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Offseason Outlook: Kansas City Royals

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An 82-80 record is nothing to sneeze at in Kansas City, as it represented just the sixth time in the last 31 years that the Royals topped the .500 mark.  Still, the Royals took a step back after reaching the playoffs in 2024, and will again be looking to bolster their lackluster offense.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Bobby Witt Jr., SS: $272MM through 2034 (Witt can opt out after each of the final four years of the contract; Royals can trigger $89MM club option for 2035-37 seasons if Witt triggers all player options)
  • Seth Lugo, SP: $43MM through 2027 (includes $3MM buyout of $17MM club/vesting option for 2028)
  • Michael Wacha, SP: $33MM through 2027 (includes $1MM buyout of $14MM club option for 2028)
  • Carlos Estevez, RP: $12MM through 2026 (includes $2M buyout of $13MM club option for 2027)
  • Cole Ragans, SP: $12MM through 2027 (Royals hold arbitration control over Ragans for 2028 season)

Option Decisions

2026 financial commitments (assuming only Perez's option is exercised): $79MM
Total future commitments (assuming only Perez's option is exercised): $385.5MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projections from MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Free Agents

The Royals got an early jump on their offseason work when they agreed to a contract extension with Seth Lugo just before the trade deadline.  Lugo's previous deal allowed him to opt out of the contract's final year and enter free agency this winter, and the Royals seemed to at least test the trade market just in case an extension couldn't be finalized.  As it turned out, the veteran righty will now be staying in K.C. through at least the 2027 campaign, further solidifying the Royals' starting corps.

The rotation was more good than elite this season, as injuries played a role.  Lugo himself missed about a month and a half due to back and finger issues, Kris Bubic's All-Star season was ended by a rotator cuff strain in late July, and 2024 All-Star Cole Ragans was limited to 13 starts and 61 2/3 innings due to a rotator cuff strain of his own.  The silver lining to these health issues was that Noah Cameron got the opportunity to break into the rotation, as the rookie delivered a 2.99 ERA over his first 138 1/3 frames in the majors.

Better health is obviously no guarantee for 2026, yet assuming the Royals deal with just an average amount of injury misfortune, their rotation looks like one of the more solid on-paper units in baseball.  The Royals have fewer questions about their starting pitching than most clubs, due to both a high talent floor and plenty of depth.  Mutual options are almost always declined anyway, but Michael Lorenzen probably would've been moving on regardless considering all of the other pitching options on hand.

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Brett Phillips Retires

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Outfielder Brett Phillips has announced his retirement after seven Major League seasons.  In an Instagram reel released today, Phillips credited his career to his family, his faith, and to many people in and out of baseball that helped him achieve his success.  Beyond those named in his speech, the 31-year-old Phillips also had a whiteboard full of names of many former teammates and executives who played key roles in his career.

Phillips hit .187/.272/.347 with 31 homers over 971 plate appearances and 393 games during his MLB career, while playing for five different clubs at the big league level.  Phillips’ speed was his chief offensive weapon, as he stole 39 bases on 45 career attempts.  That speed also helped him deliver outstanding defense at all three outfield positions — over his 2321 1/3 innings as a big league outfielder, Phillips amassed +41 Defensive Runs Saved, +31 Outs Above Average, and a +13.0 UZR/150.

The Astros made Phillips a sixth-round pick in the 2012 draft, though before he could make his debut in the Show, Houston dealt Phillips as part of the huge trade at the 2015 deadline that brought Carlos Gomez and Mike Fiers from Milwaukee.  Phillips was one of four pieces of the very prominent trade package acquired by the Brew Crew, as Josh Hader, Adrian Houser, and Domingo Santana were the other members of the haul.  Not to be overshadowed at the time of the trade, Phillips was drawing top-100 prospect attention heading into the 2016 season and for a couple of years afterwards.

