Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript
Anthony Franco
- Good afternoon, hope you're all well!
- Looking forward to another of these, let's get it going
Brewer Fan
- Is it weird that the Brewers haven't actually announced the Pratt extension? And on that topic, if it does get done, it wouldn't rule out a Made or Pena extension right?
Anthony Franco
- It's a little atypical but I don't think any cause for concern. Adam McCalvy hypothesized yesterday that it's just a logistical holdup on completing the physical
- Which would make sense. He played for Nashville through March 29, the extension report came out on the 30th, and he hasn't played any of their past three games despite being on the active roster. Could just be a travel thing to get him to Milwaukee and get final sign-off on the medical
thebeatlesshow
- Anthony, Thanks again. Is the complete game no hitter on the way to being extinct (if it isn't already)?
Anthony Franco
- I don't think so. Less common, yes, largely because teams are more concerned about pitch counts and there's a decent chance you're running a pretty high number in a no-hitter because it's probably coming with some strikeouts
- But it's still a hell of an accomplishment for a pitcher and managers care about that
- Whoops, just realized I didn't answer the second part of that first Brewers question:
Don't see why Pratt would take a Made or Pena extension off the table, no
Cubbies
- What are the Cubs gonna do with their OF after this season? Happ and Seiya both FAs and Cassie was traded for Cabrera.
Anthony Franco
- QO to both, ideal if one of them accepts and takes that decision off the table. Feels like Happ is the likelier of the two to return if they're signing one to a three-year deal
- If they believe in Kevin Alcántara at all, have to give him a real opportunity next year. He'll be out of options and the strikeout questions aren't getting answered if he's only playing twice a week
Little Texas
- I’m my way to the Rangers home opener to see Gore pitch, Here’s to his CY Young season.
Anthony Franco
- Enjoy!
3D-space ABS
- Why would the Mariners forgo managing a signing like Emerson's so that PPI was still in play?
M
- now that he's signed an extension and thus no longer eligible for the PPI, how long before Emerson is up with the Ms?
-
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Will Any Pre-Arbitration Pitchers Sign Extensions?
From a transaction perspective, this time of the baseball calendar is defined by extensions. Within the past month, we've seen two impending free agents (Nico Hoerner and Jesús Luzardo) come off the board. The Cubs got a deal done with pre-arbitration center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. Philadelphia extended Cristopher Sánchez even though he was already potentially signed through 2030.
The Orioles extended arbitration-eligible starter Shane Baz. The Mariners reached the largest pre-debut extension with shortstop prospect Colt Emerson. That's likely to be a brief record with the Pirates reportedly working on a deal with #1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin. Milwaukee infield prospect Cooper Pratt is nearing an eight-year contract of his own despite being a couple tiers below Griffin and Emerson according to scouts.
Despite all that activity, there's one demographic that has stayed out of the early-season extension run. There have not been any long-term deals for pre-arbitration pitchers this spring. Teams aren't quite as aggressive in extending pitchers early in their careers as they are with elite position player talents. There's more injury uncertainty with young arms.
However, there are generally a few extensions for pre-arbitration hurlers each season. Tanner Bibee, Brandon Pfaadt and Arizona closer Justin Martinez signed extensions last spring. Brayan Bello agreed to a six-year deal the year before that. Hunter Greene, Spencer Strider, Aaron Ashby, Garrett Whitlock and Emmanuel Clase were among those to sign between 2022-23.
Will any young pitchers sign extensions within the next few weeks? Let's run through a few speculative possibilities in each service class and the kind of money which those pitchers could command.
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Reds Notes: Lodolo, Outfield, Friedl
Reds lefty Nick Lodolo left tonight’s rehab start with Low-A Daytona in the third inning due to more blister issues on his left index finger, relays Manny Randhawa of MLB.com. Lodolo cruised through the first eight hitters with four strikeouts before coming out of the game.
It’s an all too familiar problem for the former seventh overall pick. Lodolo developed his most recent blister in his final start of Spring Training, leading to a season-opening injured list stint. It’s the third straight season in which blisters have shelved him. He missed most of August last year and a couple weeks between June and July in 2024.
The index finger has bothered him off and on dating back to his time in the minor leagues. He has also had major league injured list stints with back, calf and groin injuries — plus a sprain of his middle finger that ended his ’24 season. He’s a mid-rotation starter when healthy and coming off a career season. Lodolo tossed 156 2/3 innings of 3.33 ERA ball while striking out 24% of opponents a year ago.
