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Brewers Notes: Misiorowski, Megill, Quintana

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The Brewers need one win over the Reds or a Phillies loss to the Twins to secure the #1 seed in the National League. Although this weekend isn’t a meaningless series for the Brew Crew, they’re far more concerned about shaping plans for the Division Series that’ll begin eight days from now.

That includes using Jacob Misiorowski out of the bullpen in preparation for his expected postseason role. The 23-year-old will make his first career relief appearance behind lefty Robert Gasser tomorrow (link via Adam McCalvy of MLB.com). Gasser will likely be limited to 3-4 innings as he continues building back from last year’s elbow surgery. Misiorowski should work multiple innings out of the ’pen.

The rookie righty was so electric over his first few appearances that he was named to the All-Star Game five starts into his career. He has a 5.45 earned run average in the second half. Misiorowski has only gone beyond five innings once over his past nine times out. He has very little experience turning a lineup over more than twice. Milwaukee prefers to let him max out over shorter stints in high-leverage situations in October.

Milwaukee’s bullpen should get another big boost this weekend. Closer Trevor Megill is expected back from the 15-day injured list on Sunday, reports Curt Hogg of The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. The Brewers will probably get him into that game regardless of the score to ensure he gets on the mound before the start of the postseason. Megill, who has 30 saves with a 2.54 ERA, has missed the past month with a forearm strain. Skipper Pat Murphy has since used a committee approach in the ninth inning. Abner Uribe, Jared Koenig and Aaron Ashby have each recorded saves in Megill’s absence.

Jose Quintana won’t pitch this weekend but also seems to be trending towards a return in the Division Series. The veteran starter tossed three innings in a live batting practice session this afternoon (via the MLB.com injury tracker). Quintana has been down since the middle of September with a strained left calf.

If he’s healthy, Quintana could line up to start Game 3 of the NLDS. Milwaukee will very likely go with Freddy Peralta and Quinn Priester in the first two contests. Brandon Woodruff hasn’t officially been ruled out for the Division Series, but that’d require him returning from a lat strain after a minimal stint. If Woodruff can’t make it back, Quintana and rookie righty Chad Patrick would presumably be the options to take the ball in the third game. Murphy wouldn’t wait long to get into a deep bullpen in that one.

Brock Stewart To Undergo Season-Ending Shoulder Surgery

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Dodgers reliever Brock Stewart will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery, manager Dave Roberts tells the L.A. beat (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic). It’s a debridement procedure, added GM Brandon Gomes (relayed by Jack Harris of The Los Angeles Times). While he’s unlikely to be ready for Opening Day, the Dodgers expect him to return at some point in the first half of the 2026 season. The right-hander has been on the injured list since the middle of August.

It’s another hit to a bullpen that is the Dodgers’ biggest weakness heading into the playoffs. Blake Treinen has given up 11 runs in 7 1/3 innings this month. Closer Tanner Scott has surrendered six runs over his past 7 1/3 frames. Treinen has a 5.47 earned run average on the season; Scott has allowed 4.82 earned runs per nine. Kirby Yates has been knocked around as well, and he went down with a hamstring strain earlier in the week.

Michael Kopech has been limited to 11 innings by a trio of injuries. He’s back on the IL with knee inflammation and will at least be unavailable for the Wild Card Series. Brusdar Graterol never made it back from last year’s shoulder surgery. Evan Phillips underwent Tommy John surgery in June. Stewart is their seventh potential high-leverage arm who is either unavailable or not performing to expectations.

It leaves the Dodgers very vulnerable late in games. Lefty Alex Vesia has excelled for a second straight season and fourth time in the past five years. He has gotten the most high-leverage assignments and leads the team with eight holds in the second half. Fellow southpaws Anthony Banda, Justin Wrobleski and Jack Dreyer have each pitched well down the stretch.

Neither Wrobleski nor Dreyer has any postseason experience. Banda tossed eight innings during L.A.’s World Series run a year ago. He pitched well enough but wasn’t tasked with many key situations. There’s almost no certainty from the right side. The Dodgers just activated Roki Sasaki after a four-month absence due to his own shoulder injury. He’ll pitch in relief and is alongside Edgardo Henriquez as right-handed alternatives if Treinen doesn’t figure it out.

