Willson Contreras Will Consider Waiving No-Trade Clause But Prefers To Remain With Cardinals
Willson Contreras‘ five-year, $87.5MM contract with the Cardinals included a full no-trade clause for the first four seasons, and Contreras indicated after last season that he wasn’t willing to consent to a deal. The first baseman has slightly changed his stance now, telling reporters (including MLB.com’s Jeff Jones) that still wants to remain in St. Louis, but is willing to consider waiving his no-trade protection.
“If something comes up to [president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom] that makes a lot of sense for him and the organization, and it makes sense for me and my future, how about we talk about that?” Contreras said. “But as of right now, I would just like to be part of the [rebuilding] process.”
Contreras noted that he isn’t requesting a trade, and already shared his thoughts about staying with the club in a meeting with Bloom on Friday. “I’d like to be a part of a young team that needs to have some kind of experience around them. That’s what I expressed, but I understand the part of the business of the team, and we just came to an agreement there,” the first baseman said.
We’ve already seen Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado each indicate that they’d be more open to waiving their own no-trade protection this winter, in the wake of the incoming Cardinals rebuild. Gray is under contract just through the 2026 season but at the hefty price tag of $40MM ($35MM in backloaded salary and at least $5MM in a buyout of a club option for 2027). Arenado is owed $42MM through the 2027 season, though that number is reduced by deferred money and $5MM from the Rockies as per the terms of the trade that sent Arenado from Colorado to St. Louis.
Contreras is just finishing the third season of his five-year deal, and he is owed $41.5MM in remaining salary — $18MM in 2026, $18.5MM in 2027, and there is a $5MM buyout of a $17.5MM club option for 2028. Of these three pricey St. Louis veterans, Contreras brings less of a one-off luxury tax hit than Gray, and he has been a much more effective hitter than Arenado over the last three seasons.
A right shoulder strain ended Contreras’ 2025 season earlier in September, so his season numbers stand at 20 homers and a .257/.344/.447 slash line across 563 plate appearances. Contreras’ time with the Cardinals has been largely defined by the team’s downturn in performance and the defensive questions that led to his move from catcher to first base, but the veteran has continued to hit — he has batted .261/.358/.459 over 1416 PA in a Cardinals uniform, which translates to a 129 wRC+.
Those numbers play better from the catcher position than at first base, so hypothetically, a trade suitor might have interest in shifting Contreras back into at least a part-time role behind the plate. Given the lack of catching depth around the league, a team might also have more interest in taking on more of Contreras’ salary if he is being deployed to fill a larger hole at catcher than at first base.
As Jones observes, trading Contreras would allow the Cardinals to find more playing time for multiple players on the roster. Alec Burleson would likely take over most of the time at first base, which in turns opens up at-bats at DH and in the outfield for others.
That said, Contreras ultimately has the final word due to his contract. His full no-trade protection only lasts through 2026, as Contreras can then submit a no-trade list of 10 teams. The Cardinals could conceivably stick with Contreras through the coming season and then perhaps look more seriously at trade talks next winter, when the team will have slightly more freedom in working out a deal with at least 19 teams.
Even if Contreras has left the door slightly ajar to a trade, he made it clear that he is happy in St. Louis and would embrace the idea of helping mentor a new generation of Cardinals.
“I understand that it might take three to five years to have a playoff team or a team that can contend to the World Series, and I said even if I don’t make it there, and you guys make it to a World Series, I feel like I can be proud of that, just because I want to help young guys to better develop and have a better idea of what baseball is besides going to analyze stats,” Contreras said.
Rangers Claim Dom Hamel
The Rangers have claimed right-hander Dom Hamel off waivers from the Orioles, as per announcements from both teams. Hamel has been optioned to the Rangers’ Arizona Complex League team, and second baseman Marcus Semien was moved to the Texas 60-day injured list to make space for Hamel on the 40-man roster.
