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Mets Have Not Asked Brandon Nimmo About Waiving No-Trade Clause

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It was reported recently that the Mets are making outfielder Brandon Nimmo available in trade talks. Andy Martino of SNY characterizes those talks as preliminary, noting that Nimmo and his representatives have not yet been asked about the possibility of waiving his full no-trade clause.

It appears that the Mets have a few moving pieces in their early offseason planning. There have also been rumors about infielder/outfielder Jeff McNeil and right-hander Kodai Senga being available in trades. Today, reporting from Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic notes that the Mets may need to trade from their roster before targeting other pursuits.

The piece mentions that this is both due to the roster fit and the financial picture, though the money is presumably not that big of an issue. Under owner Steve Cohen, the Mets have been one of the top-spending clubs in baseball. RosterResource currently projects them for a $253MM payroll and $256MM competitive balance tax figure in 2026. At the end of 2025, those numbers were $340MM and $337MM. Even without moving money away, there should be powder dry for additions.

The roster situation is a bit more interesting. The piece mentions Kyle Tucker, Cody Bellinger and Alex Bregman as completely speculative names that the Mets could pursue, depending on how their trade talks go. Currently, there’s not a great path to getting Tucker onto the roster, with the Mets having Nimmo and Juan Soto in the corners. The designated hitter spot is open and could make it more viable to have all three in the lineup regularly, but the fit would be much easier if Nimmo were moved.

It would be a somewhat similar situation with Bellinger, who the Mets have already been connected to. He’s a bit of a better fit than Tucker since he can play center field and first base, but he’s spent more time in the outfield corners than anywhere else in recent seasons.

With Bregman, there are the many unanswered questions of the Mets infield. Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña have all been jockeying for playing time in recent years. Since all of them can play multiple infield positions, there are many possible combinations. The ideal arrangement would depend upon if Pete Alonso comes back, if the Mets sign someone like Bregman or Munetaka Murakami, and so on. There’s also the McNeil factor, as he has mostly played second base and the outfield corners. He has dabbled at third but hasn’t played there since 2022. He played some center field in 2025 but didn’t get great marks for his work out there.

When considering the names currently on the roster, the guys who could be traded away and the guys who could be added, there are infinite possibilities for how it ends up. Based on the reporting, it appears the Mets are using the early parts of the offseason to explore those possibilities. If they can line up a trade they like, perhaps they would then pivot to replacing a traded player by pursuing a free agent. If the roster ends up with more continuity, then perhaps they get less ambitious with their free agent pursuits. If they make any traction, then perhaps Nimmo will be approached about his no-trade clause, but it seems things are still very theoretical at the moment.

One way or another, the Mets are sure to be on the lookout for relievers. They’ve already been connected to Devin Williams. Francys Romero of BeisbolFR reports that the Mets were interested in Raisel Iglesias before he re-signed with Atlanta last night.

Mets relievers had a collective 3.93 earned run average last year, which placed them 15th out of the 30 clubs in the majors. After the season, Edwin Díaz opted out of his contract and became a free agent at season’s end. Tyler Rogers, Ryan Helsley, Gregory Soto and Ryne Stanek also departed for the open market.

Given their needs in the bullpen, the Mets will probably be connected to just about every available reliever. They have the resources to go after top guys like Díaz and president of baseball operations has also shown a penchant for getting creative in targeting lower-cost additions.

Photo courtesy of Bill Streicher, Imagn Images

Athletics Unlikely To Trade Hitter For Rotation Upgrade

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The Athletics need pitchers and have hitters but that doesn’t mean they will trade from one area to address another. Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that teams are trying to give the A’s controllable starting pitching in exchange for a young hitter but the A’s would prefer not to mess with their lineup and will focus more on adding pitching via free agency.

The A’s have been rebuilding for a few years now and have had more success on the position player side so far. While many of their young pitchers have scuffled in the majors, the club has put together a nice lineup featuring guys like Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Brent Rooker, Jacob Wilson, Lawrence Butler, Shea Langeliers and others. There’s an argument that they should make someone in that group available via trade in order to bolster their rotation, especially considering the difficulties they face in adding to the rotation via free agency.