Their best options aside from Vesia are probably all converted starters who could go to the bullpen in October. That’ll almost certainly be Emmet Sheehan’s role. Clayton Kershaw came out of the bullpen on Wednesday in preparation for a potential relief job. Shohei Ohtani has even left the door open to pitching late in games (link via Thomas Harrigan and Sonja Chen of MLB.com).

That’s complicated by MLB’s two-way player rule only applying to starting pitchers. If Ohtani begins the game as a designated hitter and then pitches out of the bullpen, the Dodgers would lose the DH. Unless he’s called in to close, that’d require them to play Ohtani in the outfield — something he has done for all of 8 1/3 innings in the major leagues — or lose his bat late in games.

The Dodgers decided not to aggressively attack that tenuous relief group at the trade deadline. Stewart and minor leaguer Paul Gervase were their only bullpen pickups in July. Stewart’s talent wasn’t a question. The 33-year-old righty was sitting on a 2.38 ERA with a near-30% strikeout rate over 39 appearances with Minnesota. Swapping him for James Outman, a strikeout-prone outfielder who’d plummeted down the depth chart made sense.

However, Stewart’s lengthy injury history meant the Dodgers were taking a big risk by making him their only relief pickup of significance. Stewart has never reached 40 MLB innings in a season. He was shut down in June 2023 by elbow problems and battled shoulder issues for much of last year, culminating in arthroscopic surgery. He hadn’t had any arm injuries in the first half of ’25, but it unfortunately didn’t register as a huge surprise when he went down after four appearances following the trade.

The Dodgers can transfer Stewart to the 60-day injured list if they need to open a 40-man roster spot before the end of the season. He’s playing on an $870K salary that is barely above the league minimum. Stewart will go through arbitration twice more and won’t hit free agency until the end of his age-35 season.

Los Angeles has clinched the NL West and the #3 seed. They’ll host the league’s final playoff team (one of the Mets, Reds or Diamondbacks) in the Wild Card Series beginning on Tuesday. If they survive that three-game set, they’re likely to match up with the Phillies in the Division Series.

Rangers Promote Jose Corniell

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The Rangers made a few moves going into their final series in Cleveland. Texas selected infielder Donovan Solano onto the major league roster. He takes the spot of utilityman Josh Smith, who goes to the paternity list. Texas also shut down relievers Chris Martin (thoracic outlet syndrome) and Cole Winn (rotator cuff strain) for the season. Luis Curvelo and Jose Corniell were recalled to fill the two open spots on the pitching staff.

Solano signed a minor league deal with the Rangers three weeks ago. He’d been released by the Mariners after hitting .252/.295/.344 with three homers through 176 plate appearances. He hit .212 in 10 games with Triple-A Round Rock. The veteran infielder will return to free agency at the end of the season. He’ll provide a right-handed bat off Bruce Bochy’s bench against the Guardians in the interim.

It’s a more meaningful call for the 22-year-old Corniell. The Dominican-born righty reaches the big leagues for the first time. The move is technically a recall because Corniell has occupied a spot on the 40-man roster since the 2023-24 offseason.

Initially a Mariners signee, Corniell was traded to Texas for reliever Rafael Montero before the ’21 season. The 6’3″ righty had never thrown a minor league pitch. He’d signed with Seattle during the 2019-20 international period, then saw his first professional season canceled by the pandemic. Corniell struggled over the next two seasons but had a breakout year in the low minors in 2023. Texas put him on the 40-man roster to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft.

Corniell blew out early last season. He underwent UCL surgery in June and was on the injured list until shortly after this year’s All-Star Break. He made six abbreviated starts at Double-A and dominated. Cornell turned in 20 innings of two-run ball (one earned) with 20 punchouts and one walk. Texas bumped him to Triple-A, where he recorded 12 1/3 frames with five runs allowed. He fanned 14 while issuing six free passes.