A third-round pick for the Mets in the 2021 draft, Hamel made his MLB debut in the form of one scoreless inning in New York’s 7-4 loss to San Diego on September 17. That first game kicked off a busy 11-day stretch for Hamel, who has now changed teams twice via the waiver wire. The Mets designated Hamel for assignment the day after his debut, and the Orioles claimed him off waivers, only to DFA Hamel again on Thursday.
The right-hander now heads to the Rangers and a familiar locale, as Hamel played his college ball at Dallas Baptist University. Hamel has all three minor league options remaining, which could help his chances of remaining on the 40-man roster throughout the offseason and making it to Spring Training to compete for a bullpen job.
Over 192 1/3 career Triple-A innings, Hamel has a 6.27 ERA. He has had trouble keeping the ball in the park at the top minor league level, but he has decent strikeout numbers and his walk rate improved greatly in 2025. Hamel also started working as a reliever more often this year, so a long relief or swingman role might be in the cards as the righty looks to carve out a niche as a big leaguer.
Semien hasn’t played since August 21, due to a Lisfranc sprain and a fractured third metatarsal bone in his left foot. The move from the 10-day IL to the 60-day is just a paper transaction as Semien wasn’t going to play again anyway in 2025, especially now that Texas has been eliminated from the playoff race.
Mets Place Brett Baty On 10-Day Injured List
The Mets placed infielder Brett Baty on the 10-day injured list due to a right oblique strain. Outfielder Jared Young was called up from Triple-A Syracuse in the corresponding move. New York also announced that outfielder Jose Siri and left-hander Richard Lovelady each cleared waivers and were outrighted to Syracuse.
Baty was removed in the second inning of Friday’s 6-2 loss to the Marlins with what was described initially as side tightness. The severity of the strain isn’t yet known, but at the very least, Baty will miss the Mets’ last two regular-season games and wouldn’t be available until partway through the NLDS, should the Mets both reach the playoffs in the first place and then advance beyond the wild card round. Anything beyond a minimal strain will probably end Baty’s season entirely, given how most oblique injuries require at least 3-4 weeks of recovery time.
New York faces an uphill battle to make it to October, since the Reds hold the tiebreaker advantage over the Mets. Both teams are 82-78, so if the Reds win out (or the Mets lose one and the Reds win one), Cincinnati will clinch the final NL playoff berth.
This difficult path to the postseason will be even trickier without Baty, who has hit .312/.368/.512 with seven home runs over his last 136 plate appearances. This hot streak over the last six weeks has raised Baty’s season-long slash line to .254/.313/.435 over 432 PA, and his wRC+ is now 111. Since Baty had only a 71 wRC+ in 602 big league plate appearances prior to 2025, this season has been a welcome step forward for a player who was once the top prospect in New York’s farm system. Beyond his improved hitting, Baty has also been providing pretty steady glovework at both second and third base, and his work at the keystone represents Baty’s first time playing second base at the MLB level.
Baty has mostly stuck to third base over the last few weeks, and any of Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuna, or Ronny Mauricio (who is at the hot corner in today’s lineup) could handle the position this weekend and potentially into the playoffs. Young’s return to the active roster gives the Mets enough outfield depth to keep McNeil more or less locked at second base.
Siri and Lovelady were each designated for assignment earlier this week. Both players have the right to reject the outright assignment in favor of free agency — Siri because he has more than three years of MLB service time, and Lovelady because he has previously been outrighted in his career. Electing free agency would cost Siri what little remains of his $2.4MM salary for 2025, and he might prefer to stick with the Mets just in case they make the playoffs and injuries open a roster spot. Lovelady is a longer shot to make any postseason roster, so the southpaw may prefer to become a free agent and get an early start on the offseason market.
Cade Horton To Miss At Least One Playoff Series Due To Rib Fracture
The Cubs will be without one of their top starters for at least the first round of the playoffs, as Cade Horton has been placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to September 25) due to a non-displaced right rib fracture. Left-hander Jordan Wicks was called up to take Horton’s roster spot for the final two games of Chicago’s regular season.
