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Pete Alonso Open To Some DH Time In 2026

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After turning in one of the strongest offensive performances of his career in 2025, it was an easy decision for Pete Alonso to opt out of the final year of his deal with the Mets and return to the open market. After last year’s contentious trip through free agency that saw Alonso return to Queens only after a soft market left him to sign a short-term deal, it’s understandable that many observers have wondered if this year could be his last in New York. Those questions about Alonso’s future were somewhat amplified by a report that the Mets aren’t especially enamored with Alonso defensively at first base and would intend for him to spend time at DH if he returns to the club next year.

That’s actually something Alonso appears amenable to, however. Agent Scott Boras, who represents Alonso, told reporters (including Tim Healey of The Boston Globe) yesterday that Alonso would be willing to spend at least some time at DH next year, and that would be especially true if he were playing for a winning franchise or in the right situation for that to take place. Meanwhile, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Mets and Alonso have opened talks about a new contract and that there’s a “better feeling” around those early negotiations than was present last winter.

That all creates some reason for optimism among Mets fans that a reunion could be on the table once again this winter. At least on paper, they certainly seem to be the clear best fit for his services around the league. The Mariners and Padres could use help at first base but seem unlikely to spend what it would take to bring in someone like Alonso. Teams like the Pirates and Marlins are in desperate need of offense and are seemingly willing to spend more than usual, but a deal for Alonso would be a massive departure from their usual comfort zone and Alonso himself might prefer to play for a more consistent winner than either of those teams.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t any suitors for whom he would be a fit, of course. The Red Sox have been heavily speculated about as a destination for Alonso, and if Alex Bregman departs in free agency Alonso might represent their best chance to add an impactful, right-handed bat to the lineup who can replace him. The Giants had interest in Alonso last year, but have added Rafael Devers to the lineup and moved him to first base since then. Both teams also have young, up-and-coming first base options (Triston Casas, Bryce Eldridge) they’d be displacing by signing Alonso. That further complicates the fit.

Heyman also suggests that there’s at least some interest in Alonso from the Orioles, who will have Samuel Basallo drawing regular at-bats at either first base or DH on days that Adley Rutschman is behind the plate but could look to add someone more reliable than Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle to handle the other position. Alonso would be an interesting fit given the team’s heavily left-handed lineup, but adding pitching figures to be the team’s top priority this winter with most of their rotation headed into free agency and closer Felix Bautista sidelined for most if not all of the 2026 season.

As sensible as the fit between the two sides might seem on paper, that doesn’t mean a reunion is necessarily a slam dunk. The Mets have gotten involved in the market for players making the jump from NPB to MLB in the past, as they were a finalist for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and landed Kodai Senga. They’ve already been connected to Tatsuya Imai on the pitching side of things, but corner infield sluggers Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto could be attractive alternatives to Alonso as well. Murakami, in particular, could have appeal at just 26 years old; president of baseball operations David Stearns went well out of his typical comfort zone to land Juan Soto last winter in part due to him being exceptionally young for a star free agent. Josh Naylor, Ryan O’Hearn, Paul Goldschmidt, and Rhys Hoskins are among the other first basemen on the market this winter, but none besides Murakami can offer anything close to Alonso’s power output.

The Opener: GM Meetings, MVP, Additional Awards

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Don’t forget to enter MLBTR’s annual Free Agent Prediction Contest! Submissions close at 11pm central time this evening. Without further ado, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. GM Meetings wrapping up:

It’s the final day of the GM Meetings, but there’s still time for the league’s 30 front office heads to add fuel to the rumor mill before they depart Las Vegas. While a handful of minor transactions have occurred, for the most part the GM Meetings have been about laying groundwork and providing hints on the direction some clubs could look to take this winter (such as the Pirates’ potentially expanded payroll capacity). We’ve also seen comments from GMs downplaying their interest in dealing away speculative trade candidates (such as Dana Brown’s comments on Isaac Paredes). A noteworthy trade or signing could still happen before the GM Meetings wrap up, but the focus is likely to be on movement that could occur in the coming days as qualifying offer decisions come due and the non-tender deadline approaches. Next month’s Winter Meetings figure to have far more fireworks in terms of hot stove activity.

