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White Sox Designate Drew Romo, Jairo Iriarte For Assignment

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The White Sox announced this afternoon that they’ve designated catcher Drew Romo and right-hander Jairo Iriarte for assignment. The moves make room for Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin on the club’s 40-man roster after Chicago acquired the pair from Boston earlier today.

Romo, 24, is a former first-round pick by the Rockies. Drafted 35th overall back in 2022, Romo eventually received some buzz on top-100 prospect lists but so far has just 19 games total under his belt in the major leagues. All of those came in Colorado, for whom he slashed just .167/.196/.222 with a 37.5% strikeout rate and a wRC+ of 3, indicating he was 97% worse than league average. Those numbers come as part of a sample size of just 56 trips to the plate, meaning that it’s hard to draw any major conclusions from them. Even so, it’s hardly an exciting performance that does little to offer confidence in Romo’s talents going forward.

Last year saw his Triple-A numbers take a tumble as well, as he hit just .264/.329/.409 with Albuquerque last year. That’s good for a wRC+ of just 75 in the Pacific Coast League’s inflated offensive environment. Romo’s struggles at Triple-A and in the majors led the Rockies to designate him for assignment. He’s bounced around the league in the months since then and was claimed off waivers by the White Sox last month. He remained in the organization for just a few weeks, and now will once again be subject to the waiver wire unless the White Sox can work out a trade involving Romo in the coming days. If Romo passes through waivers successfully, the White Sox will have the opportunity to stash him in Triple-A as catching depth behind the club’s current trio of Kyle Teel, Korey Lee, and Edgar Quero.

As for Iriarte, the right-hander signed with the Padres out of Venezuela as an amateur and spent most of his career in the San Diego system. He was acquired by the White Sox as part of the return for Dylan Cease prior to the 2024 season and made his big league debut with Chicago later that year. He posted a 1.50 ERA in six innings of work, albeit with more walks (eight) than strikeouts (six). He didn’t make an appearance for the White Sox in the majors last year amid deep struggles at Triple-A, where he posted a 7.24 ERA in 46 innings with a 16.7% walk rate. That wildness has now cost Iriarte his spot on the team’s 40-man roster. Like Romo, the White Sox will have one week to either trade Iriarte or try to pass him through waivers. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, he’ll head to Triple-A as a non-roster depth option for Chicago headed into 2026.

White Sox Acquire Jordan Hicks

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The White Sox are using a stripped down payroll to add to the system, announcing Sunday that they’ve acquired right-hander Jordan Hicks, pitching prospect David Sandlin, two players to be named later and cash from the Red Sox in exchange for minor league righty Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later. Chicago will take on two-thirds of the money on Hicks’ underwater contract, so the trade effectively amounts to the White Sox purchasing Sandlin from the Red Sox.

Boston clears $16MM of the $24MM Hicks was owed over the next two seasons off their books. The move lowers their current luxury tax payroll to $258MM according to RosterResource, just below the $264MM threshold for the second tier of penalization.

There have been some indications dating back to the early parts of the offseason that Boston prefers to stay under that second threshold, though trades for pricey veterans such as Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras in addition to the signing of Ranger Suarez had previously pushed them over that line. Trading away the bulk of Hicks’ salary has allowed them to sneak back under, though with the team still known to be looking for infield help it’s entirely possible that additional moves could change that positioning.

In order to get Hicks off the books, the Red Sox are parting ways with Sandlin, ranked as Boston’s No. 11 prospect by Baseball America headed into the 2026 campaign. The soon-to-be 25-year-old righty struggled over 23 2/3 Triple-A innings last year, but he pitched to an impressive 3.61 ERA across 17 outings (13 starts) at the Double-A level with a 25.4% strikeout rate.

Sandlin is viewed as a player with a chance to stick in a big league rotation who could’ve helped Boston’s bullpen as soon as this year, but now he’ll head to Chicago where he’ll have an easier chance to find a big league role in the short-term. Shane Smith, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, Anthony Kay, and Sean Newcomb currently stand as the team’s projected starters entering Spring Training, but Sandlin could join players like Jonathan Cannon, and fellow former Red Sox hurler Chris Murphy in standing as a primary depth option behind those players, with a chance to earn a job on the big league club out of camp this spring.

