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Poll: Will The Cubs Sign A Big Bat This Winter?

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It’s not often that the top free agent doesn’t get much attention from the team they’re departing but that might end up being the case this winter. Even amid an up-and-down season where he was dogged by injuries, Kyle Tucker was a key piece of the team that got the Cubs back into the NLDS for the first time since 2017. While Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer praised Tucker and suggested he’d be in contact with the outfielder’s camp this winter, virtually all reporting on the subject suggests the Cubs aren’t going to pursue a reunion in a serious manner.

The team’s focus appears to be on pitching, at least for the time being. They’ve already signed right-hander Phil Maton to help bolster their bullpen. After bringing southpaw Shota Imanaga back on a qualifying offer, they still figure to explore the market for top-of-the-rotation pitching options. A deal for someone like Michael King, Ranger Suarez, or Tatsuya Imai would certainly make sense for a team that ran out of pitching in October due to injuries to Cade Horton and Justin Steele. A trade also can’t be ruled out, with players like Edward Cabrera, Sandy Alcantara, Joe Ryan, Pablo Lopez, and MacKenzie Gore all expected to be at least somewhat available this winter.

Even as the focus appears to be on the top of the rotation, however, the void Tucker figures to leave in the lineup is undeniable. The superstar delivered his fifth consecutive season worth at least 4.0 fWAR in 2025 as he slashed .266/.377/.464 with a 136 wRC+ in 136 games. That sort of production would be very difficult to replace internally, even with talented youngsters like Moises Ballesteros, Owen Caissie, and Kevin Alcantara knocking on the door of the majors. Ballesteros looked the best of the bunch in his cup of coffee with the big league club last year, hitting an impressive .298/.394/.474 across 66 trips to the plate in 20 games. Strong as that production was, however, it would be unreasonable to expect a 22-year-old rookie to replicate that over a full season.

Perhaps it would be understandable to roll the dice on those internal options if the Cubs had more certainty around the rest of the diamond, but the question marks are undeniable. Carson Kelly seems unlikely to recreate his career year at the plate (115 wRC+) from 2025 headed into his age-31 campaign. Matt Shaw began to show signs of life in the second half but his 93 wRC+ on the season was subpar. Dansby Swanson (99 wRC+) delivered his second consecutive below-average offensive season last year.

One big x-factor is Pete Crow-Armstrong. The budding superstar delivered a 30-30 season in 2025 and finished 9th in NL MVP voting off the back of a brilliant campaign, but his OPS dropped more than 200 points between the first half and the second half. Counting on the 23-year-old to lead the Cubs’ offense in place of Tucker next year would be a risky gamble. Also, Hoerner, Happ and Seiya Suzuki are slated for free agency next winter. Adding a reliable bat to the lineup could go a long way to preventing a step back headed into the 2027 season while also providing reinforcements for a 2026 team that will face lots of questions without Tucker in the fold.

The question, of course, becomes the team’s budget. The Cubs have been very hesitant to spend beyond the competitive balance tax for the past several years, treating it as a soft cap on spending. RosterResource projects them for a $197MM CBT figure in 2026 as things stand. The base threshold of the tax will be $244MM next year, giving them a bit more than $45MM of wiggle room.

With needs in the bullpen and the rotation, that could dry up in a hurry. Signing someone like Bo Bichette, Alex Bregman, or Kyle Schwarber wouldn’t leave a ton of room for pitching additions. Even a less expensive addition like Kazuma Okamoto or Eugenio Suarez might be challenge to make work if the team is unwilling to spend beyond the first threshold of the luxury tax.

How do MLBTR readers think the Cubs will proceed with their offense headed into 2026? Will they hope an offensive nucleus of Crow-Armstrong, Suzuki, and Michael Busch will be enough to weather the loss of Tucker? Or will they bring in an impact hitter to improve the lineup? Have your say in the poll below:

The Opener: Cardinals, Red Sox, Pre-Thanksgiving Deals

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Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Cardinals’ rebuild in full swing:

The first shot of St. Louis’s rebuild was fired yesterday when the club traded right-hander Sonny Gray (and $20MM cash) to the Red Sox for right-hander Richard Fitts, left-hander Brandon Clarke, and a player to be named later or cash. The return restocks the club’s pitching coffers, which the Cardinals haven’t been shy about making a goal of this winter. There’s plenty of additional work for the club to do even with half of Gray’s money off the books, however. The team still hopes to trade Nolan Arenado, and a host of young left-handed bats (led by Brendan Donovan) are known to be available as well. Less clear is the status of Willson Contreras, who would certainly be a logical trade candidate but has indicated a preference to stay in St. Louis.

