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Yariel Rodriguez Entering Camp As Starting Pitcher

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The Blue Jays are keeping Yariel Rodríguez stretched out as a starter going into Spring Training, general manager Ross Atkins told reporters (link via Keegan Matheson of MLB.com). “(He’ll) come in stretched out and compete for that fifth spot. He’ll remain depth for us, and we’ll make a decision about halfway or three-quarters of the way through Spring Training to try to put our pieces in the best positions to be successful,” Atkins said.

Toronto had looked to add a free agent starting pitcher throughout the offseason. After missing on long-term swings for Max Fried and Corbin Burnes, the Jays went short term to add Max Scherzer on a one-year, $15.5MM deal. The future Hall of Famer joins Kevin Gausman, José Berríos and Chris Bassitt as Toronto’s top four. The fifth spot is theoretically up for grabs between Rodríguez and Bowden Francis. Whomever doesn’t get the rotation spot could strengthen a bullpen that was a major weakness last season.

Francis should have the leg up in the camp battle. The 28-year-old righty was quietly dominant down the stretch. Toronto plugged Francis into the rotation around the time they dealt Yusei Kikuchi at last summer’s trade deadline. Francis fired 65 innings with a 1.80 earned run average across 11 appearances (10 starts) through season’s end. He held opponents to a .140/.188/.294 slash over 235 plate appearances. While some of that is due to an unsustainably low BABIP (.142), Francis also struck out a quarter of batters faced while keeping his walks to a minuscule 3.4% clip.

That was his first extended run as a major league starting pitcher. Francis posted a 1.73 ERA across 36 relief innings in 2023. He worked out of John Schneider’s bullpen for the first half of last season. Opponents blitzed him for a near-6.00 ERA behind a robust .276/.341/.481 line through the All-Star Break. Francis missed six weeks with forearm tendinitis and was briefly optioned to Triple-A before his fantastic second half.

Rodríguez, a Cuba native who previously pitched in NPB, signed a five-year contract with a $32MM guarantee last offseason. The 27-year-old started all 21 appearances during his first big league season. He posted a 4.47 ERA over 86 2/3 frames. Rodríguez punched out 23.1% of batters faced but walked nearly 11% of opponents. He missed six weeks with back inflammation and was optioned on and off the active roster a few times. Rodríguez made eight appearances with Triple-A Buffalo, where he turned in a 1.33 ERA with a strikeout rate pushing 38%.

The Jays reportedly cannot option Rodríguez to the minors without his approval anymore. Assuming the top four starters are healthy and Francis wins the fifth starter role, they’d presumably try to get Rodríguez multi-inning relief stints. That’d keep him reasonably stretched out in case they need to move him into the rotation in response to an in-season injury. Jake Bloss, acquired from the Astros in the Kikuchi trade, is next on the depth chart. Toronto has added Eric Lauer and Adam Kloffenstein on minor league deals. Alek Manoah is rehabbing Tommy John surgery and hopes to be back on the mound in August.

Adding Scherzer pushed the Jays’ luxury tax payroll to roughly $273MM (as calculated by RosterResource). That’s a franchise record that puts them within $8MM of the third tax tier — at which point their top pick in the 2026 draft would be dropped 10 slots. Atkins left open the possibility for a late-offseason acquisition, though he implied that they’re winding down on free agent activity.

“It’d be hard to add to the rotation at this point unless it’s just depth,” Atkins told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling). “On the position player group, if there’s a way to increase our depth, we’ll look to do that. I think at this point it would require a trade for us to add to the team. It doesn’t have to, but it most likely would be the case.”

The Jays have been on the periphery of the Alex Bregman market, though it seems the Astros, Tigers and Red Sox have been more heavily involved. Toronto was tied to Nick Pivetta before they signed Scherzer. There aren’t many other key players who remain unsigned, but the Jays could potentially bring in a veteran infielder on a minor league deal to factor into their third base competition.

Giants Sign Enny Romero To Minor League Deal

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The Giants announced their list of non-roster invitees to major league camp this afternoon. Lefty Enny Romero was among that group. According to the MLB.com transaction tracker, he signed a minor league deal with San Francisco last month.

Romero, who recently turned 34, returns to affiliated ball after sitting out two seasons. The southpaw last pitched a full season in 2022, when he turned in a 3.36 earned run average across 115 2/3 innings for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan. Romero’s only professional experience since then has been winter ball in his native Dominican Republic. While he struggled to a 5.17 ERA during the 2023-24 offseason, he had an excellent showing this winter. Romero pitched to a 1.24 mark over 10 starts.

San Francisco’s evaluators were intrigued enough by Romero’s form to give him a look in camp. The southpaw has pitched in five MLB seasons, though he hasn’t reached the majors since 2018. He was a pure reliever during his early-career work, most of which came with the Rays and Nationals. The 6’3″ hurler has a 5.12 ERA across 146 big league innings. He fanned a league average 23.4% of opponents against a lofty 11.1% walk rate.