This flareup should be a minor problem, but it’s no doubt frustrating for player and team alike. The hope had been for Lodolo to get through 60-65 pitches tonight and only need one rehab start before rejoining the MLB rotation next week. That’s probably not happening now. He left after 40 pitches and it’s unclear whether he’ll need a brief rest period before giving it another go in a game.
Brandon Williamson has stepped into the rotation behind Andrew Abbott, Brady Singer, Rhett Lowder and Chase Burns. Lodolo’s injury led the Reds to promote rookie righty Jose Franco as a long reliever. After tonight’s off day, Cincinnati has 10 consecutive game days.
The Reds haven’t made any changes to their 13-man position player group since Opening Day. Their infield of Sal Stewart, Matt McLain, Elly De La Cruz and Ke’Bryan Hayes has been set in stone, as has Eugenio Suárez as the primary designated hitter. Manager Terry Francona has played more matchups around the outfield, where no one has been locked into an everyday position.
TJ Friedl has been in the lineup regularly, but he’s not quite as settled as a full-time center fielder as he was last season. The Reds have kicked Friedl over to left field on five occasions, including his first start in left since 2023. Francona said this week he has liked what he’s seen from Friedl as a left fielder (via Charlie Goldsmith of Fox 19 Now). The 30-year-old’s fringy speed and arm strength probably fit better in left than in center all things considered.
Dane Myers is a better runner with a stronger arm. He’s probably the best defensive center fielder on the roster. Playing Friedl more often in left would open opportunities to draw Myers into the lineup, though that’d be a leap of faith in his bat. Myers is already a lock to play against left-handed pitching, against whom he’s a .294/.356/.449 hitter in his career.
Myers has just a .220/.266/.296 line against right-handers. His only start of the season came against Boston lefty Connelly Early over the weekend. The rest of his appearances have come as a late-game substitute with Friedl sliding to left field.
They’ve had a three-man rotation through the corner spots between Spencer Steer, Will Benson and Noelvi Marte. Steer has been the primary starter in left. He’s out to a slow start this season after hitting at a league average level in each of the past two years. Benson and Marte are splitting time in right field, though the Reds probably won’t use a strict platoon that limits the 24-year-old Marte to work against left-handed pitching.
Rockies Place Jose Quintana On Injured List
The Rockies announced they’ve placed starter Jose Quintana on the 15-day injured list with a right hamstring strain. The move is retroactive to March 30, meaning he’ll be eligible to return on April 14. Colorado recalled righty Valente Bellozo from Triple-A Albuquerque in a corresponding move.
Colorado also optioned infielder Ryan Ritter this evening. They haven’t replaced him on the active roster but will do so tomorrow. Outfielder Mickey Moniak will be eligible for reinstatement from his 10-day injured list stint; he’ll presumably be the corresponding move.
The Rox are idle tonight before hosting Philadelphia for a three-game weekend series. Teams don’t typically announce minor transactions like this during off days. Injured list placements can be backdated by a maximum of three days, however, so the Rox would have delayed Quintana’s eligibility for reinstatement if they waited to make that move until tomorrow.
Quintana made his team debut on Monday against the Marlins. He allowed four hits and walked four batters in 4 1/3 innings. The veteran southpaw mostly managed to work around the traffic and only allowed two runs. He departed with a one-run lead, though Miami would win 4-3 on Owen Caissie’s walk-off two-run homer with two outs in the ninth.
There was no indication that Quintana was injured during the game. It’s unclear if the issue developed during a midweek throwing session. Michael Lorenzen will open the series against Aaron Nola tomorrow. Quintana was slated to oppose Jesús Luzardo on Saturday evening. Bellozo would be on six days rest after throwing three Triple-A frames on Sunday. He could step into Quintana’s rotation spot or work in long relief if they want to give Chase Dollander a couple turns as a starter.
Mariners Request Release Waivers On Ryan Loutos
April 2: The Mariners announced Thursday that they’ve requested release waivers on Loutos, who’s out with an undisclosed injury. Since injured players cannot be placed on outright waivers, Seattle will opt for release waivers. It’s common in these situations for the player to quickly re-sign on a minor league deal, but that’s not a given. Loutos will be able to talk to all 29 other clubs now.
March 31: The Mariners announced they’ve designated reliever Ryan Loutos for assignment. That’s the corresponding 40-man roster move for the now official Colt Emerson extension. Although Emerson will remain in Triple-A on an optional assignment, the M’s needed to carry him on the 40-man once he signed a major league contract.
