. A season-opening injured list stint would allow them to send him to the minors for a rehab start or two if he’s not completely ready. He’d only miss two turns through the rotation if he has a minimal IL stay.
Milwaukee acquired Priester in a mid-April trade with the Red Sox a year ago. The former first-round pick had fallen down Boston’s depth chart. Milwaukee plugged him directly into a big league rotation that was struggling with injury. Priester ran with the opportunity, pitching to a 3.32 ERA across 157 1/3 innings. His strikeout and walk profile was more solid than great, but the sinkerballer got grounders at a 56.1% clip. He allowed three runs or fewer in all but four of his 29 appearances.
Brandon Woodruff is also questionable for the start of the regular season after last year’s lat strain. The two-time All-Star has a better shot of starting the season on the active roster than Priester does. Woodruff has thrown batting practice and is scheduled to make his Cactus League debut on Saturday, Hogg writes.
Woodruff would be the obvious choice to start on Opening Day if he’s sufficiently stretched out. Jacob Misiorowski is the only other pitcher who seems locked into the season-opening rotation. The flamethrower made his Spring Training debut this afternoon against Great Britain in a World Baseball Classic exhibition; he tossed 38 pitches and struck out five over two innings.
Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Chad Patrick and trade pickups Brandon Sproat and Kyle Harrison are all competing for rotation roles. Milwaukee will rely heavily on one of the deeper bullpens in the league and should be aggressive in shuttling pitchers back and forth from the minors. Woodruff and lefty reliever Rob Zastryzny are their only pitchers who can’t be optioned.
Poll: Will Carson Benge Break Camp With The Mets?
The Mets overhauled their offense this past winter, and most of the players they shipped out have been swapped out for new faces. They weren’t traded for one another, but Marcus Semien is taking Jeff McNeil‘s spot at second base. Pete Alonso is an Oriole, and Jorge Polanco will take up plenty of the first base reps in his absence (although new third baseman Bo Bichette is arguably more of a direct replacement for Alonso’s big right-handed bat). One player who wasn’t directly replaced, however, is left fielder Brandon Nimmo.
After Nimmo was dealt to the Rangers to land Semien, the Mets seemed like the most logical landing spot for star outfielder Kyle Tucker. The Mets pursued him, but Tucker ended up going to the Dodgers. The Mets quickly pivoted to signing Bichette to fill out the middle of their lineup. A trade for Luis Robert Jr. patched up the existing hole the club they had in center following Cedric Mullins‘ departure, but that still left a vacancy in an outfield corner. That position has more or less remained unfilled. Mike Tauchman (minor league deal) and MJ Melendez (split big league deal) signed as free agents, but the Mets are planning to give top prospect Carson Benge an opportunity to earn the big league job.
After Tucker and Cody Bellinger came off the market, there weren’t many surefire impact outfielders available. Benge could wind up being more productive than someone like Harrison Bader or Mike Yastrzemski, so it made little sense to block him by signing a player of that caliber to a multi-year deal. Benge is a consensus top-20 prospect in the sport who reached Triple-A near the end of his 2025 campaign. Plenty of other top prospects, including Konnor Griffin of the Pirates, JJ Wetherholt of the Cardinals, Justin Crawford of the Phillies, and Bryce Eldridge of the Giants stand a strong chance of making their organization’s big league roster out of Spring Training despite little to no MLB experience.
Does Benge fall into that category as well? There’s little doubt that the team views him as a long-term option, but he hasn’t exactly forced the issue with his minor league output. Benge played in 24 Triple-A games late last year but slashed only .178/.272/.311. It’s a sample of just 103 plate appearances, of course, and his work at both High-A (.302/.417/.480 in 271 plate appearances) and Double-A (.317/.407/.571 in 145 plate appearances) earlier in the year showed how electric his bat could be. Benge is out to a 4-for-14 start this spring.
There’s some competition in camp. The aforementioned Melendez never found his footing in the majors with Kansas City but long ranked as a top prospect. He’s a career .257/.340/.496 hitter with 35 home runs in 173 Triple-A games. He’s homered twice and added a double in 11 spring plate appearances.
