Managers & Top Front Office Executives On Expiring Contracts
In the same way that players feel extra pressure to produce entering their last season before free agency, managers and front office bosses similarly feel the heat when entering the final year of their contracts. The difference is that even if a player has a rough season, they’re usually still in position to land at least a one-year deal in some fashion for the next year — a manager or a GM could find themselves fired in the wake of a bad year, with no guarantee about when (or even if) they’ll get another shot at leading a dugout or a front office.
This list details the baseball operations bosses (whatever their specific title) and managers who are entering the final year of their contracts, as well as the personnel whose contractual situations aren’t publicly known. Some clubs don’t publicize the terms of employee contracts, so it is entirely possible that some of these names signed extensions months ago but the teams have chosen to keep these new deals quiet for the time being. And, of course, the length of a contract doesn’t always correlate to job security. One bad season or even a poor start could suddenly threaten the status of a manager or head of baseball ops that seemingly seems safe right now.
As always, thanks to Cot’s Baseball Contracts for reference information on some of these contracts.
Angels: It’s pretty unusual to see a newly-hired manager already on this list, yet that is the situation Kurt Suzuki finds himself in after signing just a one-year guarantee to become the Halos’ new skipper. The deal has multiple club option years attached, and while one would imagine Suzuki wouldn’t be let go so quickly, the Angels’ manager’s office has been enough of a revolving door in recent years that it is hard to guess what owner Arte Moreno might do next. GM Perry Minasian is also entering the final guaranteed year of his contract, with a club option for the 2027 season. Ten consecutive losing seasons has led to a lot of discord in Anaheim, and an eleventh sub-.500 year might get both Suzuki and Minasian sent packing by next offseason.
Astros: GM Dana Brown and manager Joe Espada are each entering their final season under contract, with Brown hired in January 2023 and Espada in November 2023. Earlier this month, Astros owner Jim Crane didn’t entirely close the door on the possibility of an extension for either Brown or Espada, but said “I think we’ll go through this year like we always do, evaluate it and then make the decision at the end of the year.” Reading between the lines, it certainly seems like the spotlight will be on Brown and Espada, especially since the Astros are coming off their first non-playoff season since 2016. While the team’s laundry list of injuries is a valid excuse for their 2025 letdown, some personnel changes might well be coming if Houston can’t get back into the postseason hunt this year.
Athletics: General manager David Forst’s contract has already expired, as his most recent deal with the team was up following the 2025 campaign. Owner John Fisher has stated that “conversations are ongoing” about another extension, and since it has apparently been business as usual for the A’s this offseason, it seems like it’s just a matter of time before Forst formally extends his long stint in the team’s front office. Forst only officially took over the baseball operations department in the 2022-23 offseason, but he has been with the Athletics since 2000, first working as a scout and then becoming one of Billy Beane’s top lieutenants.
Blue Jays: GM Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider are both entering the final year of their contracts, as the Jays exercised their 2026 club option on Schneider’s deal back in November. This duo was facing heavy pressure heading into the 2025 season, yet Toronto’s AL pennant and near-miss in the World Series has entirely changed the narrative for both Atkins and Schneider. The Blue Jays already extended team president/CEO Mark Shapiro a few weeks ago, and extensions for Atkins and Schneider should follow before Opening Day.
Brewers: Pat Murphy is entering the final season of his three-year contract, but it is hard to believe the Brew Crew won’t have the manager soon locked up on another deal. Murphy has been named NL Manager of the Year in each of the first two seasons, won consecutive NL Central titles, and this October led the Brewers to their first NLCS appearance since 2018. October also saw Matt Arnold receive a promotion from GM to president of baseball operations, even though Arnold has already been the Brewers’ top baseball exec for the last three seasons. Arnold’s specific contract situation hasn’t been made clear for a few years now, but it would surely seem like Milwaukee’s continued success and his new job title probably landed the PBO an extension at some point. Regardless, Arnold seems in no danger of being fired even if 2026 is his last year under contract.
Cardinals: Oli Marmol is headed into his final year, but the manger and the Cardinals have already started discussing an extension to retain Marmol beyond the 2026 campaign. It seems like something should be finalized in due course, with St. Louis continuing to entrust Marmol with the reins as the team now moves into a full-on rebuild phase.
Diamondbacks: Torey Lovullo has quietly become one of baseball’s longer-tenured managers, as Lovullo has been running Arizona’s dugout since the 2016-17 offseason. He has signed multiple extensions (none for more than two guaranteed years) since his initial three-year pact, yet while 2026 represents the final year of Lovullo’s current deal, the Diamondbacks are reportedly going to let Lovullo enter the season without an extension in place. Owner Ken Kendrick did praise Lovullo’s efforts in keeping the D’Backs competitive amidst a swath of pitching injuries and a partial trade deadline selloff in 2025, but it is intriguing that the vote of confidence wasn’t backed up by another contract. This will be a storyline to watch as the Diamondbacks’ season progresses, and a change in the dugout might well be coming if the D’Backs can’t get back into the postseason.
