MLB Issues 162-Game PED Suspension To Jurickson Profar
Major League Baseball announced that Braves outfielder Jurickson Profar has been suspended for 162 games after testing positive for exogenous testosterone, a performance-enhancing substance. The ban goes into effect on Friday and will cost him the entire 2026 season, including the playoffs. It’s the second career PED suspension for Profar, who missed 80 games last year after testing positive for Chorionic Gonadotropin.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that the Players Association plans to file a grievance challenging this suspension. MLB generally does not announce violations of the drug policy until after the appeal process plays out, as the player is usually allowed to continue playing pending that appeal. Rosenthal writes that Profar’s suspension, by contrast, is not stayed because it’s his second career PED ban. However, the process will be expedited to quickly reach a final resolution.
It’s rare for a player’s PED suspension to be overturned on appeal. Assuming the suspension stands, Profar will not be paid his $15MM salary this season. The Curacao native is also barred from representing the Netherlands in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
“We were incredibly disappointed to learn that Jurickson tested positive for a performance-enhancing substance and is in violation of MLB’s Drug Prevention and Treatment Program,” the Braves said in a press release. “Our players are consistently educated about the Program and the consequences if they are found to be in violation.”
Profar, who turned 33 a couple weeks ago, was entering the second season of a three-year, $42MM contract. Last year’s suspension cost him just under $6MM of his $12MM salary in year one of that free agent deal. He’s signed through the 2027 season and is owed a $15MM salary again in the contract’s final year. If he incurs a third positive test in his career, he would receive a lifetime ban.
As a teenager, Profar was ranked as the top prospect in the entire sport. A switch-hitting shortstop with a tantalizing blend of power, speed and defensive aptitude, he was hailed as a future star but saw his career derailed by multiple shoulder injuries. He missed nearly the entire 2014 and 2015 campaigns due to shoulder surgery.
The version of Profar that returned looked far different. He hit .227/.316/.315 in 377 MLB plate appearances from 2016-17 before turning in a solid offensive season in 2018. His defense at shortstop had become untenable following the shoulder troubles. Profar spent time at second base and first base before being traded to the A’s, who had him for only one disappointing year before trading him to the Padres.
Profar had an up-and-down run in San Diego. He had an awful start in the shortened 2020 season before a torrid three-week finish to the 60-game season salvaged his batting line. A clear favorite of Padres GM A.J. Preller — who signed him as an international amateur during his days as a Rangers assistant GM — Profar inked a three-year deal following that season but flopped with a .227/.329/.320 slash in year one of the contract. He chose to forgo an opt-out opportunity, returned to San Diego for the 2022 season, turned in a better offensive performance opted out of a net $6.5MM to again test the open market.
Free agency was cold to Profar that winter. He wound up signing with the Rockies just prior to Opening Day 2023 on a $7.75MM deal. Colorado released Profar after he hit just .236/.316/.364 in 111 games. He re-signed in San Diego for the remainder of the season and hit well in 14 games late that year. Profar spent the entire offseason twisting in the winds of free agency before the Padres brought him aboard on a one-year, $1MM deal that looked like the steal of the offseason when he erupted with a .280/.380/.459 batting line in a career-best showing.
That performance prompted the Braves’ three-year, $42MM deal, but it will now forever be met with a healthy dose of skepticism. Profar missed 80 games last year, hit .248/.358/.446 in 355 plate appearances upon returning, and now won’t take another plate appearance until at least 2027. Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Braves will welcome him back or look to move on entirely.
That question doesn’t need to be answered for the time being. Profar can and will be placed on the restricted list, where he won’t be paid or count against Atlanta’s 40-man roster. The Braves will not only save on Profar’s $15MM salary — they’ll also dodge the 20% tax they’d been paying for him as a team that was over the luxury threshold. It amounts to an overall $18MM in savings for Atlanta, which gives the Braves some intriguing possibilities late in the offseason.
Atlanta has incurred a pair of notable injuries in the rotation. Righties Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep both underwent elbow surgery to remove loose bodies/bone spurs. It’s not yet clear when they’ll return, but Schwellenbach is already on the 60-day IL and Waldrep will surely follow.