Phillips got his first taste of the majors in 2017, and he appeared in 52 games for the Brewers over the next two seasons before the outfielder was moved to the Royals in another notable deadline deal that saw Mike Moustakas shipped from K.C. to Milwaukee.  This tenure in Kansas City stretched over parts of three seasons before Phillips was dealt again to the Rays partway through the abbreviated 2020 season, which set the stage for the most memorable moments of Phillips’ career.

Tampa Bay won the AL pennant that year, with Phillips chipping in as a defensive specialist during the rest of the regular season and then as a defensive sub and pinch-runner throughout the playoffs.  He had just three plate appearances during the postseason, and his one hit during that stretch couldn’t have been bigger.  With the Dodgers holding a 7-6 lead over the Rays with two outs in the bottom of the ninth of Game 4, Phillips lined a single that tied the game, and ended up as the walkoff hit when Randy Arozarena also scored on the play due to a Will Smith catching error.  Beyond the hit itself, Rays fans will always remember the image of Phillips’ celebratory airplane-style sprint around the outfield.

The following season saw Phillips deliver his best year at the plate, as he hit .206/.300/.427 with 13 homers and 14 steals (out of 17 attempts) in 292 PA while playing in a part-time outfield role in Tampa Bay.  His numbers dropped off sharply in 2022, however, and the Rays designated him for assignment and then dealt Phillips to the Orioles.

Phillips moved on to play 39 games with the 2023 Angels in what proved to be his last MLB campaign, as subsequent minor league deals with the White Sox and Yankees didn’t result in any more calls to the Show.  His stint with the Yankees saw the start of a new career path for Phillips, as he attempted to convert to pitching.  Phillips’ final stop of his career came with Kane County of the independent American Association this year.

Beyond his energy and contributions on the field, Phillips became a fan favorite and social media darling due to his outgoing personality.  “Baseball Is Fun” became Phillips’ unofficial catchphrase, and he finished his retirement announcement by repeating his mantra one more time.  We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Phillips on a fine career and we wish him plenty of more fun in his post-playing endeavors.

MLBTR Chat Transcript

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Mark P

  • The Weekend Chat (postseason edition) is here! We’ll take a minute for some questions to stack up, and then pitter patter, let’s get at ’er

Phillie Phanatic

  • If Phils lose does Thomson get fired?

Mark P

  • I’m not sure there’s anything that be pointed at as Thomson’s fault, in relation to why the Phillies aren’t able to get over the hump and win a title.  But, with relatively little roster flexibility, it’s possible a managerial change might be viewed as a step that can be taken to try and shake things up.

    If Thomson wanted to continue managing, I suspect he might find another job as early as this offseason, given his track record and how many teams are looking for new dugout bosses

Ca$hman

  • Did Devin Williams late season resurgence get him into qualifying offer territory and if so does he accept it?

Mark P

  • He would absolutely accept it, but there’s no chance the Yankees would float $22MM to a reliever coming off such an inconsistent season.

Joe

  • Do the Reds trade for a middle of the order bat or sign one? What would they have to trade?

Mark P

  • Given their payroll limitations, a trade seems more likely, though the Reds should or could be able to find a decent hitter at a reasonable price.  Martinez and Pagan both coming off the books frees up a big chunk of payroll space that Cincinnati can re-invest towards a big bat.

    On the trade front, the Reds technically have a pitching surplus.  But, like I say about any team that seemingly has “too much” pitching, trading one arm and then running into an injury or two can very quickly put a team into a rotation hole.  So, if the Reds go this route, they’ll have to be very careful about who they’d trade.

Boomington

  • Christian Walker a good fit for Reds?

Mark P

  • If the Reds are going to trade for someone, probably not the guy entering his age-35 season, who is owed $40MM over the next two seasons, and is coming off a 99 wRC+ year

Read more

AL East Notes: ALDS, Rodriguez, Weaver, Orioles

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The Blue Jays hold a 2-0 lead in the ALDS after a 13-7 win over the Yankees today.  Toronto has torched the Yankees for 23 runs over the two games, with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (3-for-5 with a grand slam) and Daulton Varsho (4-for-5 with two homers and two doubles) doing the most damage today with four RBI apiece.  Max Fried was charged with seven earned runs over three-plus innings in a disastrous outing for the Yankees ace.

