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Cubs Sign Phil Maton

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The Cubs’ first addition of the offseason will come in the bullpen, as Chicago has agreed to terms with right-hander Phil Maton on a two-year, $14.5MM contract with a club option for a third season. The Paragon Sports International client can pick up another $250K worth of incentives based on innings pitched in each of the two guaranteed seasons on the contract.

Maton split last season between the Cardinals and Rangers. He joined St. Louis on a one-year, $2MM deal and pitched well for the first half of the season. After 38 1/3 innings of a 2.35 ERA, the Cardinals shipped him to Texas at the trade deadline for minor league pitchers Mason Molina and Skylar Hales. Maton’s ERA rose to 3.52 with his new team, but he upped his strikeout rate to 36.7% and picked up three saves over 23 appearances.

Chicago will be Maton’s eighth team in 10 big-league seasons. He was drafted by the Padres in 2015. Eye-popping strikeout numbers helped the righty zoom through San Diego’s system, and he reached the big leagues by 2017. Maton delivered decent contributions with the Padres in his first two seasons, though he missed time with a lat strain in 2018. After a half-season spent bouncing between the Padres and Triple-A El Paso the following year, Maton was dealt to Cleveland for cash.

Maton flashed the swing-and-miss upside he had shown in the minors for the first time at the big-league level with Cleveland. He posted a 33.3% strikeout rate across 23 games in the shortened 2020 season, then pushed it to 34.3% in the first half of 2021. Maton was on the move again at the 2021 trade deadline, heading with Yainer Diaz to Houston for Myles Straw. The deal turned out to be a big win for the Astros, even before factoring in Diaz’s contributions. Maton compiled a 3.67 ERA across 157 innings with Houston through 2023. He was phenomenal during the 2021 playoffs, allowing just one earned run in 12 games. Maton secured three holds in the postseason that year, including two in the World Series.

Maton hit the open market following the 2023 season and landed in Tampa Bay on a one-year, $6.5MM deal. He struggled with the Rays and ended up getting dealt to the Mets in early July. Maton put together 28 2/3 innings of a 2.51 ERA in New York, but stumbled in the postseason. The veteran was knocked around for six earned runs in 6 1/3 innings in the playoffs, including four home runs.

Velocity isn’t Maton’s strong suit, as his fastball barely cracks 90 mph. The veteran has found success by leading with his curveball and mixing in cutters and sinkers. Maton has used the hook as his primary pitch in two of the last three seasons. He threw it 38.2% of the time last year, and it recorded a healthy +10 run value. Maton’s cutter, curveball, and sweeper all had whiff rates above 32% last season.

Maton has excelled at limiting hard contact at every stop. He’s limited hitters to a 29.9% hard-hit rate for his career. Maton ranked in the 98th percentile or better in hard-hit rate, barrel rate, and average exit velocity last season.

With Brad Keller hitting free agency and Andrew Kittredge traded to Baltimore, Chicago had a clear need for a righty at the backend of the bullpen. Daniel Palencia will likely resume closer duties after battling injuries at the end of last season, but Maton should factor into the late-inning mix alongside Porter Hodge. FanGraphs’ RosterResource tool has the Cubs’ payroll at around $177MM for 2026. The club has been above $200MM the past two seasons, so there could be more room to add in the bullpen. Luke Little and Jordan Wicks don’t have a ton of big-league experience between them, so pursuing a veteran southpaw might make sense.

Bleacher Nation’s Michael Cerami first reported that Maton was signing with the Cubs. Will Sammon of The Athletic reported the length of the deal, and the New York Post’s Jon Heyman first broke the financial terms.

Nationals Re-Sign Erick Mejia

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Infielder-turned-pitcher Erick Mejia is back with the Nationals on a minor league deal, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America. The former shortstop converted to pitching last season and reached Triple-A by the end of the year.