That’s left the Braves with Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez (who made just one start last year due to shoulder surgery) and Grant Holmes (who had a UCL tear last summer and rehabbed without surgery) in the top four spots of the rotation. Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, Didier Fuentes and Jose Suarez are the fifth starter options on the 40-man roster. Non-roster invitees include veterans Martin Perez, Carlos Carrasco and Elieser Hernandez, as well as top prospect JR Ritchie.
Notable veterans like Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell and Tyler Anderson remain unsigned in free agency. Atlanta’s outfield group, of course, takes a hit following the Profar suspension, although the team’s November signing of Mike Yastrzemski means the Braves won’t necessarily need to add another outfielder. Yastrzemski, Michael Harris II and Ronald Acuña Jr. can start on most days, though Acuña has had his share of recent injury troubles and Yastrzemski has long-running platoon issues. Righty hitters Eli White and Jorge Mateo are already on the roster as potential complements, but neither has even average career numbers against left-handed pitching.
Atlanta still projects to be just north of the $244MM luxury threshold, but the front office suddenly has an influx of cash that could be used to acquire additional help, be it another starting pitcher or a veteran right-handed bat to plug into the lineup. Time will tell whether those funds are put to immediate use or saved for in-season additions to the roster, but the Braves immediately become a team to watch with regard to a potential late-offseason addition.
Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported Profar was facing a 162-game PED ban. Image courtesy of Jonathan Dyer, Imagn Images.
Brendan Rodgers Likely To Require Shoulder Surgery
Brendan Rodgers is in big league camp with the Red Sox this spring, hoping to win a spot in Boston’s infield alongside former Rockies teammate Trevor Story. A right shoulder injury suffered in late February put any such hopes on hold, and the latest update from skipper Alex Cora may have dashed them entirely. Via the Boston Herald’s Mac Cerullo, Cora said Tuesday that Rodgers is “most likely” going to require shoulder surgery. Rodgers already underwent a CT scan and MRI on his shoulder, and Cora has previously stated that the results from those tests “didn’t look great.” Rodgers is headed for another opinion from renowned surgeon Dr. Neal ElAttrache to confirm his outlook.
The injury occurred early in camp. Playing second base, Rodgers dove to his left for a hard line drive off the bat of Twins shortstop Brooks Lee (video link via MLB.com). He briefly snow-coned the liner, but the ball popped out of his glove upon a hard impact with the ground. Rodgers was in clear, immediate pain and left the field with the Red Sox training staff.
Rodgers, 29, has already undergone one surgery on each of his shoulders. He suffered a torn labrum during his rookie season back in 2019 and underwent surgery that July. In 2023, he suffered what was originally termed a dislocated left shoulder during spring training. Additional testing revealed some tearing in his left shoulder’s labrum, requiring surgery, though Rodgers was able to make it back to the field for the final couple months of that season.
Formerly the No. 3 overall pick in the draft and a consensus top prospect, Rodgers’ career hasn’t played out as hoped. He’s a lifetime .261/.313/.401 hitter and has only thrice played 100 games in a season. He’s never topped 137 games played or 581 plate appearances and only has two big league seasons with 500-plus trips to the plate. After spending the 2019-24 seasons in Denver, Rodgers signed with Houston on a minor league pact last winter and made the roster. However, he went on to bat just .191/.266/.278 (55 wRC+) in 128 plate appearances as an Astro.
The infield mix in Boston is relatively unsettled. The Sox traded Rafael Devers to the Giants last June and watched Alex Bregman sign with the Cubs in free agency. They’ve traded for the Cardinals Willson Contreras and the Brewers’ Caleb Durbin this winter. Contreras slots in at first base, while Durbin will fill either second base or third base alongside the aforementioned Story.
Top prospect Marcelo Mayer is the favorite to hold down whichever spot isn’t occupied by Durbin, but the Red Sox also have Andruw Monasterio (acquired alongside Durbin), Isiah Kiner-Falefa (signed in free agency), Tsung-Che Cheng (claimed off waivers) and holdovers Nick Sogard and Nate Eaton on the 40-man roster. Former top prospect Kristian Campbell, who signed an eight-year extension early last year, is being viewed primarily as an outfielder moving forward.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Steve Adams
- Good morning! We’ll get started at 1pm CT, but feel free to send me questions ahead of time, as always.