New York’s lineup came to life with seven late runs against Toronto’s bullpen, after Jays starter Trey Yesavage was nothing short of dominant.  In just his fourth career outing in the majors, Yesavage allowed only a walk over 5 1/3 hitless innings, with 11 strikeouts — the most K’s from any Blue Jays pitcher in a postseason game.  The decision to pull Yesavage after 78 pitches seemed to be based on a desire to keep Yesavage from facing Yankees batters a third time, and to potentially keep Yesavage fresh for usage later in the series.  Of course, the Yankees can only hope that there will even be a “later in the series,” as the Jays are just one win away from advancing to the ALCS.  Game 3 is on Tuesday at Yankee Stadium.

More from around the AL East…

  • Rays assistant general manager and VP Carlos Rodriguez officially announced on Wednesday that he is leaving the organization.  Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times writes that Rodriguez “had been talking about [departing] for a while,” so the move has nothing to do with the Rays’ new owners, as it is believed that the incoming ownership group won’t be making any major changes to the baseball ops group.  Rodriguez was one of four AGMs under president of baseball operations Erik Neander, and Topkin believes the club will fill Rodriguez’s spot by promoting from within.  Rodriguez has been in his VP/AGM role for the last four seasons, and a member of Tampa’s organization for the last 15 seasons.  Beginning as a scout, Rodriguez had many roles as he worked his way up the front office ladder, including multiple years running the Rays’ Latin American scouting and international scouting operations.
  • Luke Weaver retired the only batter he faced in a mop-up appearance for the Yankees today, providing some small hope that the right-hander is turning things around.  After an inconsistent regular season, Weaver has had a nightmarish postseason, as he hadn’t recorded a single out from six batters faced in two prior outings against the Jays (in Game 1 of the ALDS) and Red Sox (in Game 1 of the wild card series).  Weaver discussed his struggles with MLB.com’s Jake Rill and other reporters before today’s game, suggesting that he may have been over-correcting in an attempt to keep from tipping his pitches.  “I’m at a point where I’m just, ’Full send,’ and none of that’s going to matter anymore.  So I’m going to be what I think is best for me, and I’m going to go out there and attack the way I need to do,” Weaver said.
  • After a disappointing season for the Orioles and their core of young players, MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko opines that the team should go big in adding both experience and quality by signing Cody Bellinger this winter.  To be clear, this is a speculative opinion on Kubatko’s part, rather than a suggestion that Bellinger might be on the Orioles’ radar this winter.  Baltimore hasn’t been linked to Bellinger when he has been a free agent or trade candidate in the past, and signing Bellinger would represent far and away the team’s biggest financial splash of the Mike Elias era.  Tyler O’Neill’s three-year, $49.5MM contract from last winter is the only multi-year free agent signing Elias has made, though the Orioles’ eight-year, $67MM extension with Samuel Basallo from the summer indicates that the club may be getting a bit more comfortable with larger spending.

Jackson Chourio Day-To-Day After “Inconclusive” MRI

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Right hamstring tightness forced Jackson Chourio out of Game 1 of the NLDS in the second inning, though Chourio had already logged three hits by that point in the Brewers 9-3 win over the Cubs.  In the aftermath, Chourio told reporters “I feel good, and I feel I’m in a position where I’m ready to keep going and ready to keep competing,” though he underwent an MRI to check for any sort of serious injury.

That MRI didn’t come back entirely clean, as Brewers manager Pat Murphy told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Curt Hogg and other media that the MRI was “inconclusive. It’s not a serious hamstring strain, but it’s not necessarily something that won’t limit him.  We’re going to kind of see how he feels. He’s going to go through some testing, and if he feels anything, we’re going to shut it down.”

As Hogg describes it, Chourio’s work today was limited to some runs from home plate to first base, with the outfielder moving “at roughly 50 percent.”  Chourio “appeared to move gingerly but did not seem to be in any pain during or after the running,” Hogg writes.

