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Richard Fitts Exits Start With Right Shoulder Issue

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Right-hander Richard Fitts exited his start for the Red Sox today due to what the team is describing as “right shoulder pain,” according to a club announcement. As noted by MassLive’s Chris Cotillo, Fitts threw a pitch to Miguel Vargas in the sixth inning of his start against the White Sox today but immediately grabbed his throwing arm in discomfort before being visited on the mound by manager Alex Cora and a team trainer and departing the game. More details about the issue aside from Boston’s initial announcement are not yet known. Cotillo relays that Fitts told reporters after the game that he’s being sent for an MRI tomorrow morning.

While it’s difficult to determine the exact severity of the issue without more information, it would hardly be a surprise to see the Red Sox place Fitts on the injured list in the coming days. At the very least, it seems that the club will send the young righty for imagining to learn more about what’s ailing him. After impressing in a four-start debut for the Red Sox last year with a 1.74 ERA and 3.31 FIP, the righty has now made three starts for Boston in 2025 with a 3.18 ERA in 17 frames. It’s an impressive showing for Fitts overall, who the Red Sox acquired in the Alex Verdugo trade with the Yankees last year.

That strong performance already makes the possibility of an extended absence for Fitts troubling, but even a short one could be problematic given the club’s current pitching situation. Brayan Bello, Lucas Giolito, and Kutter Crawford are all already on the injured list, to say nothing of the ongoing UCL rehab processes of Chris Murphy and Patrick Sandoval. That leaves the Red Sox somewhat short on starting pitching depth, especially after they shipped right-hander Quinn Priester to the Brewers in a rare early-season trade. Those injuries opened up a rotation spot for Fitts (as well as non-roster invitee Sean Newcomb) in the first place, but now the Red Sox may need to find someone to fill in for Fitts as well until Bello or Giolito is ready to return to the majors.

Both Bello and Giolito are expected to make at least one more rehab start before the club considers activating them, though an exact date for either player’s activation likely won’t be available until after said final rehab outing. In the meantime, the club’s options for rotation depth are somewhat lacking. Cooper Criswell made 18 starts last year, but was recently optioned to the minors after surrendering eight runs (five earned) in just 4 1/3 innings as a reliever since Opening Day. Josh Winckowski and Hunter Dobbins are among the other options the club has available at Triple-A Worcester already on the 40-man roster, and Dobbins in particular looked solid in a spot start earlier this year. Of course, the possibility none of those players will be needed remains on the table until the Red Sox provide a more comprehensive update regarding Fitts’s status.

Reds Activate Andrew Abbott From Injured List

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The Reds activated southpaw Andrew Abbott from the injured list earlier today, as noted by Gordon Wittenmyer of the Cincinnati Enquirer. Abbott will be starting tonight’s game against the Pirates. Outfielder Will Benson was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move.

Abbott, 26 in June, emerged as a regular rotation option for the Reds when he was a rookie back in 2023. He posted a strong 3.87 ERA (120 ERA+) in 21 starts that year while striking 26.1% of his opponents, but his sophomore campaign saw him take something of a step backwards. While the southpaw’s 3.72 ERA and 118 ERA+ were largely unchanged from his rookie campaign, his peripheral numbers suffered as he posted a well below-average 5.02 FIP across 25 starts. Much of that can be attributed to his lackluster 19.5% strikeout rate in his follow-up season, though a sizable increase in his home run rate also played a role.

The lefty mostly looked good during Spring Training, with a 2.57 ERA and five strikeouts against just one walk in seven innings of work across two outings. Those sorts of numbers would normally put Abbott in a good place to improve upon his work in 2025 this year, but a slow build up to the season after last year was cut short by a shoulder strain meant that he actually started out on the injured list rather than breaking camp with the club. Fortunately, it proved to be a relatively brief IL stint as he finished building up with the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate in Louisville with a 3.60 ERA in two starts.

With Abbott now back in the majors, he’ll be tasked with sliding into the back of the Cincinnati rotation alongside Hunter Greene, Nick Lodolo, Nick Martinez, and Brady Singer. It’s a strong group that the Reds figure to lean on heavily this year as they look to fight their way back into the postseason for the first time since 2020, though the eventual return of youngster Rhett Lowder from the injured list could push someone out of the mix. Abbott could be a candidate to move out of the rotation depending on his performance, though perhaps the most sensible choice would be Martinez given his past experience (and success) in a bullpen role.

Moving off the roster to make room for Abbott is Benson, who appeared in just one game after being called up from the minors earlier this week. That lone appearance left much to be desired, as Benson struck out four times in four trips to the plate, but that he’s been in the minors at all this year while the Reds rely on players like Blake Dunn and Jacob Hurtubise to fill in while Austin Hays is on the injured list is telling of how far his stock has fallen in the organization’s eyes. It wasn’t long ago, after all, that Benson was one of the team’s best hitters with a .275/.365/.498 slash line back in 2023.

