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Ryan Borucki, Michael Stefanic Elect Free Agency

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Left-hander Ryan Borucki and infielder Michael Stefanic have both elected free agency, as per the MILB.com transactions wire.  Both players were outrighted off the Blue Jays’ 40-man roster during the regular season and chose to accept the outright assignments rather than elect free agency at the time, but it was expected that they would opt into minor league free agency at some point after season’s end.

Borucki began his career in Toronto’s organization and spent parts of his first five MLB seasons (2018-22) with the Jays before he was traded to the Mariners in June 2022.  After a brief stint in the Cubs’ farm system, the southpaw’s next big league action came with the Pirates from 2023-25 until he was designated for assignment and released in August.  The Jays soon picked him up on a minor league contract and he got a brief run on their active roster in September, appearing in four games before being DFA’ed and outrighted.

Over 256 1/3 innings in the Show, Borucki has a career 4.28 ERA, 19.7% strikeout rate, 8.9% walk rate, and 48.3% grounder rate.  Those numbers included a 4.63 ERA in 35 combined innings with the Pirates and Blue Jays in 2025.  Borucki is the type of specialist reliever whose career was heavily impacted when MLB instituted the three-batter rule for relievers in 2020, as Borucki has struggled badly against right handed-hitting batters but dominant against left-handed bats.

Between those splits, his low strikeout totals, and the natural variance involved with being a grounder specialist, Borucki will very likely again have to settle for a minor league contract as he enters his age-32 season.  He is bound to land somewhere since so many teams need bullpen depth and/or left-handed relief help, but Borucki may be facing another round of DFA and outrights unless he can both earn a look in a big league bullpen and start producing consistent results.

Stefanic began his pro career as an undrafted free agent with the Angels in 2018, and broke into the majors by appearing in 90 games with Los Angeles over the 2022-24 seasons.  He inked a minors deal with Toronto last winter and had his contract selected for a nine-game cup of coffee in May when the Jays were in need of infield depth.  Stefanic produced a .462 OPS over 25 plate appearances in 2025, and he has hit .227/.314/.267 in 289 career PA in the Show.

This uninspiring slash line is a far cry from the impressive numbers Stefanic has posted in Triple-A, as he has batted .332/.427/.454 over 1884 PA with the Blue Jays’ and Angels’ top affiliates.  Between these stats and his ability to play all over the infield, Stefanic should catch on somewhere on another minors contract, but he is out of minor league options.

Tony Beasley, Bret Boone Expected To Leave Rangers’ Coaching Staff

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Veteran pitching coach Mike Maddux has already left the Rangers to become the Angels’ new pitching coach, and now some other members of the Texas staff are on the way out.  Third base coach Tony Beasley and co-hitting coach Bret Boone aren’t expected back with the team in 2026, according to Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News.

Replacements may come from within, as Grant writes that first base coach Corey Ragsdale will change roles and take over from Beasley as the third base coach.  Justin Viele was splitting the hitting coach duties with Boone, but Viele will now become the Rangers’ lead hitting coach.  In a separate item, Grant said that the Rangers view former Astros hitting coach Alex Cintron “as a very strong candidate” for the job of assistant hitting coach, and it isn’t clear whether or not current assistant hitting coach Seth Conner will head elsewhere or remain in his position.

Beasley was the longest-tenured member of the Texas staff, having been hired as a coach back in 2015 and working in a few different roles under multiple managers.  One of those roles was as an interim skipper himself, as Beasley stepped in as manager for the last 48 games of the Rangers’ 2022 season after Chris Woodward was fired.  Beasley then returned to third-base coaching duties under Bruce Bochy and won a World Series ring with the club in 2023.

According to Grant, Beasley is expected to look for a job with another team.  It isn’t clear if Boone will continue to pursue his coaching career or if he might return to retirement and his podcasting job.  When hired in May, Boone made it clear that he was eager to work with his former manager and longtime friend Bochy, so it could be that Boone is now moving on since Bochy won’t be back as the Rangers’ skipper.