Getting a free agent to sign with a rebuilding club is always more challenging than luring a player to a clear contender. The A’s showed some promise in the second half of 2025 but are still only theoretical contenders compared to clubs with more tangible recent success. On top of that, there’s the ballpark situation. The A’s are temporarily playing in a Triple-A park in West Sacramento while they are waiting for their new stadium in Las Vegas to be built. Free agents aren’t going to have that as their top choice.

Last winter, the A’s signed Luis Severino a three-year, $67MM deal. That was above most industry projections and it’s generally viewed as an overpay, which was necessary to get Severino to choose the A’s over other destinations. Even though Severino took that nice deal, he eventually made public complaints about the working conditions at Sutter Health Park. The pact hasn’t worked from an on-field perspective so far, as Severino posted a 4.54 earned run average in his first year with the A’s.

Rather than go down that road again, the A’s could turn to the trade market. A deal involving Soderstrom once felt like an inevitability. He came up as a catching prospect but his glovework wasn’t as impressive as his bat. He was moved to first base as a major leaguer but was eventually displaced by the arrival of Kurtz. With Rooker often in the designated hitter slot, Soderstrom was pushed to left field.

With Soderstrom awkwardly pushed to another position, there was a case for him to be traded to a club with a greater first base need. However, he surprisingly thrived after the position change. He spent 876 2/3 innings in left field in 2025 and was credited with ten Defensive Runs Saved and five Outs Above Average. That DRS tally was bested only by Steven Kwan, Wyatt Langford and Jarren Duran among left fielders this year, with Kwan the only guy who was meaningfully ahead of Soderstrom. In the OAA column, Soderstrom was tied for first with Kwan, Langford and Isaac Collins.

Presumably, that lessens the need for the A’s to consider a trade. Instead of a clumsy first baseman who is kicking the ball around in an outfield corner, Soderstrom may actually just be a good fit in left. He hit 25 home runs and slashed .276/.346/.474 for a 125 wRC+ while undergoing that position change as well. Still he still has four years of club control and hasn’t yet qualified for arbitration, he could just be kept around as a key piece of the lineup.

The A’s will need rotation help, however. Their starters posted a collective 4.85 ERA this year, which was better than just three other clubs. Last winter, it was reported that the A’s needed to have a competitive balance tax figure of around $105MM in order to avoid a grievance related to their revenue sharing status. That seemed to contribute to their pursuit of Severino, as well as signing extensions with Rooker and Butler. RosterResource projects them for right around that $105MM figure for 2026, so perhaps there’s less pressure for a CBT-inflating move this offseason.

Regardless, the A’s may need to spend anyway. It’s possible their preference for not trading from their lineup is just posturing for leverage in trade talks, but if not, then free agency is the way to go. It would be a shock if they targeted top names like Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez or Tatsuya Imai, but there are perhaps scenarios where guys like Michael King, Zac Gallen, Lucas Giolito or others don’t see their markets develop as hoped, which could increase their willingness to join the A’s as a way of getting paid.

Photo courtesy of David Richard, Imagn Images

MLBTR Podcast: Offseason Preview Megapod: Top 50 Free Agents

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams and Anthony of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images

Mets Finalize 2026 Coaching Staff

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The Mets announced their full coaching staff for the 2026 season today. Some of last year’s staff are coming back and some of the new hires have already been reported. The new developments today include the confirmation of Justin Willard as the new pitching coach. Prior to the official announcement, Willard confirmed to Rob Bradford of the Baseball Isn’t Boring Podcast that he had been hired in that role. Also, the Mets promoted J.P. Arencibia to catching coach, Dan McKinney to assistant pitching coach and Gilbert Gomez to first base and outfield coach.

It was reported earlier this month that Willard was highly likely to be the new Mets pitching coach. It has seemingly taken a few weeks to cross the Ts and dot the Is but he has now been officially put into his new gig.

