Padres To Select Ty France’s Contract
The Padres have told first baseman Ty France that he has made the Opening Day roster, the San Diego Union-Tribune’s Kevin Acee reports. France will need to have his contract officially selected before the Padres take the field on March 26, but the team has an open space on its 40-man roster.
As per the terms of the minor league contract France signed last month, he’ll earn a $1.35MM salary for making San Diego’s roster. It also officially completes the full-circle nature of France’s signing, as he was drafted by the Padres (as a 34th-round pick) in 2015 and he broke into the majors with the club in 2019.
Now 31 years old, France returns to the Padres as the AL’s reigning Gold Glove winner at first base, and with a track record as a pretty solid regular during his time with the Mariners. Over the last two seasons, however, France’s offense has dipped to a subpar .245/.312/.363 over 1025 plate appearances with the Mariners, Twins, Mariners, and Blue Jays.
Some big numbers in camp helped France earn his spot on the 26-man, and his selection also just about ensures that Sung-Mun Song will begin the season on the 10-day injured list. Song has been battling oblique tightness and only resumed swinging a bat this past week, so he’ll need more time to get fully prepared for his debut in North American baseball.
Song’s injury created room for France, even if he’ll join a crowded first base picture. Gavin Sheets is ostensibly the starting first baseman but he probably won’t face much left-handed pitching, allowing room for France, Miguel Andujar, or newly-converted first baseman Nick Castellanos (all righty bats) to get playing time. The DH spot is also a revolving door in San Diego, giving the team more leeway in finding at-bats for all of these players.
As an Article XX(B) free agent, France has the ability to exercise the first of three opt-out dates in his minor league contract this weekend if the Padres didn’t add him to the 40-man roster. It isn’t known if France actually triggered his opt-out or if the Padres added him to the roster in advance of any decision, but the end result is that France is now sticking around in San Diego.
Orioles Option Dean Kremer To Minors
The Orioles trimmed their spring roster to 43 players with four more cuts today. The team announced that right-handers Hans Crouse, Nestor German, and Trey Gibson were all reassigned to the minor league camp, and in a much more surprising move, right-hander Dean Kremer was optioned to the minor league camp.
Kremer’s move was due to roster needs, rather than a reflection of his performance. Between Opening Day and April 10, the Orioles have three off-days, meaning that even a five-man rotation isn’t really needed for a team that had to choose between six starters. Trevor Rogers, Chris Bassitt, Kyle Bradish, and Shane Baz had four of those rotation spots covered, leaving Kremer and Zach Eflin as the likeliest candidates for the fifth starter’s job.
Eflin underwent a lumbar microdiscectomy procedure last August, leaving his availability for Opening Day in question. The O’s felt good enough in Eflin’s overall health to sign the righty to a one-year, $10MM contract in December, and Eflin has progressed well enough in camp that a stint on the injured list no longer seems necessary.
It leaves Kremer as the odd man out, despite his solid work in Baltimore’s rotation over the last four seasons. The right-hander has a 3.95 ERA over 599 1/3 innings from 2022-25, with a 7.4% walk rate and 20.3% strikeout rate. Kremer is lacking in punchouts and velocity, but he has been a durable starter with mostly strong control, and he has been increasingly good at inducing soft contact over the last two years.
In all likelihood, Kremer will be back in the Show once the Orioles get onto a more regular schedule, or even earlier if an injury arises. It remains to be seen how Baltimore will deploy its starters over the course of the season or if a six-man rotation could eventually be used, but injuries or ineffectiveness usually end up solving any temporary pitching surpluses. For now, at least, the O’s are in the rare “good problem to have” position of too many healthy starters for too few rotation spots.
Angels Release Hunter Strickland
The Angels announced that right-hander Hunter Strickland and utilityman Chris Taylor have been released. Taylor was known to be on the way out after he opted out of his minor league deal with the team yesterday, and Strickland may well be in the same situation as another veteran player in camp as a non-roster invite.
Strickland was making a good case for himself by posting a 1.80 ERA over five innings in Cactus League ball this spring, but it apparently wasn’t enough for the 37-year-old to land a spot in the Los Angeles bullpen. This release marks the end of what is technically Strickland’s fourth different stint with the Angels, and this familiarity could perhaps hint at another contract in the near future.
Because Strickland’s first opt-out date fell this weekend and the Angels had to make a decision, this release could be a way of navigating that deadline and getting the righty back in the organization on another minors deal soon. It would depend on how comfortable Strickland feels with the Angels, if he perhaps has gotten assurances he’ll be called up to the majors in short order, or if he can perhaps find another opportunity elsewhere.
Over 95 1/3 innings with the 2024-25 Angels, Strickland has posted a 3.30 ERA, though his 18.4% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate are nothing special. These secondary metrics and Strickland’s age perhaps limited him to non-guaranteed offers this winter, and it didn’t help that he missed a big chunk of the 2025 campaign with a shoulder injury. He has looked healthy this spring, and his solid numbers in camp may draw some attention from another team if he indeed doesn’t end up back in Anaheim.
Kirby Yates, Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano, and Brent Suter will all be part of the Angels’ bullpen, as the team loaded up on other veteran relievers on one-year contracts. The rest of the relief corps is a little uncertain, as much hinges on the health of rotation candidates Grayson Rodriguez and Alek Manoah. Jack Kochanowicz and Ryan Johnson will be on the 26-man roster in some capacity, either in the pen or as starters if either of Rodriguez or Manoah begin the season on the 15-day injured list. Walbert Urena is also on the radar for a starting or relief role, adding to the Halos’ decisions heading into Opening Day.
