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Diamondbacks Designate Rene Pinto, Select Shelby Miller

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The Diamondbacks announced that catcher Rene Pinto was designated for assignment.  The move opens up a 40-man roster spot for Shelby Miller, as the team confirmed reports from over the weekend that the right-hander’s contract was being selected to the active roster.  Arizona also officially announced its one-year deal with Jalen Beeks, and placed Jordan Montgomery (who is undergoing Tommy John surgery) to the 60-day injured list in the corresponding roster move.

The Pinto move was expected, as Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic wrote on Sunday that the catcher was “saying his goodbyes in the clubhouse” to teammates after not making the Diamondbacks’ Opening Day roster.  The D’Backs now have seven days to work out a trade for Pinto during the DFA period, or another team in need of catching depth could simply claim Pinto off waivers.  Pinto has already changed teams twice via the waiver wire in the last five months — after the Orioles claimed the backstop from the Rays in early November, the D’Backs claimed Pinto in January after Baltimore had DFA’ed him to make roster space for Charlie Morton.

A veteran of three big league seasons, Pinto has spent his entire MLB tenure with the Rays, hitting .231/.263/.404 over 237 career plate appearances in the Show.  As part of the ongoing revolving door that is the Rays’ catching position, Pinto was actually Tampa Bay’s Opening Day backstop last year, but he didn’t hit enough to earn much more regular playing time.  The D’Backs brought Pinto aboard to compete for the backup catching job, but Arizona will instead go with Jose Herrera as the secondary option behind starter Gabriel Moreno.

Pinto is out of minor league options, so the Diamondbacks had to first expose him to the waiver wire in order to move him down to Triple-A.  This out-of-options status could mean Pinto has more trips through the DFA process in his future, if teams continually see him as the proverbial last man on the roster, and just as a pure depth piece.

Rays Place Shane McClanahan, Richie Palacios On Injured List

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The Rays placed left-hander Shane McClanahan on the 15-day injured list and utilityman Richie Palacios on the 10-day IL today, with both placements retroactive to March 24.  McClanahan is dealing with a nerve problem in his left triceps, while Palacios has a fracture in his right ring finger.  Righty Hunter Bigge and outfielder Kameron Misner were called up from Triple-A and will be part of the Opening Day roster.

Palacios has missed the last week of Spring Training action due to the fracture, which is at the tip of ring finger.  Tampa skipper Kevin Cash told reporters (including Ryan Bass) last Friday that the injury was considered minor and that Palacios would miss “probably…a couple days,” but it appears as though the club has opted to sideline Palacios for a week into the season to give him a bit more time to heal up.

The left-handed hitting Palacios appeared in 92 games for the Rays last season, hitting .233/.346/.318 over 316 plate appearances (285 of them against right-handed pitching).  As one would expect from a part-time Rays player, Palacios saw action at multiple positions, primarily at second base and the two corner outfield slots plus a couple of games at third base and shortstop.  Misner is an outfield-only player, but he is another lefty bat who can provide more help in that department while Palacios is out.

It was known earlier this week that McClanahan’s nerve issue would send him to the season-opening IL, and delay his return to the big leagues after he missed all of 2024 recovering from Tommy John surgery.  No timeline has been provided for when McClanahan might be ready to pitch, which isn’t unusual given the unpredictable state of nerve-related injuries.  McClanahan and the Rays can only wait for the nerve to calm, and once that happens, a ramp-up plan can be devised to plot out the southpaw’s official return to action.

In other Rays injury news, Cash told reporters (including Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times) that catcher Danny Jansen’s pulled rib muscle is feeling a bit better, but a simulated game today will determine whether or not Jansen can be available for Opening Day.  If Jansen is still feeling discomfort through the 5-6 simulated innings, Tampa Bay will likely put him on the 10-day IL and use Kenny Piper as the new backup catcher to Ben Rortvedt.  An 18th-round pick for the Rays in the 2021 draft, Piper has yet to make his MLB debut, and the Rays would have to select his contract into their open spot on the 40-man roster.

Offseason In Review: Cincinnati Reds

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The Reds swung a few notable trades to bring some new talent onto the roster, as manager Terry Francona will try to lead the team back into contention.