2. What’s next for the Red Sox?

Entering the offseason, the Red Sox made it clear that a top priority for the club was to add a front-of-the-rotation arm to pair with Garrett Crochet and slot in ahead of Brayan Bello. They arguably did that with the Gray trade, as the veteran was a second-place Cy Young finisher as recently as 2023 in Minnesota. However, Gray hasn’t pitched at that same level in 2024-25, so it’s debatable whether he truly accomplishes this goal. Regardless, it seems that Boston will be turning its attention to bolstering the offense for the time being. That could come in a lot of different forms. Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and even Kyle Schwarber have been frequently linked to the Red Sox this offseason, and there’s been some reporting that they’re looking at J.T. Realmuto as well. Outside of free agency, the club has yet to trade from its glut of left-handed outfield talent, and Boston also has plenty of MLB-ready pitching to dangle (and even fewer innings for those young arms after adding Gray).

3. Will more pre-Thanksgiving deals shake loose?

While deals on Thanksgiving itself are somewhat rare, the days leading up to the holiday often create a bit of a rush of activity as players and teams look to push some deals across the finish line prior to holiday festivities. We’ve already seen some major trades between yesterday’s Gray deal and the weekend’s swap of Brandon Nimmo and Marcus Semien. Phil Maton and Jake Fraley have both wrapped up free-agent deals within the past couple days, with the former headed to the Cubs and the latter signing back with Tampa Bay just days after being non-tendered.

Last year, we saw both Blake Snell and Yusei Kikuchi sign within 48 hours of Thanksgiving (as you can see using MLBTR’s Contract Tracker). The year prior, each of Aaron Nola, Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Reynaldo Lopez closed free agent deals in in the days leading up to the holiday. In 2022, the Hunter Renfroe trade between the Angels and Brewers came together the day prior to Thanksgiving. Another deal or two on either the trade or free agent market could come to fruition before tomorrow.

Poll: Will The Pirates Make A Splash In Free Agency?

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The Pirates enter this winter on a quest to augment their offense in a way that could allow them to contend while superstar hurler Paul Skenes is still in town. Skenes is backed by a solid group of pitching options, including veteran Mitch Keller as well as young arms like Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler in the rotation along with closer Dennis Santana in the bullpen. That deep array of pitching options has virtually no support from the offense, however; while Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz certainly have the capability of being quality regulars in the lineup, only Spencer Horwitz (119 wRC+) and Joey Bart (101 wRC+) were actually above average hitters for Pittsburgh this year.

That leaves the team in need of help in the lineup, and they appear to be unusually willing to dip into free agency to get it. The team had interest in Josh Naylor before he re-upped with the Mariners and has even shown interest in star slugger Kyle Schwarber. A deal at or approaching $100MM would be virtually unheard of for the Pirates in their team history. Reynolds’ $100MM extension is the only nine-figure deal in history, and their next two richest deals (the $70MM range for Mitch Keller and Ke’Bryan Hayes) were both extensions as well. Francisco Liriano’s three-year, $39MM deal from the 2014-15 offseason remains the largest free agent expenditure in team history more than a decade later.

While the Pirates have indicated they have more financial flexibility than previous offseasons and their interest in Schwarber indicates at least some willingness to spend, it would be understandable for fans in Pittsburgh to take the stance that they’ll believe ownership would greenlight that sort of financial outlay when they see it. Adding a top-ten free agent in this year’s class isn’t the only way the Pirates could improve this winter, however. Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich of The Athletic reported yesterday that Pittsburgh is also looking at players like Ryan O’Hearn, Jorge Polanco, and Kazuma Okamoto as “perhaps more realistic options” to bolster their lineup via free agency.

All three clock in well below Schwarber’s five-year, $135MM prediction from MLBTR’s Top 50 MLB Free Agents list. Okamoto is predicted for a four-year, $64MM deal, while Polanco is predicted for three years and $42MM and O’Hearn is predicted for two years and $26MM. Of that trio, only O’Hearn wouldn’t represent a new record in free agency for the Pirates, and given the fact that the Pirates entered 2025 with three $70MM+ contracts on their books it’s hardly out of the realm of possibility that they could stomach a deal on one of those levels. Any of those hitters would substantially improve the Pittsburgh lineup as well and could combine with Horwitz, Bart, Reynolds, and Bart to create a much more competent offense than the team had this season.