A lackluster 2024 season that saw him strikeout out in 39.7% of his plate appearances with a subpar 75 wRC+ was enough to push him out of the club’s roster plans for this year despite that impressive history, and while he’s raked in nine games at Triple-A this season it seems he’ll need to show more improvement to get a substantial opportunity in the majors this year. In the meantime, Gavin Lux has joined Dunn, Hurtubise, and Jake Fraley in the corner outfield mix while Hays is out of commission, while TJ Friedl remains the club’s everyday center fielder.

Poll: Which Top Prospect Will Arrive In Boston Next?

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After an offseason that saw the Red Sox get aggressive in improving the big league club by adding Garrett Crochet, Walker Buehler, and Alex Bregman, the club showed a different kind of aggressiveness when they included top infield prospect Kristian Campbell on their Opening Day roster. That move has certainly paid off for them so far; not only has Campbell signed on with the club long-term, but he’s hitting an excellent .318/.426/.545 across his first 13 games in the major leagues while serving as the club’s regular second baseman and occasionally making appearances in the outfield.

Campbell wasn’t the only top prospect the Red Sox had knocking on the door to the majors this spring, however. Outfielder Roman Anthony and infielder Marcelo Mayer are rated just as highly as Campbell, with all three being consensus top-15 prospects across the entire sport. While a vacancy at second base and Campbell’s impressive work flying through the minor leagues last year were enough to get him called up to the majors first among the trio, it should surprise no one if all three are in the majors in relatively short order. With that being said, it remains unclear which of Anthony and Mayer are most likely to make it to the majors next.

Anthony, 21 next month, has a strong case to come up and contribute soon. As a consensus top-two prospect in the sport who has been ranked number one overall by multiple major publications, Anthony’s ceiling is immense. Last year, he slashed .291/.396/.498 between the Double- and Triple-A levels, including a phenomenal .344/.463/.519 slash line when looking just at his 35 games (164 plate appearances) at the highest level of the minor leagues. That hot finish at Triple-A created plenty of buzz about the possibility of Anthony breaking camp with the Red Sox over the offseason, but Anthony’s .206/.391/.324 slash line in Spring Training this year wasn’t enough to convince Boston brass that their top prospect was ready for the next step.

His early season performance at Triple-A hasn’t exactly demanded consideration for a promotion, either. Through ten games, Anthony is hitting .177/.364/.412 in his return to the club’s Worcester affiliate. While that’s a sample of just 44 plate appearances, Anthony’s 31.8% strikeout rate so far this year at the very least suggests he’s running a bit cold right now, though that he’s been able to walk at a 22.7% clip and bash a pair of homers while doing so is certainly impressive. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo recently suggested that the Red Sox are currently hoping to see more production from Anthony against left-handed pitchers before he makes it to the big leagues. That’s on top of a need for Anthony to work on his defense, which will be challenged as he appears likely to move from center field to left upon being called up to the majors.

That to-do list and Anthony’s middling play early in the season could open the door for Mayer to beat him to the majors. The 22-year-old provided a strong challenge to Campbell for the second base job during Spring Training as he hit .333/.455/.528 during camp, though Mayer’s lack of experience above the Double-A level always made him a less likely option to get the job. Mayer’s first taste of Triple-A has seen him cool off significant relative to his spring performance, as he’s hit just .243/.282/.405 with a 28.2% strikeout rate through nine games at the level. He’ll surely need to start hitting better than that with Worcester before he gets called up to the majors, although the club hasn’t laid out any more specific issues that Mayer needs to address before he can be called up like they have with Anthony.

The fact that the club has specific areas they’d like to see Anthony grow before he reaches the majors, in conjunction with Mayer finishing as arguably the runner up behind Campbell for the club’s starting second base job, would seem to suggest that Mayer is closer to being promoted than Anthony is. However, Anthony has one major leg up in this conversation relative to Mayer: the construction of Boston’s lineup. With Campbell serving as the club’s regular second baseman, there is no longer an obvious spot on the infield which Mayer can take up. Campbell, Triston Casas, Alex Bregman, and Trevor Story are all slated for regular at-bats this year, and even the DH role is filled by Rafael Devers on a daily basis.

Either an injury somewhere on the infield, a move to the outfield for Campbell, or a shocking move to bench Story would likely be necessary for Mayer to muscle his way into the lineup at this point. The same cannot be said of Anthony, who has a fairly straightforward path to playing time in the club’s outfield mix. Ceddanne Rafaela has served as the club’s usual center fielder entering the 2025 campaign, but he’s hit just .243/.275/.378 in the majors to this point in his career, including a paltry .205/.279/.205 line so far this year. While he’s a brilliant defender in center field, that’s not the type of production that should keep a team from promoting the sport’s top prospect to the majors once he’s ready. Rafaela, who has the ability to play both the infield and the outfield, could move to a utility role on the bench similar to the one Enrique Hernandez once filled once Anthony is ready to go. Anthony could either plug in directly for Rafaela in center field, or he could be tasked with manning left field while Jarren Duran slides over to center.

