Angels Select Shaun Anderson
The Angels announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Shaun Anderson. In a corresponding move, right-hander Victor Mederos was designated for assignment.
More to come.
Alex Cora Discusses Red Sox’ Outfield Plans
The Red Sox have one of the most crowded outfield mixes in all of baseball. Jarren Duran is an All-Star who has averaged more than 5.0 WAR per season over the last two years. Wilyer Abreu has two Gold Glove awards on his mantle and a career 116 wRC+. Ceddanne Rafaela is the best defensive outfielder in the American League. Roman Anthony has a career .401 on-base percentage just 73 games into his major league career. A crowd of outfielders that impressive leaves little room for veteran DH Masataka Yoshida to fight his way into the starting lineup, and manager Alex Core spoke to reporters (including Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic) about the outfield situation yesterday.
“We’ll see how it plays out,” Cora said, as relayed by McCaffrey. “JD is gonna play center soon, the day Ceddanne doesn’t play, and we got Thursday off. It’s not easy. Whoever thinks this is easy to move them around, they’re wrong… It’s not easy, but I’ll make it work.”
Cora went on to note that Yoshida figures to play three of the club’s next five games, as the team feels comfortable having Yoshida play left field in Houston’s Daikin Park. Cora noted that while the club will “need” Yoshida to play some outfield in order to get him into the lineup, the team’s other defensive outfielders (Rafaela, Duran, Anthony, and Abreu) are all a cut above Yoshida defensively. That would seemingly indicate he’ll get most of his time at DH, though Cora did express concerns about taking one of the other four outfielders out of the lineup. From Cora’s comments, it seems as though Duran is least likely to sit on any given day this year. Cora indicated that getting each of Anthony, Abreu, and Rafaela days off could be beneficial, but made no such pronouncement about Duran.
It’s not especially hard to see why Duran would be the least likely to sit on any given day. Abreu and Anthony both suffered from injuries last year that limited their playing time, while Duran has appeared in 317 of Boston’s 324 regular season games over the past two years. Rafaela, meanwhile, is by far the least accomplished hitter in the team’s outfield mix, and Duran is the next-best option in center defensively. With the Red Sox likely looking to avoid injury for Abreu and Anthony and Duran being needed to cover center on any day’s Rafaela is out of the lineup (or, perhaps, covering the infield), Duran once again figures to be part of the lineup on almost an everyday basis to start the year.
Of course, those plans could change in a hurry depending on performance. Anthony looks to be one of the brightest young stars in the game, and there may come a point where his value is simply too high to ever sit when he’s healthy. Abreu is the only one of the team’s four primary outfielders who can’t play center, but he also showed more ability to hit left-handed pitching than Duran has to this point in 2025 and could be a preferable choice against lefties if that trend continues in 2026. Even Rafaela has shown the ability to be a well-above average hitter when he gets hot, and at just 25 years old could certainly take his game to another level this year.
Cora’s public acknowledgment of the difficulties that come with having more outfielders than he can play on a regular basis is sure to keep conversations about the Red Sox potentially trading from their outfield glut in the rumor mill. The club has been heavily rumored to be considering doing so for years now, but they’ve yet to pull that trigger. Perhaps that could change when the right offer comes along, but with the season now underway it would be a surprise if that happened until closer to this year’s trade deadline.
If the team’s outfield logjam reaches a breaking point without a trade taking place, that could spell the end of Yoshida’s time on the roster. Cutting ties with the veteran DH is another move that’s been long speculated about for the Red Sox. While 47% of MLBTR readers believed Yoshida would not make the club’s Opening Day roster in a poll conducted when camp opened up back in February, he was able to earn a spot on the team’s roster to begin the year.
Still, his hold on a roster spot could prove tenuous if he doesn’t perform in his current part-time role. Yoshida is limited to DH and left field defensively, and his bat doesn’t compare to that of Anthony, Abreu, or Duran even when at his best. Last season he was a below-average offensive player in 55 games, and if he can’t turn things around this season it might be tempting for the Red Sox to carry a younger, more versatile player like Kristian Campbell on the roster instead. Even someone like Triston Casas, who is currently on the injured list but could pitch in at first base and offers intriguing power off the bench, could be a viable alternative if Yoshida struggles this year.