With that said, Rosenthal and Drellich caution that it could be difficult for the Pirates to convince even mid-level free agents like those to sign on in Pittsburgh if they get similar offers from teams with clearer paths towards contention. MLBTR’s Top 40 Offseason Trade Candidates list holds intriguing names like Brendan Donovan, Jarren Duran, Brandon Lowe, and Alec Bohm, all of whom would substantially improve the Pirates’ offense in their own right and allow them to do so without spending significant dollars or the player having the opportunity to turn them down. Of course, a trade wouldn’t necessarily preclude a free agent signing; in fact, if they were to acquire an affordable piece like Donovan, it might actually make them more likely to sign a free agent if players begin to view their path to contention in 2026 as more credible.

How do MLBTR readers view the hints of spending in Pittsburgh this winter? Will they make a splash in free agency this winter? Or, if not, will they at least sign a credible enough free agent to break the record held by Liriano’s deal from more than a decade ago? Will they go high enough to surpass the $70MM range of the Hayes and Keller deals? Have your say in the poll below:

The Opener: Marlins, Rockies, MLBTR Chat

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Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on today:

1. Marlins looking to spend?

As the Marlins look to avoid a potential grievance, they could be looking to spend more than they usually would in the offseason. It’s a situation not unlike the one that led the A’s to sign Luis Severino and Jose Leclerc, extend Brent Rooker and Lawrence Butler, and trade for Jeffrey Springs last winter. So far, the Marlins have been connected to high-end relievers such as Devin Williams and even a qualified free agent in right-hander Michael King. As far as extension talks go, it’s been reported that the club spoke with outfielder Kyle Stowers about a potential contract, though they faced a gap that appears insurmountable for the time being. While a Stowers extension seems unlikely for the time being, perhaps the club could explore talks with another player on the roster like Eury Perez, Xavier Edwards or Jakob Marsee.

2. Rockies personnel shuffle:

Yesterday, it was announced that Warren Schaeffer would have the “interim” tag removed from his title and officially become the next Rockies manager after signing a multi-year deal under newly-minted president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta. That completes the most significant overhaul Rockies’ leadership has seen in quite some time. GM Bill Schmidt was fired at season’s end, assistant GM Zack Rosenthal left the team shortly thereafter, and manager Bud Black was dismissed back in May. Now that Schaeffer is in place, he’ll have the opportunity to remake his coaching staff as he sees fit in a way he wasn’t able to after taking over for Black midway through the 2025 campaign. The Rockies will now join a host of other teams looking to fill out their coaching staffs this winter after nearly a third of the league shook things up in the dugout this year. DePodesta will also likely bring in some new faces to build out his front office as well; there’ll be plenty of new faces arriving in Denver over the next few weeks.

3. MLBTR chat today:

The offseason is underway, and the hot stove is starting to sizzle. Two of MLBTR’s top 50 free agents have signed so far (in addition to the four who accepted qualifying offers), and the trade market has started buzzing early as Taylor Ward, Grayson Rodriguez, Marcus Semien, and Brandon Nimmo have all changed hands in the first few weeks of the offseason. Whether your team is looking to load up for a playoff run next year or rebuild for the future, MLBTR’s Steve Adams has you covered in a live chat at 1pm CT later today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

Poll: How Aggressively Should The Mets Shop Jeff McNeil?

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The Mets took a big swing last night when they shipped franchise stalwart Brandon Nimmo to Arlington in order to install Marcus Semien as their new second baseman. Semien took a big step back with the bat this past year but remains a quality defender who produced a four-win season even as a league average hitter in 2024 thanks to his glove. There’s little doubt that Semien will enter next year poised to get the lion’s share of playing time at second base, but that creates plenty of uncertainty for the rest of the Mets’ infielders (aside from Francisco Lindor, anyway).

For the young infielders the Mets have on the roster, uncertainty is nothing new. Luisangel Acuna and Ronny Mauricio both spent time at Triple-A last year, and Mauricio could easily do so again in 2026. Mark Vientos lost playing time over the course of 2025, but the possible departure of Pete Alonso (not to mention Starling Marte) could open up playing time for a big right-handed bat in the first base and DH mix. If Vientos is moving to the other side of the diamond more frequently, that would leave third base wide open for Brett Baty to establish himself without needing to move around the diamond as he did this year. Then there’s also the looming presence of infield prospects like Jett Williams and Jacob Reimer, who will both likely be pushing into the big league mix in 2026.