Horton made an early exit from his last start on Tuesday due to back soreness, and a follow-up MRI revealed an unspecified issue in his ribcage, as manager Craig Counsell told reporters earlier this week. Horton threw in the outfield yesterday and was slated to throw a bullpen session today, yet those positive signs have now been abruptly overshadowed by the news of the IL placement.
In the best-case scenario, Horton is now out of action until at least Game 5 of the NLDS, should the Cubs make it that deep into the second playoff round. Given that narrow window for activation, it doesn’t seem likely that the Cubs would include him on an NLDS roster, so a more realistic scenario would see Horton return as part of the NLCS roster if he can get healthy.
Of course, Chicago’s chances at such a deep postseason run will be a lot more difficult without the rookie who has emerged as a key rotation piece. Horton figures to get plenty of NL Rookie of the Year votes in the wake of a debut season that has seen the right-hander post a 2.67 ERA over his first 118 innings in the bigs. A 4.26 SIERA reflects Horton’s underwhelming 20.4% strikeout rate and the good fortune he has enjoyed in the both of both a 78.3% strand rate and a .258 BABIP, but Horton’s 6.9% walk rate is very solid.
There’s also the fact that Horton (the seventh overall pick of the 2022 draft) was getting better as he gained more experience. He posted a 4.45 ERA across his first 56 2/3 innings, but then delivered just a 1.03 ERA over his next 12 starts and 61 1/3 frames. This was seemingly a good omen for Horton and the Cubs as the playoffs loomed, as the rookie had locked up a spot in Chicago’s postseason rotation.
The Cubs should have enough starting pitching options to get by, even if their depth chart has now been shortened. Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, and either Colin Rea or Jameson Taillon will be the starters for the best-of-three Wild Card Series, and that quartet should line up as the rotation for the remainder of the postseason. Javier Assad is also in line to be at least a multi-inning reliever in October, and Counsell has indicated that he’ll use his entire pitching staff to navigate the playoffs, perhaps outside of traditional starter/reliever roles.
With two games left in the regular season, the Cubs are two games ahead of the Padres for the top NL wild card slot. Unless the Cubs go 0-2 and the Padres go 2-0 the rest of the way, their NLWCS will be played in Chicago, with Game 1 set for Tuesday.
Yordan Alvarez Won’t Return During Regular Season
Friday marked the first day Yordan Alvarez was eligible to be activated off the Astros’ 10-day injured list, but manager Joe Espada instead closed the door on Alvarez’s participation in the team’s final series. Espada told the Houston Chronicle’s Matt Kawahara and other reporters that Alvarez will remain on the IL for the remainder of the regular season, though it is still possible Alvarez could return for the playoffs if Houston makes the bracket.
Should the Astros sneak into the postseason, the first game of their Wild Card Series is set for Tuesday. That would seemingly still allow little time for Alvarez to be game-ready, as he hadn’t yet started any hitting or running drills as of late Wednesday. Espada indicated that Alvarez was showing improvement since Wednesday but “as much as he’s [progressed] the last two or three days, I just don’t think that it would be the best for him to be able to come here and play. We’re just not there.”
Alvarez suffered a left ankle sprain on September 15 while scoring a run in the Astros’ 6-3 win over the Rangers. There was immediate concern that the injury could be season-ending, though Alvarez raised some hope last weekend about the potential of returning for this closing series with the Angels. Given the import of these final two games, it is safe to assume that Alvarez would be playing if he was at all physically able, as his absence creates yet another problem for the struggling Astros.
A 1-6 record in their last seven games has pushed Houston under the playoff line, as the Astros are a game behind the Tigers for the final AL wild card slot. Houston loses tiebreakers to both Detroit and Cleveland, so the Astros will need to win both of their remaining two games and hope that at least one of the Tigers or Guardians lose both their remaining games in order for Houston to reach the playoffs.