Even though new manager Skip Schumaker has been working as an advisor to the Rangers front office for the last year, it isn’t surprising that he’ll want to shake things up a bit and put his own stamp on the coaching staff.  Beyond Beasley, Boone, and Maddux, catching coach Bobby Wilson announced last month that he is also departing after six years in the organization.

Giants Chairman Greg Johnson Discusses Team Spending

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Giants chairman Greg Johnson discussed several topics in an interview with John Shea of the San Francisco Standard, including some talk about how the team plans to spend this winter.  As usual with any upper-level executive, Johnson spoke in generalities about payroll rather than citing any specific figures, and downplayed the idea of any huge spending splashes.  For instance, while Johnson cited “starting pitching help” as “probably No. 1 on the list” of offseason priorities, he said the Giants would “be very cautious about” signing a pitcher to a nine-figure contract.

As to whether or not the Giants would exceed the threshold of $200MM in spending, “it just depends on what’s out there.  We may be over.  We may be under,” Johnson said.  “We’re going to look at each situation and make the decision and see how it fits into not only next year, but the longer-term plans.”

San Francisco has exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax line four times in their history.  They paid the tax in each of the 2015-17 seasons, as a function of the rising costs associated with trying to keep their championship core from the early 10’s teams together.  The club also narrowly exceeded the tax line in 2024, as a function of the Giants making a series of pricey acquisitions during the 2023-24 offseason.

In 2025, the Giants ducked back under the tax line, even after some more prominent moves — i.e. extending Matt Chapman, signing Willy Adames to a seven-year/$182MM free agent deal, and their June trade for Rafael Devers.  Even with these salaries involved plus major commitments to Logan Webb, Jung Hoo Lee, and Robbie Ray, San Francisco’s books are relatively clean since almost all of the team’s money is tied into just these six players.  Ray is also a free agent next winter, leaving more space open for longer-term commitments even though Johnson is wary of such contracts.

“We can go up [in spending], but I think the risk is having too many people on similar six-year-type deals that create less flexibility to the payroll,” Johnson said.  “I think you can always do things on a shorter basis, but you’ve got to be careful about having too many of your players being late 30s at a high-payroll level.  I think you have to balance that.”

San Francisco fans may not love hearing about ownership’s financial caution, yet pretty much any owner or front office executive would share Johnson’s concerns on overspending now on players who could soon be future albatrosses.  This was, in fact, the very situation the Giants found themselves in during their previous highest-spending years, once some of the key players from their World Series teams started to decline.

There’s also the fact that the Giants are far enough under that $200MM line that there’s room for the team to spend rather substantially this winter while still remaining under the threshold.  Cot’s Baseball Contracts estimates the Giants at roughly a $152.7MM payroll and a $182MM tax figure for 2026, while RosterResource’s estimates are a bit higher ($169.3MM payroll and a $192.4MM tax number).

Whichever estimate you prefer, Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey figures to have financial flexibility in pursuing more big-ticket targets this winter.  Upgrading the pitching staff (not to mention the team’s other needs) likely won’t come cheap, and with just one winning record in their last nine seasons, the Giants figure to again be very active in trying to get back into contention.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

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Mark P

  • Almost seven and a half months after the Dodgers and Cubs squared off in Tokyo, the 2025 MLB season will officially end today.*  But, almost as importantly as Game 7, it’s also time for the final Weekend Chat of the 2025 season!

    *= I guess it could technically end on November 2 if Game 7 goes past midnight, but what are the chances the Dodgers and Blue Jays play some crazy extra-inn…..oh wait

World Series Prediction

  • Who you got?  Blue Jays win 4-3 or Dodgers steal the show?

Mark P

  • Who wins Game 7?
    Blue Jays (65.3% | 548 votes)
    Dodgers (34.6% | 290 votes)
    Total Votes: 838

AA

  • Do I sign cease or king this offseason?