Dodgers: President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman first came to Los Angeles on a five-year, $35MM pact covering the 2015-19 seasons, and he signed an extension back in November 2019. Terms of that deal weren’t known, yet it is clear that if Friedman hasn’t already signed another new deal in the last six years, the Dodgers are almost surely keen in retaining the executive. The Dodgers have reached the playoffs in every single season of Friedman’s tenure, have won three World Series championships under his leadership, and have become baseball’s dominant franchise due to both their record-high payrolls and their ability to draft and develop minor league talent.
Guardians: Chris Antonetti gets an obligatory mention since the Guardians haven’t publicly addressed his contract status since he signed an extension with the team back in 2013. Following the 2015 season, Antonetti was promoted to the president of baseball operations title, and his decade in charge has seen Cleveland make seven postseason appearances. As the Guards are coming off their sixth AL Central crown of Antonetti’s tenure, there is no sense ownership is looking to make a change, nor is there any sense Antonetti (who has turned down overtures from other teams in the past) is looking to leave.
Mariners: Dan Wilson’s contract terms weren’t made public when he was hired as manager in August 2024, and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto’s status hasn’t been addressed since he signed a contract extension of an unknown length back in September 2021. It may very well be that Dipoto has quietly signed another deal in the last four-plus years, but regardless, the Mariners’ success in 2025 very likely means neither Dipoto or Wilson are going anywhere, even if the M’s don’t feel the need to publicize any extensions.
Marlins: Previous Miami GM Kim Ng was signed to a three-year contract with a club option for the 2024 season, and the Marlins chose to pass on that option in order to hire Peter Bendix as the new president of baseball operations. Terms of Bendix’s contract weren’t disclosed, so given the length of Ng’s contract, it is possible Bendix could also be entering his final guaranteed year if Miami pursued the same structure with another first-time front office boss. While Ng’s dismissal caught many in baseball by surprise, Bendix’s job appears to be a lot safer, as the Marlins’ surprising surge to 79 wins in 2025 is a promising step forward for the team’s (latest) rebuild.
Mets: Carlos Mendoza is entering the final guaranteed year of his three-year contract, and New York holds a club option on the manager’s services for the 2027 season. The Mets have overhauled both Mendoza’s coaching staff and a good chunk of the roster in the wake of the slow-motion collapse that left the team outside the playoff picture in 2025, so far more is expected than just an 83-79 record this year. The club option probably means that the Mets will wait until after the season (if at all) to discuss an extension, and given the Mets’ high payroll and expectations, even a slow start might put Mendoza’s status in jeopardy.
Orioles: Mike Elias’ contract terms were never publicized when he was hired to lead Baltimore’s front office in November 2018, though he did receive a title change from general manager to president of baseball operations last offseason. Elias’ specific contract status remains unspecified, and it is possible he could be facing more heat if the O’s have another subpar season. Consecutive playoff appearances were followed by the thud of a 75-87 record in 2025, though ownership appears to have given Elias some support in the form of bigger budget, as the Orioles’ busy offseason has been highlighted by the blockbuster Pete Alonso signing.
Padres: Reports in early November suggested that A.J. Preller was close to signing a new extension to remain as San Diego’s PBO, though close to three months later, there hasn’t been any word of a deal between the two sides. It could be that a contract was signed but simply not publicly announced, or perhaps Preller and the team agreed to table the negotiations until after most of the Padres’ offseason business was complete. Considering all the reports of discord within the Padres’ ownership situation and some possible tension between Preller and team CEO Erik Greupner, a contract extension probably shouldn’t be considered a sure thing until a deal is actually done, though things still seem to be leaning in the direction of Preller getting re-upped. For all of the off-the-field drama that has frequently defined Preller’s long tenure in San Diego, the Padres are coming off their fourth playoff appearance in the last six seasons.
Reds: As Cincinnati is coming off its first playoff berth since 2020, president of baseball operations Nick Krall looks to have a decent amount of job security, and might be in line for an extension depending on his current contract status. Krall has been in charge of the Reds’ front office for the last five seasons, and he received an extension of an unspecified length when he was promoted to the president of baseball operations title following the 2023 campaign.
Tigers: Scott Harris has now finished three full seasons as Detroit’s PBO, so if a four-year contract might be considered the usual minimum for a first-time president of baseball ops, 2026 might be Harris’ final year under contract. It’s all speculative, of course, since Harris’ terms weren’t made public, and it might also be a moot point since Harris could be an extension candidate, if anything. The Tigers have made the second round of the playoffs in each of the last two seasons, though the team’s late-season collapse in 2025 and the uncertainty over Tarik Skubal’s future remain areas of concern.
