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The Opener: Doubleheaders, Mets, Twins

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

1. Doubleheaders in the Midwest:

A trio of games got canceled due to inclement weather yesterday, and while the Cubs/Brewers matchup was rescheduled for a date in August, the other two contests are set to be made up as part of doubleheaders today. The Pirates and Tigers will make up their missed game as part of a split doubleheader that will feature Tarik Skubal in Game 1 (opposite Andrew Heaney) and Paul Skenes in Game 2 (opposite an unannounced Tigers starter). As noted by Jason Beck of MLB.com, tickets for yesterday’s game (which would have featured Skubal) will be valid for Game 2 (which will feature Skenes). Meanwhile, tickets for today’s regularly scheduled game will be valid for Game 1. Fans who had tickets for yesterday’s game and are unable to attend Game 2 can exchange their tickets for another game of equal value this season.

Meanwhile, the Cardinals and White Sox had their game in Chicago canceled last night. It’ll be made up as part of a single-admission doubleheader that will feature former White Sox righty Erick Fedde on the mound for St. Louis against Sox youngster Sean Burke. Rule 5 Pick Mike Vasil will start Game 2 for Chicago opposite Cardinals prospect Michael McGreevy. According to Scott Merkin of MLB.com, fans with tickets to yesterday’s game will receive a credit to their account while fans with tickets to today’s game will be welcome to watch both games this afternoon.

2. Mets lose six in a row:

The Mets have fallen into a funk lately, losing six straight contests. The club now sits half a game behind the Dodgers and Cubs in the standings, meaning that if the season ended today they’d fail to secure a bye through the Wild Card round of the playoffs. Even more concerning is the fact that the Phillies are hot on their heels in the NL East race, lurking just one game behind New York in the standings.

The Mets will look to turn things around during tonight’s game, where they’ll face Braves righty Spencer Strider. Strider’s sporting an uncharacteristic 4.35 ERA through six starts this year, though he looked more like his typical Cy Young-caliber self last time out when he punched out 13 Rockies across six scoreless frames. The Mets will send Clay Holmes (2.87 ERA) to the mound for his 15th start of the season to counter Strider.

3. Twins slip out of playoff position amid skid:

Meanwhile in the AL, the Twins are in the midst of their own six-game losing streak. Minnesota was holding onto the second of three AL Wild Card spots just last week, but this recent skid has knocked them out of the playoff picture entirely. They now sit 1.5 games out of a playoff spot with a lackluster 36-37 record. They’re set to face off against the Reds in Cincinnati this afternoon, when right-hander Chris Paddack will attempt to turn things around for Minnesota. Paddack has a pedestrian 4.30 ERA in 14 starts this year and allowed eight runs to score in four innings against the Astros last time out, though only one of those runs was earned. He’ll face veteran hurler Nick Martinez (3.92 ERA) in today’s contest.

Dodgers Reinstate Emmet Sheehan

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June 18: Sheehan has now been officially reinstated. The 40-man roster had a vacancy but is now full. Sauer was optioned as the corresponding active roster move.

June 14: The Dodgers are planning to activate right-hander Emmet Sheehan from the 60-day injured list this week, according to a report from The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya. He’ll join the big league rotation upon being activated, though Ardaya notes that the Dodgers won’t decide exactly when to activate him until after Sheehan throws his next bullpen session. Sheehan will require a 40-man roster spot once activated, so a corresponding 40-man move will be required if the Dodgers’ roster is full at that point.

Regardless of the exact timing of Sheehan’s return, getting him back figures to be a huge boost for a Dodgers rotation that recently had to move right-hander Ben Casparius onto a starter’s schedule after months of excellent numbers in relief due to a lack of viable alternatives. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Dustin May, and Clayton Kershaw are the only other healthy regular starters L.A. has rostered at the moment, with depth options like Justin Wrobleski, Bobby Miller, and Landon Knack having more or less disqualified themselves with their significant struggles when called upon for spot starts. Sheehan is a more proven commodity than those options, with 11 big league starts to his name after debuting with the Dodgers last year.

While Sheehan seems a bit safer to give the ball to than the club’s other depth options, that shouldn’t be taken to mean this is a riskless move. After all, Sheehan has a career 5.23 ERA out of the rotation in the majors and has not pitched in the big leagues since 2023 after undergoing Tommy John surgery. He looked better than that in his most recent outings, however, with a 3.68 ERA and 4.35 FIP across 22 frames in September. Sheehan seemed likely to be firmly in the Dodgers’ rotation mix for last year despite his uneven performance, but he went under the knife almost exactly 13 months ago to the day and hasn’t pitched at the big league level since.

