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Jay Jackson To Retire

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After a professional career that spanned 17 years, veteran right-hander Jay Jackson is hanging up his glove. Robert Murray of FanSided reported this afternoon that Jackson is retiring from his playing career, adding that the 37-year-old hopes to have a second act in baseball, whether that comes by working for a team or in broadcasting.

Jackson was selected by the Cubs in the ninth-round of the 2008 MLB draft and made his pro debut later the summer at 20 years old. A fringe top-100 prospect entering the 2010 season after he pitched to a 2.98 ERA in 24 starts across three levels of the Chicago farm system, Jackson spent the next three seasons struggling at the Triple-A level without breaking into the majors. He was eventually released by the Cubs in early 2013 and bounced between the Marlins, Pirates, and Brewers before eventually landing with the Padres prior to the 2015 season. In San Diego, the right-hander moved to a full-time bullpen role and dominated the Double- and Triple-A levels, earning the opportunity to pitch in the majors for the first time in his career.

Jackson’s first big league cup of coffee did not go especially well, as he surrendered three runs in 4 1/3 innings across six appearances. Even so, the opportunity was enough to get the righty noticed by the Hiroshima Carp of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He pitched for the Carp for three seasons, from 2016 to 2018, and put together an impressive resume with a sterling 2.11 ERA and a 26.9% strikeout rate in 175 NPB innings. That work earned him his second big league opportunity, as he returned to the Brewers organization and pitched to a 4.45 ERA across 30 1/3 innings of work in 2019, but it was only after a second sojourn to Japan (this time as a member of the Chiba Lotte Marines) in 2020 that Jackson was able to stick in the majors.

After signing with the Giants in 2021 for his age-33 season, Jackson enjoyed a late-career stretch of success in the majors. Though he pitched just 52 2/3 innings at the big league level for San Francisco, Atlanta, and Toronto from 2021 to 2023, Jackson posted an excellent 2.73 ERA across those 50 appearances and struck out 26.5% of his opponents. That was enough to earn Jackson a look from the Twins last year in his age-36 season, though he struggled badly with a 7.52 ERA across 20 appearances before being released by Minnesota last year. Jackson initially signed with the Mexican League’s Bravos de Leon earlier this month in an effort to continue his playing career, but evidently has now decided to wrap up his days as a player instead.

Overall, Jackson pitched to a lifetime 4.43 ERA (97 ERA+) with a 4.47 FIP across 113 2/3 major league innings, with a 7-4 record and 136 strikeouts in 104 career games. That’s in addition to his excellent years in Japan, where he posted a 2.16 ERA and struck out 204 batters in 183 NPB innings. We at MLB Trade Rumors congratulate Jackson on his nearly two decades of work in baseball and wish him all the best in whatever comes next.

Orioles Acquire Cody Poteet

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The Orioles have acquired right-hander Cody Poteet from the Cubs in exchange for cash considerations, per an announcement out of Baltimore. Poteet had been designated for assignment by the Cubs prior to Opening Day to make room for right-hander Brad Keller on their 40-man roster. The righty has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk by the Orioles, whose 40-man roster now stands at 39.

Poteet, 30, was acquired by the Cubs over the offseason as the return in the trade that sent Cody Bellinger to the Yankees. Chicago’s priority in that trade was, of course, dumping the remainder of Bellinger’s contract after he decided against opting out last winter. Bellinger, who is now serving as the primary center fielder in the Bronx, was squeezed out of the Cubs’ lineup by the club trading for Kyle Tucker to man right field as well as the emergence of top prospect Pete Crow-Armstrong in center. Given the nature of the trade, the club’s decision to DFA Poteet earlier this week was hardly a surprise despite frustration from many on the North Side over the issue.

For the Orioles, the move means adding some depth to a pitching staff that is currently without Grayson Rodriguez, Trevor Rogers, Chayce McDermott, Kyle Bradish, and Tyler Wells due to injuries. A fourth-round pick by the Marlins back in 2015, Poteet made his big league debut in Miami during the 2021 season as a starter, making seven appearances as part of the club’s rotation where he pitched to a 4.99 ERA (85 ERA+) with a 5.62 FIP. Those lackluster results in a rotation role led the Marlins to use him more as a swing man in 2022, and he did fairly well for himself in the role; Poteet threw 28 innings at the big league level in total spread between two starts and ten relief appearances that year, and his 3.86 ERA (106 ERA+) was decent despite a lackluster 18.4% strikeout rate.

Unfortunately, Poteet’s Marlins career would come to an end when he required Tommy John surgery in late 2022, leading Miami to designate him for assignment. He spent the 2023 campaign rehabbing and made a brief appearance in the Royals’ minor league system before landing a major league deal with the Yankees last January. The right-hander did reasonably well for himself in the Bronx, posting a strong 2.22 ERA in 24 1/3 innings of work at the big league level while pitching to a 3.40 ERA in 13 minor league starts last year.