2. 2025 MVPs to be crowned:

As awards week wraps up, the winners of this year’s MVP Awards in both leagues are set to be announced this evening. There’s little intrigue in the NL, where Shohei Ohtani is widely expected to cruise to his fourth career MVP trophy despite banner years from fellow finalists Kyle Schwarber and Juan Soto. In the AL, this year’s season-long battle between Aaron Judge and Cal Raleigh will finally come to a close, with Jose Ramirez joining that duo as a finalist following his second consecutive 30-homer, 40-steal season. Whether Judge’s otherworldly offensive numbers will be enough to overcome Raleigh’s 60 home runs and status as a quality defender at the game’s most difficult defensive position will be revealed at 6pm CT.

3. Additional awards to be announced:

While the main event this evening is the Most Valuable Player announcement, that’s not the only award set to be announced throughout the day. The 2025 All-MLB team will be announced today at the GM Meetings, while winners of the Comeback Players of the Year, Relievers of the Year, Outstanding DH, Executive of the Year, and Hank Aaron Awards will also be revealed as well. All of those awards will have their results announced on MLB Network’s awards show this evening, which runs from 8pm to 10pm CT. As noted by MLB.com, more than 70 current and former MLB players are expected to be in attendance for the show.

Latest On Twins’ Offseason Direction

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Following the Twins’ deadline fire sale, the widespread expectation has been that they’d continue moving veteran players this offseason. That’s not necessarily the case. President of baseball operations Derek Falvey tells Dan Hayes of The Athletic that his focus is on adding to the team, not subtracting, unless he “is told otherwise” by ownership. To this point, he has not given serious consideration to trading right-handers Pablo Lopez and/or Joe Ryan. The Pohlad family has reportedly not yet given the team’s front office a directive in terms of the budget for next season. If that eventual directive is to further lean into a rebuild, there might be another consequence: the potential acquiescence toward a trade from star center fielder Byron Buxton.

To this point, Buxton has made his desire to remain a Twin for his entire career clear. Even after this summer’s teardown of the roster, he emphasized that he had no plans to waive his no-trade clause and hoped to finish his career in Minnesota. The Twins’ offseason direction could put that loyalty to the test, as Hayes reports that Buxton might reconsider his stance if the team continues subtracting prominent players.

That’s hardly an announcement that Buxton wants out of Minnesota now, of course. It’s not impossible to see the bones of a competitive club in what the Twins still have on the roster. Lopez and Ryan are an excellent one-two combo atop the rotation. Bailey Ober had a rough 2025 season but was a quality mid-rotation arm for several years prior.

Beyond those three, Simeon Woods Richardson, Zebby Matthews, Mick Abel, Taj Bradley, and David Festa are all young starters with mid-rotation upside who were considered top-100 prospects before debuting in the majors. The viability of that group will mostly be decided by the futures of veterans like Lopez, Ryan and Ober, though.

While 2025 was disappointing for infielders Royce Lewis and Brooks Lee, no one should be surprised if the pair of former top prospects take a step forward next year and become the sort of high-end regulars Minnesota was hoping they could be when selecting each with a top-10 overall pick. Additional young talent is on the way as well, ranging from top outfield prospects Walker Jenkins and Emmanuel Rodriguez to young infielder Luke Keaschall, who impressed in 207 plate appearances this year. Ryan Jeffers is already a quality regular behind the plate. Outfielders like Matt Wallner and Alan Roden have posted huge numbers in the minors, with the former enjoying some big league success at times (but also lacking consistency). Adding a reliable bat at first base could give the Twins the makings of a decent lineup.

Last summer’s flurry of trades slashed spending enough that the Twins project for a payroll of just $95MM next year, per RosterResource, down more than $40MM from last year’s Opening Day mark. It’s fair to wonder whether those savings will be reinvested or whether further cuts will be made. If it’s the latter, or if the front office is only given minimal space to add, then Lopez (owed $21.75MM in each of the next two seasons), Ryan (arbitration-eligible through 2027) and Jeffers (arb-eligible through 2026) are natural candidates to be moved.