Twins: Derek Falvey’s shocking decision to step down as Minnesota’s president of baseball (and business) operations has unexpectedly made GM Jeremy Zoll the top voice in the team’s front office. Zoll was promoted to the GM role in November 2024 to become Falvey’s chief lieutenant, and the length of Zoll’s contract isn’t known. It is fair to guess that Zoll might’ve gotten an extension after becoming general manager, so he probably remains under team control through at least 2027 even after this sudden elevation to the head of the baseball ops department.
White Sox: Chris Getz has been the team’s GM since August 2023, and his tenure has included a record 121-loss season in 2024 and an improvement to “only” 102 losses in 2025. Getz’s contract term wasn’t publicized at the time of his hiring so this is just a speculative entry in case his first deal was only a three-year pact. There doesn’t appear to be any sense that ownership is displeased with the Pale Hose’s progress during the rebuild, so if Getz actually did sign a three-year deal, the Sox might look to extend him at some point this season.
Yankees: Brian Cashman is the longest-tenured front office boss in baseball, acting as the Yankees’ GM since February 1998. That remarkable 28-year run has included 28 winning records and four World Series titles, though the team hasn’t won the Series since 2009. Owner Hal Steinbrenner appears to trust Cashman as much as ever, so it seems very likely that Cashman’s tenure will stretch into a third decade barring an utter disaster of a 2026 season. Cashman’s last deal covered the 2023-26 seasons, but since the Yankees’ aversion to extensions also extends to personnel as well as players, he might not sign his next contract until after his current deal actually expires. It’s a sign of Cashman’s job security that he has waited until December to sign each of his last two contracts to remain with the club.
Red Sox “Checked In” On Nico Hoerner, Matt Shaw
Alex Bregman‘s decision to sign with the Cubs left the Red Sox with some uncertainty within their infield picture, as both second base and Bregman’s old third base position remain unsettled heading into Spring Training. Top prospect Marcelo Mayer seems to be penciled into one of the two spots, with Mayer likely playing third while the collection of Romy Gonzalez, Nick Sogard, and/or Kristian Campbell will handle the playing time at the keystone.
A new acquisition could certainly change this picture, and such free agents and trade targets as Isaac Paredes, Brendan Donovan, and Eugenio Suarez remain available. Plenty of other players remain on Boston’s radar, as Alex Speier of the Boston Globe writes that the Red Sox “are among the many teams that have checked in about” Cubs infielders Nico Hoerner and Matt Shaw.
There would be some irony if a trade came together between Bregman’s new and former teams, though there is no sense that a deal is anywhere close between Boston and Chicago. Trade speculation swirled around Hoerner and Shaw even before Bregman arrived in Wrigleyville, with the Yankees, Giants, and Mariners all reportedly showing interest in Hoerner. While the Cubs may be at least open to hearing offers for Hoerner out of due diligence, however, there isn’t much indication that the team has any real interest in moving the two-time Gold Glover.
The Bregman signing solidified Chicago’s starting infield alignment as Bregman at third, Hoerner at second, Dansby Swanson at shortstop, and Michael Busch at first base. Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Seiya Suzuki line up as the starting outfield trio, and the open DH spot could be a revolving door for several players to get partial rest days. This in turn would open up playing time for Shaw or another top prospects in Moises Ballesteros and Kevin Alcantara, and give these youngsters some semi-regular at-bats in the majors without the pressure of a true everyday role on a contending team.
Trading Hoerner or Shaw would immediately alter the Cubs’ plans for the coming season at least, and moving Shaw would have a longer-term impact since he only just made his MLB debut in 2025. Hoerner is a free agent next winter, and with Bregman now locked into the hot corner, the thought has been that Shaw could take over from Hoerner as second base. (The Cubs are also considering Shaw as an outfield option to expand his versatility.)
Even with Hoerner nearing the open market, it would take a lot for the Cubs to part ways with a proven veteran who is probably the best defensive second baseman in baseball, not to mention an above-average hitter (106 wRC+) over the last five seasons. It would take even more for Chicago to deal a top prospect like Shaw who comes with so much team control, yet Boston’s pitching depth could at least get the Cubs to take notice. Since Jameson Taillon and Matthew Boyd will also be free agents next season, bringing aboard a Payton Tolle or a Connelly Early would be an intriguing way for the Cubs to bolster their rotation over the longer term. It is safe to say that Tolle or Early would only be on the table (if at all) for Shaw, as the Sox aren’t likely to move either of those arms for one year of Hoerner.
While Shaw has the prospect pedigree to interest any team, it would be quite a pivot if the Red Sox traded from their high-level pitching depth to acquire a young infielder, given how Boston (in theory) already has plenty of position-player building blocks in place. If Mayer is able to stay healthy and break out as a big leaguer, that provides a ton of stability at either third base, second base, or at shortstop if Mayer is ultimately the heir apparent to Trevor Story. In this sense, bringing in Hoerner as a somewhat overqualified stopgap for the 2026 season might be a better fit to give the Sox more time to see what they have in Meyer or Campbell.
Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has been very active on the trade front since taking over Boston’s front office in October 2023, though the Garrett Cooper-for-cash considerations deal in April 2024 remains the only deal swung between Breslow and his former team. For the 2019-23 seasons, Breslow worked in the Cubs front office, and he was promoted to an assistant GM role during the 2020-21 offseason after Jed Hoyer was promoted to president of Chicago’s baseball operations.
Diamondbacks Sign Junior Fernandez To Minors Contract
The Diamondbacks released their list of Spring Training invites, and right-hander Junior Fernandez is one of the names attending Arizona’s big league camp. Fernandez inked his minor league deal with the D’Backs back in November, as per the righty’s MLB.com profile page.
It has been over three years since Fernandez last pitched in a Major League game. He had a brief stint with the Chiba Lotte Marines in 2024 but his time in Japan was mostly spent recovering from injury. Beyond that cup of coffee in NPB, Fernandez pitched at the Triple-A level with the Blue Jays and Nationals in 2023, and with the Royals’ and Mets’ top affiliates last season. Over 43 combined Triple-A innings in 2025, Fernandez posted a 4.40 ERA and a very impressive 29.5% strikeout rate, but also an inflated 14% walk rate.
This has essentially been the story of Fernandez’s career, as his control problems have kept him from maximizing his upper-90s velocity. At the MLB level, Fernandez has continued to issue walks but hasn’t been able to miss many bats — he has a 5.17 ERA, 18.7% strikeout rate, and 13.9% walk rate over 54 big league innings with the Cardinals and Pirates from 2019-2022.
Fernandez turns 29 in March, and it remains to be seen if he still has any late-bloomer potential. Since his type of velocity isn’t easy to find, it’s easy to see why the D’Backs and other teams keep giving Fernandez chances, and there’s no risk for Arizona in bringing him to camp and seeing if a fix can finally be found for the right-hander’s command issues. A non-roster deal for Fernandez obviously won’t address Arizona’s stated need for bullpen help, but finding a hidden gem would be a huge boost to the team’s relief corps.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Mark P
- Welcome to the Weekend Chat! We’ll take a minute for some questions to pile up, then get rolling….
Luca
- Do the Rays have any more moves in store ? Will they add another catcher ?
Mark P
- You’ll likely see at least some lower-level stuff (i.e. minor league deals) take place before Spring Training, but in terms of truly big stuff, probably not. The Rays plan to give Matz a look as a starter again, but signing someone like Littell would seem like a more stable move in my view. Littell was linked to the Rays earlier this offseason and he remains unsigned, whereas other known Tampa targets like Eflin or Houser are off the board.
Tampa Bay has been looking for a catcher almost as long as they’ve been looking for a better ballpark. They might add someone else on a minors deal or something, but the chances of them finally landing that “catcher of the future” type in the limited time remaining this winter is pretty slim
Kevin
- Guardians find money to extend Rameriz, does this mean there is money to add help to roster?
Mark P
- The deferred money involved in J-Ram’s new deal certainly would seem to mean the Guards have something in the realm of $6MM extra to suddenly work with. They might spend this before the offseason ends, or maybe it goes towards trade deadline reinforcements. Given that their lineup is still in need of help now, I’d argue they should get to adding a bat sooner rather than later
Elias
- Any market on Danny Coulombe? He’s very good but I let him walk last offseason due to age/injury concerns.
Mark P
- Boston’s been the only team publicly linked to Coulombe, but surely multiple teams could use more LHP bullpen help.
Natitude
- Light return for the Nats In the Gore trade? Doesn’t seem like a surefire big league prospect in the group of 5 players coming from TEX. Too harsh?
Mark P
- Reports indicated that Toboni really liked Fien in particular, dating back to last year’s draft when Toboni was still with the BoSox. So it seems like Fien is viewed as the prize of the trade package, and the other four are varying degrees of lottery ticket.
I’ve written multiple times in these chats that the Nationals would likely be retaining Gore unless they got a particularly huge offer, so I made the wrong call on that one. This doesn’t fit what I had in mind of a huge prospect haul, but we’ll see how things plan out. If any one of these five players ends up being a significant piece for Washington, it’ll go down as a win for the team
Guards4Life
- Does Jose signing mean a Kwan extension is near?
Mark P
- Unlikely. Ramirez is the exception that breaks Cleveland’s usual rule about extensions, which is that the Guards only extend guys early in their careers. Kwan being two years away from free agency mean he’s missed that window, and is likely a year away from being dealt.
I love Yu
- If some/all of Yu’s contract comes off the books. What could the Padres do to upgrade the offense/starting pitching? Could they move a bullpen arm (Estrada) for a bat?
