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Mets Have Checked In On Kyle Tucker

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According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Mets have “checked in” on free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker. The four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger winner is MLBTR’s top free agent.

Much speculation has linked Tucker to the Mets this offseason, and it isn’t difficult to see why. According to RosterResource, Steve Cohen’s club ran payrolls of $346MM, $336MM, and $340MM in 2023, ’24, and ’25, respectively. Currently, their projected payroll for 2026 sits at just $294MM. That means president of baseball operations David Stearns should have at least $40 million left to spend. He’s already made some additions, namely, signing Jorge Polanco, Devin Williams, and Luke Weaver, and trading for Marcus Semien. However, considering all the players the Mets have lost or dealt away, including Pete Alonso, Edwin Díaz, Brandon Nimmo, and Jeff McNeil, and considering how they missed the playoffs in such heartbreaking fashion last September, Stearns has more work to do. Surely, he didn’t sign Juan Soto to a record-smashing contract last season just to sit on his hands a year later.

If Stearns wants to make a big splash, there’s no better way to do so than by signing the top free agent on the market. The Mets are reportedly hesitant to sign a starting pitcher to a long-term contract this winter. What’s more, Heyman notes that Tucker’s presumably high asking price is why Cody Bellinger remains their preferred outfield target. That said, it would be foolish to count the Mets of all teams out of the Tucker sweepstakes for financial reasons. They could give him the 11-year, $400MM contract MLBTR predicted at the beginning of the offseason ($36.4MM AAV), and their payroll would still be lower than it’s been in any of the past three seasons.

What’s more, the Mets have a clear opening for Tucker in their lineup after parting with Nimmo. Right now, RosterResource has Carson Benge penciled in as New York’s starting left fielder. Benge is a consensus top-100 prospect, and it’s apparent how highly the Mets value him. He is thought to be all but untouchable in trade talks this winter, and Stearns has previously suggested he’ll have an opportunity to make the big league roster out of spring training. Yet, Benge is only 22 and completely unproven at the MLB level. It’s hard to think that a team with World Series aspirations would let him get in the way of its signing a proven star like Tucker – especially since the Mets have already been connected to Bellinger. To that point, the Mets are thought to prefer to add a right-handed bat to their lineup, but their interest in the lefty-batting Bellinger suggests handedness won’t be a dealbreaker. Benge, for what it’s worth, also bats from the left-hand side. Besides, Tucker’s career numbers against southpaw pitching (133 wRC+, .842 OPS) are almost as impressive as his numbers with the platoon advantage (141 wRC+, .877 OPS). There’s no good reason why his left-handedness should get in the way of a deal.

Back in November, MLBTR’s Steve Adams listed the Mets as a “likely suitor” for Tucker’s services. Two weeks ago, nearly 20,000 MLBTR readers voted on where they thought Tucker would sign, and the Mets received the third-most support (15.23%), just ahead of the Yankees (10.09%) and trailing only the Blue Jays (40.22%) and Dodgers (15.55%). So, it didn’t come as any surprise on Thursday afternoon when Heyman confirmed that the Mets have indeed expressed at least some degree of interest. They join the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Orioles as teams with reported interest in the star outfielder, although Baltimore was linked to him before signing Alonso. Other teams that could be good fits include the Dodgers and Giants; Heyman notes that “all big-market teams” have checked in on Tucker, although the Yankees and Mets are the only ones he mentions by name.

Twins Acquire Eric Wagaman, DFA Ryan Fitzgerald

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The Twins have acquired first baseman Eric Wagaman from the Marlins in exchange for minor league pitcher Kade Bragg, as confirmed by both teams this afternoon. Wagaman was designated for assignment earlier this week. To make room for Wagaman on their 40-man roster, the Twins DFA’d infielder Ryan Fitzgerald.

Wagaman, 28, spent several years in the Yankees’ minor league system before he was taken by the Angels in the minor league portion of the 2023 Rule 5 draft. He debuted for L.A. the following September, but he didn’t hit well enough to stave off a DFA at the end of the season. After electing free agency, he signed with the Marlins, and in 2025, he played his first full campaign in the bigs. Over 140 games, he slashed .250/.296/.378 for a .674 OPS and an 85 wRC+. He hit nine home runs, stole four bases on five attempts, and grounded into 11 double plays. On defense, Wagaman mostly played first base, though he also appeared in a handful of games in the corner outfield spots and stepped in at third base on a few occasions. Considering his well-below-average offense at a position where teams typically look for well-above-average offense, it was hardly surprising to see Wagaman DFA’d when the Marlins needed to make room on the roster for trade acquisition Esteury Ruiz. Evidently, the Twins must see a little more to like in his bat.