Mark P

  • Leaning towards no, since the Braves under Anthopoulos haven’t pursued longer-term pitching contracts.  Cease is also a Boras client, and AA generally doesn’t do business with Boras on a free agent level.

    King is an interesting option for a somewhat shorter-term contract with opt-outs involved.  It depends on how his market shapes up since there’s still a very good chance he lands a big multi-year deal anyway, but if he doesn’t want to fully commit himself after a shortened 2025 season, he and his reps might be open to more creative contracts.  This might open the door to a team like Atlanta to get involved.

Hang over

  • So will the first day of free agency be crazy after the World Series is completed?  Which teams do you see making the most waves?

Mark P

  • Free agency doesn’t begin until five days after the final game of the WS.  The offseason in general starts immediately, however, so I’d expect a lot of news on options being exercised/declined, maybe a couple of trades, maybe the Padres/Rockies/Braves announce their new manager or GM, etc.

Dean

  • Who’s the splashiest surprise (ala Eflin, HSK) FA signing you could see the Rays making?  Realmuto?

Mark P

  • It’s hard to see the Rays outbidding Philly for Realmuto.  I can also assume that Realmuto probably feels the Phillies are closer to winning in 2026 than the Rays are, so that’s not likely to be an option for him.

    Projecting free agent moves for Tampa is difficult since when they do strike, it tends to be somewhat out of nowhere.  Nobody saw them as suitors for Kim, for instance.  Bringing in an Eflin type of innings-eater might be a good move this winter due to the injury uncertainties in their rotation.

BrianM

  • Does Pete resign with the Mets?

Mark P

  • Leaning towards no.  I think it took a particular set of circumstances to reunite Alonso and the Mets last winter, and it feels like the Mets only have a certain price point for Alonso in mind.  Coming off a much better platform season, Alonso likely isn’t in the mood to take any kind of shorter-term pact this time around.

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Kris Bryant Still Bothered By Back Pain, Not Considering Retirement

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Kris Bryant has played in only 170 games over his four seasons with the Rockies, and the 2025 campaign saw Bryant appear in just 10 games before his recurring back issues brought his season to an early close.  Lumbar degenerative disc disease has left Bryant feeling pain while performing basically every baseball activity not related to swinging, and the former NL MVP told the Denver Post’s Patrick Saunders, and this discomfort has now extended to his day-to-day life.

“It’s exhausting for me waking up and hoping to feel [better],” Bryant said.  “I can’t tell you the last time I woke up feeling I’m in a good spot….If you asked me two or three months ago, I would say [my back pain] was not affecting my everyday life.  But now it is, which is really annoying to me because usually when you kind of just rest, it’s supposed to get better.  So maybe I’m at a point where I should just do a bunch of stuff to see if that helps me.”

Bryant has already explored multiple avenues to try and fix his back, including an ablation procedure last May.  He isn’t currently doing any baseball activities, as Rockies head trainer Keith Dugger has Bryant on a regular Pilates regiment in order to help reinforce his core.  However, it remains to be seen if this treatment or anything will be able to get Bryant back on a path to regular on-field action, which is still his goal.

“That’s the thing that eats at me the most.  It’s tough to describe,” Bryant said.  “I’ve played this game for 30 years now, not professionally, of course, but it’s all I have ever known….But watching the playoffs and seeing some of my friends still playing, that gives me the motivation to try and play.  So I don’t have those conversations [about retirement], thank goodness, because I don’t want to.  I just want to be a baseball player.”

Three years and $78MM remain on the seven-year, $182MM free agent deal that Bryant signed with Colorado during the 2021-22 offseason.  The signing can unfortunately be considered one of the biggest misfires in free agent history, given how little has Bryant has played, and his lack of production when he has played (.244/.324/.370 and 17 home runs over 712 plate appearances in a Rox uniform).  The Rockies’ horrific 231-417 record over the last four seasons is far from Bryant’s fault alone, yet his contract has become somewhat symbolic of this low point in the franchise’s history.