Tigers Release Austin Slater
The Tigers have released outfielder Austin Slater, according to several Tigers beat writers (including the Detroit Free Press’ Evan Petzold). Slater was in camp on a minor league contract, and as an Article XX(B) free agent, the first of his three opt-out clauses fell this weekend. As per Petzold, Slater exercised his opt-out, and the Tigers chose to part ways with the outfielder rather than add him to the 40-man roster.
It is possible Slater could soon re-sign with Detroit, if this release was something of a handshake agreement just to get past the first Article XX(B) deadline. Or, it might be that the Tigers are willing to let Slater go since they’re satisfied with their right-handed hitting depth options. While a Detroit lineup heavy in left-handed bats could get another lefty swinger if top prospect Kevin McGonigle makes the team, the Tigers have Matt Vierling, Jahmai Jones, and Javier Baez set for platoon or bench duty as right-handed hitters.
Slater is entering his age-33 season, and now looking for a job in what would be his tenth MLB season. The majority of that time was spent with San Francisco, but Slater has since bounced around since the Giants dealt him to the Reds in July 2024. Slater has seen time in the bigs with the Giants, Reds, Orioles, White Sox, and Yankees over the last two seasons, with only a .212/.299/.314 slash line to show for 372 plate appearances. Injuries also impacted his 2025 season, as Slater spent time on the injured list with both a meniscus tear in his right knee and a left hamstring strain.
The chances of a potential reunion with Slater and the Tigers may hinge on how much interest Slater can find on the open market. Depending on other roster cuts or perhaps an injury or two, Slater might be able to find another job (and a clearer path to big league playing time) on another team. If nothing materializes after he tests the market, Slater could be open to returning to Detroit’s farm system.
Yankees To Select Randal Grichuk’s Contract
The Yankees will be selecting outfielder Randal Grichuk‘s contract, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including the New York Post’s Greg Joyce) that Grichuk has made the Opening Day roster. New York has a full 40-man roster, so another transaction will be required to add Grichuk before the team’s first game on Wednesday.
In making the team, Grichuk locks in a $2.5MM salary for the 2026 season, as per the terms of the minor league deal he signed last month. Grichuk is an Article XX(B) free agent, meaning that his contract included three standard opt-out dates that he could trigger if not added to the 40-man roster. The first of those opt-outs was set for this weekend, so the Yankees have now sidestepped the issue by adding the outfielder to the 26-man roster.
Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, and Cody Bellinger are set as New York’s starting outfield, and utilityman Amed Rosario and Grichuk now line up as the backup outfield options. (Giancarlo Stanton will probably get some time in the outfield this season, but he will be mostly be utilized as a designated hitter.) Bronx fans may not be pleased at seeing Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones relegated to Triple-A to begin the season, though the Yankees want those prized youngsters playing every day, whereas Grichuk is more suited to the sporadic nature of a big league backup job.
The right-handed hitting Grichuk figures to get most or all of his playing time when a southpaw is on the mound. Grichuk’s numbers against right-handers have tailed off over the years but he remained very dangerous against lefties, apart from a lackluster .227/.273/.430 slash line in 183 PA against left-handers last season when Grichuk was playing with the Diamondbacks and Royals.
Grichuk didn’t erase many doubts this spring by posting only a .313 OPS across 16 plate appearances in Grapefruit League games, but the Yankees are looking past that small sample size (and even the 2025 season) to the 34-year-old’s overall track record. While best suited for a corner outfield role, Grichuk can hold his own as a center fielder, making him a decent choice as a fourth outfielder and a candidate to spell the left-handed hitting Grisham when a lefty is on the mound.
Grichuk will be the only new face in a Yankees position-player mix that is basically unchanged from 2025. Rosario and Paul Goldschmidt were re-signed and will join Grichuk in backup roles, plus Bellinger was re-signed to a five-year, $162.5MM contract and Grisham stayed put by accepting the qualifying offer. Anthony Volpe will begin the season on the injured list, moving Jose Caballero into regular shortstop duty and increasing Rosario’s importance as the backup infielder.
Braves Sign Dominic Smith, Kyle Farmer To Split Contracts
The Braves announced that Dominic Smith and Kyle Farmer have been signed to Major League split contracts for the 2026 season. The two veterans were already in camp on minor league deals, but as Article XX(B) free agents, Smith and Farmer had the ability to opt out of their contracts five days before Opening Day if they weren’t added to the Braves’ 40-man roster.
These new deals mean that Smith and Farmer will be breaking camp with the club. The Braves have two open spots on their 40-man roster, so they can easily accommodate officially selecting Smith and Farmer closer to the team’s first game. Both players are out of minor league options and the Braves would have to designate either for assignment and then sweat out any waiver claims before sending either to the minors, plus Smith and Farmer have enough MLB service time to just reject a minor league assignment anyway.
It seemed like the two veterans were both somewhat long shots to make Atlanta’s roster, yet some opportunity was created when Jurickson Profar was issued a season-long PED suspension, and Ha-Seong Kim suffered a torn finger tendon that will keep him out until at least the start of May. The door may now be open for Smith to earn some at-bats as a left-handed hitting option for the DH spot, even if his usual first base spot is obviously filled by Matt Olson on an everyday basis. Smith has played in just one Major League game as an outfielder over the last four seasons, but he could get some occasional backup work if Ronald Acuna Jr. or Mike Yastrzemski needs a rest day.