Bragg, 24, signed with the Twins in 2023 after they selected him in the 17th round of the draft. He made his professional debut in 2024 but landed on the injured list in late April and missed the rest of the season. Healthy again in 2025, the left-hander impressed in his first full season, rising from Single-A to High-A to Double-A. All told, he pitched to a 2.94 ERA and 3.73 FIP in 67 1/3 innings of relief, striking out 82 and giving up just six home runs. Walks were an issue, and clearly, the Twins don’t value Bragg all that highly. Neither do the prospect evaluators at sources like Baseball America, MLB Pipeline, or FanGraphs; he wasn’t ranked on any of their most recent Twins prospect lists. Still, based on his successful performance in his first full season, the Marlins’ development team has an interesting new project to work on.

Fitzgerald, 31, finally earned his call to the show in 2025. He started his career in independent ball, where he impressed the Red Sox enough to earn a minor league contract in 2018. Five years later, the Royals selected him in the minor league phase of the 2023 Rule 5 draft – the same draft that saw Wagaman join the Angels. However, Fitzgerald wasn’t able to make the majors with his new team, and he elected free agency after the 2024 campaign. He then latched on with Minnesota on a minor league contract, and finally, a month before his 31st birthday, he made his MLB debut. While his first stint with the Twins lasted less than a week, he earned another call-up in August following the team’s trade deadline sell-off and stuck around for the rest of the season. Altogether, he hit for an .837 OPS and a 119 wRC+ in 59 games at Triple-A and a .758 OPS and 110 wRC+ in 24 games in the majors. Unfortunately for Fitzgerald, his plus hitting and defensive versatility (he played all four infield positions) weren’t enough to keep him in Minnesota’s plans for 2026. At some point over the next five days, the Twins will either trade him or place him on waivers. If he were to clear waivers, the Twins could send him outright to the minor leagues and keep him in their organization.

Andy Kosco Passes Away

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Ten-year MLB veteran Andy Kosco passed away earlier this month. He was 84 years old. Kosco played in 658 games for the Twins, Yankees, Dodgers, Brewers, Angels, Red Sox, and Reds from 1965-74. Primarily a corner outfielder, he appeared at all three outfield positions, as well as first and third base.

Born October 5, 1941 in Ohio, Kosco grew up a multi-sport star but ultimately chose baseball, signing his first professional contract with the Tigers in 1959. However, he did not make the majors until he joined the Twins, with whom he debuted at 23 years old in 1965.

Kosco’s best tool was his power. He hit double-digit home runs in three seasons, with a personal best of 19 for the Dodgers in 1969. All told, he racked up 73 home runs and 156 extra-base hits in his career, good for a .394 slugging percentage and .158 isolated power. His isolated power was 29% better than the league average during the years in which he played. In the field, Kosco was a fine defender, finishing with a .980 fielding percentage and a +6 total zone rating as an outfielder. He recorded 29 outfield assists in his career, including 10 with the Yankees in 1968, which tied him for eighth-most in the American League.

Kosco played his last professional season for the Toledo Mud Hens, then the Triple-A affiliate of the Phillies, in 1975. He retired after the 1975 season. We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our sincerest condolences to Kosco’s family, friends, and fans.

Mitch White, Guillermo Heredia Re-Sign With KBO’s SSG Landers

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The SSG Landers have re-signed a pair of former MLB players for the 2026 KBO season: right-hander Mitch White and outfielder Guillermo Heredia. White joined the Landers last year, while Heredia has been on the team since the 2023 campaign. Dan Kurtz of MyKBO relayed the news in English earlier today. White is represented by Apex Baseball, while Heredia is represented by PRIME.

White, 31, appeared in 71 games over five MLB seasons, pitching for the Dodgers, Blue Jays, Giants, and Brewers. While he bounced between the bullpen and the rotation in MLB and Triple-A, he took on a full-time starting role in his first KBO season. Averaging 5 2/3 innings per start, he pitched to a 2.87 ERA and 3.44 FIP, striking out 24.4% of batters he faced and walking just 7.8%. For context, the league-average ERA in the KBO this past season was 4.31, while the league-average strikeout and walk rates were 19.7% and 9.1%, respectively. White also induced groundballs on 54% of balls in plays and limited his opponents to only nine home runs on the season.