Going the other way is Ziehl, who Baseball America ranked as Chicago’s No. 21 prospect headed into the 2026 campaign. Acquired from the Yankees over the summer in the Austin Slater trade, Ziehl made his pro debut last year with a 4.12 ERA in 22 appearances (21 starts) across the Single-A, High-A, and Double-A levels. The righty has a five-pitch repertoire led by a solid sweeper, but the rest of his arsenal draws unimpressive marks despite previous scouting reports that suggested his fastball could top out at 97mph. The righty figures to start the year at Double-A for the Red Sox, but questions remain about whether he can be more than a long reliever in the majors.

The deal is a sensible one for the White Sox to make as they look to accelerate their rebuild and gather more credible MLB talent. After trading Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets in a deal that garnered infielder Luisangel Acuña, the Sox have reinvested in the big league club by signing Austin Hays to replace Robert in the outfield and adding Seranthony Dominguez to a bullpen that needed some veteran late-inning help.

This latest move adds another young pitcher close to the majors (Sandlin) while also bringing an intriguing bounce-back candidate into the fold. While Hicks wasn’t likely to have a role with the Red Sox this year after struggling to an 8.20 ERA with the club, there’s little reason for Chicago to not roll the dice on a player with an upper-90s fastball and a history of success in the majors.

Hicks has primarily pitched as a starter in recent years after signing with the Giants as a rotation piece, but his biggest successes (including a dominant 2023 season with the Cardinals and Blue Jays) saw him pitch in relief. It’s unclear what role Hicks will take with the White Sox this season, but given their lack of established bullpen pieces (outside of Dominguez) and their deep group of potential starting options, perhaps a move back to the bullpen could make some sense for the hard-throwing righty. Should he return to the bullpen this year, he’ll have the chance to join the likes of Mike Vasil, Jordan Leasure, and Grant Taylor in handling setup duties behind Dominguez.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported that Hicks and Sandlin were being traded to Chicago. James Fegan of Sox Machine reported that Ziehl and a PTBNL were going the other direction. Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com and Will Sammon of The Athletic reported financial details of the swap.

Padres Notes: Sheets, DH, Preller

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With Luis Arraez having departed for San Francisco on a one-year deal yesterday, it’s now official that the Padres will have a new face at first base this year. As noted by Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune, Gavin Sheets figures to get the first crack at the position for San Diego this year.

Sheets, 29, turned in a decent performance in his first year with the club last season. Across 145 games, Sheets slashed .252/.317/.429 with a wRC+ of 111. Sheets’s overall production was dragged down by atrocious defensive numbers in the outfield, however, and it’s possible that a return to his natural position for the first time since he was a farmhand in the White Sox organization (where he was blocked by Jose Abreu, prompting his ill-fated move to the outfield) could help him recoup some defensive value and build on 2025’s solid offensive numbers to become a more well-rounded contributor.

While improved defense as a result of moving from the outfield to first base would be helpful, it won’t fix the hefty platoon split Sheets had last season. He posted a 119 wRC+ against righties while struggling to the tune of an 89 wRC+ against same-handed pitching. That difference was mostly seen in the power department; Sheets slugged 17 of his 19 homers against right-handers in 2025, as well as 37 of his 48 extra-base hits overall. Getting a right-handed complement to Sheets in the door would make plenty of sense, with Paul Goldschmidt, Ty France, and Rhys Hoskins among the right-handed first baseman still available on the market.

Such an addition could also factor into the DH mix, which has been unsettled by Sheets moving over to first. Offseason signing Sung Mun Song and youngster Will Wagner could both factor in at the position, though they’ll also get the opportunity to handle some first base duties behind Sheets as needed. Song’s versatility as an infielder capable of handling first, second, or third base creates an opportunity for the DH slot in the lineup to be used to rest regulars at other positions. Manny Machado, for example, could get days to rest at DH while Song fills in for him at the hot corner. Xander Bogaerts could also see time at DH, with Jake Cronenworth capable of giving him a breather at shortstop as needed.

Sanders writes that utilizing the DH to rest regulars is part of the plan for newly-minted manager Craig Stammen, but Annie Heilbrunn of the San Diego Union-Tribune also relays that president of baseball operations A.J. Preller has not ruled out the possibility of a meaningful addition to the DH mix. If the Padres were to sign a platoon partner for Sheets, that player could surely factor into the DH mix against right-handed hitters while spelling Sheets at first when a lefty is on the mound, thereby opening up DH to rest veterans like Machado and Bogaerts.