How do MLBTR readers think things will play out? Will Anthony make it to the majors first, off the back of his status as the sport’s #1 prospect and a potential opening in the outfield? Or will the club’s desire to see Anthony hit more against southpaws in the minors and Mayer’s strong work in Spring Training be enough to get him to the majors first? Have your say in the poll below:

Who will reach the majors first?
Roman Anthony 64.56% (2,239 votes)
Marcelo Mayer 35.44% (1,229 votes)
Total Votes: 3,468

The Opener: White Sox, Crochet, Angels

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As the 2025 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. White Sox 40-man move incoming:

It was reported yesterday that the White Sox are calling up top infield prospect Chase Meidroth for his big league debut this weekend. Meidroth, 23, was one of the key prospects the White Sox acquired from Boston in the Garrett Crochet trade. Though not a consensus top-100 talent like headliner Kyle Teel, Meidroth was coming off a .293/.437/.401 slash line at Triple-A with the Red Sox last year and this year is off to an even better start with Chicago’s Triple-A affiliate through nine games, as he’s gone 8-for-40 with a double, two stolen bases, and three homers. Before the White Sox can call up Meidroth, however, they’ll need to clear a spot for him on their 40-man roster by designating a player for assignment or transferring someone to the 60-day injured list.

2. Crochet to return to Chicago:

The White Sox are getting their first big league returns from the Crochet trade just as Crochet returns to the south side in a Red Sox uniform. Boston is kicking off a three-game set against the White Sox in Chicago today, with Red Sox southpw Sean Newcomb on the mound opposite White Sox righty Davis Martin. The main event will have to wait for Sunday, however, as that’s the day Crochet takes the mound against his former team, who will send Rule 5 pick Shane Smith to the mound opposite their former ace. Crochet has been brilliant so far for Boston, with a 1.45 ERA through three starts. Sunday’s game is scheduled for 1:10pm local time in Chicago.

3. Angels on a roll:

The Angels have been one of the league’s most surprising success stories early in the season, thanks in large part to a phenomenal start from youngster Kyren Paris. They’ve won each of their first four series to open the 2025 season, and this weekend they’ll go for their fifth straight series win against their division rivals in Houston. The series kicks off today with young righty Jack Kochanowicz (3.89 ERA in 13 career starts) on the mound opposite Ronel Blanco (2.80 ERA in 29 starts last year). On Saturday, southpaw Tyler Anderson (3.81 ERA in 31 starts last year) takes the mound against Astros youngster Ryan Gusto in his first career start for Houston. The series then wraps up with veteran Kyle Hendricks on the mound opposite Hayden Wesneski, the pair of whom were teammates on the Cubs in each of the past three seasons.

Poll: Kyle Tucker’s Earning Power

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The biggest news from the baseball world of late is Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s $500MM extension with the Blue Jays, which will keep him in Toronto through the end of the 2039 season. Guerrero and Kyle Tucker were widely viewed as the top free agents of the coming offseason. Now that Guerrero is off the board, the top of the mountain belongs to Tucker, the superstar outfielder who the Cubs gave up a massive package (All-Star infielder Isaac Paredes, young starter Hayden Wesneski, and first-rounder Cam Smith) to acquire ahead of his final year of team control.

Tucker’s certainly validated that belief in him as an impact player during the early going this season. A career .276/.356/.520 hitter, he’s taken his game to an even higher level recently. Tucker emerged as an early-season MVP candidate last year before being limited to just 78 games by a fractured shin, but even in his last 250 games dating back to 2023, the 28-year-old is hitting .288/.387/.548 with a wRC+ of 157. That’s the fifth-highest figure among all hitters with at least 1,000 plate appearances during that time, trailing only Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, Juan Soto, and former teammate Yordan Alvarez.

That lofty company, combined with the huge expectations created by $700MM+ deals for the top-rated free agent in back-to-back offseasons, created plenty of intrigue about where Guerrero’s contract could end up prior to his extension with the Jays. His $500MM deal falls short of that $700MM mark both Ohtani and Soto reached, although Ohtani’s deal includes massive amounts of deferred money that make it lower than Guerrero’s pact in terms of net present value. Questions remain, however, about how Tucker’s own eventual deal will compare to those names. Notably, Tucker doesn’t have the sort of standout carrying tool that other top stars have. He’s not a threat to hit 60 homers like Judge, lacks Soto’s otherworldly strike zone recognition, and certainly isn’t the sort of once-in-a-century athlete Ohtani has proved himself to be.