Heredia, soon to be 35, has been one of the KBO’s premier contact hitters over the past three years. He led the league in batting average in 2024 and ’25 (min. 400 PA) and ranked fifth in ’23. While he isn’t known for his power, he’s a safe bet for double-digit home runs, and his overall offensive output (per wRC+) has been at least 34% better than league average in all three of his seasons with the Landers. Prior to his KBO career, the veteran outfielder played in seven MLB seasons, bouncing between the Mariners, Rays, Pirates, Mets, and Braves.

White and Heredia join new signings Drew VerHagen and Shota Takeda as the four foreign players on the Landers’ 2026 roster. VerHagen, a veteran of both MLB and NPB, signed with the team earlier this month, essentially replacing fellow right-hander Drew Anderson. Himself a former MLB and NPB pitcher, Anderson parlayed an excellent 2025 campaign with the Landers into a one-year, $7MM guarantee from the Detroit Tigers. Takeda, another right-handed pitcher, spent the first 14 years of his professional career with the Fukuoka Softbank Hawks organization, though Tommy John surgery kept him from pitching for the NPB club in 2024 or ’25.

The Opener: Red Sox, Pending Free Agent Contracts, Mets

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Here are three things MLBTR will be watching for around the sport today:

1. What’s next for the Red Sox?

The Red Sox have already made some of the biggest moves of the offseason, acquiring starting pitcher Sonny Gray and first baseman Willson Contreras in two separate trades with the Cardinals. However, they are the only AL team that has yet to sign a free agent to a major league contract, and there is no reason to think chief baseball officer Craig Breslow is done making moves. According to Alex Speier of the Boston Globe, the Red Sox are still in the market for many of the top available infielders, namely free agents Bo Bichette and Alex Bregman and trade candidates Ketel Marte, Isaac Paredes, and Brendan Donovan. Speier previously linked the Red Sox to Eugenio Suárez as well. Boston has also been connected to some notable free agent relievers, including Seranthony Domínguez, Evan Phillips, and Chris Martin (before he re-signed with the Rangers).

On top of that, it remains more than possible that Breslow could trade from his major league roster. This team has a surplus of young, controllable outfielders, with Jarren Duran’s name the one that has come up the most in trade rumors. What’s more, Triston Casas and Masataka Yoshida have less of a path to playing time now that Contreras is in the fold. Breslow recently told reporters (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com) that roster logjams like this “tend to work out,” but one such way these things can work themselves out is through a trade or two.

2. Free agent contracts to be finalized:

Ryan O’Hearn and the Pirates came to terms on the largest free agent contract for a position player in the franchise’s history last week: a two-year, $29MM guarantee. However, the team has not formalized the signing, which means O’Hearn isn’t technically a Pirate just yet. Now that Christmas has passed, fans can expect an announcement from the Pirates any day, although the club will have to free up a space on its 40-man roster before making things official with O’Hearn.

In addition to O’Hearn, Paul Blackburn and Amed Rosario are also waiting for their new contracts to be announced. Both players agreed to re-up with the Yankees this winter on one-year deals; Rosario will make $2.5MM in 2026, while Blackburn’s deal is a $2MM guarantee. Unlike the Pirates, the Yankees have several open spaces on their 40-man roster. They should also be quite familiar with Blackburn and Rosario’s medicals, considering both players finished the 2025 season in the Bronx, so it’s not entirely clear what’s holding up the formal announcement of either signing.

3. Mets trade coming?

Francys Romero of Beisbol FR recently wrote about top international prospect Wandy Asigen, who originally had a deal in place with the Yankees but will now sign a contract worth approximately $3.8MM with the Mets instead. Romero suggests that the Mets could try to trade for more international bonus pool space before the next signing period opens, to facilitate their inking of the 16-year-old shortstop. International bonus pool money can be traded in increments of $250,000, and the Mets’ initial pool for the upcoming signing period was set at $5.44MM as of this past April (per Baseball America). The 2026 international signing period will begin on January 15. So, if the Mets are planning to make a trade to increase their bonus pool, it’s likely going to come together at some point in the next two weeks.

Harold Castro Signs With KBO’s Kia Tigers

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The Kia Tigers of the Korea Baseball Organization have confirmed the four foreign players who will join their team for the 2026 season (h/t to Dan Kurtz of MyKBO). The foursome includes right-hander James Naile, who is entering his third year with the Tigers and whose signing was announced last month; right-hander Adam Oller, who re-signed for a second year with the club; infielder Jarryd Dale, a former Padres prospect and Australian Baseball League player who spent 2025 with NPB’s Orix Buffaloes; and utility player Harold Castro, a six-year MLB veteran who is heading overseas for the first time in his career.