Major League Signings

2025 spending: $28.55MM
Total spending: $28.55MM

Option Decisions

Trades & Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

Notable Losses

Starting with some bigger-picture news from the Reds' winter, the club gained some slight stability on the broadcasting front when it signed a one-year contract with the FanDuel Sports Network, a.k.a. the rebranded Bally Sports Network.  The Reds' broadcasts were previously handed by Bally and parent company Diamond Sports Group, but Cincinnati was one of many teams whose TV future was thrown into question when DSG went into bankruptcy proceedings in March 2023.  DSG and Bally re-emerged under the Main Street Sports and FanDuel Sports Network banners, and several MLB teams chose to re-engage with their old partners under short-term agreements.

The Reds had reached a deal with Major League Baseball itself to handle broadcasts for the 2025 season, but in choosing to re-up with Main Street Sports, the Reds may be giving themselves some flexibility for future deals if all goes well this year.  It is also fair to assume that the Reds are getting at least a bit more money off this new deal than they were getting from MLB, even if terms of the new contract (or the terms of the MLB broadcast deal) weren't made public.

Here's the bottom line as it relates to the club's on-field endeavors --- the Reds had a bit more cash to invest in payroll, as president of baseball operations Nick Krall said in January.  Given the timing, it could be that the Reds might not have been able to trade for Taylor Rogers or sign Austin Hays without those extra funds coming into the team's revenue stream.

Team COO/CFO Doug Healy said in November that the Reds' payroll would either remain stable or go up in the aftermath of the broadcast deal with MLB, and that proved to be the case even with the change in broadcast partners.  The Reds finished last season with an approximate payroll of $100MM (as per RosterResource) and the club now has roughly $115.3MM committed to its 2025 roster as we approach Opening Day.

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Ranger Suarez To Begin Season On Injured List; Taijuan Walker To Rejoin Rotation

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March 24: Suarez will indeed open the 2025 season on the injured list, per Zolecki. Walker will be the Phillies’ fifth starter. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski tells the Phillies beat that Suarez could potentially pitch in the majors sometime in April if he continues his current progression with no setbacks.

March 23: Ranger Suarez has been dealing with a bad back over the last week, and it seems like the Phillies will give the left-hander some extra time to recover by placing him on the 15-day injured list to begin the season.  Manager Rob Thomson more or less confirmed the move today, as MLB.com’s Todd Zolecki noted that Thomson told reporters post-game that the Phillies “expect Ranger to go on the IL,” but stated in an interview during the game that Suarez would definitively be placed on the 15-day.

The move seems largely precautionary, as Thomson said “We don’t want this thing to linger. So if we do officially IL him, we don’t think it’s going to be long.”  Zolecki notes that Suarez might just miss a single start if he spends only the 15-day minimum on the sidelines, due to the three-day backdating available for IL placements and the fact that the Phillies have three off-days within the first 12 days of the regular season.

Back problems hampered Suarez last year, effectively bifurcating what initially seemed like a breakout season for the left-hander.  Suarez had a sparkling 1.83 ERA over his first 98 1/3 innings of the 2024 campaign, and then a 6.54 ERA in his final 52 1/3 innings once his back started causing problems.  Suarez skipped the All-Star Game to spend the break resting his back, but Philadelphia ended up placing him on the 15-day IL anyway, which kept Suarez out of action for a month.

This early-season IL trip might well help Suarez get in front of any injury problems early, as trying to pitch through his bad back might’ve only worsened the issue last year.  The Phillies aren’t really losing much by resting him early, plus Taijuan Walker is on hand to step into the rotation.

Walker has looked good for much of Spring Training, though his last start saw the Yankees tee off for six earned runs over 3 2/3 innings of work from the right-hander.  As always, spring results aren’t necessarily as important as process, and Zolecki writes that Walker’s four-seamer has added over three miles miles per hours of added velocity, plus Walker’s splitter has also looked better.  In a sense, there’s nowhere to go but up for Walker after a dismal 2024 season that saw him post a 7.10 ERA in 83 2/3 innings.

Offseason In Review: Seattle Mariners

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Despite some glaring needs for offense, the Mariners only ended up tinkering a bit with their lineup after a pretty quiet offseason.

Major League Signings

2025 spending: $11.25MM
Total spending: $11.25MM

Option Decisions

Trades & Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

  • None

Notable Losses

After a few months of scouring the free agent and trade markets for a replacement for second baseman Jorge Polanco, the Mariners ended up signing....third baseman Jorge Polanco, brought back on a one-year deal worth $7.75MM in guaranteed money, and with a vesting option that could guarantee Polanco at least $6MM in 2026.  Polanco has played the vast majority of his nine MLB seasons as a middle infielder, but he does have 24 games of experience as a third baseman, with 15 of those games coming as recently as the 2023 season when he was still a member of the Twins.