Between this ankle sprain and a hand injury that was eventually revealed as a finger fracture, Alvarez played in only 48 games this season. After missing the better part of four months on the IL, Alvarez hit well after returning to action in late August, and brought his season numbers up to .273/.367/.430 and six homers over 199 plate appearances. This 118 wRC+ is respectable, yet a far cry from the spectacular 166 wRC+ Alvarez posted across his first six Major League seasons.
Alvarez’s injury was one of many notable absences faced by the Astros this year, and yet it wasn’t until this past week that the club finally seemed to wilt from such an overloaded IL. To add another setback, Jake Meyers was a late scratch from Friday’s game due to right calf soreness, costing Houston another regular in a 4-3 loss to the Angels.
Mets Designate Kevin Herget For Assignment
The Mets announced that right-hander Kevin Herget has been designated for assignment. This move opens up space on the 28-man and 40-man rosters for Dylan Ross, whose contract has now been officially selected from Triple-A. (Ross’ promotion was reported yesterday.)
This is the third time Herget has been designated during a season that has seen the reliever go from the Mets to the Braves and then back to New York. These transactions came on the heels of several other DFAs when Herget pitched with the Rays, Reds, and Brewers from 2022-24, and since Herget has been outrighted in the past, he can elect free agency if he clears waivers here and is outrighted off the Mets’ 40-man roster. While a team could make a claim on Herget just to control his rights heading into the offseason, the likelier scenario is that the 34-year-old will clear waivers and then get released to give him a jump start on free agency.
Now a veteran of five different teams over his four MLB seasons, Herget has a 4.20 ERA over 55 1/3 career innings. He received his most playing time (24 1/3 IP over 14 appearances) with Cincinnati in 2023, and the 2025 campaign has seen Herget post a 2.77 ERA over 13 combined innings with New York and Atlanta.
Herget didn’t make his big league debut until he was 31 years old, finally breaking through with the Rays in September 2022. A 39th-round pick for the Cardinals in the 2013 draft, Herget spent most of his career in the St. Louis organization before his carousel of moves over the last five years, beginning with a stint in Cleveland’s farm system in 2021 and two stints in independent ball. He has a career 3.97 ERA over 522 innings in Triple-A, with good control and a respectable strikeout rate to show for his work as a multi-inning reliever and swingman.
Kyle Hendricks Undecided On Pitching In 2026
The Angels’ 4-3 win over the Astros yesterday marked Kyle Hendricks‘ final start of the 2025 season, and it might also be the last outing of the right-hander’s big league career. Hendricks told MLB.com’s Andres Soto and other reporters that he will take some time after the season to decide whether to hang up the cleats or to explore returning for a 13th season in the Show.
Beyond just his own feelings, Hendricks cited the need to consult with his family and the “lot of people involved” in his career. “I’ve been so lucky with the support group I’ve had behind me,” Hendricks said. “It takes an army. You can’t do this by yourself, so it comes down to all their opinions and just taking some time away and seeing how you feel.”
Hendricks made similar statements earlier this week, seemingly pushing back against a report from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who last weekend wrote that Hendricks “has informed friends that he expects to retire after the season.” In a statement to Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times last Wednesday, Hendricks implied that Nightengale hadn’t spoken to him before publishing the item.
Hendricks turns 36 in December, and he is re-entering free agency after signing a one-year, $2.5MM deal with the Angels last winter. For that modest sum, he posted a 4.76 ERA over 164 2/3 innings, and in some ways delivered what has become his prototypical set of numbers over his lengthy career. Hendricks displayed strong control (6.2% walk rate), an excellent 34.3% hard-hit ball rate, and his typically strong curveball spin rate and chase rate.
Despite the 31.7% chase rate, however, the right-hander’s 16.4% strikeout rate and 18.3% whiff rate both ranked near the bottom of the league. Never a hard thrower, Hendricks has ranked within the second percentile of all pitchers in terms of velocity in each of the last nine seasons, and his fastball sat at only 86.5mph this year. While batters had trouble squaring up against Hendricks in general, they made it count when they did make hard contact, as Hendricks allowed 25 homers and had only a middling barrel rate.