Tauchman, a 35-year-old veteran, provides a low-cost alternative with a steady big league track record. He split time between right field and DH for the White Sox last year after spending two seasons as a part-time outfielder for the Cubs. Over the past three seasons, he’s slashed .255/.359/.381 with a wRC+ of 111, balancing a 21.3% strikeout rate against a strong 13.0% walk rate. Tauchman’s first nine plate appearances this spring have produced a double and a homer.
We’re still about three weeks out from Opening Day, which provides Benge with plenty of time to show himself to be MLB capable, or for Tauchman to cool off. There are plenty of aspects to consider with the Benge decision. Sending him to Triple-A could allow him more seasoning after struggling there late last year and could buy the Mets an extra year of club control. Breaking camp with Benge on the roster could open the Mets up to some future draft considerations via MLB’s prospect promotion incentives.
What do MLBTR readers think? Will the Mets commit to Benge as their opening day right fielder, or will they go for another option like Tauchman or Melendez? Have your say in the poll below:
Who will start in right field for the Mets on Opening Day 2026?
MLB Issues 162-Game PED Suspension To Jurickson Profar
Major League Baseball announced that Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 162 games after testing positive for exogenous testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance. The ban goes into effect on Friday and will cost him the entire 2026 season, including the playoffs. It’s the second career PED suspension for Profar, who missed 80 games last year after testing positive for Chorionic Gonadotropin.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Players Association plans to file a grievance challenging this suspension. MLB generally does not announce violations of the drug policy until after the appeal process plays out, as the player is usually allowed to continue playing pending that appeal. Rosenthal writes that Profar’s suspension, by contrast, is not stayed because it’s his second career PED ban. However, the process will be expedited to quickly reach a final resolution.
It’s rare for a player’s PED suspension to be overturned on appeal. Assuming the suspension stands, Profar will not be paid his $15MM salary this season. The Curacao native is also barred from representing the Netherlands in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
“We were incredibly disappointed to learn that Jurickson tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance and is in violation of MLB’s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the Braves said in a press release. “Our players are consistently educated about the Program and the consequences if they are found to be in violation.”
Profar, who turned 33 a couple weeks ago, was entering the second season of a three-year, $42MM contract. Last year’s suspension cost him just under $6MM of his $12MM salary in year one of that free agent deal. He’s signed through the 2027 season and is owed a $15MM salary again in the contract’s final year. If he incurs a third positive test in his career, he would receive a lifetime ban.
As a teenager, Profar was ranked as the top prospect in the entire sport. A switch-hitting shortstop with a tantalizing blend of power, speed and defensive aptitude, he was hailed as a future star but saw his career derailed by multiple shoulder injuries. He missed nearly the entire 2014 and 2015 campaigns due to shoulder surgery.
The version of Profar that returned looked far different. He hit .227/.316/.315 in 377 MLB plate appearances from 2016-17 before turning in a solid offensive season in 2018. His defense at shortstop had become untenable following the shoulder troubles. Profar spent time at second base and first base before being traded to the A’s, who had him for only one disappointing year before trading him to the Padres.
Profar had an up-and-down run in San Diego. He had an awful start in the shortened 2020 season before a torrid three-week finish to the 60-game season salvaged his batting line. A clear favorite of Padres GM A.J. Preller — who signed him as an international amateur during his days as a Rangers assistant GM — Profar inked a three-year deal following that season but flopped with a .227/.329/.320 slash in year one of the contract. He chose to forgo an opt-out opportunity, returned to San Diego for the 2022 season, turned in a better offensive performance opted out of a net $6.5MM to again test the open market.
Free agency was cold to Profar that winter. He wound up signing with the Rockies just prior to Opening Day 2023 on a $7.75MM deal. Colorado released Profar after he hit just .236/.316/.364 in 111 games. He re-signed in San Diego for the remainder of the season and hit well in 14 games late that year. Profar spent the entire offseason twisting in the winds of free agency before the Padres brought him aboard on a one-year, $1MM deal that looked like the steal of the offseason when he erupted with a .280/.380/.459 batting line in a career-best showing.
That performance prompted the Braves’ three-year, $42MM deal, but it will now forever be met with a healthy dose of skepticism. Profar missed 80 games last year, hit .248/.358/.446 in 355 plate appearances upon returning, and now won’t take another plate appearance until at least 2027. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Braves will welcome him back or look to move on entirely.