Now on his third franchise in the past four months, Poteet heads to Triple-A to serve as depth behind the club’s rotation, which still includes a solid quintet of Zach Eflin, Charlie Morton, Tomoyuki Sugano, Dean Kremer, and Cade Povich even after the aforementioned injuries. Kyle Gibson figures to join that group at some point in the season’s first month or so after signing on with the Orioles earlier this month, but Poteet provides optionable insurance for the club against another injury in the meantime.

If a starter were to go down, it’s possible Poteet could slide directly into the rotation, although with veteran swingman Albert Suarez in the big league bullpen it seems more likely the Orioles would lean on Suarez to start while pushing Poteet into his spot in the bullpen. Poteet will likely be pushed further down the club’s depth chart once Gibson is ready to pitch, but an optionable arm capable of throwing either out of the rotation or in relief as needed is still a valuable asset to have in the fold over the course of a 162-game season.

As for the Cubs, the club already has plenty of optionable starting depth already that may have made it easier to part ways with the righty. Optionable righty Ben Brown is currently serving as the club’s fifth starter with southpaw Jordan Wicks standing as the likely next man up at Triple-A, though the eventual return of Javier Assad (who also has options remaining) from an oblique strain could push both youngsters down the depth chart in the future.

Red Sox, Garrett Crochet Expected To Table Extension Talks

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March 28: While talks are on pause because of Crochet’s self-imposed Opening Day cutoff, it seems the sides got relatively close. Crochet tells WEEI’s Rob Bradford that discussions went “down to the wire” and that he didn’t feel there was a large gap. Asked by Bradford if that provided reason for optimism whenever talks resume — presumably next offseason — Crochet replied that was “definitely fair to say.”

March 27: Earlier this month, newly-acquired Red Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet set a deadline of Opening Day in extension talks with his new club. With Crochet scheduled to take the mound for Boston against the Rangers this afternoon, that deadline has now passed and it seems as though no deal is in place between the sides. MassLive’s Chris Cotillo relays that chief baseball officer Craig Breslow told reporters “not to expect” a Crochet extension at this point, while WEEI’s Rob Bradford adds that Breslow said he intends to respect Crochet’s stated desire to not negotiate during the season.

Ever since Crochet came to Boston in a trade where the Red Sox surrendered a package of four prospects headlined by top-100 talents Kyle Teel and Braden Montgomery, hammering out an extension with the southpaw has seemed likely to be a priority for the club with just two seasons remaining until the southpaw reaches free agency. The 2024 All-Star made his first career MLB start on Opening Day for the White Sox last year, but that lack of experience did little to slow him down as he pitched to a 3.58 ERA (115 ERA+) while posting a sterling 2.69 FIP and striking out an incredible 35.1% of his opponents in 32 starts.

As much as the 2024 campaign did to establish Crochet as one of the league’s premiere front-of-the-rotation arms, however, it did little to settle his value on a long-term deal. As previously mentioned, the lefty had no experience as a starter in the majors or minors prior to 2024 due to injuries limiting him throughout his young career. He’d not thrown even 55 innings in a professional season before 2024, and even last year he threw just 146 innings while averaging roughly 3 1/3 innings per start in the second half. The fact that the lefty has not yet participated in a full MLB season with a starter’s typical workload works against Crochet’s value, even as the 25-year-old’s youth, tantalizing stuff and huge strikeout numbers make a case for him as among the most valuable assets in the sport.

Given the uncertainty surrounding Crochet’s value, it’s not necessarily shocking the sides were unable to agree to terms. Reporting last summer indicated that Crochet may have been targeting Tyler Glasnow’s $136.5MM guarantee with the Dodgers as a ballpark comparison for his extension talks with the White Sox, though it’s unclear how his demands may have changed after moving to Boston. That sort of outlay for a pitcher with Crochet’s health question marks may have been difficult for the Red Sox to stomach without getting to see him pitch up close, and now it appears they’ll have that opportunity in 2025. There’s nothing stopping the sides from resuming extension talks next offseason, though considering that it’ll be Crochet’s final before free agency it’s likely that another strong season from the lefty would leave the Red Sox to pay nearly full-market value in an extension next winter.

In other Red Sox news, Sean McAdam of MassLive reported this afternoon that outfielder Masataka Yoshida is headed to Boston for a consultation as he deals with a back issue. McAdam adds that Yoshida, who is on the injured list as he rehabs from offseason shoulder surgery, will remain in Boston to continue his rehab following the consultation. Yoshida was previously expected to begin a minor league rehab assignment as he builds up arm strength ahead of a return to the outfield for the first time (aside from a one-inning cameo last year) since 2023, though it now appears he’ll rehab with the big league club for at least the time being. A career .285/.343/.433 hitter across two seasons in the majors, Yoshida served as Boston’s regular DH last year but was bumped out of that spot by the signing of third baseman Alex Bregman, who pushed incumbent third baseman Rafael Devers to DH.

Poll: Who Will Win The NL East?