The right-hander has made four rehab starts this year, with a 3.97 ERA in 11 1/3 innings of work during that time. That overall line doesn’t do Sheehan’s performance in those four outings justice; he’s struck out 44.7% of his opponents while rehabbing and limited opposing batters to just one walk. That’s come against minor league hitters, of course, and the jump from minor league opponents to the big leagues is larger than ever these days. Even so, it’s an undeniably encouraging sign that he’s been able to punch out that many hitters even as he’s rebuilding to a starter’s workload.

Once activated, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Dodgers ease Sheehan into the starting rotation. He’s only built up to 63 pitches so far, which could make him a prime candidate to either be used alongside an opener or perhaps piggyback with another pitcher like Wrobleski or Matt Sauer. In any case, adding another arm to a fraught Dodgers rotation that seems unlikely to get further reinforcements before Shohei Ohtani’s return to pitching sometime next month has to be a significant relief for the entire pitching staff.

Poll: Who’s The Best Pure Hitter In This Winter’s Free Agent Class?

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In the context of free agency, MLB players are typically graded on their overall long-term value and earning power. MLBTR’s annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list is typically topped by all-around star talents who are in the midst of their prime years. Juan Soto, Shohei Ohtani, and Aaron Judge are outliers even among top-of-the-line free agents, but previous years saw well-rounded hitters still in their prime with substantial defensive value like Carlos Correa, J.T. Realmuto, and Anthony Rendon viewed as the top hitters available in free agency.

With all respect to Realmuto, however, even his best years haven’t seen him offer the kind of offensive firepower that someone like Nelson Cruz could offer within that very same free agent class. If a team was looking specifically for a impactful addition to the lineup, they might not necessarily be drawn to the top free agent position player. This winter, there’s little question about who the top free agent position player will be in terms of overall value and earning power. With that said, there’s a number of extremely impactful hitters who figure to be available. Who’s the best choice to transform a lineup? A look at some of the options:

Kyle Tucker

Ever since the Blue Jays signed Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a massive extension shortly after Opening Day, there’s been virtually no debate who free agency’s top overall player would be this winter. Kyle Tucker spent years as a key cog in the Astros’ dynasty, and is one of the most impressive overall talents in the game at the moment. This ranking isn’t about earning power or even overall value, but Tucker remains one of the top players in the sport even when strictly looking at offensive production. Looking at his time in Chicago this year, the star outfielder has slashed .284/.394/.515 (153 wRC+) with more walks than strikeouts, 13 homers, and 18 steals across 72 games for a first-place Cubs team this year.

That’s a phenomenal performance, but Tucker has also been remarkably consistent throughout his career. Since his first full 162-game season in 2021, Tucker’s a 146 wRC+ hitter whose strikeout rate has always been below 16%. His walk rate has never fallen below 9%, and that combination of patience and contact ability is unmatched. Among the hitters with the 30 lowest strikeout rates in the sport, Tucker walks the most. Among the hitters with the 30 highest walk rates in the sport, Tucker strikes out the least. He’s the only player within the top 30 of both categories over the past five years, and he’s combined that with the power to hit 30 homers and the speed to steal 30 bases.

Pete Alonso

After finding an extremely soft market in free agency last year, Alonso returned to the Mets on a two-year deal that affords him the opportunity to opt out after the 2025 season. That opt-out opportunity seems certain to be exercised at this point, as Alonso has taken his game to the next level for his age-30 campaign. In 69 games this year, Alonso has slashed an incredible .293/.390/.570 (169 wRC+) in 72 games. In addition to his 17 home runs so far this year, Alonso’s floating a career-high 11.0% walk rate with his lowest strikeout rate (21.1%) since 2022 while swatting an NL-best 22 doubles.

Perhaps most exciting of all is that there’s some reason to believe he’s been even better than those numbers indicate. His 20.9% barrel rate is nothing short of absurd, his xwOBA is actually more than twenty points higher than his wOBA, and that .434 xwOBA is behind only Judge and Ohtani in the majors. He remains a limited defender who doesn’t excel at first base and will be returning to free agency at age 31, but none of that stops him from being one of the most dangerous hitters in the sport who would improve virtually any lineup.

Alex Bregman

Another star player who wound up signing a short-term deal this winter, Bregman took off early with the Red Sox and slashed .299/.385/.553 (158 wRC+) across 51 games while playing quality defense at third base. It was a hot enough start to raise the question of whether he’d consider opting out of the two years and $80MM remaining on his deal with the Red Sox this winter. That’s certainly still possible, but a “significant” quad strain has now sidelined him for the foreseeable future. A lengthy injury layoff could make Bregman hesitate to leave that much guaranteed money on the table, and this weekend’s blockbuster trade that sent Rafael Devers from the Red Sox to the Giants could leave Boston brass eager to keep their other star third baseman in the fold long-term.