It would be quite an intriguing turnaround if the Twins decided to make a run at contending in 2026, though they would have to rebuild essentially the entire bullpen. Prior to the deadline, they traded away Jhoan Duran, Louis Varland, Griffin Jax, Danny Coulombe and Brock Stewart.

Should the Twins go the other way and end up dealing from that group of quality veterans, perhaps Buxton would reconsider his previously stated desire to be a Twin for life. The soon to be 32-year-old veteran will make $45MM total over the final three seasons of the extension he signed in Minnesota. He can tack on an additional $10MM of earnings each season based on plate appearances and MVP voting.

That’s a bargain for the production he provides, with a .270/.330/.540 batting line (138 wRC+), 53 home runs, 31 steals and 8.7 fWAR in 228 games the past two years. If he was available, virtually any team in baseball would have interest in bringing Buxton into the fold. Big-spending contenders like the Dodgers, Phillies, Yankees, and Mets all figure to be on the hunt for outfield help this winter, and if Buxton did decide to waive his no-trade clause he’d likely be able to have his pick of the litter in terms of destinations thanks to his favorable contract situation and excellent production.

Those big spending clubs wouldn’t be the only teams with interest if Buxton were to make himself available, and perhaps a team like the Astros or even Rays with payroll limitations but a strong commitment to winning nonetheless could get involved as well. Buxton’s commitment to the Twins over the years has shown he’s not afraid to try to win in a smaller market than New York or Los Angeles, though if he was to depart Minnesota it would surely be done with getting to the World Series firmly in mind after winning just one playoff series during his time with Minnesota.

Latest On Cubs, Shota Imanaga

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The Cubs are headed into this offseason prioritizing pitching additions, as president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer told reporters (including Robert Murray of FanSided) yesterday. Hoyer noted that the club already has “a lot of position players,” which will lead them to prioritize giving a boost to both the rotation and bullpen.

It’s not necessarily a shocking update. While star outfielder Kyle Tucker’s free agency leaves a hole in the middle of Chicago’s lineup, it’s long seemed as though he was likely to end up elsewhere upon reaching free agency given the Cubs’ hesitance when it comes to giving out top-of-the-market contracts. Jason Heyward’s $184MM contract signed back during the 2015-2016 offseason remains the largest deal in Cubs history, and Tucker is expected to at least double that figure. While Hoyer told Murray that he’ll “be talking to” Tucker’s representation and was effusive in his praise of the four-time All-Star, a focus on pitching makes more sense given that hesitance to spend at the top of the market and Chicago’s roster outlook.

The Cubs already have everyday players locked into the majority of the spots on their roster. Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson are one of the league’s top middle infield duos, Ian Happ is the franchise’s longest-tenured player who just earned his fourth consecutive Gold Glove in left field, while Michael Busch and Pete Crow-Armstrong have cemented themselves as core pieces at first base and in center field. Seiya Suzuki is also sure to be in the lineup on an everyday basis, whether that’s in right field or as the team’s DH. Things seem more or less settled behind the plate as well after a career year for Carson Kelly, with Miguel Amaya and Reese McGuire both in the fold to help back up the veteran as well.

If the Cubs were going to make an addition to the lineup, adding a corner outfielder or DH (wherever Suzuki isn’t playing) or a third baseman would make the most sense. Even then, however, the Cubs have a group of up-and-coming young position players who could get full-season looks next year like Matt Shaw, Owen Caissie, Moises Ballesteros, and Kevin Alcantara. Shaw’s 93 wRC+ in 126 games last year, including a 130 wRC+ after the All-Star break, makes it easy to justify giving him runway at the hot corner next year. While none of Caissie, Ballesteros, or Alcantara has received substantial playing time in the majors yet, between the three of them it’s not unreasonable for Chicago to think they could mostly handle one spot in the lineup.