With all that said, it’s at least plausible that the most important signing the Padres make in the coming weeks is with Preller himself. While Preller acknowledged to reporters (including Heilbrunn) that he hopes to add players who will impact the roster in the coming weeks, as he has in previous years when making additions like Nick Pivetta and Dylan Cease late in the offseason calendar, he also noted that his focus on the roster has caused his own contract status to fall to the wayside.

As relayed by Heilbrunn, Preller told reporters that an extension ahead of his final season under contract not yet being in place is partially “on him,” and that while the sides have not yet reached a “win-win deal” he hopes to have something in place soon. That’s a different tone than was struck by reporting back in November, which suggested that Preller was in talks on a new contract with the club and that a deal could’ve been just days away. That obviously did not come to fruition, and now it seems at least plausible that Preller could enter 2026 without security about his future.

It’s an especially precarious position for San Diego’s front office leader to be in considering previous reports of behind-the-scenes tension between Preller and club CEO Erik Greupner. It will be worth watching Preller’s status until an extension is revealed, as he would surely be a coveted talent for rival franchises around the league if the Padres were to decide to let him go. Preller took over in San Diego in the final weeks of the 2014 season, and while the Padres have only made the playoffs four times under his leadership, the team’s body of work over the past six seasons represents the most successful stretch of baseball in franchise history.

Team Puerto Rico Considering Withdrawal From World Baseball Classic Amid Insurance Issues

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The 2026 World Baseball Classic is just around the corner, three years after the last tournament ended in epic fashion with Shohei Ohtani striking out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to give Team Japan the win over Team USA. Fans and players alike are excited for the event around the game, but a wrench has been thrown into the works as a number of players have been denied insurance coverage to participate in the tournament. As noted by Evan Drellich and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the insurance concerns are significant enough that Team Puerto Rico has suggested they might need to withdraw from the tournament entirely due to eight to ten players on their expected roster being denied coverage.

Puerto Rico’s losses are headlined by team captain and Mets superstar Francisco Lindor, whose coverage was denied on the basis of a minor elbow procedure he underwent back in October. That denied coverage comes in spite of the fact that Lindor is expected to be ready for Spring Training and played in 160 of the Mets’ games last year. After injuries to Edwin Diaz and Jose Altuve during the 2023 tournament, Drellich and Rosenthal report not only that insurance has become more expensive but also that the league’s insurer has adopted more of a hard line stance on what players they will and won’t approve.

Recent surgery and trips to the 60-day injured list are typically disqualifying for receiving insurance coverage, according to Drellich and Rosenthal, though they add that the league’s insurer reviews each individual player on a case-by-case basis. Alden Gonzalez of ESPN offers a bit more detail on the standards of National Financial Partners, the MLB-partnered insurance broker who handles the policy. Players classified as having “chronic” injuries have a harder time getting insured. Players who were injured for 60 days or longer in the prior season, who missed two of their team’s last three games due to injury in the prior season, who underwent offseason surgery, have undergone multiple surgeries throughout their career, or were placed on the injured list on the final day of August or later in the prior season can all be flagged as having “chronic” injuries.

Another disqualifying factor is age, as Rosenthal and Drellich indicate that NFP will not cover players once they turn 37. That’s left Miguel Rojas to be denied coverage ahead of his 37th birthday on February 24, blocking him from participating with Team Venezuela. Rojas won’t be the only one denied coverage due to age, however, as Drellich and Rosenthal note that NFP is also unlikely to cover players who will turn 37 during the window of coverage associated a team would receive if the player gets hurt. Insurance typically covers two years of salary for position players and four years of salary for pitchers.

It should be noted that denial of insurance coverage doesn’t automatically disqualify a player from participating in the WBC. Rather, it then puts the onus on the player’s MLB club regarding whether the team is willing to stomach the risk of that player participating in the tournament while uninsured. It’s a rare but not unheard of step for a team to take. Rosenthal and Drellich note Miguel Cabrera’s participation in the tournament back in 2023 as an instance where a player was permitted to play uninsured. Of course, it should be noted that Cabrera was headed into the final season of his Hall of Fame caliber career and was already slated to be a part-time player, so the risk for Detroit if he did suffer a major injury was extremely small.