That question doesn’t need to be answered for the time being. Profar can and will be placed on the restricted list, where he won’t be paid or count against Atlanta’s 40-man roster. The Braves will not only save on Profar’s $15MM salary — they’ll also dodge the 20% tax they’d been paying for him as a team that was over the luxury threshold. It amounts to an overall $18MM in savings for Atlanta, which gives the Braves some intriguing possibilities late in the offseason.
Atlanta has incurred a pair of notable injuries in the rotation. Righties Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both underwent elbow surgery to remove loose bodies/bone spurs. It’s not yet clear when they’ll return, but Schwellenbach is already on the 60-day IL and Waldrep will surely follow.
That’s left the Braves with Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez (who made just one start last year due to shoulder surgery) and Grant Holmes (who had a UCL tear last summer and rehabbed without surgery) in the top four spots of the rotation. Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, Didier Fuentes and Jose Suarez are the fifth starter options on the 40-man roster. Non-roster invitees include veterans Martin Perez, Carlos Carrasco and Elieser Hernandez, as well as top prospect JR Ritchie.
Notable veterans like Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell and Tyler Anderson remain unsigned in free agency. Atlanta’s outfield group, of course, takes a hit following the Profar suspension, although the team’s November signing of Mike Yastrzemski means the Braves won’t necessarily need to add another outfielder. Yastrzemski, Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. can start on most days, though Acuña has had his share of recent injury troubles and Yastrzemski has long-running platoon issues. Righty hitters Eli White and Jorge Mateo are already on the roster as potential complements, but neither has even average career numbers against left-handed pitching.
Atlanta still projects to be just north of the $244MM luxury threshold, but the front office suddenly has an influx of cash that could be used to acquire additional help, be it another starting pitcher or a veteran right-handed bat to plug into the lineup. Time will tell whether those funds are put to immediate use or saved for in-season additions to the roster, but the Braves immediately become a team to watch with regard to a potential late-offseason addition.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported Profar was facing a 162-game PED ban. Image courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, Imagn Images.
Blue Jays Re-Sign Joe Mantiply To Minor League Deal
The Blue Jays announced they’ve re-signed lefty reliever Joe Mantiply to a minor league contract. The ISE Baseball client receives a non-roster invite to MLB camp.
Mantiply finished last season in the Toronto organization. Released by the Diamondbacks in June, he signed a minor league deal with the Jays shortly after the All-Star Break. Mantiply spent a couple weeks building up at the team’s Florida complex before reporting to Triple-A Buffalo. He finished the season with the Bisons, allowing eight runs (six earned) across 15 2/3 innings.
The run prevention was unexceptional, but Mantiply posted a 19:0 strikeout-to-walk ratio against 64 Triple-A opponents. It didn’t get him a big league look. The Jays were impressed enough to bring him back on an NRI after he elected minor league free agency over the offseason.
Mantiply was a surprise All-Star in 2022 — a season in which he posted a 2.85 ERA across a career-high 60 innings. The 35-year-old southpaw has strong command and gets grounders but has below-average velocity. Mantiply averaged 88.4 mph on his sinker last year. He gets good movement on the sinker and his changeup and was a solid middle reliever as recently as 2024. He was knocked around for 17 runs in 9 2/3 MLB frames last year.
The Jays have one of the better rosters in MLB but are light on established left-handed relief. Eric Lauer is set for a multi-inning role. Mason Fluharty is a soft-tossing cutter specialist, while Brendon Little has much bigger raw stuff. Both pitchers can miss bats but aren’t reliably around the strike zone. Ricky Tiedemann could factor into the rotation or relief mix as a rookie, but the oft-injured former top prospect is again battling elbow discomfort early in camp.
How Will The Padres Round Out Their Rotation?
Barring injury, the Padres will open the season with an established top three in their rotation. Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Joe Musgrove have the upside to be one of the best top halves in the National League.
Musgrove is coming back from Tommy John surgery, while King was limited to 74 1/3 innings last year (playoffs included) by a nerve issue in his shoulder and left knee inflammation. They’re free of any restrictions this spring. Musgrove will make his exhibition debut tomorrow against Great Britain in a World Baseball Classic tune-up. King has already started two games this spring.
The picture is a lot less clear from there. Yu Darvish will miss the entire season. Free agent pickup Griffin Canning has yet to pitch this spring as he works back from last June’s Achilles tear. He’s very likely starting the season on the injured list.
