Guardians Select Codi Heuer, Re-Sign Pedro Avila To MiLB Deal
The Guardians announced this afternoon that they’ve selected the contract of right-hander Codi Heuer and optioned him to Triple-A. The Guardians had space available on their 40-man roster, so a corresponding move was not necessary to complete the transaction. In addition, the club announced that they’ve re-signed right-hander Pedro Avila to a minor league deal.
Heuer, 29, was a sixth-round pick by the White Sox back in 2018. He made it to the majors with Chicago during the shortened 2020 campaign and impressed with a 1.52 ERA in 21 appearances, but struggled early in the 2021 season. He was ultimately shipped across town to the Cubs as part of the Craig Kimbrel/Nick Madrigal trade at the 2021 trade deadline, and seemed to regain some of his earlier success upon arriving in Chicago with a 3.14 ERA in 25 appearances down the stretch. Heuer was in strong position to be a key piece of the bullpen on the north side of Chicago as they entered their rebuild.
That wasn’t meant to be, however, as Spring Training 2022 set off a series of injury-marred campaigns for the right-hander. Heuer underwent Tommy John surgery in 2022 and followed that up by suffering a broken elbow midway through the 2023 season, while he was still rehabbing from surgery. He made just 15 appearances total from 2022-24 before finally returning to health as a member of the Rangers in 2025. Between the Rangers and Tigers organizations, Heuer posted a 3.14 ERA in 48 2/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level and struck out 30.5% of his opponents. The results at the major league level didn’t return right away, however, and the righty surrendered three runs, all earned across 4 2/3 innings in the majors last year.
He returned to the open market this offseason and caught on with the Guardians on a minor league deal. He struggled this spring, with a 9.00 ERA in eight innings of work, but did strike out 11 against five walks. It was an intriguing enough performance to Cleveland that they decided to add him to their 40-man roster before the season begins, though Heuer will still begin the year at Triple-A as an up-and-down depth option rather than as part of the Opening Day roster. If Heuer can produce at a level similar to what he offered at Triple-A last year, it seems like a safe bet to expect to see him in the majors with the Guardians sometime this year.
In other Guardians bullpen news, right-hander Pedro Avila is returning to the club on a minor league pact after previously being released by the club to pursue other opportunities when he did not make the roster. Avila evidently decided that his best opportunity to make it back to the majors is with Cleveland on a minor league pact, and so he’ll head to Triple-A alongside Heuer and wait for a big league opportunity as a non-roster veteran. Avila has five years of major league experience under his belt, mostly with the Padres, but joined the Guardians during the 2024 season and posted a solid 3.25 ERA across 50 appearances for the club. He spent 2025 with Nippon Professional Baseball’s Yakult Swallows before returning to the Guardians on a split contract back in December. He pitched solidly in Spring Training, with a 3.24 ERA across 8 1/3 innings of work, but his paltry 11.8% strikeout rate likely stopped the Guardians from including him in their Opening Day roster mix.
Mike Tauchman To Undergo Surgery After Meniscus Tear
Veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman has suffered a meniscus tear, according to Mike Puma of the New York Post. The injury will require surgery, though a timeline for his return to action has not yet been announced.
It’s devastating news for the 35-year-old, who signed with the Mets this offseason on a minor league deal. Tauchman entered camp as the primary competition for top prospect Carson Benge as the club’s starting right fielder, but played so well in Spring Training (with a .241/.371/.448 slash line across 13 spring games) that he was in serious consideration for a roster spot even as Benge began to prove he was ready for the majors. Now, any hope of contributing to the Mets (or any other club) this year will be put on hold for the foreseeable future. Meniscus surgery can require only a few weeks of recovery for minor procedures, but more significant injuries often take months of recovery and can even be season-ending. With minimal information about the severity of Tauchman’s injury known, it’s possible a more clear timeline for his return won’t be clear until he goes under the knife.
A tenth-round pick by the Rockies back in 2013, Tauchman made it to the majors in 2017 but first received widespread attention as a member of the Yankees during the 2019 season. Tauchman burst onto the scene alongside other little-known players like Gio Urshela and Luke Voit to help carry New York to a 103-win season, though they ultimately lost the ALCS to the Astros in six games. Tauchman’s performance that year was one to remember, as he slashed an incredible .277/.361/.504 with 13 homers and 18 doubles in just 87 games. When Tauchman struggled during the 2020 and ’21 seasons, it was easy to view his strong 2019 campaign as little more than a blip. He departed stateside ball in 2022 to play for the KBO’s Hanhwa Eagles, and that year went well enough for him that the Cubs decided to take a shot on him with a minor league deal.
