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The Opener: Dodgers, Gallen, Castellanos

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With one early-morning trade already in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world this weekend:

1. Dodgers pitchers and catchers report:

29 out of 30 teams have already had their pitchers and catchers officially report for camp, and today the 30th and final team will have its first workout: the reigning World Series champion Dodgers. It’s a slightly different look in camp for L.A. than previous years. Future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw is not present following his retirement while star closer Edwin Diaz and outfielder Kyle Tucker will be suiting up in Dodger blue for the first time. As camp gets underway, a few notable moves have been made for the Dodgers on the positional side of things. The club brought Enrique Hernandez back on a one-year deal yesterday, and also worked out yet another short-term extension with veteran third baseman Max Muncy.

2. Where will Gallen land?

Earlier this week, the Orioles signed Chris Bassitt among a flurry of starting pitching signings that also saw veterans like Justin Verlander (Tigers) and Jose Quintana (Rockies) find their next club. That’s a notable move from Baltimore in part because the club was one of the teams that had been most clearly linked to Zac Gallen this offseason. With camps opening up around the league, Gallen remains unsigned and will need to find a team in a hurry if he doesn’t want to be behind when exhibition games begin later this month. He still makes sense for the Padres and Diamondbacks, though it’s unclear if either team can afford him at this point. The Braves, who recently lost Spencer Schwellenbach for an extended period due to bone spurs in his elbow, could also make sense but may not want to punt the draft pick and shell out the necessary dollars to bring him into the fold. It’s possible another spring injury could open a new door for Gallen, but there aren’t a lot of clean fits at the moment.

3. Will Castellanos find a new home?

The messy, months-long divorce between the Phillies and Nick Castellanos finally came to a close yesterday when Philadelphia officially released the veteran, making him a free agent eligible to sign with any interested club for the league minimum. Speculatively speaking, teams like the Padres, Guardians, and Royals could have a spot for them in their outfield/DH mixes, but Castellanos is coming off a down season at the plate and has long been a sub-par defender. Upon being released, he also opened up (to an extent) about his clash with manager Rob Thomson, admitting that after being lifted for a defensive replacement in Miami, he brought a beer into the dugout while the game was still going and began to air some grievances with his skipper before teammates intervened to calm him down. Will another club take a chance on Castellanos?

D-backs Notes: Lawlar, Burnes, Bullpen, Santana

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The Diamondbacks’ acquisition of future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado (alongside their decision not to trade Ketel Marte) pushed longtime top prospect Jordan Lawlar out of the club’s infield mix, at least on paper. That’s led to some questions about his role moving forward, but manager Torey Lovullo revealed to reporters (including Alex Weiner of AZ Sports) yesterday where the team hopes to play Lawlar going forward: center field. That would displace incumbent center fielder Alek Thomas, who Lovullo suggested would move around the outfield amid injuries to Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and Corbin Carroll.

Of course, that plan to play Lawlar in center field is predicated on him proving himself capable of handling the position this spring. He played three games in center during the Dominican Winter League this offseason, but otherwise has spent his entire professional career on the dirt. His 98th percentile sprint speed in 2025 certainly suggests he has the wheels to handle the position, offering plenty of reason for optimism, but that lack of experience calls into question how effectively he’ll be able to pick up the position on the fly. It wouldn’t be the first time a team converted an infield prospect to center over the course of one Spring Training, as the division rival Padres managed to do just that with Jackson Merrill two years ago. Merrill turned in one of the best defensive seasons in the entire sport as a rookie, and should offer some optimism about Lawlar’s ability to follow suit.

Perhaps the biggest question for Lawlar isn’t whether he’s physically capable of handling center field, but whether he’s capable of staying on the field long enough to prove it. Between Triple-A and the majors, Lawlar has just 113 games played over the past two seasons due to a variety of injuries. Last season, he missed multiple months with a hamstring strain, while a thumb injury cost him most of 2024. In between those injuries, he’s struggled in brief cameos at the big league level but has managed to continue raking at Triple-A, offering some reason for optimism that he’ll figure things out offensively if given consistent playing time. He’ll now get that playing time at the expense of Thomas, who was once a former top propsect himself but has never quite managed to hit well in the majors with a career 74 wRC+ that peaked at 81 last season. Thomas figures to join Jorge Barrosa, Tim Tawa, and perhaps non-roster invitees like Ildemaro Vargas and Ryan Waldschmidt in mixing and matching in the corners while Carroll and Gurriel are out of commission.

