Rays Notes: Melton, Williams, Woodford
The Rays have optioned top prospects Jacob Melton and Carson Williams to Triple-A Durham to begin the season, the team announced. Melton entered the season with two option years remaining. Williams has a full slate of three option years.
Both players made their big league debuts in 2025 — Melton with the Astros. He came to Tampa Bay by way of the three-team trade sending Brandon Lowe and Mason Montgomery to Pittsburgh and Mike Burrows to Houston. A strong showing this spring might’ve put Melton in position to win a spot in the Opening Day lineup, but he struggled to a .161/.212/.387 showing with a dozen strikeouts in 33 plate appearances.
The rocky spring numbers have little to no impact on Melton’s status as a potential major contributor for years to come. He enters the season ranked 70th on Baseball America’s ranking of the game’s top 100 prospects. The 25-year-old is was a second-round pick in 2022 who saw his stock dip with a middling 2024 season but who rebuilt much of the fanfare surrounding him with a terrific minor league run in 2025.
Melton missed nearly two months last year with a high ankle sprain but hit .286/.389/.556 with a huge 14.7% walk rate in Triple-A prior to being called to the majors. Big league pitching proved to be a challenge the Oregon native, as Melton was stymied for a .157/.234/.186 slash in a small sample of 78 major league plate appearances. He still played good defense and went 7-for-9 in stolen base attempts. However, last year’s rough MLB cameo and this spring’s shaky showing suggest that he could use a bit more seasoning in the upper minors.
At some point, Melton should get a look this season. Tampa Bay’s outfield isn’t exactly composed of established stars. Left fielder Chandler Simpson is the fastest player in baseball but has bottom-of-the-scale power and needs to improve his outfield reads if he’s to become even an average defender. Cedric Mullins signed a one-year deal in free agency and will be hoping for a rebound after a dismal 2025 season. Jake Fraley was non-tendered by the Rays and re-signed to a cheap one-year deal. Jonny DeLuca, Ryan Vilade and Justyn-Henry Malloy give the Rays some right-handed complements to that entirely left-handed outfield slate, but none of the three righties is an established contributor himself.
Williams, meanwhile, was sent down despite strong results this spring. He went 6-for-22 with a pair of doubles and a stolen base (albeit with two other unsuccessful attempts). As with Melton, he’s a touted prospect who struggled considerably in his first exposure to MLB pitching last summer. The 2021 first-rounder appeared in 32 games and took 106 plate appearances but batted only .172/.219/.354. He popped five homers but struck out in an alarming 41.5% of his plate appearances.
Williams has mashed his way through the lower and middle levels of the minors, but he’s been a below-average hitter in Triple-A and in his tiny major league sample. He hit .213/.318/.447 with a 34% strikeout rate in Durham last year. Strikeouts are always going to be an issue for the 22-year-old, but he has above-average speed, plus power and a plus glove at shortstop. Williams typically draws plenty of walks, so the hope will be that he can be something of a three-true-outcome slugger who happens to play a plus shortstop as well. That’d make him an easy regular and lock him in as a fixture with the Rays, but there’s still some work to be done.
For now, it seems likely that Taylor Walls will open the season at shortstop. Trade acquisition Ben Williamson is expected to get some looks there as well (in addition to time at third base and second base).
One other recent cut for the Rays was veteran righty Jake Woodford, who was a non-roster invitee but was reassigned to minor league camp two days back. The 29-year-old right-hander had a nice showing, tossing 7 1/3 innings and holding opponents to a run on four hits and two walks with five strikeouts and a nice 45% ground-ball rate.
MLBTR has learned that Woodford has an upward mobility clause in his contract on Friday. Effectively, that clause will make him available to all 29 other clubs. If another team is willing to put Woodford on its 40-man roster, the Rays have to either select him to their own 40-man roster or let him go to the club that’s willing to do so. Since Woodford is out of minor league options, he’d need a team willing to carry him on the major league roster to step up.
The No. 39 overall pick back in the 2015 draft, Woodford has pitched in parts of six major league seasons between the Cardinals, White Sox, Pirates and D-backs. He has a career 5.10 ERA with a very low 14.9% strikeout rate but strong walk and ground-ball rates (7.6% and 45%, respectively).
Woodford has pitched both out of the bullpen and out of a rotation. He’s totaled at least 21 major league innings each season dating back to 2020. The right-hander logged a 6.44 ERA in 36 innings with Arizona in 2025 and spent the rest of the season in Triple-A with the Yankees and Cubs, combining for a 4.55 earned run average in 61 1/3 innings there. A club that’s incurred some injuries in the rotation this spring and is looking to bring in some length for the bullpen could take a look once that clause triggers on Friday.
José Berríos Diagnosed With Stress Fracture In Elbow
Blue Jays righty José Berríos has been diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right elbow and will not be ready for Opening Day, manager John Schneider announced to the team’s beat (via Arden Zwelling of Sportsnet). Berríos is somewhat remarkably pain- and symptom-free. The current hope is that after a bit of down time, he’ll be able to pitch through the issue. It’s not clear exactly how long that’ll be, but for now he’ll take a few days off from throwing altogether.
Berríos had been pitching throughout the spring and only learned of a possible issue in his elbow when he was taking his physical prior to joining Puerto Rico’s team for the World Baseball Classic. An MRI conducted as part of that exam revealed inflammation in his elbow, which caught Berríos by surprise, as he said that he had not experienced any discomfort. Still, the inflammation scuttled his hopes of pitching for Puerto Rico and prompted the Jays to schedule a visit with Dr. Keith Meister to further evaluate the veteran righty’s elbow.
Entering the fifth season of a seven-year, $131MM contract, Berríos had been hoping for a rebound effort. He’s coming off one of his weaker seasons but was still plenty serviceable last year. In 166 innings, he posted a 4.17 ERA, 19.8% strikeout rate and 8% walk rate. The right-hander’s 93 mph average four-seamer was a career-low, and his 92.2 mph average sinker was the second-lowest of his career. That walk rate, while solid, was the second-highest of his career in a full season and a notable step up from the 6.7% he’d logged from 2017-24.