This isn’t only an issue that impacts players with hefty salaries. Team Puerto Rico’s operations manager, Joey Sola, told Drellich and Rosenthal that even some Double-A players without MLB salary guarantees or invites to big league Spring Training have been flagged in the insurance process. At the major league level, a number of relievers and other players with relatively low salaries have been denied coverage in spite of the substantially lower payout associated with them relative to the injury of a star player on a nine-figure contract.

Turning to Team Puerto Rico specifically, Gonzalez writes that Victor Caratini, Carlos Correa, Jose Berrios, Emilio Pagan, and Alexis Diaz are all expected to miss the tournament in addition to Lindor. So too is southpaw Jovani Moran, as noted by Tim Healey of the Boston Globe. Drellich and Rosenthal write that Moran’s case is under review, as are the cases of right-handers Luis Quinones and Yacksel Rios. Puerto Rico, with a population of just 3.2 million on the island, is being hit particularly hard by these losses due to a lack of quality substitutes. Puerto Rico’s capital of San Juan is scheduled to play host to one of the four pools in Round 1 of the WBC, joining Houston, Miami, and Tokyo. Multiple reports have indicated that Team Puerto Rico’s statements about potentially withdrawing from the tournament could lead to a less stringent approach towards approval for some of the team’s players.

The possible withdrawal of Team Puerto Rico isn’t the only controversy stemming from the coverage denials. As noted by Drellich and Rosenthal, Rojas and some in the Puerto Rican media have criticized the process as being particularly harsh on Latin American countries, with the United States and Japan receiving favorable treatment.

“My only question is: Why is it just with our countries [in Latin America], like Venezuela, Puerto Rico, a couple Dominican players?” Rojas said, as relayed by Gonzalez. “I don’t see that happening with the United States or happening with Japan. And I’m not trying to attack anybody, or attack what’s going on … but at the end of the day, it feels like it’s just happening with the players that want to represent their country from Latin America. So, there’s a lot of things I would like to talk about with someone in control, with someone from MLB.”

It’s not hard to understand that perspective, given that Ohtani would seem to fit the bill of a player with a “chronic” injury according to the process Gonzalez laid out after undergoing surgeries throughout his career. While Ohtani has been cleared to play for Team Japan as a DH, it’s also important to note that he will not pitch in the WBC and that reporting from Drellich and Rosenthal indicates he was not likely to be approved for coverage as a pitcher.

Another gripe that’s been expressed with the process is the extremely short turnaround time on decisions. WBC rosters are due this coming Tuesday, February 3, and will be announced on Thursday February 5. Some cases still remain under review and a number of decisions have come within just the last few days, leaving WBC teams to scramble for replacements when their expected players get denied coverage unexpectedly.

“In some ways, I think it’s a little bit unfair,” Sola said, as relayed by Drellich and Rosenthal. “Especially when you are three days from submitting your final roster. Who in the world would think Lindor wasn’t on the (eligible) list? You wait until the last weekend to get an answer on Lindor? C’mon.”

It remains to be seen whether Team Puerto Rico will withdraw from the tournament, or if some combination of players approved for coverage after review and a collection of substitute players will be enough to allow them to remain as part of the tournament. With less than 48 hours remaining until the day rosters are due, however, time is running out for the WBC, MLB, the MLBPA, and NFP to handle this issue.

Poll: Will The A’s Add To Their Rotation This Winter?

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The A’s made significant (at least by their standards) efforts to field a more competitive team last year. With talented youngsters in the majors and coming up from the minors, the club augmented the pitching staff with moves to add players like Luis Severino, Jeffrey Springs, and Jose Leclerc to the fold. Those moves, generally speaking, did not work out especially well and a brutal first half helped lead to the team trading Mason Miller to San Diego. Losing Miller from the team’s core is a massive blow, but that didn’t stop the team’s young hitters (particularly Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, and Jacob Wilson) from joining Brent Rooker to fill out the bones of a legitimate lineup down the stretch and keep the Athletics relevant ahead of their second year in Sacramento.