Mark P
- It would be that Darvish’s situation is the answer for why the Padres’ offseason has been relatively quiet. If the team is seeing if he’ll retire or take some kind of buyout with deferred money, suddenly the Padres have some extra cash to work with in making signings or trades.
Someone like a Bassitt or a Verlander would be a big help in their rotation, and neither of those two would be particularly expensive. You’d think either of those pitchers would be a signing SD could afford right now with or without clarity on Darvish, but only the Padres know exactly what their budget is
Pirates Open To Re-Signing Andrew McCutchen
January 25: McCutchen took to social media overnight to express his frustration with his unsigned status and the fact that he wasn’t in attendance at PiratesFest this weekend.
“I wonder, did the Cards do this [to] Wainwright/Pujols/Yadi? Dodgers to Kershaw? Tigers to Miggy? The list goes on and on,” McCutchen wrote. “If this is my last year, it would have been nice to meet the fans one last time as a player.”
It’s not the first time the veteran has alluded to his unsigned status and the narrative surrounding his future. In a post on January 19, McCutchen contended with the notion that he’s no longer a capable defender in the outfield, arguing that he simply hasn’t been asked to play the field and that the games he did play the field last year were at his own suggestion. While defensive metrics are hardly reliable in such a small sample size, he did rate out positively on defense across his seven games in the outfield last year according to Outs Above Average and has been worth +2 OAA overall since moving to a primary DH role with Milwaukee back in 2022.
January 24: After spending 12 of his 18 Major League seasons with the Pirates, Andrew McCutchen said back in August that he wanted to return for another season in the black-and-gold, while acknowledging that his shortcomings during the 2025 season. “I have to do what I need to do to…show that I was able to have a good year and still can play the following year,” McCutchen said, noting that he didn’t want to be just “filling in a spot” and not contributing.
There hasn’t been any buzz about McCutchen’s market as he enters his age-39 season, with the assumption being that the Pirates are his only potential destination. When asked about McCutchen during the PiratesFest fan event this weekend, Bucs GM Ben Cherington told fans and reporters (including Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) that the club is still has to assemble more of its roster before considering McCutchen’s role.
“Andrew has meant a ton to the team. He’s had an incredible run at two different times. Certainly his legacy as a Pirate is secure,” Cherington said. “Everybody with the Pirates, it’s our desire to maintain a really good relationship with Andrew well into the future. Then we come back to our team. What is the job? The job is to build a team that gives us the best chance to win games when you’re at the ballpark in June and July….Our approach this offseason has been laser-focused on what gives us the best chance to win more baseball games in Pittsburgh than we have in the past seasons. That’s gonna continue to guide our decisions.
“So much respect for Andrew. That relationship is really important to us. We’ll continue to communicate with him directly as the team comes together. We have more work to do.”
McCutchen hit .239/.333/.367 with 13 homers over 551 plate appearances in 2025, translating to a 95 wRC+. While it was just the second time in McCutchen’s stellar career that he dropped under the 100 wRC+ mark for league-average offense, most of his Statcast metrics were also average at best, apart from a very strong 12.2% walk rate.
These aren’t the numbers you want from a designated hitter in particular, and McCutchen is primarily a DH at this point in his career, with only 20 games played in the outfield during his 2023-25 return tenure in Pittsburgh. To this end, the Pirates have seemingly already addressed the DH spot by signing Ryan O’Hearn, who may alternate with Spencer Horwitz between the first base and DH positions in the lineup.
O’Hearn can also play in the corner outfield, and since O’Hearn and Horwitz are both left-handed hitters, there would seemingly be some roster space for Cutch as a part-time righty bat who is perhaps limited to facing southpaw pitching. As Cherington implied, however, the Pirates remain looking for ways to improve the team. If that means choosing between McCutchen or a younger and more versatile position player, the second option might simply make more sense for the Pirates.
Improving the offense has been the club’s chief goal this winter. Between O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Jhostynxon Garcia, and Jake Mangum, the Bucs hope they’ve already both raised the ceiling and elevated the floor of their offensive potential, plus it would naturally help a ton if Bryan Reynolds or Oneil Cruz bounced back from disappointing 2025 campaigns. As underwhelming as McCutchen’s 2025 numbers were, his 95 wRC+ still ranked fourth amongst all Pirates hitters last year, speaking to the lackluster state of Pittsburgh’s lineup.
If McCutchen was any other player, it probably wouldn’t even be a question that the Pirates would move from an aging DH-only bat. However, cutting ties with a franchise icon doesn’t sound like something Cherington (or likely owner Bob Nutting) wants to do until it is absolutely necessary, or if Cutch makes the decision to retire on his own terms. Part of the reason McCutchen returned to the Pirates prior to the 2023 season was his desire to be part of Pittsburgh’s next winning era, yet with seven straight losing seasons, the Bucs have yet to fully break out of their rebuild.