For Farmer, Mauricio Dubon taking over the shortstop role in Kim’s absence means the Braves are short some versatile infield depth. Jorge Mateo and Brett Wisely are also competing for bench jobs and Eli White is expected to be the primary backup outfielder, and both Wisely and White are also out of minor league options.
Martin Perez is another minor league signing in Atlanta’s camp, and MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports that Perez has been told he isn’t making the team. However, the veteran southpaw will forego his first Article XX(B) opt-out clause and remain in the organization as a Triple-A depth farm.
Phillies To Select Justin Crawford’s Contract
The Phillies have told outfield prospect Justin Crawford that he’ll be breaking camp with the team, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. The widely-expected move means that Crawford will need to have his contract officially selected to Philadelphia’s 40-man roster before Opening Day, but that isn’t an issue since the Phils currently have only 38 spots filled.
There was some speculation that Crawford would receive his first call to the majors last summer, though the Phillies instead chose to keep him in Triple-A for the entirety of his age-21 season. Crawford (who turned 22 in January) hit .334/.411/.452 with seven homers and 46 steals (out of 57 attempts) over 506 plate appearances with Lehigh Valley, which represented Crawford’s first taste of Triple-A action.
It was an impressive performance that only cemented Crawford’s status as a key plank of the Phillies’ future. The offseason saw Max Kepler and Nick Castellanos subtracted from the Phils’ outfield picture, Harrison Bader left to sign with the Giants, and another unexpected development emerged earlier this week when Johan Rojas was issued an 80-game PED suspension. Philadelphia signed Adolis Garcia to take over in the right field, and with Brandon Marsh returning to take the bulk of the left field at-bats, Crawford will line up as the Phillies’ regular choice in center field.
Pundits are mixed on whether or not Crawford will be able to stick in center field, or if he’ll eventually need to move to left field (like his dad, former four-time All-Star Carl Crawford). As a hitter, Crawford’s ability to consistently put the ball in the air may be his biggest challenge against Major League pitching, as he has posted high grounder rates throughout his minor league career. On the positive side, Crawford has at least reduced his grounder rates every year, and his 70-grade speed allows him to beat out several of those grounders.
The 17th overall pick of the 2022 draft, Crawford has drawn regular attention on top-100 prospect lists. Heading into 2026, the Athletic’s Keith Law has Crawford highest on his list in the 48th spot, while MLB Pipeline (53rd), ESPN (69th), and Baseball America (75th) continue to include the outfielder in their rankings.
This top-100 prospect status and Crawford’s inclusion on the Opening Day roster means that he can qualify for the Prospect Promotion Incentive. If Crawford logs a full year of MLB service time and either wins the 2026 Rookie of the Year Award or finishes within the top three in NL MVP voting in his pre-arbitration seasons, Philadelphia would earn a bonus draft pick down the road.
Between Crawford and Andrew Painter, the Phillies have two PPI-eligible players as part their Opening Day roster. The two highly-touted prospects face some extra pressure in joining a Phils team expecting to contend for a World Series this year, plus there’s the bigger-picture importance of how having two everyday contributors (or even breakout stars) on inexpensive pre-arb contracts can help the big-spending Phillies somewhat balance their payroll.
Red Sox To Use Marcelo Mayer As Starting Second Baseman, Kristian Campbell Optioned To Triple-A
In an unsurprising move, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe) that Marcelo Mayer will make the Opening Day roster and act as Boston’s regular second baseman. It isn’t quite an everyday role, as Cora said the left-handed hitting Mayer will be protected against some southpaw pitchers. Veteran infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa or utilityman Andruw Monasterio are both right-handed batters and should be part of this platoon at the keystone.
Mayer didn’t exactly force the issue by hitting only .214/.389/.321 over 36 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action, but it always seemed like the former top prospect was being lined up for some type of regular role in the Red Sox infield as either the second or third baseman. After the Sox didn’t land such targets as Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette this winter, Caleb Durbin was acquired from the Brewers and will handle third-base duties, leaving second as Mayer’s landing spot.
Selected fourth overall in the 2021 draft, Mayer was a fixture within the top-15 of MLB Pipeline and Baseball America’s top-100 lists in each of the last four years. He made his big league debut last season and hit .228/.272/.402 over 136 plate appearances before suffering a wrist sprain that eventually required surgery. Mayer mostly played third base last year since his call-up coincided with an IL stint for Bregman, though he did make eight appearances at second base and two cameos at shortstop.
Mayer was initially drafted as a shortstop, and that could eventually still end up as his position in the majors once Trevor Story‘s contract is up following the 2027 season. For now, the plan is just to get Mayer acclimated to playing in the bigs and for the 23-year-old to establish himself as at least a solid regular. The Sox don’t need for Mayer to be a star just yet, as it’s a good step in his development for Mayer to just stay on the field altogether after a few injury-marred years.
In other roster news, the Red Sox have optioned Kristian Campbell to Triple-A Worcester, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports. This decision was also no surprise given the crowded state of Boston’s roster, and playing everyday in Worcester makes more sense for Campbell than playing sparingly in a part-time role with the Sox.
