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Poll: Will The Yankees Trade From Their Outfield?

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After a winter-long staring contest between the Yankees and Cody Bellinger’s camp, the sides have finally reunited on a five-year pact. It’s great news for a Yankees lineup that benefited greatly from Bellinger’s production (125 wRC+, 4.9 fWAR) in 2025, but that news isn’t quite as exciting for the Yankees’ young outfielders. With Trent Grisham (129 wRC+, 3.2 fWAR) back in town via the qualifying offer, Bellinger’s return means it will be tough for former top prospect Jasson Dominguez and current top prospect Spencer Jones to push their way into the lineup.

That might not seem like a significant concern at first glance. After all, the Yankees have only returned the same group of outfielders they worked with last year, and playing time wasn’t a substantial concern for either Jones or Dominguez then. That’s an incomplete look at the situation, however. Slugging DH Giancarlo Stanton missed the first half of the season last year due to an injury impacting both of his elbows, which created ample playing time in the first half of the season for Dominguez. Jones, meanwhile, opened the year at Double-A and wasn’t realistically on the big league radar until near the end of 2025. By the time the trade deadline had passed (Aaron Judge’s brief trip to the injured list notwithstanding), New York was forced to get creative and use Ben Rice behind the plate on occasion just to fit all their players into the lineup.

While that’s not entirely a bad problem to have, it can be challenging for a young player to develop and succeed at the big league level without consistent playing time. That could spell trouble for Dominguez, whose 2025 campaign saw him post a 103 wRC+ with ten homers, 23 steals, and 0.6 fWAR due to lackluster defense in the outfield. That’s decent enough production for a rookie, but not exactly the sort of five-tool superstar he was once lauded as. Getting closer to that ceiling will surely require plenty of in-game reps, and it’s fair to wonder if the team will have enough of those to offer him at this point without an injury occurring. That’s before even considering Jones, who slugged 19 homers in 67 games at Triple-A last year and will certainly be ready for his first taste of big league action sometime this year (if he isn’t already).

With Bellinger, Judge, and Stanton all locked into the outfield/DH mix for years to come while Grisham figures to continue getting regular reps this season, the argument for a trade is fairly clear. If the Yankees could find substantial value on the trade market, it could make plenty of sense to upgrade the infield (where Jose Caballero and Ryan McMahon figure to kick off the season as regulars on the left side), a bullpen that lost both Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to the Mets across town, or even a starting rotation that will be without Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon to open the year.

With that said, it’s unclear just how available many interesting players are at this point. The Yankees missed out on Freddy Peralta and Edward Cabrera already. Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan are not expected to be moved as the Twins work towards competing this year. Someone like Brady Singer could still be available, but it seems unlikely that the Yankees would give up five seasons of Dominguez (never mind six of Jones) for a rental innings eater. Brendan Donovan is available, but he’s been pursued by many teams at this point. Unless the Yankees win the bidding war for Donovan or a shock trade of someone like Tarik Skubal happens, it’s unclear where the Yankees could look to move Dominguez or Jones without selling low.

Perhaps  the Yankees would be best off holding onto both youngsters, at least for the time being. After all, it’s not impossible to imagine playing time opening up in the team’s outfield. Stanton, Judge, and even Bellinger have substantial injury histories, while Grisham was a bench player as recently as 2024. Bellinger is also capable of handling first base, so there are ways to squeeze another outfielder into the lineup even without sitting anyone from that group. Keeping both Jones and Dominguez in order to utilize them as trade chips come July could make sense, as more acute needs could pop up throughout the season due to injuries or other issues. On the other hand, if the team keeps both players in the fold throughout the first half, Grisham would then be only a couple of months away from free agency. At that point, the team might be best served simply holding both players for the whole season.

How do MLBTR readers think the Yankees will handle their glut of outfielders? Should they try and pull off a trade to make sure neither Jones nor Dominguez has their development stunted by a lack of MLB playing time? Or should they hold onto their depth to protect against injuries, at least until the deadline this summer? Have your say in the poll below:

Rays, Cam Booser Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Rays have agreed to a minor league contract with left-handed reliever Cam Booser, per the team transaction log at MLB.com. He’s a client of Northwest Sports Management. The log doesn’t specify as much, but MLBTR has confirmed that Booser will be in major league camp with the Rays as a non-roster invitee.

