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Twins To Interview Nick Punto About Managerial Vacancy

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The Twins’ search for a new manager has taken them to a familiar name, as The Athletic’s Dan Hayes and Dennis Lin report that the club will be speaking with former utilityman Nick Punto.  The Padres currently employ Punto as a coach on their big league staff, and granted the Twins permission for an interview with the 14-year MLB veteran.

Seven of Punto’s seasons (2004-10) were spent in a Twins uniform, and his nickname of “the Shredder” sums up Punto’s style of play.  Despite below-average hitting numbers for his entire career, Punto enjoyed a long career based on defensive versatility, speed, and a focus on solid fundamentals.  As Hayes/Lin note, Minnesota team president Derek Falvey stressed that the next version of the Twins is “going to be a really good base running team, we’re going to be on the details, we’re going to be leaning into the fundamentals.”

On paper, this would seemingly make Punto an ideal match, plus his past ties to the Twins organization certainly help.  What Punto (who turns 48 next month) lacks in comparison to other candidates is a lot of coaching or managerial experience, certainly at the big league level.  Punto was a manager in MLB’s Prospect Development Pipeline League in 2021 and he coached at the high school level in 2023-24 before taking the job on San Diego’s staff.  Punto didn’t have a defined role with the Padres, but Hayes and Lin wrote that his duties included “working with the team’s infielders.”

Punto is the fourth candidate publicly linked to the Twins’ search for Rocco Baldelli’s successor.  Former Pirates skipper Derek Shelton is the only known candidate with MLB managerial experience, as Punto, Yankees hitting coach James Rowson, and Red Sox bench coach Ramon Vazquez would all be first-time managers (apart from Vazquez’s single game as a fill-in for Alex Cora when Cora was attending his daughter’s graduation this past May).

“Another hot name internally” for the Twins is Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty, according to Hayes and Lin, but it isn’t known if the Twins have yet been given permission to speak with Flaherty.  Already a popular name amidst the many managerial vacancies around baseball this fall, Flaherty has been cited as a likely candidate for the Padres and Orioles jobs.  Flaherty has bench coaching experience with the Cubs and Padres but would be another first-time skipper at the MLB level.

NPB’s Rakuten Eagles Re-Sign Luke Voit

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After an outstanding start to his career in Japan, Luke Voit is sticking around for another year, as the Rakuten Eagles announced that they have re-signed the first baseman to a new contract for the 2026 Nippon Professional Baseball season. (Hat tip to Yakyu Cosmopolitan.)

Voit signed with the Eagles in June and made a quick impact with his new team.  Over 276 plate appearances and 67 games as a DH and first baseman, Voit hit .300/.384/.498 with 13 home runs.  Despite his late entry to the 2025 campaign, Voit still led the Eagles in homers, and had the second-most RBI (39) on the team.  Retaining Voit was a logical move for the power-starved Eagles, whose 70 homers were the fewest of NPB’s 12 clubs.

A veteran of seven Major League seasons, Voit last appeared in the Show in May 2023 playing with the Brewers.  He has spent the last two seasons outside of affiliated ball entirely with stints in the Mexican League and Nippon Professional Baseball, and that sojourn now looks to extend into 2026.

Voit led the majors with 22 home runs during the shortened 2020 season, and hit a very impressive .271/.363/.520 with 68 homers over 1133 PA with the Yankees from 2018-21.  An injury-plagued down year for Voit in 2021 led New York to deal him to the Padres that offseason.  The slugger’s last bit of real notoriety in the majors came when San Diego included him as the only experienced piece of the prospect-heavy trade package sent to the Nationals for Juan Soto at the 2022 trade deadline.

Orioles Interview Luis Rojas In Managerial Search

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The Orioles have interviewed Yankees third base coach and former Mets manager Luis Rojas amidst their ongoing managerial search, according to SNY’s Andy Martino.  Rojas is the first candidate known to have formally interviewed for the position.  Baltimore interim skipper Tony Mansolino also remains in the running, while Jon Heyman of The New York Post suggested that former O’s infielder and current Cubs bench coach Ryan Flaherty could be in the mix.

