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Cubs, Corbin Martin Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Cubs are in agreement with right-hander Corbin Martin on a minor league contract, reports Marquee’s Lance Brozdowski. The 30-year-old will presumably get a non-roster invite to MLB camp.

Martin was on and off Baltimore’s big league roster throughout the 2025 season. He wound up throwing 18 innings, allowing 15 runs (12 earned). That actually lowered his career earned run average to 6.54 across 75 2/3 frames over parts of four seasons. Martin had similarly rough numbers with Triple-A Norfolk, allowing a 5.82 ERA in 34 appearances. He recorded an average 22.5% strikeout percentage while issuing walks at a huge 13.6% clip.

A former second-round pick of the Astros, Martin was a highly-regarded prospect whom the Diamondbacks acquired in the Zack Greinke trade. Injuries threw him off track. The 6’2″ righty underwent Tommy John surgery in 2019 and missed the entire ’23 season on account of a torn lat tendon. His control, which was solid enough early in his minor league career, has held him back at the upper levels. Martin has walked more than 12% of opponents in the big leagues and Triple-A alike.

The Cubs are intrigued enough by the raw stuff to give him a look on a non-roster deal. Martin’s heater sits in the 95-96 MPH range and he has a slider and curveball. It’s a good enough arsenal to miss bats but he’ll need to be around the strike zone more consistently to secure a spot in Craig Counsell’s relief group. Martin has exhausted his minor league option years, meaning the Cubs would need to keep him in the majors or expose him to waivers if they call him up.

How Will The Guardians’ Middle Infield Play Out?

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The Guardians have had a quiet offseason, only re-signing backup catcher Austin Hedges and acquiring a handful of relievers on one-year deals. They’ve yet to add anyone to a lineup that ranked 28th in scoring. They were the only team in the bottom 10 that made the postseason, so it’s unlikely they’ll get back to October without improving the offense.

Cleveland’s budgetary restrictions mean they’re never going to accomplish much via free agency. They’re unlikely to often package top prospects for marquee trade chips. The Guardians should make a smaller move or two in the back half of the offseason. They opened last season with a $103MM payroll, and RosterResource calculates their ’26 obligations around $78MM. Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com wrote as part of a reader mailbag over the weekend that he expected some kind of lineup acquisition on a short-term deal. Adding a complementary right-handed outfield bat would make sense with Lane Thomas departing via free agency.

That said, the majority of the necessary offensive improvements will have to come internally. That’s especially true in the middle infield, where serviceable free agent options are slim. Cleveland middle infielders combined for a .225/.289/.359 slash line with a 27.6% strikeout rate that was 29th in MLB (marginally better than the Angels’ 27.8% mark). That’s clearly an area for upgrade as the 2024 first overall pick gets closer to making his debut. How will things shake out?

The Incumbents

Of the five players who logged any middle infield action for Stephen Vogt’s club last year, only Will Wilson is off the roster. Last year’s middle infield usually involved a three-player rotation: Gabriel Arias mostly at shortstop, Daniel Schneemann in a multi-position role with a lot of second base work, and Brayan Rocchio bouncing between the up-the-middle spots.

Angel Martínez also started 25 games at second base but was more frequently used in center field. The Guardians could push him back into a utility role this year depending on their outfield performance. Chase DeLauter made the ALDS roster and should be ticketed for his regular season MLB debut on Opening Day. They could add a center fielder in free agency. Harrison Bader would be an excellent fit but might be out of their price range. Even if that’s the case, taking a buy-low flier on Chas McCormick as a fourth outfielder makes sense.

None of Arias, Rocchio, Schneemann or Martínez contributed much offensively. By measure of wRC+, they were all between 21 and 26 points below league average. Rocchio led the pack with a subpar .233 batting average and .290 on-base percentage. He hit five home runs in 115 games. Schneemann, Martínez and Arias each had 11 or 12 longballs.

The season trend lines were most favorable to Rocchio. He was at least within range of league average in the second half, batting .257/.313/.376 over his final 241 plate appearances. Arias (.203/.247/.356), Schneemann (.194/.268/.309), and Martínez (.207/.283/.313) all had terrible numbers after the All-Star Break. Arias and Rocchio were the starters in the postseason, though Vogt was quick to hit for Arias and use Schneemann off the bench.