Romero has worked as a starter in Japan and in the Dominican Republic, so it’s possible the Giants will keep him stretched out at Triple-A Sacramento. If he gets a major league look, it’d be likelier in low-leverage relief. The Giants only have one lefty reliever on their 40-man roster: Erik Miller. They’re bringing a handful of left-handers to camp on non-roster contracts. Joey Lucchesi, Raymond Burgos, Miguel Del Pozo, Ethan Small and Helcris Olivarez are also among those who’ll be in Spring Training.

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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MLBTR’s Anthony Franco held a live chat today, exclusively for Front Office subscribers!

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The Nationals’ Long-Term Payroll Flexibility

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The Nationals have opted for another risk-averse offseason. At the end of last season, Washington general manager Mike Rizzo teased the possibility for an impact lineup addition.

“We need a couple of bats that can hit in the middle of the lineup and take the onus off some of these good young core players and assist them in the run creation of our offense. We have the core players to be middle-of-the-lineup hitters,” Rizzo told MLB.com’s Bill Ladson. That provided some hope that the Nats would make a big free agent push, but that has not come to be.

Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell have been Washington’s biggest lineup acquisitions. Lowe, whom the Nats acquired from Texas for reliever Robert Garcia, has been a well above-average hitter in three consecutive seasons. He’s a legitimate middle-of-the-order bat. A reunion with Bell, who has been one of the game’s streakiest hitters throughout his career, on a $6MM free agent deal is less exciting.

Lowe, who will make between $10.3MM and $11.1MM in his penultimate arbitration season, has been Washington’s costliest acquisition for 2025. They took a $9MM flier on Michael Soroka and brought back Trevor Williams for two years and $14MM. They’ve made minimal commitments to Shinnosuke Ogasawara ($3.5MM over two years), Jorge López ($3MM) and Amed Rosario ($2MM). Williams and Ogasawara are the only players to whom they’ve committed multiple years. The latter’s contract pays him like a seventh or eighth starter. Lowe is under arbitration control for another season that could cost upwards of $15MM, but the Nationals could trade or non-tender him if they’re not keen on that price.

It wasn’t the kind of headline-grabbing offseason that suggests the front office felt they were a move or two away from pushing the top three teams in the NL East. They remain the fourth-best team in the division on paper. Lowe could be a legitimate 2-3 win upgrade over last year’s collection of first basemen, who hit just .241/.310/.376. Beyond that, they’re mostly relying on internal improvements.

The Nationals dramatically cut spending during their rebuild. The Lerner family considered selling the franchise and didn’t want to saddle potential buyers with long-term deals. While they’re no longer actively exploring the sale possibility, maybe they haven’t given Rizzo and his front office leeway to make a significant splash.

If that’s the case, the front office’s actions have been understandable if largely unexciting. This roster still seems to be a year away from viable playoff contention. Pursuits of even upper middle tier free agents like Anthony Santander or Sean Manaea were unlikely to change that. They were never going to seriously threaten the Mets, Yankees, etc. on Juan Soto. A top-of-the-rotation arm like Corbin Burnes or Max Fried might have provided the ceiling boost needed in the rotation, but that requires an ownership group willing to approve a $200MM+ free agent deal.

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Sternberg, Manfred Discuss Rays Stadium

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Rays owner Stuart Sternberg spoke with Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday from this week’s owners meetings. He made clear that he is not having any conversations about selling the franchise amidst their stadium uncertainty.

“If it was (for sale), people would know it,” Sternberg said. “I’ve always been, and I will continue to be, pretty transparent about our intentions. And pretty — not pretty — but very honest about them. And I have been.”

The Rays need to decide in the coming weeks whether to move on plans to build a new stadium in St. Petersburg. Last summer, the Rays had reached a tentative agreement with the city and Pinellas County to construct a new $1.3 billion stadium by the 2028 season. That was delayed following the hurricanes in the Tampa area last fall. The County postponed approval on $312.5MM in public funding on the project. The County voted to approve the bonds in mid-December, but the Rays had already expressed frustration with the delay.

The agreement leaves the team responsible for cost overruns in construction. The Rays have claimed the delayed bond approval makes it impossible to have the stadium ready until 2029. A county official said in December that the Rays had put the estimated price hike around $200MM; Topkin wrote yesterday that the overruns are expected to be close to $150MM. In either case, the team said in December it “cannot absorb this increase alone” and wanted to renegotiate with the city and county to “solve this funding gap together.” Local officials have stated that they will not commit more public money.