Booser, 33, spent the 2025 campaign with the White Sox organization, tossing 31 innings in the majors and another 14 2/3 frames in Triple-A. That was his second season with big league work, adding onto the 42 2/3 frames he logged with Boston in 2024. In 73 2/3 innings between the BoSox and ChiSox, Booser carries a 4.28 earned run average, a 23.9% strikeout rate and a 10.7% walk rate. He’s an extreme fly-ball pitcher, inducing grounders at just a 31% clip.

Booser sits 95.5 mph with his four-seamer and complements the pitch with a cutter averaging 88 mph and a slider that sits 81.7 mph. His solid strikeout rate is supported by a 13% swinging-strike rate in the majors, and his 89.5 mph average exit velocity, 10.4% barrel rate and 38.9% hard-hit rate are all at or close to the league average among relievers. Booser has never struggled to miss bats much in the minors, but command troubles have been present throughout his professional career.

After trading Mason Montgomery in the three-team swap that sent Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh and brought Jacob Melton from Houston to Tampa Bay, the Rays’ only lefty in the bullpen is Garrett Cleavinger. They don’t have any left-handed relievers on the 40-man roster in the minors, though any of Joe Rock, Ian Seymour or DFA pickup Ken Waldichuk could conceivably work out in relief if the team prefers to explore a role change. All three are on the 40-man roster.

The Rays haven’t been especially active in bringing players aboard on non-roster deals with invitations to spring training, so at the moment Booser is one of the more experienced NRIs who’ll be in camp with Tampa Bay. That can always change in the weeks ahead, of course, but barring the addition of another lefty or two, the hard-throwing Booser probably has a chance to force his way into the Opening Day picture with a big spring showing.

Nationals Outright Andry Lara

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The Nationals announced that right-hander Andry Lara has cleared waivers and been sent outright to Triple-A Rochester. He had been designated for assignment a week ago when the club claimed utility player Mickey Gasper.

Lara, 23, was an international signing out of Venezuela in 2019. He had a bit of a breakout in 2024, tossing 134 2/3 innings over 25 starts between High-A and Double-A. He allowed 3.34 earned runs per nine with a 24.3% strikeout rate and 8.1% walk rate. The Nats gave him a 40-man spot in November of that year to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft.

His 2025 wasn’t as pleasant. He did get to make his major league debut but posted an 8.79 ERA in 14 1/3 innings. Down on the farm, he had a 7.55 ERA in 56 innings split between High-A, Double-A and Triple-A.

That performance bumped him off Washington’s roster and none of the other 29 clubs were willing to give him a spot either. Since this is his first career outright and he has less than three years of service time, he does not have the right to elect free agency. He will stick with the Nats and try to pitch his way back onto the roster.

The club is rebuilding and had a collective 5.35 ERA in 2025. This winter, they have thinned out the staff by trading away MacKenzie Gore and Jose A. Ferrer. They have also made a few additions by signing Foster Griffin, claiming Gus Varland and selecting Griff McGarry in the Rule 5 draft. On the whole, the staff is lacking in experience and very few guys have spots locked down, so there are paths for Lara or other pitchers to take advantage of the situation.

Photo courtesy of Troy Taormina, Imagn Images

Yankees Claim Dom Hamel; Designate Marco Luciano, Jayvien Sandridge For Assignment

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The Yankees announced that they have claimed right-hander Dom Hamel off waivers from the Rangers. They also designated left-hander Jayvien Sandridge and outfielder Marco Luciano for assignment. The two DFAs open roster spots for Hamel and for Cody Bellinger, whose five-year deal was made official yesterday. Texas designated Hamel for assignment a week ago when they signed Jakob Junis.

Hamel, 27 in March, just made his major league debut not too long ago. He tossed a scoreless inning for the Mets on September 17th, which is still his only big league appearance. Shortly thereafter, the Mets put him on waivers, with the Orioles and Rangers claiming him in quick succession. Texas held him for a few months but put him back on the wire this week.

The righty came up through the Mets’ system as a starting pitcher but a lack of control pushed him to the bullpen in 2025. He logged 67 2/3 innings over 31 Triple-A appearances last year. 11 of those were officially starts but they were mostly in opener style. His 5.32 earned run average wasn’t great but he did strike out 25.2% of batters faced and showed improved control with a 7.4% walk rate. His four-seamer and sinker both averaged in the low 90s while he also mixed in a cutter, slider and changeup.