By contrast, the pitching staff clearly needs work. Shota Imanaga is now a free agent, and with Justin Steele’s return date uncertain coming off Tommy John surgery the only pitchers locked into rotation spots for Opening Day next year are mid-rotation veterans Matthew Boyd and Jameson Taillon as well as Rookie of the Year runner-up Cade Horton. Even among that group, there’s some red flags. Boyd has a lengthy injury history and only just enjoyed his first healthy season since 2019. Horton ended the season on the injured list and missed nearly all of 2024 due to a shoulder strain. Taillon missed around two months due to calf and groin issues. While players like Colin Rea and Javier Assad are viable starters in their own right, they’re best served as swing options.

That leaves room for a rotation addition or two, and there’s plenty of interesting arms who could make an impact for the Cubs this winter. Dylan Cease and Framber Valdez might price themselves out of the Cubs’ comfort zone, but either would still be far less expensive than Tucker. Chicago has done well courting NPB talent in the past, so perhaps right-hander Tatsuya Imai could be a fit. Ranger Suarez, Michael King, Brandon Woodruff, and Zac Gallen are among the many names who the Cubs could look to bring into the fold.

That doesn’t mean a reunion with Imanaga can be ruled out, however. The Cubs extended the southpaw a qualifying offer at the outset of the offseason last week, and he’ll need to decide in the coming days whether or not to accept that one-year, $22.05MM offer. Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that Imanaga is expected to decline that offer, but that wouldn’t necessarily rule out a return even if he does so. Bruce Levine of 670 The Score suggests that the sides could look to reunite on a two-year deal this winter, which could come either before or after the QO deadline next week.

Reuniting with Imanaga would be a gamble, given the uncertain nature of Wrigley Field’s park factors and Imanaga’s struggles with keeping the ball in the park. Even so, however, it’s at least plausible that being attached to draft pick compensation dampens Imanaga’s market enough that a return to the Cubs makes sense for him. Chicago seems unlikely to participate in a bidding war for his services after declining a three-year, $54MM option on his services at the outset of the offseason, but if Imanaga were considering accepting the QO a two-year deal could theoretically allow the Cubs to lower the hit they’ll face for luxury tax purposes while also creating some additional security for Imanaga.

As for the bullpen, the Cubs are in need of reinforcements there most of all. Brad Keller, Drew Pomeranz, Caleb Thielbar, and Andrew Kittredge were all key high leverage arms for the team this season but are no longer with the club; the former three are free agents, while the latter was traded to Baltimore to avoid the buyout on his club option. That leaves Chicago with little certainty in the bullpen outside of Daniel Palencia, but reporting has suggested they won’t be very involved on top free agent relief arms like Edwin Diaz and Devin Williams. That still leaves a number of interesting veterans who could be had a one- or two-year deals, however, like Kenley Jansen and Pete Fairbanks.

The Opener: GM Meetings, Cy Young, Free Agent Prediction Contest

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As the offseason continues, here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye on throughout the day:

1. GM Meetings continue:

The GM Meetings began yesterday, and with the league’s top decision-makers all in one place the rumor mill is sure to stay busy. Some teams (e.g. Pirates, D-backs) took the opportunity to try and stamp out trade rumors surrounding their top players. For many others (e.g. Mets, Dodgers, Braves, Royals) there have already been some hints to where their priorities in free agency and/or on the trade market lie. As this week’s meetings continue, more information should come forward in the form of both public-facing comments from MLB’s front office bosses and sourced reports from behind the scenes. While it’s unusual for substantial transactions to happen this early in the calendar — next month’s Winter Meetings are a much larger source of actual action — its not impossible that an early move or two could occur this week in addition to the usual rumors and intrigue.

2. Cy Young Awards to be announced:

This year’s Cy Young Award winners will be announced tonight, though there doesn’t seem to be much debate as to who’ll win this year’s hardware. Pirates righty Paul Skenes and Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal have seemed likely to lock up the awards for quite some time now, and there’s little reason to expect an upset in either case. It would be Skenes’ first career Cy Young Award after he won the NL Rookie of the Year award and finished as a finalist in Cy Young voting last season. For Skubal, this would be his second consecutive AL Cy Young win. The other finalists in the NL are Phillies southpaw Cristopher Sanchez and Dodgers right-hander (and 2025 World Series MVP) Yoshinobu Yamamoto. In the AL, Skubal is joined by Red Sox lefty Garrett Crochet and Astros ace Hunter Brown.