Setting aside the possibility Bregman doesn’t even end up returning to the open market, it’s also worth noting that his underlying numbers aren’t as strong as his actual production so far this year. Bregman’s .331 BABIP this season is nearly fifty points higher than his career mark and with his strikeout rate the highest it’s been since 2018, it’s hard to imagine him maintaining his .385 on-base percentage long-term. Even so, Bregman’s looked rejuvenated in Boston after a down year during his final season in Houston. If he manages to return from injury looking strong, he’ll have put himself firmly in the conversation.

Kyle Schwarber

It’s been quite a while since Schwarber was available to teams in free agency, as what was at the time a career year in 2022 with the Nationals and Red Sox allowed him to land a four-year deal with the Phillies. Weak defense has pushed him into a full-time DH role over the years, but Schwarber’s bat has been everything Philadelphia could’ve hoped for when signing him. He’s slashed .224/.349/.494 (131 wRC+) with 153 homers in 538 games as a Phillie while walking at a 15.4% clip. That’s excellent offensive production, but what makes Schwarber truly stand out is the phenomenal walk year he’s in the midst of.

Through 71 games, 2025 has been the best season of Schwarber’s career by virtually every metric. He’s slashing .247/.379/.544 with a wRC+ of 155, his 16.2% walk rate is the fourth-highest figure in the majors this year, and he’s even cut his typically-high strikeout rate to a more manageable 26.1%, his lowest since 2019. He’s swatted 22 homers in 314 plate appearances as well, with a .297 ISO that trails only Judge, Ohtani, Cal Raleigh, and Corbin Carroll among qualified hitters this season. While he’ll be 33 next year, expected stats give no indication he’s at risk of dropping off, as his xwOBA has been almost 30 points higher than his actual wOBA this year.

Other Candidates

While Tucker, Alonso, Bregman, and Schwarber stand as the most likely candidates to enter free agency as the best hitter available, they’re far from the only possibilities. Paul Goldschmidt is a future Hall of Famer in the midst of a resurgent season at the plate, but he’ll be 38 next year and at risk of the sort of abrupt decline many hitters in their mid-to-late 30s face. Marcell Ozuna’s 145 wRC+ since the start of the 2023 season is the 11th-highest figure in all of baseball, but he’ll turn 35 this November and his power output has already dropped off considerably this year. Ryan O’Hearn has put up brilliant numbers for the Orioles this year with a 152 wRC+, but hasn’t shown an ability to hit lefties to this point in his career and lacks the track record of many of these other players.

Who do MLBTR readers think will be the most impactful pure hitter available in free agency this winter? Have your say in the poll below:

Who's The Best Pure Hitter In This Winter's Free Agent Class?
Kyle Tucker 72.97% (3,560 votes)
Kyle Schwarber 9.33% (455 votes)
Pete Alonso 8.87% (433 votes)
Alex Bregman 6.68% (326 votes)
Other (Specify In Comments) 2.15% (105 votes)
Total Votes: 4,879

The Opener: Yankees, Nationals, Verlander, Sheehan

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

1. Yankees offense goes cold:

It’s been a tough few days in the Bronx, as the Yankees have lost five straight after getting swept by the Red Sox over the weekend. The culprit of this recent dry spell is clearly the offense, as New York has been shut out in each of its last three games with 29 consecutive scoreless innings. Virtually the entire team has been cold; Jazz Chisholm Jr. is the only player with more than three hits during this five-game stretch, and even superstar Aaron Judge has gone just 2-for-21 with 12 strikeouts. They’ll need to stop the bleeding soon, as they’ve fallen to just 2.5 games up on the Rays for control of the AL East, the team’s smallest lead in the division since May 11. They’ll try to break out of this offensive malaise later today against Angels youngster Jack Kochanowicz, who has  a 5.53 ERA in 14 starts this year.

2. Nationals lose ten straight:

While the Yankees may be the contender struggling the most right now, they’re far from the team in the most difficult spot at the moment. The Nationals weren’t far from contention at the beginning of June but are currently in the midst of a ten-game skid that’s dropped their record to 30-43. They’ve been buried 15 games behind the Mets in the NL East, and even a Wild Card spot is falling out of reach as they sit 9.5 games back. If there’s a silver lining for the Nats, it’s that the Rockies are in town and they’ll get the opportunity to snap this streak today when right-hander German Marquez and his 6.62 ERA in 14 starts this year take the mound. Marquez has endured an extremely difficult season but is entering today after tossing one of his best starts of the year against Atlanta last time out. He struck out seven Braves across five-innings of one-run ball in that showing.

3. Verlander to return:

Future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander hasn’t pitched in a month due to a strained pectoral muscle that sent him to the injured list. The 42-year-old righty is scheduled to be activated from the shelf and take the mound for the Giants at 6:45pm local time. Verlander’s on the 15-day injured list, so a corresponding move will only be necessary to clear an active roster spot for the veteran. His opponent today will be a Guardians club with plenty to play for, as they currently sit just half a game out of an AL Wild Card spot. Southpaw Logan Allen will be on the mound for Cleveland and sports a 4.28 ERA across 13 outings this year.