Tauchman’s tenure with the Cubs revived his MLB career headed into his mid-30s. The then-32-year-old aptly filled in for Cody Bellinger in center field when the star was injured and wound up making himself a key piece of Chicago’s offense for the 2023-24 seasons. He hit .250/.360/.372 (109 wRC+) across 217 games on the north side, but saw his role shrink in 2024 with the emergence of star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and ultimately found himself squeezed off the roster by the addition of Kyle Tucker during the 2024-25 offseason. After being non-tendered by the Cubs, Tauchman headed to the south side to play for the White Sox and managed to continue his resurgence there. While injuries limited Tauchman to just 93 games with the White Sox, he hit an impressive .263/.356/.400 (115 wRC+) and was a surprising non-tender for Chicago this past offseason.
Tauchman seemed to be in good position to impact an outfield-needy club this offseason for a relatively low cost, and while the Mets were the team to take advantage of his availability it seems they won’t be able to benefit from his on-base skills and steady bat for at least the start of the season. With Tauchman sidelined, utility man Vidal Brujan could be the favorite to take the last spot on the Mets’ bench headed into Opening Day while Benge will surely get every opportunity to establish himself in right field for New York.
Kyle Stowers, Esteury Ruiz To Open Season On Injured List
Marlins fans received tough news regarding their outfield mix today, as Christina De Nicola of MLB.com was among those to relay that star outfielder Kyle Stowers will open the season on the injured list. Stowers has been diagnosed with a grade 1 hamstring strain, an injury that comes with a timeline of between three and four weeks. Meanwhile, Craig Mish of SportsGrid reports that outfielder Esteury Ruiz is also headed to the injured list. Mish notes that Ruiz is suffering from an oblique strain and figures to be shelved for longer than Stowers.
It’s a brutal blow to Miami’s outfield depth, at least for the start of the season. Stowers’s diagnosis leaves open the possibility that he could be back on the field with the Marlins as soon as mid-April, but it could be longer than that if his recovery is on the longer end of that 3-4 week timeline and he winds up requiring a rehab assignment. Ruiz doesn’t have an exact timeline, but from Mish’s description of the situation it seems unlikely he’d be available to play in Miami before May at the earliest.
While Stowers will be back sooner, losing him is undoubtedly the bigger blow for the Marlins. The outfielder was the breakout star of the Marlins’ 2025 campaign as he hit .288/.368/.544 with a 149 wRC+ in 117 games. While a 27.4% strikeout rate is certainly cause for concern, Stowers’s big time power and 10.5% walk rate were more than enough to make him a middle-of-the-order threat for Miami last year. The club will need a similar performance from him this season if they’re going to have any hopes of making it to the postseason in a crowded NL East division, and this latest injury news will put even more pressure on him to perform when he does return to action.
As for Ruiz, the 27-year-old was acquired from the Dodgers in trade over the offseason and is a career .241/.296/.343 hitter in the majors, and a middling defender in the outfield. Ruiz’s most notable tool is his speed. He turned in a 67-steal campaign for the A’s in 2023, but any hopes of racking up big stolen base totals with the Marlins this year are now put on hold indefinitely. He seemed likely to be part of Miami’s Opening Day roster in a bench/platoon capacity, offering a right-handed complement to the team’s lefty-heavy outfield mix.
With both Stowers and Ruiz out of commission, the Marlins’ Opening Day roster will look very different in the outfield. Youngsters Jakob Marsee and Owen Caissie were already poised to start in center and right field on Opening Day, respectively. Those two will now be joined by Griffin Conine in the outfield as Conine returns from a 2025 season mostly lost to injury. The now 28-year-old outfielder has an above average slash line of .261/.320/.435 for his career in the majors, though that amounts to just 54 games thanks to various injuries. This unproven outfield trio will be backed up by utility man Javier Sanoja, outfielder Heriberto Hernandez, and perhaps first baseman Christopher Morel, who has spent time in center field with the Cubs and left field with the Rays in the past despite poor defensive numbers.
Poll: Who Will Win The AL Central?