Given all of that, this trade seems to create the most questions regarding the future of Jeff McNeil. McNeil is owed $15.75MM in the final guaranteed year of his contract. He’s also owed a $2MM buyout if his $15.75MM club option for the 2027 is declined. The Mets have never been afraid to flex their financial might under Steve Cohen’s ownership, but even for his standards, that’s a lot of money to dedicate to a bench player without a position. Marte made more than that last season, but he did wind up starting around half of the Mets’s games after entering the season in a DH platoon with Jesse Winker.

Perhaps McNeil could get to a similar amount of playing time if retained, thanks to his versatility. While he primarily played second base in 2025, McNeil also drew nine starts at DH and 35 in the outfield. He’s spent time at third base as well over the years, and even made cameos at first on occasion. That versatility could allow him to play all over the field in a super utility role, though keeping McNeil for that purpose would surely only serve to further squeeze the team’s young infielders out of the mix in 2026.

That makes an offseason trade seem like the optimal path forward, but there are complications with that plan as well. McNeil’s 111 wRC+ in 122 games this year is nothing to scoff at, but he’s been essentially league average (102 wRC+) at the plate over the last three seasons and no longer rates well anywhere other than second base defensively. Headed into his age-34 season, McNeil’s numbers are more likely to trend downward than tick back up, and teams could be hesitant to part with substantial talent for even a one-year commitment to the veteran at his current price tag.

The Mets are certainly capable of eating some salary to improve a trade return if they so choose, but it’s at least fair to wonder if they would be better off holding onto McNeil for the time being. Perhaps a Spring Training injury could make a team more motivated to add a short-term solution at second base if the Mets are patient, or perhaps an injury on their own roster could create a path to regular playing time for McNeil. If the Mets aren’t able to get a worthwhile return for the veteran’s services, there’s certainly a case to be made for holding him even if it complicates the fit of the club’s young players. It’s also worth noting that youngsters like Acuna are surely on the trade block themselves to some extent. If the Mets swing a big trade for a starting pitcher which sends young talent out the door, they could value McNeil all the more as a depth option.

If you were in the shoes of president of baseball operations David Stearns, how would you proceed with McNeil in the aftermath of the Semien trade? Would you do what you can to work out a trade for him this winter, even eating salary if necessary, or would you hold onto him as depth for Spring Training even if it means cluttering the path to playing time for young players? Have your say in the poll below:

The Opener: Mets, Rangers, Maton

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Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world as we head into the week:

1. What’s next for the Rangers?

A surprising swap of big names on large contracts happened yesterday, as the Rangers sent second baseman Marcus Semien to the Mets in exchange for Brandon Nimmo. From the Rangers’ perspective, the deal allows them to re-imagine their lineup and replace non-tendered corner outfielder Adolis Garcia while still staying in line with their goals to cut payroll this year. While Nimmo is on the books for five years as opposed to Semien’s three, he’ll actually cost about $4.75MM less per year for luxury tax purposes after factoring in the cash New York sent alongside Texas’ new left fielder. With a luxury tax payroll that RosterResource now projects to land around just $191MM and Josh Smith free to take over at second base, the Rangers come out of this trade with the flexibility to perhaps even make another addition to the lineup or sign some bullpen help while still cutting payroll substantially from last year. It’s unclear what exact level ownership is comfortable spending to this year.

2. Mets’ infield logjam grows bigger:

The Semien-Nimmo trade is a bit more complicated from the Mets’ end. With Nimmo headed to the Rangers, the Mets now have Juan Soto as their only locked in regular in the outfield for the 2026 season. By contrast, they’re flush with infield options after adding Semien to a group that already included Brett Baty, Mark Vientos, Luisangel Acuna, and Ronny Mauricio. Semien and Francisco Lindor figure to handle regular reps up the middle, which would leave just two spots on the infield for those four youngsters. A Pete Alonso reunion would further cut into those opportunities. Also displaced by the deal is Jeff McNeil, who could move into the outfield if necessary but was already the subject of trade rumors even before this deal.

The Mets could move any of those infielders as they look for help in the rotation or bullpen. It’s also worth noting that one of the game’s perennial top spenders now has a corner outfield vacancy and less money on the long-term books when the market’s top free agent is corner outfielder Kyle Tucker.

3. Maton signing not yet official:

The Cubs agreed to terms with right-hander Phil Maton on a two-year deal Friday night, though that signing has not yet been finalized. Maton’s deal is pending a physical, and financial specifics are not yet known. The Cubs have been reluctant to commit to relievers on multi-year deals in recent years, making the signing all the more notable. Chicago’s last multi-year free agent signing for a relief arm was the Craig Kimbrel contract all the way back in June of 2019. (They did make a strong offer to Tanner Scott last winter, though.) Is this a change in philosophy or merely a one-off? The Cubs have plenty of space on the 40-man roster, so a corresponding move will not be necessary when the Maton deal becomes official.