Rojas, 44, has served as the Yankees’ third base coach for the last four seasons.  Beginning his coaching career with the Nationals’ Dominican League team in 2006, he joined the Mets organization the following year and began a long stint as a coach and manager at various levels of the organization.  A promotion to the big league staff as the Mets’ quality control coach came in 2019, and Rojas was then unexpectedly elevated to the top job in January 2020.  Carlos Beltran had been hired as the Amazins’ manager just over two months earlier, yet after the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal broke, Beltran stepped down from the post before he’d ever managed a single regular-season game.

This sudden promotion for Rojas came right before the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, making for quite a trial by fire for the first-time skipper.  The Mets finished with just a 26-34 record in Rojas’ first year, yet he was retained for a second year in 2021.  New York was in first place for a big chunk of that season but collapsed down the stretch, going just 29-45 after the All-Star break to finish with a 77-85 record.

Rojas’ club option for 2022 wasn’t picked up by the Mets, and he then stayed in the Big Apple by joining the Yankees’ coaching staff in November 2021.  Before heading to the Yankees, Rojas interviewed with the Padres about their managerial vacancy that autumn, and he also interviewed with the Marlins in 2022 before Skip Schumaker was hired.

With so few public candidates identified in Baltimore’s search, it isn’t yet clear if the team is primarily focused on people with big league managerial experience (like Rojas or Mansolino) or if the O’s are more partial to Flaherty or another first-timer being elevated to the job.  Whomever the choice may be, they’ll face a challenge in trying to get the Orioles and their young core back on track after a very disappointing 2025 campaign.  The Orioles followed up consecutive playoff appearances with a 75-87 setback this year, though Mansolino did post a 60-59 record after he took over from Brandon Hyde in May.

Anthony Volpe Undergoes Shoulder Surgery

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Anthony Volpe spent much of the 2025 season playing through a partially torn left labrum, and the Yankees shortstop addressed the problem in the form of a surgical procedure yesterday, according to Joel Sherman and Greg Joyce of the New York Post.  The exact timeline for Volpe’s recovery isn’t yet clear, but if everything goes normally, a source tells Sherman/Joyce that Volpe would be ready for the start of the 2026 season.

The injury to Volpe’s non-throwing shoulder occurred in early May, when Volpe said he heard “a pop” in his shoulder after diving to try and snag a grounder.  What seemed like a minor issue at the time ended up being a lingering source of discomfort throughout the season, and Volpe received two cortisone shots (one at the All-Star break, one in September) to try and manage the pain.  The Yankees never placed Volpe on the injured list, but he didn’t play for the week following his second shot in September.

It is impossible to think that the injury didn’t contribute to Volpe’s tough season.  He hit .212/.272/.391 with 19 home runs over 596 plate appearances, resulting in just an 83 wRC+.  While these numbers weren’t far off what Volpe produced when healthy in 2023-24, it is worth noting that April (prior to the shoulder issue) was far and away Volpe’s best offensive month of 2025.  The bigger impact may have come defensively, as Volpe dropped to -7 Outs Above Average and +2 Defensive Runs Saved — middling metrics for a shortstop who was a Gold Glove winner in 2023 and a finalist for the award again in 2024.

Volpe’s struggles made him a particular target for fan criticism in the Bronx, and something of an avatar for the fanbase’s frustrations towards GM Brian Cashman and manager Aaron Boone.  There has yet to be any sign that Volpe’s starting job might be in danger, though Jose Caballero provided a big spark to the lineup after being acquired at the trade deadline, and getting a good dose of time at shortstop while Volpe was sidelined in September.