Jack Leiter is on the mound for tonight’s series opener. Texas hasn’t announced its starters for the final two games. They’d have Merrill Kelly and Patrick Corbin on their usual schedules. The Rangers aren’t playing for anything, but Cleveland is battling for a playoff spot and the AL Central title. It’d be a surprise if the Rangers scratched one of their veteran arms to give Corniell the ball in that context. He could get a chance to make his debut as a long reliever if one of the games is a blowout.

Martin’s season concludes with a thoracic outlet syndrome diagnosis. The 39-year-old from Arlington signed a one-year free agent deal to rejoin his hometown team last winter. He pitched well when healthy, working to a 2.98 ERA through 42 1/3 innings. This is his third injured list stint of the season. He missed time earlier in the year with shoulder fatigue and lost all of August to a calf strain.

The Rangers haven’t provided any specifics on the severity of the injury. Martin said last September that he expected 2025 to be his final season. If this is the end, he’ll finish his career with a 3.33 earned run average across 10 seasons in the big leagues. The highly respected righty recorded the 400th strikeout of his career last night, fanning Minnesota’s Austin Martin.

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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Anthony Franco

  • Good afternoon everyone, hope you're doing well!
  • It's been a couple weeks. Glad to be back

Unclemike1526

  • What is the total number of players for a Playoff rosters? Does it revert back to 26 or does it stay at 27? If so does Ballesteros even make the team if Tucker is back? Does it have to be 13-13? Thanks

Anthony Franco

  • It reverts to 26 with a 13-pitcher maximum. Doesn't necessity need to be 13-13 and maybe for the Wild Card round you'll see a team go with 12 pitchers because it's a short series, but most teams will want as many pitchers as they can carry as it goes along
  • Either way, they need to find room for Ballesteros. I'd probably drop Turner (and Santana, who's already out) but any of Turner, Castro or Alcantara seems plausible to me
  • Willi hasn't hit at all. Alcantara's only really on hand in case PCA gets hurt and they need someone to step into CF. Turner's been a little better lately and provides a right-handed bat off the bench but they don't have that many LHH for whom they'd pinch hit anyway (it's basically just Busch) so I don't know that they really need one

this little piggyback cried oui oui all the way

  • Most of the playoff contenders haven't even named their starters for Saturday and Sunday. Is this a new trend?

Anthony Franco

  • Probably? The borderline playoff teams don't know yet if Sunday will be a must-win and they'll need to bring their best pitchers back on short rest
  • Tigers would love to clinch by Saturday and have Skubal for Game 1 but they may not have that luxury. Astros are almost certainly going to need to bring Brown back on short rest as well

World Series Victor

  • Is anyone going to topple Seattle? Or will we finally get to hoist the trophy?

Anthony Franco

  • Obviously the odds are stacked heavily in favor of the field over any individual team but Seattle feels like the most complete team in the American League, at least. Tougher call when you pit them against Milwaukee and Philly but yeah, I'd probably have them as slight World Series favorites

The Knuder

  • Which free agents, if any, do you see the Padres bringing back?

Anthony Franco

  • Don't think it's all that likely they're keeping any of them besides Laureano, who has the easy yes on the club option
  • Beyond that, King's the only one that I really see a path for, but it probably requires his market not materializing as hoped and turning to an opt-out situation
  • Cease, Suarez, Arraez, ROH and Nestor all feel like they're gone. Diaz, Hart and Iglesias are minor league deal guys

Arise, Sir Loin of Beef

  • Mets make the playoffs, yes or no? I'm guessing no.

Anthony Franco

  • I still expect them to get in, though I'll admit that I'm kind of pulling for the Reds just to shake up the field

Dirt

  • Thanks for the chat! Despite the broken hamate, Ozzie's option with the Braves next season is a no-brainer, right? If so, where does that leave Nacho? Utility infielder or trade bait? Is Nick Allen the odd man out?