A year ago at this time, Campbell was preparing to make his MLB debut, as the Red Sox chose to include the breakout prospect on their Opening Day roster. A fourth-round pick for Boston in the 2023 draft, Campbell tore up minor league pitching in his first two pro seasons, and was hitting so well that he’d earned a promotion to Triple-A before the 2024 season was over. Within a week of his first game in the Show, the Red Sox cemented Campbell’s spot as a cornerstone by signing him to an eight-year, $60MM extension.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly when Campbell hit .313/.420/.515 over his first 119 PA in the majors, but what looked like an epic rookie season quickly came to a halt, as he hit only .157/.241/.220 over his next 141 PA. Campbell’s defense was also a big concern, as he posted -16 Defensive Runs Saved and -8 Outs Above Average across only 471 2/3 innings at second base.
The Red Sox chose to option Campbell to Worcester last June 20, and he didn’t receive another call-up over the remainder of the 2025 campaign. Campbell hit a decent but unspectacular .273/.382/.417 over 319 Triple-A PA, and he spent most of his time on the diamond as a first baseman, as well as seeing time at all three outfield slots in addition to second base.
Where Campbell might end up on the big league roster remains speculative. The Red Sox outfield is already crowded (Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu), plus Masataka Yoshida remains in the outfield and DH mix. Mayer and Durbin have second and third base covered for now. As for first base, offseason acquisition Willson Contreras has two years remaining on his contract, so that’s still a while for Campbell to wait if the Sox potentially now view him as Contreras’ heir apparent. Triston Casas is also still in the first base picture, looking to bounce back from his injury-shortened 2025 season.
Some future trades could potentially clear this situation up to some extent, with Duran, Casas, and Yoshida often mentioned as speculative trade candidates. Campbell’s contract keeps him part of Boston’s future plans and also probably keeps him off the trade market, as any interested teams would be making a $57MM investment in a belief that Campbell will emerge in the big leagues.
Offseason In Review: Washington Nationals
The reloaded rebuild officially got underway in D.C., as the MacKenzie Gore trade signaled that the Nationals are still years away from contention.
Major League Signings
- Zack Littell, RHP: One year, $7MM (includes $4MM buyout of a mutual option for the 2027 season)
- Foster Griffin, LHP: One year, $5.5MM
- Miles Mikolas, RHP: One year, $2.25MM
2026 spending: $14.75MM
Total spending: $14.75M
Trades And Claims
- Acquired five minor leaguers (SS Gavin Fien, RHP Alejandro Rosario, 1B/OF Abimelec Ortiz, IF Devin Fitz-Gerald, OF Yeremy Cabrera) from Rangers for LHP MacKenzie Gore
- Acquired C Harry Ford and RHP Isaac Lyon from Mariners for LHP Jose A. Ferrer
- Acquired RHP Andre Granillo from Cardinals for RHP George Soriano (Nats claimed Soriano off waivers from Braves earlier in the offseason)
- Acquired RHP Luis Perales from Red Sox for LHP Jake Bennett
- Claimed OF Joey Wiemer off waivers from Giants
- Claimed LHP Ken Waldichuk off waivers from Rays
- Claimed RHP Paxton Schultz off waivers from Blue Jays
- Claimed RHP Gus Varland off waivers from Diamondbacks
- Selected RHP Griff McGarry from Phillies in Rule 5 Draft
Option Decisions
- None
Notable Minor League Signings
- Cionel Perez, Matt Mervis, Sergio Alcantara, Trevor Gott, Drew Smith, Zach Penrod, Warming Bernabel, Tres Barrera, Levi Jordan, Bryce Montes de Oca
Extensions
- Cade Cavalli, RHP: One year, $870K (includes $7.5K buyout of $4MM club option for 2027)
Notable Losses
- Gore, Josh Bell, Paul DeJong, Jorge Alfaro, Ryan Loutos, Zach Brzykcy, Konnor Pilkington, Erick Mejia, Sauryn Lao
Acquiring young players is a key plank of any rebuild, but the Nationals took it a step further by also beginning a youth movement off the field. Newly-hired president of baseball operations Paul Toboni is only 36 years old, new general manager Anirudh Kilambi is 32, new manager Blake Butera is only 33, and most of Butera’s new coaching staff are also under age 40. (Bench coach Michael Johns is the relative greybeard of the group at age 50.)
This wasn’t an entirely intentional goal for Toboni or Nats ownership, as more experienced names like Brandon Hyde, Rocco Baldelli, and interim manager Miguel Cairo also drew interest in the managerial search. The end result, however, is clear — the Nationals have brought a lot of fresh perspectives into the overhauled organization, following the 19-year tenure of former PBO Mike Rizzo and longtime manager Davey Martinez.
The Rizzo/Martinez era was highlighted by the Nationals’ 2019 World Series title, but the team has now posted six straight losing seasons since that championship year. Heading into 2025, Washington had some buzz as a darkhorse playoff contender, as it seemed like the team’s young core was starting to gel and a full breakout might be in the offing. Instead, the Nats were 37-53 at the time of Rizzo and Martinez’s firing in early July, and they finished with a 66-96 record.
Given the circumstances, it was never likely that Toboni was being hired to win in 2026. The only question was how active Toboni might be in tearing the roster down, or standing pat to take 2026 as something of an evaluation year for the organization (similar to Scott Harris’ quiet first offseason as the Tigers’ president of baseball ops). While Washington didn’t go into full fire-sale mode or anything, the decision was made to move one of the team’s more obvious trade candidates in Gore.