More will be known about Volpe’s recovery process in the coming weeks, but if he has any kind of setback, the Yankees could be encouraged to pursue at least a depth option at shortstop this winter if Caballero isn’t entrusted with the starting job.  There will certainly be more speculation about whether or not the Yankees could land a bigger-name shortstop in a larger shake-up for the position, but it doesn’t feel like the Yankees would be inclined to move on entirely from Volpe, due to his former top-prospect status and the team’s three remaining years of control over his services.  Volpe is arbitration-eligible for the first time this winter, and projected to earn $3.9MM in 2026.

Mets Sign Joe Jacques To Minors Contract

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The Mets have signed left-hander Joe Jacques to a minor league contract, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo reports.  Jacques will receive $800K in prorated salary if he makes New York’s active roster, and he will receive an invitation to the Mets’ Spring Training camp.

The move is a bit of a homecoming for Jacques, who was born in Shrewsbury, New Jersey and played his college ball at Manhattan University.  The Mets are the sixth different organization Jacques has played for since he was a 33rd-round pick for the Pirates in the 2018 draft, and the sidearmer’s on-field resume in the majors consists of 29 2/3 innings with the Red Sox and Diamondbacks over the 2023-24 seasons.

All but three of those innings came during Jacques’ 2023 rookie season in Boston.  The D’Backs claimed him off waivers in April 2024, giving him exactly one MLB appearance each with Boston and Arizona during the 2024 season.  He has since bounced to the Dodgers and Mariners without getting any more time in the Show, as Jacques struggled to a 6.02 ERA over 52 1/3 combined Triple-A innings with both teams’ top affiliates in 2025.

Jacques (who turns 31 in March) is a groundball specialist who has a 61.7% groundball rate in his brief time in the majors.  He has steadily increased his strikeout totals during his minor league career, with a respectable 22.3% strikeout rate to show for his 218 1/3 innings at Triple-A.  Jacques has had very large platoon splits for much of his minor league career and there was still a sizeable gap within his splits in 2025, though left-handed hitters still did pretty well (.768 OPS) against Jacques while righty swingers crushed him (.885 OPS).

Forty-six different players pitched for New York this season, due to both injuries and Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns’ penchant for acquiring and cycling through a ton of arms.  It isn’t surprising to see the Mets get a quick jump on their non-roster invites already, and Jacques figures to be one of many minor league pitching signings for the Amazins as the team tries to figure out its bullpen mix.

Offseason Outlook: Tampa Bay Rays

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The Rays have a new owner and (hopefully) their old ballpark, as the plan is for a renovated and restored Tropicana Field to be ready for the start of the 2026 season.  Beyond those significant details, it may be an otherwise relatively normal Rays offseason, as the team looks to juggle payroll and churn the roster in the hopes of returning to contention.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Yandy Diaz, 1B: $12MM through 2026 (Rays hold $10MM club option for 2027; becomes guaranteed for $13MM if Diaz has 500 plate appearances in 2026)
  • Drew Rasmussen, SP: $6MM through 2026 (includes $500K buyout of $8MM club option for 2027)

Option Decisions

  • Pete Fairbanks, RP: $11MM club option ($1MM buyout)
  • Brandon Lowe, 2B: $11.5MM club option ($500K buyout)
  • Taylor Walls, SS: $2.45MM club option ($50K buyout; Rays have arbitration control over Walls through 2027 whether they exercise the option or not)

2026 financial commitments (if Fairbanks/Lowe options are exercised): $40MM
Total future commitments (if Fairbanks/Lowe options are exercised): $40.5MM

Other Financial Obligations

  • Wander Franco, SS: Owed $164MM through 2032, but isn't being paid while on MLB's restricted list.

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Free Agents

Matt Silverman and Brian Auld have stepped down from their longtime roles as Rays co-presidents, and some other internal changes are inevitable now that Patrick Zalupski's ownership group has taken the reins.  However, the changes won't extend to president of baseball ops Erik Neander, with Zalupski making a point of stating during his introductory press conference that his group has a "self-imposed rule" that "none of us, and none of the partners, are allowed to talk to or have any influence on baseball operations."