Castro, a client of the MAS+ Agency, spent more than a decade in the Detroit Tigers organization. He signed in 2010 as an international free agent out of Venezuela, and eight years later, he made his big league debut at Comerica Park. Over parts of five seasons with MLB’s Tigers, he played in 351 games, appearing at every position except catcher. His .286 batting average was impressive, and his defensive versatility was valuable, but that was about all he contributed. He didn’t hit for power, he rarely walked, and his defense graded out poorly (albeit in small samples) wherever he played. 

Detroit non-tendered Castro after the 2022 season, and he signed a minor league deal with the Rockies. The utility man cracked Colorado’s roster out of camp and stuck around all season, though he struggled to hit even at Coors Field. Finishing with a .589 OPS and 45 wRC+, Castro produced a -1.5 FanGraphs WAR, third-last among all MLB players in 2023.

The Rockies cut Castro soon after the season ended, and he would eventually sign with the Toros de Tijuana of the Mexican League. He hit well with the Toros in 2024 and even better for Leones del Caracas of the Venezuelan Winter League the following offseason, enough so that he landed a minor league offer from the Royals for the 2025 campaign. Despite Castro’s best efforts at Triple-A  – 21 home runs, a .307 batting average, and a 129 wRC+ in 99 contests – he never got the call to the majors. Yet, he clearly impressed the Kia Tigers, who signed the 32-year-old to a contract worth $1MM USD for 2026. He replaces Patrick Wisdom on their roster, who was no slouch in his first KBO season, hitting 35 home runs with a 126 wRC+.

Yankees, Royals Interested In Austin Hays

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The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports this morning that the Royals “remain interested” in signing Austin Hays, despite having recently acquired outfielders Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas. This lines up with previous reporting suggesting that president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo is still searching for upgrades after his outfielders finished last in MLB in runs scored, RBI, on-base percentage, OPS, wRC+, and FanGraphs WAR in 2025. Heyman first connected Hays and the Royals earlier this month.

Heyman also notes that the Yankees have “checked in” on Hays, although they might only be interested in adding him if they can’t re-sign Cody Bellinger, whom the New York Post reporter describes as their top target. In contrast to the Royals, the Yankees led the majors in most offensive categories from the outfield this past year, including runs scored, home runs, RBI, all three triple-slash metrics, wRC+, and fWAR. Bellinger was a key contributor to that effort, and it’s no surprise the Bronx Bombers would love to team him up with Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham once again. Their interest in retaining Bellinger is hardly breaking news.

This is, however, the first time the Yankees have been linked to Hays. Heyman reported a month ago that Kyle Tucker could be their “backup plan” if they missed out on Bellinger, and needless to say, Hays would not be the same kind of outfield upgrade. In fact, it’s less clear if Hays would be an upgrade at all. The young switch-hitter Jasson Domínguez certainly has a higher ceiling, while Amed Rosario, though limited in his outfield experience, is already on the roster to fill a righty-batting utility role. Whether the Yankees’ reported interest in Hays suggests a lack of faith in Domínguez to become an everyday player, a lack of faith in Rosario to play the outfield, or simply GM Brian Cashman doing his due diligence remains to be seen.

Yesterday, Heyman reported that the Mets’ front office had engaged in conversations about signing Hays. Considering the Mets lost several outfielders to free agency this winter and traded away two more, they could certainly find playing time for the veteran in 2026. Of course, he might be more of a plan B in Queens as well, with the Mets having also expressed interest in signing Bellinger and trading for White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr.

Hays, 30, is coming off a solid season for Cincinnati. In 103 games and 416 PA, he slashed .266/.315/.453 with 15 home runs and a 105 wRC+. He also went 7-for-7 on the bases while playing capably in left field. As usual, he was particularly effective against left-handed pitching (.949 OPS, 155 wRC+). While Hays is unlikely to be an everyday player, at least not on a contending team, he has proven he can be a valuable role player over his eight MLB seasons with the Orioles, Phillies, and Reds.

The Opener: Corner Infield Market, DFA Resolutions, Christmas Eve Transactions

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As you’re getting ready to hang your stockings by the chimney with care, here are three things to watch for (other than Santa Claus) on Christmas Eve:

1. The corner infield market is heating up:

On Sunday morning, the White Sox came to terms on a two-year, $34MM contract with NPB first baseman/third baseman Munetaka Murakami. Later that day, the Red Sox swung a trade with the Cardinals to acquire a slugging corner infielder of their own, first baseman Willson Contreras. Then, on Tuesday, it was the Pirates who joined in on the fun, coming to terms with Ryan O’Hearn on a two-year, $29MM guarantee.