After logging a single inning on the mound at Triple-A in 2024, Mejia truly began his pitching journey this past season. He opened the year in Single-A, posting an impressive 33.3% strikeout rate over 12 innings. Mejia earned a couple of saves and a win with Fredericksburg. He moved up to Double-A and delivered a 2.33 ERA across 24 appearances. Mejia’s strikeouts tailed off, while his walk rate spiked to 18.6%, but he limited hitters to a .174 batting average. He found himself back in Rochester by August, though he was knocked around for 12 earned runs in 10 innings. Mejia’s walk rate remained a bloated 18%.

Seattle signed Mejia as an international free agent in 2012. He was obviously still a shortstop back then. Mejia climbed through the Mariners’ system with a strong hitting profile and a bit of speed. He was dealt to the Dodgers in January 2016 for Joe Wieland. Mejia upped his base-stealing with the Dodgers, but reached Triple-A for just a game. He was dealt again in January 2018, this time to Kansas City in a three-team trade headlined by Joakim Soria. Mejia debuted with the Royals in 2019. He went 5-for-22 over nine games. Mejia got another brief shot with the big-league club during the shortened 2020 season, going 1-for-14 in eight appearances.

After a season at Triple-A with Seattle in 2022, Mejia landed with the Nationals. He struggled mightily at the plate in two seasons at Triple-A with the organization. A 61 wRC+ in 66 games with the Red Wings in 2024 prompted the position switch. Given Mejia’s intriguing strikeout numbers in the minors, along with Washington’s current trajectory, it’s not unthinkable that he could find himself on a big-league mound in 2026.

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

Red Sox Release Yasmani Grandal

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The Red Sox released catcher Yasmani Grandal earlier this month, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Grandal stepped away from the organization back in June. There’s been no word regarding a potential retirement.

Grandal joined Boston on a minor league deal in April. He played in 23 games at Triple-A, posting a solid 110 wRC+ with his typically strong plate discipline (15 strikeouts to 13 walks). Grandal last suited up for Worcester on June 1, going 1-for-2 with a pair of walks. Manager Chad Tracy told MassLive’s Katie Morrison-O’Day that he talked to Grandal the next day about his future. “I knew he was going to pack up and go…his response was ‘it’s time to be dad.’”

Grandal was placed on the restricted list on June 4. Tracy was complimentary of the veteran’s time with the team. “He didn’t isolate himself, he was right in the middle of everything teaching young guys,” Tracy said. “It was great.”

The 37-year-old last appeared in the big leagues in 2024 with Pittsburgh. He played in 72 games with the Pirates, slashing a respectable .228/.304/.400. He hit nine home runs in his only year with the club.

Grandal has played for five different teams across 13 MLB seasons. He was taken by Cincinnati in the first round of the 2010 draft. The Reds shipped him to the Padres in the Mat Latos trade. He debuted with San Diego in 2012. Grandal was part of another significant trade in 2014, heading to the Dodgers in the Matt Kemp deal. He became one of the most productive backstops in the league with LA, hitting 73 home runs across three seasons. Grandal went to the Brewers as a free agent in 2019 and socked a career-high 28 home runs. He cashed in on that season by signing a four-year, $73MM deal with the White Sox.

Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images

Craig Albernaz’s Impact On Orioles’ Catchers

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Baltimore moved on from Brandon Hyde during the 2025 season, but they’ll replace him this year with another former catcher. New manager Craig Albernaz was a backstop for nine seasons in the minors. After his playing career wrapped up, he entered the coaching ranks. Albernaz’s first gig at the major-league level was as a catching instructor and bench coach with the Giants.

Albernaz’s lengthy catching experience as a player and coach could come in handy with Baltimore. Adley Rutschman and Samuel Basallo are two of the club’s key players, both for 2026 and beyond.

“I’m excited,” Albernaz told reporters earlier this month, including Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. “Adley and Basallo both have a ton of talent. Obviously, Basallo coming in, relatively not a lot of experience at the big league level, but you just see the talent jump right at you. And Adley, even before he got to the big leagues, and his pedigree behind the plate.”