Cubs, Nico Hoerner Agree To Extension
March 29th: The Cubs have now officially announced the contract. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score reports that Hoerner receives a full no-trade clause as part of the contract.
March 28th: Sherman reports the full breakdown of Hoerner’s contract today, noting that the deal’s Net Present Value is in the range of $137.5MM. Hoerner receives a $5MM signing bonus as part of the deal. He will make $23MM per year in 2027 and 2028, then $22.5MM per year from 2029 through 2032. $2.5MM of Hoerner’s annual salary in the 2029-32 seasons is deferred.
March 27th: Hoerner’s deal is for $141MM over six years, per Jeff Passan of ESPN. The deal starts next year and includes a no-trade clause, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, so it’ll run through 2032. That will be Hoerner’s age-30 through age-35 seasons. Hoerner’s pact is in the range of free agent deals for middle infielders. Trevor Story and Javier Báez each got $140MM over six. Hoerner just barely goes past those two, while coming in a bit under Marcus Semien‘s $175MM, Swanson’s $177MM and Willy Adames‘s $182MM, which were all seven-year deals. However, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that there is deferred money in the deal. That will knock down the net present value to the mid-$130MMs, per Joel Sherman of The New York Post.
March 26th: The Cubs and infielder Nico Hoerner have agreed to an extension, reports Michael Cerami of Bleacher Nation. It’s a six-year deal, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. Hoerner was slated for free agency after this year, with 2026 being the final season of his previous extension. The financial aspects of this new agreement have not yet been publicly reported.
Hoerner, 29 in May, has been the a key part of the Cubs for several years now. He doesn’t have a ton of power but provides strong offense with a consistent contact approach. Dating back to the start of 2022, he has almost 2500 plate appearances. His 6.4% walk rate and 10.2% strikeout rate are both well below league average. He only has 33 home runs in that time. But the contact approach has resulted in a .284/.339/.389 line and 105 wRC+ for that span. He finished each of those four seasons with a wRC+ from 102 to 109.
He combines that offense with strong attributes in other facets of his game. He has stolen 123 bases in that four-year span, with at least 20 in each season. Defensively, he is considered to be good enough to handle shortstop but has been bumped to the other side of the bag by the presence of Dansby Swanson. That has made him one of the best defensive second basemen in the league. Dating back to the start of 2023, the year he moved to second base, he has 32 Defensive Runs Saved and 35 Outs Above Average. The DRS total is behind only Andrés Giménez and Brice Turang, while the OAA number is behind only Giménez and Marcus Semien.
The combination is a valuable one. FanGraphs has credited him with a little more than four wins above replacement per year for a total of 17.4 fWAR since the start of 2022. He didn’t finish any of those four seasons lower than 3.8 fWAR.
Three years ago, the Cubs and Hoerner agreed to their first extension, a three-year deal worth $35MM. That was a bit of an odd deal, as it bought out Hoerner’s two arbitration seasons and then just one free agent year. Hoerner delayed his path to the open market for a relatively modest price.
As that deal played out, Hoerner became a plausible trade candidate for a few reasons. For one, he was getting closer to free agency, which often leads to increased trade speculation with many players. The Cubs also had some infield prospects pushing towards the majors, with Matt Shaw making his major league debut last year. The Cubs could have traded Hoerner to address another area of the roster, then put Shaw at second base. Given that another club could have put Hoerner at shortstop, perhaps that would have increased the trade return.
Instead, the Cubs are locking in another piece of their core. Third baseman Alex Bregman is signed through 2030 and Swanson through 2029. They agreed to a long-term deal with Pete Crow-Armstrong just a few days ago, so he’s going to be signed through 2032. Assuming this Hoerner deal starts in 2027, it will also run through 2032.
After 2026, the Cubs were facing a potentially huge amount of roster turnover. Hoerner, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, Shota Imanaga, Jameson Taillon, Hoby Milner, Dylan Carlson, Michael Conforto and Tyler Austin are all impending free agents. Matthew Boyd, Hunter Harvey, Carson Kelly and Caleb Thielbar all have mutual options for 2027 but those are almost never picked up by both sides, so they should all be considered impending free agents as well. That is still something the club will have to plan for but locking in Hoerner takes one thing off the to-do list.