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Opening Day has finally arrived, and teams all around the league are gearing up for another pennant chase in hopes of being crowned this year’s World Series champion. Of course, there’s still another seven months to go before someone raises the Commissioner’s Trophy. Until the playoffs begin, teams will be focused on a smaller goal: winning their division. We’ll be conducting a series of polls to gauge who MLBTR readers believe is the favorite in each division. That series already covered the NL West, where the Dodgers were viewed as an overwhelming favorite, and the NL Central, where the Cubs narrowly beat out the reigning division champs in Milwaukee. Now, the series continues with a look at the NL East. Teams are listed in order of their 2024 record.

Philadelphia Phillies (95-67)

After the Phillies fell to their division-rival Mets during the NLDS, it appeared the club may consider making some considerable changes as they put Alec Bohm on the market and searched for outfield help rather than rely on internal options like Brandon Marsh and Josh Rojas. Ultimately, however, the club’s additions this winter were fairly modest. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski swung a trade for a big-name pitcher in need of a bounce-back in Jesus Luzardo. The signings of Jordan Romano and Max Kepler should help out as well but both are coming off down seasons due to injuries. With Jeff Hoffman and Carlos Estevez departing, the bullpen is arguably weaker than last season.

The Phillies will mostly rely on the same core players they trotted out last year. Fortunately, that’s the same core that allowed them to sail into the postseason with a bye through the Wild Card series last year. Zack Wheeler remains one of the very best pitchers in the entire sport, and a rotation featuring Luzardo as the likely fifth starter behind Cristopher Sanchez, Aaron Nola, and Ranger Suarez when fully healthy is in the conversation for the sport’s best. In the lineup, meanwhile, Bryce Harper returns as one of the sport’s most talented hitters, and his supporting cast of battle-tested veterans like Kyle Schwarber, Trea Turner, and J.T. Realmuto all figure to contribute with the same consistency they’ve offered in previous years. It was more than enough to win the division last year, but will the same be true in 2025?

Atlanta Braves (89-73)

This past offseason was a relatively quiet one in Atlanta, as the club’s winter was defined more by the departures of franchise stalwarts like Max Fried, Charlie Morton, and Travis d’Arnaud than any major additions, even as Jurickson Profar profiles as a substantial upgrade over last year’s platoon of Jarred Kelenic and Adam Duvall in left field. Other relatively marginal additions like Alex Verdugo, Nick Allen, and Hector Neris should help out somewhat as well, but the main thing Atlanta has going for it in 2025 is hope for better health. The Braves’ core was ravaged by injuries last year, with Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider both missing virtually the entire season while Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, Sean Murphy and Michael Harris II all also missed significant time.

While health is never guaranteed, the club is all but certain to get more out of its two superstars in Acuna and Strider this year, and is overall unlikely to run into the same rash of injuries on the positional side even as Murphy is already out for the start of the season due to a cracked rib. The team that led baseball in runs scored in 2023 has brought in even more talent on offense since then while also building an impressive bullpen anchored by Raisel Iglesias and Aaron Bummer. All of that is before even considering that the club will once again enjoy the services of reigning NL Cy Young award winner Chris Sale, as well as Reynaldo Lopez as he tries to follow up on a 1.99 ERA campaign in 2025. In some ways, 2024 looked like a floor for the Braves’ talented floor. Will a bounce back be enough to win a tough division in 2025?

New York Mets (89-73)

For as talented as the Phillies and Braves are, it was the Mets who made the deepest run into the 2024 postseason of the NL East, getting all the way to Game 6 of the NLCS before falling to the eventual World Series champion Dodgers. Steve Cohen and David Stearns weren’t content to rest on their laurels this winter and made the biggest splash of any team when they signed Juan Soto to a record-shattering $765MM deal that will land him in Queens for the next 15 years. None of the club’s other moves matched that level of flash, but the returns of Sean Manaea, Jesse Winker, and Pete Alonso as well as more modest additions like Clay Holmes and A.J. Minter leave the Mets looking like a stronger club overall than they were this time last year.

Impactful as pairing Soto with Francisco Lindor at the top of the lineup figures to be, however, that won’t necessarily make the club a clear division favorite with many of the issues that made the Mets such underdogs last season still lingering. A rotation that featured little certainty on paper entering Spring Training is already getting tested by a number of injuries, and the club will rely on Mark Vientos avoiding a sophomore slump in order to lengthen a lineup that looks softer at the bottom than its counterparts in Atlanta and Philadelphia. Still, a lineup featuring two MVP finalists, two other 30-homer sluggers, and Brandon Nimmo looks impressive on paper, and a late-inning mix of Edwin Diaz, Minter, and Jose Butto should be able to preserve late leads. Will that be enough to overtake their rivals?