The off-day between Game 1 and Game 2 of the series gave Chourio and the Brewers extra time to monitor the situation, and kept alive the chance that Chourio might yet be able to play in the next contest.  There is also an off-day between Game 2 and Wednesday’s Game 3, so the Brewers could conceivably rest Chourio for Monday and then not make a final determination on his status until prior to Wednesday’s game.

Isaac Collins took over for Chourio in Game 1, and Murphy said Collins will remain as the Brewers’ left fielder if Chourio indeed can’t play.  As Hogg noted, Collins cooled off drastically over the last six weeks of the season, bringing a quiet end to an otherwise strong rookie season that saw Collins finish with a .263/.368/.411 slash line and nine homers over 441 plate appearances (122 wRC+).

If Chourio has to be removed from the NLDS roster for injury purposes, the Brewers would get to add a replacement to their roster, but Chourio wouldn’t be eligible to return to action until the World Series (if Milwaukee advanced through both the NLDS and NLCS).  Outfielders Blake Perkins and Brandon Lockridge are already on the 26-man roster, so the Brew Crew wouldn’t necessarily summon another outfielder in Chourio’s place.

Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, Bo Bichette Left Off Blue Jays’ ALDS Roster

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12:30PM: Manager John Schneider provided Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling (multiple links) and other media with some context on the roster decisions.  Beyond the lack of running, Bichette has yet to face higher-velocity or pitches with movement in his cage work.  Bassitt wasn’t quite stretched out enough to be ready, whereas Scherzer was omitted because Schneider didn’t like how he matched up with New York specifically; Scherzer would likely have been included had the Red Sox defeated the Yankees in the wild card series.

9:20AM: The Blue Jays announced their official 26-man roster for their AL Division Series matchup with the Yankees that begins today.  Toronto will take 13 pitchers and 13 position players into action against New York, with the following breakdown…

Catchers: Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Heineman
Infielders: Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Andres Gimenez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Outfielders: Nathan Lukes, Anthony Santander, Davis Schneider, George Springer, Myles Straw, Daulton Varsho
Left-handed pitchers: Justin Bruihl, Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer, Brendon Little
Right-handed pitchers: Shane Bieber, Seranthony Dominguez, Braydon Fisher, Kevin Gausman, Jeff Hoffman, Tommy Nance, Yariel Rodriguez, Louis Varland, Trey Yesavage

The roster notably doesn’t include three players battling injuries (Bo Bichette, Chris Bassitt, Ty France) and one prominent name in Max Scherzer.  Omitting Scherzer and Bassitt from the roster means that the Blue Jays seem to be locking into rookie Yesavage to start one game of the series, and then perhaps turning to a bullpen game in Game Four.

It wasn’t long ago that the Jays seemed to have almost a surplus of postseason rotation candidates, between Gausman, Bieber, Scherzer, Bassitt, Lauer, Jose Berrios, and Yesavage waiting in the wings at Triple-A.  Toronto moved Lauer into a relief role at the start of September and also tapped Berrios for bullpen work late in the month, though a case of elbow inflammation sidelined Berrios and left his postseason availability up in the air.

Bassitt also hit the 15-day injured list on September 19 due to lower back tightness, but seemed to be on pace to be part of the ALDS roster.  It isn’t yet known if Bassitt might’ve had some sort of setback in his ramp-up work, or if perhaps he or the Jays had enough uncertainty over his health that the team didn’t want to take the risk of issuing Bassitt a roster spot.  If a player has to be removed from a postseason roster due to injury, the player is ineligible to play in the following series, so it could be that the Blue Jays didn’t want to take the chance of losing Bassitt for the ALCS if the Jays defeat New York.

For Scherzer, his two World Series and 143 career playoff innings didn’t carry as much weight to the Jays as the veteran’s recent form.  The right-hander posted a 9.00 ERA over his final six starts and 25 innings in the regular season, and Scherzer only completed six innings in one of those outings.  One of those tough starts came against the Yankees on September 7, when Scherzer allowed four runs on three hits and four walks over 4 1/3 innings in a 4-3 New York victory.