One player who could be impacted by this deal is Shaw. He played third base last year but the Bregman signing bumped him into a utility role for 2026. With Hoerner’s impending free agency, it was possible to imagine that being a one-year arrangement, as Shaw could then take over at the keystone starting in 2027. That’s no longer possible.
Shaw is going to be playing some outfield this year, so perhaps he could take over a corner next year with the impending departures of Happ and Suzuki, though that depends on him proving viable on the grass. He is still under club control for six seasons, so it’s also possible to imagine him being a future trade chip, if he could find a better path to infield playing time with another club.
Hoerner would have made for a fascinating free agent case. Second basemen normally don’t get massive paychecks in free agency but Hoerner could have marketed himself as a shortstop and perhaps some clubs would have viewed him as one. Teams also normally pay more for power than contact. A speed-and-defense profile can get paid but it’s also risky since those attributes fade over time. It would have been a unique free agency test case but that’s moot now.
The 2026-27 free agent class is particularly light in terms of hitters. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco recently took a look at the group in a post for Front Office subscribers. While recent offseasons have had clear standout bats like Corey Seager, Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto and Kyle Tucker, the upcoming winter doesn’t quite have that kind of star power. Franco highlighted Bo Bichette, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Trent Grisham, Daulton Varsho and Hoerner as the top position players in the class.
Hoerner certainly would not have been the best hitter in that bunch but the speed and defense put him up there in terms of overall value. Teams looking for middle infield help next winter will have to cross one name off what was already a somewhat flimsy list.
As of this writing, the numbers on the deal have not been reported. That makes it difficult to assess the long-term impact for the Cubs. What can be said is that they do have a good amount of payroll space available in the future. As mentioned, they have long-term commitments to Swanson, Bregman and Crow-Armstrong but that’s essentially it. Phil Maton and Shelby Miller are the only other players with guaranteed deals for 2027. By 2028, it’s just Bregman, Swanson and Crow-Armstrong.
Photos courtesy of Michael McLoone, David Banks, Imagn Images
Cubs Outright Jack Neely
The Cubs have outrighted right-hander Jack Neely to Triple-A, according to Bruce Levine of 670 The Score. Neely was designated for assignment by the club prior to Opening Day in a move that made room for Michael Conforto on the team’s 40-man roster.
Neely, 25, was acquired from the Yankees at the 2024 trade deadline in exchange for Mark Leiter Jr. alongside Ben Cowles. The right-hander made his big league debut with Chicago down the stretch that year but struggled with a 9.00 ERA in six appearances despite a respectable 25.0% strikeout rate. His work in the minors during the 2023 and ’24 seasons had the look of a future staple of a big league bullpen, as his strikeout rate pushed 40% at the Double-A level. Unfortunately, his numbers fell off in a big way during the 2025 season. Neely struggled badly at the Cubs’ Triple-A affiliate in Iowa and surrendered a 5.94 ERA in 33 1/3 innings of work. His 27.7% strikeout rate was solid, but it was overshadowed by a loss of control that resulted in a massive 18.1% walk rate.
Those numbers were unplayable enough that the Cubs did not turn to Neely in the majors at any point during the 2025 campaign, but his youth and prior minor league success was enough to convince them to keep him on the 40-man roster throughout the offseason. He looked much better in camp than he had during the prior year at Triple-A. He struck out 46.7% of batters faced in four scoreless appearances. That ultimately wasn’t enough to break camp in a crowded Cubs’ bullpen picture, however. At first, he seemed likely to head back to Triple-A as a depth option like Jordan Wicks, Javier Assad, Ryan Rolison and others, but when the team’s 40-man roster was squeezed by the need to add an extra bench bat following Seiya Suzuki‘s knee injury, Neely was the victim.