As Toboni plainly told the media after Gore was dealt to the Rangers, “we lost 96 games last year. To turn it around in one year and make the playoffs….not to say it can’t be done, but it’s a challenge. What we want to do is make sure we build this really strong foundation, so when we do start to push chips in, we can win for an extended period of time.”
Gore is only arbitration-controlled through the 2027 season, thus making him superfluous to a Nats team that doesn’t look like it will be trying to compete within the next two years. As one might expect, a controllable, 27-year-old southpaw who has shown some front-of-the-rotation upside drew a lot of interest, as reports indicated that up to half of the league checked in on Gore’s availability. The Orioles, Royals, and Yankees were all publicly mentioned as Gore suitors, but it was Texas who sealed the deal with a five-prospect trade package.
The preseason top-100 prospect rankings from Baseball America and MLB Pipeline didn’t include any of the five players from the Gore trade, with Gavin Fien (the 12th overall pick of the 2025 draft) ranked highest of the group by both outlets as the fifth-best prospect in the Nats’ farm system. According to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, Toboni was very high on Fien last summer when Toboni was still working as the Red Sox assistant GM and running Boston’s draft room, except the Rangers took Fien just before Boston could make the 15th overall selection.
This may well have been the ace up the Rangers’ sleeve in winning the Gore bidding, and since Fien just turned 19, he also fits into what seems to be a longer-term blueprint for Toboni. Abimelec Ortiz is the only player of the five who could conceivably reach the big league roster before 2028, and Ortiz may have a ceiling on his potential as a powerful but raw slugger who has struggled against lefties and may be limited to first base duty.
Given all of the interest in Gore, D.C. fans may have been a little dismayed that the team opted for a trade package that looks like quantity over quality, in terms of true blue-chip prospects. Ironically, many Mariners fans had similar feeling when top-100 list fixture Harry Ford was dealt to Washington for Jose A. Ferrer in early December, as the Seattle fanbase felt a highly-touted catching prospect should’ve brought back more than “just” a relief pitcher.
Ferrer is a hard-throwing left-hander who projects as another high-leverage arm for a Mariners team that is trying to win it all in 2026. Since he was controlled through 2029, Ferrer wasn’t viewed as an obvious trade candidate, yet Toboni may have been looking to sell high on a reliever who (despite impressive velocity) has shown to be more of a grounder specialist than a strikeout artist.
Ford was the 12th overall pick of the 2021 draft, but his potential as Seattle’s catcher of the future was quickly usurped by Cal Raleigh‘s rise to stardom. While Ford will begin his 2026 season with Triple-A Rochester, his path to future playing time in Washington isn’t nearly as crowded, even though Keibert Ruiz is still under contract through at least the 2030 season. Just three years removed from signing an eight-year, $50MM contract extension, Ruiz struggled both offensively and defensively in 2024-25, and the Ford trade may indicate that the writing on the wall about Ruiz’s status with Washington’s new front office.
Trading Ruiz will be difficult given his contract and lack of recent success, so even a decent first half (or however long it is before Ford to be called up) likely wouldn’t be enough to recoup much trade value. While Ruiz is probably not going anywhere, the same might not be true of Jacob Young or CJ Abrams, who each drew trade buzz this past winter but now look to at least make it to Opening Day in a Nationals uniform.
Young is a fantastic defensive center fielder who hasn’t yet hit at the MLB level, so the Nats could look to move him if the team feels Young’s bat just won’t come around. The Joey Wiemer waiver claim was probably more about adding outfield depth than the Nationals finding a potential Young replacement in center, but it does give D.C. an alternative if a center field-needy team suddenly came calling with a tempting offer.
Abrams and Gore were two of the principles in the blockbuster trade package the Nationals received from the Padres for Juan Soto in 2022, and like Gore, Abrams has been solid if not a true finished product yet at the big league level. Abrams’ last two seasons have seen him hit well in the first half before tailing off badly in the second half, plus his shortstop glovework is well below par.
Such teams as the Royals and Giants were linked to Abrams’ market this winter, with both of those teams surely viewing Abrams more as a second baseman than a shortstop. Since Abrams is arb-controlled through 2028, Washington isn’t in any kind of a rush to trade him immediately, and waiting a bit longer might be a preferable option for both the Nats and rival teams. A consistent 2026 campaign from Abrams would both make suitors more comfortable in making a solid offer for the infielder, and the Nationals more likely to land their desired asking price.
More future-focused moves came in the form of Griff McGarry’s selection in the Rule 5 Draft, and the trades that respectively brought right-handers Andre Granillo and Luis Perales from the Cardinals and Red Sox. Control problems stalled McGarry’s progress as a starter in the Phillies’ farm system, but the Nats could give him a look all year on the big league roster in order to evaluate the right-hander and fully secure his rights. Granillo also issued a good deal of walks during his time in the St. Louis farm system, but he is a big league-ready reliever with 21 innings of experience in the Show. Perales is a hard-throwing righty still working his way back from a Tommy John surgery, and Toboni is obviously quite familiar with Perales from their time in the Boston organization.
Since the Nationals still have a season to play in 2026, they also made some moves to more directly address the current roster. Any of Zack Littell, Miles Mikolas, or Foster Griffin could find themselves on the move at the trade deadline as rental pieces, but for now, they’ll reinforce a D.C. rotation that badly needed some stability.