Polanco's defensive metrics as a second baseman were mostly subpar, and his lack of a strong throwing arm raises questions about how well he'll translate to the hot corner.  However, the bigger issue might be whether or not Polanco can rebound from a rough year at the plate.  The infielder hit only .213/.296/.355 over 469 plate appearances with Seattle in 2024, while also missing a month due to a hamstring strain, and undergoing surgery in October to correct a lingering left knee problem.

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Yankees Considering Adding Right-Handed Hitting Depth

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It wasn’t long ago that the Yankees’ lineup was almost entirely comprised of right-handed hitters, but the additions of such players as Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr., plus the emergence of in-house options like Austin Wells, Ben Rice, and switch-hitter Jasson Dominguez has brought a lot more balance to the Bronx.  GM Brian Cashman even told reporters (including The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner) yesterday that he would be “happier” with another right-handed bat available on the roster, and that the Yankees are exploring such options as other teams make their end-of-spring cuts.

“I think some choices have emerged in camp, then it comes down to if those choices are better than anything else that might exist outside that you could either trade for and that you are comfortable enough giving up what it would take to get,” Cashman said.  “We’re measuring that versus options that might get the bad word in another camp that they’re not making it and all of a sudden we’re competing for those services.”

Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu will both be on the injured list for the foreseeable future, leaving the roster short of two prominent bats that were expected (particularly in Stanton’s case) for regular roles.  Ideally, a right-handed hitter that could handle at least one of left field or third base would be the best fit, as such a player could step into the outfield if Dominguez struggles in his first extended stint of MLB playing time, or help out at a third base position that remains a question mark as Opening Day approaches.

The Yankees have such a player available in utilityman Pablo Reyes, who has amassed quite a bit of playing time at third, in left, and at other positions over his six big league seasons.  Reyes hasn’t hit much at the big league level, but he has hit decently well this spring, to the point that he seems to be on track to have his minor league contract selected to New York’s Opening Day roster.  That decision would put Reyes in position to share some at-bats at the hot corner with switch-hitter Oswaldo Cabrera.

Whether or not Reyes makes the team remains to be seen, as he could yet be the odd man out should the Yankees indeed bring a new player into the mix.  At the very least, Reyes seems to be a higher priority to the team than former top prospect Oswald Peraza.  As Kirschner observes, Cashman talking so openly about a need for right-handed hitting help doesn’t exactly bode well for Peraza’s future in the Bronx.

Peraza burst into the majors with an .832 OPS over 58 plate appearances during his 2022 rookie season, but that was reduced to a .539 OPS in 191 PA in 2023, as he didn’t rise to the occasion when given more of an opportunity at third base with LeMahieu on the injured list.  A shoulder injury then delayed his start to the 2024 season, and Peraza ended up making only four MLB appearances last year.

Both Reyes and Peraza are out of minor league options, so they would have to first go through waivers before New York could them send them to Triple-A.  Kirschner feels Peraza wouldn’t last long on the waiver wire given his solid defense, plus his former top-100 prospect status would surely attract teams that might feel he needs a change of scenery.  Having two out-of-options players on the bench isn’t ideal anyway from a roster flexibility standpoint, so it will be interesting to see how the Yankees proceed with this duo, or if a new face is brought into the organization.

Giants Notes: Stassi, Huff, Villar, Schmitt

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Max Stassi won’t exercise the opt-out clause in his minor league contract, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes, and the catcher will instead remain in the Giants organization and play with Triple-A Sacramento.  Yesterday marked the first of three opt-out dates automatically included in Stassi’s contract due to his Article XX(b) free agent status, and Stassi’s next chance to evaluate his future will come on May 1 if he hasn’t yet been added to the Giants’ roster.

There apparently wasn’t much drama in the competition between Stassi and Sam Huff to be Patrick Bailey’s backup catcher, as Slusser notes that Stassi “has known the plan for a while and is fine with it.”  If anything, playing in Sacramento has particular appeal for the catcher because he lives in the city and can spend more time with his family.  Playing in the minors also allows Stassi the more regular on-field action he needs to ramp up after undergoing hip surgery last year.