Now that the right-hander has cleared waivers unclaimed, the Cubs have outrighted him back to Triple-A. He’ll likely remain there for the rest of the season as non-roster bullpen depth for the Cubs, unless he gets added back to the 40-man roster and called up. Perhaps the 25-year-old will be able to post numbers more like his 2023-24 self and do just that, but if he fails to make the 40-man roster before the end of the year he’ll have the opportunity to elect minor league free agency following the season and sign with any of the league’s 30 clubs.
Breaking Down Potential Extensions For Logan Gilbert And Bryan Woo
The Mariners have become a playoff contender in recent years thanks in large part to their pitching. Between Logan Gilbert, George Kirby, and Bryan Woo, the club has a plethora of effective homegrown starters. With Luis Castillo also in the mix, Seattle’s rotation is both a top-10 unit in the league and well-suited to take advantage of the pitching-friendly dimensions of T-Mobile Park.
Understandably, the club is exploring ways to keep that group intact, with Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reporting that the team explored extensions with Gilbert and Woo over the offseason. Kramer adds that the talks with Gilbert did not progress to the point where the two parties were close to an agreement. Talks with Woo’s representatives were also preliminary.
Gilbert has been a staple of the rotation since debuting in 2021. In 840 2/3 innings, he owns a 3.59 ERA, a 26.2% strikeout rate, and a 5.3% walk rate. He has always done well at limiting walks, and the strikeouts have improved year over year since 2022. He is also quite durable, with 2025 being the first time he went on the injured list. After missing seven weeks with a right elbow flexor strain, Gilbert returned in mid-June and was his usual self for the rest of the season. He ultimately made 25 starts with a 3.44 ERA and a career-high 32.3% strikeout rate.
Woo, 26, made his debut in 2023 and has a 3.21 ERA through 70 career starts. Like Gilbert, Woo gets strikeouts at an above average rate and excels at limiting free passes. He has made a few trips to the IL, including two separate stints in 2024 which limited him to 22 starts. He made 30 starts for the first time in 2025. His 21 quality starts in 2025 tied Hunter Brown and Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal for fourth place in the majors. Although he missed the last two weeks of the regular season with pectoral inflammation, he returned as a reliever in the ALCS and is fully healthy heading into his first start of 2026.
Both Gilbert and Woo are immensely valuable to the Mariners, so it makes sense for the team to explore extensions while they have multiple seasons of club control remaining. Gilbert has the longer track record, with over four years of effective pitching on his resume. Being closer to free agency, an extension for Gilbert would also be more costly. Looking around the league, Garrett Crochet was the most recent starter with four to five years of service to be extended. He got six years and $170MM from the Red Sox in March 2025. Crochet’s case was unique, as he had been a reliever until 2024 and only had one (very effective) season as a starter before signing the extension.
Gilbert does not strike out as many hitters as Crochet and profiles as a No. 2 starter rather than a true ace. The recent Pablo Lopez and Mitch Keller contracts may be closer comparisons based on talent level and age at the time of signing. Lopez was worth 8.5 fWAR over 84 starts from 2019-22. He got a four-year, $73.5MM deal from the Twins in April 2023, which covered his age-28 through 31 seasons and bought out three free agent years. Meanwhile, Keller was worth a combined 6.2 fWAR in 91 appearances (89 starts) for the Pirates from 2020-23. His February 2024 extension gave him $71.6MM in new money over four years (age-29 through 32), including three free agent years.
Gilbert’s talent level puts him closer to Lopez and Keller than Crochet. Given his comparable age and superior talent, Gilbert might be worth $85-90MM over a four-year term. It wouldn’t be out of character for the Mariners to pay that amount. Castillo’s extension in 2022 gave him a similar average annual value over his age-30 to 34 seasons, and he had a comparable track record at the time to Gilbert’s now.
If the Mariners would prefer to spread money around to different parts of the roster, then Woo might be the more logical long-term fit. He is currently 26 years old and under club control through 2029. For players with two to three years of service time, Cristian Javier and Tanner Bibee are the best points of comparison. Prior to his February 2023 extension, Javier was worth a combined 4.0 fWAR over 66 appearances, roughly half of which were starts. He earned a $64MM guarantee over five years (two would-be free agent years) for an AAV of $12.8MM.