This is more or less the same level of production Hendricks has kept up since the start of the 2021 season, and he has a 4.79 ERA over 697 2/3 frames during the last five seasons. Before this downturn, Hendricks had a 3.12 ERA over 1047 1/3 innings with the Cubs from 2014-20, becoming a staple in the rotation and a major part of the team’s 2016 World Series championship team. Hendricks posted a league-best 2.13 ERA in 2016, finishing third in NL Cy Young Award voting.
Hendricks had spent his entire big league career in Chicago up until last offseason, when the Mission Viejo native signed with the Angels. Ending his career with his hometown team is perhaps fitting from a narrative standpoint, though the righty hasn’t yet closed the door on pitching in 2026. One would imagine that the Angels would have interest in a reunion on another low-cost contract, as the Halos have holes to fill in the rotation and Hendricks can both eat innings and continue his off-the-field role as a clubhouse mentor.
Yankees, Mets Discussed Grisham-For-Baty Trade At Deadline
Prior to the trade deadline, the Yankees and Mets had some talks about a swap that would’ve generated a ton of headlines in both the Big Apple and around baseball. According to SNY’s Andy Martino, the two New York teams explored a one-for-one deal that would’ve sent Trent Grisham to Queens in exchange for Brett Baty.
Aaron Judge‘s health situation was a major component in these trade discussions, and the Yankees’ entire deadline direction. Judge hurt his elbow while making a throw from right field on July 22, and the discomfort continued when the star outfielder was clearly having some issues throwing in the Bronx Bombers’ 12-5 loss to the Phillies on July 25. A trip to the 10-day injured list followed, and Judge was limited to DH duty for over a month after returning from that fairly minimal IL stint.
Importantly, however, Judge’s elbow issue was minor a flexor strain that came without any UCL damage. The initial fear was that Judge’s UCL was damaged to the point that a season-ending Tommy John surgery would’ve been required, and obviously losing their superstar would’ve completely altered the Yankees’ deadline plans. As Martino put it, the Yankees had “a thought about selling” in the few days when Judge’s health situation was uncertain, which would’ve translated as the Bombers shopping pending free agents. An NL scout told Martino in late July that the Yankees were at least open to offers for Grisham, Luke Weaver, Devin Williams, and Cody Bellinger (who is expected to opt out of the final season of his contract to test the market).
It shouldn’t be overlooked that the Yankees had a losing record (25-27) over June and July, so even with Judge firing on all cylinders, the club was in the midst of an extended slump as the deadline approached. Losing their first five games in August added to the team’s woes, but the Yankees fully righted the ship by mid-August, going 28-11 over their last 39 games. With two days left in the regular season, New York can still both capture both the AL East and the top overall seed in the AL playoff bracket, if the team can finish with a better record than the Blue Jays (since Toronto holds the head-to-head tiebreaker).
Grisham has been a big part of that surge, continuing what has been a career year for the 28-year-old outfielder. Grisham is hitting .238/.349/.469 over 573 plate appearances, along with a total of 34 home runs that far exceeds his previous career high of 17. In a strange reversal of his career norm, Grisham has gone from being a defensive standout with an average-at-best bat to being a slugging center fielder whose glovework (-11 Defensive Runs Saved, -2 Outs Above Average) has been a minus.
Even if the Yankees had sold some rental players at the deadline, it wasn’t going to be a fire sale. The team was still looking to win and upgrade the 2025 roster, just in a way that perhaps focused more towards the future than making a direct all-in push towards a World Series this year. Landing a controllable former top prospect in Baty would have fit the bill, and the Bombers viewed him as an answer at third base, even though he has gotten a lot of time as the Mets’ second baseman this year.