3. Join the MLBTR Free Agent Prediction Contest!

Last week, we here at MLBTR published our 2025-26 Top 50 MLB Free Agents With Predictions list. As is the case every year, that list coincides with the announcement of our annual Free Agent Prediction Contest! $900 in cash prizes, as well as one-year memberships to Trade Rumors Front Office are available to the contestants who have the most success in guessing where the league’s top free agents will ultimately land this winter. The contest closes tomorrow night, so be sure to get your predictions in while you still can!

Poll: Should The Mets Trade Kodai Senga?

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After missing the playoffs this year, the Mets are poised to aggressively shake up their pitching staff this winter. Their starters posted a 4.13 ERA this year, good for just 18th in baseball, and that’s in part due to the cautious approach they took to building their staff last year.

After spending a massive amount to lure Juan Soto to Queens, president of baseball operations David Stearns seemed reluctant to engage the top free agent starters too aggressively and wound up focusing on mid-level and bounceback arms instead. Clay Holmes converted from the bullpen to the rotation, New York took a flier on Frankie Montas after a weak 2024, and the big addition was a reunion with Sean Manaea. The strategy did not work out. Holmes did fine, turning in a solid mid-rotation performance, but Montas barely pitched and turned in atrocious results when he did, while Manaea was limited to just 15 appearances and was moved to the bullpen late in the year amid his own struggles.

On paper, the Mets head into the offseason with a full rotation for 2026: Holmes, Manaea, and right-hander Kodai Senga are all under contract, and controllable arms like David Peterson, Nolan McLean, Jonah Tong, and Brandon Sproat give the team more than enough arms to fill out a rotation. McLean is widely viewed as a front-of-the-rotation caliber arm, but relying on him to be an ace after just eight MLB starts would be risky. Tong and Sproat are even less established with lower ceilings, and each of Holmes, Manaea, and Peterson fit better in the middle to back of a team’s rotation.

Aside from McLean, Senga has the highest ceiling of all the club’s starting pitching options. In 52 starts with the Mets over the past three years, he’s pitched to a 3.00 ERA and a 3.82 FIP with a 26.8% strikeout rate. Those are generally quite impressive numbers, and on paper it might seem like the Mets can count on McLean and Senga as a potential front-of-the-rotation duo for next year.

That only appears to be the case on paper, however. After a strong rookie season in the majors, Senga missed all but one start in 2024 due to shoulder and calf issues. He returned to the mound in 2025 and looked like his old self early on, with a 1.47 ERA and 3.24 FIP across 73 2/3 innings of work through mid-June. He missed a month due to a hamstring strain that brought that stretch to an end, however, and when he returned he looked like a shell of himself. He pitched to a 5.90 ERA with a 5.76 FIP across his final nine appearances of the year, struck out just 20.6% of his opponents, and walked 12.7%. He pitched into the sixth inning just once in that time, and failed to finish the fifth inning in six of those starts.

Things got bad enough for Senga that he was optioned to Triple-A in early September, a move that he consented to. Even at the club’s Syracuse affiliate, he struggled to a 4.66 ERA across two starts before his season came to a close in mid-September. Last month, MLB.com’s Anthony DiComo indicated that the Mets don’t know what to expect from Senga in 2026. Even if they had made the playoffs, Senga would’ve only been activated to the playoff roster if the club suffered multiple injuries to the rotation. It’s harder to know if a pitcher who will be 33 in January will bounce back than it would be for a younger arm, as well. Stearns’s postseason words on Senga weren’t exactly a vote of confidence, either:

“Kodai has had two very inconsistent, challenging years in a row,” Stearns said, as relayed by DiComo. “We know it’s in there. We know there’s potential. We’re going to do everything we can to help get it out of him. But look, can we put him in ink as making 30 starts next year? I think that would be foolish.”

So, with more starting pitchers than they have spots for and a desire to bring in more surefire options, would the Mets entertain a trade for Senga? It’s possible that a change of scenery could make sense for both sides. Senga could prefer to get a fresh start in 2026 with a club that can offer him a more reliable rotation spot than the Mets might be able to, and New York might see a trade as a way to bolster their pipeline of young talent during an offseason where they might look to get aggressive on the trade market to improve the rotation.