A trip to the injured list is a rarity for Berríos. He’s been a starter every year of his major league career — one of the most durable and consistent of the past decade. Dating back to 2018, he leads Major League Baseball in both games started (234) and innings pitched (1367 2/3). Berríos started a full slate of 12 games during the shortened 2020 season and has started 30 or more games in each other season dating back to 2018.
The Jays still owe Berríos $66MM over the next three seasons. He can opt out of the final two years of his contract following the 2026 campaign, but based on last year’s relative down performance, that looked like a long shot even before news of this elbow issue popped up.
Berríos finds himself in something of an odd spot with the Jays, though perhaps this injury will help sort things out organically. Toronto signed Dylan Cease, Max Scherzer and Cody Ponce in free agency this offseason. Rookie Trey Yesavage is also locked into a rotation spot after a dominant late-season debut and postseason run. The Blue Jays have Kevin Gausman, Shane Bieber, Cease, Yesavage, Ponce, Scherzer, Berríos and Eric Lauer on the roster, giving them eight viable starting pitchers for five spots.
Bieber is opening the season on the injured list due to some forearm fatigue. Berríos will join him there for an undetermined period of time. If neither misses much time, the Jays could soon have some tough decisions to make with regard to eight veteran starting pitchers — assuming the other six remain healthy. Lauer has voiced a desire to pitch out of the rotation — he’s a free agent next winter, after all — but said he’ll pitch in whatever role he’s asked. There’s been some trade speculation surrounding him, but with two starters already on the shelf, Toronto may not be keen on further thinning the staff.
Williamson, Lowder, Burns Make Reds’ Roster
The Reds will open the season with six starters on the major league roster, manager Terry Francona announced (via Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). With Hunter Greene out until midseason, Cincinnati had three rotation locks: Opening Day starter Andrew Abbott, fellow lefty Nick Lodolo and veteran right-hander Brady Singer. Lefty Brandon Williamson and righties Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder have all secured roster spots as well. The Reds won’t use a straight six-man rotation but will deploy the Burns/Lowder/Williamson trio in a to-be-determined capacity.
Charlie Goldsmith of FOX 19 writes that the Reds have labeled the setup as a “condensed” six-man rotation. Abbott, Lodolo and Singer will start the first three games. A decision has yet to be made on which of Burns, Lowder and Williamson will start games four and five for the Reds. Whichever isn’t given a start will be available in long relief or tandem/piggyback fashion for the other two. Abbott will be back on the bump for Cincinnati’s sixth game of the season.
“You’ll see (Williamson) either potentially come in after Burns, or maybe even start a game and have Lowder do it (out of the bullpen),” Francona said (via Goldsmith). “I don’t think we feel the need to say it ahead of time as far as strategy goes. That’s kind of where we’re sitting. You’ll see (Williamson) pitch one of those two days (Game 4 or 5 of the season).”
Williamson, 28 next month, entered camp as a particular long shot to make the club. He’d pitched only 30 2/3 innings over the past two seasons combined — none in 2025. He missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery that was performed late in the 2024 campaign.
A former second-round pick by the Mariners, Williamson came to the Reds in the 2022 Eugenio Suárez/Jesse Winker trade. He’s pitched 131 1/3 big league innings with a 4.39 ERA to date but was a fairly well-regarded prospect with a solid minor league track record. Now healthy, Williamson has opened eyes in camp. He’s pitched 11 innings and held opponents to just two runs on only six hits and a pair of walks with 13 strikeouts (1.64 ERA, 31 K%, 4.8 BB%). He has a career 92.8 mph on his four-seamer but has been sitting 94.1 mph this spring (obviously not working as deep into games as he would in a regular season setting).
Burns and Lowder — particularly the former — seemed like much stronger rotation bets. Burns, the No. 2 overall pick in 2024, debuted last summer less than a year after being selected out of Wake Forest. The 6’3″ flamethrower obliterated minor league opposition, notching a 1.77 ERA, 36.8% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate in his first 13 pro starts before being summoned to the big leagues. Burns’ 4.57 ERA in 43 1/3 MLB frames last year, but much of the damage against him came early on. Burns was shredded for seven runs in just one-third of an inning against Boston in his second career start. He bounced back with a 3.32 ERA, 37.3% strikeout rate and 8.9% walk rate over his final 38 major league innings.
Lowder was the No. 7 overall pick just a year prior to Burns. Like Burns, he’s a Wake Forest product who made his MLB debut just a year after being drafted, in 2024. Lowder turned in a powerhouse 1.17 ERA in his first six MLB starts but did so with an underwhelming 17.2% strikeout rate and hefty 10.9% walk rate. His minor league work was terrific, however.
Both Burns and Lowder have had nice springs overall, though the Reds recently slowed Burns down a bit after he reported some range-of-motion issues to the club. Both promising young righties are viewed as critical long-term pieces in the rotation. It’s not entirely clear how this six-man setup will be resolved long-term. Francona told Goldsmith it’s a very short-term setup that probably won’t even last into late April. All three of Burns, Lowder and Williamson have multiple minor league option years remaining.
Francona also confirmed that reliever Connor Phillips and outfielder Will Benson have made the roster. Both have a minor league option remaining that, at least for now, won’t be used. The 24-year-old Phillips has had a rough spring, allowing seven runs in seven innings with an 18.8% walk rate, but he posted a 2.88 ERA while punching out nearly one-third of his opponents in 25 major league innings last year.
Benson has absolutely raked this spring, popping four homers and a double with as many walks as strikeouts (seven apiece) in 40 plate appearances. The 27-year-old is hitting .250/.400/.656 in 13 games. There’s no clear path to regular playing time with TJ Friedl, Noelvi Marte, JJ Bleday and Dane Myers also on the roster, but he’ll mix in as an occasional starter versus right-handed pitching and a lefty bat off the bench.
33 Veterans With Looming Opt-Out Dates
The 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement implemented a series of uniform opt-out dates for Article XX(B) free agents who sign a minor league deal in free agency at least 10 days before the start of the regular season. That designation mostly falls on players with six-plus years of MLB service time who finished the preceding season on a major league roster or injured list. Some contracts for players coming over from a foreign professional league like Nippon Professional Baseball or the Korea Baseball Organization will also have language written into their contracts allowing them to qualify as a XX(b) free agent despite a lack of six years of service.
