Craig Kimbrel To Forgo Opt-Out, Stay With Mets
March 23: Kimbrel will forgo his first opt-out opportunity and remain with the Mets for the time being, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post.
March 22: Mets manager Carlos Mendoza told the media (including SNY TV) that veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel was told that he won’t be breaking camp with the team. An Article XX(B) free agent, Kimbrel had the chance to trigger the first of three opt-out dates in his minor league contract this weekend, and Mendoza’s comments seemingly indicate that the right-hander hasn’t exercised an out clause, as Kimbrel is considering staying in the organization.
“Now he is deciding whether he wants to stay, which looks like he’s leaning that way,” Mendoza said. “He likes it here, he wants to win, but he also is going to look around for opportunities. But there’s a good chance he stays back here in Florida, to continue to pitch and [wait] until the opportunity presents.”
Kimbrel has a 4.50 ERA over six Grapefruit League innings for the Mets, with five walks and five strikeouts. It wasn’t the kind of performance that would help what was already something of a longshot bid to make New York’s roster, and it could be that Kimbrel is fine pitching in the minors for now. Given how the Mets cycled through an endless amount of relievers last season, Kimbrel may figure it won’t be too long before he is needed in Queens, even if his call-up would come with the added wrinkle of a contract selection to the 40-man roster.
Making the Mets’ roster would also guarantee a $2.5MM salary for Kimbrel, and since New York is over the highest level of luxury tax penalization, the Mets would pay more than double that amount in additional taxes. While money isn’t exactly a top concern for the big-spending Mets, it isn’t absolutely no concern, and the front office may feel a reliever on a minimum salary is a better investment both financially and results-wise than what Kimbrel can offer at age 37.
Kimbrel has been bouncing around the league for the last few years, showing some flashes of his old All-Star form but without much consistency. In 2025, Kimbrel had a 2.25 ERA and a 34.7% strikeout rate over 12 innings with the Braves and Astros, but with a hefty 14.3% walk rate as well. Control has been an issue for Kimbrel even during his prime years, and he has also been hurt by an increased tendency to allow home runs.
There could still be a market elsewhere for Kimbrel’s services, if another team feels he still has something in the rank. Mendoza noted that playing for a contender seems to be a priority for Kimbrel, so he might not want to sign with just any team if he does re-enter the open market.
AL East Notes: Gil, Bastardo, Lux
Since the Yankees play only nine games during the season’s first 13 days, manager Aaron Boone announced today (to the Athletic’s Chris Kirschner and other reporters) that the team will use a four-man rotation of Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Ryan Weathers during this rather staggered portion of the schedule. This leaves Luis Gil in a bit of an awkward spot as an unnecessary fifth starter, though pitching coach Matt Blake suggested that Gil could be used in a piggyback capacity during Weathers’ first outing. It is also possible Gil could be left off New York’s Opening Day roster altogether — he could bide his time in the minors until he’s needed, and the Yankees could use his roster spot on an extra reliever.
After winning AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, Gil was limited to 11 starts and 57 innings last season due to a right lat strain. Gil’s peripherals were unimpressive, and his whopping 5.74 SIERA indicates that the right-hander was quite fortunate to manage a 3.32 ERA. The fact that Gil has been relegated to this uncertain role for the start of the season perhaps indicates that the Yankees still have some questions about the righty, though Blake was encouraged by some adjustments Gil made to his release point.
More from around the AL East…
- The Blue Jays‘ bullpen continues to take final form, as manager John Schneider told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae and Shi Davidi) that Tommy Nance will make the team, while Yariel Rodriguez, non-roster invite Jorge Alcala, and Rule 5 Draft pick Angel Bastardo won’t be part of the Opening Day roster. In Bastardo’s case, this means the Jays must offer the right-hander back to the Red Sox, work out a trade with Boston to officially obtain Bastardo’s rights, or perhaps trade Bastardo to another team interested on carrying him on their active roster all season. Bastardo was actually selected in the 2024 Rule 5 Draft, but a Tommy John surgery cost him the entire 2025 season and thus Toronto retained his R5 status for the coming season.