Tom Murphy will miss the start of the season due to a herniated disc, creating the opening for Huff to eventually win the backup job.  Formerly a top prospect in the Rangers’ farm system, Huff’s defense was often called as a question to stick in the catching role, and Jonah Heim ended up passing Huff on the depth chart.  After Huff’s numbers dropped off at Triple-A last year, Texas designated the backstop for assignment, and the Giants claimed him away off waivers in January.  The change of scenery seems to have helped thus far, as Huff has been tearing it up at the plate in the Cactus League.

The rest of San Francisco’s bench mix has yet to be determined, though Luis Matos will likely claim the backup outfielder role.  Since it doesn’t seem like Jung Hoo Lee’s recent back issue is serious (“I don’t even want to use the word injury, it was so mild,” Lee told Slusser and other reporters), the Giants could take two infielders from the group of Casey Schmitt, Brett Wisely, David Villar, and prospect Christian Koss.

Villar seems to be the odd one out, as Slusser feels the Giants will be designating him for assignment this week since Villar is out of minor league options.  The infielder hit a respectable .231/.331/.455 over 181 plate appearances in his 2022 rookie season, but then struggled badly over 140 PA in 2023 and seemed to fall out of favor for playing time.  Villar has a very impressive .268/.377/.511 slash line and 60 homers over 1182 career Triple-A plate appearances, with the caveat that that production came in Sacramento in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.  A rival team in need of infield depth might be impressed enough by those numbers to take a flier on Villar if he does up on the waiver wire in the coming days.

There would seemingly be a lot more interest if the Giants made Schmitt available, as Slusser reports that multiple teams have expressed trade interest this offseason.  The Giants, however, don’t have much interest in moving Schmitt, who is still two seasons away from even gaining arbitration eligibility.  He also has one minor league option year remaining, giving the Giants flexibility in sending him back and forth from Triple-A.

Schmitt has a good track record of Triple-A results, and he showed improvement at the big league level in 2024, albeit in significantly fewer at-bats than he received in his 2023 rookie season.  Schmitt hit .206/.255/.324 in 277 PA in 2023, and then bumped that up to a .252/.283/.477 slash line over 113 PA last year.  In theory, Schmitt should again see limited action now that Willy Adames was signed to bring more stability to San Francisco’s infield, which in turn bumped Tyler Fitzgerald into a regular second-base role.

Cardinals Set Opening Day Roster, Plan To Use Six-Man Rotation In Mid-April

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Reports last week suggested that the Cardinals were thinking about utilizing a six-man rotation as a way of finding innings for both the veterans on the staff and for the younger arms the Cards are prioritizing in this semi-rebuild year for the franchise.  Manager Oliver Marmol confirmed to reporters (including The Athletic’s Katie Woo) today that the Cardinals will indeed use six starters during a busy stretch of the schedule that will see St. Louis play 26 games over 27 days from April 11 through May 7.

There is a bit of surprise in which starters will be involved in the expanded rotation, as the Cards optioned Michael McGreevy to Triple-A Memphis today.  McGreevy is one of the Cardinals’ top pitching prospects, and after impressing in his first 23 MLB innings last season, seemed poised to break camp with the team after posting a 1.08 ERA over 16 2/3 spring innings.

However, Matthew Liberatore also turned heads in camp, with a 1.62 across his own 16 2/3 frames of work.  As a result, Liberatore was named as one of the initial starting five (along with Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Erick Fedde, and Andre Pallante), with Steven Matz slated to work as a long man before becoming the sixth starter.

Obviously, a single injury could change these plans considerably, and some other health issues in camp also perhaps factored in the Cardinals’ plans.  Zack Thompson and Drew Rom are both dealing with injuries, so McGreevy became needed as a Triple-A depth arm given the lack of other ready options.  Given how rare it is for a pitching staff to get through a season in one piece, it might not be long before McGreevy gets another opportunity in the Show.

The “you can never have too much pitching” mantra looms large in what is technically a surplus situation for the Cardinals pitching staff.  Yet the number of arms available also relates to a strangely quiet offseason, as the Cards ended up retaining most of their veteran talent despite their stated goal last fall to view 2025 as something of a re-development year.  The team’s inability to trade Nolan Arenado garnered the most headlines, yet on the pitching end, St. Louis also opted to keep Fedde, who has only one year remaining on his contract.  Gray had no interest in waiving his no-trade clause to go elsewhere, and trading Mikolas or Matz (also free agents next winter) could’ve probably required the Cards to eat some money since both pitchers are coming off down years.