A pivot point may be coming since the Rockies are searching for a new head of baseball operations, and focusing on external candidates in an attempt to finally bring some fresh ideas and new perspectives into the organization.  Given the lack of progress with Bryant, it is hard to call his situation a top priority for the incoming new executive, as there seemingly isn’t much to do besides hope that Bryant can get healthy enough to play.

Working out a deferred payment plan for the remainder of the contract may be the eventual outcome for Bryant and the Rockies, since he naturally isn’t going to retire outright and walk away from the money still owed.  However, Bryant (who turns 34 in January) isn’t ready to pursue that avenue yet, and only he knows when enough will be enough from a physical and mental standpoint.

Orioles Sign Luis Vazquez To Major League Contract

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The Orioles announced that infielder Luis Vazquez was signed to a Major League contract for the 2026 season.  Vazquez was already controlled for 2026 as a pre-arbitration player, but this transaction gives Vazquez a bit more roster security (for now) and probably gives him a small bump over the minimum salary was slated to earn next year.

The signing bears some similarities to Baltimore’s deal with Rico Garcia, which was also announced on Thursday.  In essence, Vazquez’s big league deal and Garcia’s split contract are meant to deter teams from claiming either player on waivers, should the Orioles designate either for assignment this winter.  The two situations aren’t exactly similar since Vazquez has minor league options remaining while Garcia is out of options, but both players can reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency should they get DFA’ed and then outrighted off the 40-man roster.

Vazquez (who turned 26 last month) came to the Orioles from the Cubs in a cash transaction last January, and then was designated and outrighted off Baltimore’s roster just a week later.  His contract was selected by the O’s in June, and he ended up appearing in 32 MLB games in 2025, with a .160/.208/.240 slash line to show for 53 plate appearances.  Vazquez did hit his first big league home run, which ended up being the game-winning run in the Orioles’ 3-2 win over the Astros on August 24.

Known as an excellent defender, Vazquez might be able to carve out a bench spot in the Show on his glovework alone, and he’ll get some consideration for the Orioles’ utility infield position during Spring Training.  However, he’ll have to deliver something more at the plate than his .404 OPS over 67 career big league plate appearances.  His work at Triple-A has been much more respectable, as Vazquez has hit .252/.340/.408 over 839 career PA with the Cubs’ and Orioles’ top affiliates.

Gleyber Torres Undergoes Sports Hernia Surgery

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October 31: Torres underwent the hernia procedure today, according to Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press. He is expected to be cleared for baseball activities in four weeks.

October 11: With the Tigers’ season now over, Gleyber Torres is planning to undergo sports hernia surgery, the second baseman told reporters (including the Detroit News’ Tony Paul) in the aftermath of the club’s loss in Game Five of the ALDS.  Torres revealed that he has been dealing with the injury for several months, and praised the Tigers’ training and medical staff for helping him keep playing.

“It was not good from the [start of the] second half,” Torres said.  “It was a lot of pain.  But we do a really good job keeping me playing….It’s not about the numbers, it’s just about playing every day.”

A look at Torres’ numbers, however, clearly reveals something was amiss.  Torres hit .281/.387/.425 over 359 plate appearances in the first half of the season, and was performing well enough to earn a starting nod as the American League’s second baseman in the All-Star Game.  Once the All-Star break was over, however, Torres hit only .223/.320/.339 over his final 269 PA of the regular season.  He seemed to rediscover his stroke over Detroit’s first seven postseason games, but an 0-for-6 showing in yesterday’s 15-inning marathon with the Mariners dropped Torres’ playoff slash line to .235/.316/.382 over 38 PA.