That’s led to an offseason that’s seen a bit more action, highlighted by the team’s successful trade for Jeff McNeil and a failed pursuit of Nolan Arenado. That the front office was willing to not only trade for Arenado, but take on more of his remaining contract than the Diamondbacks did, suggests at least some financial flexibility to make further additions. They’ve also remained active on the extension front, signing Soderstrom and Wilson to the two largest contracts in franchise history.

With the lineup looking as strong as it is, that would make the starting rotation a logical place to add. A’s starters were bottom four in the majors last year in terms of ERA, and their 4.93 FIP bested only Colorado. Their 808 1/3 innings from the rotation was also the sixth-fewest among MLB teams. Without Miller to help shoulder the load in the bullpen, improving the rotation seems like an obvious call for the team as they look to fight their way back into competitive relevance.

With that said, adding to the rotation could be easier said than done. Players have been generally hesitant to join the A’s given their ballpark situation. Sutter Health Park isn’t exactly major league caliber in the eyes of many MLB players, and if given the choice many would surely prefer playing elsewhere. What’s more, pitchers in particular might be hesitant to play there given how hitter-friendly the park played last year. Sutter Health’s Park Factor, according to Statcast, made it the second-most hitter friendly park in MLB last year behind Coors Field, with a substantial lead over third place (Comerica Park in Detroit). Between those challenges, lesser amenities as compared to most MLB ballparks, and the team’s uncertain ability to compete in a crowded AL West, pitchers might be hesitant about heading to Sacramento.

Fortunately, the A’s do have one thing benefiting them up their sleeve, and that’s the volume of starters still looking for teams. Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, Lucas Giolito, Chris Bassitt, Justin Verlander, and Nick Martinez are among the biggest names left on the market, but there’s plenty of depth behind that group. Tomoyuki Sugano, Tyler Anderson, Jose Quintana, Marcus Stroman, and Patrick Corbin could be solid (if unspectacular) veteran innings eaters, while players like Walker Buehler, Jordan Montgomery, and German Marquez have shown real upside in the past and will be looking for the opportunity to bounce back this winter. (Montgomery is probably out until midseason after undergoing Tommy John surgery last March.) While some of those players might balk at the idea of pitching for the A’s, Spring Training is just a couple of weeks away and at least some of those players are surely hoping to avoid being caught without a team when pitchers and catchers report.

The A’s have not been publicly connected to the starting pitching market much this season. They’ve long been known to focus on trades rather than free agency due to the difficulties associated with selling free agents on joining the team, and most reporting about their trade pursuits has focused on the positional side of things. It’s possible the A’s are high enough on internal starting pitching options like Gunnar Hoglund, Henry Baez, Jacob Lopez, and Luis Medina that they aren’t willing to sacrifice the opportunity to give those young players a shot in order to bring in more proven talents with less upside. While adding to the rotation would surely help the team better contend in 2026, it’s not exactly a secret that the A’s main priority at this point is positioning themselves to do as well as they possibly can upon arriving in Las Vegas in 2028. Perhaps giving time to younger arms is the best way to accomplish that goal.

What do MLBTR readers think the A’s will end up doing? Will they manage to pull off a meaningful rotation addition? Or will they mostly head into Opening Day with the same group of young arms (plus Severino and Springs) that they have now? Have your say in the poll blow:

The Opener: Moncada, Fan Events, Free Agency

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

1. Moncada to be made official:

The Angels agreed to re-sign third baseman Yoan Moncada to a one-year deal last week, but that deal still has yet to be made official. It’s unclear what’s caused the delay, as other clubs with agreements signed at a similar time have officially announced those deals. Regardless, an announcement figures to happen in the near future given that spring training is just around the corner. The Angels’ 40-man roster is at capacity, so Moncada will require a corresponding move to create space. There’s no indication that the Halos are planning to remove Anthony Rendon from the 40-man roster even after his contract was restructured and the club indicated that he won’t be with the team this season — they’ve already made multiple transactions that required 40-man moves since that revelation and have not removed him — so it seems they’ll simply place him on the 60-day IL when camp opens. That will give them some mid-February flexibility, but Moncada’s deal will surely be finalized before that point.