Mikolas or Matz could be more plausibly moved closer to the deadline, perhaps in salary-dump fashion once some of their salaries are already doled out over the first half.  Fedde might be one of the most sought-after rental pitchers at the deadline if he matches his 2024 form, though naturally the Cardinals are hoping they can return to contention this year, rather than look to sell at the deadline.

Marmol also announced the rest of the Cardinals’ roster for Opening Day, including the news that Victor Scott II won the team’s center field competition.  Scott was battling with Michael Siani for the job, yet Scott outhit not only Siani (who struggled badly) but also just about the rest of the team by posting a 1.225 OPS over 49 plate appearances.  Scott may not play every single day since Lars Nootbaar also figures to get some time in center as the Cardinals juggle around their lineup, but Scott has put himself in position to get the lion’s share of playing time up the middle.

Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Masyn Winn will be the only true lineup regulars for St. Louis, and Brendan Donovan is also expected to play every day but at multiple positions.  Moving Arenado would’ve helped open up third base and a lineup position to get more players onto the field, yet Marmol said he is confident of the team’s plans to rotate players around without necessarily adhering to strict platoons.

“I’m going to do my absolute best to get everybody the necessary amount of at-bats for us to know what we have at the end of the year….We’ll see what this looks like in 30 days, 60 days, 90 days.  But we’ll have a [lineup] rotation that while we’re all healthy, still gets guys at-bats,” Marmol said.

Infielder Jose Fermin won’t be part of this mix in the early going, as Fermin was optioned to Triple-A today.  Woo notes that Fermin was told earlier this week that he would be part of the Opening Day roster, yet the Cardinals’ plan apparently changed in the last few days.  Without Fermin, the Cards don’t have a proper backup shortstop, yet the versatile Donovan will handle that role if Winn is given a breather.

Padres To Select Jose Iglesias, Yuli Gurriel, Martin Maldonado

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The Padres have told three veteran non-roster invitees that they have made the Opening Day roster.  First baseman Yuli Gurriel (as per reporter Francys Romero), infielder Jose Iglesias (as per Jon Heyman of the New York Post) and catcher Martin Maldonado (as per Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune) will officially have their minor league contracts selected once the Padres clear three spots on their 40-man roster.  Acee also reports that Gavin Sheets will be part of the active roster, after Sheets’ contract was selected earlier this week.

Iglesias and Gurriel are both Article XX(b) free agents, and thus yesterday was the first opt-out date on their minor league deals.  It isn’t known if Iglesias or Gurriel actually enacted their opt-out clauses to force the Padres’ hand, but regardless, the two infielders will now be part of San Diego’s roster when the season begins on Thursday.

Iglesias only signed with the Padres on March 5, and the $3MM salary attached to his minors deal if he made the roster seemingly hinted that the team was always aiming to include him in a backup infield role.  Making the team officially locks in that salary, as Iglesias looks to have an encore to possibly the most remarkable season of his 12 years in the Show.

Signed to a minors deal by the Mets last winter, Iglesias was called up to the team in late May and proceeded to hit .337/.381/.448 over 291 plate appearances — far outpacing the career .277/.319/.382 slash line he’d produced in his previous 4043 PA.  A .382 BABIP played a hefty role in Iglesias’ career year, yet BABIP wasn’t as important an acronym as OMG, Iglesias’ song that became an instant hit with New York fans and became symbolic of the Mets’ turn-around season.

Gurriel will earn a $1.35MM salary for making the team as the 40-year-old prepares for his 10th big league season.  A winner of two World Series rings during his time in Houston, Gurriel has hit only .243/.297/.356 in 978 PA for the Astros, Marlins, and Royals over the last three seasons.  He hit well enough in the Padres’ camp, however, to work his way into the bench mix.

Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Jake Cronenworth, and Luis Arraez are lined up San Diego’s starting infielders, and the latter two players are left-handed hitters.  That could provide an opening for the right-handed hitting Iglesias and Gurriel to grab some at-bats when a southpaw is on the mound, plus Gurriel could also split some DH time with Sheets (another lefty swinger).