Anthony Franco

  • Agreed. $3M difference between the option price and the buyout gets you Kevin Newman or Luis Urías. Even with the downward trend and the injuries, Ozzie's better than those guys
  • I think they'll trade Alvarez in a deal for some kind of pitching help. Nacho's not going to get you Joe Ryan or MacKenzie Gore but there'll be teams that'd like him in return for a back-end starter. Allen's glove-only profile fits better in a utility capacity. Probably need to work out a multi-year deal with HSK to keep him from opting out at that point

pitching chaos for everyone

  • Will anyone pitch 7+ innings in one game this weekend?

Anthony Franco

  • Haha Logan Webb goes Sunday at home against the Rockies. Might set the O/U at 8.2

john

  • If Woodruff is out of the NLDS who takes the #3 start?  Quintana/Miz/Patrick all come with high risk.

Anthony Franco

  • I think it's Patrick, maybe after an opener. In any case, not extending that third "starter" to go more than 3-4 innings. Get to the bullpen at the first sign of trouble

TheBeatlesShow

  • Hey, Anthony.  Hope all is well.  Remind me, weren't the Tigers called 'the best team in baseball' around the middle of the season?  But the real questions:  If they do lose the division, where does that stack up against the greatest collapses of all time?  And, over the last month or so...or less than that, has Steven Vogt gotten himself a lot of votes for AL Mgr of the Year?

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Offseason Outlook: Athletics

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An awful May ensured the A's were headed for another losing season. They made arguably the biggest sell-side trade at the deadline, sending Mason Miller to San Diego for a prospect package headlined by potential franchise shortstop Leo De Vries. The A's have quietly been one of the best teams in the American League for the final two months of the season. They're in for a second straight offseason focused primarily on pitching. It's not an easy task while they're in a Triple-A home ballpark that plays as one of the most hitter-friendly venues in the game.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Lawrence Butler, CF: $62.25MM through 2031 (including $2MM in yet to be paid signing bonuses and buyout of '32 club option)
  • Brent Rooker, DH: $48MM through 2029 (deal includes '30 club/vesting option)
  • Luis Severino, RHP: $47MM through 2027 (including $5MM signing bonus to be paid in January; can opt out after '26)
  • Jeffrey Springs, LHP: $11.25MM through 2026 (including buyout of '27 club option)

2026 financial commitments: $45.75MM
Total future commitments: $168.5MM

Option Decisions

  • None

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Non-tender candidates: Wynns, Waldichuk

Free Agents

For the second straight year, the A's go into the offseason with positive momentum despite finishing with a losing record. They've been a better second half team in both 2024 and '25. That alone probably doesn't hold a ton of predictive value, but it's fair to have more optimism next spring than it was last offseason.

It appears ownership is satisfied with the direction of the rebuild. The A's extended manager Mark Kotsay last offseason on a deal that runs at least through 2028. General manager David Forst is reportedly on an expiring deal. However, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported this morning that he's in talks with owner John Fisher about his future. Rosenthal suggests he could agree to at least a two-year extension that runs up to the team's expected opening of its Las Vegas ballpark.

They're on track to go into Vegas with a very good offense. Nick Kurtz has shredded major league pitching. Jacob Wilson is coming off the first of what should be multiple All-Star appearances at shortstop. Shea Langeliers and Tyler Soderstrom have taken steps forward offensively. Soderstrom also showed he's capable of playing better defense than expected in left field after being forced off first base by Kurtz's arrival. Even as Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler took steps back after fantastic 2024 seasons, this lineup runs six deep. The 18-year-old De Vries is a dynamic talent at the top of the farm system who has a good shot to pair with Wilson as an elite middle infield tandem down the line.

The A's don't have the same kind of young corps anchoring the pitching staff. Neither the Luis Severino signing nor the Jeffrey Springs trade stabilized the rotation as hoped (though Severino has been quite good down the stretch). Both pitchers have managed back-of-the-rotation results overall without missing a ton of bats. Neither has fared well at the A's temporary home park in Sacramento.

Severino blasted the arrangement when speaking with Brendan Kuty of The Athletic in June. Asked about his stark home/road splits, the righty said his road numbers were better "because we play in a big-league stadium on the road." He added that pitching in Sacramento is "not the same atmosphere. We don’t have a lot of fans. Our clubhouse is in left field. So, when we play day games, we have to just be in the sun."