4. Sheehan back from Tommy John surgery:

Elsewhere in the NL West, the Dodgers are set to welcome an arm of some note back to their staff. Righty Emmet Sheehan, out since May 2024 due to Tommy John surgery, is listed as tonight’s probable starter for Los Angeles. He’ll need to be reinstated from the 60-day injured list, but L.A. has an open spot on the 40-man roster, so only a corresponding active roster move will be required. Now 25 years old, Sheehan ranked as one of the system’s top pitching prospects before making his debut in 2023, when he pitched 60 1/3 frames with a 4.92 ERA, 25.8% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate. He posted a 2.43 ERA with an outrageous 41% strikeout rate in a similar sample of minor league work that season, and he’s tossed 11 1/3 innings with a 44.7% strikeout rate on his current rehab stint. Sheehan isn’t fully stretched out yet, but he climbed to 63 pitches in his final rehab outing and is expected to join the Dodgers’ rotation.

The Opener: Devers, Stott, MLBTR Chat

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

1. Devers presser, Giants debut:

The stunning trade that shipped longtime Red Sox star Rafael Devers to San Francisco over the weekend has been the talk of baseball since it happened. Yesterday, Boston officials discussed the deal and what it means for the club going forward amid reactions from media and members of the organization alike. Today we figure to see the other side of the deal for the first time, as the Giants are expected to conduct an introductory press conference for Devers before the slugger makes his team debut versus the visiting Guardians in a game set for 6:45pm local time. One question that remains up in the air is where Devers will play for San Francisco in the short term. While it seems likely that he’s ticketed for work as a DH over the long-term, it’s possible he could be called upon to fill in at third base while Matt Chapman recovers from a hand sprain that’s expected to keep him out of action for quite some time.

2. Stott day-to-day:

Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott was replaced late in yesterday’s game by Edmundo Sosa, and manager Rob Thomson revealed to reporters (including Lochlahn March of the Philadelphia Inquirer) that Stott hyperextended his elbow on a swing. The 27-year-old was set to get examined by team medical staff, but Thomson acknowledged his second baseman might get at least today’s game against the Marlins off. Stott dealt with a nerve injury in his elbow throughout the 2024 season, and while Thomson suggested it wasn’t clear if there’s a connection between that old issue and his current ailment,  it’s certainly understandable to be cautious. Stott is in the midst of a down season at the plate, hitting just .236/.300/.329 across 66 games. Sosa figures to handle second base for any time that Stott is away from the field.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

With about six weeks to go until the July 31 trade deadline, the first big trade of the summer already happened over the weekend. While it will be difficult for another in-season blockbuster to top the Devers deal, a handful of smaller deals have started to come together around the league as well. Whether you’re looking ahead to the deadline or still trying to sort between the contenders and pretenders, MLBTR’s Steve Adams has you covered in a live chat scheduled for 1pm CT today. You can click here to ask a question in advance, join in live once the chat begins, or read the transcript once the chat is complete.

Braves Activate Stuart Fairchild, DFA Jose Azocar

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The Braves announced this morning that they’ve activated outfielder Stuart Fairchild from the injured list. Outfielder Jose Azocar was designated for assignment to make room for Fairchild on the active roster. They also activated infielder Nacho Alvarez from the 60-day injured list and optioned him to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Azocar, 29, departs Atlanta after getting into just two games and making a single plate appearance during his time with the club. Azocar made his big league debut with the Padres back in 2022 and appeared in 214 games at the big league level over the 2022-24 seasons, slashing .243/.287/.322 (74 wRC+) in 397 plate appearances along the way. That lackluster offensive production wasn’t enough to earn him a regular role on the club even in spite of his strong work with the glove in center field, where he accumulated +5 Outs Above Average during his time in San Diego. He’s performed better at the Triple-A level with a career .286/.322/.434 line in parts of five seasons spent at the level, but the outfielder’s speed and defense first profile ultimately made him expendable when San Diego faced a roster crunch late last year.

He was designated for assignment in September, but found himself claimed off waivers by the Mets shortly thereafter. He managed to stick on New York’s 40-man roster all throughout the offseason, but failed to make the Opening Day roster out of Spring Training and was designated for assignment shortly before the season began. He was assigned outright to the minors after clearing waivers, and found himself selected back onto the roster in mid-April after the club lost Jose Siri to the injured list. Azocar stuck on the club’s roster for six weeks but received just 20 total plate appearances across 12 games while being utilized primarily as a defensive replacement.