- Gavin Lux‘s shoulder remains a bit of a question mark for the Rays as Opening Day looms, though the second baseman was able to return to the lineup for today’s game with the Blue Jays. Lux’s first camp with the Rays was initially slowed by some oblique discomfort, and then a sore throwing shoulder that has limited him to seven Grapefruit League games to date. Manager Kevin Cash told Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times and other reporters that due to the “time crunch” created by Thursday’s opener, “we’ve got to get [Lux] going for him to be ready to go.” If Lux needs a 10-day injured list stint to give himself more time to get right, Topkin suggests the Rays could add Richie Palacios to the roster, or perhaps explore the market for a new depth infielder.
Matt Bowman Exercises Opt-Out In Twins Contract
Right-hander Matt Bowman has exercised the opt-out clause in his minor league deal with the Twins, as per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Bowman isn’t an Article XX(B) player but he has a similar opt-out provision in his contract, so Minnesota now must decide between adding Bowman to the Opening Day roster or letting the reliever re-enter free agency.
Bowman allowed one hit over two scoreless innings in the Twins’ 7-3 win over the Braves today, and the righty has yet to be charged with an earned run over 7 1/3 frames of work in Spring Training. His spring work also included three more scoreless innings for Israel’s team during the World Baseball Classic.
It makes for an awfully strong case for a roster spot, yet Bowman is one of multiple pitchers competing for what appears to be just one opening in Minnesota’s bullpen. According to The Athletic’s Dan Hayes, the Twins look to be going with Taylor Rogers, Kody Funderburk, and Anthony Banda as the three left-handers, and Justin Topa, Cole Sands, Zak Kent and Eric Orze as the right-handed contingent. Dan Altavilla, Cody Laweryson, and Trent Baker are Bowman’s primary competition for the last bullpen assignment, and Hayes suggests that Altavilla is “likely in the lead.”
If Bowman doesn’t break camp with the Twins, another move will be on the horizon for a player who has generated seemingly half of MLB Trade Rumors’ content over the last couple of years. Bowman pitched at the big league level for four different teams (including the Twins) during the 2024 season, then spent most of 2025 being repeatedly designated for assignment, outrighted, and selected again by the Orioles, before he was released at the end of August and then signed by the Astros.
Through all the transactions, Bowman posted a 5.20 ERA, 17.1% strikeout rate, and 7.7% walk rate over 55 1/3 innings in the Show during the 2024-25 seasons. His grounder rate dipped to 39.7% over the last two years, after sitting at an impressive 56.3% over his first five seasons in the bigs.
Orioles Made Gunnar Henderson An Extension Offer Last Spring
The Orioles made shortstop Gunnar Henderson an extension offer during last year’s Spring Training that wasn’t accepted, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes. It isn’t known if the two sides have revisited talks this year, though Heyman feels the chances of an agreement are a “long shot” at best. Henderson is represented by Scott Boras, whose clients usually eschew extensions in favor of eventually testing free agency.
Henderson is in his first year of arbitration eligibility and is set to become a free agent after the 2028 season at age 27. Between that relatively young age and the numbers he has already posted in his four big league seasons, Henderson and Boras may well have a record contract in mind for the shortstop’s entry into the open market, which could leave the Orioles priced out.
This isn’t to say that the O’s haven’t shown an increased willingness to spend since David Rubenstein bought the team in early 2024. Baltimore’s eight-year, $67MM deal with Samuel Basallo last August marked the team’s first long-term extension in over a decade, as the Orioles hasn’t yet locked up any of the other young talents amassed during their rebuilding period. This offseason, the O’s made a big splash in free agency by signing Pete Alonso (a Boras Corporation client, no less) to a five-year, $155MM deal that stands as the second-largest contract in franchise history.