Scherzer ended up with a 5.19 ERA over 85 innings in 2025, as he missed most of the first half dealing with injuries.  Just prior to his rough final six starts, it seemed like Scherzer was locking into form with a string of five consecutive quality starts and a 2.25 ERA over 32 innings.  The Jays signed Scherzer to a one-year, $15.5MM contract last winter in the hopes that he could turn back the clock and provide veteran depth and experience to the rotation, particularly if Toronto happened to advance into the playoffs.  While it is possible he could return for the ALCS, Scherzer will be limited to spectator duty for at least the first leg of the Blue Jays’ postseason run.

It isn’t surprising that Bichette isn’t participating, since as of Wednesday, Bichette had yet to start running drills as part of his rehab from a left PCL sprain.  Bichette hurt his knee almost exactly a month ago, on an awkward slide into home plate on September 6 in another game against the Yankees.  Bichette has been able to take swings in the batting cage, but until he is able to run whatsoever, his status for the rest of the playoffs remains unclear if the Jays manage to advance deeper into October.

Ty France is another noteworthy player left off the roster, as France may still be bothered by the oblique inflammation that has kept him sidelined since September 21.  France’s absence will leave the Jays without some right-handed hitting bench depth, and Guerrero is now the only true first baseman on the roster, though naturally Guerrero isn’t expected to leave the lineup at any point in the series.

Jackson Chourio Undergoes MRI For Hamstring Injury

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The Brewers got their NLDS off to a huge start with today’s 9-3 win over the Cubs in Game 1, with all nine runs coming in the opening two innings.  Unfortunately, the game involved a significant injury for Milwaukee, as outfielder Jackson Chourio left during the second inning with what the team described as right hamstring tightness.

Chourio collected his third hit of the two-inning outburst when he hit a ball deep into the third base hole, then beat out the throw for an RBI single.  Unfortunately, Chourio came up limping on the play, and Isaac Collins replaced Chourio as a pinch-runner and then in left field for the start of the next inning.

Speaking to MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy and other reporters after the game, Brewers manager Pat Murphy said Chourio was undergoing an MRI at the time of the media session, and more would be known once the testing is complete.  The concern is real, as Murphy said “obviously it’s real scary having that hamstring injury to the same leg.  We’re hoping it’s something he can come back from soon…It could be devastating.”

In a more positive note, Chourio told McCalvy and company that the removal was more precautionary in nature.  “We’re still waiting [on MRI results]. But physically, I feel good, and I feel I’m in a position where I’m ready to keep going and ready to keep competing,” the outfielder said.

The previous right hamstring issue referenced by Murphy was a strain that sidelined Chourio for a month this summer, keeping him on the injured list for almost all of August.  Chourio hit only .240/.293/.413 in 117 plate appearances after returning from the IL, after batting .276/.311/.474 with 17 home runs in 472 PA prior to his hamstring strain.  The outfielder was also more active on the basepaths (stealing 18 bases in 25 attempts) pre-injury, as he stole three bases in as many attempts once his return.  To be fair, this could also have been a tactical decision, as the Brewers were coasting towards a playoff berth in September and Chourio saw less need to press.

Assuming that the MRI doesn’t reveal anything serious, Chourio could benefit from the staggered nature of the NLDS schedule.  Game 2 isn’t until Monday, and then there’s another off-day before Games 3-4 in Chicago on Wednesday and Thursday.  Sitting Chourio just for Game 2 would be a hit to the Brewers’ lineup, but the team might view it as a necessary evil to give Chourio three full days off to rest his hamstring.  This assumes, of course, that Chourio feels good enough to perhaps try playing in Game 2 after just one day off.

In the worst-case scenario of a mid-series injury removal, the Brewers would be able to replace Chourio on the roster.  However, that would mean Chourio would have to sit out the NLCS if Milwaukee advanced.  That means the Brewers won’t want to make a drastic call on Chourio unless it’s absolutely necessary, so there’s some added drama to what seemed like a pretty stable Crew lineup heading into the playoffs.