Five Non-Tendered Hitters To Keep An Eye On This Winter

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Every year, MLB’s non-tender deadline sees clubs allow some of their players who remain under team control to test the open market early, whether it be due to an increasing price tag in arbitration or a need for additional space on the club’s 40-man roster. Previous seasons have seen a number of high-profile players wind up non-tendered, with Kyle Schwarber, Cody Bellinger, and Brandon Woodruff all having been non-tendered at one point or another in their careers only to this year appear on MLBTR’s Top 50 Free Agents list.

While players of that caliber who reach free agency by way of a non-tender are extremely rare, plenty of others find themselves cut loose early by their clubs only to make an impact elsewhere down the line. That could be as a regular in the lineup or rotation or simply as a solid contributor off the bench or out of the bullpen. Let’s take a look at five hitters who hit free agency following last week’s non-tender deadline and could be worth keeping an eye on throughout the coming offseason. Players are listed in alphabetical order, with their age for the 2026 season in parentheses.

JJ Bleday (28)

Bleday has quite the pedigree behind him, as he was drafted fourth overall by the Marlins back in 2019. A consensus top-50 prospect in the game prior to his MLB debut in 2022, Bleday struggled for the Marlins and A’s across his first two seasons in the majors before enjoying what looked to be a breakout 2024 campaign. That year, he slashed .243/.327/.437 (120 wRC+), cut his strikeout rate to just 19.5% while maintaining a solid 10.4% walk rate, and showed enough pop in his bat to hit 20 homers and a whopping 43 doubles. He was a below average but not disastrous defender in center field, and that in combination with his strong offensive production allowed him to put together a 3.2 fWAR season.

Unfortunately, Bleday’s star fell back to Earth this year with a tough season where his strikeout rate ticked back up to 26.5% while his power dissipated, leaving him with a .212/.294/.404 slash line and a wRC+ of just 90. Things got bleak enough that the A’s actually optioned Bleday to the minors multiple times this season. Perhaps a change of scenery can help Bleday recapture the form he flashed in 2024, and it’s not hard to imagine an outfield-needy team like the Royals or Guardians scooping him up. One sign of optimism regarding Bleday is his performance over the season’s final two months, as he slashed .252/.306/.495 (115 wRC+) with six homers and seven doubles in 111 plate appearances after being recalled to the majors on August 2nd.

Nathaniel Lowe (30)

By far the most established hitter on this list, Lowe has a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger award, and a World Series ring on his mantle for his work with the Rangers from 2021-24. Over that four-year stretch, he slashed a strong .274/.359/.432 with 78 home runs and a 124 wRC+. That’s the performance of a quality regular and left him good for around three WAR per season at first base. Lowe was shipped from Texas to D.C. last offseason, however, and his time with the Nationals left much to be desired.

He hit just .216/.292/.373 across 119 games before he was cut loose from the organization, and while his time with the Red Sox saw him rebound to a .280/.370/.420 slash line closer to what he’s posted in the past, that 34-game stint in Boston only brought his season-long wRC+ back up to 91. While Lowe is hardly likely to get the sort of attention pieces like Pete Alonso or even Luis Arraez will garner this winter, he’d still be an upgrade to a club in need of help at first base like the Padres, Diamondbacks, or Twins.

Christopher Morel (27)

The youngest player on this list by more than a year, Morel arguably has the highest upside of any player on this list but significant flaws that could hold him back from getting a starting job somewhere. The youngster’s big league career started with a bang in 2022, and over his first two seasons with the Cubs Morel slashed .241/.311/.471 with 42 homers in 220 games and a wRC+ of 115. While he struck out at a massive 31.6% clip and was a below-average fielder everywhere he played on the diamond, his impressive power and ability to take walks were enough to make him a well above average hitter.

The past two years have been brutal for the slugger, however, as his production has largely dissipated. Morel’s first half with the Cubs in 2024 was unusual, as his numbers dipped (91 wRC+) despite most of his peripherals trending in the right direction, including a strikeout rate that dropped to 24.5% while his walk rate climbed to 11.1% with 18 home runs. While the usual above-average production wasn’t quite there, the Rays were interested enough to make him a centerpiece of the return for Isaac Paredes at the trade deadline. Unfortunately, Morel’s production completely collapsed during his time with the Rays as he hit just .208/.277/.355 (79 wRC+) in 495 plate appearances over the past two years. While it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a team try to unlock the upside Morel flashed with the Cubs early in his career given his youth and three years of remaining team control, his lack of defensive ability could make him a tough fit for many teams.