Rocchio is probably on the strongest ground of the group, yet he remains a .222/.293/.327 hitter in more than 900 career plate appearances. He turns 25 tomorrow and is out of minor league options. He’ll break camp but shouldn’t be a lock to remain on the roster all season if he doesn’t build off the second half promise. Public metrics have been divided on his defense, grading him highly in 2024 but looking less favorably on last year’s work.

Arias, 26 in February, is also out of options. He has huge physical tools: plus bat speed and raw power, a solid glove, and an excellent arm. That’s undercut by an untenable approach. Arias chases tons of pitches off the plate and too frequently gets beat within the strike zone. He had the fourth-highest strikeout rate among hitters with 300+ plate appearances. No one missed more often on a per-pitch basis. Aside from occasionally running into a fastball for a homer, he’s not going to provide any offense.

Schneemann is a utility player who is a couple weeks away from his 29th birthday. He’ll work some walks and pop a few home runs against right-handed pitching, but there’s also too much swing-and-miss in his game to be a regular. He’s a .210/.290/.358 hitter with 17 homers and a 29% strikeout rate in 643 career plate appearances. Schneemann has a full slate of minor league options and could therefore be the first one sent down if/when the Guardians bring up a higher-upside player from the minor leagues.

The Prospects

Guards fans have eagerly awaited the arrival of second baseman Travis Bazzana since the club announced his selection with the top pick in the ’24 draft. It has become increasingly common for top college draftees to get to the big leagues before the end of their first full professional season. Bazzana didn’t move that quickly, at least in part because of recurring oblique issues. The Oregon State product had decent numbers between the top two minor league levels (.245/.389/.424 including seven rehab games in the Complex League), but he was limited to 84 games by a pair of IL stints.

Bazzana will be one of the most important players to watch in Spring Training. He remains one of the better offensive talents in the minors. He has 26 games of Triple-A experience. The Guardians could justify sending him back there to begin the season but should leave the door open to him breaking camp. Bazzana’s minor league approach probably tipped over the line from patient to passive, leading both to a ton of walks (17.6%) and a decent amount of strikeouts (24.3%). He’s not a finished product, but there’s a good chance he’s already a better hitter than Arias or Schneemann would be.

Vogt said at the Winter Meetings that Rocchio would get a lot of shortstop work during Spring Training (link via Zack Meisel of The Athletic). That’d leave the door open for Bazzana at second with Arias and/or Schneemann in a utility role. It also magnifies camp’s importance for 24-year-old second base prospect Juan Brito.

Brito has held a spot on the 40-man roster for three years but has yet to make his MLB debut. He would have gotten that opportunity last year but for thumb and hamstring injuries that both required surgery. He was limited to 24 Triple-A contests. The Guardians were granted a fourth option year, so they’re not forced to carry Brito on the MLB roster.

If they give the Opening Day second base job to Bazzana, Brito probably needs an injury or the more highly-regarded prospect to struggle in order to find his way into the lineup. He’s not a great athlete and unlikely to be all that effective as a multi-positional defender. Yet Brito has hit throughout his career, posting an OPS above .800 at every stop. That includes a .255/.366/.442 mark across nearly 800 Triple-A plate appearances over parts of three seasons. That’s an appealing profile for a lineup that had far too many wasted at-bats.

Shortstop prospect Angel Genao is the only other middle infielder on the 40-man roster. He’s a 21-year-old who has yet to play a Triple-A game. Genao is coming off a solid but unspectacular .259/.323/.359 showing over 77 Double-A contests. Scouting reports peg him as a potential everyday player, but he remains a work in progress on both sides of the ball. While he’ll hopefully be an upgrade over Rocchio and Arias down the line, there’s little to no chance that he’s on the Opening Day roster. A second half debut is plausible but not guaranteed.

Red Sox, Seth Martinez Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox agreed to a minor league contract with reliever Seth Martinez, as first reported by Andrew Parker of Sox Prospects. He’ll get a non-roster invitation to MLB camp.

Martinez has pitched in the majors in five straight seasons. He got a decent amount of run in the Astros’ middle relief corps from 2022-24. He didn’t get as much big league work last year, only making it into six games for the Marlins. Martinez gave up four runs with three walks and four strikeouts across 6 2/3 innings.