With all that being said, however, Tucker gets to that elite tier of production by being well above average at just about everything. Among hitters with at least 1000 plate appearances over the past three seasons, Tucker’s barrel rate (11.7%) is top-30 in the majors, and his isolated slugging percentage is seventh best. He combined that excellent power with similarly excellent plate discipline; his 14.1% strikeout rate is the eleventh-lowest, while his 13.8% walk rate is fourth behind Judge, Soto, and Kyle Schwarber. While Soto remains the only player to walk more often than he strikes out, the 0.3% difference between Tucker’s strikeout and walk rates is the smallest among the rest of the league.

Tucker’s talent in the batters’ box is further augmented by strong work in other areas of the game. He’s a well-regarded defender in right field who won the AL’s Gold Glove award at the position in 2019, and while he’s not shown an ability to play a premium position like center field, it seems unlikely that he’ll need to make a move down the defensive spectrum to DH or first base any time soon. He’s also proved to be a solid contributor on the bases. Despite middling foot speed, Tucker has managed to log 91 steals in 102 attempts since the start of the 2020 season. That’s good for a phenomenal 89.2% success rate, and includes 25- and 30-steal efforts during the 2022 and ’23 campaigns. Tucker was well on his way to another 20+ steal season in 2024 before being sidelined by injury, and with three bags swiped in just 15 games this year it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him steal more than his fair share of extra bases this season as well.

Given Tucker’s all-around impressive skill set, it’s not hard to see why teams will be clamoring to bring him into the fold this winter. There’s even a fairly strong argument to be made that Tucker is a more valuable player than Guerrero, given that their career numbers are relatively similar at the dish and Tucker is a far more valuable player in the field and on the basepaths. With that being said, Tucker’s age could hold him back somewhat relative to the deals landed by Soto and Guerrero. Soto hit free agency ahead of his age-26 season, while Guerrero is currently in the midst of his own age-26 campaign. Tucker, who turned 28 in January, is two years older than Guerrero and will be marketing himself three years older than Soto was this past offseason.

It’s possible that could keep him below that half-billion dollar threshold that only Guerrero and Soto have managed to reach by measure of net present value, but he could still be in for a massive payday. After all, Judge landed $360MM over nine years in free agency when marketing his age-31 season, while Ohtani was roughly the same age as Tucker when he landed his contract, which has a net present value of just under $461MM for luxury tax purposes. Marquee Sports Network’s Lance Brozdowski reported on his Cubs Daily Podcast earlier this week that a person from Tucker’s agency, Excel Sports Management, suggested an estimate of $475MM over ten years for Tucker’s eventual contract. That figure obviously comes with caveats aplenty given that the source is Tucker’s own agency and he’s just 15 games into his platform season, but that number would top both Judge and Ohtani’s contracts in terms of NPV.

How do MLBTR readers believe Tucker’s contract situation will play out? Will he be able to crack the $500MM threshold that only Soto and Guerrero have crossed so far? Have your say in the poll below:

How Much Will Kyle Tucker Sign For By NPV?
More than $400MM, but lower than Ohtani's $461MM net present value. 43.02% (4,151 votes)
Less than $400MM 24.43% (2,357 votes)
$500MM or more 18.22% (1,758 votes)
Higher than Ohtani's $461MM net present value, but less than $500MM 14.33% (1,383 votes)
Total Votes: 9,649

The Opener: Steele, Mariners, Pitching Matchups

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

1. Steele to undergo MRI:

The Cubs placed southpaw Justin Steele on the injured list yesterday with a diagnosis of left elbow tendinitis. The news was immediately concerning for fans in Chicago given that Steele, who has established himself as a front-of-the-rotation arm with a 3.10 ERA and a 3.14 FIP from 2022 to ’24, has been shelved with elbow issues on multiple other occasions in recent years. Fortunately, each of those stints on the IL ended up being relatively close to the minimum 15 days, and Steele suggested yesterday that he could once again return fairly quickly. Still, the Cubs are scheduled to send Steele for an MRI today to ensure there isn’t a more serious issue at hand, and his timeline for return won’t be certain until those results come in. Veteran swingman Colin Rea and young southpaw Jordan Wicks appear to be the top options to fill in for Steele in the club’s rotation while he’s out of commission, though a plentiful slate of off-days in April means they’ll rarely need a fifth starter this month anyhow.

2. Will the Mariners search for infield help?

The Mariners’ lineup has been compromised with injuries in recent days, with right fielder Victor Robles and second baseman Ryan Bliss both ticketed for extended absences. Luke Raley slid from first base to the outfield to help cover for the loss of Robles, and Dylan Moore is settling in as the club’s third baseman alongside J.P. Crawford at shortstop to keep the left side of the infield relatively settled. The right side of the infield is in complete flux, however, with Jorge Polanco parked at DH as he battles knee soreness.