In addition to those recent moves, corner infielders have overrun the rumor mill lately. The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported over the weekend that Blue Jays officials have had “recent contact” with Scott Boras regarding his client Alex Bregman. The star third baseman is the top unsigned corner infield free agent from MLBTR’s Top 50 list. Mariners GM Justin Hollander also reconfirmed his team’s interest in reuniting with third baseman Eugenio Suárez, while Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted that, before the Pirates signed O’Hearn, they had “multiple virtual meetings” with Kazuma Okamoto, another All-Star first baseman/third baseman from NBP.

One also has to wonder if more corner infield-related trade rumors are soon to come. One of Ryan Mountcastle or Coby Mayo is likely to be on the trade block now that Pete Alonso is ensconced at first base in Baltimore, and Triston Casas could be on the move after Contreras’s arrival in Boston. What’s more, the fact that the Cardinals have now traded Contreras and Sonny Gray only seems to make a Nolan Arenado deal more likely. While any notable trades and signings probably won’t take place on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, keep an eye out for the next big corner infield transaction that’s surely on its way.

2. DFA resolutions coming for Noel and Wiemer:

Today marks a week since the Guardians and Giants DFA’d outfielders Jhonkensy Noel (also known as Big Christmas) and Joey Wiemer, respectively. There hasn’t been any news about either player since, but that should change today. When a player is designated for assignment, his team has seven days to either trade him or pass him through waivers. If no trade comes together and the player goes unclaimed, his team can send him outright to the minor leagues. Neither Noel nor Wiemer has the necessary service time to reject an outright assignment, so if they do clear waivers, the Guardians and Giants will be able to keep them in their organizations.

3. Last-minute holiday shopping?

Yesterday featured two official major league signings and news of another, with Jacob Webb joining the Cubs, Sean Newcomb joining the White Sox, and O’Hearn reportedly agreeing to terms with the Pirates. Today, however, is likely to be a slow news day around Major League Baseball. Trades and free agent signings are almost as rare on Christmas Eve as they are on Christmas Day. Of course, that doesn’t mean a move is out of the realm of possibility. Just last year, the Twins sent left-handed reliever Jovani Morán to the Red Sox in exchange for catcher/utility man Mickey Gasper on December 24.

Some of the biggest Christmas Eve transactions in MLB history include Mark McGwire re-signing with the Athletics in 1992 (five years, $28MM) and Reggie Jackson returning to the Athletics on December 24, 1986 for what would be his final season. Funnily enough, the A’s are also one of just three teams in the last decade to sign a major league deal with a free agent on Christmas Eve. The Cubs officially signed Drew Smyly in 2022, the Mets came to terms and announced a deal with Dellin Betances in 2019, and the A’s finalized a contract with Mike Fiers on the holiday in 2018. Fiers would go on to throw a no-hitter for Oakland the next May.

Cody Ponce Has Drawn Interest From MLB Teams

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Former MLB pitcher Cody Ponce is generating interest from MLB clubs after a dominant season in the KBO. Francys Romero reports that numerous teams have scouted the right-hander over the course of the 2025 season.

Ponce, 31, was Milwaukee’s second-round pick in 2015. Four years later, the Brewers flipped him to the Pirates ahead of the deadline in exchange for Jordan Lyles. After five seasons in the minors, Ponce made his MLB debut for Pittsburgh in 2020, and from 2020-21, he appeared in 20 games (five starts) at the big league level, pitching to a 5.86 ERA and a 4.38 SIERA in 55 1/3 innings. Following the 2021 season, the Pirates released him so he could sign with NPB’s Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters.

Over two seasons with the Fighters, Ponce was solid if unspectacular, making 24 starts with an ERA about 10% higher than league average. The highlight of his tenure with the club was the no-hitter he threw in 2022. Unfortunately, the righty struggled tremendously in 2024 after leaving the Fighters and signing with the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles. Although he improved his strikeout-to-walk ratio, his groundball rate fell by about five percentage points, and he pitched to a 6.72 ERA in 15 games (12 starts). Some of that was surely the result of bad luck – his .382 BABIP was 20 points higher than that of any other NPB pitcher (min. 50 IP) in any of the previous five seasons – but nonetheless, he ended up spending almost as much of the season with the Golden Eagles’ farm team as he did with the NPB club.