The 31-year-old righty spent the majority of the year with Miami’s Triple-A club. He pitched to a 3.71 ERA behind a 29% strikeout rate over 43 2/3 frames. Martinez routinely posts strong whiff numbers in the minors and has fanned more than 30% of opponents with a sub-3.00 ERA in five Triple-A seasons. His flat 4.00 earned run average and 20.5% strikeout percentage in 117 MLB appearances are more solid than great.

Martinez only sits around 90 MPH with his fastball. He frequently relies on his breaking ball while mixing in a changeup. He’s out of options, meaning the Sox would need to keep him on the big league roster or expose him to waivers if they call him up at any point.

Pirates Open To Adding Left Side Infielder, Rotation Depth

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The Pirates finalized their two-year deal with Ryan O’Hearn on Thursday. That signing paired with the Brandon Lowe trade gives the Bucs a couple of middle-of-the-order bats from the left side.

General manager Ben Cherington spoke with reporters at O’Hearn’s introductory press conference and highlighted two areas the team is still looking to add. “If we could add someone on the left side of the infield, that’s something we’ll keep an eye out for. We’ll remain opportunistic in the outfield, see what comes our way,” the GM said (link via Colin Beazley of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). Cherington also said they’d like to “add back” to the pitching staff after they dealt Mike Burrows and Johan Oviedo in the respective Lowe and Jhostynxon Garcia trades.

The left side of the infield is an expected target. Pittsburgh was involved on NPB third baseman Kazuma Okamoto before he signed a four-year contract with Toronto. They’ve been loosely linked to Eugenio Suárez, the second-best available free agent at the position after Alex Bregman. If Suárez’s asking price also proves too rich, the Bucs could look to a one-year deal for Yoán Moncada, Willi Castro or Ramón Urías.

It’d be more difficult to find an everyday answer at shortstop. There aren’t any free agent options beyond Bo Bichette, assuming they’re not interested in an Isiah Kiner-Falefa reunion. There hasn’t been any kind of trade market at the position. The Pirates would only be interested in a stopgap anyway. Konnor Griffin is arguably the best prospect in baseball. Pittsburgh hasn’t closed the door on him forcing his way to the big leagues out of Spring Training even though he only has 21 games of Double-A experience. Even if that’s too ambitious a timeline, he figures to be up at some point in 2026.

Unless Griffin breaks camp, they’re projected for a Nick Gonzales/Jared Triolo pairing on the left side. Gonzales is a former top 10 pick but has a middling .257/.300/.375 batting line in parts of three seasons. He’s miscast as a shortstop. Gonzales was drafted as a second baseman and has mostly played the keystone with varying reviews from scouts and defensive metrics. He has 230 MLB innings at shortstop and has only started one game at third base.

Adding a third baseman would allow the Bucs to use Triolo as their stopgap shortstop. The 27-year-old is a better defender at third base but has more shortstop experience than Gonzales. He also has the superior defensive grades as a second baseman. Triolo has a similarly light bat, carrying a .236/.320/.347 slash in three seasons. A strong second half (.276/.353/.422) has earned him multiple votes of confidence from Cherington, yet he’s not going to firmly stand in the way of an upgrade.

Suárez might be the only clear improvement on the free agent market among realistic targets for the Bucs. There’s still time for a late-offseason trade opportunity to present itself. The Phillies run at Bichette, for instance, would almost certainly lead to an Alec Bohm trade if a deal comes together.

Left field doesn’t seem to be as big a priority. Pittsburgh acquired Garcia and Jake Mangum via trade. O’Hearn has the ability to work as a semi-regular corner outfielder on top of his first base/DH split alongside Spencer Horwitz. Lowe has outfield experience as well, though Cherington said he’ll work as the primary second baseman. Pittsburgh also tendered a contract to Jack Suwinski, so he’s still in the mix as a depth piece.

Any rotation pickup is likely to be on a one-year deal late in the winter. Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller and Bubba Chandler are locked into the rotation. Braxton Ashcraft should be in there as well, though he worked in a swing role last season and only once pitched beyond five innings in a start. Rookies Hunter Barco and Thomas Harrington would compete for the fifth starter role. Carmen Mlodzinski could get another look as a starter but struggled in that role early last season and worked 2-3 inning stints in the second half. Jared Jones will hopefully be back from elbow surgery by the All-Star Break.