The trade of Alex Jackson on Friday could increase Baltimore’s reliance on Rutschman and Basallo. Jackson has mostly been a backup in his career, but he had the second-most plate appearances at catcher for Baltimore last season. There was a chance the team would carry all three catchers next year. Basallo started 20 games behind the plate, but also made a pair of starts at first base and spent time at DH. Scouting reports aren’t glowing about his defensive capabilities, outside of a strong arm. FanGraphs gave him a 30 scouting grade for his current fielding ability and a 40 future grade. MLB.com was more generous, though a 45 fielding grade still isn’t ideal.

Rutschman had 18 appearances at DH in 2025, though oblique issues limited him to a career-low 90 games. He had at least 45 DH appearances in both 2023 and 2024. Rutschman is a solid defender, but injuries have limited his offensive production in back-to-back seasons. The backstop took a ball off the hand midway through the 2024 season. He didn’t go on the IL, but hit just .200 over the final three months of the season. Rutschman strained both his left and his right obliques this past season. He managed just 365 plate appearances, his fewest since his first professional season in 2019.

Albernaz has worked with some strong options behind the plate in his coaching career. Buster Posey’s final year in San Francisco was Albernaz’s first full season as catching instructor. Albernaz’s final season with the team saw Patrick Bailey emerge as an everyday option. Bailey hasn’t been much of an offensive contributor, but he’s been elite at pitching framing and controlling the running game. He’s a two-time Gold Glove winner. Rutschman might not be Posey and Basallo probably won’t be Bailey, but figuring out how to utilize both players will be key for Albernaz.

“I’m biased toward catching, having a great tandem behind the plate should help us win a lot of games in itself, and with those two guys, I’m going to lean on them a lot,” Albernaz said. “I’m going to give them a lot of information as far as how to help lead this team, our pitching staff, and also hold the coaches accountable. Because a high-functioning team, those catchers are involved in a lot of the process.”

Photo courtesy of Daniel Kucin Jr., Imagn Images.

Grayson Rodriguez Provides Health Update

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Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez said in an interview on the show Foul Territory that he’s “throwing and feeling good” following August surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow (h/t Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner for reporting on Rodriguez’s comments). The newly minted Angel added that he considered surgery in Spring Training, but decided against it, only for the discomfort to become unbearable. “It got to a point where I was like, ‘I can’t take it.’”

Rodriguez has battled injuries for the majority of his career. He missed the entire 2025 campaign with shoulder and lat issues. He was sidelined for part of the 2024 season with a shoulder injury. A lat strain capped Rodriguez at 17 starts in 2022 and likely pushed his MLB debut back a season.

According to Rodriguez, the bone spurs have been an issue for quite some time. “They’ve been in there for three or four years. This is something that I’ve dealt with for a while, ever since I was in Double-A, Triple-A.” The righty added that the bone spurs seemed to have led to the recurring lat problems, as the muscle was working harder to slow his arm after releasing each pitch.

Los Angeles is betting on better health for Rodriguez. The Angels landed the talented righty in a straight swap for outfielder Taylor Ward earlier this week. Ward is coming off a career-best 36-homer season. He’s been a mainstay in the middle of LA’s lineup for the past four seasons. Ward will be a free agent after 2026, while Rodriguez is under team control through 2029. The trade helped the Angels free up some capital, as Ward is projected to earn $13.7MM in his last year of arbitration.

Rodriguez said he was caught off guard by the move, but is “pumped” to head to his new team. “I didn’t think the Orioles would trade me. But, obviously, the Angels wanted me bad enough, and it’s kind of a cool feeling.”

If the bone spur removal gets Rodriguez back on track from a health perspective, Los Angeles could have their ace of the future. The 26-year-old is just a few years removed from being the top pitching prospect in the league. After scuffling in his first taste of big-league action, he put together a 13-start stretch with a 2.58 ERA to close his rookie season. Rodriguez was on his way to a breakout 2024 before the shoulder injury cut his season short. The righty improved his strikeout rate to 26.5% while cutting his hard-hit rate by 4%. His xFIP (3.57) and SIERA (3.61) backed up his 3.86 ERA.