The three uniform opt-out dates on those contracts land five days before Opening Day, on May 1 and on June 1. With the regular season set to kick off next Wednesday, the Article XX(b) free agents who are in camp on minor league contracts will have the opportunity to opt out this weekend. (That presumably does not apply to Tommy Kahnle, who agreed to his minor league contract with the Red Sox eight days before the start of the regular season.) A player triggering one of these out clauses gives his club 48 hours to either add him to the 40-man roster or let him become a free agent.
There are other ways to secure opt-outs in contracts, of course. Many players who don’t qualify for XX(b) designation will still have opt-out opportunities negotiated into their minor league deals in free agency.
For this list, players with negotiated opt-out dates will be marked with an asterisk; all others are Article XX(b) free agents who have uniform opt-out dates on March 21, May 1 and June 1. Spring Training stats are through play on Monday, March 16.
Orlando Arcia, INF, Twins: The Twins don’t have a clear backup option for Brooks Lee at shortstop. Lee is making the move to shortstop full-time for the first time in his big league career. There are concerns both about whether he can hit well enough to handle the everyday gig and whether he can play a passable shortstop with the glove. Arcia has had a decent spring but has competition on the 40-man from slick-fielding/light-hitting utilityman Ryan Kreidler. Arcia had a nice run with the 2022-23 Braves but has hit .214/.263/.337 in 816 MLB plate appearances since.
Ryan Brasier, RHP, Rangers: Brasier’s average fastball is down more than a mile per hour this spring, per Statcast, and he’s fanned just two of his 34 opponents while yielding seven runs (six earned) in 7 1/3 frames. The 38-year-old hasn’t walked anyone yet. Brasier has missed time due to injury in each of the past two seasons, posting a combined 4.00 ERA in 54 frames between the Dodgers and Cubs. Texas had a pretty open bullpen mix earlier in the winter but has signed four free agent relievers (five, counting the since-DFA’ed Alexis Díaz) to big league deals this winter and made a Rule 5 pick. Brasier will have a hard time cracking the roster.
Walker Buehler, RHP, Padres: Buehler has had a middling spring but is one of the favorites for a spot at the back of an already thin Padres rotation that has been further whittled down by injuries and the poor performance of free agent pickup Germán Márquez. Outside of his 2024 World Series heroics, Buehler has produced below-average results since returning from his second Tommy John surgery a couple years ago. His last healthy, productive season was back in 2021. The Padres don’t have a ton of options though, so he has a good chance to crack the roster.
Andrew Chafin, LHP, Twins: Chafin is sitting in the upper 80s with his fastball this spring, but he’s held opponents to a couple runs in five innings after logging a 3.03 ERA over his past 267 1/3 MLB frames (including a 2.41 ERA in 33 2/3 innings in 2025). The Twins’ bullpen is in shambles after last July’s sell-off and an offseason neglecting the relief corps (and the roster in general). He should have a decent chance to crack the roster.
Michael Conforto, OF, Cubs: After a career-worst season at the plate with the Dodgers in 2025, Conforto took a minor league deal on a Cubs team that didn’t have a path to regular playing time. Seiya Suzuki is questionable for Opening Day after suffering a PCL sprain during the World Baseball Classic. That has cracked the door open for a depth outfielder, but the 33-year-old Conforto has logged a punchless .261/.320/.348 slash this spring. It’s a small sample of 25 plate appearances, of course, but he has competition from prospect Kevin Alcántara and fellow non-roster players Dylan Carlson and Chas McCormick.
Paul DeJong, INF, Yankees: DeJong made sense as a Yankees NRI, given that shortstop Anthony Volpe will open the season on the injured list while recovering from shoulder surgery. New York needed a backup shortstop for interim starter José Caballero and didn’t have many options. They’ve since traded for Max Schuemann and given Ryan McMahon some spring shortstop reps. Manager Aaron Boone has voiced comfort with McMahon playing the position in a regular-season game if needed. DeJong could back up at multiple infield spots, but that’s also true of Amed Rosario, who’s on the 40-man roster and who hits lefties much better than DeJong. There doesn’t seem like a real chance for DeJong to make the roster, barring injuries.
Elias Díaz, C, Royals: Díaz is anywhere from third to fifth on the Royals catching depth chart. Salvador Perez and Carter Jensen will split duties to begin the season and aren’t in any danger of being displaced. Prospect Blake Mitchell and fellow veteran Jorge Alfaro were also brought to camp as non-roster invitees (though Alfaro has been playing with Colombia in the World Baseball Classic). Kansas City also signed Luke Maile (another XX(b) free agent) on a non-roster deal, but he left the club to deal with a personal issue before camp began. Bottom line: there’s a lot of competition for Díaz and no clear path to a spot.
Kyle Farmer, INF, Braves: Ha-Seong Kim was slated to play shortstop for Atlanta until he tore a tendon in his hand back in January. He’ll be back at some point — likely in May — but Kim’s injury prompted the Braves to sign Jorge Mateo to a big league deal and bring Farmer in on a non-roster deal. Utilityman Mauricio Dubón will start at short to begin the season. Mateo has the leg up on a bench spot, given that he’s on the 40-man roster, but Farmer has handily outperformed him this spring. Farmer can play all over the infield but does most of his damage against lefties. Mateo is one of the game’s fastest players and can play center field as well. Infielder/outfielder Brett Wisely, out of minor league options, is another bench candidate. He’s having a big spring as well. Farmer doesn’t have a great path to make the club.
Ty France, 1B, Padres: Back with the organization that drafted him, France is putting the ball in play and piling up singles in Padres camp. That’s what he’s done for the past three years, more or less. France had an under-the-radar run as a much stronger, middle-of-the-order bat from 2020-22 (.285/.355/.443), but he’s a righty-swinging platoon first baseman who lacks pop. That might still land him a bench job to platoon with Gavin Sheets early in the year, but he’ll need to fend off fellow non-roster righty first baseman Jose Miranda, who’s younger and having a better showing.