He hit a respectable enough .278/.350/.278 (88 wRC+) in that limited playing time but was designated for assignment in late May to make room for Jared Young on New York’s active roster. He cleared waivers once again and elected free agency before being scooped up by Atlanta almost immediately. The Braves will now have one week to either work out a trade involving Azocar or attempt to pass him through waivers. Should he go unclaimed, he’ll be able to either accept an outright assignment to the minors or elect free agency.

Azocar’s departure makes room for the return of Fairchild, who was placed on the shelf with a dislocated pinkie finger the same day Atlanta signed Azocar. Fairchild bounced between the Diamondbacks, Mariners, and Giants for a few years before settling with the Reds in 2022. He spent parts of three seasons with Cincinnati and was traded to Atlanta after he didn’t make the cut for the Reds’ Opening Day roster. Fairchild hasn’t hit much for the Braves this year with a .182/.250/.273 line in 36 plate appearances but is a career .247/.345/.407 hitter against lefties, which should make him a solid platoon partner for Alex Verdugo in left field going forward.

The Opener: Devers, Ohtani, Gilbert

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Following a busy Father’s Day weekend around baseball, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on throughout the day:

1. Devers trade fallout:

The biggest news of the weekend was the shocking blockbuster trade that sent longtime Red Sox star Rafael Devers to the Giants in exchange for a four-player package that included right-hander Jordan Hicks and southpaw Kyle Harrison. The Giants are off today, so fans won’t get a glimpse of Devers in his new uniform quite yet, but there’s still plenty of fallout to be examined today. The Red Sox will need to fill out their active roster and pencil a new player into the DH slot in the lineup this evening, and the club told reporters (including Chris Cotillo of MassLive) that chief baseball office Craig Breslow and team president Sam Kennedy will discuss the trade in a Zoom call today.

2. Ohtani to make Dodgers pitching debut:

While San Francisco was adding a star slugger to its roster, their rivals in Los Angeles were preparing for their own superstar’s return to his two-way routine. Shohei Ohtani is set to make his Dodgers pitching debut at 7:10pm local time this evening in L.A. when the Padres come to town a kick off a four-game set with right-hander Dylan Cease (4.28 ERA) on the mound. For Ohtani, it will be his first time on a major league mound since August of 2023, when he was still a member of the Angels. He’s likely to pitch just one inning in today’s outing before being relieved by previously scheduled starter Ben Casparius, but that abbreviated outing seems unlikely to dampen the excitement of fans around the game who have waited nearly two years to see Ohtani resume pitching in big league games.

3. Gilbert to be activated:

The current iteration of the Mariners have long been associated with their elite rotation, but that hasn’t been the case this year. Injuries and ineffectiveness have left them to get an uncharacteristic 4.09 ERA out of their starters, good for just 20th in baseball. Fortunately, there’s help on the way. Manager Dan Wilson told reporters (including Dean Kramer of MLB.com) that right-hander Logan Gilbert is set to return from the injured list today for this evening’s game against the Red Sox. Gilbert pitched brilliantly through six starts earlier this season but has been shelved since late April due to a flexor strain in his right elbow. Fortunately, Gilbert is now set to return to the Mariners just six weeks afterwards. He’ll carry a 2.37 ERA and 2.15 FIP across 30 1/3 innings this year into today’s start opposite Lucas Giolito, who has scuffled to a 5.45 ERA in eight starts.

Giants Acquire Rafael Devers

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In a shocking mid-June blockbuster, the Giants have acquired star slugger Rafael Devers from the Red Sox in exchange for right-hander Jordan Hicks, left-hander Kyle Harrison, outfield/first base prospect James Tibbs and right-handed pitching prospect Jose Bello. The teams subsequently announced the trade, and the Red Sox optioned Harrison to Triple-A Worcester. The Giants will absorb the remainder of Devers’s contract in its entirety as part of the deal.

It’s a stunning move that will have massive implications for both franchises as they both pursue their first playoff appearances since 2021 this year. The Red Sox, 37-36 after sweeping the division-leading Yankees this weekend, part with a player they signed to be the next face of their franchise just two years ago. The relationship between the two sides broke down quite publicly over the past few months, however. Devers has long made clear that he wants to play third base on a regular basis, but the Red Sox clearly had other plans this offseason as they sought to add a big right-handed bat to their lineup. After discussing a deal that would’ve sent Nolan Arenado to Boston with the Cardinals earlier in the winter, they ultimately pivoted and signed Alex Bregman to a three-year, $120MM pact that affords him the opportunity to opt out following the 2025 and ’26 seasons.