The criticism was bizarre considering the A's went beyond general expectations to sign Severino to a three-year, $67MM contract last offseason. That price presumably baked in a cost for pitching in a minor league facility on a team without a true home city. Unsurprisingly, USA Today's Bob Nightengale suggested that Severino's comments were not well-received by A's brass. The team would've welcomed a chance to trade him at the deadline. Between the contract and Severino's lack of swing-and-miss stuff both at home and away, they were unable to find a taker.

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Netflix To Carry Opening Night, Home Run Derby Broadcasts In 2026

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Netflix will have exclusive streaming coverage of next season’s Opening Night matchup between the Yankees and Giants, reports Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. Those teams will kick off the season with a standalone game at Oracle Park on Wednesday, March 25. Everyone else’s season will begin the following day, aligning with MLB’s usual practice of opening on the final Thursday in March.

That’s not the only significant get for Netflix. Marchand reports that the streaming corporation will also get the Home Run Derby for the next three seasons and share broadcasts of a few special location games (e.g. Field of Dreams, Rickwood Field) with NBC. Netflix and MLB are signing a three-year deal which Marchand reports will pay the league roughly $225-250MM annually.

Opening Night and the Home Run Derby were previously part of MLB’s long-running deal with ESPN. That collapsed in February when both sides opted out of the contract for the 2026-28 seasons. ESPN sought to renegotiate at a lesser rights fee. MLB instead partitioned the package — which included the Derby, Sunday Night Baseball, and the Wild Card round — and has hammered out a few smaller deals with different companies.

Marchand reported last month that Netflix was making a bid for the Derby, and they’ve apparently reached that agreement. He adds today that NBC and its streaming service Peacock will pick up Sunday Night Baseball and the Wild Card round from 2026-28. (ESPN will still have next week’s first round as part of the final season of the previous agreement.) NBC is also expected to pay around $225-250MM per season on a three-year contract.

There’ll also be a change to the regular season games on Sunday mornings. Roku has carried those since early 2024. Rob Tornoe of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported last month that NBC, which had carried those games on Peacock from 2022-23, would reacquire those rights. Roku’s deal ran through the end of 2026. It’s not clear if Peacock will pick those broadcasts up a year early or wait until the ’27 season.

ESPN will also remain a partner of the league on a much bigger deal. Marchand reported in August that the broadcaster was nearing agreement with MLB to license the rights to teams’ out-of-market games, which have been part of the MLB.tv package. ESPN also gets in-market rights for the Rockies, Twins, Diamondbacks, Padres and Guardians — the five clubs whose broadcasts have been handled by the league since their regional TV deals collapsed. ESPN also gets 30 exclusive national games to replace what it lost on Sunday nights; those games will now be on weekdays.

That’s also a three-year arrangement. Marchand reports that ESPN will pay the league $1.65 billion in total — matching the $550MM annual sum it would have paid for Sunday nights, the Derby, and the Wild Card round had it not opted out.

It’s not a coincidence that all these deals run through 2028. MLB’s preexisting contracts with Fox (which carries the World Series, the ALCS, the ALDS, and the All-Star Game) and Turner (which has the NLDS and NLCS) also expire at the end of the ’28 season. Commissioner Rob Manfred has expressed a desire to acquire the local in-market rights for every team by that point. That would give MLB the opportunity to shop virtually everything going into 2029.

Pirates GM Ben Cherington’s Contract Runs Through 2027

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Pirates GM Ben Cherington’s contract runs through the 2027 season, according to Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. Cherington has been at the helm of Pittsburgh’s front office since November 2019. John Perrotto of The Associated Press wrote last week that Cherington was signed beyond this season, though it was previously unknown if his contract ran through 2026 or ’27. This latest update gives him at least two more years worth of guaranteed salary.

Dating back to Cherington’s first season at the helm – the COVID-shortened 2020 season – the Pirates have a record of 363-504 and have finished 4th or 5th in the NL Central in every season. The club’s last winning season was in 2018 under then-GM Neal Huntington. They lost 93 games the following season. Owner Bob Nutting fired Huntington and brought in Cherington after the following season, even though Huntington had multiple years remaining on his contract at the time.