Hamel still has a couple of options, so the Yankees could keep him as depth in the minors. They could also try putting him back on waivers in the future. He doesn’t have a previous career outright and has less than three years of service time, which means he would not have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Speaking of players getting put back on waivers, that’s been the story of Luciano’s offseason. Once a top prospect, his stock has dropped as he has exhausted his option years. That has pushed him to a fringe roster position and it seems that there are several clubs hoping to be the one to pass him through waivers, at which point he could be kept in the minors as non-roster depth. He finished the 2025 season with the Giants but has subsequently gone to the Pirates, Orioles and Yankees via the waiver wire.

He has a rough career batting line of .217/.286/.304 in his big league career while striking out in 35.7% of his plate appearances. His Triple-A line of .227/.351/.401 is better but came in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League and still saw him strike out 29.6% of the time. He was moved from the middle infield to left field last year, which only put more pressure on him to produce offensively.

The numbers have not been great but Luciano is only 24 years old and was a top 100 prospect not too long ago. His service time is still under a year, meaning he can theoretically be retained for six full seasons by some club. It’s understandable that teams would hope to have that player on hand in case he does finally break out. Now that he’s in DFA limbo once more, he will be on the move again or outrighted in the next week.

Sandridge, 27 next month, got a major league roster spot for the first time with the Yankees last year. He made just one appearance, which came against the Mets on July 5th. He was given a rude awakening, as he walked Juan Soto and then allowed a home run to Pete Alonso. He settled down somewhat by striking out Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos, but then walked Luis Torrens and hit Jeff McNeil with a pitch before being removed.

That one appearance has some commonalities with his minor league track record, which has featured lots of strikeouts but a lack of control. He tossed 36 2/3 innings on the farm for the Yankees last year with a 4.66 ERA. He struck out 32.7% of batters faced but issued 19 walks, an 11.4% pace. He also hit three more batters and tossed six wild pitches. He averaged around 95 miles per hour with his four-seamer and sinker while also throwing a splitter and slider.

He will now be in DFA limbo for a week at most. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Yankees could take five days to field trade interest, but they could also put him on the wire sooner. Since he has a couple of options, he could have appeal if there’s a club that is both intrigued by the arsenal and looking for some extra relief depth.

Photo courtesy of Sam Navarro, Imagn Images

Top Picks: Best Sports Memorabilia Products for 2026! (Sponsored)

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About Legends Memorabilia:

At Legends Memorabilia Collection, their mission is to honor the legacy of the game by preserving and showcasing iconic sports memorabilia—while giving back to the legends who made it all possible. They are committed to putting money back into the pockets of the players, ensuring they share in the value of the memories they helped create. By connecting fans with authentic, player-backed collectibles, they celebrate the past, empower the present, and invest in the future of sports history.

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Legends Memorabilia offers a wide range of authentic autographed baseballs signed by current and legendary players. These range from game-specific commemorative balls to classic signature balls. Examples include high-profile autographs from stars such as Freddie Freeman and Mike Trout, among others — often with special inscriptions or commemorative logos tied to events like World Series games.

3. Autographed Jerseys

Collectors can find authentic autographed jerseys from notable players across baseball and sometimes other professional leagues. These jerseys are often presented with the player’s signature visible and may come with inscriptions or additional storytelling elements attached — making them prized display pieces for fans.

4. Autographed Bats and Bats with Player Inscriptions

Autographed bats are core pieces for any baseball memorabilia collector. Legends Memorabilia lists bats signed by both contemporary stars and up-and-coming players, often with inscriptions that denote a special achievement or designation. These are classic centerpiece items for any collector’s display.

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Angels Claim Osvaldo Bido

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The Angels announced that they have claimed right-hander Osvaldo Bido off waivers from the Marlins. Miami had designated Bido for assignment last week when they acquired Bradley Blalock from the Rockies. The Halos have an open 40-man roster spot for this claim but their agreement with infielder Yoán Moncada is not yet official. By filling up their last 40-man spot today, they will now have to make a corresponding move whenever Moncada’s deal does become official.

Bido, 30, seems to fall into an unfortunate fringe roster position where several teams like him but not enough to hold a roster position for very long. He has worked as an up-and-down swingman in recent years with some encouraging results at times. However, he is now out of options. He ended 2025 with the Athletics but has since gone to Atlanta, Tampa, Miami and now Anaheim via waiver claims.