More recently, Bibee got around $47.2MM on a four-year extension in March 2025, which covered at least one free agent year. That came following a 2023-24 stretch in which Bibee accumulated 6.3 fWAR over 56 starts. Being a full-time starter, Woo is a closer match with Bibee’s contract than Javier’s. Bibee had exactly two years of service when he signed his deal, whereas Woo has closer to three years of service. The two are comparable in terms of overall performance, with Woo having an edge on a rate basis and Bibee covering slightly more innings. Based on those circumstances, Woo might garner $55MM over a four-year term ($13.75MM AAV).
Kramer framed both sets of extension talks as preliminary, so Mariners fans should take the news with a grain of salt. Nonetheless, these comparisons offer insight into how much it would cost for the club to retain their starters throughout their window of contention. Per RosterResource, the club has four guaranteed salaries on their books in 2027. Castillo ($24.15MM), Julio Rodriguez ($20.19MM), Josh Naylor ($17.3MM), and Cal Raleigh ($13.67MM). That’s a total of $75.31MM in guaranteed money. After factoring in the arbitration class, that should leave enough room for the club to extend at least one of its homegrown starters, and perhaps more.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images
White Sox Outright Korey Lee
Catcher Korey Lee has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, according to Scott Merkin of MLB.com. Lee was designated for assignment by the White Sox three days ago after being informed that he wouldn’t make the Opening Day roster.
The outright assignment keeps Lee in the organization, which may prove ideal for the Sox. A few weeks ago, Lee was poised for the backup catcher spot, with Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero splitting time between catcher and DH to keep both in the lineup. Then, Teel strained his hamstring in the World Baseball Classic, leading him to start the year on the injured list. The injury prompted Chicago to sign Reese McGuire to a cheap one-year deal as a backup while Quero started behind the plate. Despite his excellent performance in Spring Training, Lee was ultimately the odd man out. He’ll now start the year as Triple-A depth, but he’s likely the next man up should Quero or McGuire suffer an injury themselves.
Lee has made 530 career plate appearances between the Astros and White Sox from 2022-25. His first significant look came in 2024 with the Sox, making 394 PA over 125 games. He batted just .210/.244/.347 with a 65 wRC+, although he showed some power with 12 home runs. He spent most of 2025 at Triple-A and fared slightly better with an 81 wRC+. Still, his overall offensive output is underwhelming given his status as a former first-round draft pick.
Instead, Lee’s value comes from his defense and ability to work with a pitching staff. In 2024, Statcast graded him in the 97th percentile for pop time and the 82nd percentile for caught stealing above average. In contrast, he earned negative marks for his blocking and framing. Despite those flaws, Lee’s arm strength, youth, and affordability give him some appeal as minor-league depth. He has just over two years of service time and is out of option years. If his contract is eventually selected, he would need to hit enough to stick on the roster or else be designated for assignment. In that scenario, he would have the right to refuse another outright assignment.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Injury Notes: Crawford, Kerkering, Murphy, Hernández
Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford is currently on the 10-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation, though he is not expected to have a lengthy absence. Indeed, Adam Jude of The Seattle Times reports that Crawford is with the team today and participated in batting practice. He is also slated for a full infield workout, per Daniel Kramer of MLB.com. He will remain with the team through the weekend before starting a Triple-A rehab assignment.
The update bodes well for Mariners fans, who will be glad to have their longtime shortstop back in action after just a few weeks. Crawford has generally been healthy since the 2021 season, apart from two missed months in 2024 due to a right oblique strain and a hand fracture. Assuming his rehab goes well, he’ll be on track for another season of 140 or more games. Last year, Crawford posted a 113 wRC+ in 157 games, showing his usual plate discipline with an 11.3% walk rate and an 88th-percentile chase rate. His defense regressed somewhat, but he was viewed positively by Defensive Runs Saved as recently as 2024. Leo Rivas will continue to play short for the Mariners while Crawford recovers.