Mike Tauchman (35)

Tauchman is the oldest player on the list, and returns after also being listed in last year’s edition of this post. Non-tendered by the Cubs last winter, Tauchman stayed in Chicago by way of a deal with the White Sox and generally made good on his contract with the South Siders, hitting .263/.356/.400 (115 wRC+) across 385 plate appearances. Tauchman may not still be the capable center field defender he was earlier in his career, but teams would be hard pressed to find a player who can more reliably provide on-base ability.

That’s especially true at his expected price tag, which could draw in suitors with tight budgets this winter. Among the 229 players to record at least 1000 plate appearances since the start of the 2023 season, Tauchman’s .359 OBP ranks 21st, sandwiched between Rafael Devers and Kyle Schwarber. His production naturally falls well short of those star players thanks to a lack of power, as he’s not hit even ten homers in a season since 2019. Even so, he’d be a valuable addition to a team like the Royals, Astros, or Rays in either a bench or platoon role.

Ramon Urias (32)

Urias stands out among this group as being the most valuable defender of the bunch. Bleday and Tauchman are both restricted to the outfield and profile poorly in center, while Lowe is a first base-only defender. Morel has experience at valuable positions like center field and third base, but has graded out terribly at them by defensive metrics and profiles best as a DH. Urias, by contrast, is a Gold Glove winner at third base who has substantial experience at both second base and shortstop as well. His +5 Outs Above Average around the infield this year ranked in the 88th percentile among all fielders.

Typically, Urias pairs that strong glove with a decent bat that makes him a solid second-division regular or high-quality part-time player. In parts of six seasons in the majors, Urias is a career .257/.321/.403 (104 wRC+) hitter who had consistently been at or above league average until this season. This year, however, Urias hit just .241/.292/.384 (87 wRC+). That performance is in part dragged down by a rough stint in Houston after being dealt to the Astros at the trade deadline, but even his mark with Baltimore was below league-average. Questionable as Urias’s numbers were this year, his overall track record and ability to provide solid infield defense should make him an attractive addition for a team, particularly given a thin infield market with few everyday options. The Yankees, Brewers, Mariners, and Tigers are among the many teams Urias could make at least some sense for.

Tigers Among Teams Interested In Ryan Helsley As Starting Pitcher

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Ryan Helsley is drawing interest from clubs as a starting pitcher, and the Tigers are among the teams who have spoken to him about a possible move to the rotation according to a report from Ken Rosenthal, Cody Stavenhagen, and Katie Woo of The Athletic.

It’s become a trend for relievers with starting experience to garner interest for rotation jobs around the league. For players like Reynaldo Lopez, Seth Lugo, and Michael King, the move has gone incredibly well and ended in them garnering attention in Cy Young conversations. For others, like Helsley’s former teammate Jordan Hicks, the move doesn’t go quite so swimmingly. Since signing with the Giants as a starter during the 2023-24 offseason, Hicks has a 5.19 ERA across 177 innings and ultimately had his contract dumped in a trade with the Red Sox, where he served as a salary offset in the Rafael Devers deal.

The risk of an outcome like Hicks had comes with substantial reward for both player and team. For teams, signing a reliever and giving them the opportunity to start affords them a chance at a top-shelf arm at a steep bargain compared to the nine-figure contracts routinely commanded by the league’s established front-end arms. For the player, meanwhile, the chance to return to starting could mean that a team is willing to invest in a more substantial contract than they would be for a less-than-elite reliever and could mean an even more substantial contract if they find success and return to free agency with an established track record of starting at a high level.

Common as the trend has been in recent years, Helsley is an unusual candidate for a move to the rotation. Most players that move to the rotation have starting experience in the majors, a pitch mix that lends itself towards starting, and lack a track record as an established closer in the majors. While there are some pitchers in this free agent class that all applies to (and Brad Keller is notably already garnering interest for a potential move back to the rotation himself), none of it is true of Helsley. Rosenthal notes that more than 90% of his pitches thrown last year were either his four-seamer or his slider, though he does also have a cutter and a curveball in his repertoire. Helsley also has zero starts at the big league level with 105 saves picked up across his time as a closer for the Cardinals.