Washington Nationals (71-91)

The Nationals showed some signs of development last year, but ultimately sold at the trade deadline and fell well short of playoff contention when all was said and done. Still, an emerging core of James Wood, MacKenzie Gore, Dylan Crews, and CJ Abrams inspired enough confidence for the Nationals to make some modest buy-side additions this winter. Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Bell should provide a notable upgrade over Joey Meneses and Joey Gallo at first base, while Paul DeJong and Amed Rosario offer the sort of depth on the infield that was sorely lacking last year.

With three juggernauts at the top of the division, the path to a division title in D.C. is a murky one. With that being said, every member of that aforementioned core is young, talented, and capable of breaking out before even considering the potential impact other young pieces like Brady House, Cade Cavalli, and Robert Hassell III could offer at some point in the year. The addition of Michael Soroka to a rotation that already featured solid youngsters like Gore and Jake Irvin should also offer plenty of upside. Steep as the climb to the summit of the NL East would be, it’s certainly not impossible to imagine the Nationals being the surprise of the NL this year.

Miami Marlins (62-100)

Things were bleak in Miami last year as they lost 100 games for the first time since 2019. And unfortunately for fans, there’s little reason for optimism about the potential for better days in 2025. The club made virtually no additions this winter, and moves to ship out solid pieces like Luzardo and Jake Burger figure to be far more notable than the additions of minor pieces like Matt Mervis and Cal Quantrill. The return of stalwart ace Sandy Alcantara from Tommy John surgery provides a nice story early in the year, and young phenom Eury Perez could return later this season as well. Even the club’s vaunted collection of arms seems unlikely to be enough to get them back to the playoffs given a lineup that will rely on players like Jesus Sanchez and Connor Norby to carry its run production this year, and it would likely take a miracle for them to actually come out on top in such a tough division.

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The Phillies, Braves, and Mets all have strong cases to be the NL East’s best team after making the postseason last year. Philadelphia stands as the reigning champion, while Atlanta featured the best team in all of baseball just two years ago. New York, meanwhile, made a deep run in the postseason just last year and added arguably the most talented pure hitter in baseball over the winter. Meanwhile, D.C. is continuing to quietly assemble a young core that could break out and compete in its own right. Even with Miami deep in the trenches of a rebuild, it figures to be a deeply competitive division in 2025. Who do you think will come out on top? Have your say in the poll below:

Who Will Win The NL East?
Philadelphia Phillies 43.15% (2,946 votes)
Atlanta Braves 31.53% (2,153 votes)
New York Mets 18.57% (1,268 votes)
Miami Marlins 3.78% (258 votes)
Washington Nationals 2.97% (203 votes)
Total Votes: 6,828

The Opener: DFA Limbo, Flaherty, Sugano, Team Debuts

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With baseball officially back for all 30 clubs, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on as we head into the weekend:

1. Players in DFA Limbo:

In the run-up to Opening Day, a number of players — many of them out of minor league options — were designated for assignment to clear space for prospects or veteran non-roster players who won an Opening Day job in spring training. MLBTR’s Anthony Franco took a look yesterday at the 23 players who were DFA’d ahead of Opening Day, including a former consensus top-100 prospect in Oscar Colas.

The window during which players can remain in limbo following a DFA lasts one week, during which time clubs must either work out a trade involving the player or place him on waivers to be claimed by any interested club. Should they clear waivers, some players (i.e. those with three-plus years of service or a prior outright assignment) will be able to elect free agency and pursue an opportunity elsewhere on their own terms. Others will simply be assigned outright to the minor leagues and serve as non-roster depth for their current clubs.

2. Flaherty returns to Los Angeles:

The Tigers are in Los Angeles facing the Dodgers, and right-hander Jack Flaherty (3.17 ERA in 2024) is poised to take the mound today for Detroit. It’s a homecoming for the right-hander, who was traded from the Tigers to the Dodgers last summer and pitched well down the stretch before being part of their postseason rotation as they stormed to their second World Series championship in five years. In his first start of the season, he’ll now face many of those teammates with whom he celebrated a World Series win just a few months ago. On the bump opposite Flaherty for the Dodgers today is righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who pitched five innings of one-run ball against the Cubs in the Tokyo Series earlier this month to kick off his own regular season. The game is set to begin at 7:10pm local time in Los Angeles.

3. Sugano to make MLB debut, others to make team debuts:

On Sunday, the Orioles will wrap up a four-game set against the Blue Jays with right-hander Tomoyuki Sugano on the mound opposite veteran righty Chris Bassitt (4.16 ERA in 2024). Sugano, 35, is a veteran of 12 seasons in Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He’s been sensational in NPB play throughout his career, with a lifetime 2.43 ERA across more than 1800 innings of work with the Yomiuri Giants. Sugano enjoyed a vintage final season in NPB last year, posting a 1.67 ERA in 156 2/3 frames despite a strikeout rate of just 18.3%. Now that he’s in his mid-30s, Sugano will get the opportunity to test himself against MLB players for the first time, facing a lineup that features noted sluggers like Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Anthony Santander in a game scheduled for 1:37pm local time in Toronto.