A few more injury updates from around the league:
- Phillies right-hander Orion Kerkering threw a scoreless inning in his first rehab appearance at Triple-A. The next step is for him to throw in back-to-back games on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to manager Rob Thomson (link via Todd Zolecki of MLB.com). Kerkering was placed on the 15-day IL three days ago with a right hamstring strain, though he did pitch in minor league games near the end of camp. Judging by that, he should be back at some point in mid-April. Kerkering is coming off a solid 3.30 ERA in 60 relief innings in 2025, albeit with less encouraging peripherals. The late innings are covered by Jhoan Duran, Jose Alvarado, and Brad Keller, so Kerkering will take a middle relief role upon his return.
- Elsewhere in the NL East, Braves catcher Sean Murphy is participating in baseball activities and could start a rehab assignment soon, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com. The 31-year-old Murphy underwent hip surgery in September, and Bowman previously suggested that Murphy hoped to return some time in May. With last year’s NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin holding down the fort, the team can afford to proceed cautiously with Murphy’s rehab. That could make a late May return the goal for Atlanta. Murphy posted slightly below average offense in 2025, although his defense was excellent as usual. Baldwin, in contrast, was 25% better than average offensively last year, with -2 DRS behind the plate.
- Dodgers utilityman Enrique Hernández took batting practice on the field today. He is also progressing on defense, fielding grounders and making throws according to manager Dave Roberts (link via Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times). Roberts added that he would be “shocked” if Hernández did not return from the 60-day IL as soon as he is eligible on May 24. Hernández didn’t offer much with the bat last year, with a wRC+ of 70. His 5 Outs Above Average showed that his defense was still an asset, and he remains a fan favorite in Los Angeles thanks to his postseason heroics. He is playing on a $4.5MM salary in his 13th big-league season.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
Nick Anderson Has Upward Mobility Clause In Athletics Deal
March 28: Anderson went unclaimed on waivers and will start the year with the Athletics’ Triple-A affiliate, per an update from Ari Alexander.
March 25: Right-hander Nick Anderson has an upward mobility clause in his minor league deal with the Athletics and plans to trigger it tomorrow, reports Ari Alexander. The reliever signed with the club in early November.
The Athletics have not released their Opening Day roster, but based on this development, it would seem Anderson has failed to make the team. By triggering the clause, the veteran will be offered to every other team in the league. If any club is willing to give him a roster spot, the A’s will have to do the same, or work out a trade. If all 29 teams pass on Anderson, he can be sent to the minors.
The 35-year-old Anderson posted an unremarkable 4.35 ERA across 10 spring outings, but did punch out more than a batter per inning. He was competing for a bullpen spot with fellow non-roster invitees Wander Suero, Brooks Kriske, and Joel Kuhnel, among others. The Athletics added veterans Mark Leiter Jr. and Scott Barlow to a young bullpen this offseason.
Anderson scuffled to a 6.14 ERA in a dozen games with the Rockies last season. He also spent time in the minors with the Mariners and Cardinals. Anderson has pitched for five MLB squads since he debuted with the Marlins in 2019.
Just four months into his big-league career, the Rays acquired Anderson at the trade deadline for outfielder Jesus Sanchez and right-hander Ryne Stanek. Trevor Richards also came to Tampa Bay in the deal. Anderson emerged as a weapon on a Rays club that won 96 games. He posted a ridiculous 52.6% strikeout rate in 21 1/3 innings down the stretch. Anderson was just as good in the shortened 2020 season, delivering a microscopic 0.55 ERA with a 44.8% strikeout rate.
Injuries took a toll on Anderson beginning in the 2020 campaign. He missed time with forearm inflammation, a lower back strain, a torn UCL, and plantar fasciitis over the next three years. Anderson bounced between seven different organizations after leaving Tampa Bay in free agency following the 2022 season.
Photo courtesy of Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images
Phillies Outright Garrett Stubbs
Catcher Garrett Stubbs has cleared waivers and been outrighted to Triple-A, reports Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer. The 32-year-old was designated for assignment earlier this week to clear a spot on the 40-man roster for infielder Christian Cairo.
A wide-ranging spring that included a potential positional change and trade discussions now ends with Stubbs remaining in the organization at the minor league level. He’s on a split contract that will pay him $575,000 in the minors, per Todd Zolecki of MLB.com.