In 2025, Ponce opted for a fresh start in South Korea, leaving the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles to sign with the Hanwha Eagles. His move to the KBO turned out to be just what he needed. Over 29 starts and 180 2/3 innings, the 6-foot-6 right-hander pitched to a league-leading 1.89 ERA. Ponce set the KBO single-season record with 252 strikeouts and also set a new single-game record in the KBO by punching out 18 opponents. Ponce’s velocity has taken a notable step forward. After sitting 93.2 mph with his heater back in 2020-21, he now sits 94-98 mph and has added a kick changeup that wasn’t part of his repertoire during his MLB run.

Ponce also finished tied for the KBO lead in wins, securing the Triple Crown as he led the Eagles to an 83-57-4 record in the regular season – and an appearance in the Korean Series. His stellar performance earned him the Choi Dong-won Award, given annually to the best starting pitcher in the league.

The last two winners of the Choi Dong-won Award, Erick Fedde (2023) and Kyle Hart (2024), both signed guaranteed contracts to return to Major League Baseball after their award-winning seasons in the KBO, so it stands to reason that Ponce could pursue an MLB deal of his own if his goal is to end up closer to home. While he struggled during his brief stint with the Pirates, that was a 55-inning sample from five seasons back.

Ponce’s stuff has since ticked up, and his more recent accomplishments against NPB and KBO hitters could certainly convince a team to look past the reasons the Pirates released him all those years ago. Ponce throws harder and misses bats at a higher rate than either Fedde or Hart did during their time in South Korea. If Ponce indeed opts for a return to North American ball, a multi-year deal — perhaps even one topping Fedde’s $15MM with the White Sox — shouldn’t come as a major surprise.

Angels Outright Four Players

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October 25: Kieboom has also elected free agency, as per his MLB.com profile page.

October 23: Brogdon and Fulmer have cleared waivers and elected free agency, according to a team announcement.

October 22: The Angels removed a pair of infielders from their roster today, the team announced. Carter Kieboom and Logan Davidson both cleared waivers, and the Angels sent them outright to Triple-A Salt Lake. This was the first career outright for Davidson, who therefore had no choice but to accept the assignment. Kieboom, however, was outrighted by the Nationals in March 2024. So, he had the right to reject the assignment in favor of free agency, a right he quickly exercised.

According to the transaction tracker on MLB.com, the Angels have also outrighted right-handers Connor Brogdon and Carson Fulmer (h/t to Ethan Hullihen on X). However, neither player was mentioned in the team’s announcement today. Both Brogdon and Fulmer have the necessary service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, and the team may be simply waiting on Brogdon and Fulmer to formally make that decision – a decision they are both all but certain to make, presuming they have indeed been removed from the 40-man roster.

Kieboom, 28, was once a highly-touted prospect in the Nationals organization. Yet, he just couldn’t translate all that potential into big league success. All told, he played 133 games for Washington from 2019-23, batting .199 with a .598 OPS. He struck out 138 times and ground into 17 double plays in 508 trips to the plate. His -2.0 FanGraphs WAR might be overstating just how much he struggled with the Nationals – he was somehow worth -0.6 fWAR in just 11 games in 2019 – but with those numbers, and his frequent injuries, it was hardly surprising to see him outrighted before the 2024 campaign.

After slashing .265/.365/.386 (103 wRC+) in 91 games at Triple-A that year, Kieboom elected free agency and signed a minor league pact with the Angels last December. He put up very similar numbers with the Salt Lake Bees for most of 2025, until the major league club selected his contract in mid-September. Playing first base for the first time in his MLB career, he appeared in three games for L.A., going 2-for-8 with one RBI. Now a free agent once again, he will presumably look to sign a new minor league deal and try to earn a more substantial big league opportunity in 2026.

Davidson, 27, made his MLB debut earlier this year with the Athletics. He was the A’s first-round pick in 2019, but a fall down the defensive spectrum and continued struggles with the strikeout caused his prospect shine to fade. He played in nine games for the Athletics in May and June before he was optioned, and about a month later, he was designated for assignment. The Astros claimed him off waivers, but a .681 OPS with Triple-A Sugar Land led to another DFA in September. That’s when the Angels swooped in. Davidson went 4-for-22 in 10 games with L.A. until he was optioned once again toward the end of the season. He will stick around in the organization for now and hope to earn his way back to the big league roster.

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