That’s also true of knuckleballer Matt Waldron, though it could be close to a minimal IL stay for the right-hander. Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune wrote yesterday that Waldron plans to throw off a mound this week and is hopeful of getting a start in before the end of Cactus League play. He won’t be built up enough to start the season on the active roster, however. Waldron is out of options, so the Padres will need to carve out an MLB spot for him once he’s ready or risk losing him via trade or waivers.
That all but ensures that Randy Vásquez will get a season-opening rotation spot. Manager Craig Stammen said at the beginning of camp that the righty had a leg up on a job. Vásquez is out options and needed to make the team in some capacity. He outperformed mediocre peripherals for most of last season but improved his strikeout rate to a league average level in September. He finished last season with a 3.86 ERA across 133 2/3 innings.
It probably leaves the Padres will one spot to fill. The front office has taken a volume approach to the back of the roster, adding a handful of veterans on cheap one-year deals or minor league contracts to see who sticks. They added enough options that it’s not out of the question they open with a six-man rotation.
Pitching coach Ruben Niebla left open that possibility over the weekend, although he implied they preferred a five-man group (link via AJ Cassavell of MLB.com). Niebla said the team is preparing the starters on a usual five-day routine. If multiple depth arms pitch their way onto the roster, they could go to a six-man staff, but that requires dropping to a seven-man bullpen.
If there’s only one spot available, Germán Márquez enters camp as the favorite. The former Rockies righty signed a $1.75MM deal in mid-February. His spot on the MLB roster feels secure, which isn’t the case for non-roster invitees Walker Buehler or Marco Gonzales. Márquez could theoretically pitch in long relief if one of Buehler or Gonzales beats him for the fifth starter role. That scenario (or a six-man rotation) probably wouldn’t bode well for out-of-options reliever Ron Marinaccio’s bid to stick on the roster.
Lefty JP Sears is also in the rotation mix, though San Diego’s series of veteran additions means it’s likelier he’s headed back to Triple-A. Sears was hit hard in five MLB starts after being acquired from the A’s in the Mason Miller trade. He still has a minor league option remaining.
Sears also hasn’t an especially encouraging start to camp, giving up five runs on seven hits (including two homers) across 3 2/3 innings. Márquez allowed three runs on four hits over two innings in his exhibition debut over the weekend. Gonzales, who missed all of last season rehabbing flexor surgery, has given up five runs across 4 2/3 frames over two spring starts. Buehler hasn’t pitched in an official Spring Training game but took on the KBO’s NC Dinos in an outing on the back fields over the weekend, giving up two runs over three innings.
Out Of Options 2026
Every spring at MLBTR, we publish a list of players who are out of minor league options and cannot be sent to the minor leagues without first clearing outright waivers. Option status is particularly relevant as teams set their rosters prior to Opening Day. A lack of minor league options is often a key reason a certain player will make the roster over another who had a superior spring performance, and it’s a frequent factor in March trades.
The following is a list of all 40-man players throughout the league with fewer than five years of service time — players with more than five years of service can refuse an optional assignment — and no minor league options remaining. We’ve included players who have signed extensions or multi-year deals, even though they’re often less likely to be optioned.