With Opening Day just around the corner, the offseason is more or less complete for MLB’s 30 clubs and teams are now focused on the incoming season and being the team to raise the Commissioner’s Trophy. Until the playoffs begin, however, teams will be focused on a smaller goal: winning their division. In the run-up to the start of the season, we will be conducting a series of polls to gauge who MLBTR readers believe is the favorite in each division. The AL Champion Blue Jays came out on top in the AL East yesterday with 39% of the vote. Today, we’ll be moving on to the AL Central. All teams are listed in order of their 2025 regular season record:
Cleveland Guardians (88-75)
The Guardians managed to sneak their way into an AL Central title in the eleventh hour last year, overtaking the Tigers at the very end of the year thanks to a 20-7 September. They immediately got bounced from the playoffs by Detroit, however, and their response to that quick exit this postseason has left something to be desired. That seemed like a setup for a big offseason, but no such eventful winter occurred. Deserved as Jose Ramirez‘s latest extension may have been, it does nothing to improve the team for 2026. The only potential impact player the team has added anywhere on the roster is veteran first baseman Rhys Hoskins, who is in camp on a minor league deal but is all but certain to make the team. More or less running back a roster that won 88 games last year isn’t the worst idea in the world, but it’s easy to feel as though last year’s division champs may have been overtaken by their rivals who made bigger splashes over the offseason.
Detroit Tigers (87-76)
The Tigers took the Mariners to Game 5 of the ALDS before falling just short, and now they’ll be looking to make the most out of what is likely to be Tarik Skubal‘s final season with the organization. A reunion with Gleyber Torres was the only big move on offense (although the impending debut of top prospect Kevin McGonigle could still transform the team’s lineup this year), but the Tigers were very active in overhauling their pitching staff. Framber Valdez joins Skubal at the front of the rotation and helps cushion the blow of losing Reese Olson to shoulder surgery, while Justin Verlander provides some mid-rotation stability in his homecoming at 43 years old. In the bullpen, the addition of a second future Hall of Fame veteran in Kenley Jansen and a reunion with Kyle Finnegan should create a solid back of the bullpen for a Tigers team that had the second-worst bullpen in the AL by FIP last year. Those additions seem likely to be enough to make the Tigers the favorite to finally claim the AL Central crown for the first time since 2014, though that also seemed likely to be the case last year.
Kansas City Royals (82-80)
The Royals had a middling season last year where they remained on the periphery of playoff relevance but never quite cracked the top tier of contenders. They wound up finishing just barely above .500, but will enter 2026 with hopes of a return to the postseason. Better health from Cole Ragans and Kris Bubic should go a long way for the club, as could the ascension of top prospect Carter Jensen as the heir apparent to franchise catcher Salvador Perez. In terms of external additions, the outfield will now feature Isaac Collins, Starling Marte, and Lane Thomas in addition to incumbents Jac Caglianone and Kyle Isbel, while Matt Strahm was brought in to fortify a high-leverage relief mix that already included Carlos Estevez and Lucas Erceg. With a handful of solid (if unspectacular) additions and an exciting young talent coming up from the minors, it’s not hard to imagine the Royals having a better year in 2026. Will that be enough to win the division?
Minnesota Twins (70-92)
2025 was a tough year for the Twins, as the organization was unable to lock down the sale both ownership and fans were hoping for off the field, while the team on the diamond struggled badly and wound up getting blown up at last summer’s trade deadline. Minnesota was saved from the basement of the AL Central by the lowly White Sox, but this offseason a change in control person, the hiring of a new manager, and the sudden departure of team president Derek Falvey led to instability at the top of the organization without much movement on the roster to show for it. Josh Bell and Victor Caratini are both solid complementary additions to the lineup, but neither makes up for the loss of Carlos Correa. A rotation that looked like the team’s strength lost Pablo Lopez before the season even began, while Taylor Rogers and others will be asked to save the bullpen after the losses of Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, and Louis Varland. There’s plenty of interesting young talent (Royce Lewis, Brooks Lee, Luke Keaschall, Taj Bradley) on the roster, but a whole lot would have to go right for the Twins to fight their way back to the top of the AL Central this year.
Chicago White Sox (60-102)
The White Sox are still in the midst of what figures to be a lengthy rebuilding process, but more optimism can be found in the organization than has been the case for quite a while now. Young, impactful players like Shane Smith, Colson Montgomery, and Kyle Teel are beginning to establish themselves at the big league level, and the White Sox put in some effort to supplement that budding young core with external additions. Munetaka Murakami is the big addition who could easily add 40 home runs to the White Sox lineup if he pans out, but Anthony Kay, Sean Newcomb, and Seranthony Dominguez could all prove to be savvy additions to the roster as well on he pitching side. It would be a shock if these moves were enough to pull Chicago all the way to the top of the AL Central, but it seems possible that their days of losing 100 games a year are coming to a close.