It seems likely that several different teams would like to pass him through waivers unclaimed, which would allow them to have him in the minors as non-roster depth. He has never been outrighted in his career and has less than three years of service time, so he wouldn’t have the right to elect free agency if he were eventually outrighted.

Bido’s best showing in the major leagues thus far came in 2024. He gave the A’s 63 1/3 innings over nine starts and seven relief appearances, allowing 3.41 earned runs per nine. He struck out 24.3% of batters faced and gave out walks at a 10% clip. His fly ball rate was on the high side but that worked well while the A’s were still playing in Oakland and the pitcher-friendly confines of the Coliseum.

The club moved to a minor league park in 2025, which seemed to significantly hurt Bido’s results. He had only allowed three home runs in 2024 but then allowed 19 in 2025, in a slightly larger sample size of 79 2/3 innings. His strikeout rate also dropped a bit to 18.7%. The result was a 5.87 ERA, which presumably helped launch him into the DFA carousel this winter.

Perhaps he will find himself on waivers yet again but he has a spot with the Angels for now. The Halos have a decent amount of question marks in their rotation. Yusei Kikuchi and José Soriano should be in two spots but there’s not much certainty beyond those two. Reid Detmers is going to get another chance but was in relief last year. Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah will be looking to bounce back from injury absences. Caden Dana, Sam Aldegheri, Jack Kochanowicz and various others are on the roster but could be kept in the minors as depth.

The bullpen is also fairly open. Four spots are likely taken by Robert Stephenson, Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano and Kirby Yates. That still leaves four spots for other arms. Chase Silseth is out of options and could have one. Guys like Ryan Zeferjahn, José Fermín, Sam Bachman and Cody Laweryson will be in the mix but have options.

If Bido hangs onto his roster spot with the Angels, there should be opportunities, especially since he has experience both starting and relieving. If he still has a roster spot at season’s end, he can be retained for future seasons via arbitration.

Photo courtesy of Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images

MLBTR Chat Transcript

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Steve Adams

  • Good morning! We’ll get going at 1pm CT today, but feel free to submit questions ahead of time.
  • Good afternoon and happy Tuesday — let’s get going

Not my job to win a World Series

  • Peralta return higher than the Burnes return?  Any moves left for the Brewers this offseason?

Steve Adams

  • They’re pretty comparable returns — two top prospects on the back-end of most top-100 lists. I think the prospects themselves here are a bit more interesting than the Hall/Ortiz combo they got from Burnes, but they also got a Competitive Balance draft pick for Burnes, which has plenty of value itself.I imagine the Brewers will still look into some low-cost bullpen/bench additions as guys who are lingering on the market bring their demands down and accept lesser deals just to get into camp somewhere.

Pedro4eva

  • Do you see the Red Sox making a move for Suarez at 3rd? If not do they just give it to Meyer?

Steve Adams

  • No, I think if there’s an addition at this point it feels much likelier to be a second baseman. Mayer at third base feels like it could be the plan at this point.

Guest

  • David Peterson for Jeremiah Estrada. Who says no?

Steve Adams

  • I like David Peterson, but I’m not giving up four years of Estrada for one of Peterson if I’m the Padres.

Brewer Fan

  • Jett Williams and Josh Knoth for CJ Abrams. Who says no?

Steve Adams

  • Washington, pretty easily.

Guest

  • Who do you think will play first base for the Padres ?

Read more

Twins Notes: Bullpen, Rogers, Keaschall

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Twins president of baseball operations Derek Falvey implied last week after reuniting with lefty Taylor Rogers that subsequent bullpen additions could be on the horizon. Executive chair Tom Pohlad was more direct over the weekend, telling fans at the team’s annual TwinsFest event (link via Bobby Nightengale of the Minneapolis Star Tribune):

“Yeah, we’re going to continue. The clock doesn’t stop until Opening Day, right? For better or worse, [Falvey] and [GM Jeremy Zoll] have a history of adding pieces late. I’m sure you are going to continue to see that. We know that we have to continue to improve the bullpen.”