The Rays have until March 31 to meet various construction benchmarks. If they have not done so, the agreement is nullified. Sternberg did not provide a specific timeline on when the team will make its final decision. “I’m not saying a decision or this or that, but I’ll be prepared coming out of this (meeting) and speaking to owners here,” he told Topkin. “There’s a lot that goes into it. … I don’t know what the rush is for anybody, or for us. If this is, in fact, a multi-generational decision, I don’t think anyone will care if it’s a date in January, February or March.”

Topkin spoke with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred about the situation on Thursday. As he has on multiple occasions, Manfred made clear that the league does not want to see the team relocate. “We’d like to keep the franchise in Tampa Bay. We think the market is big enough and that there is passion for the game. Having said that, it is challenging,” Manfred said.

Whether they move forward with their long-term stadium plans, the Rays also need to figure something out for the next few seasons. They’ll play at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field for the 2025 season because Hurricane Milton destroyed the Tropicana Field roof. The Rays’ lease at the Trop had run through 2027, but it’ll roll over through the ’28 campaign since it isn’t in use this year.

Responsibility for the Trop repairs falls on the City of St. Petersburg. That comes with an estimated $55.7MM cost. It’s unclear whether the stadium can be fixed in time for Opening Day 2026. Sternberg and Manfred each said there are no current plans for where the Rays would begin the ’26 season if the Trop is not done. “I remain committed to the idea (that) we’ve got to get the Trop fixed, because we have an interim period beyond 2025 that we have to cover no matter what,” Manfred said to Topkin. “I think Stu is on board with that idea that we need to get it fixed as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, we have a ton of uncertainty in terms of ’how fast can you get it fixed?’“

Avisail Garcia Expected To Miss 2025 Season

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Free agent outfielder Avisaíl García is expected to miss the entire season, reports Francys Romero. The veteran underwent surgery in October that repaired a fracture and a disc injury in his lower back. While there was no initial timetable, Romero suggests that García is targeting a return in winter ball in his native Venezuela next offseason.

García signed a four-year, $53MM free agent deal with the Marlins over the 2021-22 offseason. That was a complete misfire on the part of Miami’s front office. García hit .217/.260/.322 in 153 games over two and a half seasons. Miami released him last June, a little more than halfway through the contract. He had hit .240/.255/.380 over 18 games in 2024.

The Marlins still owe García a decent chunk of money. He’ll collect a $12MM salary this year and will be paid a $5MM option buyout at season’s end. Sandy Alcantara’s $17MM salary is Miami’s only bigger commitment. García would have been limited to minor league offers if he were healthy. If his recovery goes as planned, he could pursue a non-roster invite to Spring Training in 2026. He’d be entering his age-35 season.

Astros Have Reportedly Increased Offer To Bregman, Deal Still Seen As Unlikely

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Of MLBTR’s top 20 free agents, Alex Bregman is the only one who remains unsigned. The star third baseman is reportedly sitting on multiple six-year offers but hasn’t found a price to his liking.

One of those is from the incumbent Astros. Houston has reportedly had a standing six-year, $156MM offer for much of the winter. Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that the Astros have bumped that number higher, though specifics on the new proposal aren’t clear. In any case, it doesn’t seem that it was a dramatic jump. Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 reports that Houston’s increased offer is still unlikely to result in a deal.

The Tigers are still pursuing Bregman after agreeing to a two-year deal with Jack Flaherty over the weekend. The Blue Jays have an opening at third base. The Red Sox have shown interest, though Alex Speier of the Boston Globe has suggested they were reluctant to go beyond four years. The Sox have stayed in contact with the Cardinals regarding Nolan Arenado as well. MLB.com’s John Denton writes that Boston would “prefer” to sign Bregman over an Arenado trade, though that’s difficult to envision unless they push the length beyond their comfort zone.

While players like Flaherty and Pete Alonso have moved to short-term deals to conclude extended free agent stays, Bregman still seems committed to a longer contract. Agent Scott Boras said as much last month. Heyman writes that Bregman expects to sign for at least six years, though he has received offers on shorter terms.

The Astros dipped below the luxury tax threshold when they traded Ryan Pressly to the Cubs, offloading $8.5MM of his $14MM salary. RosterResource estimates their tax number around $237MM, about $4MM below the base threshold. They’d need to go well beyond the tax line to sign Bregman but otherwise prefer to stay under the $241MM marker. If they don’t re-sign Bregman, they’ll have Isaac Paredes at third base. That’d likely leave Jose Altuve as the primary second baseman with a left field mix that could occasionally feature Altuve alongside Mauricio Dubón, Ben Gamel and Zach Dezenzo.

Cardinals Acquire Michael Helman From Twins

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The Twins announced that they’ve traded utility player Michael Helman to the Cardinals for cash. He’ll occupy a 40-man roster spot with St. Louis. The Cardinals had a vacancy, so no additional move was necessary.

Minnesota had a full 40-man roster and needed to create two openings. They have agreed to free agent deals with Harrison Bader and Danny Coulombe this week. Neither contract has been finalized. Helman is the first of two players whom the Twins will squeeze off the roster.