That leaves first base to a combination of Rowdy Tellez and Donovan Solano, while second base appears poised to be manned by utility men Miles Mastrobuoni and Leo Rivas. Neither Mastrobuoni nor Rivas appear likely to be contributors on offense with career wRC+ marks of 60 and 86 respectively. Tellez and Solano both have track records of success in the majors, by contrast, but Solano is just 2-for-18 with a 33.3% strikeout rate in a part time role this year while Tellez is 1-for-23 after a big spring showing. With the right side of the infield in such dire straits, could the club look for an external addition or perhaps tap into the farm for a different option?

3. Pitchers’ duel in Atlanta:

The Braves and Phillies are wrapping up a three-game set in Atlanta today, which will serve as the rubber match after the Braves took the first game while the Phillies emerged victorious yesterday. On the mound will be Phillies southpaw Jesus Luzardo, who was limited to just 66 2/3 lackluster innings for the Marlins last year by injuries but has looked fantastic in two starts for the Phillies this year (1.50 ERA, 19-to-4 K/BB). Atlanta counters with righty Spencer Schwellenbach. He looked terrific in his rookie season last year, with a 3.35 ERA in 21 starts, and has dominated in both of his starts so far this season with 14 scoreless innings and 14 strikeouts against just one walk. The two impressive hurlers will square off at 7:15pm local time this evening.

4. Priester makes Brewers debut:

The Brewers engineered a rare April trade of consequence to restock and injury-ravaged rotation, shipping prospect Yophery Rodriguez and their Competitive Balance draft pick (No. 33 overall) to the Red Sox in exchange for former top prospect Quinn Priester. The 24-year-old Priester was a first-round pick by the Pirates in 2019 whom MLB.com ranked as a top-100 prospect from 2021-23. His stock took a hit last year, and he was flipped to Boston at the deadline in exchange for infield prospect Nick Yorke (another former first-rounder whose stock had slipped a bit).

Priester has had some big league exposure so far but hasn’t found success in 99 2/3 innings (6.23 ERA). The Brewers have a knack for coaxing new levels out of pitchers, however, evidenced by success stories like Tobias Myers, Trevor Megill and Joel Payamps in Milwaukee. They’ll hope to add Priester’s name to that list. The 6’3″ righty is controllable for another six seasons, making him a potential long-term cog. Brewers fans will get their first look today when Priester takes on Rockies righty Ryan Feltner at Coors Field in Denver.

Poll: Will Bo Bichette Stay In Toronto?

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The big news around baseball this week is superstar slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. sticking in Toronto on a $500MM extension that will keep him with the Blue Jays for the next 14 years. While the deal is primarily notable because of Guerrero himself being one of the brightest young stars in the game whose free agency had long been anticipated by fans around the league, it’s also the most firm statement yet from the Blue Jays that they fully intend to continue attempting to compete even amid an increasingly difficult AL East division.

Entering Spring Training, the club had a number of key players set to come off the books within the next few seasons. That’s still the case for the majority of those players, with important pieces like Kevin Gausman, Chris Bassitt, George Springer, and Daulton Varsho poised to hit the open market within the next two seasons. With that being said, the club’s offseason additions of Andres Gimenez and Anthony Santander combine with their recent extensions for Guerrero and Alejandro Kirk to give the club a talented nucleus of position players to build a new iteration of the club around with pre-arb and early arbitration players like Ernie Clement, Bowden Francis, and Will Wagner helping to further build out that foundation.

With nearly two full seasons until Gausman, Springer, and Varsho depart for free agency, it’s not entirely clear what the Jays’ needs will look like by the time that comes around. Toronto’s impending losses of Bassitt, Scherzer, and Green come November will surely need to be addressed, but most teams need pitching every winter and replacing those players should be fairly straightforward. With Guerrero signed, that leaves the most pertinent question facing Toronto at this point as what to do with shortstop Bo Bichette. The 27-year-old was a consensus top-15 prospect in the sport when he came up to the majors back in 2019 and has spent most of his career paired with Guerrero as one of the club’s two up-and-coming stars.

While Bichette has never had the MVP-caliber campaigns Guerrero posted during the 2021 and ’24 seasons, the hype surrounding him has largely been justified by his body of work in the majors. In 46 games down the stretch in 2019 after a mid-season call-up, Bichette made a big impression by slashing .311/.358/.571 with a 143 wRC+ and 11 homers in just 212 plate appearances. A 29-game stint with Toronto during the shortened 2020 season saw him come down to Earth just a bit as he posted a 120 wRC+, but that level of production proved to be very sustainable for Bichette as his first full three seasons saw him slash .298/.339/.476 with a 125 wRC+ and 13.6 fWAR.