The Mets and pitching coach Jeremy Hefner parted ways after 2025, which was their sixth season together. The club’s pitchers had disappointed in 2025, with a collective 4.04 earned run average, which put them 18th out of 30th in the majors. However, the club also suffered a number of injury setbacks and it’s always tough to parse the contributions of a coach from the players on his team. Regardless, the Mets are changing things up. Hefner quickly landed a new pitching coach gig within the division. He’s heading to Atlanta for 2026.

Willard, 35, spent the 2018 to 2023 seasons working with the Twins in the minor leagues as a pitching coach and pitching coordinator. He then got hired by the Red Sox going into 2024 to serve as that club’s director of pitching. As mentioned, it’s tough to know when to give a coach credit for the performance of the players. For what it’s worth, the Red Sox finished fifth in the majors in 2025 with a collective 3.72 ERA.

As for the three promotions, they all get bumped from the minors to the majors. Arencibia, 39, is the biggest name of the bunch. He played in the majors from 2010 to 2015, suiting up for the Blue Jays, Rangers and Rays. He spent the three most recent seasons in the Mets’ system, serving as bench coach and assistant hitting coach for Triple-A Syracuse. He was primarily a catcher during his big league career and Will Sammon of The Athletic reports that he recently helped Francisco Alvarez, who was optioned to Triple-A for about a month in June and July.

Gomez, 33, has spent the past seven seasons in the system. He’s been the manager of High-A Brooklyn for the past two of those. McKinney, 31, has been in the system for three years. He was pitching coach for Single-A St. Lucie in 2023, High-A Brooklyn in 2024 and then Double-A Binghamton in 2025.

Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images

Braves Acquire Ryan Rolison

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The Braves have acquired left-hander Ryan Rolison from the Rockies, according to announcements from both clubs. The Rockies, who designated Rolison for assignment yesterday, receive cash considerations in return. Atlanta’s 40-man roster count climbs to 38.

It’s a buy-low move for Atlanta. Rolison was a first-round pick back in 2018, getting selected 22nd overall by the Rockies. He signed with a bonus just north of $2.9MM. He was one of the club’s top prospects in the years after that draft selection but hasn’t yet delivered on his potential.

His trajectory to the majors was thrown off in a few ways. The minor leagues were canceled in 2020 on account of the pandemic. The next few years were curtailed by various injuries, most notably shoulder problems. He was capped at 71 2/3 minor league innings in 2021, missed the entire 2022 season, threw 11 frames in 2023 and then 46 1/3 innings in 2024. He had initially been a starter but has been mostly working out of the bullpen more recently.

In 2025, he finally made it to the show but the results weren’t impressive. He tossed 42 1/3 innings for Colorado this year, allowing 33 earned runs for a 7.02 ERA. His 13% strikeout rate and 10.4% walk rate were both subpar figures.

If one wanted to look for signs of optimism, his minor league numbers are worth a glance. He tossed 29 2/3 Triple-A innings this year, in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. In that environment, he had a 3.34 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and 48.8% ground ball rate.

Rolison got nudged off the roster in Colorado but Atlanta had some space and will give him a shot. He still has an option year remaining, so his new club can keep him in the minors as left-handed depth, if they so choose. His service time count is at two years and 114 days, meaning he still hasn’t qualified for arbitration and can be controlled for four seasons. That could extend to five if he ends up spending a large amount of time on optional assignment.

Atlanta seems to have a fondness for getting relievers out of Colorado. In recent years, they have grabbed guys like Pierce Johnson, Brad Hand and Tyler Kinley to bolster their bullpen group. Now they’ll take a shot on Rolison. His overall track record isn’t great but he’s a former first-rounder who is optionable and controllable, while the cash they gave up is presumably minimal. They also won’t be relying on him as he’s probably seventh or eighth on the lefty relief depth chart behind Aaron Bummer, Dylan Lee, Dylan Dodd, José Suarez, Joey Wentz, Hayden Harris and/or Josh Walker.