The chief short-term goal for Zalupski's group is to finally secure a new ballpark in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area, with the lofty aim of having this new stadium in place for the start of the 2029 season.  It seems like a lot to achieve in less than three and a half years' time, but the bottom line is familiar for Rays fans --- the player payroll doesn't seem likely to change until that new stadium is in place, and new revenues start flowing.

Assuming that the Trop's renovations are completed on schedule, returning to their former ballpark at least represents some relief for the Rays after a season spent at Steinbrenner Field.  The adjustment to suddenly playing home games in a minor league park, and playing outdoors in the tough Florida weather, seemed to take its toll on the Rays as the 2025 campaign rolled along.  Tampa Bay was 47-36 on June 28 and in the thick of the AL East race, but stumbled to a 30-49 record the rest of the way.

Since the Rays were also 80-82 in 2024, this season's subpar record can't be entirely written off as a creation of Steinbrenner Field.  The magic formula hasn't entirely worked for Neander and company in the last two years, even if the Rays have remained quasi-competitive.  This could mean that Tampa Bay might not be far away from a full-fledged return to contention, since a lot still went right for the team in 2025.

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MLBTR Live Chat

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Mark P

  • The Weekend Chat is upon us!  We’ll get things started in a minute or two after the questions start to pile up….

Dave

  • Update on G Stone and R Ryan for Dodgers for beginning of 26

Mark P

  • Definitely the top question on Dodgers fans’ mind as the NLCS begins.  🙂

    Both should be on track to be ready for the start of Spring Training.  It doesn’t appear either pitcher has had any setbacks.

Julio

  • Can my team beat the mighty canadiens

Mark P

  • The Mariners would definitely beat the Montreal Canadiens in a baseball game.

Mike Cutter

  • Will the royals Sign Yaz back .

Mark P

  • A reunion would make a lot of sense.  KC desperately needs outfield help, and Yaz played really well for them in a brief spell.  While it’s safe to assume Yaz wouldn’t keep up those numbers over a full season, it wouldn’t hurt the Royals to sign him to a relatively inexpensive one-year deal as just a part-timer, if necessary

NY Mess

  • Pete wants 7 years. Five seems too long. What is realistic?

Mark P

  • I think he’ll get five years.  It’s hard to imagine any team giving Alonso seven years, and that might’ve just been an aim-high negotiating tactic that will eventually get reduced to a more manageable number.

Angela

  • Want do you see the phillies  doing this off-season

Mark P

  • I’m slated to write the Phillies offseason outlook piece, so stay tuned on that front.  But broadly speaking, I think they need to shake things up as much as they can with the roster.  That means doing all they can to retain Schwarber, but parting ways with Bohm, Stott, Castellanos, and maybe Realmuto.  (The latter one I’m more lukewarm about, since JTR walks, the Phils then have to find another catcher somewhere.)

Michael King

  • Should I opt in with the Padres after the season I just had?

Mark P

  • I assume by “opt in” you mean accept a qualifying offer, since there’s no scenario where King and the Padres both trigger the mutual option.
  • Assuming the mutual option is declined and the Padres issue the QO, I think there’s a more than decent chance King accepts.  He’ll still draw plenty of interest on the open market, but with his injury-riddled 2025 hanging over his head, he might prefer a QO in a familiar locale than rolling the dice on a short-term opt-out laden deal (or a one-year pillow deal) on a new team entirely

Read more

Brandon Woodruff Won’t Be On Brewers’ NLCS Roster

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Brandon Woodruff has yet to take part in the Brewers’ postseason run, as the lat strain the veteran righty suffered in September kept him off Milwaukee’s NLDS roster.  That absence will now stretch into the NL Championship Series, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes that Woodruff has yet to start even playing catch, so he naturally won’t be ready in time for the start of the NLDS on Monday.