Turning to the pitching staff, ace right-hander Corbin Burnes missed much of his first season in Arizona due to Tommy John surgery but figures to contribute after completing his rehab at some point this year. Burnes himself spoke to reporters (video link via MLB.com) about his timeline for return yesterday, and suggested that he’s expecting to return around the All-Star break. Burnes added that he plans to “try and make it [back] sooner,” though considering he went under the knife in June that could be a tall ask given the procedure’s typical recovery timeline. Adding Burnes back to the rotation would obviously be a massive boost. The former Cy Young award winner had a 2.66 ERA in 11 starts last year (albeit with less impressive peripherals) and placed in the top ten in Cy Young voting in each of the past five seasons prior to his injured 2025 campaign.

Burnes will be working towards a return alongside the team’s two highest leverage relievers, Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk. It appears his projected timeline falls in the middle of the two relief arms, as described by the players themselves in comments made to AZ Sports. Martinez suggested that he’s anticipating a return in August of this year, though he acknowledged it “could be earlier, could be later” depending on how things go from here. He underwent Tommy John surgery in June, like Burnes did. Puk also went under the knife in June, but he underwent a less-invasive internal brace procedure. The southpaw told reporters he hopes to be back by the end of May, but acknowledged that isn’t necessarily realistic. Still, he expressed confidence that he’ll be back on the mound before the second half, which indicates he could be looking at a return to action at some point in June.

Adding Puk and Martinez back to the relief staff could be majorly impactful for the Diamondbacks given their difficulties in finding high leverage relief help this year. The team figures to run back more or less the same group of relievers they finished last year with, as non-roster invitee Jonathan Loaisiga figures to be the most impactful reliever added to the roster during the offseason. Loaisiga has struggled to stay healthy over the years, and while he has a career 3.54 ERA at the big league level he struggled last year with middling results and worrisome peripherals (including a 5.83 FIP) in 30 appearances for the Yankees.

While Burnes, Puk, and Martinez all figure to spend Spring Training rehabbing their injured elbows, first baseman Carlos Santana figures to be preparing for the World Baseball Classic. Santana was one of many players who was unable to secure insurance to play in the World Baseball Classic, but Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Diamondbacks decided to give Santana the green light to play in the tournament uninsured. He’ll represent the Dominican Republic alongside teammate Ketel Marte and Geraldo Perdomo, and Hazen indicated that giving Santana the opportunity to bond with his new teammates over the shared experience of representing their home country was a factor in the team’s decision to assume the financial risk of the soon to be 40-year-old veteran getting injured. Santana is slated to make $2MM this year on his one-year deal with Arizona, and Rosenthal notes that, according to club GM Mike Hazen, Santana’s ability to be a clubhouse leader and guide other players on the team was a big part of why he was signed.

The Opener: Pitchers & Catchers, Castellanos, Quintana

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

1. Pitchers and catchers continue to report:

Most teams have had their first official workout of Spring Training at this point, but a few clubs have still yet to begin official activities. Almost all the remaining teams are scheduled to have their first workout today. In Arizona’s Cactus League, that list includes the Guardians, Rockies, Brewers, and Mariners. Meanwhile, Florida’s Grapefruit League will see the Twins, Yankees, Cardinals, and Rays all officially start spring activities. Notable new faces expected to be present for today’s workouts include Brandon Sproat and Kyle Harrison (Brewers), Dustin May (Cardinals), Michael Lorenzen (Rockies), and Ryan Weathers (Yankees).

2. Castellanos conclusion incoming:

The Phillies’ long, awkward divorce with veteran Nick Castellanos appears to be drawing to a close. According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, a resolution for Castellanos, whether that’s a release or a trade, is expected to come together within the next two days. It’s unclear what sort of market Castellanos might have in trade, but it could be viable for a team interested in the soon to be 34-year-old for a part-time role or an interested club without much hope of making the postseason this year to sacrifice a little extra money to swing a trade for him rather than banking on being able to convince him to sign with them after he’s released.