Photo courtesy of David Frerker, Imagn Images

Blue Jays, Dodgers Interested In Cody Bellinger

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The Yankees are known to have interest in reuniting with Cody Bellinger, even after Trent Grisham accepted the qualifying offer yesterday, but they will have competition. Bellinger has already been connected to the Mets and Jeff Passan of ESPN reports that the Blue Jays and Dodgers have interest in him as well.

Passan notes that the Jays want a left-handed complement to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. They have a few lefties projected to be in next year’s lineup. That includes Addison Barger, Daulton Varsho and Nathan Lukes, but there’s room for improvement there. Barger has shown signs he could be a middle-of-the-order bat but his track record in the majors isn’t especially long yet. Varsho has some home run pop but isn’t an elite hitter overall. Lukes is a pesky, contact-oriented type.

The Jays have already been connected to Kyle Tucker, a lefty swinger who happens to be the top free agent available. Bellinger hasn’t been quite at Tucker’s level for most of the recent past but he is coming off a better platform season. Passan writes that the Jays view Bellinger as an acceptable fallback to Tucker.

Bellinger just had a strong 2025 campaign with the Yankees. He hit 29 home runs while only striking out 13.7% of the time. His .272/.334/.480 batting line translated to a wRC+ of 125. He stole 13 bases and got strong defensive grades, playing all three outfield spots as well as first base.

There were some concerning elements under the hood. None of Bellinger’s 29 home runs went to the opposite field. He had a .302/.365/.544 slash and 152 wRC+ when playing at Yankee Stadium with its short porch in right field. He had a .241/.301/.414 line and 97 wRC+ on the road.

In the past, the market hasn’t always jumped on Bellinger, even when he has put up good numbers. It’s possible that is related to his unimpressive batted ball metrics, which are still present. In 2025, his average exit velocity, hard hit rate and barrel rate were all in the 36th percentile or worse.

Coming off a strong season in 2023, Bellinger reportedly went out looking for $200MM and didn’t find it. He had to settle for a three-year, $80MM deal with opt-outs. His 2024 season was mediocre enough that he didn’t even trigger the first opt-out chance. The Cubs sent him to the Yanks in what was effectively a salary dump deal, though he bounced back enough to trigger his second opt-out.

Observant Jays fans will know that the club has been connected to Bellinger throughout his ups and downs, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that they have him on the radar again. The question will be if they make him a priority with Tucker and Bo Bichette still out there. MLBTR predicted Bellinger to secure $140MM over five years, significantly less than the predictions for Tucker and Bichette but still a hefty commitment.

The Jays have a number of incumbent outfield options but there’s some flexibility in it. In addition to the aforementioned Varsho and Lukes, George Springer and Anthony Santander are likely to be sharing one corner and the designated hitter spot. There’s also guys like Barger and Davis Schneider, though those two are capable of playing the infield. Myles Straw is around as a glove-first bench guy. Signing another outfielder would likely push Lukes to a part-time position and Barger and Schneider to more full-time infield roles.

RosterResource projects the Jays for a payroll of about $233MM next year. That’s more than $20MM shy of their year-end figure in 2025. Getting back to that level would leave room for a notable addition but they would likely have to increase spending to make more than one marquee move. With needs on the pitching side of things as well, they may have to divert some of their recent extra revenue from their playoff run into next year’s team. Perhaps they will put more of a focus on Bichette but Bellinger is a possible fallback and getting both isn’t entirely impossible.

As for the Dodgers, the outfield does stand out as a place for them to add. The roster is obviously in a good place, as they just won the World Series and didn’t lose any major contributors to free agency. But if you’re looking for a place to find weak spots, the grass is a bit patchy. The Michael Conforto signing was a bust. Teoscar Hernández had an uneven season. Andy Pages had a decent year but his bat disappeared in the playoffs. Tommy Edman can play the outfield but is now recovering from ankle surgery and might be needed at second base.

Despite the need, it would be surprising if Bellinger was the solution. He was drafted by the Dodgers and spent the first six seasons of his career there but didn’t seem to part on good terms. Scott Boras, Bellinger’s agent, publicly blamed the Dodgers for Bellinger’s struggles in 2021 and 2022 after shoulder surgery. That prompted Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman to respond and defend the club. Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times was among those to relay the play-by-play of that saga back in 2023.