Minnesota’s current payroll of about $108MM sits nearly $30MM shy of last year’s mark. The team has made no secret of its plans to scale back payroll after sitting between $130-160MM each season from 2022-25, but there’s room for another reliever or two while still keeping the 2026 tally well below the levels we’ve seen in the four preceding seasons. Even with some additions seemingly on the horizon, Falvey indicated last week that the Twins would be counting on some younger, less-experienced pitchers to step up and solidify themselves as viable bullpen options this coming season.

Entering the season, the Twins have Pablo Lopez, Joe Ryan and Bailey Ober locked into rotation spots. Simeon Woods Richardson is out of minor league options and pitched well in 2025 after a brief demotion to the minors; he finished the year with a 4.04 ERA in 111 1/3 frames but was particularly sharp upon returning from Triple-A. In his final 14 starts of the season, Woods Richardson logged 69 innings with a 3.00 ERA (4.16 FIP, 4.37 SIERA), a 24.4% strikeout rate and a 10.4% walk rate. That finish and his lack of minor league options make him a clear favorite for the fourth spot on the staff.

The fifth spot will presumably be a battle of several promising young arms. Right-handers Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, David Festa and Zebby Matthews are all in the mix for that opening. All four ranked among the game’s top 100 prospects prior to their respective MLB debuts. All four have shown some flashes of success but also lacked consistency. Bradley has one minor league option remaining. The other three all have a pair of options left. Any of that quartet could emerge as a bullpen option, too, as could prospects like Connor Prielipp and Marco Raya.

At the moment, Rogers is the most experienced arm and the de facto favorite for saves, but subsequent additions could push him further down the pecking order. The 35-year-old southpaw was an All-Star closer for Minnesota back in 2021 but has been pitching more in middle relief across the past two seasons amid declines in his fastball and slider velocity.

A reunion with the Twins was something that Rogers himself pushed for, it seems. The left-hander told the Twins beat that he instructed his reps at Frontline Athlete Management to make clear to Minnesota’s front office at the Winter Meetings that he’d be open to a reunion (link via Matthew Leach of MLB.com). That didn’t result in an immediate deal, but the Twins touched base with Rogers’ camp again in January and a deal came together in a matter of days. Pitching for new manager Derek Shelton, who was predecessor Rocco Baldelli’s bench coach for a couple of years during Rogers’ initial Twins stint, was a big factor.

“I told Shelty on the phone, if he was managing a team in Fargo, North Dakota, I would want to want to go there,” said Rogers. “Same with an opportunity to work with [new bullpen coach LaTroy Hawkins].”

On the position player side of the roster, the Twins could move standout second baseman Luke Keaschall around the diamond a bit more this season. The former second-round pick and top prospect had Tommy John surgery in 2024, and Minnesota kept him at second base and DH this past season. Dan Hayes of The Athletic writes that with Keaschall now more than 16 months removed from surgery on his throwing arm, he’s more confident in his throwing and his strength has improved. Keaschall has played some center field in the minors and left field in college and summer ball before being drafted.

The 23-year-old Keaschall was a bright spot in a bleak Twins season. He made his big league debut in mid-April and slashed .302/.385/.445 with four home runs, 14 doubles, 14 stolen bases (in 17 attempts), a 9.2% walk rate and just a 14% strikeout rate in 207 trips to the plate. Had he not suffered a broken forearm in late May and been on the shelf through early August, it’s not unreasonable to think that Keaschall might’ve been in the Rookie of the Year running in the American League.

Minnesota’s outfield currently has Byron Buxton locked into center. He’ll be flanked by a combination of Matt Wallner, Alan Roden, Trevor Larnach and Austin Martin. Roden, Wallner and particularly Larnach would benefit from right-handed platoon partners. Martin is one option to fill that role, and if Keaschall looks comfortable on the grass during spring training, he could factor into that group as well. Top prospects Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Gabriel Gonzalez could all debut at some point this season as well; the former two are lefty swingers, while the latter hits from the right side. Wherever Keaschall lines up defensively, his bat will be in the lineup regularly based on last year’s strong rookie showing and his minor league track record (.294/.411/.458 in parts of three seasons).

Cubs, Dylan Carlson Agree To Minor League Deal

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January 27th: Carlson will make $2MM if he cracks the majors, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post, with another $1MM available via incentives.

January 26th: The Cubs have agreed to a minor league contract with free agent outfielder Dylan Carlson, as first reported by Greg Zumach. The ALIGND Sports client receives a non-roster invitation to major league spring training, where he’ll compete for a bench job.