Littell could be considered the de facto ace, given that he had a 3.88 ERA and an elite 4.2% walk rate over 186 2/3 innings with the Rays and Reds last season. However, Littell’s penchant for allowing home runs and his lack of velocity or strikeout power were all reasons why the veteran was still a free agent less than two weeks ago, and why he was available for a one-year, $7MM deal. That’s still quite a decent price for even just an innings eater, and Nationals Park should prove to be a little friendlier to Littell than his homer-happy home stadiums in 2025.
Mikolas has a similar resume as a low-strikeout pitcher with excellent control and the ability to cover innings, and he has a longer track record in rotations since Littell only became a full-time starter in 2023. Mikolas has posted only a 4.98 ERA over 529 1/3 innings since the start of the 2023 season, and his pinpoint control has only been able to do so much to paper over the right-hander’s diminishing effectiveness.
After posting a 6.75 ERA over eight MLB innings with the Royals and Blue Jays from 2020-22, Griffin revived his career with a 2.57 ERA across 315 2/3 innings with the Yomiuri Giants over the last three seasons. The 30-year-old represents an intriguing wild card for the Nationals, and Washington’s ability to offer Griffin a clear-cut rotation job might’ve helped the Nats win the bidding amidst multiple teams interested in Griffin’s market.
The free agent trio with join Cade Cavalli (tabbed as the Opening Day starter) and Jake Irvin in the Nationals’ starting rotation. DJ Herz and Trevor Williams are expected to make midseason returns from elbow surgeries and could slot into an rotation spot opened up by a pre-deadline trade. Any of Josiah Gray, Andrew Alvarez, Mitchell Parker, swingman Brad Lord, Jake Eder, or Perales could all end up getting starts before 2026 is out, either due to injuries, trades, or because the Nats want to audition as many starters as possible.
Evaluation is really the key word for this year’s District squad. This is a very young Nationals roster without a lot of Major League experience, and the bullpen in particular will be very inexperienced unless a minor league signing like Cionel Perez or Drew Smith makes the team. Among the position players, even the more seasoned members of that group (i.e. Ruiz, Luis Garcia Jr.) are probably more focused on trying to re-establish themselves as quality big leaguers than they are being relative mentors to their younger teammates.
While Washington is probably going to have one of the worst records in baseball, this chaos can be a ladder. There is plenty of room here for youngsters to step up and become part of future plans, and to put a couple of building blocks in place for the Nationals’ next winning roster. It will also be interesting to see how Butera (the youngest Major League manager in over 50 years) adjusts to being a skipper in the big leagues, and if he can become the latest ex-Rays staffer to find success in another organization.
How would you grade the Nationals' offseason?
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C 33% (388)
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D 33% (388)
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F 18% (204)
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B 13% (146)
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A 3% (38)
Total votes: 1,164
Offseason In Review: Toronto Blue Jays
The Blue Jays reinforced their rotation, said goodbye to longtime shortstop Bo Bichette, and (again) lost a major free agent bidding war to the Dodgers.
Major League Signings
- Dylan Cease, RHP: Seven years, $210MM ($64MM deferred)
- Kazuma Okamoto, 3B/OF: Four years, $60MM (Blue Jays also paid $10.875MM posting fee to the Yomiuri Giants)
- Tyler Rogers, RHP: Three years, $37MM (includes $1MM buyout of 2029 club/vesting option)
- Cody Ponce, RHP: Three years, $30MM
- Max Scherzer, RHP: One year, $3MM
2026 spending: $70MM
Total spending: $340MM
Trades And Claims
- Acquired OF Jesus Sanchez from Astros for OF Joey Loperfido
- Acquired RHP Chase Lee from Tigers for minor league LHP Johan Simon
- Acquired cash considerations from Guardians for LHP Justin Bruihl
- Selected RHP Spencer Miles from the Giants in the Rule 5 Draft
Option Decisions
- Shane Bieber, RHP: Exercised $16MM player option for 2026
Notable Minor League Signings
- Eloy Jimenez, Juan Yepez, Jorge Alcala, Josh Winckowski, Joe Mantiply, Nic Enright, Jesse Hahn, Connor Seabold, Josh Fleming, CJ Stubbs, Caleb Freeman, Michael Plassmeyer
Extensions
- None to date
Notable Losses
- Loperfido, Bo Bichette, Chris Bassitt, Seranthony Dominguez, Ty France, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Nick Sandlin, Paxton Schultz, Ryan Borucki, Easton Lucas, Ryan Burr, Dillon Tate
The usual “Toronto is interested in everyone” rumors barely got a chance to get rolling before the Blue Jays made the early strike of signing Dylan Cease before the end of November. Even with some deferred money involved, Cease’s seven-year, $210MM pact is the largest free agent signing in Jays history, and it was the first indication that the Jays would again be shopping at the top of the market.
The durable Cease has logged 942 1/3 innings since the start of the 2020 season, and he has never been on the big league injured list apart from a brief stint on the COVID-19 IL in 2021. Beyond this ability to stay on the mound, Cease misses a lot of bats (29.7% strikeout rate over the last five years), and he is a hard thrower with some of the best fastball spin rates in the league. The down side is that Cease has below-average control and he has been prone to giving up hard contact, which is why Cease’s ERAs (like his 4.55 mark with the Padres in 2025) can be higher than his peripheral numbers would reflect.
It is certainly possible the Jays think pitching coach Pete Walker and the team’s development staff can help Cease find more consistency, and ideally get him back to his 2022 AL Cy Young runner-up form. Even the current version of Cease, however, is a pitcher the Blue Jays view as capable of starting playoff games come October.