The 38-year-old Maldonado also had an opt-out in his deal, and he’ll forego exercising that clause now that he has been tabbed as the Padres’ backup catcher behind Elias Diaz.  Maldonado has long been highly regarded for his defense and ability to work with pitchers, even as his offense has rarely even been average over his 14-year career.  Maldonado has a .203/.278/.344 slash line over 3449 career PA, and last season saw him crater out by hitting .119/.174/.230 in 147 PA with the White Sox.

Obviously San Diego is prioritizing glovework over anything Maldonado can or can’t produce at the plate.  It might also be a sign of how Luis Campusano’s stock has fallen, as the former top prospect struggled through a rough 2024 season and now looks to be starting 2025 in the minors.

Blue Jays To Select Jacob Barnes, Alan Roden, Myles Straw

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The Blue Jays have all but officially set their Opening Day roster, as manager John Schneider told reporters (including Sportsnet’s Shi Davidi and MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson) that right-hander Jacob Barnes, and outfielders Alan Roden, Myles Straw, and Nathan Lukes will all break camp with the team.  The first three of those names aren’t on Toronto’s 40-man roster, so some 40-man space will have to be carved out so the Jays can officially select their contracts.

Barnes and Richard Lovelady (whose minor league contract was selected earlier this week) will fill two bullpen spots left open by injuries, as right-handers Erik Swanson, Zach Pop, and Ryan Burr will all start the season on the injured list.  Swanson’s recovery from a median nerve entrapment in his throwing arm might not take too much longer, as Sportsnet’s Arden Zwelling writes that Swanson has started some baseball-related activities and should start throwing off a mound in another 1-2 weeks.  Pop is dealing with discomfort in his throwing elbow and Burr has shoulder fatigue, and it remains unclear if either of these injuries might require a 60-day IL stint, which would open up room on the 40-man.

Barnes is an Article XX(b) free agent, so yesterday was the first of three opt-out dates that Barnes had baked into his minor league contract.  The Blue Jays will avoid that issue entirely by placing Barnes on the Opening Day roster, putting the righty on the verge of appearing in his 10th Major League season.  The veteran will now lock in a $1.4MM salary for the 2025 campaign.

Barnes has pitched for nine different teams during his journeyman career, including a brief stint with the Jays back in 2021.  Last year with the Nationals, Barnes posted a 4.36 ERA, 19.9% strikeout rate, and 7.2% walk rate over 66 innings.

Since Daulton Varsho is starting the season on the injured list, some level of outfield depth was required to handle center field while Varsho is on the shelf.  The Blue Jays’ lack of a set DH also created extra room for more players to find their way into the lineup, so the outfield trio of Lukes, Straw, and Roden will all be heading north after competing for what seemed to be perhaps just one bench spot heading into camp.

Lukes has appeared in 51 games for the Jays over the last two seasons, and Straw is looking to revive his career after being outrighted off the Guardians’ roster.  Acquired in a controversial salary dump of a trade seemingly tied to the Blue Jays’ unsuccessful pursuit of Roki Sasaki, Toronto took on $11MM of the remaining salary owed to Straw through the 2026 season, as per the terms of the five-year, $25MM extension he signed with Cleveland in 2022.  While that money didn’t guarantee Straw a roster spot, his strong defense makes him a worthy fill-in for Varsho’s elite center field glove, so it seems like Straw and Lukes could form a platoon until Varsho is healthy.

Roden will also see some time in center field, with Schneider telling Matheson and company that Roden will be deployed in the other two outfield slots and at DH to give him a good dose of regular playing time.  Anthony Santander or George Springer could be subsequently given DH days when Roden is in the field, in order to keep the two veterans fresh.

A third-round pick for the Blue Jays in the 2022 draft, Roden will be making his Major League whenever he appears in his first game.  The outfielder hit .314/.406/.510 with nine homers over 286 plate appearances with Triple-A Buffalo last season, in the latest step of what has been something of a two-year tear through minor league pitching.  Roden then posted huge numbers in Spring Training, putting himself squarely in the picture for a roster spot.

MLB Pipeline ranks Roden as the fifth-best prospect in Toronto’s farm system, citing him as a possible leadoff hitter for the Jays as early as this season due to his advanced on-base and baserunning skills.  Roden also has some power, and has increased his exit velocity over the last two minor league seasons.  Roden is a left-handed hitter, which also helps his case to earn playing time in a Jays lineup that tilts to the right side.

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