It isn’t out of the question to suggest that it would take three times’ Alonso’s contract to extend or re-sign Henderson, given Boras’ penchant for pushing the market. Henderson would have to keep playing like a superstar, of course, and the 2025 season was a slight bump in the road since he hit a relatively modest .274/.349/.438 over 651 plate appearances, with 17 homers and 30 steals (in 35 attempts).
The shortstop still posted this 120 wRC+/4.8 fWAR production, however, while dealing first with an intercostal strain that sidelined him during Spring Training, and then a shoulder impingement that bothered him for most of the regular season. Returning to normal health should help Henderson regain his power in 2026, and perhaps he is gearing up for a season more akin to the 37 homers and .281/.364/.529 slash line he delivered in 2024.
Perhaps the Orioles want to see Henderson back at full strength before considering more extension talks, in order to determine if he is worth the kind of landmark investment it would take to keep him in the fold. Alonso and Basallo are the only long-term commitments on the Orioles’ books, so a mega-deal for Henderson perhaps isn’t out of the question if the O’s view him as their franchise cornerstone. As Heyman noted, however, the likelier scenario is that an extension isn’t reached. This would mean Henderson either walks in free agency, or Baltimore could conceivably look to trade him (maybe during the 2027-28 offseason) in order to gain a larger return.
Phillies’ Daniel Robert Released From Hospital After Cardiac Event
Daniel Robert collapsed following a bullpen session this morning, after the Phillies right-hander suffered his second cardiac event in the last five months. As the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Marcus Hayes writes, Robert had just completed his throwing session when he fell to the ground, with trainers and medical staff immediately at his side to monitor the situation.
Robert reportedly remained conscious for around five minutes before leaving the field under his own power. He was taken to a local hospital for further testing and a check of his implantable cardioverter defibrillator, and Robert was released from the hospital later that day.
Last Halloween, a similar incident occurred when Robert had finished his final bullpen session of the 2025 campaign, and Robert might have lost his life if the Phillies training staff hadn’t quickly acted by using CPR and a defibrillator. Robert had the ICD implanted in his chest in the aftermath of that event, and today marked his first bullpen session of the spring.
It is anyone’s guess as to when Robert might get back onto a mound, since his condition will surely be heavily re-evaluated by doctors and the team’s own medical staff. It is fair to wonder if Robert’s career could be in jeopardy if there is no way to properly manage what now looks like a recurring health situation.
The 31-year-old Robert was a 21st-round pick for the Rangers in the 2017 draft, and he made his big league debut with Texas by throwing 5 2/3 relief innings during the 2024 season. Philadelphia acquired Robert in a trade last May, and he posted a 4.15 ERA, 25.4% strikeout rate, and 16.9% walk rate across 13 innings and 15 appearances for his new club before his season was prematurely ended by a forearm strain. He was cut loose by the Phillies in November at the non-tender deadline but re-signed in February to a minor league contract.
White Sox Re-Sign Lucas Sims
The White Sox have re-signed right-hander Lucas Sims to a new minor league contract, according to 670 The Score’s Bruce Levine. Sims was released after exercising an opt-out clause in his previous minors deal with the Sox two days ago, but he has quickly rejoined the fold and will even pitch in tonight’s Spring Training game against the Mariners.
A veteran of nine MLB seasons, Sims didn’t see much big league action in 2025, as he was rocked to the tune of a 13.86 ERA over 12 1/3 innings out of the Nationals bullpen. Though Sims signed a one-year, $3MM free agent deal with Washington last winter, his struggles were so extreme that the Nats released him in May. Sims caught on with the Phillies on a minors deal but didn’t perform well at Triple-A Lehigh Valley, delivering a 5.56 ERA across 34 innings.
Control has always been an issue for Sims, but things reached a point of absurdity last year when he issued 43 walks (against 49 strikeouts) over his 46 1/3 total innings at the Major League and Triple-A levels, as well as eight wild pitches and 16 hit batters. Sims issued three free passes during his five innings of Cactus League work with the White Sox this spring, though he’d also recorded seven strikeouts in those five scoreless frames.