There’s plenty of talent, but only Skenes and Keller are established sources of innings. Pittsburgh generally signs a fifth starter to a one-year contract worth $8MM or less. That’s often a soft-tossing lefty whom they can get for cheap and rely on PNC Park — the most difficult for right-handed home run power — to get decent results. Jose Quintana, Tyler Anderson, Martín Pérez, Andrew Heaney and trade pickup Bailey Falter have all fallen in that bucket. Quintana, Anderson, Pérez and Patrick Corbin are speculative possibilities this offseason.

Anthony Rendon’s 2026 Salary To Be Paid Over Five Years

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The Angels finalized their buyout with Anthony Rendon shortly before the New Year. That was known to include some kind of contract restructure to defer his $38MM salary for the upcoming season, the final of his seven-year contract.

Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register reported last night that it’ll be an even five-year deferral plan. The Angels will pay him $7.6MM annually between 2026-30. That’ll save them $30.4MM this year relative to what they would have paid had there been no buyout. Rendon will not play for the team again. He is not officially retiring but it certainly seems as if his MLB career is over.

Will the Angels reinvest any of their short-term savings? Sam Blum of The Athletic wrote this week that’s not guaranteed, noting that general manager Perry Minasian avoided a question about a potential payroll reduction. “I’m not going to make any statements. We’ll see where the offseason takes us. There’s still a lot of good players available. There’s still time to improve the club,” the GM said.

The Angels entered the offseason with $126.7MM in guaranteed salaries. They’ve added another $12.95MM via one-year contracts for Kirby Yates, Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano and Alek Manoah. Their arbitration class will cost roughly $20MM. That’d put them around $160MM before accounting for minimum salaries to round out the roster. Rendon’s deferrals drop that back to the $130MM range. The Halos opened the ’25 season with a $193MM payroll.

If they’re willing to match last year’s spending, they’d have the money to be involved on any free agent. Only owner Arte Moreno and the front office know where they’ll draw the line. The Angels are among the nine teams whose local broadcasting contract with Main Street Sports collapsed this week. That’s again an uncertain revenue stream. There has also been speculation that the Angels could be reluctant to make multi-year commitments with the likelihood of a lockout in December. A contract gap was reportedly a big reason that discussion with their preferred managerial candidate, Albert Pujols, didn’t result in a deal. They eventually hired Kurt Suzuki on a one-year contract, an atypically short managerial commitment.

The Angels continue to have glaring needs around the roster. Second base, third base and center field are all concerns on the position player side. Catcher is as well, though Logan O’Hoppe has enough of a track record that it’s understandable they’re sticking with him and Travis d’Arnaud for another season. They’re light at least one mid-rotation starter and would benefit from another high-leverage reliever, even if the bullpen market has essentially dried up.

Angels To Sign Nick Madrigal To Minor League Deal

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The Angels are in agreement with Nick Madrigal on a minor league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The Wasserman client gets a non-roster invite to big league camp.

Madrigal spent the entire 2025 season on the injured list. He’d signed a $1.35MM free agent deal with the Mets to compete for a utility job. Madrigal broke his left shoulder when he stumbled while fielding a ground ball during Spring Training. He underwent surgery and was immediately ruled out for the year. The Mets dropped him from the roster at the beginning of the offseason.

A former fourth overall pick by the White Sox, Madrigal hasn’t lived up to that high draft billing. He’s one of the most difficult players in the game to strike out, but he hits the ball with very little impact. The 5’7″ infielder has a career .274/.323/.344 slash line with four home runs in parts of five seasons.

Madrigal enters his age-29 season looking to play his way back to the majors. There’s a decent chance to do so with the Halos. Christian Moore struck out in a third of his plate appearances and hit .198/.284/.370 as a rookie. Denzer Guzman had worrisome strikeout numbers in the minors. They’ve taken fliers on former top prospects Vaughn Grissom and Oswald Peraza, neither of whom has had any kind of MLB success. It’s one of the weakest second/third base groups in the league. Madrigal can play either position, though his below-average arm fits better on the right side.