2. Fan events this weekend:

A number of teams are hosting fan events this weekend as spring training nears and fan excitement for the coming season grows. The White Sox will kick things off with SoxFest Live today and tomorrow, while the Braves, Royals, and Padres are all hosting one-day fan events tomorrow. The Giants’ Fan Fest tour will be in Sacramento tomorrow as well, while the Mariners will host their two-day FanFest tomorrow and Sunday. Details regarding each event’s schedule, ticketing, and location can be found at the team’s respective link, courtesy of MLB.com.

3. Free agents linger with February on the horizon:

The month of February is just days away. Pitchers and catchers report in just a couple weeks. Despite that, a number of notable free agents remain unsigned. Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, and Eugenio Suarez are arguably the most impactful names still on the market, but solid mid-rotation pieces like Lucas Giolito, Chris Bassitt, and Justin Verlander have also yet to sign. Will the impending arrival of spring training increase pressure to get a deal done, or will some of these players be content to continue holding out for the best deal possible? Max Scherzer, for his part, has indicated a willingness to hold off on signing until after the season begins in order to ensure he finds the right fit.

The Opener: Rangers, Guardians, DFA Resolution

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

1. Rangers press conference scheduled:

The Rangers are hosting a press conference at 1pm local time to introduce newly-acquired southpaw MacKenzie Gore. Gore will be joined by president of baseball operations Chris Young and GM Ross Fenstermaker at the presser, which figures to provide insight into last week’s trade with the Nationals. In addition, Young and Fenstermaker are expected to field questions regarding spring training, which could provide hints as to whether the team is largely done adding for the offseason or if there are more moves yet to come. If this is it for Texas, it’s been a somewhat quiet offseason but certainly an interesting one. Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia, and Jonah Heim are out the door after the former was dealt to New York and the latter two were non-tendered, while Brandon Nimmo, Danny Jansen, and now Gore have been brought into the fold alongside an overhauled bullpen.

2. Guardians presser also scheduled:

The Guardians are also hosting a press conference at 10:30am local time in Cleveland to formally announce the extension of star infielder Jose Ramirez. Ramirez will be joined by club owner Paul Dolan and president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti. An appearance from both ownership and the leader of Cleveland’s front office should provide insight into how the Guardians might look to spend the money freed up by Ramirez’s restructured contract. That’s a topic MLBTR’s Anthony Franco looked into for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers yesterday. The press conference will also surely serve as a celebration of Ramirez, who now is poised to remain a Guardian for his entire career as he continues on his Cooperstown-bound track.

3. DFA resolution expected:

One week ago today, the Rockies made their signing of utilityman Willi Castro official. When they did so, they created a 40-man roster spot by designating right-hander Garrett Acton for assignment. Acton has been in DFA limbo since, facing an uncertainty about where he’ll be playing next and whether he’ll be able to hang on to a 40-man roster spot. That should be resolved today, as Acton will either be plucked off waivers by a rival club or pass through them unclaimed. If the latter occurs, he’ll be outrighted to Triple-A and serve as non-roster depth for the Rockies headed into 2026. Acton made his debut with the A’s back in 2023 but most recently pitched in the majors with the Rays last year. He has just seven MLB outings to his name, but the 27-year-old Acton tossed 58 2/3 innings of 3.68 ERA ball with a 30.1% strikeout rate — albeit against an 11.4% walk rate — with the Rays’ Triple-A club last year.

Cubs Sign Charlie Barnes To Minor League Deal

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The Cubs and left-hander Charlie Barnes have agreed to a minor league deal, according to the transactions tracker on Barnes’s MLB.com profile page. Tread Athletics reported the deal earlier this month.

Barnes, 30, was a fourth-round pick by the Twins back in 2017 who made his MLB debut back in 2021. He worked mostly out of the rotation during his time with Minnesota but with a lackluster 5.92 ERA alongside a 5.06 FIP in 38 innings across nine appearances (eight starts). During that time in the majors, Barnes walked (16) nearly as many players as he struck out (20). He was squeezed off the club’s 40-man roster that November ahead of the Rule 5 protection deadline, but after being designated for assignment he managed to land on his feet with a contract to pitch overseas for the KBO’s Lotte Giants.