Since he took over that role in 2022, the two-time All-Star has a 2.49 ERA with a 2.80 FIP and a 31.9% strikeout rate across 210 appearances. He’s overwhelmingly been used as a one-inning arm as well, with just three outings that lasted longer than three outs over the past two seasons. Taken together, it all makes him an odd fit for a move to the rotation. Rosenthal suggests that the idea could have something to do with the state of the market this winter.

After a host of rotation arms expected to be available this winter (Jack Flaherty, Shane Bieber, Shota Imanaga, and Brandon Woodruff) either exercised player options with their current clubs or accepted a qualifying offer, there’s fewer quality starters available than once seemed likely. That relative shortage in conjunction with the fact that this winter’s market lacks a slam-dunk ace on the level of Yoshinobu Yamamoto or Corbin Burnes could leave teams a bit more willing than usual to get creative with their pitching additions this winter. From Helsley’s perspective, meanwhile, he’s coming off the worst season he’s had since becoming a closer as he posted an ERA of 4.50 with a 4.14 FIP across 56 innings with the Cardinals and Mets.

That could put a damper on his market in a winter with plenty of closing options available. Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams, Robert Suarez, Luke Weaver, Emilio Pagan, Pete Fairbanks, Kyle Finnegan and Kenley Jansen are all quality relievers with ninth-inning experience coming off stronger seasons than Helsley, not to mention other arms like Keller who lack that closing experience but still figure to command significant dollars this winter. With such a deep group of late-inning relievers, perhaps Helsley can separate himself from the crowd by leaving the door to starting a game for the first time since he made his major league debut on the table.

Turning to the Tigers’ interest in Helsley more specifically, it’s not hard to see why Detroit might want more help for its rotation. Even as a trade of ace Tarik Skubal seems unlikely and Flaherty unexpectedly decided to stick around for another year, there’s not much certainty in the Tigers rotation outside of that duo and Casey Mize. Reese Olson is sure to be in rotation when healthy but made just 13 starts this year due to injuries. Troy Melton impressed in his rookie season but made just four starts for the Tigers in the majors this year. Even Mize and Flaherty will both join Skubal in free agency next winter, meaning that Detroit faces a major exodus of talent that could make signing a long-term starter with possible front-of-the-rotation upside this winter quite attractive.

Of course, it must be noted that Detroit surely isn’t the only team with interest in Helsley, even as a starter, and that the Tigers themselves could ultimately prefer a more established arm to serve as the bridge between their current rotation and the one they’ll need to build for 2027 and beyond. While the possibility of Helsley becoming the next King or Lopez is certainly enticing, if the Tigers are willing to go out and sign a more proven arm like Ranger Suarez or Dylan Cease that would offer a lot more certainty.

Orioles Outright Luis Vazquez

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The Orioles announced this morning that infielder Luis Vazquez has cleared outright waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Triple-A Norfolk. He’ll serve as non-roster depth for Baltimore heading into the 2026 season.

Vazquez, 25, was acquired by the Orioles in a minor trade with the Cubs last offseason. A 14th-round pick by Chicago back in 2017, he didn’t make his big league debut until last year in an 11-game cameo with the Cubs. He got a larger look in a bench role with Baltimore this past year, but still has yet to establish himself as more than a depth option at the big league level. In 67 plate appearances across 47 games in the majors between both clubs, Vazquez has hit just .145/.194/.210 (13 wRC+). With a 29.9% career strikeout rate in the majors, a walk rate of 4.5%, and little power to speak of, it’s hard to see Vazquez hitting enough to be a reliable bench option at the big league level without another step forward in his development.

That didn’t stop the Orioles from signing Vazquez to a big league contract earlier this month, however. It’s a tactic that creates a win-win situation for both player and team; Vazquez gets a guaranteed salary slightly higher than the MLB minimum, while the Orioles can safely outright him off the roster without fear of another team claiming him or Vazquez rejecting the assignment in favor of free agency. That can allow Vazquez to serve as a depth piece for Baltimore while also potentially continuing his development at Triple-A. Despite his poor results in the majors, Vazquez has done quite well for himself at the Orioles’ Norfolk affiliate with a .271/.343/.413 (106 wRC+) slash line at the level.

Whether Vazquez manages to take a step forward at the plate or not, he’s still valuable depth for Baltimore given his defensive ability and versatility. A solid defender at shortstop as well as both second and third base, Vazquez has also made brief cameos at first base and the outfield corners. A quality infield glove with the versatility to play the outfield in a pinch and the speed to be a solid pinch runner has value as a potential stopgap to fill out a team’s roster if injuries create vacancies over the course of the season, and the fact that Vazquez can fill that role while still being young enough to have the potential upside of future development made him an intriguing enough asset for the Orioles to offer him a little extra guaranteed money in order to keep him in the fold.