The Mets haven’t been a team concerned with posting sky-high payrolls under Steve Cohen, but if they do have a desire to cut payroll to a less extreme level this winter, then parting with a $15MM hit in luxury tax dollars could be attractive as well. On the other hand, Senga’s potential would be hard to part with. He’s clearly shown himself capable of being a front-of-the-rotation caliber arm as recently as the first half of this season. If the right-hander manages to get back on track elsewhere, it would be a tough pill for the Mets to swallow.

While Senga’s deep struggles and uncertain future might make the Mets willing to listen to offers on Senga, his potential might lead them to keep the asking price for his services quite high. Perhaps there’s a deal to be worked out with a team willing to bet on Senga and surrender a controllable position player at an area of need for the Mets, like first base or center field. The Red Sox stand out as one intriguing fit given Triston Casas’s own uncertain future and high upside, not to mention the rumblings that have connected Boston to Mets slugger Pete Alonso in free agency.

How do MLBTR readers think the Mets will approach Senga this offseason? Will they look to keep him in the fold, even as he approaches his mid-30s with no guarantees he’ll bounce back? Or could they look to move him this winter to bolster the roster in other areas and avoid that risk? Have your say in the poll below:

The Opener: Rockies, Silver Sluggers, Top 50 Chat

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On the heels of free agency’s quiet period coming to a close yesterday, here are three things for MLBTR readers to watch out for today:

1. Rockies get their man:

After a lengthy and tumultuous search for their next front office head, the Rockies went outside the box to land former Dodgers GM Paul DePodesta, who had spent the past decade working for the NFL’s Cleveland Browns. DePodesta’s first task now that he’s in place will be deciding what to do with the Rockies’ managerial chair. Warren Schaeffer served as interim manager after Bud Black was fired earlier this year, and now it will be up to DePodesta whether Schaeffer is retained or if he’ll search for his own managerial hire. Plenty of possible candidates remain available even after the recent round of hirings, including former MLB skippers like John Gibbons, David Ross, Brandon Hyde, and Don Mattingly.

2. Silver Sluggers announced:

In all of the hubbub surrounding yesterday’s offseason news and transactions, the NL’s Silver Slugger awards were quietly announced. Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman, Mets first baseman Pete Alonso, Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte, Padres third baseman Manny Machado, Diamondbacks shortstop Geraldo Perdomo, Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll, Mets outfielder Juan Soto, Cubs outfielder Kyle Tucker, and Dodgers DH Shohei Ohtani all took home the awards at their respective positions, while the award for a utility player went to Cardinals first baseman/outfielder Alec Burleson. The Dodgers, meanwhile, were named the NL’s team of the year. With the NL awards already announced, the AL’s awards are expected to be announced later today. Who will win these same awards in the junior circuit this year?

3. Live Chat On MLBTR’s Top 50 MLB Free Agents:

MLBTR released its Top 50 MLB Free Agents List, complete with contract projections as well as landing spot predictions. If you have any questions about those projections, then you’re in luck: MLBTR’s Tim Dierkes and Steve Adams will be available at 9am central time for a live chat with readers centered around this year’s Top 50. If you miss the live chat, a transcript will be available so you can read through the conversation after the fact. Also, don’t forget to enter the MLBTR Free Agent Prediction Contest, where you can make your own attempt to predict player landing spots in what is sure to be a busy and unpredictable offseason.

Blue Jays Announce Several Roster Moves

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The Blue Jays announced a series of roster moves this morning. Right-handers Nick Sandlin, Bowden Francis, Yimi Garcia, and Angel Bastardo were all activated from the 60-day injured list. Meanwhile, the Jays outrighted right-handers Dillon Tate, Robinson Pina, and Ryan Burr off their 40-man roster. Tate and Burr both elected free agency, while Pina will qualify for minor league free agency this evening as a player with seven years of experience. Additionally, Toronto has selected the contract of catcher Brandon Valenzuela.