Sugano is the only “rookie” scheduled to start a game this weekend, but we’ll get the first true glimpse at a number of players in their new environs. Among them are Max Fried with the Yankees, Charlie Morton with the Orioles, Nestor Cortes with the Brewers (in New York against his former Yankee teammates), Max Scherzer with the Blue Jays, Justin Verlander with the Giants, Jesus Luzardo with the Phillies and Walker Buehler with the Red Sox.

Dodgers Notes: Kopech, Hernandez, Betts

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With the Dodgers set to participate in their second Opening Day of the year after sweeping the Cubs out of Tokyo earlier this month, the club provided a handful of health updates prior to today’s game. That includes an update that right-hander Michael Kopech provided to reporters, including The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya, regarding the right shoulder impingement that he was placed on the injured list with prior to the Tokyo Series.

According to Kopech, he wasn’t suffering from a specific shoulder injury this spring but instead that he ramped up too quickly early in camp as his forearm was ready for a heavier workload than his shoulder at the start of Spring Training. That issue has been resolved, however, and while a stomach bug slowed him earlier this month he’s now feeling good and has begun to ramp up. In terms of her overall arm health, Kopech even went as far as to indicate to reporters that his arm is feeling better than it was last season.

The right-hander famously pitched to a sterling 1.13 ERA with a 2.54 FIP in 24 innings of work down the stretch while striking out 33% of his opponents after being traded from the White Sox to the Dodgers, and if he can put up numbers even close to that this year that should be a huge boost to a Dodgers bullpen that already features talented arms like Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and Alex Vesia. He’ll have to get back on the mound first before he can match those big expectations, but that seems likely to come at some point in April.

Kopech isn’t the only one who’s been dealing with illness lately in the Dodgers’ clubhouse. Utilityman Enrique Hernandez is expected to miss the season opener today and may not even be present in the ballpark, as relayed by ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez. Gonzalez notes that Hernandez has been struggling to keep food down due to the illness, and manager Dave Roberts added that his hope is that Hernandez’s illness is not the same was the one that kept Mookie Betts out of the Tokyo Series. Betts lost more than 15 pounds due to the sickness and was sent back to the U.S. ahead of the rest of the club to recover.

If Hernandez proves to be that level of ill, a stay on the injured list can’t be entirely ruled out though he remains day-to-day for the time being. He figures to be a fixture of the club’s lineup against left-handed pitchers, though the presence of options like Chris Taylor and Miguel Rojas should help to fill the void created by Hernandez’s absence if he needs a few days off. A trip to the injured list, meanwhile, could open the door for James Outman to return to the majors or, perhaps, for Hyeseong Kim to make his big league debut after being optioned to the minors to start the season.

Speaking of Betts, the superstar is back in the Dodgers’ starting lineup today after missing the Tokyo Series. As noted by MLB.com’s Andres Soto, Betts remains day-to-day after dropping down to just 157 pounds due to the illness, but he’s started to put that weight back on and strength tests have indicated he’s back to normal. Obviously, the return of Betts to the lineup should be a huge catalyst for the Dodgers, who had to go without two of their three MVP hitters during the Tokyo Series but figure to have a lineup that’s more or less back to full strength going forward. If Betts does need a day off here or there, Rojas and Tommy Edman are both capable of handling shortstop in his stead.

Astros Notes: Bregman, McCullers, Garcia, Walker

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Astros owner Jim Crane spoke to reporters (including The Athletic’s Chandler Rome) about a handful of topics today, most notably the club’s pursuit of a reunion with longtime third baseman Alex Bregman this winter. Bregman received a widely-reported offer of $156MM of six years from the Astros early in the winter, and Crane indicates that original offer was not altered at any point during Bregman’s free agency. Bregman, of course, went on to sign a three-year deal with the Red Sox that guarantees him $120MM and affords him the opportunity to opt out after the 2025 and ’26 seasons, though deferred money in that contract brings the net present value down to the $90MM range.

Crane’s comments notably conflict with a report back in February that indicated Houston had upped its offer to Bregman from that initial 6/156 figure. As Spring Training approached with Bregman still on the market, there were signals that the sides had resumed discussions as the club toyed with the idea of moving Jose Altuve to left field and Isaac Paredes to second base in order to bring Bregman back into the fold. While Altuve has moved to left field, Paredes remains entrenched at third in the aftermath of Bregman moving on to the Red Sox. After Bregman landed in Boston, the Astros pivoted towards Brendan Rodgers, who will share time with Mauricio Dubon at the keystone this year, to round out their infield mix.