Turning to the big league bench, the Orioles figure to carry some combination of Leody Taveras, Jeremiah Jackson, Maverick Handley, Ryan Noda, and Heston Kjerstad as reserve players, with Taveras having the firmest grip of a bench spot of that group. Two spots on the bench currently appear likely to be used on a platoon between Ryan Mountcastle and Samuel Basallo at DH as well as a Tyler O’Neill/Dylan Beavers platoon in right field. Of course, the Orioles’ positional mix could still be altered substantially before Opening Day if a trade thins the herd or Baltimore continues their pursuit of a big bat even after adding Taylor Ward, as seems likely.

CPBL’s Wei Chuan Dragons To Post Jo Hsi Hsu

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The Wei Chuan Dragons of Taiwan’s Chinese Professional Baseball League are posting right-hander Jo Hsi Hsu for MLB clubs, as noted by CPBL Stats. Hsu is considering a jump to either MLB or Nippon Professional Baseball in Japan this offseason. Hsu himself told reporters that he’s already visited Japan and had dinner with NPB legend Sadaharu Oh, who now serves as the chief baseball officer for the SoftBank Hawks. According to Taiwanese outlet TSNA, Hsu has also garnered stateside interest from the Dodgers.

CPBL players can be posted for international free agency with the permission of their club after they’ve reached three years of service time. Hsu, 25, is in the midst of that process now and will market himself coming off a 2025 season where he pitched to a sterling 2.05 ERA with a 28.0% strikeout rate across 19 starts and 114 innings of work. That workload is fairly standard for the 119-game CPBL season, but it leaves questions about how well he’d be able to handle the rigors of a 162-game schedule as a starter in the big leagues.

Eric Longenhagen and James Fegan of Fangraphs took a look at Hsu’s profile last month and suggested that it’s “probable” most MLB clubs will view him as a reliever as he was unable to maintain his top velocity throughout even that 19-start campaign in the CPBL this year. Longehagen and Fegan both suggest that Hsu has the talent to be a late-inning set-up man in the majors, and a player headed into his age-25 season who could immediately slot into the back of any bullpen would surely be an attractive piece for teams to consider. With that being said, Longenhagen and Fegan both suggest that Hsu might prefer to first go to Japan to attempt to hone his skills as a starter before making the jump to MLB.

That’s a path that could be attractive for financial reasons. Hsu is young enough that even if he spent two or three years in Japan, he’d be able to come to MLB much younger than the average free agent pitcher. That could set him up for a more lucrative payday, particularly because then all posting fees owed to his the Dragons would be attached to his NPB contract. That would leave MLB teams able to offer Hsu the full amount they believe him to be worth rather than sending a portion of that money overseas to the Dragons. The CPBL posting fee is 20% of the first $25MM a player earns in their MLB contract, 17.5% of the next $25MM, and 15% of any dollars above $50MM. For minor league contracts, the posting fee is equivalent to 25% of the player’s signing bonus.

Beneficial as a stop in NPB might be financially, Hsu certainly wouldn’t be the first player to eschew a larger immediate payday for the opportunity to pitch in the majors sooner. Roki Sasaki opted to be posted last winter, when he wasn’t yet old enough to sign more than a minor league contract, and Shohei Ohtani famously did the same when he first came over to the United States. If Hsu does come stateside, it seems as though the Dodgers have at least some interest in his services. L.A. is hardly a club that’s been shy about making a splash in international markets, and while those efforts have been primarily focused on NPB (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sasaki) and KBO (Hyeseong Kim) players in recent offseasons, it wouldn’t be a shock to see them expand their horizons to Taiwan.

It seems silly to call anything about a back-to-back World Series champion disappointing, but the Dodgers made a big investment in the back of their bullpen by picking up Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates last winter that ultimately did not pan out. Adding an arm like Hsu to the fold alongside Scott could give L.A. some additional firepower in the bullpen to help make up for the loss of Evan Phillips, who underwent Tommy John surgery in June and was non-tendered this past week.

Of course, the Dodgers are hardly the only team who could have interest in Hsu’s services. International relief signings have typically come in at a fairly affordable price tag that could make him an interesting target for virtually any club searching for bullpen help this winter. Woo-Suk Go (two years, $4.5MM), Yuki Matsui (five years, $28MM), and Shintaro Fujinami (one year, $3.5MM) are all players who signed from the international market as relievers in recent years, and none came with the typical price tag associated with late-inning relievers already established in MLB.

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