Given the tension there, perhaps a reunion isn’t especially likely. On the other hand, it’s not as though the situation has prevented the Dodgers and Boras from doing business. Since that spat, the Dodgers have signed Boras clients like Conforto, Blake Snell and James Paxton. If the Dodgers really want Bellinger and are willing to pay, that should win out over past squabbles.

On the other hand, it’s not clear if the Dodgers want to make a big splash in the outfield. They have also been connected to Tucker but with some reporting suggesting they might prefer to make a short-term addition as they wait for their outfield prospects to arrive. Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, Mike Sirota and Eduardo Quintero are all outfielders in the system and all four have been on top 100 prospect lists. They aren’t immediate fixes since no one in the quartet has reached Triple-A yet, but the Dodgers might be inclined to wait, as opposed to signing an outfielder to a mega deal. Having just won a second straight title, perhaps there’s less pressure for them to win the offseason.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Sousa, Imagn Images

Rockies Designate Michael Toglia, Ryan Rolison For Assignment

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The Rockies announced that they have acquired left-hander Brennan Bernardino from the Red Sox, a move that was previously reported. They also selected the contracts of left-hander Welinton Herrera, right-hander Gabriel Hughes and outfielder Sterlin Thompson. They began the day with a 40-man count of 38, meaning they needed two spots for those four additions. They made space by designating first baseman Michael Toglia and left-hander Ryan Rolison for assignment.

The three selections were necessary in order to project those players from the Rule 5 draft. In order to open space for them, the Rockies have knocked off two former first-round picks. Toglia, now 27, was taken 23rd overall in 2019. He has shown some power potential in the big leagues but always with massive strikeout problems. He has 42 home runs in 1,057 plate appearances but has been punched out at a 35% clip. He has a .201/.278/.389 batting line and 70 wRC+.

He exhausted his final option season in 2025, meaning he will be out of options going forward. That would make it hard for him to hang onto a roster spot, so the club has bumped him off today. The Rockies can explore some trade interest but might non-tender Toglia on Friday.

Rolison, now 28, was taken 22nd overall in 2018. He had his development thrown off by multiple factors. The pandemic wiped out the minor leagues in 2020. After that, shoulder problems held Rolison back. He missed the entire 2022 season and then hardly pitched in 2023. He finally made it to the big leagues in 2025 but posted a 7.02 earned run average in his 42 1/3 innings. He only struck out 13% of opponents and also gave out walks at a 10.4% clip.

He still has an optioning remaining and was decent in Triple-A this year. He pitched 29 2/3 innings in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League with a 3.34 ERA, 25.2% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and 48.8% ground ball rate. Perhaps that leads to some interest but it’s also possible he ends up non-tendered in a few days.

Herrera, 22 in April, was an international signing out of the Dominican Republic. He has been climbing the minor league ladder, working as a reliever. He split 2025 between High-A and Double-A, posting a 2.64 ERA. He struck out 36.4% of batters faced with a 9.2% walk rate. He hasn’t yet reached the Triple-A level yet but the Rockies understandably didn’t want him to get away with those kinds of numbers.

Hughes, 24, was the club’s first round pick in 2022. He was selected 10th overall and received a $4MM signing bonus. Tommy John surgery wiped out his 2024 but he got back on the mound this year. He made 24 starts across three different levels, logging 105 1/3 innings with a 4.19 ERA. His 19.9% strikeout rate wasn’t strong but his 8.6% walk rate was decent and he kept the ball on the ground at a 48.5% clip.

The Rockies are rebuilding and the rotation was historically bad in 2025. 14 of Hughes’ 24 starts came at the Triple-A level, so he could force his way to the majors at any point. However, he now has three option years, so the Rockies could also keep him in the minors until they feel he is ready.

Thompson, 24, was taken 31st overall in that same 2022 draft as Hughes. That was the compensation pick the Rockies received after Trevor Story rejected a qualifying offer and signed with the Red Sox.