That roster quirk is an unfortunate development for Loutos, who gets pushed into DFA limbo as a result. The 27-year-old righty hasn’t pitched in a regular season game with Seattle. The Mariners claimed him off waivers from Washington at the beginning of the offseason. He made four appearances in Spring Training, allowing seven runs (six earned) through three innings.
A former undrafted free agent, Loutos has pitched for three teams at the MLB level. He has a total of 15 career appearances divided between the Cardinals, Dodgers and Nationals. Loutos had a tough go against MLB hitters, who have put up 21 runs with more walks than strikeouts across 14 1/3 innings. The 27-year-old righty has an ERA just under 5.00 while striking out 24% of opponents over parts of four Triple-A campaigns.
The M’s have five days to trade Loutos or place him on waivers. He sits in the 95 mph range with his four-seam fastball and sinker while mixing in a slider and changeup. Loutos has a minor league option remaining and could be sent to Triple-A if another team is willing to carry him on the 40-man roster.
Rockies Sign Andrew Knizner To Minor League Deal
The Rockies signed catcher Andrew Knizner to a minor league contract on Wednesday. Although the team didn’t announce the move, the 31-year-old jumped right into action tonight with Triple-A Albuquerque.
Knizner hit the market at the end of camp when he was released by the Mariners. He had signed a one-year, $1MM free agent deal with Seattle in December. Knizner surely felt he was the favorite to back up Cal Raleigh at the time, as he was the only other catcher on the M’s 40-man roster. They re-signed Mitch Garver on a minor league contract at the beginning of Spring Training.
Seattle opted to run it back with a Raleigh/Garver pairing. They also swung a trade for an optionable third catcher, Jhonny Pereda, in the interim. Knizner has over five years of service time, meaning he could refuse a minor league assignment while collecting his full salary. Rather than report to Triple-A Tacoma, he tested the market for a clearer path back to the big leagues.
That won’t come immediately, but there’s a decent chance he can play his way into an MLB look with Colorado. The Rox opted for light-hitting minor league signee Brett Sullivan as their backup catcher to begin the season. Third catcher Braxton Fulford still has a couple options remaining and has hit .221/.272/.354 in 41 big league contests. Hunter Goodman is going to be in the lineup almost every day, but no one has a firm hold on the backup job.
Knizner hasn’t provided much offensively at the MLB level either. He’s a career .211/.281/.316 hitter in just under 1000 plate appearances. The former seventh-round pick owns a much stronger .292/.387/.443 line over parts of four Triple-A campaigns. He’ll pair with Fulford behind the dish in Albuquerque with Kyle McCann on the injured list.
Braves Outright Brett Wisely
Braves infielder Brett Wisely cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Gwinnett, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. He’ll remain in the organization in a non-roster capacity, as he doesn’t have the previous career outright or three years of service time to elect free agency.
Wisely was designated for assignment as part of Atlanta’s Opening Day roster shuffle. He’s out of minor league options and needed to win a spot on the season-opening bench or go on waivers. Atlanta carried Kyle Farmer as their final bench piece to squeeze Wisely off the roster. The Braves had already designated him for assignment once over the offseason. They traded him to Tampa Bay, then reacquired him a month later for cash.
The 26-year-old Wisely has appeared at the big league level in each of the past three seasons. He spent the majority of that time with the Giants, who lost him on waivers to Atlanta in the waning days of the 2025 campaign. Wisely is a .214/.265/.319 hitter in a little under 500 trips to the plate at the MLB level. He has been a much more productive offensive player in the minors, batting .275/.372/.433 over 835 Triple-A plate appearances.
Wisely joins Nacho Alvarez Jr., Rowdy Tellez, Luke Williams and Aaron Schunk among depth infielders with Gwinnett. Alvarez is the only one of that group who occupies a 40-man spot. He’s their only healthy rostered position player below the MLB level, though the Braves have three or four players who could go on the 60-day injured list if they need to create 40-man space following any injuries.
Giants Re-Sign Eric Haase To Minor League Deal
The Giants have apparently re-signed catcher Eric Haase to a minor league contract. The Warner Sports Management client is in the lineup tonight for Triple-A Sacramento. Haase had been released from his previous minor league deal at the end of Spring Training.
He was competing with Rule 5 pick Daniel Susac and prospect Jesús Rodríguez for the backup job behind Patrick Bailey. The 33-year-old Haase hit .286 with a couple home runs while striking out 14 times in 32 plate appearances this spring. San Francisco stuck with Susac in the backup role. They optioned Rodríguez while granting Haase his release.