Who do MLBTR readers think will win the division when all is said and done? Will the Guardians manage to come out on top for the third straight season despite virtually no additions? Will the Tigers finally break through in Skubal’s final season before free agency? Will the Royals’ busy offseason be enough to help them take a leap forward? Or will the Twins or White Sox shock the baseball world? Have your say in the poll below:
Who will win the AL Central in 2026?
The Opener: Spring Breakout, Alvarez, Rose
Here are three things to keep an eye on around the baseball world headed into the weekend:
1. 2026 Spring Breakout:
This year’s Spring Breakout got underway last night, with a slate of six games between clubs showcasing some of their top prospects. Among the prospects to impress most yesterday were Reds right-hander Chase Petty, who struck out six over four scoreless innings, and Nationals infield prospect Gavin Fien, who went 3-for-4 with a walk and two doubles at the plate. Spring Breakout games will continue today and throughout the weekend, with the Brewers’ top-ranked farm system in baseball set to face off against the Mariners’ farm at 2:10pm local time in Arizona. Top shortstop prospect Jesús Made will be joined by Jett Williams, Cooper Pratt, and others on a stacked Brewers prospect roster, while the Mariners will showcase top prospects Colt Emerson and Kade Anderson, among others.
2. Alvarez exits with minor injury:
Mets fans were given a scare yesterday when catcher Francisco Alvarez departed the game due to back tightness. Fortunately, Will Sammon of The Athletic was among those to relay assurances from manager Carlos Mendoza that Alvarez’s removal was precautionary and that he would have been able to continue playing had it been a regular season game. Alvarez’s status will be worth keeping an eye on for fans in Queens given that the club would likely need to turn to Luis Torrens and Ben Rortvedt as its tandem behind the plate if he required a trip to the injured list, but for now the level of concern seems fairly mild. The 24-year-old Alvarez, already heading into his fifth season, will be looking to build on a big second half last year where he slashed .276/.360/.561 across 41 games.
3. Rose calling it a career:
In other Mets news, longtime Mets broadcaster Howie Rose announced that 2026 will be his final year in the booth ahead of his retirement. Rose has done radio play-by-play for the Mets for more than 30 years, and noted in his retirement announcement that he’s been involved in Mets broadcasting since 1987. The beloved broadcaster told fans he hopes to be involved with the Mets in the future in some capacity, but for this year they can count on him being in the booth of the team’s home games, Subway Series games at Yankee Stadium, and any of the team’s postseason games. We at MLB Trade Rumors would like to congratulate Rose on a fine career and wish him all the best headed into his final season in the booth and his well-earned retirement.
Poll: Who Will Win The AL East?
With Opening Day just around the corner, the offseason is more or less complete for MLB’s 30 clubs and teams are now focused on the incoming season and being the final team standing to raise the Commissioner’s Trophy. Until the playoffs begin, however, teams will be focused on a smaller goal: winning their division. In the run-up to the start of the season, we will be conducting a series of polls to gauge who MLBTR readers believe is the favorite in each division. That series starts today with the AL East. All teams are listed in order of their 2025 regular season record:
Toronto Blue Jays (94-68)
The Blue Jays only narrowly won the AL East last year, with the division coming down to a tiebreaker. They made a much more convincing case for themselves as the top dog in the division come the postseason, however, as they easily dispatched the Yankees in the ALDS and went on to make it all the way to Game 7 of the World Series before losing that final game against the mighty Dodgers by just a hair. They went on to have an aggressive offseason in their efforts to stay at the top of the totem pole. The Jays lost Bo Bichette and Chris Bassitt to free agency, but managed to retain Max Scherzer while adding Dylan Cease and Cody Ponce to a rotation that already boasts Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, and Trey Yesavage. Their efforts to improve on the pitching side didn’t ignore the bullpen either, as Tyler Rogers was brought in to support Jeff Hoffman and Louis Varland in the late innings. Losing Bichette certainly hurts for Toronto’s offense, but Kazuma Okamoto figures to be an able replacement as a right-handed bat in the middle of the order, and the team also bolstered their outfield depth with the addition of Jesus Sanchez. Will that be enough to maintain control in the East, or will Toronto brass regret missing out on Bichette and Kyle Tucker this winter?