The young outfielder has hit his way up the minor league ladder. He spent 2025 in Triple-A, stepping to the plate 513 times. His 10.3% walk rate and 20.9% strikeout rate were both decent figures. He hit 18 home runs and slashed .296/.392/.519 for a 117 wRC+, though that was buoyed by a .353 batting average on balls in play. FanGraphs ranked him as the #9 prospect in the system coming into the year.

The Rockies currently have an outfield mix consisting of Brenton Doyle, Mickey Moniak, Jordan Beck, Zac Veen and others. Thompson can jump into that mix and push for playing time immediately, though his full slate of options also means the Rockies don’t need to rush him.

Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images

Mariners Acquire Alex Hoppe, Designate Tayler Saucedo For Assignment

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The Mariners announced that they have acquired right-hander Alex Hoppe from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league catcher Luke Heyman. Hoppe has been selected to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Left-hander Tayler Saucedo has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move. Chris Cotillo of MassLive first reported that Hoppe was heading to the Mariners. Tim Healey of The Boston Globe first reported that Heyman was heading to the Sox.

Hoppe, 27 in December, was a sixth-round pick of the Sox in 2022. Since then, he has been working as a pure reliever in the minors, with good amounts of strikeouts and ground balls but also some wildness.

Dating back to the start of 2024, Hoppe has thrown 127 2/3 innings between Double-A and Triple-A, allowing 5.01 earned runs per nine. His 12% walk rate in that time is quite high but he also punched out 23.6% of batters faced and got opponents to hit the ball into the dirt more than half the time.

Perhaps the Sox didn’t have much faith about Hoppe reining in his control going forward, or perhaps he was just the casualty of a roster squeeze. The Sox have been busy today, shuffling guys around to make space on Rule 5 deadline day. In addition to this deal, they also sent lefties Brennan Bernardino and Chris Murphy to the Rockies and White Sox respectively. Giving Hoppe a roster spot would have required opening another 40-man spot.

Instead, they have flipped him to the Mariners, getting back a non-roster prospect in exchange. Heyman, 22, was taken by the Mariners in the 14th round of the draft just a few months ago. He showed big power in his college career but hasn’t yet made his professional debut. He gives the Sox a long-term lottery ticket behind the plate while the M’s get more immediate pitching depth.

To make room for Hoppe, the Mariners have nudged off Saucedo. The 32-year-old lefty has some decent big league work on his track record but he spent most of 2025 on optional assignment, only making ten big league appearances. He exhausted his final option season in the process. Saucedo qualified for arbitration a year ago and made $937,500 in 2025. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projected him for a small bump to $1.1MM next year. It seems the M’s weren’t planning to tender him a contract.

They will have some time to explore trade interest. Over the 2023 and 2024 seasons, the lefty posted a 3.54 ERA over 86 1/3 big league innings, with most of his success due to a strong 55% ground ball rate. With those numbers and three years of club control, he could entice some teams. However, given his out-of-options status, he’d be hard to roster. It’s possible he ends up non-tendered on Friday, which would send him to free agency.

Photo courtesy of Nathan Ray Seebeck, Imagn Images

Pirates Designate Four Players For Assignment

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The Pirates announced that they have designated four players for assignment. That list includes outfielders Alexander Canario and Ronny Simón, as well as right-handers Colin Holderman and Dauri Moreta. Additionally, Cam Devanney was released to pursue opportunities overseas. It was reported a few days ago that Devanney would be signing with the Hanshin Tigers of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball.

The Bucs already had one open 40-man spot and those moves opened five more. That allowed them to select six players to the roster ahead of today’s Rule 5 deadline. Those six are first baseman/outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez, infielder Jack Brannigan, left-hander Tyler Samaniego and right-handers Wilber Dotel, Antwone Kelly and Brandan Bidois.