Giants, Eric Haase Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Giants are in agreement with catcher Eric Haase on a minor league contract, reports Jon Morosi of The MLB Network. The Warner Sports Management client would lock in a $1.6MM base salary if he breaks camp and can opt out at the end of Spring Training if he’s not on the MLB roster.

Haase finished last season in Triple-A with the Brewers. He spent the first half of the season on the big league roster as William Contreras’ backup. Milwaukee acquired Danny Jansen in a deadline trade and pushed Haase to Triple-A. He cleared waivers and appeared in 19 minor league contests. He elected free agency at the end of the year.

The 33-year-old Haase has played parts of eight seasons in the big leagues. He had a two-year run as a #1 option with his hometown Tigers from 2021-22. Haase has otherwise mostly been a backup and combined for 60 appearances with the Brewers over the last two seasons. He has some right-handed power but has plenty of swing and miss. Haase has fanned at a 31% clip while hitting .228/.278/.396 in just under 400 big league contests. He’s regarded as a fringe defender behind the dish. Haase has a plus arm but hasn’t graded highly as a receiver, either framing or blocking balls in the dirt.

Two-time Gold Glove winner Patrick Bailey will get the majority of playing time behind the dish. The Giants were lacking in experience behind the defensive stalwart. Rule 5 pick Daniel Susac and prospect Jesus Rodriguez, neither of whom has played in MLB, are the other catchers on the 40-man roster. Logan Porter was their only non-roster catcher with any big league experience. He’s an organizational depth type who has played in 16 career games.

Rodriguez, whom the Giants acquired from the Yankees in the Camilo Doval deadline deal, is coming off a .307/.393/.403 showing in the upper minors. The Giants had him travel with the MLB team as a member of the taxi squad in the final week of the ’25 season. They’ll give serious consideration to allowing him to make the team. He has two options remaining and could be sent back to the minors. The Giants don’t have that luxury with Susac, who needs to stick on the MLB roster or be offered back to the A’s. The former first-round pick is coming off a .275/.349/.483 showing in an extremely hitter-friendly setting in Triple-A.

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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Anthony Franco

  • Good afternoon everyone, hope you've enjoyed your week! Steve's off today and it's been pretty busy so I'll probably have to keep this one around an hour

Pudge

  • What is Detroit thinking?? Vladdy's final year of Arb was 28Mil. 30 is closer than 19.

Anthony Franco

  • Covered this in more detail in the Skubal writeup itself but the $19M is way closer to the precedent we've seen for starting pitchers than $32M -- both in terms of max value and raise relative to the previous season
  • Skubal's trying to get a $22M raise, which is unheard of in arbitration. I understand why he's trying to do this -- both in terms of wanting to be valued as a top five player in MLB, which he is -- and to break the ceiling that arbitrators have put on starters

ThePhillyPope

  • The Phils don't seem to be "in" on any starting pitching this off season. IMO the rotation after Sanchez & Luzardo is very suspect. Nola is average at best, Walker is worse, Painter is unproven, and we have zero idea how/if Wheeler will come back from his surgery. What are your thoughts?

Anthony Franco

  • The budget isn't infinite and they were right to make Schwarber the priority. I'd still like to see them add a swingman (or give Keller a rotation opportunity, but it seems they closed the door on that right away) but I'm alright with the rotation for the moment
  • If Painter continues to struggle and/or Wheeler comes back shaky, it becomes the priority at the deadline. I think they're talented enough both at the top end and in the lineup that they can give it a few months to see how things shake out

MetsFan

  • Has your projection for Kyle Tucker changed since the beginning of the offseason? I know you guys originally predicted 400/11, curious if that's changed since he's still unsigned so close to spring training.

Anthony Franco

  • I'd probably drop into the 350-375 range at this point. Tim Dierkes was there the whole time and deferred to Steve, Darragh and myself in agreeing to 400. Still would be surprised if we're looking at three or four with opt-outs though

jrizz1e

  • does the diamond sports group news from yesterday put the market on any sort of hold?