That proved to be the end of Devers’ time at third base, and though he initially resisted the move he eventually took up his new role as Boston’s regular DH. That seemed to settle the controversy at first despite reports that indicated Devers considered asking for a trade after the Bregman deal, but tensions erupted once again when Triston Casas was sidelined by knee surgery that will likely end his 2025 season. At that time, Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow asked Devers to move to first base to cover for the loss of Casas, a move that would have opened up DH at-bats for another player such as top prospect Roman Anthony. Devers refused and expressed frustration with team leadership for asking him to move to an unfamiliar position in the middle of the season, ultimately leading to a private meeting between Devers, manager Alex Cora, and club owner John Henry last month.

Since then, neither Devers nor Red Sox brass have spoken to the media about the situation beyond to affirm that Devers would remain the club’s DH going forward. That’s remained the case even in the weeks since Bregman went down with a significant quad strain that figures to sideline him until late July at the earliest. The discord between the sides over the past few months surely served as a catalyst for today’s shocking blockbuster from Boston’s perspective. Although Chris Cotillo of MassLive reports that Devers did not ultimately request a trade, Jon Heyman of the New York Post writes that the slugger is said by friends to be pleased with the change of scenery. For a club that’s under-performing expectations this year but remains on the periphery of the AL Wild Card race, moving on from a star player who was clearly unhappy could serve to improve morale going forward.

Of course, there are plenty of on-the-field justifications for making this trade as well. Boston is in dire need of pitching help, and the additions of Harrison and Hicks will go a long way to patching those holes. The two hurlers have pitched both out of the rotation and in relief this year as dictated by the needs of San Francisco, so it’s not entirely clear which roles they will take up now that they’re headed to Boston. Harrison, 24 in August, projects as a starter long-term and has a 4.91 ERA with a 4.22 FIP across four starts in the majors this year. Hicks, meanwhile, spent most of his career as a reliever in St. Louis before signing with the Giants as a starter in free agency. His time with the Giants has been fairly mixed as he’s bounced between the rotation and bullpen, and this year he has a 6.47 ERA across 48 2/3 innings of work despite fantastic peripherals including a 3.59 FIP.

Regardless of what roles those arms end up playing for the Red Sox, it could be a considerable boost to a Boston pitching staff that has struggled to find much stability outside of southpaws Garrett Crochet and Aroldis Chapman this year. Hicks could fill the role of right-handed, late-inning complement to Chapman that the Red Sox were rumored to be seeking over the winter before settling for a combination of Liam Hendriks and Justin Slaten (both of whom are presently on the injured list) to support Chapman. Harrison, meanwhile, is headed to Triple-A in the short-term but is a high-upside depth option who Boston could turn to if anyone in their current rotation mix gets injured or begins to struggle.

While neither is likely to help the Red Sox in 2025, the value of the two prospects in the deal cannot be ignored either. Tibbs, 22, was San Francisco’s first-round pick in last year’s draft and has looked excellent at the High-A level this year with a .245/.377/.480 slash line that features nearly as many walks as strikeouts. Ranked as San Francisco’s #4 prospect prior to the trade according to MLB Pipeline, Tibbs has above-average hit and power tools and was lauded for his swing decisions at Florida State, where he slashed a comical .363/.488/.777 in 66 games last year. As for Bello, the 20-year-old is unranked at MLB Pipeline after making just one stateside appearance last year but signed with the Giants out of the Dominican Republic prior to the 2023 season and has struck out an eye-popping 41.8% of his opponents across 18 innings in rookie ball this year. The pair should be a major infusion of high-upside talent for a system that has been depleted over the past few months by the Crochet trade and the graduations of Anthony, Kristian Campbell, and Marcelo Mayer to the big leagues.

For the Giants, acquiring Devers is a franchise-altering decision that doubles as a major vote of confidence in a 41-30 ballclub that has exceeded all preseason expectations to this point. A career .279/.349/.509 hitter who’s still just 28 years old, Devers is an elite hitter who’s still in his prime. This year’s move to a full-time DH may even be bringing out the best in the slugger, as he’s posting a career best 145 wRC+ so far despite a deep slump earlier in the season after spending most of Spring Training working his way back from a shoulder injury. Since May 1, Devers has posted an even better 170 wRC+. That makes him the eighth-best hitter in the entire sport since that date, and it goes without saying that sort of offensive production could be transformational for a San Francisco team that ranks 20th in the majors this year with a 95 wRC+.

Adding a bat of that caliber to a somewhat middling offense is virtually a no-brainer for San Francisco, particularly when the acquisition cost is a pair of prospects still far from the majors and two pitchers who have posted below-average results this year. Harrison and Hicks, valuable as they could be in the future, were ultimately luxury items for a Giants pitching staff that currently ranks as the third-best in baseball by ERA and should receive reinforcements in the relatively near future when Justin Verlander returns from the injured list. Arguably, the most substantial cost of the trade from San Francisco’s perspective is the financial burden they’re assuming in the deal. Cot’s Baseball Contracts notes that Devers is due to a $2MM assignment bonus from the Giants, though that’s obviously a drop in the bucket compared to the roughly $250MM the 28-year-old is owed across the eight-and-a-half years remaining on his contract, which is set to expire following the 2033 season. A portion of that money is deferred beyond the lifetime of the contract, but it’s still a massive financial burden for the Giants to take on going forward.