More from Houston…

  • Rome also reports that right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. will make a start for Triple-A Sugar Land on Sunday. It’s a big milestone for the 31-year-old, as he hasn’t thrown in an official game at the major or minor league level since the 2022 World Series after undergoing flexor surgery back in 2023. That layoff of more than two years could come to an end fairly soon if the righty can avoid additional setbacks, as he’s tentatively expected to return in about a month and has to this point been kept off of the 60-day injured list.
  • News regarding the club’s other injured starter, Luis Garcia, is less positive but still at least somewhat encouraging. Manager Joe Espada told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) that the first opinion Garcia received on his right elbow was “decent news,” though that hasn’t stopped Garcia and the Astros from seeking a second opinion on the matter before deciding on a course of action. The right-hander was shut down last week after he began feeling discomfort in his elbow again while nearing the end of his rehab following Tommy John surgery back in 2023. While it’s unclear how much longer the 28-year-old figures to be out of action, that Espada showed any signs of encouragement would at least suggest that the righty has not yet been recommended for Tommy John surgery, which would wipe out his 2025 season and likely much of the 2026 campaign as well.
  • Rounding out the news with a positive update, first baseman Christian Walker is reportedly “full go” to start the season after dealing with some oblique soreness in the final weeks of Spring Training. As Walker himself told Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle and other reporters, Walker’s oblique issue “wasn’t too aggressive to begin with” and that he’s facing zero limitations as the season begins. Walker was the biggest acquisition of the club’s offseason, signed to a three-year, $60MM deal to replace the lackluster combination of Jose Abreu and Jon Singleton at first base this year for Houston.

Poll: Who Will Win The NL Central?

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With Opening Day just over the horizon, teams all around the league are gearing up for another pennant chase in hopes of being crowned this year’s World Series champion. Of course, there’s still another seven months to go before someone raises the Commissioner’s Trophy. Until the playoffs begin, teams will be focused on a smaller goal: winning their division. We’ll be conducting a series of polls to gauge who MLBTR readers believe is the favorite in each division. That series already covered the NL West, where the Dodgers were viewed as an overwhelming favorite, and will now move on to the NL Central. Teams are listed in order of their 2024 record.

Milwaukee Brewers (93-69)

The perennially underrated Brewers won the NL Central for a second consecutive year last season, finishing ten games up on the second-place Cubs and Cardinals. Impressively, they did so after losing both star manager Craig Counsell and ace right-hander Corbin Burnes the previous offseason. They’ll need to work that same magic to stay on top of their division this year after a winter that once again saw them part ways with major pieces. This time, longtime shortstop Willy Adames departed for San Francisco in free agency while the club traded star closer Devin Williams to the Yankees in exchange for prospect Caleb Durbin and southpaw Nestor Cortes.

Even without those stars, the Brewers could make some noise in a relatively weak division. A strong outfield anchored by Christian Yelich and Jackson Chourio figures to impress once again in 2025, and William Contreras has blossomed into a true star behind the plate. Meanwhile, veteran ace Brandon Woodruff is expected back sometime early this year after missing 2024 due to shoulder surgery, joining existing rotation pieces like Freddy Peralta and Aaron Civale to form a strong group. The club’s first challenge of the year will be getting through the early weeks of the season with a patchwork rotation, as each of Woodruff, Tobias Myers, DL Hall, Aaron Ashby, and Robert Gasser figure to open the year on the injured list.

Chicago Cubs (83-79)

After a second consecutive 83-79 finish in 2024, the Cubs made some major changes over the offseason. The club said goodbye to its longest-tenured player as Kyle Hendricks departed for Anaheim, replacing him in the rotation with southpaw Matthew Boyd, and swapped out Cody Bellinger for Kyle Tucker, a clear offensive upgrade that cost them third baseman Isaac Paredes to pull off. A reconstructed bullpen featuring Ryan Pressly, Ryan Brasier, Caleb Thielbar, and Eli Morgan looks strong on paper than the relief corps that was expected to be anchored by Adbert Alzolay and Hector Neris last year, as well. Despite those on-paper improvements, the Cubs face plenty of questions entering 2025. Matt Shaw, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and even Miguel Amaya offer plenty of upside at third base, in center field, and behind the plate respectively but none are surefire offensive contributors.

There’s still plenty to like, however. Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, and Ian Happ provide an incredibly strong floor in the outfield, and the addition of Justin Turner offers protection against a sophomore slump for 2024 standout rookie Michael Busch at first base while Nico Hoerner and Dansby Swanson figure to offer their perennially excellent defense alongside league average offense up the middle. Justin Steele and Shota Imanaga offer a quality one-two punch at the front of the club’s rotation, as well. It’s not too difficult to see a path back to the playoffs for the Cubs this year despite the questions, and adding a true star like Tucker ahead of his walk year could be the boost they need to recapture the division in 2025.

St. Louis Cardinals (83-79)

2024 was a mixed bag for the Cardinals, as they managed to get back over .500 following a disastrous 2023 campaign but saw both Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt fail to live up to expectations as they fell short of the playoffs once again. The struggles of the last two years prompted the Cardinals front office to put a focus on developing young players and parting ways with veterans this winter, though no-trade clauses wielded by Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, and Arenado prevented that goal from coming to fruition outside of the departures of veterans like Goldschmidt and Kyle Gibson via free agency.