Torres’ slide mirrored the Tigers’ own fortunes.  One of baseball’s better clubs for much of the season, Detroit went 9-22 over its last 31 games and barely squeaked into the postseason field in the final AL wild card slot.  If the Tigers had retained their healthy AL Central lead, Torres likely would’ve gotten more opportunity to rest down the stretch, and yet the mutual struggles of player and team led to the Tigers led to an unfortunate Catch-22 situation.  The Tigers still needed Torres in the lineup as much as possible as their top-choice second baseman, yet Torres’ struggles kept adding to the team’s woes (though Torres was far from the only Detroit player to under-perform in September).

The injury adds context to Torres’ second-half decline, and adds a wrinkle to his upcoming free agent market.  Firstly, sports hernia surgeries usually take at least two months of recovery time and closer to 12 weeks on the longer end, so the procedure shouldn’t impact his readiness for the start of Spring Training.  Interested suitors might now wait until Torres is fully recovered before diving too deeply into his market, so it is possible he might not sign until late December or early January.

For the season as a whole, Torres hit .256/.358/.387 with 16 homers over 628 PA, with below-average glovework (though better public defensive metrics than his 2024 work as the Yankees’ second baseman).  This works out to 2.6 fWAR, which was still eighth-best among all second baseman in 2025.  Looking at the free agent second base market, Torres is still arguably the best option available, since Jorge Polanco’s time at second base was also impacted by injury.

Torres’ reps at Octagon will clearly make the case that their client’s first-half performance is a better reflection of what a healthy Torres can bring.  Detroit signed Torres to a one-year, $15MM contract last winter that was essentially a pillow deal for the second baseman, as he was looking a shorter-term deal and a better platform year in 2025 that would allow him to re-enter the market with a stronger set of numbers.  Torres hit .257/.330/.378 with 15 homers over 665 PA (with a 105 wRC+ and 1.8 fWAR) for New York in 2024, so while he did improve in Detroit, it wasn’t the leap ahead he was hoping to achieve.

Could a return to Motown be possible?  Torres is open to it, saying “hopefully we get a really good conversation here.  I feel really good with this group….It was really special this year.”  Retaining Torres would be a logical way for the Tigers to keep a right-handed hitting bat within their lefty-tilted lineup.  On the flip side, a longer-term deal with a second baseman might not appeal to a Tigers team that has some notable minor league infielders (Hao-Yu Lee, Max Anderson, and star prospect Kevin McGonigle) nearing MLB readiness.

Albert Pujols, Nick Hundley, Ruben Niebla Among Finalists For Padres’ Managerial Job

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Yesterday, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the Padres were entering the finalist stages of their managerial search.  In a new report today, Acee writes that the Padres are down “to no more than four finalists,” with Albert Pujols, Padres pitching coach Ruben Niebla, Rangers special assistant Nick Hundley, and potentially an unspecified fourth name still on the radar.  A hiring is expected to be made by the end of the week.

All three of the known candidates would be first-time MLB managers, though the trio have vastly different resumes.  Niebla has 25 years of experience as a pitching coach and coordinator at the Major League and minor league levels with San Diego and Cleveland, and he has drawn high praise for his work over his four seasons as the Padres’ pitching coach.  Pujols (one of baseball’s all-time greats) and Hundley are longtime former players who have never managed or coached in the majors or minors, though Hundley does have some ties to San Diego in the form of seven seasons as the Padres’ catcher.

Since retiring from playing, Pujols has been a special instructor with the Angels and a manager in the Dominican Winter League, plus he’ll be managing the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic team this coming spring unless he is hired for a big league job.  Pujols was a candidate with the Orioles and Angels for their managerial openings this offseason, and the Halos’ gig was seemingly headed his way before negotiations seemed to fall apart in the fairly late stages.

Hundley’s post-playing endeavors have included two seasons working for the MLB baseball operations department, and he has spent the last four seasons as a special assistant in the Rangers’ front office.  The Giants approached Hundley about managerial openings in both 2023 and this very fall, but Hundley declined both times for family reasons, even though this time in particular Hundley seemed to be Buster Posey’s first choice for the position.  Despite Hundley’s past demurrals, the fact that he lives in San Diego naturally adds appeal to the Padres job, as managing in his hometown would allow him to more easily balance his work life and spend time with his family.