Breaking through to at least a winning record (and maybe a playoff berth) with McCutchen on the roster would be ideal for all parties. McCutchen’s previous three one-year deals with the Pirates were signed earlier in the offseason than January 24, though of course there’s still plenty of time before Spring Training for a deal to be worked out between the two sides.
Guardians Agree To Extension With Jose Ramirez
Longtime Guardians star Jose Ramirez has agreed to another extension with the team, keeping the third baseman in Cleveland through his age-39 season in 2032. The new deal (which will be official pending a physical) both restructures the three years and $69MM remaining on Ramirez’s previous contract, and adds $106MM in new money covering the 2029-32 seasons. Ramirez is represented by Republik Sports.
The biggest new wrinkle in the extension is $70MM in deferred money. Ramirez will earn $25MM in each of the seven seasons from 2026-32, but with $10MM in deferrals each year. This means that the $69MM Ramirez was initially slated to earn from 2026-28 has now been bumped down to $45MM in upfront money, giving the Guardians some extra flexibility to perhaps make other short-term roster additions. The new deal also includes increased incentive bonuses, such as $500K for an MVP award.
Assuming the extension is finalized, it should ensure that Ramirez remains in a Guards uniform throughout the entirety of his career, only further cementing his place as a Cleveland baseball legend. Ramirez signed with the organization as an international free agent in 2009 at age 17, and has gone on to hit .279/.353/.504 with 285 home runs and 287 steals (out of 349 chances) over 6759 plate appearances. Between his strong offense and impressive glovework at third base, Ramirez has amassed 57.6 bWAR over his career — the fifth-highest total of any player in Indians/Guardians history.
Ramirez turned 33 last September but doesn’t appear to be slowing down, as he hit .283/.360/.503 with 30 homers and a career-best 44 steals over 673 PA. These big numbers and his leading role in the Guardians’ late-season surge to the AL Central title helped Ramirez earn a third-place finish in AL MVP voting. While the MVP trophy continues to elude Ramirez, he has now recorded a second-place finish (in 2020), three thirds, and three other top-six placements during his outstanding career.
While Ramirez continues to deliver elite production, committing $106MM to a player (especially through his age 36-39 seasons) is no small matter for a lower-payroll team like the Guardians. The new money included in Ramirez’s extension represents the third-highest guarantee Cleveland has ever given to a player, behind just Ramirez’s previous extension and their seven-year, $106.5MM extension with the since-traded Andres Gimenez in 2023. That said, the $70MM worth of deferred money will lower the current-day price tag of the extension, and allow some extra payroll flexibility for the front office.
This is the third extension Ramirez has signed with Cleveland, as his first multi-year pact with the team was a five-year, $26MM deal covering the 2017-2021 seasons that included a pair of club options. Obviously Ramirez vastly outperformed his paycheck in that deal, and after exercising their 2022 option to retain Ramirez, the Guardians and the third baseman worked out the second extension that saw five years and $124MM in new money added in April 2022.
It was known that the Guardians explored trade scenarios involving Ramirez prior to that 2022 extension, as it has long been the organization’s habit to trade star players before reaching free agency. While not every deal of a star has worked out, the Guards have hit on enough of these trades to replenish their system with younger (and cheaper) talent while avoiding the higher price tags associated with players nearing the end of their arbitration control.
Ramirez is the exception to the rule. The seven-time All-Star has been open about how much he enjoys playing in Cleveland, and he has backed up that stance by leaving tens of millions of dollars on the table to re-up with the Guards not once, but now twice. Of course, it remains to be seen how productive Ramirez will still be by the end of the 2028 season, yet this added $106MM could be viewed as something of a thank-you to a star player for his years of service, as well an investment in the idea that Ramirez will continue delivering big numbers.
The timing of the extension is interesting, as there was seemingly no huge rush to tack more years onto a deal that already ran through 2028. However, the Guards may have wanted to get something done in advance of the next collective bargaining agreement, as rumors persist that the league (as part of their overall desire to curb playing spending) may at least look into some kinds of restrictions against deferred money in contracts. The Dodgers have most famously included deferrals in many of their high-priced deals in recent years, though Cleveland’s new pact with Ramirez is the latest example of how both big-market and small-market teams frequently use deferred money to complete contracts.
Z101 Digital’s Hector Gomez was the first to report about the agreement and described it as complete, though Jon Heyman of the New York Post added that Ramirez and the Guardians were still “working on” the agreement. Gomez reported the $106MM in new money, Heyman added the detail about the $70MM in deferrals, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal had the year-to-year financial breakdown over the seven years. ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported that the deal had been agreed upon, pending a physical.