That’s left the Cardinals with a roster that looks simultaneously similar and slightly downgraded from last year. Phil Maton was the club’s only big league free agent addition this winter, offering a veteran set-up option for closer Ryan Helsley after Andrew Kittredge departed in free agency. Outside of that, the club’s moves were largely internal. Contreras replaced Goldschmidt at first base to make room for a catching tandem of Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages, Matthew Liberatore is sliding into the club’s rotation from the bullpen, and the club appears committed to giving more regular opportunities to younger players like Jordan Walker, Nolan Gorman, and Alec Burleson. St. Louis’s hopes of finding success in 2025 likely hinge on those young players making the most of their opportunities this year and taking big steps forward.

Cincinnati Reds (77-85)

2024 was a deeply disappointed season in Cincinnati, as a club that many expected to blossom instead fell apart in the face of injuries all over the roster. Strong performances from stars Elly De La Cruz and Hunter Greene aside, there were few positive takeaways from last season. Fortunately, the club made substantial changes ahead of the 2025 season. They got things started in October by hiring future Hall of Famer Terry Francona to manage the club, and since then they’ve added Gavin Lux, Taylor Rogers, Jose Trevino, and Brady Singer in free agency while bringing back Nick Martinez and signing Austin Hays.

It was a busy offseason that added a number of solid complimentary pieces, all of whom should help the Reds avoid a total collapse like they suffered last year. Even so, the club will need better health from its core players to contend. The return of Matt McLain should offer a big boost, while healthy seasons from TJ Friedl in center field, Jeimer Candelario at third base, and Nick Lodolo in the rotation could be game changing as well. The pieces appear to be in place for brighter days in 2025, but whether that will be enough to get the Reds back to the postseason for the first time in a 162-game season since 2013 remains to be seen.

Pittsburgh Pirates (76-86)

Pittsburgh hasn’t finished above fourth place in the NL Central since 2016, and even a full season from reigning NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes won’t be enough to pull the club back into postseason contention on its own. The Pirates had a relatively quiet offseason this winter as they brought Andrew Heaney into the rotation alongside the additions of Spencer Horwitz and Tommy Pham to the lineup but made few additions beyond that trio. Those additions join a solid enough nucleus that includes Skenes, Jared Jones, Mitch Keller, Oneil Cruz, and Bryan Reynolds, but a lineup light on impact and a bullpen still anchored by David Bednar even after a 5.77 ERA season last year raise questions about the club’s ability to compete before even considering the fact that Jones and Horwitz are both presently nursing injuries.

That’s not to say there’s no hope for the Pirates this year, however. Skenes is perhaps the best young pitcher in the entire sport, and even if Jones misses time Keller, Heaney, and Bailey Falter make for a solid rotation that should keep the club in most games. A big season from Horwitz once he returns from the IL along with steps forward for young players like Cruz, Endy Rodriguez, and Nick Gonzales could lift the lineup well above its projections even if the club continues to get little value from former 1-1 pick Henry Davis, and Bednar returning to the form he showed in his previous back-to-back All-Star campaigns would go along way as well.

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It was a fairly busy offseason in the NL Central, and while the division still appears weaker at the top than its rivals on the coasts it nonetheless stands out as the only one in the National League where all five clubs are making some attempt to contend in 2025. Will the Brewers be able to hold onto the division crown for a third consecutive season? Will an up-and-coming club like the Cubs or Reds take a big enough step forward to wrest control? Or, perhaps, the Cardinals or Pirates will get the steps forward from young pieces necessary to surprise? Have your say in the poll below:

Who Will Win The NL Central?
Chicago Cubs 32.96% (3,256 votes)
Milwaukee Brewers 27.83% (2,749 votes)
Cincinnati Reds 21.32% (2,106 votes)
St. Louis Cardinals 10.37% (1,024 votes)
Pittsburgh Pirates 7.52% (743 votes)
Total Votes: 9,878

The Opener: Non-Roster Invitees, Roster Moves, Opt Outs

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Happy Opening Day eve! With just one more day to go before 2025 regular season begins, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on today:

1. NRIs to be added:

As teams finish finalizing their Opening Day rosters, plenty of 40-man roster churn should be expected. Brendan Rodgers, Cam Smith, Sean Newcomb, Brad Keller, Randy Dobnak, and Cavan Biggio are all expected to be added to their respective club’s 40-man after making the Opening Day roster as non-roster invitees to Spring Training, and those are just the names reported yesterday. Teams with full 40-man rosters will need to make corresponding moves to clear space for their new additions. For many clubs, that will be as simple as transferring an injured player to the 60-day injured list. Others already have an open 40-man spot after passing a player through waivers or returning a Rule 5 pick. Still, some will need to designate a player for assignment in order to make room for their newly-rostered players, which creates the possibility for further turnover.