3. Quintana’s deal to be made official:

Along with the aforementioned arrival of Lorenzen in Rockies camp today, Colorado is expected to welcome another veteran pitcher into the fold officially. Southpaw Jose Quintana recently signed with the Rockies on a one-year deal, and Thomas Harding of MLB.com writes that his deal with the team is expected to become official ahead of the club’s first official workout later today. A 40-man roster move will be necessary to officially add Quintana to the roster, and it will be interesting to see if the team sends right-hander Jeff Criswell to the 60-day injured list after he underwent Tommy John surgery last March, or if they expect him to be ready early enough in the season that they don’t want to force him to stay on the shelf that long. If they want to keep Brigham off the IL for now, they’ll need to designate a player for assignment or work out a trade to clear 40-man space.

The Opener: Pitchers & Catchers, Pirates, Injuries

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On the heels of an early-morning signing, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Pitchers and catchers continue reporting:

After a handful of teams with early report dates officially kicked off Spring Training yesterday, half of MLB’s clubs are following suit Wednesday. In Arizona’s Cactus League, the A’s, Cubs, Reds, Royals, Angels, and Padres are all reporting. There are even more clubs reporting in Florida’s Grapefruit League, as the Orioles, Tigers, Astros, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, Pirates, Blue Jays, and Nationals are all officially kicking off Spring Training this morning. Edward Cabrera (Cubs), Grayson Rodriguez (Angels), Shane Baz (Orioles), Framber Valdez (Tigers), Tatsuya Imai (Astros), Freddy Peralta (Mets), and Dylan Cease (Blue Jays) are among the most notable players appearing in camp with new teams this year. As we saw throughout the day Tuesday, the opening of camp could also bring about both notable injury updates and some late-winter signings.

2. Pirates 40-man moves incoming?

The Pirates have not yet officially announced their signings of right-hander Jose Urquidy and DH Marcell Ozuna. Both of those moves could be made official as soon as today, and in doing so the Pirates will need to make a pair of 40-man moves to accommodate the new additions. Promising right-hander Jared Jones is still rehabbing from last year’s internal brace surgery and could be a 60-day IL option, depending on how that rehab process has progressed over the winter. (The team will likely have an update early in camp.) He’s the only potential 60-day IL candidate, so Pittsburgh will likely have to to designate a player for assignment or work out a trade that clears a 40-man roster spot.

3. Will injuries spur movement on the market?

Yesterday saw the Tigers reunite with future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on a one-year deal, but the veteran’s return to Detroit was predicated at least in part on some tough news for fans in Detroit: talented right-hander Reese Olson will miss the 2026 season due to shoulder surgery. The Tigers weren’t the only team to announce a major rotation injury yesterday. The Braves will be without right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach to open the 2026 campaign after he was placed on the 60-day injured list, while Toronto will be without Shane Bieber for the start of the season (plus Bowden Francis for the entirety of it following Tommy John surgery). With prominent arms like Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, and Lucas Giolito still available, will those clubs look to firm up their staff like the Tigers did?

Rangers To Sign Jordan Montgomery

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The Rangers are bringing back old friend Jordan Montgomery, according to a report from Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News. Montgomery will make $1.25MM on a one-year, MLB deal. The deal also includes performance bonuses. Montgomery is represented by Wasserman. Texas will need to create a 40-man roster spot to accommodate Montgomery once the signing becomes official.

Montgomery, 33, missed the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March. He’ll open the season on the 60-day injured list, according to Grant, but the lefty figures to factor into the team’s rotation later this year once he’s finished his rehab process. Grant suggests that could come at some point in the second half, though it’s at least plausible the lefty could return before that if he avoids any setbacks in his rehab. Nathan Eovaldi, Jacob deGrom, MacKenzie Gore, and Jack Leiter all appear to be more or less locked into rotation spots for Texas to open the year, with Jacob Latz and Kumar Rocker among the options to kick off the season in that fifth rotation spot.