After a few days on the open market, Haase returns to the club. He’ll work alongside Rodríguez and Logan Porter as part of the Triple-A catching group. Haase has easily the most MLB experience of any catcher in the organization aside from Bailey. He has just over four years of service time and has taken more than 1200 plate appearances in a little under 400 games.
Haase is a lifetime .228/.278/.396 hitter at the big league level. He has plus power from the right side that comes with a lot of swing and miss. Haase has always been a bat-first option who probably profiles best in the third catcher role he’ll play now that he’s back with San Francisco.
Dodgers Claim Grant Holman From D-Backs
The Dodgers announced they’ve claimed reliever Grant Holman off waivers from the Diamondbacks. Arizona designated the righty for assignment on Opening Day when they needed a roster spot for a trio of minor league signees who broke camp. Los Angeles moved Gavin Stone from the 15-day to the 60-day injured list to clear a spot on the 40-man roster.
Holman spent six weeks in the Arizona organization. The D-Backs had claimed him off waivers from the A’s at the beginning of camp. The UC Berkeley product has pitched parts of two seasons in green and gold. Holman combined for 40 appearances from 2024-25, turning in a 4.66 earned run average over 38 2/3 innings. He struck out 18.8% of opponents against a 10.2% walk percentage.
The 25-year-old Holman has missed more bats in the minors, fanning 27.3% of batters faced while allowing exactly three earned runs per nine over five seasons. That includes a 0.70 ERA over 38 2/3 frames at the Triple-A level despite pitching in the Pacific Coast League. Holman has a 94-95 mph fastball and leans mostly on a split as his best secondary offering. He also occasionally mixes in a slider against right-handed hitters.
It’s the second depth acquisition of the day for the Dodgers. They brought in lefty Jake Eder in a cash trade this morning. Both pitchers have a minor league option year and can head to Triple-A Oklahoma City for the time being.
Stone opened the season on the 15-day injured list after experiencing shoulder inflammation at the start of camp. He has avoided any structural damage but didn’t pitch again during Spring Training. Stone missed the entire 2025 season following a labrum and rotator cuff repair on that shoulder in October ’24. The Dodgers will approach the situation with caution.
Manager Dave Roberts said Monday that Stone recently restarted his throwing program (via the MLB.com injury tracker). He’s essentially beginning a new Spring Training build from scratch and is weeks away from a minor league rehab assignment. Stone’s 60-day clock backdates to Opening Day. He’ll be eligible for reinstatement on May 24.
Cardinals Have Shown Interest In JJ Wetherholt Extension
The Cardinals have interest in an extension with JJ Wetherholt, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. There’s no indication talks have gotten far, though it’s understandable that St. Louis would like to keep the rookie beyond his six-year window of club control.
Wetherholt was the seventh overall pick in the 2024 draft. The University of West Virginia product mashed throughout his first full minor league season, batting .306/.421/.510 between the top two levels. He’s a consensus top prospect whom the Cardinals carried on the Opening Day roster and have immediately plugged in as their leadoff hitter. Wetherholt can play shortstop but is ticketed for second base work in St. Louis thanks to Masyn Winn.
The 23-year-old has had a nice first week in the big leagues, collecting six hits (including a homer) with two walks and three strikeouts through 23 plate appearances. A five-game sample isn’t going to have much bearing on extension talks. The Cardinals’ interest in a long-term deal is rooted more in his college and minor league excellence. By and large, there’s a strong track record for elite position player prospects who have performed as well as Wetherholt has at every stop.
Colt Emerson set a new record for the largest pre-debut extension in MLB history this morning. The Mariners shortstop/third base prospect signed an eight-year, $95MM guarantee with a club option for a ninth season. It’s not a perfect parallel to Wetherholt, who is already at the MLB level. That said, Wetherholt’s camp at Covenant Sports Group is surely aware of the Emerson deal establishing a new standard for an early-career contract. The two are in a similar prospect tier. As a college draftee, Wetherholt is a couple years older.
Emerson’s deal handily beat the $60MM extension that Kristian Campbell signed during his first week in the majors last April. Roman Anthony signed for $130MM last August when he had a little under 200 big league plate appearances. The Cardinals are probably reluctant to go that far a week into Wetherholt’s career, but his camp may already look for nine figures.
The Prospect Promotion Incentive is among the reasons Wetherholt broke camp. St. Louis would receive a bonus draft choice after the first round if he wins Rookie of the Year or finishes top three in MVP voting within his first three seasons. The PPI does not apply to players who sign extensions before their debut (e.g. Emerson) but would remain in place if the Cards get a long-term deal done with Wetherholt now that he has MLB time under his belt.