Inset image courtesy of Matt Krohn – Imagn Images
Details On The Mets’ Offseason Pursuits
The Mets’ offseason has seen a bevy of major names both coming and going off the roster, and the New York Post’s Joel Sherman provides a nice breakdown of both the team’s moves and some of the behind-the-scenes plans (or backup plans) that went into these transactions. Sherman’s piece also details some free agent and trade candidates who hadn’t been previously cited as Mets targets, including Ranger Suarez, Ryan Weathers, Johan Oviedo, and Pirates hurlers Bubba Chandler and Braxton Ashcraft.
New York’s trade for Freddy Peralta earlier this week helped the Mets finally secure the frontline rotation help they’d been seeking all winter, which helped because many of the other pitchers the team was exploring had already changed teams. The Yankees acquired Weathers from the Marlins two weeks ago, the Red Sox landed Oviedo from the Pirates in early December, and Suarez signed with the Red Sox last week as well on a five-year, $130MM contract.
That type of long-term deal for a pitcher was thought to be outside of the Mets’ comfort zone, as multiple reports indicated that the team preferred shorter-term arrangements when trying to find rotation help. The same was largely true of the Mets’ position-player pursuits, as the team offered Kyle Tucker four years and $220MM, and then landed Bo Bichette on a three-year, $126MM deal with two player opt-out clauses. If Bichette hadn’t signed and Suarez had remained available, Sherman wrote that the Mets “would have pivoted to try to upgrade the rotation with a willingness to do the five years at $130 million Boston did.”
It’s an example of how the offseason can be a series of sliding doors, with a team’s priorities quickly changing when other teams start making moves and various star players leave the board. Bichette himself wasn’t even known to be a Mets target until the eleventh hour, as missing out on Tucker led the Mets to quickly turn to Bichette and snatch him away from an almost-finalized agreement with the Phillies. And, as it turned out, the Mets ended up landing their desired ace in inexpensive fashion in terms of money (Peralta is owed $8MM in 2026 before entering free agency next winter), but at the hefty trade cost of noted prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams.
Prying Bichette away from the Phillies may have provided some measure of revenge for the Mets after their unsuccessful pursuit of Kyle Schwarber. New York was known to have interest in Schwarber’s services, and Sherman noted that the Mets “were much deeper in on him than previously publicly known.” It was widely expected that Schwarber would re-sign with the Phils and he indeed rejoined the club for five years and $150MM. As interested as the Mets were, Sherman wrote that they “perceived they would have to beat [five years/$150MM] by a good deal to get him to leave Philadelphia,” so the Amazins backed off.
The Mets had plenty of talks with the Marlins about Edward Cabrera before Cabrera was dealt to the Cubs, so it isn’t surprising that Weathers’ name was also brought up in those discussions. Sherman reported that 8-10 teams had interest in Weathers, and it ended up being the Yankees (another Cabrera suitor) who landed the southpaw for a four-prospect package.
It was no secret that the Pirates were looking to upgrade their lineup this offseason, and with a surplus of arms on the roster, the assumption was that Pittsburgh would look to move starting pitching for some bats. The five-player deal that sent Oviedo to Boston brought back Jhostynxon Garcia as a young outfielder who can help the Bucs as early as 2026, and Mike Burrows was traded to the Astros as part of the three-team swap with the Rays that brought Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh.
With Oviedo and Burrows gone, the Pirates have probably closed the door on further pitching trades, as GM Ben Cherington has said the team would now be open to adding a bit of rotation depth, if anything. Chandler (one of baseball’s top pitching prospects) and Ashcraft (a former second-round pick) each made their MLB debuts in 2025 and look to be part of the Pirates rotation both this season and for years to come, if everything pans out.
Sherman said the Mets “extensively” discussed Chandler, Ashcraft, and Oviedo in negotiations with the Pirates, and it would be fascinating to know the specifics of those talks. Gauging by the Oviedo deal, the Bucs were presumably looking for controllable position-player talent, so any of Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, or even top prospect Carson Benge might have been on the Pirates’ wish list. If Pittsburgh had looked for more of a veteran bat in the Lowe mold, Jeff McNeil (who was dealt to the A’s just before Christmas) might have been a fit, but it is hard to imagine the Pirates would’ve given up a significant MLB-ready pitcher for McNeil.
Yankees Sign Dylan Coleman To Minors Contract
The Yankees signed right-hander Dylan Coleman to a minor league deal last week, according to Coleman’s MLB.com profile page. It wasn’t specified if the contract included an invitation to New York’s Major League spring camp.
Sixty-eight of Coleman’s 93 2/3 career innings in the majors came as a member of the Royals bullpen in 2022, when the righty posted a 2.78 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate, and 12.8% walk rate. These promising numbers drastically went south in 2023, as Coleman has an 8.84 ERA and a walk rate that ballooned to 19.8%, almost eclipsing his 21.9K%.
Kansas City traded Coleman to the Astros during the 2023-24 offseason, and he tossed just a single MLB inning for Houston in 2024 before being released in August. That remains Coleman’s most recent trip to the Show, as a minor league deal with the Orioles last offseason only led to more struggles. Coleman posted a 4.91 ERA over 14 2/3 innings in Baltimore’s farm system with as many walks (14) as strikeouts, and the Orioles released him in May.