As pitching injuries become more and more common around the league, it’s impossible to say what the state of the Rangers rotation will look like once Montgomery is healthy enough to rejoin the staff. If everyone is healthy, Montgomery take over that fifth starter job if Latz and/or Rocker has struggled, or could simply expand the Rangers’ rotation to six men depending on the needs of the club at the time. Of course, both Eovaldi and Gore missed significant time due to injuries last year and deGrom has a lengthy injury history of his own. A fully healthy rotation all year long can’t be assumed, and that could leave Montgomery to serve in a pivotal role for the Rangers by providing reinforcements at some point.

Whenever Montgomery does wind up returning to the big league mound, the quality of his performance will be a source of considerable intrigue. It wasn’t all that long ago that Montgomery was a World Series hero in Texas who hit the open market coming off a stretch of seasons with the Rangers, Cardinals, and Yankees where he looked like a high-end #2 starter. It seemed likely he’d get a free agent contract to match that pedigree, but he lingered on the market during the 2023-24 offseason and became one of the oft-discussed “Boras Four” alongside Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger, and Matt Chapman. All four wound up signing pillow contracts late in the year, and while the other three all went on to have success and sign much larger deals in the years afterwards, the same did not happen for Montgomery.

The lefty’s career has taken a tumble since signing that pillow contract with the Diamondbacks. He struggled badly in 2024 with a 6.23 ERA in 117 innings for the Snakes. He changed his representation and accused Boras of having “butchered” his free agency, while Diamondbacks owner Ken Kendrick publicly expressed frustration with having signed Montgomery, calling it a “horrible decision.” That acrimonious relationship came to an end at the trade deadline last year, when the Diamondbacks dumped what little remained of Montgomery’s contract on the Brewers in a trade that also sent righty Shelby Miller to Milwaukee. Montgomery, of course, did not pitch for the Brew Crew as he rehabbed and found himself back in free agency this offseason.

Given Montgomery’s disastrous 2024 campaign and lost season in 2025, it would be fair to consider the fact that the Rangers offered him a big league contract a notable vote of confidence in his ability to get back to being an above-average starter, even in spite of the relatively small base salary that the deal comes with. Signing a player like Montgomery who won’t be ready to contribute on Opening Day doesn’t necessarily prevent the Rangers from adding more to their rotation, especially if injuries crop up early in the season. With that being said, however, choosing to add a player like Montgomery rather than someone who could be ready to start games when the season begins could signal that the team is comfortable having Latz or Rocker open the season in the rotation and doesn’t feel much pressure to put additional competition into the mix for that particular camp battle.

The Opener: Pitchers & Catchers, Arraez, Arbitration Decisions

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Baseball is back! Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world as Spring Training commences:

1. Pitchers and catchers begin reporting:

Spring Training is officially getting underway today… for a handful of teams, at least. As noted by MLB.com, the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Rangers, and Giants have their first workout for pitchers and catchers today in Arizona’s Cactus League. Meanwhile, over in Florida, the Grapefruit League’s workouts kick off with the Braves and Red Sox. Boston (Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray), Texas (MacKenzie Gore, Danny Jansen), and San Francisco (Adrian Houser, Tyler Mahle) all figure to have some exciting new faces around camp today, while the White Sox (Erick Fedde) and Diamondbacks (Merrill Kelly) will welcome back old friends who re-signed over the offseason. The opening of camp typically reveals some news of offseason injuries, and it’s common for a handful off free agents to pop up in camp with clubs after finalizing a late agreement. There ought to be plenty of news throughout the week as players continue to report.

2. Arraez deal to be made official:

Luis Arraez’s one-year deal with the Giants has yet to be made official. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, that delay is so that Arraez can get his physical with the club at their Spring Training facilities, thereby streamlining the process. Slusser adds that Arraez’s signing figures to be made official today. San Francisco’s 40-man roster is full at the moment, meaning that a corresponding transaction will need to be announced alongside the Arraez deal. That could be a minor trade or a player being designated for assignment, but with the start of Spring Training it’s possible the club could simply look to put a player like Randy Rodriguez or Jason Foley on the 60-day injured list. Rodriguez underwent Tommy John surgery last September. Foley had shoulder surgery last May.