Pina, 27 later this month, made his big league debut earlier this year as a member of the Marlins. His time in Miami lasted just one appearance, as he surrendered a solo home run but allowed no other traffic in his lone inning of work before being designated for assignment. Pina was traded to the Blue Jays just a couple of days later in exchange for minor league hurler Colby Martin, but once again made only one appearance for Toronto in 2025 with a 6.75 ERA in 1 1/3 innings of work. Despite his struggles in the majors in an extremely small sample, Pina did pitch to a respectable 3.58 ERA in 65 1/3 innings of work at Triple-A between his two organizations this year.

Tate, 31, spent most of the year at the Triple-A level. In 39.1 innings there, he pitched to a 2.06 ERA while getting ground balls at a 48.1% rate. He did walk 12.0% of opposing hitters though, and his 4.55 xFIP in the minors suggests that he benefited from good luck. Tate only made it into six big-league games for the Blue Jays in 2025, allowing three earned runs in 6 1/3 innings while striking out eight. His overall body of work is solid and includes a 3.05 ERA with just a 5.5% walk rate as recently as 2022 with the Orioles. He’ll get looks from other organizations as a depth piece.

Burr, 31, underwent season-ending surgery in July to repair a capsule injury in his right shoulder and was therefore seen as a non-tender candidate. He also missed time earlier in the year with shoulder inflammation, which led to him making just two appearances at the big-league level. In 32 2/3 innings for the Blue Jays in 2024, Burr had a middling 4.13 ERA but struck out 33.6% of hitters while walking 8.6% and posting strong peripherals. He’ll find opportunities elsewhere if and when he is recovered from his surgery.

Turning now to the IL activations, these are largely procedural moves. Teams place players on the 60-day IL during the regular season to free up a spot on the 40-man roster. However, they must be added back during the offseason. Sandlin had been out with right elbow inflammation since early July, while Francis went down in June with a right shoulder impingement. Garcia underwent season-ending elbow surgery in August and is expected to be ready for spring training. Bastardo missed the year while recovering from Tommy John surgery. All four are controlled through at least 2026.

As for Valenzuela, the 25-year-old catcher was rated as a top-30 prospect for the Padres in 2024 before being traded to Toronto this past July. He batted a roughly average .229/.313/.387 in 87 games at Double-A but struggled with Toronto’s Triple-A team, with just a 76 wRC+ and a 30.5% strikeout rate in 105 plate appearances. Toronto, of course, has Alejandro Kirk entrenched as their starting catcher, so Valenzuela is likely a depth option behind him and Tyler Heineman.

Valenzuela would have been eligible for minor league free agency as a seven-year minor leaguer if he weren’t added to the 40-man roster. Toronto evidently didn’t want to let him get away for nothing. He still has a full slate of minor league options and can spend the next few seasons in Triple-A, but he’s the clear #3 catcher on the depth chart at the moment.

Braves Decline Club Option On Tyler Kinley

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The Braves have declined their club option on right-hander Tyler Kinley, according to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Kinley will receive a $750K buyout and head into free agency rather than collecting a $5.5MM salary for the 2026 season.

The move to decline Kinley’s option is something of a surprise. The right-hander pitched to a 3.96 ERA with a 3.69 FIP in 72 2/3 innings of work overall in 2025, but those solid yet unspectacular overall results don’t tell the whole story. After being traded away from Coors Field to Atlanta at the trade deadline, Kinley flourished. He posted a microscopic 0.72 ERA in 25 innings of work, striking out 23.4% of his opponents with a 6.4% walk rate. That drop in free passes was especially notable given that he’s walked 11.1% of his opponents throughout parts of eight seasons in the majors, the majority of which came as a member of the Rockies.

Between Kinley’s big step forward in Atlanta, the club’s decision to trade for him at the trade deadline in an non-competitive year in the first place, and a bullpen that already stands to lose Raisel Iglesias in free agency this winter, the $4.75MM decision to keep Kinley in the fold seemed like an easy one for the Braves to pounce on. That’s not the path they’ve chosen, however, and Kinley will now head into free agency to become one of a vast pool of interesting middle relief arms available.