Since that time, Coleman has been overhauling his mechanics with the Feole Pitching training workshop, and as per a recent post from Feole’s Instagram account, Coleman has added a cutter and power sinker to his repertoire, and his fastball velocity is up to 100mph. Coleman averaged over 98mph on his fastball when he debuted with the Royals in 2021, but that velo dropped to 95.2mph by the 2023 season.
Any team would be intrigued by triple digits on the radar gun, and there’s no risk for the Yankees in taking a first-hand look at the revamped Coleman, and also seeing what their own pitching development crew can add to his approach. All of the stuff in the world won’t help a pitcher who can’t get the ball over the plate, of course, and it remains to be seen if Coleman’s fixes extend to his extreme control problems of the last few years.
Blue Jays Sign CJ Stubbs To Minor League Contract
The Blue Jays have signed CJ Stubbs to a minor league deal, as per the catcher’s MLB.com profile page. The contract apparently doesn’t contain an invitation to Toronto’s big league Spring Training camp, as Stubbs wasn’t included on the Jays’ list of spring invites released earlier this week.
A tenth-round pick for the Astros in the 2019 draft, Stubbs was cut loose by Houston in May 2024, and he then quickly inked a new minor league deal with the Nationals. This stint in the Nats organization resulted in Stubbs’ first taste of Major League action, albeit a small one. Stubbs’ MLB resume consists of a single game, as he went 0-for-3 while starting behind the plate in the Nationals’ 2-0 win over the Marlins on September 1. Starter Andrew Alvarez was also making his big league debut, and Stubbs guided Alvarez (over five innings) and four Nats relievers to a two-hit shutout.
This noteworthy game didn’t result in any more playing time for Stubbs, and he elected minor league free agency after being outrighted off Washington’s 40-man roster in late October. Alejandro Kirk and Tyler Heineman are locked into the Blue Jays’ catching duties, but Stubbs’ cup of coffee in the Show is still enough to make him the only other catcher in the organization with any MLB experience. Depending on whether or not the Jays add any other catching help on a minors deal, Stubbs currently projects as the first call-up if Kirk or Heineman got injured.
The 29-year-old Stubbs doesn’t have a ton of experience even at Triple-A, as he has 45 games and 145 plate appearances over parts of three seasons with the Astros’ and Nationals’ top affiliates. He has hit .222/.366/.453 with six homers over that small Triple-A sample, and Stubbs has a career minor league slash line of .206/.315/.396 over 1854 PA. Stubbs has hit 72 homers in the minors and even stolen 52 bases (out of 20 attempts), but he has struck out in 648 of his 1854 PA.
Rangers Sign Jakob Junis
January 20th: The Rangers officially announced their signing of Junis today. Righty Dom Hamel has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move.
January 18th: The Rangers have signed right-hander Jakob Junis to a one-year, $4MM contract, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News reports that the deal contains a mutual option for the 2027 season. The signing will become official once Texas makes a corresponding move on its 40-man roster. Junis is represented by Wasserman.
Rosenthal adds in a follow-up note that Texas will indeed use Junis as a reliever, coming off Junis’ first bullpen-only season of his nine-year MLB career. Junis has started 116 of his 249 career games, and still made some spot starts and swingman-esque appearances in 2023-24 even as he took on larger relief roles. In 2025, however, Junis signed a one-year, $4.5MM deal with the Guardians and worked only as a reliever over his 57 appearances and 66 2/3 innings.
The results were more than solid, as Junis posted a 2.97 ERA and an above-average 6.6% walk rate. Junis’ strikeout, chase, and whiff rates weren’t anything special, but in a reversal of career norms, he did a very good job of limiting hard contact. After posting a 1.4 HR/9 over his first eight seasons, Junis halved that number to 0.7 HR/9 during his lone season in Cleveland. Junis increased the use of his changeup, and throwing the pitch 20% of the time (up from 8.7% of the time in 2024) helped turn both Junis’ change and his primary slider into very effective out pitches.
Junis will look to keep things rolling as he enters his age-33 season, and the veteran has been pitching long enough that he broke into the majors with the 2017 Royals as a teammate of current Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young. Junis will become the latest new face to join Young’s total makeover of the Texas bullpen this offseason.
Chris Martin decided to forego retirement to return for another season with the Rangers, but Hoby Milner, Shawn Armstrong, Jacob Webb, and Phil Maton have all left in free agency. Texas has filled those gaps with Alexis Diaz, Tyler Alexander, Carter Baumler, Zak Kent, and now Junis, who had far and away the best 2025 season of any of this group. Junis’ ability to cover innings and take on some higher-leverage assignments should be a big help to the Rangers as they continue to figure out their ideal relief mix.