That stint in South Korea worked out very well for Barnes. In his first three seasons with the Giants, Barnes started 86 games and posted a 3.42 ERA. He got his strikeout rate up to 22.4% while keeping his walks to just 6.9%, and was the ace of Lotte’s staff in each of his three full seasons with the club. Unfortunately, however, Barnes struggled upon returning to the club for a fourth season in 2025. He made just eight starts with a 5.32 ERA as his strikeout rate dipped to 18.6% while his walk rate crept up to 8.3%. He was released by the Giants back in May and returned stateside to land a minor league deal with the Reds. He made six starts at Triple-A Louisville but struggled badly with a 7.13 ERA in 24 innings of work.

Five dominant starts (2.84 ERA) in the Dominican Winter League offer some level of optimism that a bounce back could be on the way for Barnes, but the southpaw has yet to find significant stateside results in his career with a Triple-A ERA approaching 5.00 and an MLB ERA a run higher than that. With that said, he’ll enter 2026 coming off a generally successful run overseas and the Cubs will look for ways to translate that success over to stateside ball. Assuming Barnes remains a starter with Chicago, he’s buried rather deep on the team’s depth chart on paper. Cade Horton, Shota Imanaga, Matthew Boyd, Jameson Taillon, and Colin Rea are all holdovers from last year’s rotation, and that’s before mentioning newly-acquired righty Edward Cabrera.

Cabrera figures to push Rea into a depth role alongside fellow swing men Javier Assad, Ben Brown, and Jordan Wicks. Justin Steele won’t be ready for Opening Day but is expected back from elbow surgery at some point in the first half, while top prospect Jaxon Wiggins could be a factor before the end of the year as well depending on how he develops. That leaves Barnes to compete with in-house players like Connor Noland for the 12th spot on the team’s depth chart, but virtually every player the Cubs have in their rotation mix has notable, recent injuries in their history.

That could lead to an opportunity even for someone as far down the depth chart as Barnes, especially if a player like Brown or Wicks is moved into a full-time bullpen role as a way to use the team’s deep cache of rotation options to upgrade the relief corps. It’s also at least theoretically possible the Cubs would try Barnes himself in a relief role, but the southpaw has started 228 of his 241 professional games and last pitched in relief back in 2021. Even that relief outing lasted 4 2/3 innings, so it goes without saying that a move to short relief would be well outside the parameters of Barnes’s usual work.

The Opener: Yankees, DFA Resolution, Outfield Market

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

1. Yankees to hold press conference:

Yankees GM Brian Cashman is set to hold a press conference later today, as noted by Joel Sherman of The New York Post. The conference is surely going to focus on outfielder Cody Bellinger’s return to the organization after he re-upped with the team on a five-year deal last week. That deal became official on Monday, which opens the door for Cashman to speak more candidly about not only that deal, but the team’s roster and direction as a whole. Today’s press conference could offer insight into how the team plans to juggle playing time between the primary starters in the outfield (Bellinger, Trent Grisham, and Aaron Judge) and the up-and-coming youngsters on the roster like Spencer Jones and Jasson Dominguez. It’s also possible Cashman could indicate whether the team is done adding, or if there could be an addition or two yet to come prior to Spring Training.

2. DFA Resolution today:

The Mets designated infielder Tsung-Che Cheng for assignment one week ago today in a move that made room for right-hander Luis García on the 40-man roster. Since then, Cheng has remained in DFA limbo without certainty about where he’ll be playing next. That uncertainty figures to end today, as Cheng will either officially pass through waivers (allowing the Mets to outright him to the minors as non-roster depth) or be claimed by another a team and added to their 40-man roster. Cheng made his big league debut in Pittsburgh last year and made it into just three games. The Taiwan native is a career .218/.319/.280 hitter at Triple-A but is still just 24 years old and a quality defender all around the infield. He also has options remaining, which could make him an attractive depth piece for clubs short on infield help. Of course, his lack of hitting chops might make some teams shy away from committing a 40-man spot to him, even with his other attractive qualities.

3. Who’s left on the outfield market?

In recent days, we’ve seen not only Bellinger but also center fielder Harrison Bader come off the board in free agency. Those two were the best options in center remaining on the open market, and the pickings are fairly slim at this point even among corner bats. Veterans like Mike Tauchman, Tommy Pham, Starling Marte, and Randal Grichuk aren’t exactly the most exciting players at this point in their careers, but they can offer stability and consistency when healthy. Meanwhile, Miguel Andujar and Austin Hays are among the top players available still in their primes. The free agent market also features a few possible bounce back candidates, such as Michael Conforto and Jesse Winker. Teams that could still use some level of help in the outfield include the Guardians, Royals, Mets, Astros, and Phillies.