Niebla received some consideration for the Padres’ managerial gig in 2023 before Mike Shildt was hired, but his name hasn’t been publicly linked to any other managerial openings around the sport.  It is relatively rare to see pitching coaches make the jump to the manager’s chair, though John Farrell, Bud Black, Roger Craig, and Bob Lemon are prominent examples of ex-pitching coaches who found success as MLB skippers.  One factor potentially working against Niebla is that he is so well-regarded as a pitching coach that the Padres might just prefer to keep him in that role and look elsewhere for a manager.

Nationals Won’t Hire Miguel Cairo As Manager; Interested In Rocco Baldelli, Danny Lehmann

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The Nationals’ managerial search continues to take shape, and one prominent candidate has already been eliminated from consideration.  The Washington Post’s Andrew Golden reports that interim manager Miguel Cairo has been told that he won’t be the team’s full-time bench boss next season, while former Twins manger Rocco Baldelli and Dodgers bench coach Danny Lehmann have each drawn interest as possible candidates.  Both Baldelli and Lehmann declined comment when asked if they’d already interviewed with the Nats.

Cairo, Brandon Hyde, and Craig Albernaz are the only three names known to have interviewed for the Washington job, and Albernaz is naturally no longer an option after the Orioles hired him as their manager.  Since the Nats and most teams are pretty guarded when it comes to public information on managerial searches, it is entirely possible that other names are being considered, or have already interviewed.  (As an example, Albernaz wasn’t known to be a candidate for the O’s until reports emerged that the team was on the verge of hiring him.)

Cairo was midway through his second season as Washington’s bench coach when manager Davey Martinez and president of baseball operations Mike Rizzo were fired in July.  Cairo was bumped up to the interim manager role, and he posted a 29-43 record as the Nationals stumbled to a 66-96 overall record this year.  This was Cairo’s second time stepping into a managerial role, as he was as acting manager for 34 games with the 2022 White Sox when Tony La Russa was absent on medical leave.

While Cairo did enough to merit at least an interview about the full-time Nats job, it always seemed more likely that new president of baseball operations Paul Toboni was going to bring in a fresh voice as the team’s next skipper.  That would continue Toboni’s early trend of shaking things up within the organization, as multiple changes have already been made within the front office, scouting and training staffs.

The shake-up will also extend to the Nationals’ coaching staff, as Golden writes that six coaches (pitching coach Jim Hickey, hitting coach Darnell Coles, first base coach Gerardo Parra, third base coach Ricky Gutierrez, bullpen coach Ricky Bones, and catching/strategy coach Henry Blanco) have been told they won’t be retained unless the new manager wants them to stay.  This news doesn’t come as a large surprise, as the Nats had already given their coaches permission to explore jobs with other teams.  While Cairo wasn’t specifically mentioned as also being on the way out, it can be assumed that he won’t be back in his old bench coach role.

Like Hyde, Baldelli would bring some Major League managerial experience to a Nationals team that has hit some snags in its rebuild.  Baldelli posted a 527-505 record over seven seasons with the Twins, winning three AL Central crowns and (in 2023) the club’s first postseason series victory since 2002.  Since that playoff triumph, however, the Twins collapsed down the stretch in 2024 to finish with an 82-80 record, and things continued to spiral this year with a 70-92 record.

Baldelli was fired at season’s end, yet it is hard to entirely fault him for the Twins’ struggles given how ownership responded to the 2023 postseason by immediately cutting the payroll.  At this year’s trade deadline, the club had a fire sale of both impending free agents and some controllable players, further positioning Minnesota toward a rebuild period.  It seems like the league as a whole didn’t assign much blame to Baldelli for the Twins’ situation, as the ex-skipper said that he’d heard from 10 teams about job openings in the wake of his dismissal, though Golden’s report is the first time Baldelli has been linked to one of the many managerial openings around baseball this fall.