Adam Frazier, INF/OF, Angels: After Christian Moore was optioned to Triple-A, Frazier seems like the favorite to open the season as the Angels’ second baseman. He’s having a nice spring but hasn’t had an above-average season at the plate since 2021. From 2022-25, Frazier slashed .241/.302/.343. Former Yankees prospect Oswald Peraza is having a big spring and could push Frazier for second base reps, but the Angels have a thin enough roster that it’d be pretty easy to accommodate both.
Mitch Garver, C/DH, Mariners: It’s been a rough spring for Garver, who was always a long shot to break the roster with Cal Raleigh aboard and journeyman Andrew Knizner signing on a one-year, major league contract. Garver was a potent offensive force from 2018-23 between the Twins and Rangers (.254/.343/.488), but he had consecutive poor seasons with the Mariners in 2024-25 and is just 2-for-16 with nine strikeouts in 20 plate appearances this spring.
Randal Grichuk, OF, Yankees: The previously mentioned McMahon shortstop experiment could very well pave the way for Grichuk to make the roster. The Yankees’ bench will include catcher J.C. Escarra, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and aforementioned infielder Amed Rosario. There’s one spot up for grabs, and Grichuk’s track record as righty swinging outfielder who can handle all three spots and pummel left-handed pitching makes him a nice fit for a Yankees club needing a platoon partner for Trent Grisham.
Liam Hendriks, RHP, Twins: One of the best relievers in the game from 2019-22, the Aussie-born Hendriks has barely pitched in the three seasons since. That’s due both to Tommy John surgery and a frightening brush with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which he thankfully beat. Hendriks announced that he was cancer-free in Aug. 2023. He’s back with his original organization and trying to win a spot in a bullpen the Twins gutted at last year’s deadline when they traded five relievers. Hendriks struggled in Boston last year and has three walks (plus a hit batter) this spring against just two strikeouts. He’s 37, so he may not have much left in the tank, but the Twins have arguably the worst projected bullpen in the American League, so he could still have a chance.
Rhys Hoskins, 1B, Guardians: Hoskins has popped a couple spring homers with the Guards while punching out at a sky-high rate. The 33-year-old (as of today — happy birthday, Rhys!) was Cleveland’s only offensive addition of any real note this winter. He’s coming off a pair of disappointing seasons in Milwaukee after losing the 2023 campaign to a spring ACL tear. It’s not clear Hoskins can return to his previous heights as a 30-homer threat, but the Guardians’ anemic offense can certainly afford to find out.
Craig Kimbrel, RHP, Mets: Like Hendriks, Kimbrel is 37 years old and had a run as one of the sport’s top bullpen arms. The likely Hall of Famer was released by the Orioles in 2024 and only pitched a dozen MLB frames last year. He’s only allowed one run in four spring innings but has four walks and a pair of plunked hitters versus just two strikeouts. The Mets’ pitching staff already looks full. They have six starting pitchers, five relievers who can’t be optioned and two more with options but who’ve already been more or less declared to have made the team (Huascar Brazobán, Tobias Myers). It’s tough to see Kimbrel winning a spot, particularly when his fastball is sitting 92.6 mph, which would be a career-low by a wide margin.
Peter Lambert, RHP, Astros*: Lambert isn’t an XX(b) free agent, but Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported recently that his contract contains an opt-out clause. He’s allowed only one run in nine spring innings and has reportedly caught the eye of Houston brass with his performance and the quality of his stuff thus far. Houston’s roster is similar to that of the Mets: six starters and four set relievers who can’t be optioned (five once Josh Hader returns). Hader’s season-opening IL placement could create some room in the short-term, however.
Derek Law, RHP, Diamondbacks: Law had season-ending flexor surgery last July and is expected to be sidelined into April or May. He’s not going to take this opt-out and will spend the early portion of the season rehabbing with the D-backs, who signed him in free agency just six weeks ago.
Jonathan Loaísiga, RHP, Diamondbacks: The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro recently wrote that Loaísiga has the inside track for one of Arizona’s bullpen vacancies, and it’s easy to see why. From 2019-23, he posted a 3.30 ERA with an average strikeout rate, good command and a plus ground-ball rate. Injuries wiped out most of his 2024-25 campaigns, but he’s in camp with the Snakes this year and has held opponents to two runs in six innings with rate stats that look similar to his pre-injury levels. There’s a very good chance he makes the club.
Tim Mayza, LHP, Phillies: Mayza has generally been effective when healthy, but injuries limited him to 16 2/3 innings last year. He’s allowed five earned runs in 6 1/3 spring frames, albeit with a 6-to-1 K/BB ratio and a quality ground-ball rate. The Phillies have José Alvarado, Tanner Banks and trade pickup Kyle Backhus (five shutout innings, three hits, 6-to-1 K/BB this spring) penciled into the ‘pen. Mayza has a tough road barring a late injury.
Andrew McCutchen, OF/DH, Rangers: After a three-year run back where it all started in Pittsburgh, McCutchen voiced some frustration with the Pirates’ lack of communication before they ultimately signed Marcell Ozuna. Cutch signed a minor league deal with Texas and has hit the ground running (7-for-12, three doubles, five walks, three strikeouts). He’d make a right-handed complement for DH Joc Pederson and could see some time in the outfield, too. It’s likelier than not that he’ll make the team.
John Means, LHP, Royals: Means is still recovering from an Achilles rupture he suffered during his offseason workouts. He signed a two-year minor league deal with Kansas City. He’s not taking this opt-out. He’ll spend the year rehabbing with the Royals and try to win a spot on the 2027 staff.
Rafael Montero, RHP, Yankees: Montero’s arrival in Yankees camp has been slowed by visa issues. He’s not going to make the Opening Day roster at this point, but he could head to Triple-A once he sorts through the visa troubles.
Dylan Moore, INF/OF, Phillies: The versatile Moore has followed up a poor 2025 season (.201/.267/.374) with a rough showing in Phillies camp (.185/.281/.222 in 32 plate appearances). The suspension for outfielder Johan Rojas may still have opened a door for Moore to make the club as a right-handed bench bat.