With his throwing work still not underway, Woodruff would have to make a lot of progress in a pretty short window of time to receive consideration for a possible World Series roster slot.  If the Brewers defeat the Dodgers in the NLCS, Game 1 of the World Series falls on October 24, giving Woodruff just 12 days to get ramped up enough to pitch even in a relief capacity.

Asked if a return was possible, Woodruff said “I’m not ready to answer that question yet.  I’ve been trying to get ready.  Each day is better and better for me.  I don’t know what tomorrow looks like, but these past 2-3 weeks have been good for me and we’ll see what happens.  It’s too early to make a call on anything.”

Woodruff last pitched on September 17, when he threw a strong start (five IP, one earned run on two hits and no walks with nine strikeouts) in the Brewers’ 9-2 win over the Angels.  The performance continued Woodruff’s quality results in his comeback season, as the right-hander recorded a 3.20 ERA, 32.3% strikeout rate, and 5.4% walk rate across 12 starts and 64 2/3 innings.

These would be outstanding numbers for any pitcher, but it was a particular triumph for Woodruff considering his many injury battles.  Shoulder surgery cost him the entirety of the 2024 season and an ankle issue delayed the start of his 2025 campaign, but Woodruff returned not just healthy, but displaying the kind of form that made him a two-time All-Star.  Unfortunately, Woodruff’s dream return and a surefire role in Milwaukee’ s postseason rotation was spoiled by his lat strain.

With Woodruff still out, Freddy Peralta may be the only Brewers pitcher guaranteed to work as a traditional starter in the NLCS.  Quinn Priester, Jose Quintana, and Chad Patrick could all get starts, or potentially be pseudo-starters in a bulk pitcher capacity, if the Brew Crew again deploy a high-leverage reliever as an opener against Los Angeles.

Mariners Add Bryan Woo, Miles Mastrobuoni To ALCS Roster

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The Mariners announced the 26 players who will be part of their American League Championship Series roster against the Blue Jays.  After using a complement of 14 pitchers and 12 position players against the Tigers in the ALDS, the M’s will use an even 13 pitchers and 13 position players to navigate their series with Toronto.  The full list…

Catchers: Harry Ford, Mitch Garver, Cal Raleigh
Infielders: J.P. Crawford, Josh Naylor, Jorge Polanco, Leo Rivas, Eugenio Suarez
Outfielders: Randy Arozarena, Dominic Canzone, Victor Robles, Julio Rodriguez
Utility player: Miles Mastrobuoni
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, Bryan Woo

The biggest story is Woo’s return, as the right-hander hasn’t pitched since suffering pectoral tightness in a start against the Astros on September 19.  Woo’s ramp-up work didn’t quite allow him to be ready for Seattle’s ALDS roster, but president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said on Friday after the Mariners’ Game 5 clinch that Woo would likely be part of the roster against Toronto.

Dipoto specified that Woo wouldn’t be available until closer to midway through the series, which would seemingly line him up for a start in Game 4.  Because Gilbert and Castillo were both needed in the 15-inning finale against Detroit, the Mariners’ rotation plans over the first two ALCS games in Toronto are very much up in the air.  Miller will start Game 1 on short rest and it can be assumed that Kirby will start Game 3 on regular rest, but it remains to be seen if Castillo and/or Gilbert will be involved in Game 2, and in what capacity.

Woo takes the roster spot of rookie infielder Ben Williamson, who didn’t see any action in the ALDS (and hasn’t played in a big league game since July 30).  Williamson’s inclusion on the ALDS roster was largely as a hedge against Josh Naylor potentially missing time on paternity leave, so the Mariners wouldn’t be left short-handed in terms of infield depth.  As it happened, Naylor played in all five games against Detroit and was still able to welcome his first child into the world.