The decision to decline Kinley’s option could suggest some financial limitations facing Atlanta’s front office. Last winter saw the Braves kick off the year by shedding salary in some surprising ways, dumping Jorge Soler’s contract in a trade with the Angels and declining catcher Travis d’Arnaud’s club option while restructuring a number of contracts to provide more short-term financial flexibility. Those efforts allowed Atlanta to add Jurickson Profar to their outfield mix last year, and it’s not impossible to imagine the decision to decline Kinley coming from a desire to make sure that Atlanta has the resources available they’ll need to pursue their goals this winter. It seems likely the Braves will add at least one starter to their rotation, and they’ve made no secret of their desire to retain shortstop Ha-Seong Kim after they claimed him off waivers from Tampa back in September.

Checking those boxes on the offseason to-do list will come with significant price tags, but finding another quality relief arm for the Braves’ bullpen might be possible to do for less than the $4.75MM they’re saving by parting with Kinley. It’s not uncommon for teams to turn waiver pickups and minor league signings into stalwart bullpen pieces who wind up getting crucial outs in high leverage situations. The Dodgers uncovered a gem in that manner a few years ago when they brought Evan Phillips into the fold, while teams like the Cubs, Rays, and Brewers typically construct nearly their entire bullpen using this method. That strategy has not been one the Braves have employed in the past, instead happily investing significant dollars into contracts for players like Iglesias, Joe Jimenez, Pierce Johnson and Aaron Bummer. After a disappointing 2025 season that wound up being the worst of Alex Anthopoulos’s tenure in the organization, however, it’s worth wondering if the decision to part with Kinley could suggest a change in approach.

Don Mattingly Will Not Return As Blue Jays’ Bench Coach In 2026

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10:37am: The Phillies have discussed the possibility of hiring Mattingly to serve as bench coach under manager Rob Thomson, according to a report from Jim Salisbury of PHLY Sports.

10:19am: Don Mattingly is leaving the Blue Jays following their heartbreaking loss to the Dodgers in Game 7 of the World Series last week. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that Mattingly won’t return to the Jays organization in 2026 after serving as their bench coach for the past three seasons. Notably, Heyman adds that Mattingly is not leaving the Jays with the intention of retiring from baseball and would be open to “the right job” if the opportunity presents itself.

That could include a managerial gig, which would be the third of Mattingly’s career. The 2020 NL Manager of the Year has 11 years of managerial experience between his time with the Dodgers and Marlins. He’s made the postseason four times as a manager and has a career 889-950 record in the dugout. The Padres have yet to settle on their next manager after Mike Shildt stepped down last month, and the Rockies have left interim manager Warren Schaeffer’s fate undecided while they focus on a search for the next leader of their front office.

That leaves two plausible places where Mattingly could land as a skipper this winter, though it’s unclear if either team actually has interest in him for the role. San Diego has reportedly already settled on a group of finalists and could be nearing a decision, while the Rockies’ preferences in the dugout won’t be known until there’s a new head of baseball operations who can be tasked with making that decision.

Even as Heyman specifically notes Mattingly would have interest in managing, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s the only job that would hold appeal to the longtime veteran of the game. In addition to his lengthy career as a coach, Mattingly also has 14 years in the majors (including an MVP award in 1985) with the Yankees as a player. Mattingly’s resume and decades of baseball experience should make him someone who would be a valuable addition to almost any club in one role or another.

While Mattingly is currently seeking his next job in the game, this winter could prove to be a busy one for him. The 64-year-old is one of eight players who is on this year’s Hall of Fame Era Committee ballot. If at least 12 out of 16 panelists give Mattingly the nod, he’ll enter Cooperstown next summer. The results of that vote will be announced just over a month from now on December 7.

As for the Blue Jays, manager John Schneider will need to find a new bench coach for the 2026 season. That’s assuming that Schneider himself is returning to the Jays next year. He, like Mattingly, is on an expiring contract this winter. There’s little reason to expect that Schneider wouldn’t return to the Jays after their phenomenal 2025 campaign, however. Clarity on the specifics of the Jays’ coaching staff and any other changes that will be made aside from Mattingly’s departure could come later today, as team president Mark Shapiro and GM Ross Atkins are set to make themselves available to the media for an end-of-season presser later today.

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