This lack of command has inevitably led to volatility in Sims’ results, but he has always been able to miss bats. At his best, Sims was able to overcome his control problems to deliver some quality results during his days with the Reds, including a 3.10 ERA across 61 innings. Sims appears to be ticketed for Triple-A Charlotte to see if he can finally harness his control at least enough to manage a return to the majors, and the White Sox could turn to Sims at some point if a need develops in their bullpen.
Orioles Injury Notes: Akin, Kjerstad, Vazquez, Beavers, Kittredge
The Orioles are suddenly dealing with a flurry of injury concerns less than a week before Opening Day, as left-hander Keegan Akin, outfielder Heston Kjerstad, and utilityman Luis Vazquez will all undergo imaging on Monday. (MLB.com’s Jake Rill and Paige Leckie were among those to report the news.) Akin suffered an adductor issue while warming up in the bullpen on Saturday, Kjerstad has been sidelined with right hamstring tightness for a few days, and Vazquez was hit by a pitch on his right thumb in today’s game with the Nationals.
More will be known once the testing takes place, and of the trio, Akin was the only one assured of a place on the Opening Day roster. With the exception of an injury-marred 2023 season, Akin has become a valued member of the Orioles’ pen over the last four years, able to both eat innings and deliver in high-leverage situations.
The 2024 season was Akin’s most effective campaign, and while he still had a 3.41 ERA over 63 1/3 innings in 2025, Akin’s strikeout rate (22%) and walk rate (12.3%) both declined from his previous season. Akin’s 4.44 SIERA was over a run higher than his real-world ERA, and the lefty might’ve benefited quite a bit from a .267 BABIP.
These concerns notwithstanding, Akin was still projected to be the top left-handed option in Baltimore’s relief corps. Dietrich Enns and Grant Wolfram are the team’s other left-handers, though if Akin has to miss time on the injured list, the Orioles wouldn’t necessarily replace Akin with another southpaw.
The bullpen already took a significant hit this spring with the news that Andrew Kittredge would be starting the season on the 15-day IL due to some shoulder inflammation. Though it has been almost a month since the righty’s lone game of Spring Training, Kittredge told the Baltimore Banner’s Andy Kostka that he believes he’ll miss just the minimum 15 days, as a rehab stint with Triple-A Norfolk will hopefully be enough to get Kittredge fully ramped up.
Kjerstad was expected to start the season in Triple-A, though naturally a possible stint on the IL doesn’t do him any good in terms of cost development time, as Kjerstad is still struggling to establish himself as a big leaguer. The second overall pick of the 2020 draft had a promising .248/.336/.411 slash line over 147 plate appearances with the O’s in 2023-24, but he took a step back with a .192/.240/.327 slash in 167 PA last season.
Vazquez has only a .404 OPS over 67 career PA in the majors (with the 2024 Cubs and 2025 Orioles), but his ability to play all over the infield and at least hold his own as a corner outfielder was putting him in the running to win a backup job on Baltimore’s bench. With Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg starting the season on the injured list, the Orioles’ infield depth has already been stretched, opening the door for Vazquez to potentially break camp with the team.
A thumb injury, of course, would make Vazquez’s endeavors all for naught. Even if the x-rays are negative, Vazquez may need a few days or even a 10-day IL stint to fully heal up, so bench candidates like Jeremiah Jackson, Weston Wilson, or others may stand a better chance of making the 26-man roster.
The position-player mix could be shaken up further if Dylan Beavers‘ right knee discomfort becomes anything serious. Beavers was a late scratch from Friday’s lineup due to his sore knee, but both Beavers and manager Craig Albernaz told Rill the outfielder was feeling improvement yesterday, so there doesn’t seem to be any concern yet that Beavers will miss any time during the regular season.