An 11th-round pick in 2018, Helman reached the majors last year. He appeared in nine games and went 3-10 with a pair of doubles. The 28-year-old spent most of the season at Triple-A St. Paul. He had a nice year, hitting .271/.350/.487 across 314 plate appearances. Helman hit 14 home runs and went 12-13 on stolen base attempts.

Helman is a right-handed batter who provides multi-positional versatility. He has played more than 1400 innings at second base in his minor league career. He has logged more than 1000 innings in the outfield — much of that in center — with some action at both positions on the left side of the infield. Helman still has a full slate of minor league options and can be kept at Triple-A Memphis for the foreseeable future.

This is the Cardinals’ first trade acquisition of the offseason. St. Louis is also the only team that has yet to sign a free agent to a major league deal. Helman is the third player they’ve added to their 40-man roster since the end of the season. Waiver pickups Roddery Muñoz and Bailey Horn are depth additions on the pitching side. Ownership has seemingly left the front office with minimal spending room in the absence of a payroll-clearing trade.

Katie Woo of The Athletic reported the Helman trade just before the official announcement.

Angels Extend Angel Stadium Lease Through 2032

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The Angels announced on Wednesday that they’ve exercised a three-year extension on their Angel Stadium lease (link via Michael Slaten of the Orange County Register). The guaranteed term of their lease had run through 2029; they’ll now remain at the park through at least the end of 2032. The lease agreement includes two additional three-year options, which the team could eventually trigger to stay through 2038.

“We are excited to announce that we have extended our lease securing the Big A as the home of Angels Baseball into the next decade,” a team spokeswoman said. “As we prepare for our 60th season in Anaheim, we wanted our fans and community partners to know that Angels Baseball and its foundation remain committed to being an active part of this city and region.”

Anaheim mayor Ashleigh Aitken released a statement of her own: “As a lifelong Angels fan, I join those in our city and across our region in welcoming baseball in Anaheim into the next decade. This lease extension brings added certainty and ensures the strong tradition of baseball in Anaheim. As mayor, I look forward to working with the Angels on future community partnerships, and, as a fan, look forward to a great season ahead.”

There haven’t been any developments on the property’s extended future. A few years ago, the city had been set to sell the stadium and surrounding land to a group led by Angels owner Arte Moreno. However, the City Council killed that tentative agreement in May 2022 after revelations that the FBI was investigating then-mayor Harry Sidhu for corruption related to the stadium deal. Sidhu resigned and subsequently pled guilty to four charges.

Construction on Angel Stadium began in 1964. The team began play there in ’66. It’s the fourth-longest tenured active ballpark behind Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Dodger Stadium.

Mets Outright Dylan Covey, Luis De Los Santos

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The Mets sent righty Dylan Covey and infielder Luis De Los Santos outright to Triple-A Syracuse, the team announced. Both players were designated for assignment last week — Covey as the corresponding move for Ryne Stanek, De Los Santos when the Mets signed Nick Madrigal.

Both players were offseason additions, so neither has played a game for the Mets. Covey signed a one-year split contract the day after the conclusion of the World Series. That came with an $850K base salary in the majors and a $350K salary for whatever time he spends in the minors. The contract is designed to make it likely that the Mets can keep him as depth. Covey has been outrighted multiple times in his career, which gives him the right to decline the assignment in favor of free agency. However, he’d forfeit his $350K minor league guarantee to test the market, so he’ll presumably accept the assignment and get a non-roster invitation to Spring Training.

Covey has a 6.18 earned run average over 307 1/3 major league innings. The 33-year-old has started 46 of his 100 big league appearances. Covey has been a long reliever for the past two seasons. He worked to a 3.77 ERA through 43 frames between the Dodgers and Phillies in 2023. His 15.7% strikeout rate was well below average, but he kept the ball on the ground at a strong 54.3% clip. A shoulder strain cost him most of last season. Covey tossed 15 Triple-A frames in the Philadelphia system. He posted a 1.20 ERA behind a massive 71.4% grounder percentage.

De Los Santos was a waiver claim out of the Toronto organization. He had signed with the Jays out of the Dominican Republic in 2015. He played eight seasons in the minors and was called up for the first time after the trade deadline. De Los Santos appeared in 13 games late in the year, hitting .172 with a pair of doubles across 31 plate appearances.

The righty hitter appeared in 43 contests with Triple-A Buffalo last season. He hit .268/.376/.486 over 154 trips to the plate. That improved his career Triple-A batting line to .228/.343/.393 in parts of three seasons. De Los Santos has shown a decent eye (12.7% walk rate) with below-average contact rates at that level. Primarily a shortstop, he has a decent amount of experience at all four infield positions. This is his first outright, so he’ll remain with the Mets.

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