Rodriguez’s health update is in line with the info relayed by Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias back in September. The executive told reporters that Rodriguez was on track for 2026 Spring Training.

If the righty is indeed good to go for the spring, it’ll mark the first time he’s pitched competitively since July 2024. Rodriguez’s velocity will be important to monitor once he gets back on the mound. He averaged 97.4 mph on his fastball in his rookie season, but that number fell to 96.1 mph in 2024. Rodriguez’s arsenal will also be something to keep an eye on. He threw six different pitches in 2023, but trimmed that to four pitches the following season. Rodriguez ditched the cutter and sweeper in 2024, while throwing the curveball a bit harder and the slider slightly softer.

Rodriguez will slot in behind Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano for the Angels. While Rodriguez’s health will be a main focus, there are plenty more questions to be answered in the rotation. Reid Detmers seems like he’ll get another shot as a starter after putting together a strong season out of the bullpen. Caden Dana and Mitch Farris closed 2025 in the rotation and are candidates for spots, though both had ERAs over 6.00 last year. Prospects George Klassen and Samuel Aldegheri, acquired from the Phillies in the Carlos Estevez trade, could also factor into the equation.

Photo courtesy of Tommy Gilligan, Imagn Images

Brewers Re-Sign JB Bukauskas

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The Brewers have inked righty JB Bukauskas to a minor league deal, reports Matt Eddy of Baseball America. Bukauskas had a non-roster invite to Spring Training with Milwaukee last season, but missed the entire year with a lat injury. It’s the same issue that cost him much of the 2024 campaign.

Bukauskas has been in the Brewers’ organization since April 2023, when the club claimed him off waivers from Seattle. He tossed six scoreless innings out of the bullpen that season, but missed time with neck and finger injuries. Bukauskas allowed just one earned run over six frames to open the 2024 season, then went down in mid-April with a lat injury that ended his season. Milwaukee designated him for assignment at the end of the year, which he accepted.

Houston took Bukauskas with the 15th overall pick in 2017. Injuries limited him to 17 appearances over his first two professional seasons. Bukauskas reached Double-A for his final start of 2018. He remained at the level in 2019, posting a 5.25 ERA across 20 appearances (14 starts). The Astros shipped Bukauskas, Corbin Martin, Josh Rojas, and Seth Beer to the Diamondbacks at the trade deadline for Zack Greinke.

Bukauskas debuted for Arizona in 2021. He struggled to a 7.79 ERA in 17 1/3 innings out of the bullpen. Bukauskas’ 4.50 xFIP and 4.49 SIERA suggest he pitched better than his ERA would indicate. He missed time with a flexor strain midway through that year, then went down with a shoulder injury ahead of the 2022 season. He made 23 minor league appearances that year. Arizona designated Bukauskas for assignment at the end of the 2022 campaign, and Seattle scooped him up. Bukauskas made a single appearance with the Mariners in 2023, allowing one earned run over an inning.

The 29-year-old Bukauskas has an ERA over 5.00 in his brief time in the big leagues, but his pedigree and minor league results could give Milwaukee hope that he could contribute in the bullpen if he manages to stay healthy. Bukauskas has a 3.35 ERA with more than a strikeout per inning across 76 career appearances at Triple-A.

Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images

Yankees Notes: Devin Williams, Kyle Tucker, Payroll

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The Yankees are interested in bringing free agent closer Devin Williams back to the Bronx. League sources told Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic that the team has discussed a reunion with Williams’ camp.

Williams is one of the top names on the closer market. He landed at No. 16 on our Top 50 Free Agents list, which put him second among relievers, behind only Edwin Diaz. The 31-year-old is expected to have many suitors, with the Reds and Red Sox linked to him last week, and the Mets, Tigers, and Giants joining the mix this week. The Dodgers and Marlins have also been connected to Williams.