That same offseason saw the Bucs fire manager Clint Hurdle, whom they replaced with Derek Shelton. Pittsburgh stuck with the Cherington-Shelton pairing for five full seasons, maxing out with 76-86 seasons in both 2023 and ’24. A 12-26 start to year six led them to fire Shelton in early May. They’ve been better under interim skipper Don Kelly, yet their 57-64 record in that time has them playing at the same 76-win pace of the previous two seasons. Some growing pains are always expected at the beginning of a rebuild, but the record has plateaued even as the Bucs have put together a talented collection of young arms.

Under Cherington, Pittsburgh has had much more success drafting and developing pitching than they’ve had on the position player side. The Pirates drafted Paul Skenes No. 1 overall in 2023, and the righty is now the favorite to win the NL Cy Young Award. He gives the club their first bona fide ace since Gerrit Cole and should anchor the rotation for the next few years.

Braxton Ashcraft and Mike Burrows were drafted before Cherington’s arrival but have developed into promising pitchers this season. Closer Dennis Santana has broken out since being claimed off waivers last June. There’s more pitching talent in the pipeline. Five of MLB.com’s Top 100 prospects are in the Pirates organization, and two of them – RHP Bubba Chandler (No. 7) and LHP Hunter Barco (No. 82) – have recently made their big-league debuts. They added another potential impact arm with RHP Seth Hernandez, the sixth overall pick this summer.

Impressive as the pitching group has been, they’ve had too many misses on offense. Henry Davis, the first overall pick in 2021, is a career .178/.260/.288 hitter. Nick Gonzales, selected seventh overall in 2020, has a .259/.302/.378 line in more than 900 plate appearances. While it’s too early to close the book on 2022 fourth overall pick Termarr Johnson, he’s not as highly regarded as he was at draft time because of questions about his power ceiling and defense at second base.

Last year’s first-round pick looks much more successful. Konnor Griffin, the #9 pick in 2024, had a phenomenal minor league season. He’s a potential franchise shortstop and arguably the #1 prospect in the game. Griffin has a chance to become the dynamic position player talent that the club has lacked, but they’ll need a lot more production throughout the lineup. Spencer Horwitz and Joey Bart are their only two hitters who have been even slightly above-average at the plate this season, as measured by wRC+. No team has scored fewer runs.

Cherington said over the weekend that he hasn’t received any indication from ownership that he won’t remain in the position going into 2026. If that proves to be the case, he’ll first need to decide whether to retain Kelly as the permanent manager. The focus will again be on building even a league average offense. Skenes, Chandler, and Mitch Keller form a strong front of the rotation, with all three under control through at least 2028. The team’s payroll annually ranks in the bottom 10 of the league, likely leaving the front office looking in the third or fourth tiers of free agency to acquire some complementary pieces to strengthen the lineup in hopes of getting above .500 and challenging for a Wild Card spot.

Diamondbacks Outright Jake Woodford

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The Diamondbacks sent right-hander Jake Woodford outright to Triple-A Reno, according to the MLB.com transaction tracker. He cleared waivers after being designated for assignment over the weekend.

Woodford joined the Snakes on a major league contract in the beginning of July. He’d been pitching in Triple-A with the Cubs when he triggered an out clause in that minor league deal. He took the ball 22 times and logged 36 1/3 innings of 6.44 ERA ball. It was his third consecutive season allowing more than six earned runs per nine innings. Woodford nevertheless found himself in a handful of high-leverage situations in an Arizona bullpen that was hit hard by injuries. He recorded his first three major league saves and picked up a pair of holds, but he also blew four leads.

That took on added importance as the D-Backs improbably stayed afloat in the playoff picture. Woodford had a decent stretch in early September but was tagged for multiple runs in each of his final three times out. That included blowing a two-run save opportunity and taking the loss in Minnesota on September 12, followed by allowing four earned runs in two innings against the Phillies a week later.

