Anthony Volpe Undergoes Shoulder Surgery
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
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
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)
- Shane McClanahan (4.158): $3.6MM
- Cole Sulser (4.096): $1.2MM
- Taylor Walls (4.092): $2MM
- Griffin Jax (4.091): $3.6MM
- Garrett Cleavinger (4.060): $2.1MM
- Shane Baz (3.158): $3.1MM
- Nick Fortes (3.149): $2.4MM
- Christopher Morel (3.117): $2.6MM
- Stuart Fairchild (3.114): $900K
- Josh Lowe (3.093): $2.9MM
- Bryan Baker (3.049): $1.5MM
- Ryan Pepiot (3.005): $3.7MM
- Alex Faedo (2.169): $800K
- Richie Palacios (2.156): $1MM
- Kevin Kelly (2.156): $1MM
- Edwin Uceta (2.150): $1.4MM
- Non-tender candidates: Walls, Fortes, Morel, Fairchild, Faedo, Kelly
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
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
Brandon Woodruff Won’t Be On Brewers’ NLCS Roster
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
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
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.
Poll: Who Will Win The League Championship Series?
The postseason field has been narrowed down to four teams, in mostly chalk fashion. Each member of the final four is a division winner, and three of the clubs received first-round byes. The Dodgers were the only club who had to advance through the wild card round, and the reigning World Series champs aren’t exactly underdogs. In fact, all of the Brewers, Mariners, and Blue Jays had a lot more questions to answer about their playoff readiness given a recent lack of postseason success, yet all three teams were up to the task in winning their League Championship Series matchups.
Only the Yankees have reached the World Series more times than the Dodgers, who are vying for the franchise’s 23rd trip to the Fall Classic. Los Angeles is the defending champion aiming for its third ring in six seasons, against three teams with much less of a postseason resume. The Blue Jays are a perfect 2-0 in the club’s only two World Series appearances, but they last reached the Series in 1993. The Brewers’ lone Series appearance was so long ago (in 1982) that the club was still in the American League, and Milwaukee fell to the Cardinals in a seven-game nail-biter. The Mariners can get a big albatross off their backs just by winning the AL pennant, as Seattle is the only team in Major League Baseball to have never reached a World Series.
The ALCS between the Mariners and Blue Jays carries some added historical import since the two teams both joined MLB in 1977. The only previous playoff series between the two expansion cousins took place in 2022, when Seattle swept Toronto in two games in the best-of-three wild card series, and made an epic comeback from an 8-1 run deficit to capture a 10-9 win in Game 2. That crushing loss was part of the 0-6 playoff record the Jays carried during the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. era, before Toronto broke out with a dominant win over the Yankees in this year’s ALDS.
Blue Jays hitters erupted for 34 runs and a collective .338/.373/.601 slash line over the four games against New York. While that level of an explosion came as a surprise, Toronto led the league in both batting average and OBP this season, while also finishing near the top of the table in runs and OPS. Seattle’s season-long numbers weren’t quite as impressive, yet the club has been one of baseball’s best offensive teams since Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez were acquired at the trade deadline. Led by these two big bats, Julio Rodriguez, Jorge Polanco, and the all-around brilliance of MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, the Mariners’ powerful lineup will provide the Jays’ pitching staff with a huge challenge.
In terms of run prevention, the Blue Jays have a significant edge on defense. Toronto had a collective +51 Defensive Runs Saves and +14 Outs Above Average in the regular season, in comparison to Seattle’s +9 DRS and -30 OAA. This could potentially help the Jays counter the Mariners’ deeper rotation, as with Bryan Woo expected to return from injury in the ALCS, all five of the M’s regular starters will be available in some capacity. How exactly those starters will be deployed is still a matter of debate, as George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, and Luis Castillo all had to pitch during Seattle’s 15-inning marathon with the Tigers in Game 5 of the ALDS.
The Blue Jays held a 4-2 edge in the season series with the Mariners this year, and have the homefield advantage as the AL’s top seed. That is a significant point for a Jays team that is 56-27 at Rogers Centre during the regular season and playoffs, plus the Mariners’ road record is only 40-43. Turning to the National League, the Brewers and Dodgers each had identical 52-29 home records in the regular season, and Milwaukee was an impressive 45-36 away from home, while the Dodgers were only 41-40 on the road.
The other eye-opening statistic is Milwaukee’s perfect 6-0 record in head-to-head play against Los Angeles this season. As daunting as the Dodgers‘ star-studded roster may be, the Brewers have had their number in 2025, and will now have to try and do it again in the postseason. L.A. has won the only two prior postseason series between the two franchises, including a seven-game win in the 2018 NLCS.
That 2018 season marked the last time the Brew Crew won a playoff series until their five-game win over the Cubs in this year’s NLDS. The series as a whole was a demonstration of the kind of quality pitching and timely hitting that the Brewers have enjoyed all season. A relative lack of power is basically the only flaw for a lineup that posted tremendous numbers, but Andrew Vaughn‘s career turn-around since being acquired by the Brewers in June has added a new dimension to the offense.