New York sent Caleb Durbin and Nestor Cortes to Milwaukee for Williams in December 2024. He struggled in his first month with the team, losing the closer role by May. An injury to fill-in closer Luke Weaver allowed Williams to regain the role, and he pitched well in June and July. The trade deadline acquisition of David Bednar pushed Williams back into setup duty. He closed the year with his best stretch of the campaign, posting 13 scoreless innings from September 7 through the postseason.

Williams said he would “definitely be open” to returning to the Yankees back in October. As for whether being the closer would impact his next destination, Williams said it “depends on the scenario.” While Weaver is a free agent, New York still has Bednar and fellow trade deadline acquisition Camilo Doval under team control for next season.

Williams isn’t the only high-profile free agent on the Yankees’ radar. General manager Brian Cashman told reporters on Thursday, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that he’s been in contact with agent Casey Close on several players. That list of possible targets includes Kyle Tucker, Kyle Schwarber, Michael King, and former Yankee Paul Goldschmidt. Cashman also mentioned interest in Tatsuya Imai, who was posted by the Seibu Lions earlier this week. “We’re certainly engaging all these players in the marketplace,” Cashman said.

Tucker will likely have just as many suitors as Williams, perhaps more. Toronto is considered by some teams to be the favorite to land the star outfielder, but the Dodgers, Yankees, and Orioles have been linked to him. Given that he’s the big prize in free agency this offseason, additional teams are bound to come forward as potential candidates.

New York regained an outfielder when Trent Grisham accepted the qualifying offer, but lost one when Cody Bellinger opted out of his contract. Jasson Dominguez is penciled in alongside Grisham and Aaron Judge, but he hasn’t performed well enough to discourage the Yankees from going after a massive upgrade in Tucker. They could also re-up with Bellinger.

As far as paying for these potential acquisitions, Cashman was noncommittal about whether payroll would exceed $300MM. “I think it could go both ways. So it just depends on how things shake out and what opportunities present themselves,” he told reporters, including Hoch. FanGraphs’ RosterResource tool currently has the Yankees’ payroll at around $260MM next season. Grisham’s deal added about $22MM to the ledger, and he’s just the sixth-highest-paid player on the team next year. New York’s payroll was around $296MM this past season after topping $300MM in 2024.

A deal for Tucker, Schwarber, Williams, or any of the other marquee names will likely require a big commitment across many years. The Yankees already have several of those types of deals on the books between Judge, Max Fried, Gerrit Cole, and Carlos Rodon, who are all on large contracts through at least 2028. Cashman expressed confidence he could make it work, though. “The job right now is to find out what’s available, and those all have different price points,” Cashman said. “There could be cheap players that are available that are good, or there could be very expensive players that are available that are good.”

Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images

Padres To Sign Outfielder Carlos Rodriguez

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The Padres are expected to sign outfielder Carlos Rodriguez to a minor league deal, reports Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic. The agreement includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training. Not to be confused with the Brewers’ pitching prospect or the Rays’ executive of the same name, Rodriguez was most recently in the Braves’ system.

Rodriguez ranked among Atlanta’s top 30 prospects after signing in minor league free agency ahead of the 2025 campaign. FanGraphs and MLB.com both had him ranked at 25th. The 22-year-old torched Double-A pitching for 10 games, then moved up to Triple-A. Rodriguez posted an underwhelming .640 OPS with Gwinnett, but did pop a career-high eight home runs to go with 17 stolen bases. He hit minor league free agency once again at the conclusion of the season.

Milwaukee signed Rodriguez as an international free agent in 2017. He piled up knocks at the lower levels of the minors, hitting well over .300 in his first two professional seasons. Rodriguez slipped to a 91 wRC+ in his first attempt at High-A in 2021. He repeated the level in 2022 and delivered a respectable .268/.355/.415.