Lehmann’s name recently surfaced in connection with the Braves’ managerial vacancy, and he received interest from the White Sox in their managerial search last offseason before Chicago hired Will Venable.  Lehmann spent eight years as a player in the Twins’ farm system and in independent ball from 2007-14, and has since been working with the Dodgers in such roles as an advanced video scout, a special assistant, and a game planning/communications coach.  His four seasons in that coaching role led to his promotion to the bench coach job prior to the 2023 season.

The Dodgers’ ongoing postseason run could be somewhat complicating Lehmann’s candidacy, as he would have only been able to interview in between playoff rounds or on off-days within a series.  It could be that Lehmann is waiting until L.A. has entirely concluded the World Series before turning his attention to managerial possibilities, though this wait may not have hurt his chances, given how the Nats, Braves, and other teams still have openings for the top dugout jobs.

AL East Notes: Story, Flaherty, Lowe, Fairbanks

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MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo and Sean McAdam touched on an assortment of Red Sox topics in the latest edition of their Fenway Rundown podcast, including a brief mention of Trevor Story’s status as the shortstop considers an opt-out clause in his contract.  Cotillo believes “the Red Sox are pretty cautiously very optimistic that” Story will be staying with the team, and while’s plenty of grey area within that statement, it does offer some indication that Story is leaning towards declining his opt-out.

Story is owed $25MM in each of the next two seasons, plus there’s a $5MM buyout on his $25MM club option for the 2028 campaign.  The Red Sox can override Story’s opt-out by guaranteeing that 2028 club option right now, but that doesn’t appear to be on the team’s radar, so the ball looks to be entirely in Story’s court.  While Story’s .263/.308/.433 slash line and 25 homers over 654 plate appearances only translates to a 101 wRC+, his numbers were weighed down by a cold start to the season, as Story posted an .825 OPS over his final 429 PA.

Between this strong finish and a thin free agent shortstop market, there’s a case for Story to leave his $55MM guaranteed on the table and look for a bigger contract this winter.  On the flip side, Story turns 33 next month, his defensive metrics were subpar, and the injury problems that plagued him in 2022-24 will be on the minds of front offices even though Story stayed pretty healthy in 2025.  If Story wants to avoid the risks of another prolonged stint in free agency, staying in Boston with a contending Red Sox team certainly seems like a viable choice.

More from around the AL East…

  • Earlier this month, Jon Heyman of the New York Post floated Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty as a logical candidate to be part of the Orioles’ managerial search.  MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko reports that Flaherty did indeed interview with the O’s about the position before the club opted to hire Guardians associate manager Craig Albernaz.  Any number of other names might’ve been considered by the Orioles, but Flaherty joins Albert Pujols, Luis Rojas, and Scott Servais as the candidates directly linked to Baltimore’s search whether in formal interviews or (in Servais’ case) just some interest on the club’s part.  Flaherty’s six seasons as an Orioles player likely held some extra appeal for Baltimore’s front office, but his well-regarded work as a bench coach in Chicago and San Diego has put him in the running for multiple managerial vacancies.  Flaherty is reportedly one of the finalists for the Twins’ job, and he is a candidate for both the Padres and Braves in their ongoing searches.
  • The Rays hold a pair of club options on Brandon Lowe ($11.5MM) and Pete Fairbanks ($11MM) for the 2026 season, and both players have expressed a desire to remain in Tampa.  Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times explores the option decisions, noting that between the team’s offensive needs and how “the Rays typically view the bullpen as more changeable and volatile on a year-to-year basis,” Lowe seems more likely than Fairbanks to be part of the 2026 roster.  This doesn’t necessarily mean that Fairbanks’ option will be declined, however, as the Rays would then lose the closer for nothing in free agency.  Perhaps the most probable scenario is that Tampa Bay will pick up both options and then explore trade possibilities for either player — in Fairbanks’ case, his $11MM salary might not seem that onerous to some rival clubs in need of high-leverage bullpen help.

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