Canario, 26 in May, was once a notable prospect with the Cubs thanks to his huge power in the minors. However, that power also came with notable strikeout concerns. For instance, he hit 37 minor league home runs in 2022 but was punched out at a 27.5% clip. Going into 2025, he still wasn’t established in the majors but had exhausted his option years. He bounced to the Mets and then the Pirates via waivers. He received 234 plate appearances with the Bucs this year but was punched out in 34.2% of those while posting a .218/.274/.338 line.

Now that he’s in DFA limbo, the Bucs can try to explore trade interest but it should be minimal after that poor season. Perhaps a rebuilding club will give him a shot since he’s still young and controllable, but this theoretical club will probably wait for Canario to be on waivers or non-tendered.

Simón, 26 in April, was just claimed off waivers from the Marlins in June. He finished the season on the 60-day injured list due to a dislocated left shoulder. He has a .234/.299/.273 line in a small sample of 88 big league plate appearances. He has some speed and defensive versatility, as well as good offensive numbers in the minors, but his current health status is unknown.

Holderman, 30, lived up to his surname for the Bucs in recent years. He notched 27 holds in 2023 and another 21 in 2024. He posted a 3.52 earned run average over those two seasons. He struck out 24.6% of batters faced, gave out walks at a 9.7% rate and kept 45.8% of balls in play on the ground.

2025 was a nightmare, however. He made separate trips to the injured list due to a right knee sprain and right thumb inflammation. Around those IL stints, he tossed 25 2/3 innings with a 7.01 ERA, 14.4% strikeout rate and 12.8% walk rate. He is eligible for arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $1.7MM salary next year. This move is effectively an early non-tender.

Perhaps there’s a club out there who thinks there’s a way to get Holderman back on track, and he is still optionable, so maybe the Bucs will get some trade calls. But he also might be non-tendered on Friday, which will make him a free agent.

Moreta, 30 in April, has shown some strikeout stuff in the big leagues but without strong control. He has 116 2/3 innings under his belt with a 4.17 ERA, 28.7% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate. He qualified for arbitration and his $800K projection is barely above next year’s $780K minimum salary but he is out of options and would have had a hard time hanging onto a roster spot going forward, regardless of his salary. If he lands somewhere else, he is controllable for three more seasons.

Valdez, 22 in January, was an international signing out of the Dominican Republic in 2021. He has since been climbing the ladder, showcasing a nice blend of power and on-base ability. Here in 2025, he got into 123 games between High-A and Double-A. In his 529 plate appearances, his 24.6% strikeout rate was a bit high but he also drew walks at a 10.6% clip and hit 26 home runs. His .286/.376/.520 combined line translated to a 156 wRC+. He then went to the Arizona Fall League for some extra work and hit eight homers in 19 games, leading to a ridiculous .368/.513/.842 line.

Defensively, Valdez isn’t considered especially strong. But for the Pirates, who have struggled to develop hitters, they have to be intrigued by his offensive numbers. Baseball America recently ranked him the #10 prospect in the system. He should be in Triple-A in 2026 and in the mix for a big league promotion. The Bucs currently project to have Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds in two outfield spots but with one spot fairly wide open, at least for now.

Brannigan, 25 in March, was a third-round pick in the 2022 draft. He has put up some good numbers but injuries have cut into the volume of his playing time, as he hasn’t appeared in more than 87 games in any year of his professional career. As a hitter, he has drawn a lot of walks but also been punched out quite a bit. Since being drafted, he has 1,071 plate appearances with a 12.5% walk rate, 27.4% strikeout rate, .245/.356/.454 line and 125 wRC+. That included a .225/.329/.358 line and 103 wRC+ in 59 Double-A games this year.

He likely needs some more time in the minors, on account of how much he has missed. But the Bucs didn’t want to take the chance of some other club grabbing him. He has spent time at all three infield positions to the left of first base. He has three option years and can be kept on the farm until he works his way into the club’s infield depth picture.

Samaniego, 27 in January, was a 15th-round pick back in 2021. He spent time at four different levels in 2025, working as a lefty reliever. Combined, he logged 38 1/3 innings with a 3.99 ERA, 27.8% strikeout rate, 7% walk rate and 48.4% ground ball rate. He hasn’t yet reached the Triple-A level but the Bucs didn’t want another club to grab him. Now that he’s on the roster, he can push for his major league debut in 2026. But since he has a full slate of options, he could be shuttled to the minors and back with some regularity, ever after he makes it to the show.