Cody Ponce’s three-year, $30MM deal was another intriguing investment in the rotation. Ponce’s MLB resume consists of a 5.86 ERA over 55 1/3 innings with the 2020-21 Pirates, but the right-hander then went overseas, spending three seasons in Japan before heading to the KBO League’s Hanwha Eagles in 2025. The result was a sparkling 1.89 ERA, 36.2% K%, and six percent walk rate over 180 2/3 innings, and Ponce earned both KBO MVP and the Dong-Won Choi Award (the equivalent of the Cy Young) while helping lead the Eagles to a berth in the Korean Series.
The Blue Jays obviously wouldn’t mind if Ponce continues this form in his return to the majors, but more realistically, Ponce becoming a decent mid-range starter would still make his contract a relative bargain, when compared to the broader starting pitching market as a whole. Ponce will be used as a starter, and if that role doesn’t work out, his skillset could perhaps translate well to relief work, so the Jays could still some return on their investment.
Cease and Ponce are the newcomers joining a pair of familiar faces returning to the Jays rotation. Max Scherzer waited until early March to decide on his next team, and he opted for a return engagement in Toronto on a one-year, $3MM guarantee that includes up to $10MM in innings-based bonuses. Shane Bieber was the first pitching domino to fall in the Jays offseason when he eschewed free agency altogether, passing on a opt-out clause to instead remain in his contract on a $16MM salary for 2026.
Bieber’s decision was a surprise at the time, though reports emerged in December that Bieber pitched through some forearm fatigue during the end of the 2025 season. To that end, the Blue Jays will place Bieber on the 15-day IL to begin the coming season so that he can fully ramp up, since he has yet to start throwing off a mound this spring.
The Jays’ knowledge of Bieber’s situation surely informed their contract with Scherzer, which added to a rotation picture is overcrowded on paper. If everyone is healthy, there technically won’t be enough starts to go around between Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, Jose Berrios, Cease, Ponce, Scherzer, Bieber, and swingman Eric Lauer.
As is often the way in baseball, there’s no such thing as “too much” pitching. Beyond Bieber, Berrios is also dealing with elbow inflammation and could be an IL candidate. The Jays are giving Yesavage a gradual build as they manage his innings heading into the postseason hero’s first full Major League season. Ponce is an unproven commodity in MLB action, and Scherzer is 41 with a checkered injury history. Even beyond the names set for the 26-man roster, depth starter Bowden Francis will miss the season due to Tommy John surgery, and former top prospect Ricky Tiedemann dealt with some elbow soreness this spring as he continues his own return from a TJ procedure.
Even if Berrios had some hard feelings about the end of his 2025 season or Lauer would’ve preferred a clear-cut starting job, there should be enough starts to go around for everyone. Since the Blue Jays are intent on winning the World Series, the team is building a pitching staff for a seven-month run, not just a six-month regular season.
This plan extends to the bullpen, which is why Tyler Rogers received a hefty three-year, $37MM contract on the open market. Though Rogers is entering his age-35 season, the veteran right-hander has been the picture of durability, as well as having some of the best command of any pitcher in the sport. An old-school outlier in today’s velocity-centric game, Rogers’ sinker doesn’t even reach the mid-80s, but he is a master at inducing grounders and soft contact.
Rogers is the only real new face within a bullpen that lost Seranthony Dominguez in free agency, and won’t have Yimi Garcia available at the start of the year. Trade acquisition Chase Lee could become a part of the picture as the season develops, and Rule 5 selections Angel Bastardo and Spencer Miles (selected in the last two R5s) will have trouble fitting onto the roster or staying in the Jays organization.
A minor league signing like Connor Seabold or Joe Mantiply could stand out, and a southpaw like Mantiply could benefit from the unsettled nature of the pen’s left-handed corps. Brendon Little and Mason Fluharty struggled down the stretch and in the playoffs, and Lauer isn’t really a fit in a true left-handed specialist sense since he’ll be kept stretched out for at least multi-inning work if the Jays ever need to quickly call on him for a start.
Left-handed bullpen help could therefore be on Toronto’s radar come the trade deadline, and a more high-profile move for a closer also shouldn’t be ruled out. Jeff Hoffman will return as the Blue Jays’ ninth-inning man, even though GM Ross Atkins suggested back in November that Hoffman was fine with moving into a set-up role if necessary. The team’s explorations into the bullpen market bore out its interest in a new closer, as the Jays reportedly had interest in such free agents as Edwin Diaz, Robert Suarez, Raisel Iglesias, Pete Fairbanks, and Ryan Helsley.
Other pitchers on Toronto’s radar included relievers like Luke Weaver, Phil Maton, and Brad Keller, while such free agent starters as Framber Valdez, Michael King, and former Blue Jay Chris Bassitt drew at least some interest. There was some speculation that the Jays could make a late push for Valdez after he lingered on the market into February, but the left-hander instead signed with the Tigers, and Toronto pivoted to Scherzer a month later.
Moving into the position-player ranks, Alex Bregman, Ketel Marte, Cody Bellinger, Munetaka Murakami, and Yoan Moncada were all linked to the Blue Jays at various points this winter. These players were primarily viewed as backup plans for the Jays, however, as Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette were seen as Toronto’s biggest targets. As the offseason continued and the markets for both players remained unclear, there was some thought that the Jays could even sign both Tucker and Bichette, if the team wanted to go all out with its spending.