Martín Pérez, LHP, Braves: Injuries to Spencer Schwellenbach, Hurston Waldrep and Joey Wentz have clearly opened the door for Pérez to potentially win the fifth starter’s spot in Atlanta. He’s had a nice spring, allowing four runs in nine innings with a 9-to-2 K/BB ratio and huge 58% grounder rate. Pérez was having a nice year with the White Sox in 2025 before a forearm strain wiped out most of his season. He has a 4.01 ERA over his past 705 MLB frames, dating back to 2020. Pérez, 35 in April, is a fourth/fifth starter but has a decent track record. The main thing working against him is that his primary rotation competitor, Bryce Elder, is out of minor league options. Atlanta could keep Elder in a swingman role, but doing so would mean jettisoning lefty José Suárez, who’s also out of minor league options. That seems like a plausible route, and Pérez should have a decent chance to make the club.
Brendan Rodgers, INF, Red Sox: Rodgers was competing for an infield job with the Red Sox but suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery.
Austin Slater, OF, Tigers: Slater and journeyman Jahmai Jones are effectively competing for the same role: righty-swinging backup outfielder who can platoon with Kerry Carpenter and/or Parker Meadows. Slater has a long track record of solid offense versus lefties (.267/.357/.430) and is having a far better spring than Jones (.250/.382/.464 to Jones’ .143/.294/.214). Jones is younger and already on the 40-man roster, however, and he also mashed at a .287/.387/.550 clip with seven homers in 150 plate appearances in this role for Detroit last year.
Dominic Smith, 1B, Braves: Jurickson Profar‘s 162-game PED ban has opened the door for Smith to potentially make the roster as the team’s top DH option against right-handed pitching. He gave the Giants 225 plate appearances of above-average offense last summer (.284/.333/.417) and has had a solid showing this spring.
Drew Smith, RHP, Nationals: The Nats have one of the worst on-paper bullpens in baseball, if not the worst. Smith has been sharp in a small sample of 3 1/3 innings this spring after missing the 2025 campaign due to UCL surgery. The former Mets setup man logged a 3.35 ERA, 26.2 K% and 10.2 BB% in 161 1/3 innings from 2021-24. His 93.2 mph average heater is way down from the 95.2 mph he averaged in 2021-24, but Washington’s bullpen is so bleak that Smith’s track record alone should earn him a spot as long as he’s healthy.
Hunter Strickland, RHP, Angels: Back with the Halos on a minor league deal, this would be Strickland’s third straight season as an Angel if he makes the club. He’s pitched to a 3.30 ERA in 95 1/3 frames in Anaheim since 2024 and has fired four shutout frames in camp. The Angels’ bullpen is rife with uncertainty, and the organization knows Strickland well (although he’d be working with a revamped coaching staff in 2026).
Mike Tauchman, OF, Mets*: Tauchman isn’t an XX(b) free agent but has a March 25 opt-out opportunity negotiated into his deal. The 35-year-old left-handed hitter is coming off a three-year run in which he’s slashed .255/.359/.381 with a huge 13% walk rate. Tauchman is competing with top prospect Carson Benge for a roster spot. The Mets have minimal bench flexibility (Luis Torrens, Mark Vientos and Tyrone Taylor can’t be optioned), so for Tauchman to make the club he’ll probably need to beat Benge for the right field job. Failing that, he should draw interest from clubs seeking outfield help. The Astros, in particular, are looking for a left-handed hitter on the grass.
Chris Taylor, INF/OF, Angels: Taylor has had a nice spring (.235/.395/.441, nine walks, seven strikeouts in 43 plate appearances) and can play all over the diamond. Is that enough to outweigh the grisly .196/.284/.301 slash he’s posted in his past 371 major league plate appearances? It seems somewhat doubtful.
Lou Trivino, RHP, Phillies: Trivino returned from a two-year injury layoff to pitch 47 2/3 MLB frames with a 3.97 ERA last season. His strikeout and walk rates weren’t close to peak levels, however, and his velocity was down more than a mile per hour. It’s more of the same this spring. Trivino has given up six runs, walked five batters and tossed two wild pitches in seven innings. The Phillies only have two bullpen spots up for grabs (assuming Rule 5 pick Zach McCambley is returned to Miami). Trivino would fill one of those two with a veteran reliever who can’t be optioned. It seems rather unlikely.
Christian Vázquez, C, Astros: Houston GM Dana Brown has said at multiple points in camp that he hopes to add another backup catcher option. César Salazar is the only catcher on the 40-man roster other than starter Yainer Diaz. Vázquez and the ‘Stros reunited on a minor league deal earlier this month. He’s been playing for his native Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic but will get a chance to win the job now that he’s back with his former teammates, with whom he won a 2022 World Series. Vázquez hasn’t hit at all over the past four seasons but remains a plus defender.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
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- What date do I have to wait until so I don’t have draft pick compensation attached?
Steve Adams
- He didn’t receive a qualifying offer. He’s not attached to draft pick compensation.
Silky Johnson
- McGonigle can’t NOT make the opening day roster at this point, right?!?!
Steve Adams
- Darragh and I discussed this on the podcast episode we recorded this morning, which will drop tomorrow. But in short, yeah, at this point I’m fully expecting it. He’s been so good at every stop, including MLB spring training. There are no clear roadblocks to playing time for him. The Tigers are all in on 2026. I’ll be very surprised if he’s not the Opening Day SS.
MattStats5
- Thanks for doing these chats, Steve. Are the Orioles really going to carry four 1B/DH (counting Mayo once Westburg returns) into Opening Day, or is a trade more likely? A few teams have 1B/DH at-bats available, making Mountcastle a nice trade chip.
Steve Adams
- I don’t really agree all that much that Mountcastle is a nice trade chip. I mean, I’m sure there’d be some modest interest if they shopped him, but RHH first basemen are about the least valued position in the game, he’s making decent money, and he’s coming off a down/injury-marred year.I have no doubt that some clubs would happily plug him into a 1B/DH role, but probably not for any particularly interesting return.