2. Other roster moves incoming:

Other moves not involving NRIs should be expected, as well. For example, the Diamondbacks are reportedly poised to sign southpaw Jalen Beeks and will need to make a 40-man roster move before that becomes official. While Beeks is slated to join the roster in Arizona, there are some expected outgoing roster moves as well. The Mets are expected to place outfielder Alexander Canario on waivers, for instance. The recent influx of free agents available after the weekend’s Article XX(B) opt outs could lead to more signings besides Beeks, and there will likely be a few more out-of-options players squeezed off their clubs’ Opening Day rosters over the next day or so. Astros outfielder/first baseman/catcher Cooper Hummel is reportedly one such player.

3. Last minute opt-out opportunities:

While the majority of opt-out opportunities in players’ minor league deals coincided with the uniform Article XX(B) opt outs that occurred over the weekend, a handful of stragglers have come through in the days since. Right-hander Dan Altavilla opted out of his minor league deal with the White Sox and was granted his release yesterday. Aside from more straightforward opt-out opportunities, players could have upward mobility clauses they could trigger to force their clubs to offer them up to rivals willing to offer them a major league roster spot such as the one utilized by right-hander Nick Anderson earlier this week.

Blue Jays Extend Alejandro Kirk

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The Blue Jays announced Tuesday that they’ve signed catcher Alejandro Kirk to a five-year extension covering the 2026-30 seasons. He’ll reportedly be guaranteed $58MM on the deal. Kirk was already signed for the current season at $4.6MM. The new contract buys out his final season of arbitration and four free-agent seasons. Kirk is represented by Vayner Sports.

Kirk, 26, is entering the first season of his career where he’ll be the uncontested primary catcher for the Blue Jays after years of sharing time with some combination of Reese McGuire, Gabriel Moreno, and Danny Jansen.

Signed out of Tijuana, Mexico in international free agency, Kirk made his pro debut back in 2017 and reached the majors in time for a nine-game cup of coffee in 2020 that was then expanded to a 60-game stint as the club’s third catcher behind McGuire and Jansen. He hit a robust .259/.336/.455 in 214 trips to the plate across those 69 games before finally earning a more regular role with the club in 2022.

He made the most of the opportunity, delivering an All-Star campaign and winning a Silver Slugger award behind the plate. In 541 trips to the plate that year, Kirk slashed an incredible .285/.372/.415 with a wRC+ of 129. In conjunction with his elite framing and blocking abilities, Kirk managed to post an excellent 4.3 fWAR that tied with Will Smith for the fourth-highest figure of any catcher that season. The sensational performance seemed to solidify Kirk’s status as the club’s catcher of the future, and helped prompt them to trade top prospect Gabriel Moreno to the Diamondbacks alongside Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in exchange for an elite defensive outfielder in Daulton Varsho.

Unfortunately, things haven’t quite gone according to plan in that regard. Kirk’s put up relatively pedestrian numbers at the plate over the past two seasons, slashing just .251/.327/.358 with a 95 wRC+. That’s certainly not bad for a catcher, and Kirk’s elite defensive numbers have allowed him to remain a two-to-three win player even as he’s taken a step back offensively. With that solid floor established and the tantalizing upside of his 2022 season still at least theoretically in reach, the Blue Jays have opted to pounce on the opportunity to lock Kirk up long-term. In doing so, they’ve given Kirk a deal that slightly eclipses the one Royals catcher Salvador Perez signed prior to the 2016 season, which guaranteed him $52.5MM.

Besides Perez, the only other extension signed within the past decade by a catcher with between four and five years of MLB service that came with a guarantee of even $5MM was that of Smith with the Dodgers last year, which guaranteed Smith $131.45MM in new money over nine years. That’s a significantly higher sum than Kirk received, although it should be noted that Smith signed for nearly twice as long as Kirk and the deferred money in the deal reduced the net present value of the deal to around $114.5MM after factoring in the money Smith was already owed for last season. Given their similarly high ceilings, it’s not necessarily a surprise that Kirk’s $11.6MM AAV is in the same ballpark as the approximately $12.25 AAV Smith received on his deal last season even as Kirk’s volatility in recent years compared to Smith’s more steadfast production led Kirk’s deal to be capped at just five seasons. That shortened term also provides Kirk the flexibility to potentially get a bite at the free agent apple later in his career that could prove quite lucrative if he manages to rediscover the offensive form he flashed in 2022 over the next few seasons.

For now, however, the Blue Jays have locked Kirk up as a fixture of the franchise for the rest of the decade, a roll he’ll share with offseason additions Andres Gimenez and Anthony Santander. The move keeps a homegrown talent in the fold long-term, offering some much-needed continuity for the organization ahead of a 2025 season that could be the last one both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette spend in Toronto. Kirk’s strong work behind the plate should continue to benefit Jays pitchers, both veterans like Jose Berrios and Kevin Gausman as well as youngsters like Bowden Francis and Jake Bloss, for years to come, and if he can recapture his offensive form from 2022 he’d be a rare two-way catcher who can double as a defensive stalwart and middle-of-the-order bat.

Fansided’s Robert Murray first reported the agreement and the terms. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic added additional financial details.

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