New York Yankees (94-68)
The Yankees only lost the East by a hair last year. Their plan for this season appears to be running back last year’s squad and hoping that the return of Gerrit Cole can push them over the edge. Cody Bellinger, Paul Goldschmidt, Amed Rosario, Trent Grisham, and Paul Blackburn are all returning via free agency. With that being said, the team didn’t make any significant additions aside from bringing back the old guard when it comes to free agency. Their lone major addition to the roster this offseason was a trade with the Marlins that brought back southpaw Ryan Weathers, who has never thrown even 100 innings in a season but does sport a solid 3.74 ERA across his last 24 outings. That addition to the rotation mix is matched by a substantial loss in the bullpen, however, as both Devin Williams and Luke Weaver eschewed the Bronx in favor of Queens during free agency. Perhaps the additions of Cole (as he returns from a season lost to Tommy John surgery) and Weathers will make up for those losses, but the Yankees will also have to contend with the injury bug; Cole, Carlos Rodon, and Anthony Volpe are all starting the season on the injured list, while Clarke Schmidt is already lost for the year to elbow surgery.
Boston Red Sox (89-73)
The Red Sox certainly had a busy offseason, but it’s not exactly the ones fans were expecting. Alex Bregman is suddenly a Chicago Cub. Both Jarren Duran and Wilyer Abreu remain with the Red Sox. While the team’s elite outfield remains intact, the infield looks somewhat suspect. The addition of Willson Contreras at first base should provide some reliability that former top prospect Triston Casas has not been able to so far in his career, but the Red Sox will be banking on another solid season from Trevor Story after his bounce-back in 2025 while turning to Marcelo Mayer at second base and Caleb Durbin at third base. All three of those players have the opportunity to be solid, but only Mayer has a ceiling comparable to the impact Bregman offered and fans in Boston need not be reminded of the risks associated with handing the keys to a young player at second base after Kristian Campbell‘s rookie year. On the other hand, the team’s pitching looks better than ever. Garrett Crochet nearly won the Cy Young award last year, and this season he’ll be supported by both Ranger Suarez and Sonny Gray to give the Red Sox one of the more impressive potential playoff rotations in the game. Will that be enough to win the AL East this year, given the club’s lack of impact hitting additions?
Tampa Bay Rays (77-85)
The Rays are coming off back-to-back seasons where they finished just a bit below .500. After the rest of the division spent the offseason loading up on talent for the 2026 campaign, a lot will need to go right for the Rays to improve this year. Junior Caminero is a superstar at third base but the losses of Brandon Lowe and Pete Fairbanks figure to be a tough blow this year. In typical Rays fashion, the club’s additions aren’t necessarily impactful on paper. None of Jake Fraley, Gavin Lux, Cedric Mullins, Steven Matz, and Nick Martinez had impact seasons last year but they’ve all shown themselves to be more than capable of being effective major leaguers in the past. Additionally, young pieces like Ryan Pepiot and Carson Williams could plausibly take the sort of step forward Jonathan Aranda did last year, therefore joining Aranda and Yandy Diaz as strong pieces of Caminero’s supporting cast. Will all that be enough to overcome the Rays’ high-spending rivals?
Baltimore Orioles (75-87)
The Orioles had a disaster of a 2025 season but they resolved to fix their flaws in this offseason and made a strong effort to do just that. Pete Alonso and Taylor Ward brought in reliable, right-handed power that a lineup stacked with upside but lacking in floor desperately needed. A revamped rotation featuring not just a healthy Kyle Bradish but also a reunion with Zach Eflin plus the additions of both Shane Baz and Chris Bassitt certainly offers more upside than last year’s group, even if they failed to sign the surefire ace they entered the season widely expected to target. That improved rotation is also being supported by a bullpen that brought back Andrew Kittredge after dealing him away at the trade deadline and added Ryan Helsley in order to replace injured closer Felix Bautista. The bones of a very deep and talented team are clearly present in Baltimore but whether they can rise from fifth in the division all the way to first will surely depend on the health and performance of their core pieces like Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg and Adley Rutschman. Gunnar Henderson remains a good bet to earn himself MVP votes but will the rest of that elite group of youngsters be able to start to catch up to him?
After a busy offseason all around the AL East, which team is most likely to come out on top this year? Will the Blue Jays hold on after their near-miss at a championship last season? Will the Yankees be able to get better results with the same roster? Will the Red Sox or Orioles be able to make an unorthodox offseason into a success despite notable misses on some stated goals for the winter? Or will the Rays once again work the magic that’s made them so successful in the past and surprise the league? Have your say in the poll below:
Who will win the AL East in 2026?