As it turned out, both Tucker and Bichette will be playing elsewhere in 2026. In Tucker’s case, the Blue Jays were reportedly the only suitor who made a major long-term offer, in the form of a ten-year, $350MM deal. The Mets offered Tucker a four-year, $220MM contract with multiple opt-outs, and the Dodgers a slightly larger four-year, $240MM pact (also with opt-outs) that Tucker ended up signing. Tucker could conceivably return to free agency as early as the 2027-28 offseason, but for the next two years, he’ll be joining the Dodgers’ push for more rings.
Bichette could be a free agent again next winter, if he triggers the first of the two opt-outs in his three-year, $126MM deal with the Mets, as New York quickly moved on from Tucker to sign another multi-time All-Star to a similar contract structure. In Bichette’s case, it was the Phillies who offered a longer-term (seven years and between $190-$200MM) deal, and president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski felt “we were very close to having a deal done,” before Bichette chose New York over Philadelphia.
It isn’t known what the Blue Jays offered Bichette, or if the team necessarily even put a concrete offer on the table to its longtime infielder. While re-signing Bichette seemed like a more realistic scenario for Toronto than pursuing a Bregman or a Bellinger, it always somewhat felt like Toronto was expecting Bichette to leave — even dating back to last winter, when Andres Gimenez was acquired from the Guardians as an unofficial shortstop-in-waiting.
The Kazuma Okamoto signing also cast more doubt on a Bichette return. With Bichette, Tucker, and plenty of other position players still available, the Jays instead pivoted to sign the Japanese star to a four-year, $60MM deal. Given how the Blue Jays like to move players around the diamond, Okamoto might see some time in left field or playing first base if Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is getting a DH day, but Okamoto is expected to settle in as the regular third baseman.
As with all high-profile NPB signings, there’s risk in committing such a significant amount of money to a player with no experience in North American baseball. There’s good reason to believe Okamoto’s high-contact approach can translate well to the Show, however, and Okamoto hit so well in Japan (.277/.361/.521 with 248 homers over 4494 plate appearances) that it was clear why he was drawing interest from multiple Major League teams before the Blue Jays won the bidding.
With Okamoto now at the hot corner, the rest of Toronto’s lineup consists of Gimenez at shortstop, Ernie Clement at second base, Guerrero at first base, Alejandro Kirk catching, George Springer at DH, and a starting outfield of Addison Barger, Daulton Varsho, and Jesus Sanchez. The left-handed hitting Sanchez is expected to platoon with Davis Schneider in left field, and the presence of Nathan Lukes and Myles Straw as outfield depth could allow Barger to get some time back at third base if Okamoto needs an off-day, or has some difficulty adjusting to big league pitching.
Shoulder surgery will keep Anthony Santander out of this mix until at least July, as the slugger is already looking at what might be a second lost season in a row. Santander was limited to 54 games in 2025 due to shoulder problems, and he hit only .175/.271/.294 over 221 PA. The hope was that a healthy Santander could rebound and start providing some return in the second season of his five-year, $92.5MM contract, yet he’ll now again be sidelined until the second half.
Shortly after word broke about Santander’s surgery, the Jays landed Sanchez from the Astros in exchange for Joey Loperfido, another left-handed hitting outfielder with less MLB experience. Sanchez has six seasons under his belt with the Marlins and Astros, and poor numbers against southpaws have kept the outfielder from thriving as a true regular. As noted, the Jays only need him to be the strong side of a platoon with Schneider, and the team is hoping Sanchez can at least match his .253/.324/.450 career slash line against right-handed pitching.
Looking at the position-player depth chart as a whole, it isn’t much different from the offense that was one of the league’s best in 2025. That said, replacing Bichette with Okamoto is an obvious downgrade for now based on Major League track record, even if the Jays will get a defensive boost by installing Gimenez at shortstop. Counting on Barger or Clement to be regular starters also carries some risk, as their huge playoff performances came after much more ordinary production over the regular season.
After a 2024 campaign that saw almost the entire lineup struggle at the plate, the 2025 Blue Jays enjoyed a dream year that saw pretty much every batter significantly improve. The question now facing the Jays is whether the truth about their position players falls somewhere in between, or if 2025 was just the start of an offensive awakening under hitting coach David Popkins. Tucker, Bichette, or another proven veteran bat would’ve helped solidify the lineup quite a bit, and depending on how the season progresses, adding such a hitter might well be on Atkins’ shopping list at the trade deadline.
Aggressive moves and aggressive spending have become the calling card for the organization. This winter’s investments have again brought the payroll to new levels — as per RosterResource‘s estimates, the Blue Jays have a $289MM payroll, and a whopping $318.1MM luxury tax number. The latter figure puts the Jays well over the highest luxury tax penalization tier of $304MM, which means they’ll face a 90% surcharge on any dollar spent above the $304MM mark.
It is safe to say at this point that the front office doesn’t care about the short-term tax implications, or details like giving up two draft picks and $1MM in international bonus money to sign Cease (a qualifying offer-rejecting free agent). Last year’s playoff run and the near-miss in the World Series galvanized support for the Blue Jays all across Canada, creating both a ton of extra revenue for the Rogers Communications ownership group and a greater desire to finish the story with a championship in 2026. The Jays will face tough competition just to retain their AL East crown, yet Toronto figures to be contenders again come October.
How would you grade the Blue Jays' offseason?
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B 52% (1,094)
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A 31% (655)
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C 12% (260)
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F 3% (57)
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D 2% (42)
Total votes: 2,108