Seattle’s other change comes on the bench, with one left-handed utilityman in Mastrobuoni replacing another in Luke Raley.  Mastrobuoni doesn’t have Raley’s offensive upside, but brings more to the table in pure versatility.  Raley can play first base and all three outfield positions, but Mastrobuoni saw work at both corner outfield slots and at first base in 2025, as well as time as a second and third baseman.  Essentially, Mastrobuoni’s inclusion allows the Mariners to replace Raley and Williamson in one fell swoop.  Raley came off the bench in four games of the ALDS, with one hit-by-pitch over six plate appearances.

Blue Jays Add Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer To ALCS Roster; Bo Bichette Not Included

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The Blue Jays have announced the 26 players who will be part of their American League Championship Series roster against the Mariners.  As in the ALDS, the Jays will be using 13 pitchers and 13 position players, though a couple of new arms will be joining the pitching staff.  The full list…

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: Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer, Brendon Little
Right-handed pitchers: Chris Bassitt, Shane Bieber, Seranthony Dominguez, Braydon Fisher, Kevin Gausman, Jeff Hoffman, Yariel Rodriguez, Max Scherzer, Louis Varland, Trey Yesavage

Beginning with the most notable omission from the roster, Bo Bichette remains unavailable, as the shortstop has yet to fully recover from a left knee sprain that has kept him out of action since September 6.  Bichette didn’t start any running work until this past Wednesday, but a move to a bit more high-intensity running on the bases yesterday didn’t yield much progress.  Bichette clearly looked to be in discomfort following even this brief session, which created doubt that he would indeed be healthy enough to be activated.

Since Bichette has been able to take batting practice and face live hitting, there had been some speculation that the Jays might use Bichette just in a DH role or even as a pinch-hitting specialist.  Even that limited capacity would involve Bichette having to run in some form if he ended up getting hits, of course, and yesterday’s footage implies that Bichette’s knee is still far from 100 percent.

Technically, the Jays could still activate Bichette at some point during the ALCS if another injury arose.  But the far likelier scenario is that Bichette won’t see any action until the World Series should Toronto advance, and it remains unclear if even 12 more days of rest and rehab will be enough for Bichette to return at all during the Jays’ postseason run.

By this point the Blue Jays have gotten used to playing without Bichette to some extent.  Gimenez has settled in as the glove-first option at shortstop, and the Jays were will able to both win the AL East and defeat the Yankees in the ALDS without Bichette available.  That said, obviously Toronto’s roster is better with Bichette than without, and the Jays figure to miss his bat against the Mariners’ deep pitching staff.

Speaking of rotations, Bassitt and Scherzer return after being left out of the ALCS picture.  Scherzer was omitted since manager John Schneider felt the veteran didn’t match up well against the Yankees in particular, while Bassitt wasn’t fully recovered from a bout of back tightness that sent him to the 15-day injured list on September 19.  The Jays felt they could navigate the five-game ALDS with only three starters (Gausman, Yesavage, Bieber) on the roster, and that proved to be the case, as the relief corps stepped up with a big bullpen-game performance in the clinching Game 4.

Gausman is set to start Game 1, and in all likelihood rookie sensation Yesavage will start Game 2 and Bieber will go in Game 3.  Still, Gausman is the only announced starter to date, so the Blue Jays might still yet creative with their exact deployment of their starters.  Not all five starters will actually start, of course, leaving some question with how Bassitt or Scherzer will be used.  Bassitt has a little more career experience as a reliever, yet Scherzer struggled so much down the stretch that that recent form is a bigger factor for the Jays than Scherzer’s distinguished postseason track record.

Bassitt and Scherzer will be taking the places of relievers Tommy Nance and Justin Bruihl.  Nance was inching his way into higher-leverage work after delivering a 1.99 ERA over 30 1/3 innings in the regular season, but he didn’t look sharp in posting a 13.50 ERA over 1 1/3 innings in the ALDS.  Bruihl was charged for two earned runs in his lone one-third of an inning of ALDS work, and the southpaw was something of a 26th man for much of Toronto’s season, as he logged 13 2/3 innings with a 5.27 ERA.

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