The Opener: Spring Opt Outs, Trades, Woodruff
Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:
1. XX(B) Opt Outs today:
A number of veterans on minor league deals have uniform opt-out clauses in their contracts scheduled for today. That’ll provide them an opportunity to return to free agency before Opening Day, though they’ll have additional opportunities to do so later in the year. MLBTR’s Steve Adams took a look at more than 30 veterans who qualify for the opportunity earlier this week. Among the most notable players on that list are Padres righty Walker Buehler, Braves lefty Martín Pérez, Mets reliever Craig Kimbrel, Cubs outfielder Michael Conforto, and Guardians first baseman Rhys Hoskins. Will any of these players return to free agency, or will their clubs add them to the 40-man roster ahead of their impending opt-out decisions?
2. Late spring trades on the horizon?
Yesterday, it was reported that the Twins have been shopping catcher Alex Jackson before the season begins. Jackson was initially signed with a likely path toward being part of the club’s catching tandem, but after a change in philosophy during the offseason thanks to movement at the ownership level, the Twins wound up not only keeping Ryan Jeffers but also signing Victor Caratini to a two-year deal. That leaves Jackson as the third catcher, and since he’s out of minor league options, the Twins figure to see if there would be any takers on him and his $1.35MM salary.
Jackson isn’t the only one who could change teams shortly before the season begins. The Royals have indicated an openness to moving southpaw Bailey Falter. Like Jackson, he’s out of minor league options. Falter doesn’t have a path to a rotation spot with Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron and Kris Bubic healthy — and Ryan Bergert, Luinder Avila and Mitch Spence as depth — and the Royals may not want to dedicate his $3.6MM salary to a swingman. There are surely other players on the bubble of their team’s active roster who could be moved in the last few days before the season begins as well.
3. Will Woodruff be ready for Opening Day?
Right-hander Brandon Woodruff is the ace of the Brewers’ pitching staff now that Corbin Burnes and Freddy Peralta have both departed, but he might not be on the mound to open the season. The Brewers have made clear throughout Spring Training that they haven’t made a decision on whether Woodruff will begin the season in the rotation or be given additional time to build up on the injured list following the lat strain he suffered last year. That makes today’s spring start against the Rangers a significant one. If Woodruff looks sharp and is able to pitch reasonably deep into the game while maintaining his stuff, that would go a long way toward convincing Brewers officials that he’s ready to take the ball on Opening Day. The game is scheduled for 6:10pm local time at the team’s Spring Training complex in Phoenix, and the veteran righty will face Rangers southpaw Jacob Latz.
Poll: How Will The Marlins Round Out Their Rotation?
While the Marlins enjoyed an encouraging season in 2025 with a 79-83 record that put them on the periphery of playoff race relevance, the club is nonetheless still engaged in a multi-year rebuilding effort. This offseason, that meant trades of controllable rotation pieces in order to bring more young talent into the system. Right-hander Edward Cabrera was dealt to the Cubs for a package headlined by outfielder Owen Caissie, while lefty Ryan Weathers was shipped to the Yankees in return for a package of four prospects. Those departures from the rotation mix would be damaging to any team, but the Marlins are in position to weather the losses thanks to their exceptional pitching depth. Sandy Alcantara and Eury Perez both have ace-level ceilings at the front of the rotation. The Marlins believe Max Meyer is ready to take the step into full-time rotation work after parts of three seasons in the majors, and veteran Chris Paddack was brought in via free agency to eat innings.
That leaves four spots in the rotation accounted for. For much of the offseason the assumption had been that lefty Braxton Garrett would reclaim his spot in the rotation after missing out on the 2025 campaign due to injury. Recent reporting from Christina De Nicola of MLB.com suggests that might not be guaranteed, however. De Nicola writes that the Marlins could consider giving Garrett additional time to rehab and build up towards his return to the majors after last year’s Tommy John surgery. That could involve him beginning the year on the injured list, or even simply using his final remaining option year to send him to the minors. Garrett was incredibly impressive for Miami back in 2023, with a 3.66 ERA in 31 appearances (30 starts) and a solid 23.7% strikeout rate.
Typically, it would be a shock to see the Marlins not simply go back to the once-effective southpaw for the final spot in their rotation. With that said, however, there are some indications that the club is giving a real consideration to Garrett starting the year in the minors. The lefty did struggle a bit in the seven starts he made during the 2024 campaign when he was healthy enough to take the mound, though some grace must be given considering that those starts came with solid peripherals and in the midst of an injury-marred campaign. On the other hand, De Nicola does note that the Marlins are hoping to have Garrett make changes to his approach this year and move into the strike zone a bit more often.