From 2021 to ’23, Bichette was sandwiched between Yordan Alvarez and Sean Murphy on the fWAR leaderboard, good for 22nd in baseball, and his 125 wRC+ allowed him to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with top infielders like Trea Turner and Alex Bregman. Between those strong numbers and his relative youth, Bichette seemed certain to be ticketed for a large payday with the only question being whether it would come in Toronto or elsewhere. Unfortunately, the 2024 season threw all of that completely off the rails. Not only was Bichette limited to just 81 games last year due to multiple calf strains and surgery on his middle finger, but he also struggled badly in the games he was healthy enough to partake in. In 336 trips to the plate last year, Bichette slashed just .225/.277/.322 (71 wRC+).

A look under the hood reveals that Bichette’s strikeout and walk rates were both as good as they’d ever been last year, but he was completely sapped of his power. He hit just four home runs after regularly flashing 25-to-30 homer power in previous years. His .303 xwOBA suggested that he was getting somewhat unlucky in terms of batted ball luck, and that likely contributed to a career-worst .269 BABIP. While a batting average closer to his xBA of .255 would have surely helped his overall production look a bit more robust, the expected numbers aren’t all that kind in the power department. His xSLG was just .375, which while better than his actual production last season, would’ve been well below average if he had enough plate appearances to qualify. That’s in large part thanks to a massive drop-off in barrel rate. Bichette barreled up just 4.4% of his batted balls last year, less than half of his career norm across the rest of his career.

A mediocre defender at shortstop even in his best years, Bichette’s value is so tied to his bat that last season’s struggles made it difficult to imagine him finding the star-level contract in free agency without a big bounceback in the 2025 campaign. Despite both Bichette himself and the Blue Jays as a whole failing to meet expectations last year, Toronto opted not to trade him ahead of his final year under team control, betting on him to regain his form this season. There’s still a long way to go in this season, but the early returns are looking good on that decision. Bichette’s .277/.333/.362 (103 wRC+) slash line entering play today is still pedestrian but nonetheless a big improvement over last year, and more importantly he’s resumed hitting the ball with authority (7.3% barrel rate, 46.3% Hard-Hit rate) in a way that mostly aligns with his career norms.

While it’s certainly good news for both Bichette and the Blue Jays that the shortstop appears to be back to posting quality offensive numbers, what that means for his future is uncertain. There’s some similarities to Cody Bellinger in Bichette’s profile as a free agent, as the two players share All-Star caliber upside as bat-first options at a premium defensive position that could make them very attractive in free agency, but pair that upside with worrisome injury-riddled campaigns where they looked like below-replacement level talents. During the 2023-24 offseason, Bellinger was limited to a short-term deal by the market, though his three-year, $80MM pact with the Cubs afforded him a healthy AAV and multiple opt-out opportunities. Bellinger was marketing his age-28 season that winter just like Bichette would be come November, though a distinct lack of high-end positional talent in free agency this winter (outside of star outfielder Kyle Tucker) could allow Bichette to find a stronger market.

Still, that market uncertainty could be part of why the Jays have not broached the possibility of an extension with their shortstop. Bichette told reporters back in February that the sides hadn’t had talks, and he reiterated to Hazel Mae of Sportsnet yesterday that “nothing’s on the table”  for him from the Blue Jays in terms of an extension. Bichette has made it clear he’d like to remain in Toronto, citing a desire to play for a single organization throughout his entire career and continue his partnership with Guerrero. If Bichette proves himself healthy and effective again this year, that could make plenty of sense for a Blue Jays club that will need more offensive firepower than it got last year even after adding Santander to the mix. On the other hand, the Blue Jays already have a luxury tax payroll of $200MM for 2026 (per RosterResource) before even considering arbitration-level contracts for players like Varsho and Clement.

That could make adding another big salary to the books difficult for the Blue Jays to stomach, and the club has seemingly set itself up to better stomach the loss of Bichette by trading for Gimenez. The 26-year-old has played the vast majority of his big league games at second base, but he has shortstop experience and is regarded as perhaps the best defensive second baseman in the entire sport, suggesting he should have little trouble sliding over to the left side of the infield. Given Bichette’s aforementioned mediocre defense at short, Gimenez could actually prove to be an upgrade at the position in terms of his glove.

That would then mean needing to replace Gimenez at second base and Bichette’s bat in the lineup, however. A big season from Wagner this year could make that possible to do internally. Other internal options who could help out include Davis Schneider, Addison Barger, Orelvis Martinez and Leo Jimenez. In terms of external options, this coming offseason has infielders like Gleyber Torres, Ha-Seong Kim, Alex Bregman and Trevor Story as possibilities, depending on some opt-out decisions.

How do MLBTR readers think the situation in Toronto will play out? Will Bichette be allowed to hit free agency? And, if so, will he be playing in Toronto or elsewhere come Opening Day 2026? Have your say in the poll below:

Will Bo Bichette Be A Blue Jay In 2026?
No, he'll sign elsewhere in free agency. 64.27% (3,417 votes)
Yes, and they'll extend him before he reaches free agency. 24.30% (1,292 votes)
Yes, they'll re-sign him as a free agent this winter. 11.44% (608 votes)
Total Votes: 5,317

Rockies Promote Zac Veen, Option Jordan Beck

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April 8: The Rockies have formally announced the moves. Veen is up from Albuquerque for his MLB debut, while Beck has been optioned to Triple-A in his place.