That financial outlay will leave plenty of pressure on Devers’s bat to remain among the best in the league going forward, particularly given that he’s unlikely to return to his old stomping grounds of third base in the long-term. Incumbent third baseman Matt Chapman is currently on the injured list due to a sprained right hand that’s expected to sideline him for at least a few weeks, but as one of the sport’s best defenders at the hot corner it’s difficult to see Devers getting any more than occasional time at his longtime position once Chapman is back in the lineup. First base is relatively open for the time being, but between Devers’s known reluctance to learn the position on the fly and the looming presence of top prospect Bryce Eldridge at Triple-A it’s hard to see him making a home for himself at that position in San Francisco, either.

Even if Devers seems ticketed to spend the next eight-plus years as a pricey DH for the Giants, it’s difficult to criticize the move from San Francisco’s perspective. After all, the organization’s difficulties wooing offensive talents are well-documented. Failed attempts to court players like Giancarlo Stanton, Bryce Harper, Carlos Correa, and Aaron Judge to the city over the past decade have created a reputation surrounding the club that they struggle to attract top offensive talents, and while recent deals for Chapman and Willy Adames have helped to put that narrative to bed somewhat it’s still understandable that president of baseball operations Buster Posey would turn to the trade market to land a middle-of-the-order force rather than pursue a top free agent and risk coming up empty. That’s especially true given that Devers’s contract looks fairly reasonable compared to some more recent deals, even for a player with limited defensive value. Setting aside Juan Soto’s $765MM megadeal with the Mets from this past winter, even Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s 14-year, $500MM contract extension with the Blue Jays earlier this season makes Devers’s deal look like a steal by comparison.

With Devers presumably settling into a DH role for the Giants, that leaves some combination of Wilmer Flores, Dominic Smith, and Jerar Encarnacion to handle first base for San Francisco going forward. Flores had been acting as the club’s everyday DH this year with Smith and Encarnacion in a platoon at first base, but Flores has plenty of experience at first himself and the Giants are unlikely to be interested in dropping his 112 wRC+ bat from their lineup. As for the Red Sox, it’s unclear how they will replace Devers in their lineup in the short-term. The eventual return of Wilyer Abreu from an oblique strain should allow them to move Anthony to DH in Devers’s place, but it’s at least theoretically possible the club could turn to Masataka Yoshida to fill the short-term gap. Yoshida has spent the entire season on the injured list as he recovers from shoulder surgery that has not impacted his ability to hit but has left him unable to throw. That made him a tough fit for a Red Sox lineup that had Devers entrenched at DH, but perhaps the star’s departure could open the door for Yoshida to return earlier than previously expected.

Robert Murray of FanSided first reported that Devers had been traded to San Francisco, as well as the inclusion of Hicks and Harrison in the deal. Julian McWilliams of CBS Sports reported that two minor leaguers would be headed to Boston alongside Hicks and Harrsion, as well as that the Giants would take on Devers’s contract. Murray later identified those as Tibbs and Bello. Hunter Noll of Beyond The Monster first reported that Harrison was being optioned to Triple-A.

Shohei Ohtani To Make Dodgers Pitching Debut On Monday

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Dodgers fans have been waiting for more than a year to see Shohei Ohtani pitch in a major league game in for the club, and that wait might finally be over. Manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including Dylan Hernandez of The Los Angeles Times) that Ohtani will “most likely” make his pitching debut during the Dodgers’ series against the Padres this week. Shortly thereafter, the Dodgers announced that their two-way superstar will start against San Diego in tomorrow night’s game.

It’s a long-awaited return that’s coming much earlier than expected. While offseason expectations placed Ohtani’s return to the mound from his September 2023 elbow surgery at some point in May, but those hopes were squashed when his pitching rehab was paused in late February. Ohtani resumed ramping up shortly after Opening Day, but the star’s timetable for return has been kept extremely vague by Dodgers officials ever since. For most of the season, Ohtani’s return to pitching had been anticipated at some point in the second half, though earlier this week Roberts hinted at the possibility that Ohtani could return at some point before the All-Star break.

Still, Ohtani’s timeline having been bumped up to tomorrow night puts him back on a big league mound a month earlier than even the most generous of expectations. The narrative surrounding Ohtani’s return to pitching shifted rapidly throughout the day today, with Roberts telling reporters (including Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic) earlier this afternoon that the plan was for Ohtani to face hitters early this week before “potentially” making his return to the big league pitching staff. Last night, Ohtani himself was vaguely alluding to the possibility that he could return earlier than anticipated, as Ardaya notes that he playfully asked, “What do you think?” when asked if he’ll return to the mound before the All-Star break before acknowledging that “something like that” was on the table.