Now in his fourth MLB season, Baty’s 110 wRC+ represents a career best, and he has hit .254/.313/.435 with 18 home runs over 432 PA. Baty has come about these numbers in inconsistent fashion, and the Mets even demoted him to Triple-A early in the season after an ice-cold start. While these may not yet be the numbers Queens fans expected given Baty’s lofty prospect status, becoming a solid big league regular is no small feat, and Baty’s latest hot streak has quietly made him one of the more productive hitters in baseball over the last six weeks.
The Mets were reportedly open to trading from their young infield depth at the deadline, with Baty, Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio, and Luisangel Acuna all available for the right offer. As it turned out, the Mets ended up primarily trading from their minor league pitching depth when making their pre-deadline moves, though infield prospect Jesus Baez was a prominent part of the trade package sent to the Cardinals for Ryan Helsley.
Rather than Grisham, the Mets addressed their outfield by acquiring Cedric Mullins from the Orioles in a trade that simply hasn’t worked out. Mullins (who is also a free agent this winter) has hit only .183/.286/.283 over 142 PA in a Mets uniform, playing as the regular center fielder against right-handed pitching. As for the Yankees, they held onto their impending free agents, and brought in a collection of veterans at the deadline to bolster the roster. For third base in particular, Ryan McMahon was brought over from the Rockies and has at least stabilized the position from a defensive standpoint, even if McMahon isn’t hitting.
Naturally every deadline season goes by with countless eye-opening trades that didn’t come to fruition, so there’s no shortage of 20-20 hindsight that can be applied to any of these proposed deals. In this particular Grisham-for-Baty swap, there’s some additional interest just due to the fact that the Yankees and Mets rarely trade with each other, not to mention the sliding-doors nature of what this trade might have done to each team’s season.
While the Yankees have been rolling in September, the Mets’ struggles have now reached critical mass, as the Amazins sit outside the NL postseason picture with two games remaining. The Reds have a magic number of 2 for clinching the final NL wild card slot, since Cincinnati holds the tiebreaker over New York should the two teams finish with the same record.
With just a 20-31 record since August 1, the Mets’ deadline approach has already come under fire, even if Mullins’ struggles are far from the only reason the club has slumped. It can be argued that in the world where Baty was dealt for Grisham, the Mets might still be in this same position, given Baty’s recent contributions and the fact that pitching has been the larger issue in Queens. Hanging onto Baty may prove fruitful in the long run, but it won’t do much to ease the immediate dismay of Mets fans (or the organization itself) since their record payroll may not even result in a postseason trip.
Padres Notes: Bogaerts, Bader, De Vries, Gore, Kwan
The Padres are expected to activate Xander Bogaerts from the 10-day injured list prior to Monday’s game with the Brewers, Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes. The shortstop might’ve already been back this weekend except a planned on-field workout on Friday was canceled due to rain, delaying Bogaerts’ return until the start of the six-game homestand that will conclude the Friars’ regular season.
A left foot fracture has kept Bogaerts out of action since August 27, and it wasn’t clear if he would be able to play again before the postseason, even if the injury wasn’t expected to keep Bogaerts out of any October action. Bogaerts has hit .262/.330/.387 with 10 home runs over 534 plate appearances, for a decent but unspectacular 103 wRC+. He has displayed some good plate discipline and augmented his work at the plate with 20 steals (in 22 attempts) and very good defense in the view of the Outs Above Average metric (+7). Jake Cronenworth and Jose Iglesias have handed most of the shortstop duty over the last four weeks, and with Bogaerts back, Cronenworth should return to his usual second base position.
Returning Monday gives Bogaerts six games to ramp up for a postseason trip that has been all but officially clinched. San Diego seems likely to finish as the NL’s second wild card team, unless the Padres can overcome the Dodgers’ three-game edge in the NL West race, or if the Padres somehow fritter away their five-game edge over the Reds (who hold the third and final wild card slot).
Though the Padres surely wish they’d been able to overtake Los Angeles for the division lead, a 25-22 record since the trade deadline has at least helped San Diego more or less lock up its fourth playoff berth in the last six years. President of baseball operations A.J. Preller was his typical active self at the deadline, swinging five trades in July to add a variety of roster upgrades.