Angels
- Jo Adell, OF
- Vaughn Grissom, IF
- Oswald Peraza, IF
- Chase Silseth, SP/RP
Astros
- Nick Allen, IF
- Roddery Muñoz, RP
- Isaac Paredes, IF
- Nate Pearson, SP/RP
- César Salazar, C
Athletics
- Andy Ibáñez, IF
- Luis Medina, SP/RP
Blue Jays
- Ernie Clement, IF
- Tyler Heineman, C
- Leo Jiménez, IF
- Tommy Nance, RP
- Jesús Sánchez, OF
Braves
- Bryce Elder, SP
- Ian Hamilton, RP
- Grant Holmes, SP
- Joel Payamps, RP
- José Suarez, SP/RP
- Joey Wentz, SP/RP
- Eli White, OF
- Brett Wisely, IF/OF
- Danny Young, RP
Brewers
- Rob Zastryzny, RP
Cardinals
- Justin Bruihl, RP
- José Fermín, IF/OF
- Iván Herrera, C
- Riley O’Brien, RP
- George Soriano, RP
Cubs
- Miguel Amaya, C
- Tyler Austin, 1B
- Edward Cabrera, SP
- Justin Steele, SP
Diamondbacks
- Jorge Barrosa, OF
- Pavin Smith, 1B/OF
Dodgers
- Brock Stewart, RP
Giants
- José Buttó, RP
- Jerar Encarnación, 1B/OF
- Matt Gage, RP
- Sam Hentges, RP
- Luis Matos, OF
- Heliot Ramos, OF
- Randy Rodríguez, RP
Guardians
- Gabriel Arias, IF
- Connor Brogdon, RP
- Joey Cantillo, SP/RP
- Matt Festa, RP
- Nolan Jones, OF
- Brayan Rocchio, IF
Mariners
- Eduard Bazardo, RP
- Cooper Criswell, RP
- Casey Legumina, RP
- Miles Mastrobuoni, IF/OF
- Luke Raley, 1B/OF
- Gabe Speier, RP
- Carlos Vargas, RP
Marlins
- Ronny Henriquez, RP
- Janson Junk, SP/RP
- Otto López, IF
- Christopher Morel, IF
- Tyler Phillips, RP
Mets
- Vidal Bruján, IF/OF
- Bryan Hudson, RP
- Ben Rortvedt, C
- Mark Vientos, IF
Nationals
- Luis García Jr., IF
- Richard Lovelady, RP
- Keibert Ruiz, C
- José Tena, IF
Orioles
- Blaze Alexander, IF
- Dietrich Enns, RP
- Rico Garcia, RP
- Jackson Kowar, RP
- Bryan Ramos, IF
- Colin Selby, RP
- Leody Taveras, OF
Padres
- Luis Campusano, C
- Bryce Johnson, OF
- Ron Marinaccio, RP
- Randy Vásquez, SP
- Matt Waldron, SP
Phillies
- Jonathan Bowlan, RP
- Rafael Marchán, C
- Zach Pop, RP
- Cristopher Sánchez, SP
- Garrett Stubbs, C
Pirates
- Joey Bart, C
- Oneil Cruz, OF
- Justin Lawrence, RP
- Yohan Ramírez, RP
Rangers
- Cole Winn, RP
Rays
- Jonathan Aranda, 1B
- Bryan Baker, RP
- Garrett Cleavinger, RP
- Yoendrys Gómez, SP/RP
- Manuel Rodríguez, RP
- Cole Sulser, RP
- Edwin Uceta, RP
- Ryan Vilade, IF/OF
Red Sox
- Jovani Morán, RP
Reds
- Sam Moll, RP
- Tony Santillan, RP
Rockies
- Jimmy Herget, SP/RP
- Edouard Julien, IF
- Jake McCarthy, OF
- Mickey Moniak, OF
- Keegan Thompson, SP/RP
Royals
- Bailey Falter, SP/RP
- Alex Lange, RP
- Nick Mears, RP
- Drew Waters, OF
Tigers
- Drew Anderson, SP/RP
- Jahmai Jones, IF/OF
- Zach McKinstry, IF/OF
Twins
- Anthony Banda, RP
- Kody Clemens, IF/OF
- Alex Jackson, C
- James Outman, OF
- Simeon Woods Richardson, SP
White Sox
- Luisangel Acuña, IF/OF
- Derek Hill, OF
- Anthony Kay, SP
- Korey Lee, C
- Curtis Mead, IF
- Everson Pereira, OF
- Lenyn Sosa, IF
- Miguel Vargas, IF
Yankees
- Osvaldo Bido, SP/RP
- Jorbit Vivas, IF
Photo courtesy of Brad Mills, Imagn Images
Johan Rojas Reportedly Tests Positive For Performance-Enhancing Drug
Phillies outfielder Johan Rojas has tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, according to reporter Wilber Sánchez as well as Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Heyman says Rojas will be appealing the ruling. Players face an 80-game suspension for a first-time positive test for PEDs. There has not yet been any formal announcement regarding Rojas from Major League Baseball or the Phillies.
Rojas, 25, has played for the Phillies at the major league level in each of the past three seasons. Broadly speaking, he has been a speed-and-defense guy who doesn’t provide much value from the batter’s box.
He has appeared in 250 games with 51 steals in 58 attempts. He has logged 1,714 innings in center field and has been credited with 22 Defensive Runs Saved and 18 Outs Above Average. But in 699 plate appearances, he has just six home runs and a .252/.294/.340 batting line. That translates to a 74 wRC+, indicating he has been 26% below league average as a hitter in his career overall.