That’s a change that could take some getting used to for the lefty, and simultaneously changing his philosophy as a pitcher while also rehabbing could be a tall order for one Spring Training. If there are questions about Garrett’s ability to take on that workload, starting the season in the minors could make sense. That’s especially true given that Garrett’s return from Tommy John surgery has some similarities to that of Alcantara, who struggled badly upon his return last year. The Marlins are surely hoping to do a better job positioning Garrett for success when he returns than they did with the former Cy Young award winner, and that the lefty will be able to do a lot better this year than Alcantara’s 5.36 ERA in 31 starts last season.
If Garrett were to start the season in the minors, to whom could the Marlins turn? Perhaps the most obvious choice would be right-hander Janson Junk, who served as a swingman for the Marlins last year and posted a solid 4.17 ERA in 110 innings of work (including 16 starts) with even better peripherals. De Nicola notes that manager Clayton McCullough indicated that the club views Junk as a starter, and the team has worked to stretch him out this spring in order to keep him available as an option to start games. With that said, Junk pitched much better as a reliever (2.78 ERA) than as a starter (4.53 ERA) last season and has struggled a bit during camp this spring. Some of that can be attributed to poor sequencing considering Junk’s lackluster 62.2% strand rate in games he started last year, but his strikeout rate dropping from 22.5% in relief to 15.9% when starting games is surely no coincidence.
One other option could be top prospect Robby Snelling. Snelling would be something of a surprise pick for the Marlins, but the former first-rounder and current top-100 prospect is clearly poised to make his big league debut at some point this year. He turned in a dominant year between Double- and Triple-A last year, including 11 starts of 1.27 ERA baseball at the minors’ highest level. He struck out 30.3% of his opponents between both levels, and while he’s struggled in terms of run prevention (7.56 ERA) this spring his 32.5% strikeout rate during camp has been excellent. The Marlins have rarely allowed their young starters to stick in the majors for an entire wire-to-wire big league season during their rookie year, but if the team prefers to slow-play Garrett and keep Junk in a swing role then they might be best served starting Snelling in the majors and sending him down later in the year if he struggles or the rest of the staff is healthy when Garrett is ready.
How do MLBTR readers think the Marlins will ultimately handle the fifth spot in their rotation? Will they stick with Garrett to open the year even in spite of how things went with Alcantara last year? Will they overlook Junk’s lackluster numbers when starting last year and give him a shot? Or will they turn to top prospect Snelling in spite of his mixed performance during camp? Have your say in the poll below:
Who will open the 2026 season in the Marlins' final rotation spot?
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Braxton Garrett 51% (759)
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Janson Junk 34% (511)
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Robby Snelling 15% (225)
Total votes: 1,495
The Opener: Crawford, Cole, White Sox
Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:
1. Crawford visiting Meister:
Mariners shortstop J.P. Crawford has been struggling with soreness in his shoulder lately, and yesterday the Mariners revealed (as relayed by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times) that he was set to visit with Dr. Keith Meister “to make sure [they’re] on the right track.” Any visit with a surgeon is going to be cause for concern among fans, but Mariners brass seemed to downplay the severity of the situation and added they expected to have an update on Crawford today. The shortstop is headed into the final year of his extension with Seattle and rebounded from a tough 2024 last year to hit a respectable .265/.352/.370 while playing 157 games at shortstop. If Crawford was to begin the season on the injured list, it would be an immediate test of the Mariners’ infield depth. Top prospect Colt Emerson is approaching the big leagues, but Leo Rivas and Ryan Bliss are already on the 40-man roster, whereas Emerson would need to have his contract selected. For a short-term absence, plugging Rivas in at shortstop seems likelier.
2. Cole returns to the mound:
Yankees ace Gerrit Cole is poised to make his first start since undergoing Tommy John surgery when the Red Sox visit Steinbrenner Field later today. The game is scheduled for 1:05pm local time in Florida and will pit Cole against Red Sox youngster Connelly Early, who made a big first impression in the majors last year with a 2.33 ERA in four starts. Cole is obviously one of the most talented pitchers in baseball when healthy and won a Cy Young Award back in 2023. However, he’s made just 17 starts since then due to elbow issues. Now headed into his age-35 season, it’s fair to wonder exactly what the longtime ace will look like once he returns to the mound.