The many players actually acquired were just the tip of the iceberg, as the New York Post’s Jon Heyman writes that “the Padres were in on every top player” even somewhat available at the deadline. Most of those trade targets were cited on MLBTR’s pages, but Heyman adds that the Padres also had interest in Harrison Bader, who instead went from the Twins to another NL power in the Phillies.
San Diego’s interest in Bader was logical, as the Padres had a clear need in the outfield. Rather than Bader, the Padres ended up acquiring both Ramon Laureano and Ryan O’Hearn from the Orioles for a six-prospect trade package, addressing both left field and first base in one fell swoop. O’Hearn’s bat has cooled off since the deal while Laureano has played really well, so there probably aren’t any regrets in the Friars’ front office about missing out on Bader, who has exploded since arriving in Philadelphia.
The largest of the Padres’ deadline deals saw Mason Miller and JP Sears acquired from the Athletics for four minor leaguers, including elite prospect Leo De Vries as the headliner. De Vries was far and away the most prominent prospect moved at the deadline, and it took the inclusion of a controllable young arm like Miller to convince the Padres to move the young shortstop.
This doesn’t mean that other teams didn’t ask. San Diego was known to have made a push to pry MacKenzie Gore away from the Nationals, even though Washington wasn’t going to move Gore for anything less than a haul. Heyman writes that the Nats’ ask from the Padres was a five-player package that included De Vries, so it isn’t too surprising that the Padres turned elsewhere.
Steven Kwan was another outfielder on the Padres’ wishlist, and a De Vries-for-Kwan trade was floated between the Padres and Guardians even though Heyman says that neither team wanted a straight-up swap. Kwan (like Gore) is arbitration-controlled through the 2027 season, so while two-plus years of control is still a lot of an established player, it perhaps wasn’t enough of a long-term add to convince Preller to move De Vries.
From Cleveland’s perspective, the Guardians often pursue at least one MLB-ready piece when trading their veteran assets. De Vries only just made his Double-A debut after his move to the Athletics’ farm system, and while he is posting strong numbers, he doesn’t turn 19 until next month and isn’t expected to reach the majors until 2027. While the Guards were only 54-54 on July 31, keeping Kwan has paid dividends, as has helped contribute to the September surge that has now given Cleveland a chance at not just a playoff spot, but even the AL Central title.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Mark P
- It’s the second-last Weekend Chat of the regular season, so get those questions in now!
Yosef
- Out of the dodgers free agents. Realistically who do you think they’ll keep ?
Mark P
- At least one of Rojas/Hernandez, Vesia’s club option is likely being picked up, and Muncy’s club option will still probably be exercised (though I wouldn’t be totally shocked if it isn’t).
Beyond that, the other FAs will be let go, and Kershaw is retiring.
Hot Stove
- With this hot streak do the reds squeak their way into the playoffs?
Mark P
- Cincinnati is in a wild card spot right now, by dint of holding the tiebreaker over the Mets. The Reds’ final six games are against the Pirates, and against a Brewers team that will probably be resting guys. So, the Reds’ fate is in their own hands, and it helps that the Mets have just been spiraling.
I think I wrote just in last week’s chat that the Reds had really missed an opportunity to take hold of the wild card race. Clearly they read the Weekend Chat and were so enraged that they went on this winning streak!
Austin Hays
- Will my option be picked up by the reds this year?
Mark P
- It’s a $12MM mutual option with a $1MM buyout. Mutual options are virtually never exercised by both sides, so Hays will head to free agency again.
Dan
- Will Sonny Gray agree to waive his no trade clause with a rebuild coming?
Mark P
- He wasn’t willing to waive it last year when it also seemed like a rebuild was coming, so I’d lean towards Gray returning. If he indicated he was willing to be moved, I can see the Cards exploring deals. Susan Slusser recently reported that the Giants have Gray on their offseason trade radar, and laid out some plausible reasons why Gray might be willing to approve a deal to San Francisco in particular.