3. Arbitration decisions to be handed down:

The Associated Press reports that arbitration results from two hearings should be expected today: catcher Tyler Stephenson (who filed at $6.8MM) and the Reds (who filed at $6.55MM) as well as southpaw Reid Detmers (who filed at $2.925MM) and the Angels (who filed at $2.625MM). Players have won the majority of cases so far, with Orioles lefty Keegan Akin taking the only arbitration loss of the year to this point. Lefties Dylan Lee of the Braves and Eric Lauer of the Blue Jays have already been to hearings but are having their decisions withheld until later this week. Royals southpaw Kris Bubic, Brewers catcher William Contreras, and Marlins righty Calvin Faucher all have hearings scheduled for the future to round out this year’s slate of arbitration cases.

Poll: Do The Cardinals Have Another Trade In Them This Offseason?

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The Cardinals have been one of the winter’s busiest teams. Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Nolan Arenado were all shipped elsewhere to clear salary and add some young talent. The crown jewel on the team’s offseason was the three-team trade that sent Brendan Donovan to Seattle in exchange for two Competitive Balance draft picks and a package of prospects headlined by top pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje.

It wouldn’t be a shock if all that activity was the end of their involvement in the trade market. At this point, the majority of their roster is controlled for multiple seasons, and the team has generally cleared the deck to give its up-and-coming youngsters more playing time.

Even so, additional trades can’t be ruled out. There is still one more rental player on the team’s roster who has garnered interest from teams: southpaw JoJo Romero. Romero has been connected to several teams this winter, including the Mariners, Orioles, and Yankees. Given how quickly the bullpen market moved in free agency this offseason, Romero could have particular value to a team like the Yankees or Twins that was known to be in the market for relief help but didn’t end up landing a coveted high leverage arm. The lefty is coming off a nice 2025 campaign where he posted a 2.07 ERA in 61 innings. He’d surely net some prospect value if dealt.

The Cardinals could prefer to put Romero in the ninth inning throughout the first half, let him accumulate experience in the closer role, and market him as such at the trade deadline, when virtually every contender will be on the prowl for bullpen help. There’s certainly some merit to that option, but it’s possible a bullpen-needy team would pay more for a full year of Romero now than over the summer. That figures to be especially true if his run prevention regresses towards his solid but unspectacular peripherals from 2025. Romero pitched to a 4.10 SIERA with a hefty 11.4% walk rate against a 21.6% strikeout rate last year.

Romero is the most likely player left on the Cardinals roster to move before Opening Day, but there are other options. Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman were among the players who had their names floated as possible trade chips this winter. Nootbaar, in particular, would make sense given that he has just two years of team control remaining, but any attempts at trade talks have surely been complicated by him undergoing surgery that could land him on the injured list when the 2026 campaign begins.

Gorman, 25, is coming off back-to-back down seasons that saw him strike out more than 35% of the time, but in 2023 he flashed an impressive 118 wRC+ with 27 homers in just 119 games. That kind of power is enticing, and with a dearth of infield talent currently available, teams still looking for help on the dirt might be willing to offer a decent return despite the warts. While Gorman would surely have a lot more value if he turns in a big season in 2026, another lackluster campaign would likely leave him with little to no trade value. His departure would also create a path for the Cardinals to get both Thomas Saggese and top prospect JJ Wetherholt regular at-bats. Wetherholt figures to have an everyday job once he’s ready to debut regardless of Gorman’s presence, but Saggese might be relegated to a platoon or bench role without a trade.

How do MLBTR readers view the Cardinals’ situation? With a handful of theoretical trade candidates still on the roster, will they get another deal done before the regular season begins? Or will the players currently on the roster stick around until trade talks pick back up closer to the trade deadline? Have your say in the poll below:

The Opener: Arbitration, Angels, Twins

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

1. Arbitration hearings continue:

The biggest news in baseball yesterday was southpaw Tarik Skubal’s record-shattering victory over the Tigers in his arbitration hearing, where a panel of judges awarded him $32MM rather than the $19MM figure Detroit had submitted. It’s the third consecutive victory (joining Kyle Bradish and Yainer Diaz) for the players in arbitration hearings this year, while teams have yet to win a single case. Tampa Bay right-hander Edwin Uceta and Atlanta southpaw Dylan Lee have both already gone to hearings against their clubs, though decisions aren’t expected until next week on those cases. (Results on cases that could be direct comps for other arb hearings in the same year are often withheld until those other hearings have taken place.) Reid Detmers, Graham Ashcraft, Tyler Stephenson, and Kris Bubic are among the players who exchanged figures with their teams but have yet to go to a hearing. Will those players be able to keep the win streak going?