After today’s win over the Giants, Roberts retracted his previous comments about Ohtani facing live hitters this week and noted that he would likely pitch as an opener at some point during this week’s series against San Diego, and that timeline was pushed up further by the organization’s announcement that he will be on the mound opposite Dylan Cease tomorrow evening. Despite the seemingly rapid and somewhat haphazard way the decision to start Ohtani tomorrow night came together, it seems clear the organization feels he’s ready to pitch in games. His latest session on the mound last week, which lasted three simulated innings and 44 pitches, drew rave reviews from Dodgers brass. Pitching coach Mark Prior told reporters (including Ardaya) that “he was doing whatever he wanted with the baseball, with every pitch he wanted to” during Tuesday’s session.

It should be noted that expectations must be tempered for Ohtani’s start tomorrow night. He’s starting the game as an opener, and there’s no expectation that he’ll be able to pitch especially deep into the game. As Roberts told reporters (including ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez) this evening, at least Ohtani’s first few appearances seem likely to be closer to rehab appearances than full starts. It’s long been known that Ohtani wouldn’t have a traditional rehab opportunity due to his importance for the Dodgers as their regular DH, and Roberts indicated this evening that cooling off after a simulated game and then heating back up to hit in that evening’s Dodgers game was actually more taxing for him than it would’ve been to pitch and hit in the same game. That combined with the fact that Ohtani won’t count against the club’s 13-pitcher roster limit and the superstar’s own desire to start pitching in big league games was enough to convince the organization to let him start tomorrow night’s game.

Even if it should be viewed more through the lens of a rehab outing rather than a traditional start, Ohtani’s return to the mound will be a boost for a beleaguered Dodgers pitching staff. Right-hander Ben Casparius was previously scheduled to start tomorrow night’s game for Los Angeles, but threw just 54 pitches in his last outing and was sure to tax the club’s bullpen at least somewhat when used as a starter. With Ohtani likely to handle the first inning or two of the game, perhaps he and Casparius can combine to offer the Dodgers the same amount of length that a more traditional starter could be penciled in for. That should be very helpful for a relief corps that’s likely to be taxed by a bullpen game on Tuesday followed by what figures to be an abbreviated start from right-hander Emmet Sheehan in his first appearance following his expected activation from the injured list later this week.

It’s unclear exactly when Ohtani is expected to be built up enough to serve as a full-fledged starter rather than just open games for the Dodgers, but perhaps his workload in tomorrow night’s game can provide some insight into that question. In the meantime, the Dodgers will surely be happy to have any innings he can offer as they continue to piece together starts amid a rash of injuries that have already sent a majority of the club’s Opening Day rotation to the injured list.

Minor 40-Man Moves: Lucchesi, Penrod

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While fans of the Giants and Red Sox were focused on the blockbuster deal that sent Rafael Devers to San Francisco earlier this evening, the clubs made a pair of related transactions that may have flown under the radar amid a busy evening of news around the league. A look at those moves:

  • The Giants selected the contract of left-hander Joey Lucchesi, who took both the active and 40-man roster spots of Kyle Harrison after he was dealt to Boston as part of the Devers trade. In an unusual wrinkle, the transaction was made official before the start of tonight’s game against the Dodgers but was not announced until Lucchesi had already begun warming up in the San Francisco bullpen and taken the mound for his first appearance as a Giant. The 32-year-old signed a minor league deal with San Francisco back in January on the heels of a four-season run with the Mets where he served mostly as minor league depth. He pitched to a 3.78 ERA (109 ERA+) with a 4.02 FIP in 95 1/3 innings of work during his time in Queens, a slight improvement on the matching 4.21 ERA and FIP he posted in 299 1/3 innings of work with the Padres across his first three seasons in the majors. Lucchesi profiles as a swing man or back-end rotation piece, though in his first outing with the Giants he surrendered two runs on three hits while recording just two outs.
  • Meanwhile, the Red Sox designated left-hander Zach Penrod for assignment this evening. Penrod’s departure makes room for the addition of Kyle Harrison to the club’s 40-man roster, after Jordan Hicks took Devers’s own 40-man spot. The southpaw made his big league debut for Boston last year and pitched to a 2.25 ERA across seven relief appearances, though he walked (four) more batters than he struck out (three) while also hitting a batter and throwing a wild pitch during that brief cup of coffee. He’s not yet made an appearance at the big league level this year and has a 3.38 ERA in 5 1/3 innings of work at Triple-A this season. Boston will now have one week to either work out a trade involving Penrod or attempt to pass him through waivers. Should he wind up clearing waivers, the Red Sox will have the opportunity to send him outright to the minors as non-roster depth.

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