April 6: The Rockies are promoting top outfield prospect Zac Veen for their next game against the Brewers on Tuesday, according to a report from Thomas Harding of MLB.com. Outfielder Jordan Beck will be optioned to make room for Veen on the active roster, and Veen is already on the club’s 40-man roster.

It’s a slightly delayed big league debut for Veen, who was in the conversation for an Opening Day roster spot but ultimately lost out to Beck, Sean Bouchard, and non-roster invitee Nick Martini for a shot at regular work in the corner outfield for Colorado to start the year. The 23-year-old was Colorado’s first-round pick back in 2020 and was a consensus top-50 prospect early in his pro career. That prospect status was built primarily on phenomenal performances at the Single-A and High-A levels, where he posted slash lines of .301/.399/.501 and .269/.368/.439 respectively.

He’s been limited to just 111 games by injuries over the past two years, however, which has dropped his prospect stock significantly. A lackluster stint at Double-A in 2022 where he hit just .177/.262/.243 across 34 games already presented some red flags, so many prospect evaluators bailed on Veen when he struggled to a lackluster .209/.304/.308 slash line in 46 games at the level in 2023, particularly when combined with a wrist injury that cost him most of the season. The outfielder’s numbers bounced back somewhat in 2024, as he slashed .258/.346/.459 across four levels of the minors last year while battling thumb and back issues that limited him to just 65 games.

Fortunately, he finally showed he could hit Double-A pitching in a 36-game sample last year and even held his own at Triple-A, with six homers in 21 games despite a 29.3% strikeout rate. That was enough to earn Veen a shot to prove himself during camp this year, and while he ultimately didn’t make the club’s Opening Day roster he made the most of the opportunity and hit well with a .270/.352/.460 slash line in 28 spring games. Since being demoted to Triple-A, he’s done nothing but hit, posting a scorching .444/.516/.778 slash line with as many extra-base hits (six) as strikeouts in his first seven games of the year at the level.

Clearly, that was enough that the Rockies couldn’t justify keeping him in the minors any longer. That leaves Beck ticketed for Triple-A, and the 38th-overall pick of the 2022 draft certainly didn’t do himself any favors this year when it came to keeping his roster spot. The outfielder’s showing in camp was solid enough, as he posted a .231/.306/.446 slash line in 24 games, but that line paled in comparison to that of Veen and Beck also struck out at a 34.7% clip. Once the regular season began, however, Beck’s production tanked as he’s gone just 3-for-23 with a 34.8% strikeout rate and zero extra-base hits. Combined with a lackluster .188/.245/.276 showing in 55 games last year, and it seems clear that the 23-year-old needs more time to develop in the minors before he’s ready for the majors.

What’s unclear is how playing time will be distributed in the Rockies’ outfield mix going forward. Martini and Mickey Moniak, both left-handed hitters, have largely platooned with the right-handed Beck and Bouchard in the outfield corners to this point. Brenton Doyle is locked into center field on a daily basis, and Veen makes little sense as a platoon partner for either Martini or Moniak given his status as a fellow lefty bat. Given Veen’s status as a (formerly) highly-touted prospect, it seems likely that the club will give him a run of everyday playing time going forward.

That could come at the expense of either Martini or Moniak, who would be relegated to a bench role, but it’s also at least possible the club is planning to move Kris Bryant into a reserve role. The club’s oft-injured $182MM man has struggled badly both during Spring Training and since the season began in his new role as the club’s regular DH, having collected just six total hits in 59 plate appearances between camp and the regular season. To what extent Bryant can handle playing the field is unclear after injuries limited him to just 159 games from 2022 to 2024, but it’s at least plausible the club could use him as a right-handed complement to Veen, Martini, Moniak, and Michael Toglia across the outfield corners, first base, and DH if they were to decide to move him to a part-time role.

Such a decision would be a bold one given both Bryant’s massive contract (which runs through 2028) and his previous success as a four-time All-Star and the 2016 NL MVP award winner. At the same time, the Rockies appear to be years from contention and Bryant simply hasn’t produced at the plate since the 2022 season, even when healthy enough to take the field. Perhaps the debut of Veen is enough to convince the club to try and maximize Bryant’s effectiveness in a more limited role going forward.