3. Alberto waiver resolution:
The White Sox put Rule 5 pick Alexander Alberto on waivers this week, and that process should be resolved today. The Sox will have to offer him back to the Rays if he goes unclaimed, but any other team could pluck Alberto from the waiver wire before then if they’re willing to adhere to Rule 5 draft restrictions. The 24-year-old has yet to even throw a pitch in Double-A but impressed last year with a 2.59 ERA in 48 2/3 innings of work. It was understandable for a rebuilding club like the White Sox to roll the dice on him, but if he was unable to make the club’s bullpen out of camp (thanks in large part to a 10.80 ERA in 6 2/3 spring innings), it’s unclear if there will be another team willing to taking a shot on the towering 6’8″ righty.
Seiya Suzuki Diagnosed With PCL Sprain
March 17th: Manager Craig Counsell provided reporters, including Meghan Montemurro of the Chicago Tribune, with an update on Suzuki today. The outfielder has been diagnosed with a minor sprain of the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. They will see how he progresses in the next few days before deciding whether or not he will require a season-opening stint on the injured list. (Members of the Cubs beat all initially used the word “strain” but Jordan Bastian of MLB.com later issued a correction and said that it’s actually a sprain.)
March 15th: During yesterday’s quarterfinal game between Samurai Japan and Team Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki limped off the field during the first inning after getting caught stealing second base (as noted by Yakyu Cosmopolitan on social media). Last night, Kevin Barral of Fish On First reported that Suzuki was removed due to discomfort in his right knee and that the team would continue to evaluate him. After the game, superstar Shohei Ohtani spoke to reporters (including Bob Nightengale of USA Today) and noted that Suzuki hadn’t yet undergone imaging to determine the severity of the issue, though he will presumably do so in relatively short order.
If the injury proves to be a serious one, that would be a major blow to both Suzuki and the Cubs. The 31-year-old has been on a torrid stretch all spring, going 2-for-4 with a home run and a strikeout during his brief stay in camp with Chicago before joining Samurai Japan and going 3-for-9 with a strikeout, two homers, and six walks during his four games playing in the WBC. That left him in strong position to carry his hot streak into the regular season, but now he runs the risk of being sidelined when the season begins with Opening Day less than two weeks away. 2025 was a strong season for Suzuki, as he spent most of the season playing DH for the Cubs in deference to Kyle Tucker in right field. He managed to put together a banner year from the DH slot, appearing in 151 games and slashing .245/.326/.478 (123 wRC+) with 32 homers.
2026 is an especially important year for Suzuki as his contract with the Cubs is set to expire, allowing him to reach free agency this coming November. In a free agent class with a relative dearth of high-end offensive talent, another strong year from Suzuki could make him one of the most coveted players available next offseason. He’s a career 127 wRC+ hitter in the majors across four MLB seasons, and over the past two years he’s slashed .263/.345/.480 (129 wRC+) with 53 homers and 21 steals across 283 games. Just 17 players have posted at least 50 home runs and 20 stolen bases over the past two years, and among them only George Springer, Gunnar Henderson, Bobby Witt Jr., Jose Ramirez, Juan Soto, Ohtani, and Aaron Judge have a higher on-base percentage.
There’s an argument to be made, then, that Suzuki has been among the most complete hitters in baseball in recent years. Another strong season for Suzuki where he posts similar offensive numbers to the past two seasons would cement his status as one of the top bats available in free agency, particularly given that he’s expected to return to right field on a regular basis this year with Moises Ballesteros getting a crack at regular DH time. Missing the start of the season would put a damper on all that, especially given that Suzuki averaged just 127 games a year over his first three seasons in the majors due to various trips to the injured list.
As for the Cubs, the team would certainly miss one of its top hitters if he does wind up starting the season on the injured list. The good news for Chicago, however, is that they’re relatively well-stocked in terms of depth at this point. Matt Shaw has begun getting reps in the outfield this spring after being bumped out of the regular third base job by the addition of Alex Bregman, while Michael Conforto is in camp with the Cubs on a minor league deal. Conforto already seemed to be in strong position to make the team’s roster as a bench bat, and if Suzuki were to start the season on the IL he’d surely join Shaw as one of the favorites for regular reps in right field to open the year. Chicago could also view an injury to Suzuki as an opportunity to get top outfield prospect Kevin Alcantara a look at the big league level as he heads into his final option year while facing a fairly crowded outfield mix.