Despite his skills, the lack of offense cut into his playing time with the Phillies. He was essentially an everyday center fielder in 2024, appearing in 120 contests. He held that job for part of the 2025 season but the Phils acquired Harrison Bader at the deadline, which led to Rojas getting optioned to the minors for the final two months of the schedule.
Bader became a free agent at season’s end and eventually signed with the Giants but it didn’t seem as though the Phillies had Rojas as a prominent piece of their 2026 plans. It was reported pretty early in the offseason that he was available in trade talks as the Phils planned to give prospect Justin Crawford a shot at the center field job.
Rojas was likely going to be relegated to a fourth outfielder role. He also has an option remaining and could have been sent down for regular playing time at the Triple-A level. A suspension would cut into his ability to serve in either role. He can continue to play during the appeals process but it’s unclear if the Phils will keep using him in spring games, per Charlotte Varnes and Matt Gelb of The Athletic. He was going to participate in the World Baseball Classic with the Dominican Republic team but dropped out last week.
Although Rojas had fallen down the depth chart, it would be a notable loss for the Phillies if Rojas is ultimately suspended. Their roster is quite strong but the outfield looks like one of the weaker points. As mentioned, Crawford is going to get a shot at the center field job, despite having no major league experience yet. The Phils have plugged Adolis García into right field, hoping for a bounceback after two down years. Brandon Marsh is a decent left fielder but needs a platoon partner since he’s awful against lefties. Otto Kemp could be Marsh’s platoon partner, though he has far more experience as an infielder than as an outfielder.
Gabriel Rincones Jr. and Pedro León are also on the 40-man roster. Both have options and are lined up to start the season in the minors. Rincones hasn’t yet made his major league debut and The Athletic notes that he is currently not playing due to ongoing knee problems. León is a waiver claimee who has just seven big league games under his belt. Bryan De La Cruz, who slashed .191/.240/.213 in limited action last year, is in camp as a non-roster invitee.
It’s not an especially strong group on the whole and losing Rojas would thin it out further. If the Phils want to add before Opening Day, guys like Tommy Pham and Andrew McCutchen are currently free agents. Some other guys will also shake loose in the coming weeks as teams make their final roster decisions when spring training winds down.
Photo courtesy of Kelley L Cox, Imagn Images
Brendan Rodgers Likely To Require Shoulder Surgery
Brendan Rodgers is in big league camp with the Red Sox this spring, hoping to win a spot in Boston’s infield alongside former Rockies teammate Trevor Story. A right shoulder injury suffered in late February put any such hopes on hold, and the latest update from skipper Alex Cora may have dashed them entirely. Via the Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo, Cora said Tuesday that Rodgers is “most likely” going to require shoulder surgery. Rodgers already underwent a CT scan and MRI on his shoulder, and Cora has previously stated that the results from those tests “didn’t look great.” Rodgers is headed for another opinion from renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache to confirm his outlook.
The injury occurred early in camp. Playing second base, Rodgers dove to his left for a hard line drive off the bat of Twins shortstop Brooks Lee (video link via MLB.com). He briefly snow-coned the liner, but the ball popped out of his glove upon a hard impact with the ground. Rodgers was in clear, immediate pain and left the field with the Red Sox training staff.
Rodgers, 29, has already undergone one surgery on each of his shoulders. He suffered a torn labrum during his rookie season back in 2019 and underwent surgery that July. In 2023, he suffered what was originally termed a dislocated left shoulder during spring training. Additional testing revealed some tearing in his left shoulder’s labrum, requiring surgery, though Rodgers was able to make it back to the field for the final couple months of that season.
Formerly the No. 3 overall pick in the draft and a consensus top prospect, Rodgers’ career hasn’t played out as hoped. He’s a lifetime .261/.313/.401 hitter and has only thrice played 100 games in a season. He’s never topped 137 games played or 581 plate appearances and only has two big league seasons with 500-plus trips to the plate. After spending the 2019-24 seasons in Denver, Rodgers signed with Houston on a minor league pact last winter and made the roster. However, he went on to bat just .191/.266/.278 (55 wRC+) in 128 plate appearances as an Astro.