A pair of shaky starts from Freddy Peralta and Quinn Priester at Wrigley Field could be red flags for the Brewers against L.A. Peralta pitched well enough in Game 1 that his Game 4 performance might just be a hiccup, yet if Priester can’t get on track, the Brewers will have to lean even harder on a bullpen that has already logged a lot of innings in the NLDS. Milwaukee is as creative as any team in getting the most out of its pitching staff, so expect plenty of unconventional pitcher usage as the Brewers will try to keep the Dodgers at bay.
After a somewhat underwhelming regular season by their high standards, the Dodgers may have flipped the switch for October, sweeping the Reds in the wild card series and then dispatching the Phillies in a four-game NLDS. Even with several stars (Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and an injury-diminished Will Smith) yet to get rolling at the plate, the Dodgers have been aided by a red-hot Mookie Betts and contributions from up and down their seasoned lineup.
Roki Sasaki‘s emergence as the club’s seeming first choice at closer has been huge for Los Angeles, and perhaps addresses the team’s biggest weakness. If Sasaki is now a high-leverage option late in games and the excellent L.A. starting rotation remains in form, the Brewers have a pretty narrow window to strike against the rest of the struggling Dodger bullpen.
Who will win the ALCS?
-
Blue Jays 51% (5,019)
-
Mariners 49% (4,834)
Total votes: 9,853
Who will win the NLCS?
-
Dodgers 53% (5,177)
-
Brewers 47% (4,609)
Total votes: 9,786
Seven Players Elect Free Agency
Now that the season is over, we’ll start seeing several players choose to become minor league free agents. Major League free agents (i.e. players with six-plus years of big league service time) will hit the open market five days after the end of the World Series, but eligible minor leaguers can already start electing free agency.
To qualify, these players must have been all outrighted off their team’s 40-man rosters during the 2025 season without being added back. These players also must have multiple career outrights on their resume, and/or at least three years of Major League service time.
We’ll offer periodic updates over the coming weeks about many other players hitting the market in this fashion. These free agent decisions are all listed on the official MLB.com or MILB.com transactions pages, for further reference.
Infielders
- Abraham Toro (Red Sox)
- Donovan Walton (Phillies)
Outfielders
- Bryan De La Cruz (Yankees)
- Leody Taveras (Mariners)
Pitchers
- Carlos Hernandez (Guardians)
- Erasmo Ramirez (Twins)
- Devin Sweet (Phillies)
Bryan Woo Expected To Be Part Of Mariners’ ALCS Roster
After an epic 15-inning win over the Tigers in Game Five of the ALDS, the Mariners are advancing to their first AL Championship Series since 2001. The club’s hard-worked pitching staff will likely be getting some major reinforcements, as M’s president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto told reporters (including the Seattle Times’ Adam Jude) that right-hander Bryan Woo is expected to added to the Mariners’ roster for the next round.
Woo probably won’t pitch until closer to the midpoint of the series, Dipoto said. This means Woo is being lined up for a start when the ALCS shifts to Seattle for Games 3-4 and (if necessary) 5. It also leaves open the question of who exactly will be starting for the Mariners in the first two games in Toronto, as the M’s used starters Logan Gilbert and Luis Castillo out of the bullpen during last night’s 15-inning marathon. Gilbert threw 34 pitches over two innings of relief, and Castillo threw 15 pitches over 1 1/3 frames.
Dipoto told Shannon Drayer of Seattle Sports 710 radio last night that “probably Bryce [Miller] and friends” would be the plan for Game 1, “but for a couple of days we may have to be creative…simply because so many guys had to pitch in today.” Miller would be working on three days’ rest if he started Game 1, so as Dipoto implied, the bullpen may be leaned on again in what would probably be a limited start for the righty. Castillo is probably the favorite to go in Game 2 with Gilbert’s availability also a question, and in theory, this could line up Gilbert for Game 3, George Kirby in Game 4, and Woo in Game if the M’s chose to deploy their full rotation. This assumes that Woo will be used in a normal starting capacity, and holding him off until the middle of the series would give the right-hander more time to fully ramp up.
Woo posted a 2.94 ERA over 186 2/3 innings during the regular season, but he developed pectoral tightness in a start on September 19 that forced him out of the game after five shutout innings. Woo hasn’t pitched since, though he wasn’t placed on the 15-day injured list, and he was able to throw a bullpen session and a simulated inning prior to the start of the ALDS. Jude wrote prior to Game 5 that Woo threw close to 30 pitches during a bullpen session on Friday, and “appeared to be throwing at roughly 75 percent effort” before kicking things up “closer to 100 percent” for the final few pitches of the session.
Seattle and Toronto don’t have to reveal their ALCS rosters until tomorrow, so we’ll get the final word then on Woo’s involvement and whose spot he’ll be taking on the 26-man. The move to a seven-game series likely means the Mariners will carry an extra pitcher after using 14 position players and 12 pitchers in the ALDS, so a rookie like Ben Williamson or Harry Ford could be the odd man out.