Curt Casali Retires

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In a move that wasn’t publicly reported earlier this season, longtime catcher Curt Casali retired and took a job in the Reds front office, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle reports.  Casali signed a minor league deal with the Braves last winter but was released before the end of Spring Training, and he didn’t play at all in 2025.

At age 36 and after 11 Major League seasons, it appears as though Casali decided to call it a career and move onto a new phase of his baseball life.  The nature of his duties with the Reds isn’t specified, but Slusser wonders if Casali could emerge as a future managerial candidate….even as soon as this winter as the Giants look for a new dugout boss.  That would continue the trend of catchers moving into managerial jobs, and Slusser notes that Buster Posey (obviously a former backstop himself) seems to be looking at ex-catchers in the early stages of San Francisco’s managerial search.

Casali has plenty of links to the organization, as he played with the Giants in 2021-22 and again during the 2024 season.  In the first year of Casali’s time in San Francisco, he was Posey’s backup during what ended up being Posey’s final big league campaign.

A 10th-round pick for the Tigers in the 2011 draft, Casali was dealt to the Rays in March 2013, and he made his MLB debut in a Tampa uniform in 2014.  Casali was mostly a part-timer over his four seasons with the Rays, but he received the bulk of the catching duties in 2016, playing in 84 games and making 256 plate appearances.  He didn’t hit much during that extended look, however, and Casali left the Rays organization and bounced around to a few teams on minors deals, including a return to Tampa Bay before the Rays dealt him to the Reds in May 2018.

Casali spent the next three seasons in Cincinnati, and his bat came alive to the point that he moved into a virtual timeshare with Tucker Barnhart.  Casali hit .260/.345/.440 over 485 PA during the 2018-20 seasons, but the Reds still chose to non-tender Casali during the 2020-21 offseason, paving the way for his next contract with the Giants.

At the 2022 trade deadline, San Francisco dealt Casali to the Mariners as part of a noteworthy trade that also sent Matthew Boyd to Seattle’s bullpen for the stretch run.  Casali backed up Cal Raleigh for the remainder of the 2022 campaign before entering free agency again, and his final two MLB seasons were spent revisiting old haunts in Cincinnati (in 2023) and San Francisco (in 2024).  While Casali’s big league playing time during those two seasons was spent with the Reds and Giants, he also was briefly part of the Marlins and Cubs organizations on minors deals.

Overall, Casali will finish his career with a .218/.312/.369 slash line and 48 home runs over 1579 PA and 543 games across his 11 seasons in the Show.  Beyond that modest offensive production, Casali was well-regarded for his ability to handle pitchers and call a game.  If Slusser’s report is any indication, Casali’s knowledge of the game might well develop into coaching or managerial jobs if he wishes to pursue that direction.

We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Casali on a fine career and wish him the best in his post-playing career.

Tigers, Mariners Announce ALDS Rosters

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The Tigers and Mariners get their AL Division Series underway tonight in Seattle, with rookie Troy Melton starting for Detroit against former All-Star George Kirby.  Both teams will go with 14 position players and 12 pitchers on their 26-man rosters for the series….

Tigers catchers: Dillon Dingler, Jake Rogers
Infielders: Colt Keith, Trey Sweeney, Spencer Torkelson, Gleyber Torres
Outfielders: Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Jahmai Jones, Parker Meadows, Wenceel Perez
Utility players: Javier Baez, Andy Ibanez, Zach McKinstry
Left-handed pitchers: Tyler Holton, Brant Hurter, Tarik Skubal
Right-handed pitchers: Kyle Finnegan, Jack Flaherty, Brenan Hanifee, Tommy Kahnle, Troy Melton, Casey Mize, Keider Montero, Rafael Montero, Will Vest

Mariners catchers: Harry Ford, Mitch Garver, Cal Raleigh
Infielders: J.P. Crawford, Josh Naylor, Jorge Polanco, Leo Rivas, Eugenio Suarez, Ben Williamson
Outfielders: Randy Arozarena, Dominic Canzone, Victor Robles, Julio Rodriguez
Utility players: Luke Raley
Left-handed pitchers: Caleb Ferguson, Gabe Speier
Right-handed pitchers: Eduard Bazardo, Matt Brash, Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Emerson Hancock, Luke Jackson, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Andres Munoz, Carlos Vargas

Keith and Hanifee are newcomers to the playoff roster, replacing Paul Sewald and Justyn-Henry Malloy.  Right ribcage inflammation has kept Keith from playing since September 18, and he wasn’t quite ready to go for the Tigers’ wild card series against the Guardians.