White Sox Won’t Include Korey Lee On Opening Day Roster
Catcher Korey Lee won’t be breaking camp with the White Sox, according to MLB.com’s Scott Merkin. Since Lee is out of minor league options, the Sox would first have to designate Lee for assignment and hopes that he clears waivers in order to outright him off their 40-man roster and send him to Triple-A. Or, if the White Sox are ready to move on from Lee entirely, the team could shop Lee to any catcher-needy teams who might be interested in a trade.
As of a few weeks ago, Chicago was seemingly ready to go into 2026 with three catchers on the active roster. Kyle Teel and Edgar Quero would get at-bats both as a catcher and as a designated hitter, and Lee would be kept as more of a traditional backup so the Sox wouldn’t run into any issues by having Teel and Quero in the lineup at the same time. Teel then sustained a Grade 2 hamstring strain during the World Baseball Classic, putting the catcher on the shelf for 4-6 weeks and at best a return around the middle of April.
Rather than just stick with Quero and Lee until Teel is healthy, the White Sox signed Reese McGuire to a one-year, $1.2MM guarantee earlier today, a day after McGuire opted out of a previous minor league deal with the Brewers. It is possible Lee might’ve been an odd man out even if Teel hadn’t gotten hurt and the Sox just wanted to stick with two catchers, but McGuire’s addition mean that some kind of decision about the catching depth chart was inevitable.
It was a “really hard decision” to make, as manager Will Venable told Merkin (multiple links). “Korey Lee was outstanding this camp. He’s a really important member of this organization, great relationships in the clubhouse. Someone I personally love and have grown to respect,” Venable said. As to what is next for Lee, the Sox skipper said “we’re going to work it out over the next couple of days, see what transpires. There will be a process in place.”
Lee was selected 32nd overall by the Astros in the 2019 draft, and drew some top-100 prospect attention during his time in Houston’s farm system. The Astros seemed to prefer Martin Maldonado‘s steady defense and game-calling abilities, and then Yainer Diaz emerged as the team’s next catcher of the future, making Lee expendable enough to be dealt to Chicago for Kendall Graveman prior to the 2023 trade deadline.
The 2024 season represented Lee’s only real extended stint of Major League playing time, as 394 of his 530 career plate appearances came during a season that saw the White Sox post a 41-121 record. Lee’s lack of production contributed to the struggles, as he hit .210/.244/.347 with 12 home runs over his 394 PA, getting the majority of catching duties while Chuckie Robinson and his old Astros teammate Maldonado served in backup roles.
Heading into 2025, Lee was relegated behind Teel (acquired from the Red Sox as part of the Garrett Crochet blockbuster) and Quero (also acquired at the 2023 deadline in a trade with the Angels). The White Sox resisted trade offers for Teel and Quero as teams looked to capitalize on this apparent logjam, as the Sox wanted more time to evaluate both players as potential building blocks.
Though Lee hasn’t shown much at the plate and his framing skill has been called into question, Lee is considered a solid defensive catcher overall, good at throwing out baserunners and working with pitchers. Because teams are frequently short on catching depth, Lee is a good candidate to be claimed if the White Sox DFA him, which provides incentive for any interested teams to work out a trade now rather than take their chances on the waiver wire.
Giants Release Joey Lucchesi
The Giants have released left-hander Joey Lucchesi, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports. Lucchesi was non-tendered by San Francisco last November and then re-signed to a minor league deal a couple of weeks ago, but the recent signing of southpaw Ryan Borucki apparently made Lucchesi again expendable. Heyman wrote that Lucchesi was “granted his release,” so it could be that the team agreed to Lucchesi’s request to be let go, or the left-hander might have triggered an out clause in his contract if he learned he wasn’t making the Opening Day roster.