The infield mix in Boston is relatively unsettled. The Sox traded Rafael Devers to the Giants last June and watched Alex Bregman sign with the Cubs in free agency. They’ve traded for the Cardinals Willson Contreras and the Brewers’ Caleb Durbin this winter. Contreras slots in at first base, while Durbin will fill either second base or third base alongside the aforementioned Story.
Top prospect Marcelo Mayer is the favorite to hold down whichever spot isn’t occupied by Durbin, but the Red Sox also have Andruw Monasterio (acquired alongside Durbin), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (signed in free agency), Tsung-Che Cheng (claimed off waivers) and holdovers Nick Sogard and Nate Eaton on the 40-man roster. Former top prospect Kristian Campbell, who signed an eight-year extension early last year, is being viewed primarily as an outfielder moving forward.
Tigers Owner Christopher Ilitch Discusses Team’s Spending
Tigers owner Christopher Ilitch recently spoke to members of the media, including Cody Stavenhagen of The Athletic, about various subjects related to the team. Fans are encouraged to check out the full interview to get all the details. This post will focus in on the quotes related to the club’s payroll and the competitive balance tax.
Detroit just wrapped up a fairly aggressive offseason, which involved a couple of late signings, as they landed Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander in February. Verlander’s deal was fairly modest, with $11MM of the $13MM guarantee being deferred into next decade. The Valdez deal also had some deferrals in it but was still quite a commitment, with a sticker price of $115MM over three years.
“It’s really to win, and it’s to give back,” Ilitch said of adding those notable deals to the payroll. “What we’re doing in Detroit and Michigan — it’s for fans, really, at the end of the day. I’m really motivated to build a winning, championship-caliber organization for Tigers fans.”
The Tigers are poised to set a new high water mark in terms of payroll, as seen in the data at Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Back in 2016 and 2017, the payroll was just under $200MM. That was when Christopher’s father Michael was still running the club. Michael passed away in February of 2017, which is when Christopher inherited the throne.
That 2017 season turned into a big bust for the Tigers. They sold off veteran players that summer, sending J.D. Martinez, Justin Upton and Verlander out of town. They then entered a lengthy rebuilding period with payrolls way down from that 2016-17 peak. The Tigers finally returned to contention more recently, making the playoffs in both 2024 and 2025.
Despite opening that new competitive window, the club has stayed somewhat conservative, at least until recently. They mostly signed free agents to one-year deals going into the 2025 season. The lone exception was a two-year deal for Jack Flaherty, and even that had an opt-out halfway through. Their 2025 trade deadline was also relatively timid; they mostly picked up complementary depth pieces, as opposed to true difference-makers.
Even the 2025-26 season seemed like it was going to be more of the same until the Valdez and Verlander deals pushed them to a new level. Cot’s projects them for $206MM in terms of pure payroll. The calculations of RosterResource are even higher, with a projected payroll of $217MM. Either would be a new franchise record.
The spending has also pushed the club near the $244MM base threshold of the competitive balance tax. Cot’s projects them at $241MM with RosterResource higher by about half a million. Ilitch was asked if he is willing to push the club over the line.
“Scott and I talked about that,” Ilitch said, referring to president of baseball operations Scott Harris. “I think the most important thing to me and to him is to ensure that we give our organization, our team and our players the best chance for success. So, based on the team that we have, I leave it to Scott to decide if he wants to add. And if he does, that’s really not an issue.”
While that’s not a firm declaration that the club is willing to pay the tax, Ilitch didn’t close the door on the possibility either. That’s likely encouraging for fans of the club, as it would be difficult for the Tigers to make in-season additions otherwise. Since they are already so close to the tax line, Harris would have almost no wiggle room for deadline deals if there was a strong club policy against paying the tax.
The Tigers have a strong chance to make some noise in 2026. They have Tarik Skubal under club control for one more year. He’s obviously won the American League Cy Young Award in each of the past two seasons, and coupling him with Valdez is a major boon, particularly if they go on a deep run in the postseason, when teams usually lean harder on their top arms. It’s possible Skubal will sign with another club next offseason, leaving the 2026 season as the Tigers’ final chance to take advantage of having him on the roster.
While every club has a payroll limit, it would be frustrating if the tax was some kind of uncrossable barrier this year, so perhaps it could be a cause for some optimism that paying the tax seems to be a possibility. The Tigers last paid the CBT in 2017.
Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images