Woodford has appeared in parts of six major league seasons. He has done the majority of his work in long relief. He found some success as a ground-ball specialist with the Cardinals between 2021-22. The 28-year-old has had a tougher go in the past three seasons. He’s not getting as many grounders as he did earlier in his career and his stuff has never missed many bats.

As a player with over three years of MLB service, Woodford has the right to decline an outright assignment in favor of free agency. It’s likelier he’ll accept and remain with the Snakes in case injuries further up the depth chart open another opportunity. The D-Backs are within a game of the Mets for the National League’s final playoff spot. Woodford would qualify for minor league free agency at the end of the season if the D-Backs don’t reselect his contract.

Blue Jays Designate Alek Manoah For Assignment, Activate Anthony Santander

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The Blue Jays have designated former Cy Young finalist Alek Manoah for assignment. That clears a 40-man roster spot for Anthony Santander, who returns from the 60-day injured list. Toronto placed Ty France on the 10-day IL with oblique inflammation to clear space on the active roster.

It’s an abrupt end to Manoah’s time in Toronto. The Jays selected the big right-hander with the 11th overall pick in the 2019 draft. The West Virginia product reached the big leagues two seasons later. He fired 20 starts with a 3.22 earned run average to finish eighth in AL Rookie of the Year balloting. Manoah built off that promising debut with a fantastic first full season in the big leagues. He threw just under 200 innings with a 2.24 ERA across 31 starts.

Among qualified American League pitchers, only Justin Verlander and Dylan Cease had a lower earned run average that year. Manoah landed behind that duo with a third-place finish in Cy Young balloting. He earned an All-Star nod and received down ballot MVP votes. Even if Manoah’s underlying marks weren’t quite so dominant, he was one of the most promising young pitchers in the game.

At the time, it would’ve been impossible to imagine the Jays cutting him loose less than three years later. Manoah’s stock has tumbled since the end of 2022. He allowed almost six earned runs per nine across 19 big league starts the following year. His strikeout rate dropped nearly four percentage points while his walks doubled. The Jays optioned him to the minors twice as he fell out of favor with the team competing for a playoff spot.

Manoah was slated to return to the rotation to open the ’24 campaign. He battled shoulder soreness during Spring Training and was forced to begin the season on the injured list. The Jays activated him in May. Manoah pitched well over five starts, turning in a 3.70 ERA with much better command than he’d had in the preceding season. His elbow gave out in early June, however, sending him for season-ending UCL surgery.

That’ll very likely turn out to be his last MLB work in a Jays uniform. Manoah finished last season on the 60-day injured list. He’d been on the IL for most of this season completing his rehab. The Jays activated him a couple weeks ago but didn’t have room for him on the MLB pitching staff. They kept him at Triple-A Buffalo on optional assignment.

Manoah managed a 2.97 ERA across seven Triple-A starts, but that came in spite of an unimpressive set of underlying numbers. His strikeout (20.4%), walk (12.2%) and home run (1.62 per nine innings) marks were all worse than average. Perhaps even more concerning is that his fastball was sitting 91 MPH. His heater had been around 94 during his excellent first two seasons and was above 93 before his elbow surgery last year.

The Jays are evidently pessimistic about his chance of recapturing his pre-injury form. Manoah certainly wasn’t going to be in the mix for a spot on this year’s playoff roster. Keeping him would have been about the next two seasons. Manoah is under arbitration control through the end of 2027. He made $2.2MM this season and will be in line for a matching rate next year if he’s tendered a contract. Toronto’s front office decided they weren’t going to take that roll of the dice.

Manoah will be placed on waivers this week. That’s in reverse order of the standings and is not league specific. The Rockies will have the first opportunity to decide whether to take a flier. They’ll be followed by the White Sox, Nationals, Pirates, Twins and so on. There’s a good chance someone will place a claim and hope that a healthy offseason allows Manoah to rebuild arm strength.

He’d remain controllable for another two seasons with a new club and still has two minor league options, so a claiming team could have him begin next season in Triple-A. If he clears waivers, Manoah would likely accept an outright assignment and remain with the Jays for the remainder of the season, but he’d qualify for minor league free agency at the start of the offseason.