Anthony Franco

  • Doubt it matters much at the top end since it's mostly mid-market teams that are fighting the TV stuff. Could see it trickling down a little more to the mid-tier guys, though they're the ones who get the hit the hardest for remaining unsigned close to Spring Training anyway
  • I wonder a little bit about the Angels though. They feel like they should've been involved on Suárez (Ranger and Geno, really), Gallen, etc. and a dark horse on Belli. This could be Arte Moreno's excuse to do essentially nothing

Kay

  • Rob Manfred HAS to know that a free agency deadline is a non-starter, right??

Anthony Franco

  • Yeah I can't imagine the PA's agreeing to that. Players resoundingly hate it
  • It's just an opportunity for Manfred to frame it publicly as something he wants that'd be exciting for the sport, and I'm sure there are plenty of fans who agree with that, though his primary motivation (which he leaves unsaid) is cost suppression

Brian

  • Is bellinger worth 30 million a year?

Anthony Franco

  • For the Yankees or Mets on a four-year deal? Sure. For six or seven? Pass

Dana Brown

  • Would Abreu and Blubaugh be enough for Cowser from Orioles?

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Tigers, Tarik Skubal Likely Headed To Arbitration Hearing With $13MM Gap In Filing Figures

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The Tigers did not reach agreement with two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal on a deal to avoid arbitration this evening. They’re now likely headed for what would be the most significant hearing in memory. That’s due to an astronomical $13MM gap in the sides’ respective filing figures.

Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that Skubal is seeking a $32MM salary, while the Tigers filed at $19MM. The sides are free to continue negotiations right up to the hearing time, but teams typically adopt a “file-and-trial” approach and cease talks on one-year deals after figures are exchanged. If it gets to a hearing, an arbitrator can only choose either Skubal’s number or the team’s. Arbitrators are not permitted to land on a middle ground, so the result would be very consequential.

If it gets to a hearing, Skubal will be shooting for the largest arbitration salary ever. That record is held by Juan Soto, who settled on a $31MM deal with the Yankees in his final year before free agency. Shohei Ohtani and the Angels agreed to a $30MM deal in his final year of arbitration eligibility. They’re the only two players to reach that benchmark. Vladimir Guerrero Jr. signed the loftiest deal in last winter’s class; he landed at $28.5MM.

While Skubal’s filing figure isn’t markedly above those of recent superstars, it would shatter the benchmark for pitchers. The arbitration process hasn’t rewarded high-end arms as handsomely as it does impact bats. In fact, no arb-eligible pitcher has commanded even $20MM. David Price still holds the record with a $19.75MM salary from back in 2015.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan wrote about the potential for an historically significant hearing when examining Skubal’s arbitration case this morning. As Passan pointed out, the collective bargaining agreement allows players who are one year away from free agency to compare themselves not only to past arbitration precedents, but to free agents as well. There’s ample precedent for free agent pitchers commanding upwards of $30MM annually, with some late-career aces pulling more than $40MM per season on short-term deals. That provision hasn’t actually moved the market for arb-eligible pitchers forward to this point, however, and the aforementioned massive salaries for Soto, Ohtani and Guerrero were all agreed upon without a hearing.

The Tigers’ filing figure aligns with arbitration’s historical precedent against pitchers. It’s also much more aligned with the usual year-over-year escalating salaries associated with the process. Skubal received a $10.15MM salary last year. The largest yearly jump for a pitcher is held by Jacob deGrom, who earned a $9.6MM raise after winning his first career Cy Young in 2018. Detroit’s figure would give Skubal an $8.85MM boost after his second consecutive Cy Young award.

To a large extent, this serves as a test case for the arbitration process itself. That Price still holds the record for a pitcher shows how much the system has lagged when it comes to valuing arms (particularly in comparison to the escalating free agent prices for starters). Skubal and his representatives at the Boras Corporation are aiming to blow that wide open. That’d obviously be significant for the southpaw himself but would also go a long way toward raising the earning ceiling for future arms.

There’s no guarantee that this actually gets to a hearing. Player and team would have a lot of money at stake if it does, and they’d each avoid the unpredictability of relying on the arbitrators if they settle on a deal in the mid-$20MM range. However, this kind of situation is precisely why teams prefer the file-and-trial approach. That’s designed to prevent the player from filing well above their expected value to anchor future talks from a higher baseline. Refusing to continue negotiating after numbers are exchanged prevents that situation. If the player files very high, the club feels good about its chances of winning a lower than expected number at the hearing.