The Opener: Lopez, MRIs, MLBTR Chat

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Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye out for today:

1. Lopez going under the knife:

Last week, Braves manager Brian Snitker told reporters (including Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution) that right-hander Reynaldo Lopez’s arthroscopic shoulder surgery is scheduled for today. As noted by David O’Brien of The Athletic, the extent of repair necessary won’t be known until surgery begins. A simple cleanup could have Lopez back on the mound this year, whereas a more significant issue would threaten the remainder of his 2025 campaign. Some sort of timetable for Lopez’s return seems likely to be made available once the procedure is complete. In the meantime, the Braves are relying on AJ Smith-Shawver, Grant Holmes, and Bryce Elder in the rotation behind Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach.

2. Robles, Marte await MRI results:

Mariners outfielder Victor Robles and Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte were placed on the injured list over the weekend due to a shoulder injury and hamstring strain, respectively. Both were serious enough issues that neither Seattle nor Arizona felt the need to wait for testing before making an IL stint official, and both players were scheduled to undergo MRIs yesterday, per Adam Jude of The Seattle Times and Alex Weiner of AZSports. When those results become available, fans should have a better idea of how long the Mariners will be without their leadoff man and how long the D-backs will be without their superstar hitter. Seattle called up outfielder Dominic Canzone while Robles is out of commission, though many Robles’ right field reps could go to Luke Raley, with Rowdy Tellez slotting in at first base and several players cycling through the DH spot in the lineup. Rookie Tim Tawa has filled in at second for Marte, and utilityman Garrett Hampson could see time there as well.

3. MLBTR Chat Today:

Each MLB team is now around ten games into the season, and some expected contenders like those in Atlanta and Arizona have struggled while more surprising teams like the Giants and Angels have done quite well for themselves. There’s still plenty of baseball left to go, however, and if you have questions about which starts to believe in or are already looking towards July’s trade deadline then 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.

Astros Select Logan VanWey

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April 7: Per Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle, the moves are now official. Garcia was transferred to the 60-day IL to open a 40-man spot for VanWey.

April 6: The Astros are promoting right-hander Logan VanWey to the majors, according to a report from Ari Alexander of KPRC2. VanWey’s contract will be selected from the minor leagues and he’ll join the team during their coming trip to Seattle, which begins with a game tomorrow evening. The righty’s first appearance for the Astros will be his big league debut. Alexander reports that right-hander Luis Contreras will be optioned to the minors to make room for VanWey on the active roster. The club will need to make a 40-man roster move to accommodate the addition of VanWey, although this could be easily accomplished by transferring right-hander Luis Garcia to the 60-day injured list.

VanWey, 26, went undrafted out of college and was signed by the Astros out of the Pioneer League, where he made nine starts with the Glacier Range Riders. After being signed by Houston in 2022, VanWey threw eight scoreless innings for the club’s Florida Complex League team but didn’t make his full-season debut until 2023. The right-hander was initially assigned to the High-A level to open the season, but his 3.71 ERA in 17 innings of work combined with a 25.6% strikeout rate was enough to get him a promotion to Double-A. VanWey did even better at the new level, with a 3.00 ERA in 30 innings of work with an amazing 32.5% strikeout rate, though it did come with an elevated 13.2% walk rate.

Nonetheless, VanWey made it to the Triple-A level during his first full season in affiliated ball. While he was torched for three runs in just 1 1/3 innings of work during that first stint with the Astros’ Sugar Land affiliate, he posted far better numbers in a full season at the level last year. In all, VanWey worked 72 2/3 innings across 60 appearances in 2024 with a 3.22 ERA, a 31.5% strikeout rate, and a 12.9% walk rate. While that wildness still stood out as a potential concern, the right-hander’s overall numbers were made all the more impressive by the fact that he was pitching in the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League; just three pitchers with at least 40 innings of work at the level posted a lower ERA than VanWey for the Space Cowboys last year.

That strong performance earned VanWey the chance to compete for a job in the Astros’ bullpen this spring. He did quite well for himself, with a 1.32 ERA in 13 2/3 frames. His 26.8% strikeout rate was below his usual expectations, but a solid 8.9% walk rate more than made up for that. Even so, VanWey was left off of the club’s Opening Day roster and reported to Triple-A to open the year, where he’s struck out a third of his opponents across four outings. His latest stint in the minors appears to be over for the time being, however, as VanWey will now reportedly head to Seattle to join the big league Astros. Going from an undrafted free agent pitching in indy ball to the majors in just three years is an accomplishment by itself, but now the 26-year-old will be tasked with getting big league hitters out and contributing to an Astros bullpen that has little certainty outside of its dynamic late-inning duo of Bryan Abreu and Josh Hader.

As for Contreras, the 28-year-old righty made his big league debut last year with a brief cup of coffee that lasted just six innings. This year, he’s surrendered two runs in three innings of work but struck out an excellent 46.2% of his opponents in his limited time in the majors since the start of the season. He sports a career 3.65 ERA in 101 frames at Triple-A and will likely be an up-and-down reliever riding the shuttle between the majors and Triple-A for the Astros throughout the year given his high-octane stuff and ability to be optioned to the minors.

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