Poll: Will The Yankees Trade From Their Outfield?

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After a winter-long staring contest between the Yankees and Cody Bellinger’s camp, the sides have finally reunited on a five-year pact. It’s great news for a Yankees lineup that benefited greatly from Bellinger’s production (125 wRC+, 4.9 fWAR) in 2025, but that news isn’t quite as exciting for the Yankees’ young outfielders. With Trent Grisham (129 wRC+, 3.2 fWAR) back in town via the qualifying offer, Bellinger’s return means it will be tough for former top prospect Jasson Dominguez and current top prospect Spencer Jones to push their way into the lineup.

That might not seem like a significant concern at first glance. After all, the Yankees have only returned the same group of outfielders they worked with last year, and playing time wasn’t a substantial concern for either Jones or Dominguez then. That’s an incomplete look at the situation, however. Slugging DH Giancarlo Stanton missed the first half of the season last year due to an injury impacting both of his elbows, which created ample playing time in the first half of the season for Dominguez. Jones, meanwhile, opened the year at Double-A and wasn’t realistically on the big league radar until near the end of 2025. By the time the trade deadline had passed (Aaron Judge’s brief trip to the injured list notwithstanding), New York was forced to get creative and use Ben Rice behind the plate on occasion just to fit all their players into the lineup.

While that’s not entirely a bad problem to have, it can be challenging for a young player to develop and succeed at the big league level without consistent playing time. That could spell trouble for Dominguez, whose 2025 campaign saw him post a 103 wRC+ with ten homers, 23 steals, and 0.6 fWAR due to lackluster defense in the outfield. That’s decent enough production for a rookie, but not exactly the sort of five-tool superstar he was once lauded as. Getting closer to that ceiling will surely require plenty of in-game reps, and it’s fair to wonder if the team will have enough of those to offer him at this point without an injury occurring. That’s before even considering Jones, who slugged 19 homers in 67 games at Triple-A last year and will certainly be ready for his first taste of big league action sometime this year (if he isn’t already).

With Bellinger, Judge, and Stanton all locked into the outfield/DH mix for years to come while Grisham figures to continue getting regular reps this season, the argument for a trade is fairly clear. If the Yankees could find substantial value on the trade market, it could make plenty of sense to upgrade the infield (where Jose Caballero and Ryan McMahon figure to kick off the season as regulars on the left side), a bullpen that lost both Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to the Mets across town, or even a starting rotation that will be without Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon to open the year.

With that said, it’s unclear just how available many interesting players are at this point. The Yankees missed out on Freddy Peralta and Edward Cabrera already. Pablo Lopez and Joe Ryan are not expected to be moved as the Twins work towards competing this year. Someone like Brady Singer could still be available, but it seems unlikely that the Yankees would give up five seasons of Dominguez (never mind six of Jones) for a rental innings eater. Brendan Donovan is available, but he’s been pursued by many teams at this point. Unless the Yankees win the bidding war for Donovan or a shock trade of someone like Tarik Skubal happens, it’s unclear where the Yankees could look to move Dominguez or Jones without selling low.

Perhaps  the Yankees would be best off holding onto both youngsters, at least for the time being. After all, it’s not impossible to imagine playing time opening up in the team’s outfield. Stanton, Judge, and even Bellinger have substantial injury histories, while Grisham was a bench player as recently as 2024. Bellinger is also capable of handling first base, so there are ways to squeeze another outfielder into the lineup even without sitting anyone from that group. Keeping both Jones and Dominguez in order to utilize them as trade chips come July could make sense, as more acute needs could pop up throughout the season due to injuries or other issues. On the other hand, if the team keeps both players in the fold throughout the first half, Grisham would then be only a couple of months away from free agency. At that point, the team might be best served simply holding both players for the whole season.

How do MLBTR readers think the Yankees will handle their glut of outfielders? Should they try and pull off a trade to make sure neither Jones nor Dominguez has their development stunted by a lack of MLB playing time? Or should they hold onto their depth to protect against injuries, at least until the deadline this summer? Have your say in the poll below:

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