It all makes sense in theory, but the stakes of a potential hearing in this case are higher than any in team history. They’d need to operate for the next month or so with a $13MM range in their payroll projection, which could hinder short-term free agent or trade activity. Skubal is one year from free agency and trending towards the largest pitching contract ever. If the Tigers feel they have any chance to re-sign him, they may not want to run the risk of an inherently adversarial hearing.

There’d also be ramifications if they put him on the trade market — either before Opening Day or, far more likely, if they fall out of contention before the deadline. One year of Skubal would have immense trade value regardless of his salary, but he’d be much more appealing to other clubs on a $19MM sum than he would at $32MM.

Yankees’ Offer To Bellinger Reportedly Above $30MM AAV

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The Yankees have made multiple offers to Cody Bellinger in recent weeks. Brendan Kuty of The Athletic reports that the most recent had an average annual value north of $30MM. However, the sides are still held up on contract length.

Kuty writes that Bellinger’s camp continues to push for a seven-year contract. It’s not known how many years the Yankees are willing to go, but it has thus far apparently been less than seven. Jon Morosi of The MLB Network suggested earlier this week that the team was more comfortable with a four- or five-year commitment.

The rumored proposal from New York would put Bellinger in the range of the most expensive bats to sign this offseason, at least on an annual basis. Kyle Schwarber re-signed with the Phillies for five years and $150MM. Pete Alonso received a five-year, $155MM deal from Baltimore. If the Yankees get their wish regarding the contract length, Bellinger’s deal likely ends up looking a lot like the Schwarber and Alonso pacts. MLB Trade Rumors settled on a five-year, $140MM contract in our list of the top 50 free agents.

As Kuty notes, a contract exceeding $30MM a year would make Bellinger one of the highest-paid outfielders in the league. Juan Soto, Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Mookie Betts (if he still counts) are the only outfielders making more than $30MM per season. It would also be a significant jump from his recent contracts, as the market has treated him with trepidation in previous years.

After the Dodgers moved on from Bellinger following the 2022 season, the Cubs scooped him up on a one-year, $17.5MM deal. Bellinger rewarded Chicago with a 20/20 campaign, but it wasn’t enough to land a long-term contract. He ended up back with the Cubs on a three-year, $80MM deal with opt-outs after each season. Bellinger didn’t opt out after a middling 2024 and was then traded to New York. The Yankees were able to land him just by sending over Cody Poteet and agreeing to pay all but $5MM left on Bellinger’s contract.

Bellinger unsurprisingly opted out of the final year of his deal after a strong season in New York. Regardless of where he ends up, he should be able to top the $25MM he was slated to make in 2026. Bellinger slugged 29 home runs last year, the most since his NL MVP campaign in 2019. He added 13 steals and nearly drove in 100 runs. Bellinger also provided stellar defense, with both Defensive Runs Saved (+11) and Outs Above Average (+7) praising his work in the field. Bellinger logged 300+ innings at all three outfield positions. He also made a handful of appearances at first base. The Yankees didn’t need his services in the infield with Paul Goldschmidt on board, but he could be an asset there if needed.

In addition to the considerable counting stats, Bellinger also made some improvements under the hood in 2025. He bumped his hard-hit rate to 37.9%. That mark is just above league average, but it’s a big improvement from recent seasons. Bellinger’s 31.4% hard-hit rate in 2023 was among the reasons he failed to secure a long-term deal after his first year with the Cubs. While he hit .307 that season, it was likely fueled by a career-high .319 BABIP. His xBA (.268) was nearly 40 points lower than his actual mark. Bellinger’s hard-hit rate improved to a still-underwhelming 32.9% in 2024, while his bat speed slipped to 69 mph, which ranked in the 13th percentile.

Bellinger also made more contact this past season. His 13.7% strikeout rate was the best mark of his career, as was his 7.6% swinging-strike rate. Bellinger ranked 26th among all qualified hitters with a 91% zone contact rate. He’d only been above 87% once in his career before 2025. Average batted ball metrics combined with elite contact skills could portend continued success for the 30-year-old Bellinger, particularly if he stays in New York. He slashed an uninspiring .241/.301/.414 on the road last year.

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