Still seems like the eventual odd man out, though. I agree on that much
White Sox’ Mike Vasil To Undergo Tommy John Surgery
White Sox righty Mike Vasil will undergo Tommy John surgery and miss the entire 2026 season, the team announced Tuesday. Vasil exited his most recent Cactus League outing due to elbow soreness and had been sent for imaging.
It’s as unwelcome a birthday present as one could imagine for Vasil, who’ll turn 26 on Thursday. The former Mets farmhand made his big league debut with the South Siders in 2025 and carved out a big role on the staff, piling up 101 innings of long relief over 47 appearances (three of them starts). He notched a sparkling 2.50 ERA, and while his pedestrian 19.4% strikeout rate and poor 12.3% walk rate led metrics like SIERA (4.58) and FIP (4.32) to view his work more harshly, Vasil looked like a strong candidate to make the club because of his ability to provide bulk relief behind a generally shaky rotation.
Instead, Vasil will spend the entire season on the injured list. If there’s a silver lining, it’s that he’ll accrue a full year of major league service and pay while rehabbing from the forthcoming UCL reconstruction. Vasil picked up a full year of service in 2025 as well, so he’ll be controllable for at least four more years upon his return in 2027. He’ll still have a full slate of minor league options remaining as well.
If not Vasil, the White Sox could look to free agent signees Sean Newcomb and Erick Fedde as long relief/swingman options, though Fedde at least appears ticketed for a rotation spot with the recent announcement from manager Will Venable that Newcomb will begin the season in the bullpen (via Kyle Williams of the Chicago Sun-Times). Southpaws Chris Murphy and Tyler Gilbert are also candidates to serve as long relievers out of Venable’s bullpen. Both have had solid spring showings, and both have minor league options remaining.
Yankees Notes: Cole, Rodón, McMahon
It’s been 371 days since Yankees ace Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery, and the wait to see him back on a mound seems to be over. Joel Sherman of the New York Post reports that Cole will start tomorrow’s Grapefruit League game for the Yankees. He’s slated to pitch one inning in his return to game action.
An exact return timetable for Cole remains unclear. The 35-year-old is still a lock to open the season on the injured list. Even if tomorrow’s one inning goes off without a hitch, he’ll need further time to build up to a starter’s workload. That can’t be accomplished in the final week of spring training, but it’s at least feasible that if Cole is ready to throw an inning in a game right now, he could return to the Yankees in late April.
Cole didn’t pitch at all in 2025 after suffering a torn ulnar collateral ligament last spring and undergoing Tommy John surgery on March 11. Elbow troubles also limited him to 17 starts (95 innings) in 2024. He hasn’t had a full, health seasons since 2023 — though that proved to be quite the year; Cole tossed 209 innings with a 2.63 ERA, made his sixth All-Star team and won his first Cy Young Award. There’s no telling to how his elbow will respond to tomorrow’s more intense setting until he takes the bump, but the fact that he’s doing so a week before the Yankees even open their season is an encouraging development for Yankee fans.
There’s also good news on the team’s other high-priced but injured starter. Carlos Rodón underwent surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow back in October. Manager Aaron Boone said when camp opened that the big lefty could be back before the end of April. Those comments came nearly a month ago, but it appears Rodón is still on that same track. Boone told reporters this morning that he expects Rodón back “at some point in April,” via Chris Kirschner of The Athletic. Boone did not commit to the left-hander pitching in a game before spring training ends but also didn’t rule it out. He’s slated for a live batting practice session this week.
Rodón, 33, pitched 195 1/3 innings with a 3.09 earned run average last season. He stepped up in a big way following Cole’s injury, as both that innings count and his 33 games started were career-high marks. Rodón’s injury history is well known, and October’s surgery is the latest data point on his track record, but the 2024-25 seasons marked the first time in Rodon’s career that he started 30-plus games in back-to-back seasons. He’s a long shot to make it three in a row this year, but if he can return in April and remains healthy, he won’t be too far shy of 30 starts.
Good news notwithstanding, the Yankees will open the season with two of their “big three” free agent starters on the shelf. The third, left-hander Max Fried, will get the ball on Opening Day against Giants ace Logan Webb in San Francisco next Wednesday. He’ll be followed in some order by Cam Schlittler, Luis Gil, Will Warren and offseason trade acquisition Ryan Weathers. All four members of that quartet have minor league options remaining, so their performances both late in camp and early in the season will be worth watching with a close eye. By early May, it’s possible that two of those younger, less-established arms will have been optioned to Triple-A (assuming good health throughout the group — which is never a given).
On the position side of things, Boone confirmed today that he’d be comfortable with Ryan McMahon playing shortstop in a regular season game (via Kirschner). The 31-year-old is slated to open the season at third base but has been getting reps at shortstop throughout camp. He’s one of the game’s better defenders at the hot corner, and it seems he’s shown enough this spring to gain Boone’s trust as a backup option.
McMahon isn’t going to start at shortstop with any regularity, but his ability to at least capably handle that position in a pinch is notable. Anthony Volpe will begin the season on the injured list following offseason shoulder surgery, paving the way for José Caballero to start at shortstop early in the year. Light-hitting utilityman Max Schuemann is the only real shortstop option on the 40-man roster beyond McMahon, so McMahon’s ability to function as Caballero’s backup impacts the composition of the club’s bench.
Backup catcher J.C. Escarra, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and veteran infielder Amed Rosario are all locked into bench spots. Rosario was a shortstop earlier in his career but rated poorly there and played only two shortstop innings last year and 101 the year prior.
If not McMahon, the Yankees might have felt they needed Schuemann or a non-roster invitee like Jonathan Ornelas, Zack Short or veteran Paul DeJong on the bench. All four have had decent or better spring showings. McMahon serving as Caballero’s primary backup option gives Boone and GM Brian Cashman some more flexibility when deciding on the final spot, however. That could pave the way for non-roster pickup Randal Grichuk to make the club and serve as a righty-swinging complement to Trent Grisham, who batted .182/.303/.348 against lefties even during 2025’s breakout year.