Carlson is the second veteran outfielder to sign a minor league deal with the Cubs in the past week. Former Astros outfielder Chas McCormick also received an NRI from Chicago and will be in the mix for a bench spot.

The 27-year-old Carlson was the No. 33 overall pick in the 2016 draft by the Cubs’ archrivals in St. Louis. He ranked as one of the ten best prospects in the sport prior to his big league debut and had a nice showing in his first full season back in 2021 (.266/.343/.437, 18 homers) but has seen his bat stall out since. Carlson was a league-average hitter in 2022, but in three subsequent big league seasons has mustered only a .210/.294/.314 batting line in 761 trips to the plate between the Cardinals, Rays and Orioles. He’s dealt with shoulder, ankle, hamstring, thumb and wrist injuries along the way. The ankle injury, suffered in 2023, required season-ending surgery.

Carlson, a switch-hitter, had an uncharacteristically poor showing against left-handed pitching last year, but that came in a small sample with Baltimore. He’s been good against lefties throughout his career, hitting them at a .274/.347/.410 clip in 566 plate appearances. His left-handed swing and approach haven’t been nearly as refined; in 1421 turns at the plate versus right-handed pitching, he’s a .217/.298/.356 hitter.

The versatile Carlson can handle any of the three outfield spots, though his defensive grades in center field have slipped in small samples over the past couple seasons. Statcast graded his sprint speed comfortably above average earlier in his career, but Carlson was closer to the mean in 2025, sitting in the 56th percentile of big leaguers in that regard. He typically shows plus arm strength, based on the velocity of his throws from the outfield, but was closer to average in that regard this past season as well.

Carlson may not have developed into the star the Cardinals hoped, or even a quality regular, but if he can get back on track against left-handed pitching and play solid defense across the three outfield spots, he’s a fine fourth outfielder. Chicago’s outfield is set with Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong and Seiya Suzuki lining up from left to right, but Crow-Armstrong hit only .188/.217/.376 against lefties this past season.

If the Cubs want to give Crow-Armstrong some breaks against tough southpaws or even move to more of a platoon system, Carlson’s skill set could lend itself well to a complementary role, though the same could be said for fellow NRI McCormick. Waiver claim Justin Dean and prospect Kevin Alcantara are both on the 40-man roster as well. Both hit from the right side of the plate and can handle all three outfield spots.

Royals, Aaron Sanchez Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Royals and right-hander Aaron Sanchez are in agreement on a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of Fansided. The former Blue Jays All-Star will be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee. Sanchez would earn $1.5MM on the big league roster and has another $1.35MM available to him via incentives, a source tells MLBTR. The contract contains opt-out/release dates on April 15 and May 15, per Murray’s report. Sanchez is represented by Smooth Baseball.

Sanchez hasn’t pitched in the majors since 2022 and was out of baseball entirely in 2025. The 33-year-old set his sights on a comeback effort this winter though and more than earned a look with a big league club while pitching in the Dominican Winter League. He started eight games, pitched 46 1/3 innings and recorded a pristine 1.55 earned run average. Sanchez’s 19.1% strikeout rate isn’t much to look at, but he also walked only 5% of his opponents and has always been more of a ground-ball pitcher than a premium strikeout arm anyhow (career 52.7% grounder rate).

A former top prospect and No. 34 overall draft pick with the Blue Jays, Sanchez looked like a budding star in 2016. He paced the American League with a flat 3.00 ERA in 192 innings, finished seventh in Cy Young voting and made his lone All-Star team that year. Injuries have derailed him since. In addition to recurring blister troubles on his pitching hand, Sanchez has been plagued by a lat strain, a biceps strain and a torn capsule in his right shoulder.

Since that brilliant 2016 showing, Sanchez has managed only 367 2/3 innings in the majors. He’s pitched to a 5.29 ERA with a 17.5% strikeout rate, 10.6% walk rate and 49% ground-ball rate in that time, bouncing between five major league clubs along the way.

The Royals have a strong rotation, but clubs are always on the hunt for low-cost depth starting pitching depth. Cole Ragans, Kris Bubic, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha and Noah Cameron give the club five quality arms to carry into the season. Right-handers Alec Marsh, Ryan Bergert, Stephen Kolek and Mason Black are on the 40-man roster and all have starting experience in the majors, as does out-of-options left-hander Bailey Falter, who seems ticketed for a swingman role.

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