Rodriguez took a similar route at Double-A, producing close to league-average results in 2023 before putting together one of his best seasons to date in his second try. FanGraphs ranked Rodriguez (the outfielder) 34th among the Brewers’ prospects heading into the 2024 season. As a 23-year-old repeating Double-A, Rodriguez posted a career-best 130 wRC+ with more walks than strikeouts. The performance got him a bump to Triple-A, where his production fell off outside of strong plate discipline.

The 24-year-old Rodriguez will now get a chance to earn a big-league roster spot with San Diego. He’s performed well in the spring in back-to-back seasons, though the sample sizes are limited. Rodriguez went 6-for-13 over 10 spring games with the Brewers back in 2024. He had five hits and a stolen base over 16 at-bats with the Braves this past spring.

Photo courtesy of  Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images

Rockies Sign Drew Avans To Minor League Deal

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The Rockies recently added outfielder Drew Avans on a minor league deal, as Matt Eddy of Baseball America pointed out. Avans played a handful of games for the Athletics last season. He was most recently in the Brewers’ system. Avans elected minor league free agency in early November.

Avans made his MLB debut in May following a lengthy minor league career. He came on as a defensive replacement and singled in his only at-bat. Avans made seven appearances with the Athletics, recording a pair of hits in 15 at-bats. He was designated for assignment in early June and picked up by the Brewers. Avans played one game for the team, going 0-for-2 with a sacrifice fly. He was designated for assignment and outrighted to Triple-A shortly after.

The Dodgers took Avans in the 33rd round in 2018. He’d spent his entire career with the organization prior to 2025. Avans moved up the system fairly quickly, reaching Double-A by 2019. He posted a 114 wRC+ with 24 steals across three levels that season. Avans was bumped up to Triple-A in 2021, where his results plateaued. He continued to steal bases at a solid clip, including 40 swipes in 2022, but delivered roughly league-average numbers at the plate. Avans elected minor league free agency after the 2024 season and latched on with the Athletics.

Avans slashed a strong .328/.414/.444 across 48 games with Triple-A Las Vegas to open this past season. More notably, he reduced his strikeout rate to 14%. Avans had multiple Triple-A seasons with a strikeout rate above 25% while in LA’s system. The solid stretch with Las Vegas earned Avans a look with the Athletics, though he only lasted on the big-league roster for a little over a week. His strikeout rate went back up to 24.3% in 52 games at Triple-A Nashville. Avans did manage 40 steals between Las Vegas and Nashville, so there’s a chance his speed could help him become a factor in Colorado.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Hanisch, Imagn Images

Orioles Trade Grayson Rodriguez To Angels For Taylor Ward

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The Orioles have traded right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to the Angels for outfielder Taylor Ward. The Angels have also announced the trade. Rodriguez missed the entire 2025 season due to multiple arm injuries. Ward will be a free agent after 2026.

On a day filled with minor deals and roster shuffling, Baltimore and Los Angeles saved the best for last. The Orioles are shipping out one of their most promising arms since the Dylan Bundy/Kevin Gausman era. Rodriguez was electric at times since his 2023 debut, but injuries have marred his career. The 26-year-old was sidelined with shoulder inflammation and a lat strain this past year. A shoulder injury cost him half of the 2024 campaign. Injuries in 2022 limited him to 75 2/3 minor league innings and potentially delayed his big-league debut.

Rodriguez is under team control through 2029. Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias told reporters back in September that the righty was expected to be ready for spring training. Last week, Elias told reporters, including Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner, that Rodriguez “provides a real wild card for us talent-wise.” Elias will now play that card, turning Rodriguez into a year of a dependable power bat.

Ward hit a career-high 36 home runs last season. Since becoming a regular in 2022, the 31-year-old has launched 98 homers with decent plate discipline and fine run production. Ward’s batting average slipped to .228 last season, but his slugging percentage jumped to a career-high .475. He drove in 100+ runs for the first time as a big leaguer, while scoring a career-best 86 times.

MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects Ward to earn $13.7MM in his final year of arbitration. He was a first-round pick by the Angels back in 2015. Ward tore up minor-league pitching at each level, reaching Triple-A by 2018. He slashed a robust .352/.442/.537 with Salt Lake, earning a big-league callup at the end of that season. Ward scuffled in 40 games with the Angels and found himself back with the Bees. He bounced between both levels for a couple of seasons before finally cementing his spot with the big-league club in 2022. Ward broke out with 23 home runs over 135 games with the Halos, finishing his first full MLB season with a .281/.360/.473 slash (136 wRC+).

Ward began his career as a catcher but moved to the corner infield spots as he advanced in the Angels’ system. He played mostly third base in his early MLB years before permanently transitioning to the outfield in 2022. Ward spent some time in center and right field, but he’s played exclusively left field since 2023. He’ll enter an unsettled outfield mix that includes Colton Cowser, Tyler O’Neill, and Leody Taveras. Youngsters Dylan Beavers and Heston Kjerstad will also be involved, though the Ward addition will be another roadblock to consistent at-bats for them.

Ward’s departure leaves the Angels with Jo Adell, Jorge Soler, and some question marks in the outfield. With Mike Trout penciled in at DH, the outfield alternatives include Gustavo Campero, Bryce Teodosio, and Matthew Lugo. Top prospect Nelson Rada could also push for a roster spot. The Angels will be on the lookout for some center field help this winter.

The trade marks a surprising end to Rodriguez’s tenure with the club that selected him 11th overall in 2018. He quickly rose through the minors, with massive strikeout numbers propelling him to the top of prospect lists. MLB.com ranked Rodriguez behind only Adley Rutschman in Baltimore’s system back in 2022, while slotting him at sixth among all prospects. He was the top-ranked pitcher on the board.

Rodriguez did not hit the ground running in the big leagues during his debut in 2023, recording an ugly 7.35 ERA over his first 10 starts. He was sent back to Triple-A to regroup, and returned with a vengeance. The right-hander put up a 2.58 ERA across 13 starts after getting recalled. He cleaned up the control issues that had caused problems in his first stint and did so while striking out nearly a batter per inning. Rodriguez was shelled by the Rangers in the ALDS, but the final three months of the regular season suggested Baltimore had their ace of the future.

The 2024 campaign saw Rodriguez push his strikeout rate to 26.5% while trimming his walk rate to 7.3%. He notched his first double-digit strikeout game in May, striking out 10 against Boston. Rodriguez piled up 13 wins through 20 starts and logged a 3.86 ERA before a shoulder issue ended his season in August. A quality start and victory over Toronto on the final day of July would end up being his last start with the team.

Baltimore’s rotation will be headlined by Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish heading into 2026. Dean Kremer has been a reliable source of innings, but the options are less stable beyond him. Tyler Wells is expected to return to a starting role after returning late last season from UCL surgery. Cade Povich has made 36 starts over the past two seasons, but his career ERA is over 5.00. Brandon Young and Chayce McDermott have also struggled in their limited big-league opportunities. The Orioles have added veterans like Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, and Kyle Gibson in the past two seasons to help eat innings. They could be dipping back into that pool of pitchers to fill out the rotation this offseason.

For the Halos, Rodriguez adds an upside arm to a rotation that’s headlined by Yusei Kikuchi and Jose Soriano but otherwise lacks certainty. Former top prospect Reid Detmers will likely get another look in the rotation, where he’s struggled in the past, after an excellent 2025 season in the bullpen. Caden Dana, Mitch Farris and Sam Aldegheri are options in the fifth spot for now, with prospect George Klassen also looming. As with the O’s, it seems likely that the Angels will add another arm from outside the organization between now and spring training.

From a payroll perspective, the swap gives Anaheim $13-14MM of spending power. Their projected $166MM payroll (via RosterResource) sits nearly $40MM shy of last year’s Opening Day mark. Baltimore’s projected $105MM payroll sits nearly $60MM shy of last year’s Opening Day mark, but the O’s now have an even more acute need for rotation help and fewer resources available to address that need.

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