2. Suter nearing deal with Anaheim:

Reporting yesterday indicated that southpaw Brent Suter and the Angels were nearing an agreement on a major league deal. Any final details and a physical could be hammered out this weekend. Anaheim has already made several veteran additions to the bullpen this winter, as Suter will join Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano, and Kirby Yates as a potential setup option for Robert Stephenson in rookie manager Kurt Suzuki’s bullpen. The Halos’ 40-man roster is full, so they’ll need a corresponding move to formally add Suter unless they hold off on announcing the deal until camp opens and they can then shift a player (Anthony Rendon or Ben Joyce) to the 60-day IL.

3. Do the Twins have a notable move in store?

Although the Twins have had a quiet offseason in terms of player transactions, things have been anything but quiet off the field. They added three new minority owners, Tom Pohlad took over as the team’s new control person, and those changes seemingly led to president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey departing the club in a shocking move late last month. Amid those ownership and front office shuffles, the Twins have made some surprising gestures toward upgrading the roster. Minnesota was involved in the market for Freddy Peralta before he was traded to the Mets and reportedly jumped into the mix on Framber Valdez before he signed with the division-rival Tigers. There aren’t many impact players left on the market, but righty Zac Gallen remains unsigned and there are various trade options the club could pursue. Bullpen help is the Twins’ most glaring need, but even cursory interest in Peralta and Valdez signals a willingness to add to the rotation as well.

Poll: Who Will Sign Zac Gallen?

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The impact position players are off the market for the most part at this point, and yesterday the top starter remaining followed suit as Framber Valdez landed with the Tigers on a three-year, $115MM deal. That leaves right-hander Zac Gallen as both the final remaining qualified free agent and the best starting pitcher still available. Gallen’s market has been a bit deflated coming off the weakest season of his career, though with a lifetime 3.58 ERA and 3.65 FIP across 1007 1/3 big league innings there’s no doubt that he could still impact a rotation-needy team if he can get back on track. Which teams would the right-hander be the best fit for, and where will he ultimately land? A few of the most likely options:

Arizona Diamondbacks

For a qualified free agent who lingers on the market, sometimes a homecoming simply makes the most sense. The Diamondbacks are the only team in the majors that wouldn’t forfeit a draft pick in order to bring Gallen into the fold, and that alone makes them a sensible fit. Beyond that, the Arizona pitching staff is in serious need of help. Adding Gallen would be prudent, given the team’s lack of experienced rotation depth and a fifth starter (Michael Soroka) who has had durability concerns. His addition could push some of those depth starters into the mix for a bullpen that lacks impact options with Justin Martinez and A.J. Puk both set to open the season on the injured list. The biggest obstacle for a reunion between Arizona and Gallen is money; ownership hasn’t been shy about their desire to bring down a payroll that has sat in the $190MM range over the past two years, and unless ownership makes an exception for a beloved longtime D-back, the Snakes are more or less at their limit.

Baltimore Orioles

The O’s entered the season with a need to upgrade the rotation. They’ve acquired Shane Baz and re-upped with Zach Eflin, but neither is a surefire front-of-the-rotation arm. That’s also true of Gallen after that shaky 2025 showing, but at his peak he’s been the type of arm Baltimore seeks. Adding Gallen to a rotation including Trevor Rogers, Kyle Bradish, Baz, Eflin and Dean Kremer would be a more aggressive approach than the O’s took last winter when signing back-end veterans like Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton to one-year deals. Baltimore’s payroll is still nearly $20MM shy of last year’s Opening Day mark, so there shouldn’t be any major financial hurdles.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs have already had a big offseason, headlined by their Alex Bregman signing and a trade for Marlins righty Edward Cabrera. The Cabrera trade has given the Cubs a deep cache of starting pitching options that’s pushed Colin Rea and Javier Assad into depth roles, and even more help figures to be on the way when rehabbing southpaw Justin Steele returns at some point in the first half. Even so, the team’s starting pitching options all have worrisome injury histories. That includes Cabrera, who briefly went on the IL with an elbow issue back in September. Adding a healthy workhorse like Gallen could make plenty of sense to raise the floor, and with talented arms like Steele, Cabrera, and Cade Horton in the mix Gallen might be under less pressure to deliver the ace-level results he’s flashed in the past.