Trade Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript
Steve Adams
- Good afternoon! Hope the weekend treated everyone well. I'll get started at about 2pm CT (give or take a minute or two), but feel free to start asking questions in advance, as always.
- Greetings! Let's begin
cambo
- How do you see the Rockies 1st base gig shaping up all season?
Steve Adams
- I assume you're going to see at least four guys with 20+ starts there: Edouard Julien, Troy Johnston, Blaine Crim and TJ Rumfield. Charlie Condon could be an option later in the year, too. I'll go with Julien as the 1B leader among the guys listed here, with Rumfield in second. Julien can't be optioned and is a poor 2B defender, so I think they'll just stick him at 1B if he hits at all.
Bill G
- Prediction Time: Why is it easier to predict who will come in last in each division than it is those who will come in first?
Steve Adams
- A bad team is only going to get worse due to injuries. Tougher to tell which good team(s) are going to fall victim to that randomness. Plus, most truly bad/last-place teams don't have a lot of depth or good farm systems on which to draw (which is part of why they're predicted last in the first place).
Stealing Home
- I've been listening to fantasy podcasts and one thing I don't understand is the love for Cory Seager and the fear for Trevor Story. Can you explain this? CBS actually went as far as to say even if you only get 3/4 of a season out of Seager it's better than most SS behind him over a full season, where Story landed on their dud list. I know both have great talent, roughly the same age and have been injury prone in their careers, but are they forgetting the great fantasy season Story had? Very similar to Lindor but he's being drafted 10 rounds later. To be fair Seager is being drafted around where Story is. If I knew both would stay healthy, I would be hard pressed to pick one over the other.
Steve Adams
- Story's season last year was both the first time he's taken 400 plate appearances AND the first time he's reached 20 HR or 20 SB since 2021. Last year feels like a ceiling year for Story, who's 33 years old and has the type of K-BB profile that's inherently going to leave him with a much lower floor than someone like Seager.Seager has his own durability concerns, but he's a perennial monster in the batter's box. He strikes out way less, walks way more, hits the ball harder and generally does everything better than Story. He's more than a year younger, too.
- The only way I'd ever take Story over Seager would be if you told me Seager was only going to play 70 games and Story would play 150. Even then, I'd be tempted to take Seager and just piece SS together (or fiendishly use that crystal ball outlook to trade him after 67 games, haha)
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Joe Musgrove Likely To Open Season On Injured List
A Padres club already thin on rotation depth delivered some rough news for fans Monday, as manager Craig Stammen revealed that righty Joe Musgrove is expected to open the season on the injured list (video link via 97.3 The Fan). Musgrove hasn’t thrown in more than a week. Dennis Lin of The Athletic reports that he didn’t recover as well as hoped following an exhibition start against Great Britain’s World Baseball Classic club.
It’s an ominous update, though it’s worth noting that Stammen didn’t suggest there had been a setback of any note. Musgrove hasn’t pitched since the 2024 season due to Tommy John surgery that cost him the entirety of the 2025 campaign.
“He’s most likely going to start on the IL this year,” Stammen said Monday morning. “We’re getting to the point where he’s taken enough time off that it’d be hard to ramp him up to get him to be a viable starter that could throw five innings, 90 pitches. … This was part of the plan. We knew he was going to have to take some time off. We knew we were going to have get him ready for the entire season and not just Opening Day.”
Getting a healthy Musgrove back in the fold will be key to the Padres’ chances at contending this season. San Diego’s rotation depth has thinned over the past year. Yu Darvish is injured and contemplating retirement. Dylan Cease became a free agent. Righties Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert were traded to the Royals last summer. Prospects Braden Nett and Henry Baez were sent to the Athletics as part of the Mason Miller trade.
A healthy Musgrove is arguably the Padres’ best pitcher. From 2021-24, the now-33-year-old righty gave his hometown club 559 1/3 innings of 3.20 ERA ball, fanning a sharp 25.5% of opponents against a terrific 6.1% walk rate. Musgrove doesn’t throw especially hard, sitting a bit north of 93 mph with his heater, but he has good command and induces both chases off the plate and swinging strikes at league-average or slightly better rates.
It’s always been fair to wonder how many innings the Padres can reasonably expect from Musgrove after a layoff of nearly 18 months. The uncertainty surrounding his workload is one of many pressing questions about San Diego’s starting staff.
The Padres now enter the year with Michael King (also coming off an injury-truncated season) and Nick Pivetta locked into spots. Randy Vásquez and free-agent pickup Germán Márquez are both likely to be in the starting five as well, though Márquez has been shelled this spring coming off his own worrying return from UCL surgery in Colorado. In 6 2/3 innings, he’s allowed nine runs on 10 hits and four walks. Vásquez posted a solid 3.84 ERA in 133 2/3 innings last season but did so with the third-worst strikeout rate (13.7%) of any pitcher in MLB (min. 100 innings pitched). Metrics like SIERA (5.43) and xFIP (5.51) both pegged him bottom-two in that same subset.
Options to fill out the rotation behind King, Pivetta, Vásquez and Márquez are fairly suspect. Left-hander JP Sears is on the 40-man roster but hasn’t seemed to have the confidence of the organization since coming over alongside Miller in that aforementioned trade. The Friars gave him only five starts last year despite the fact that he’d been a staple in the Athletics’ rotation. He spent the rest of his time with the organization in Triple-A last summer, and Sears has had very rough spring (8.44 ERA in 10 2/3 innings). Righty Matt Waldron is also on the 40-man roster but is behind in camp and could start on the IL himself. San Diego also signed Griffin Canning in free agency, but he’s a lock to open on the IL as he finishes rehabbing last year’s ruptured Achilles tendon.
In all likelihood, the Padres will need to break camp with at least one non-roster invitee in the rotation (barring further additions). Walker Buehler, Marco Gonzales and Triston McKenzie are the most prominent names to have signed minor league deals this offseason. None of the three have pitched well this spring. Buehler is the only one who’s allowed fewer runs than innings pitched (four runs on seven hits and two walks with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 frames).