In the short term, the bigger news for Toronto is Santander’s return. Their big-ticket offseason signee has been out of action since the end of May with a left shoulder injury. Toronto has been the top team in the American League despite getting virtually nothing out of the switch-hitting slugger. Santander hit just six homers while batting .179/.273/.304 through 209 trips to the plate.

Santander is one season removed from hitting 44 home runs with the Orioles. He might head into the postseason as a high-upside bench bat. The Jays kept him mostly at designated hitter on his rehab assignment. He started seven games as a DH and played twice in left field. George Springer is having a huge year as the primary DH. Even if the Jays were comfortable using him as an everyday right fielder in the playoffs, it’s not clear if they’d have DH at-bats available for Santander. Bo Bichette is aiming for a postseason return from his sprained PCL, but he may not be ready to play shortstop. That’d force the Jays to play Bichette at DH with Springer in right.

Davis Schneider and Nathan Lukes have divided the corner outfield playing time. They’ve each had decent seasons overall but haven’t hit this month. Santander could push one of them out of the lineup if the Jays are comfortable with his arm. He’d otherwise be left to operate in a bench role, especially if Bichette returns as a DH for the start of the playoffs. Lukes and Schneider got the nod between left and right field tonight against Boston and Lucas Giolito.

Nationals Notes: Garcia, Parker, Gray

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Nationals infielder Luis García Jr. made his first career appearance at first base during Tuesday’s loss in Atlanta. García started the game and played all eight defensive innings. Nasim Nuñez played second base with CJ Abrams back in the lineup at shortstop.

García began taking pregame drills at first base a little over a month ago. The Nats got to a point where they felt comfortable playing the 25-year-old there in a game. García is a middling defender at the keystone. Washington doesn’t have an answer at first base for the 2026 season. García’s .253/.290/.399 slash line wouldn’t play as a regular there either, but there’s no downside in expanding his flexibility.

The former highly-regarded prospect could find himself on the roster bubble as he’d be due a raise on this year’s $4.5MM salary if tendered an arbitration contract. He may have a better chance of remaining on the roster if he’s not locked into the keystone. Teams generally prefer not to carry second base-only players on the bench. García’s inability to play shortstop still leaves him as an imperfect fit for a utility role.

Nuñez might be a better candidate for that job. He’s the team’s best defensive infielder. The 5’8″ switch-hitter has had a very light bat for most of his career, but he has connected for an out-of-nowhere four home runs in 12 games since being recalled from Triple-A at the start of September. He has picked up a few more starts down the stretch as he tries to stake a claim to an Opening Day roster spot.

The Nats also made a change to their pitching roles over the weekend. Lefty Mitchell Parker, who started his first 30 appearances, has been moved to the bullpen (link via Jessica Camerato of MLB.com). He worked 3 2/3 scoreless innings to lock down a 3-2 win over the Mets on Sunday, getting the save in his first career relief outing. It was an impressive performance from the second-year southpaw, who has struggled to a 5.85 ERA across 158 1/3 innings as a starter.

Parker had better numbers as a rookie. He turned in a 4.29 ERA over 29 starts a year ago. Both he and Jake Irvin took steps back this year, going from capable back-of-the-rotation arms to two of the least effective starters in MLB. Irvin has held his rotation spot despite allowing 5.69 earned runs per nine over his 32 starts. The Nats are finishing the season with a rotation of Cade Cavalli, Brad Lord, Andrew Alvarez and Irvin. They shut down MacKenzie Gore with an ankle injury this afternoon, so they may need to turn back to Parker for a final spot start to close the year.

Gore will be an offseason trade candidate as he enters his final two years of club control. Cavalli is probably the only other pitcher whom the club would be willing to pencil into next year’s rotation right now. Whomever takes over baseball operations will need to make multiple additions.

Josiah Gray will rejoin the rest of the aforementioned group in battling for spots at the back end. Gray has completed his rehab from last July’s UCL surgery. The Nats opted not to press him back into action for an MLB start and decided to shut him down this week, but he’ll go into what is expected to be an essentially typical offseason (link via Bobby Blanco of MASNsports.com).

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