San Diego Padres

The Padres have been clear about their desire to add another starter, and Gallen could be just the sort of high-upside arm the team needs to credibly replace Dylan Cease. It wouldn’t be the first time president of baseball operations A.J. Preller pulled off a major move in the final months before Opening Day. Cease was acquired in March of 2024, while righty Nick Pivetta signed with San Diego last February. The biggest obstacle to Gallen following in their footsteps could be financial, as it’s unclear just how much wiggle room the Padres have left. Perhaps the team working out the details of veteran righty Yu Darvish’s possible exit from the club could create the budget space necessary to land Gallen.

Other Options

While the aforementioned quartet of clubs are perhaps the most likely destinations for Gallen, they aren’t the only ones. Detroit could have made sense as a Gallen suitor, but their agreement with Valdez surely takes them out of the starting pitching market at this point. The Angels have been connected to the right-hander recently, but they’re viewed as a bit of a long-shot and are by far the least competitive team among this group. Atlanta is known to be shopping for a veteran starter, but it’s unclear if the team has the stomach for the sort of $20MM+ annual salary for which Gallen figures to be searching. The Blue Jays were connected to Valdez shortly before he signed, suggesting a willingness to continue adding to their rotation, but Gallen might not be viewed as impactful enough to justify pushing Cody Ponce and Jose Berrios out of the fifth starter job. The Giants were also connected to Gallen earlier in the winter but have since signed Adrian Houser and Tyler Mahle. President of baseball ops Buster Posey downplayed the idea of adding another starter last week, but the San Francisco rotation has both injury and workload concerns behind ace Logan Webb.

Where do MLBTR readers think Gallen will ultimately land? Have your say in the poll below:

The Opener: Skubal, Padres, Red Sox

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

1. Skubal decision expected:

Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal went to an arbitration hearing with the Tigers yesterday, and a report from the Associated Press indicates that a decision on the matter is slated to be announced today. That decision will have substantial financial ramifications, not only for the Tigers and Skubal but for future high-end starting pitchers who go through the arbitration process. If the Tigers win, the ball won’t be moved forward for those pitchers at all as Skubal will be paid just $19MM, lower than the $19.6MM record David Price set during his final trip through arbitration over a decade ago. That scenario would presumably leave the Tigers with some additional spending power, even after adding Framber Valdez last night. If Skubal wins, the Tigers will add an extra $13MM in salary to their books as they pay him a hefty $32MM in his final season before free agency.

2. What’s next for the Padres?

The Padres have long been known to be hoping to find another bat and found one yesterday when they agreed to a $4MM deal with Miguel Andujar. The former Rookie of the Year runner-up is coming off his best season since that debut campaign; Andujar split the 2025 season between the A’s and Reds, slashing .318/.352/.470 (125 wRC+) in a platoon-heavy role where he torched lefties and was a slight bit above average versus righties. While Andujar has experience at all four corner positions, he’s a poor defender who figures to see plenty of DH work with San Diego. With Andujar aboard, will president of baseball operations A.J. Preller turn his attention towards acquiring a starter who can help fill the void left by Dylan Cease in the club’s rotation?

3. Are the Red Sox done?

The Red Sox reached an agreement with infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa yesterday, adding a talented and versatile defender to an infield that had questions at third base and second base. Though “IKF” raises the infield’s floor, he’s a well below-average hitter coming off a punchless .262/.297/.324 (75 wRC+) showing in 459 plate appearances — not exactly a replacement for the Alex Bregman-sized hole in Boston’s lineup.

It’s possible the Sox could go with some combination of Kiner-Falefa, Marcelo Mayer, David Hamilton, Nick Sogard, and Romy Gonzalez at second and third base, with Kristian Campbell or even Ceddanne Rafaela possibly mixing in, depending on health and performance (though indications are that the Red Sox prefer them in the outfield). It’s still unclear how much — if at all — Kiner-Falefa will impact the club’s pursuits of players like Isaac Paredes, Nico Hoerner, Matt Shaw, and other infield options on the trade market.

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