With Rafael Marchán slated for backup catcher duties behind J.T. Realmuto, Stubbs didn’t have a clear route to a roster spot. That changed in early March, when the veteran backstop emerged as an option to replace Johan Rojas. Stubbs began taking reps in the infield and the outfield following the news that Rojas was facing a PED suspension. “There’s nothing that says [Stubbs] couldn’t be the 26th man and we carry three catchers,” manager Rob Thomson said at the time. The skipper reiterated that Stubbs would work out in the infield and outfield if he remained in the organization after the DFA, relays Zolecki.
Utilityman Dylan Moore ultimately earned the final spot on the roster. As a veteran with ample experience all over the diamond, he was a more logical choice to fill in for the suspended Rojas. Reports popped up last week that Philadelphia was looking to trade Stubbs. With the catcher out of minor league options, the Phillies tried to find a taker before DFAing him. No one bit, and the Phillies were able to successfully slip him through waivers and stash the veteran at Lehigh Valley.
Philadelphia acquired Stubbs in a November 2021 trade with the Astros. He’s earned part-time work over the past four seasons with the club. The lefty swinger has slashed .215/.293/.310 in 521 big-league plate appearances. Stubbs made a considerable impact with the Phillies in his first campaign, posting a 129 wRC+ across 50 games. He struggled to replicate that success in subsequent seasons. Stubbs made just five appearances in the big leagues last year.
Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images
White Sox Trade Curtis Mead To Nationals For Boston Smith
The White Sox have acquired catcher Boston Smith from the Nationals for infielder Curtis Mead, both teams have announced. Mead was designated for assignment earlier this week after falling short of an Opening Day roster spot. Smith was a sixth-round pick in the 2025 draft. To open up a 40-man roster spot for Mead, Washington designated lefty Jake Eder for assignment.
A former top prospect with the Rays, Mead spent the final two months of 2025 with the White Sox after coming over in the Adrian Houser trade. He scuffled to a 64 wRC+ in 41 games with the club. Mead hit .233 with a couple of home runs in 10 spring games as he battled for a big-league job. He lost out on the final bench spot to outfielder Tristan Peters.
Mead signed with the Phillies as a minor league free agent in 2018. He was dealt to the Rays straight up for future All-Star Cristopher Sanchez the following year. Mead mashed in the minors in his first full season in the Tampa Bay organization, delivering a 142 wRC+ across three levels in 2021. He continued to pound minor league pitching over the next two seasons.
MLB Pipeline ranked Mead as the Rays’ No. 2 prospect in 2023, behind only right-hander Taj Bradley. He debuted with the club that year, holding his own as a 22-year-old with a .253/.326/.349 slash line in 92 plate appearances. Despite the respectable debut, Mead was limited to part-time work with the Rays in 2024 and 2025. His production was underwhelming at the plate, though he did provide some defensive versatility. Mead spent time at first base, second base, and third base, while also making an appearance at shortstop.
Washington has been active in the infield market over the past week. The club acquired Jorbit Vivas and Zack Short from the Yankees in separate deals. Mead will now join the list. It’s unclear whether he’ll be with the big-league club or head to the minors. Chicago was more in need of an outfielder to fill out the roster following the Brooks Baldwin injury, but the Nats are thinner on the dirt.
Smith was selected with the No. 171 overall pick out of Wright State. The backstop popped 26 home runs in his final season with the Raiders. The 23-year-old has yet to suit up in the minors. Chicago has a pair of talented young catchers on the big-league squad in Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero. Veteran Reese McGuire is currently backing up Quero as Teel deals with a hamstring strain suffered in the World Baseball Classic.
Eder was signed by the Marlins as an undrafted free agent in 2020. He was traded to the White Sox for Jake Burger at the 2023 trade deadline. After a handful of uninspiring seasons in the minors with Chicago, he was sent to the Angels for cash in March 2025. Eder made eight appearances for the big-league club, pitching to a 4.91 ERA across 18 1/3 innings. The lefty found his way to the Nationals in a trade that sent relievers Andrew Chafin and Luis García back to the Angels. Eder was tagged for seven earned runs over seven minor league innings with Washington.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas and Peter Aiken, Imagn Images