Lucchesi first landed in San Francisco on a minors deal last offseason, and posted a 3.76 ERA, 7.3% walk rate, and 18.8% strikeout rate over 38 1/3 innings out of the Giants’ bullpen after his contract was selected in mid-June. The bottom-line ERA was respectable and Lucchesi had a strong 53% grounder rate, but the Giants still decided to pass on tendering a contract rather than pay Lucchesi a projected $2MM arbitration salary.
2025 marked the first time in Lucchesi’s seven MLB seasons that he worked exclusively out of the bullpen, and he went longer than an inning in only seven of his 38 Giants appearances. Rather than acting as a swingman or even a true long reliever, Lucchesi could be settling into more of a traditional relief role, though it certainly can’t hurt that he looks capable of slightly longer stints. Left-handed hitters have rarely been able to do much against Lucchesi, as he has held lefty swingers to a .219/.296/.301 slash line over his career.
Lucchesi is out of minor league options, which adds another hurdle in his quest to land with a new team. Unless he sticks in the majors and delivers particularly solid results, Lucchesi could find himself in DFA/waiver wire limbo, as the proverbial 26th man on the roster. That said, teams are always in need of left-handed depth, so Lucchesi may not have to wait long before he finds another contract.
Braves To Include Didier Fuentes On Opening Day Roster
TODAY: The Braves are planning to send Fuentes down to Triple-A in a couple of weeks to stretch him back out as a starter, MLB.com’s Mark Bowman writes. It seems like Fuentes’ long relief role will last only through Atlanta’s season-opening 13-game stretch.
MARCH 21: Right-hander Didier Fuentes has won himself a spot on the Braves’ Opening Day roster, ESPN’s Jeff Passan writes. The 20-year-old Fuentes made his big league debut last season with four starts and 13 innings for Atlanta, and he’ll now return to the Show in what Passan says will be a relief role.
Fuentes’ bullpen assignment provides some more clarity to the Braves’ rotation picture. Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Spencer Strider, and Grant Holmes have the top four positions, and Bryce Elder and Jose Suarez now appear to be the last two candidates for the fifth starter role. Fuentes is headed to the bullpen, top prospect JR Ritchie was assigned to the minor league camp yesterday, and minor league signing Martin Perez will remain in the organization but isn’t being included on the Opening Day roster.
With Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep, and Joey Wentz all felled by injuries, rotation depth has been one of the primary storylines of Atlanta’s spring. This opened the door for multiple pitchers to try and win a job, and while Fuentes isn’t being ticketed for rotation duty, he certainly caught the Braves’ attention with an incredible Grapefruit League performance. Over three appearances and nine spotless innings, Fuentes didn’t allow even one walk or a hit, while striking out 17 batters — one HBP was the only thing keeping Fuentes from an unofficial perfect game during his spring work.
It is certainly possible Fuentes could receive a proper starting assignment, depending on how exactly the Braves choose to line up their rotation through a busy opening to the season. Atlanta doesn’t receive its first off-day until April 9, so it is very likely that both Elder and Suarez (or Fuentes) could get starts if the Braves deploy a six-man rotation in the early going. Even if Fuentes may not start, his ability to eat multiple innings out of the pen should prove useful as the Braves navigate this stretch of 13 straight games.
Fuentes has started 48 of his 52 career games in the minors, and his 2025 season saw the righty pitch at three different minor league levels as well as his four-start cup of coffee with the Braves. It may have been too much too soon for Fuentes since he was torched for an 13.85 ERA in his first exposure to MLB hitters, but the Braves had to dig into their depth chart after a swath of injuries wiped out their rotation last summer.
Fuentes has shown a knack for recording strikeouts and limiting walks in the minors, and some bad batted-ball luck might be why his 3.73 ERA over 202 2/3 minor league innings doesn’t exactly stand out. Still, there’s some obvious potential here even at Fuentes’ young age, and his huge spring numbers indicate that Fuentes might thrive as a reliever. While the Braves’ hand with Fuentes may have been forced by injuries last year, the team hasn’t been shy about quickly promoting prospects they feel can provide immediate help.