Given the lackluster options and the nature of their early schedule, the Padres may not even fill Musgrove’s rotation spot at all. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune writes that the Padres could open the season with a four-man rotation. Acee calls King, Pivetta and Vásquez locks, adding that Buehler has “likely” earned a spot, while Márquez’s spring struggles have at least created some doubt about his ability to handle the job.
San Diego has a pair of off-days within the first eight days of the season. That’ll allow them to skip the fifth spot in the rotation twice in their first ten games. The Padres’ bullpen is among the deepest and most talented in the sport, too, so even when they finally do need a fifth starter, they could opt for a bullpen game while awaiting Musgrove to get into game shape. Someone like Márquez or Sears could open a bullpen game and perhaps navigate the opposing lineup once before turning over to the bullpen.
There’s no obvious answer in sight at the moment, which will make the final week-plus of camp worth watching with a careful eye. Each of Márquez, Sears, Buehler and Gonzales should have another appearance or two to try to stake a claim to the job, and ever-active president of baseball ops A.J. Preller could always try to creatively bring in another arm. One of the remaining free agents (e.g. Lucas Giolito, Tyler Anderson, Patrick Corbin) probably wouldn’t have time to ramp up for the season, but there will be plenty of names hitting waivers or being granted their release from minor league deals over the final few days of camp.
Cardinals Notes: Velázquez, Church, Gorman
The Cardinals spent much of the offseason looking for a right-handed bat to add to their outfield group. Interest in Austin Hays, Miguel Andujar and old friend Harrison Bader did not lead to a deal, however. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat writes that the Cardinals had a tough time selling the opportunity to veterans seeking big league deals, as someone like Hays or Andujar would only be assured playing time while Lars Nootbaar mended from his dual heel surgery. Once healthy, Nootbaar will rejoin an outfield also expected to include defensive standout Victor Scott II in center field and former top prospect Jordan Walker in right field.
The looming return of Nootbaar would be a sensible deterrent for any veteran looking to maximize playing time in order to secure a multi-year deal in the future (e.g. Hays, Andujar) or one who was seeking a multi-year opportunity this winter (e.g. Bader). That wasn’t as big a factor for players simply looking for non-roster opportunities, however, and Jones writes that one such player is now all but guaranteed a spot on the Opening Day roster: Nelson Velázquez.
The 27-year-old Velázquez has had a monster spring, clubbing four homers in 39 plate appearances with an overall .333/.436/.727 slash and six walks against only three strikeouts. He also had a nice showing in the Puerto Rican Winter League, hitting .277/.377/.423 with 22 walks against 29 strikeouts in 159 turns at the plate.
Velázquez has played in parts of three major league seasons between the Cubs and Royals, combining for a .212/.286/.433 batting line and 31 home runs in 615 plate appearances. There’s little doubting his power potential, but a 28.8% strikeout rate has held him back. Velázquez’s approach isn’t particularly poor; he walks at a slightly better-than-average 8.5% rate, and his chase rate on balls off the plate is several percentage points shy of average. Rather, his sub-par hit tool has been the primary deterrent. Velázquez’s 76.2% contact rate on pitches over the plate is nearly nine percentage points shy of average, however, and his 43% contact rate when he does chase off the plate is 14 percentage points lower than average.
That said, Velázquez has made some gains in terms of cutting his strikeout rate and upping his walk rate both in winter ball and in his past couple runs at the Triple-A level. He’s certainly not going to continue his preposterous spring training production, but even some modest gains in his contact ability could help him break through as a power-over-hit corner bat. Assuming he indeed makes the roster, he’ll have the opportunity to carve out some staying power even after Nootbaar returns. Velázquez is out of minor league options, so he can’t be sent down without passing through waivers, but he’s also controllable for five more seasons via arbitration. At the very least, he’s put himself in strong position to earn another big league opportunity after spending 2025 in Triple-A (between the Pirates and Royals).
Also in strong position is outfielder Nathan Church, writes Bill Ladson of MLB.com. The lefty-swinging 25-year-old has hit .286/.412/.429 in 34 turns at the plate this spring. He could find himself in something of a platoon situation in left field (with Velázquez) or fill a more traditional fourth outfielder role. He’s capable of playing all three spots and was credited with four Outs Above Average (per Statcast) and five Defensive Runs Saved in just 164 big league innings last year.
Church hit just .179/.254/.250 in a cup of coffee that spanned 65 plate appearances last year. His work in the minors, however, was far more impressive. In 385 plate appearances between Double-A and Triple-A, he slashed .329/.386/.524 with 13 homers, 16 steals, an 8.6% walk rate and just a 9.6% strikeout rate.
“His demeanor has been different, overall confidence is better,” manager Oli Marmol tells Ladson in discussing the difference between what he saw in Church last summer and what he’s seen this spring. “Mechanically, he has made some changes to be more consistent.”
Teammate Nolan Gorman has also been seeking consistency — in his case, for the past several years. The former first-rounder and top prospect has shown flashes of enormous power potential in the past but still hasn’t solidified himself as a productive regular. Part of that has been scattershot opportunities with Nolan Arenado at third base and Brendan Donovan seeing lots of time at second base; neither is on the roster anymore. Significant strikeout issues have been a more alarming factor. Gorman has gone down on strikes in 34% of his 1581 career plate appearances.
As Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes, Gorman met with a private hitting instructor early this offseason at Arenado’s recommendation. A two-week regimen led to some mechanical changes with his setup (specifically his back elbow) and has helped him to find a more consistency with getting his front foot down during his swing.
Spring stats provide a small sample that ought to be taken with a major grain of salt, but Gorman has taken 37 plate appearances and given some reason for optimism, hitting .250/.351/.625 with three homers, five walks (13.5%) and just six strikeouts (16.2%) in 37 plate appearances.
MLBTR’s Anthony Franco previewed what looks like a make-or-break year for Gorman back in late January. With no real roadblock to playing time at third base, Gorman should be in the lineup more days than not have a bit more of a set position than in the past, when he’s bounced between third base, second base, first base and designated hitter. He’s now north of three years of major league service time as well, so if Gorman’s egregious strikeout rate resurfaces and continues to weigh down his overall production, he’d be a non-tender candidate following the season.