Dotel, 23, is a fairly obvious addition. Baseball America currently lists him as the #9 prospect in the system. An international signing out of the Dominican Republic, he has been stretched out as a starter in recent years. He made 27 Double-A starts in 2025, logging 125 2/3 innings with a 4.15 ERA, 24.5% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate. The Pirates have a strong rotation but he can be in Triple-A, providing them with depth in the event of an injury while simultaneously continuing his development.

Kelly, 22, is in a similar situation. Baseball America ranks him the #6 prospect in the system. An international signing out of Aruba, he made 25 starts this year, split between Single-A and Double-A. Combined, he tossed 107 1/3 innings with a 3.02 ERA, 27.2% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate.

Bidois, 24, is a straight reliever who happens to be from Australia. He threw 61 innings this year across four different levels with a 0.74 ERA. Some of that is due to a tiny .164 batting average on balls in play but he also struck out 30% of batters faced. There’s some wildness in there, as he walked 11.7% of batters faced this year, but the numbers are obviously appealing. He’ll give the club some immediate bullpen depth as he pushes for his big league debut.

Photo courtesy of James A. Pittman, Imagn Images

José Negron of DK Pittsburgh Sports reported the Valdez move prior to the official announcement. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com reported the other five additions. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the guys being designated for assignment.

White Sox Select Duncan Davitt, Tanner McDougal

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The White Sox announced that they have selected right-handed pitchers Duncan Davitt and Tanner McDougal to their 40-man roster. That protects both of them from being selected in the Rule 5 draft. The Sox also noted that left-hander Fraser Ellard has been placed on the voluntarily retired list.

Davitt, 26, was an 18th-round pick of the Rays in 2022. He came over to the White Sox at this year’s deadline, as part of the deal sending Adrian Houser to the Rays. Davitt has thrown 373 minor league innings with a 4.32 earned run average, 25.1% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate.

That includes 152 innings here in 2025, split between the two different clubs as well as between the Double-A and Triple-A levels. Put together, he had a 4.38 ERA, which doesn’t jump off the page. However, his 23.8% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and 42.8% ground ball rate were all solid figures. He got an honorable mention from FanGraphs back in February on their list of top prospects in the Rays’ system. He can give the rebuilding White Sox some immediate rotation depth and should in line to make his big league debut at any point.

McDougal, 23 in April, is homegrown. The White Sox selected him in the fifth round of the 2021 draft. Baseball America ranked him in the teens of the Chicago system for the next few years but he fell off the map with a 6.04 ERA in 2024.

He bounced back this year. He made 28 starts between High-A and Double-A with a 3.26 ERA. His 10.2% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 28.3% of batters faced and got grounders on 45.3% of balls in play. With those kinds of numbers, the Sox understandably didn’t want him to get away. He hasn’t yet reached Triple-A but he should be there in 2026 at some point.

Ellard, 28, was an eighth-round pick of the Sox in 2021. He climbed the ladder and was added to the 40-man roster in July of 2024. He tossed 24 innings for the Sox down the stretch last year, posting a 3.75 ERA.

2025 was a challenge for him. A strained right hamstring put him on the injured list a few weeks into the season. He was reinstated from the IL a couple of weeks later but then suffered a lat strain just a few days after that. That lat strain cost him about two months, from early May to early July. After he was reinstated from the IL, he was shuttled to Triple-A and back for the second half. He finished the season having tossed 17 innings. He walked 19 of the 74 batters he faced, a 25.7% clip. He also hit a batter and uncorked three wild pitches.

It seems Ellard has decided to hang up his spikes after that frustrating campaign. He retires with a 3.95 ERA in 41 innings. We at MLB Trade Rumors wish him all the best in his post-playing endeavors.

Photo courtesy of Joseph Cress, Imagn Images

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