As MLB.com notes, Keith isn’t feeling 100 percent but he is good enough to hit, so it is possible he might be limited to pinch-hitting or DH duty in the series.  Since the Mariners are heavy on right-handed pitchers, the Tigers’ bench should benefit by adding a left-handed bat like Keith, who hit .267/.346/.439 over 422 plate appearances against righties this season.

The biggest developments on Seattle’s roster were reported earlier today, as Bryan Woo remains sidelined due to a pectoral injury.  Josh Naylor’s impending paternity leave is also a major storyline for the series, though the M’s would get to make a mid-series substitution if Naylor did have to depart for the birth of his first child.

Dodgers, Phillies Announce NLDS Rosters

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Game 1 between the Dodgers and Phillies takes place today in Philadelphia, with Shohei Ohtani (in his first playoff pitching appearance) facing Cristopher Sanchez in the pitching matchup.  Here is how each club has arranged their 26-man roster for the NL Division Series…

Dodgers catchers: Ben Rortvedt, Dalton Rushing, Will Smith
Infielders: Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Miguel Rojas
Outfielders: Alex Call, Justin Dean, Teoscar Hernandez, Andy Pages
Utility players: Tommy Edman, Enrique Hernandez, Hyeseong Kim
DH/right-handed pitcher: Shohei Ohtani
Left-handed pitchers: Anthony Banda, Jack Dreyer, Clayton Kershaw, Blake Snell, Tanner Scott, Alex Vesia
Right-handed pitchers: Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan, Blake Treinen, Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Phillies catchers: Rafael Marchan, J.T. Realmuto
Infielders: Alec Bohm, Bryce Harper, Otto Kemp, Edmundo Sosa, Bryson Stott, Trea Turner
Outfielders: Harrison Bader, Nick Castellanos, Max Kepler, Brandon Marsh, Weston Wilson
Designated hitter: Kyle Schwarber
Left-handed pitchers: Tanner Banks, Jesus Luzardo, Tim Mayza, Cristopher Sanchez, Matt Strahm, Ranger Suarez
Right-handed pitchers: Walker Buehler, Jhoan Duran, Orion Kerkering, Aaron Nola, David Robertson, Taijuan Walker

Los Angeles made two changes to the roster that swept the Reds in two games during the wild card round.  Kershaw and Banda join the fray in place of left-hander Justin Wrobleski and right-hander Edgardo Henriquez.  There was no doubt Kershaw would be returning to action after sitting out the Reds series, though in his final postseason appearance, Kershaw is slated to pitch in a relief capacity rather than in a starter’s role.

Smith hasn’t played since suffering a hairline fracture in his right hand on September 9, though the fact that the Dodgers included him on the wild card series roster indicates that the catcher is getting at least close to game readiness.  Chances are Smith is ready to go at some point during the NLDS, though Rortvedt and Rushing are both on the roster to keep L.A. from being shorthanded behind the plate.

Both teams have plenty of big left-handed bats, which factored why each roster features six southpaws.  The Phillies haven’t announced their rotation beyond Sanchez today, but Suarez is probable for Game 2, and using Luzardo in Game 3 would mean Philadelphia is tossing three consecutive left-handed starters at Ohtani and company.

News broke earlier this week that Johan Rojas was dealing with a quad injury, which removed any chance that the Phillies could put Rojas on the playoff roster following two months in the minors.  The bench was instead filled out by two multi-position players in Kemp and Wilson, plus Sosa can play the outfield in a pinch.

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