- Let’s get underway!
All By Metself
- What kind of contract can Skubal be expected to get? Will he clear 10/400?
Steve Adams
- The years depend on who’s signing him, I suppose. Some clubs prefer to spread the money over a longer term (Phillies), others are more comfortable with mammoth AAVs on shorter terms (Dodgers, Mets).I’m going to take the over on 400 right now (probably over a long term, but if the Mets want to offer like some insane $50MM AAV to keep the term down a couple years, not much shocks me at this point)
Jimmy Chop
- Huge O’s fan here. I don’t know how the Orioles can go into the season with Alonso, Mountcastle, and Mayo — all right-handed hitters and 1B/DH only types — on the roster. (Mayo is not a third baseman; I wish he was, but umm, no.) What gives? Send Mayo down to AAA (last option year), trade Mayo, cut Mountcastle (no real trade value)? I suppose, the path of least resistance is to send Mayo down, but goodness the club hasn’t been very good to him. Your thoughts good sir. Thank you.
Steve Adams
- I’m still surprised they tendered a contract to Mountcastle. Something feels like it has to give there eventually, but perhaps not immediately. Mayo’s going to get a real look at 3B. I know he hasn’t looked great there in the past, but it’s been a recent focus for him and he’ll spend all spring working on it. They don’t have great alternatives — at least not if you want a 3B that can also hit some. If it’s a bust, they can try to address it midseason.For now, I’d assume you’ve got Alonso and Mayo in the lineup every day. Mayo at 3B regularly, Alonso playing primarily 1B with some occasional DH reps. Mountcastle will get some 1B reps those days. Samuel Basallo will get DH/1B/C reps. It’ll be matchup dependent, and I doubt either Basallo or Mountcastle gets true everyday ABs. Blaze Alexander can play some 3B, too, when the O’s want to get Jeremiah Jackson into the lineup.
It’s messy, but there are probably enough at-bats to go around. Alonso is really the only one who’s proven he merits everyday work anyhow
Ruh Roh Renfroe
- Can I take Profar’s spot in the Atlanta OF for 2026?
BravesFan
- What options do the Braves have now that Profar has yet again failed a PED test? I’m sure trades at this point are few and far between.
Cards
- Nootbaar to the Braves?
To ATL
- How ’bout that Profar? Oof.
6 Teams Dealing With Option Crunches
Spring training is in full swing, and various non-roster veterans and top prospects jostling for space on major league rosters. MLBTR's Anthony Franco took a look yesterday at some players who are out of minor league options and could find themselves squeezed off their current roster, depending on spring plays out.
There's another angle with which one can view minor league options, of course: the team side of things. Clubs generally try to avoid stacking too many veteran players who either lack minor league options or have the five-plus years of service needed in order to have say over a potential optional assignment to the minors. Having too many players who can't be optioned can set a club back when there's a player or two who needs a couple days off but does not need a full IL stint.
It's also common in today's game for clubs to aggressively shuffle their bullpens over the course of a season, too; a lack of optionable players can create a headache for clubs after a blowout or marathon extra-inning game that taxes the majority of the pitching staff. Being able to summon a fresh arm or two from Triple-A without needing to pass someone else through waivers is crucial to preserving depth and keeping a team's best arms healthy.
Most clubs have plenty of flexibility when it comes to these situations, but that's not universally true. Around 20% of the league has a very limited number of players who can be sent down without needing to clear waivers, and that could lead to some tough decisions for those clubs as Opening Day draws near. Let's take a run through some of the game's least-flexible rosters and see what sort of decisions they'll be facing as the spring winds down.
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Dodgers Sign Keynan Middleton To Minor League Deal
The Dodgers have signed veteran reliever Keynan Middleton to a minor league contract, per Baseball America’s Matt Eddy. The ACES client will add an experienced bullpen arm to the depth chart for Los Angeles.
Middleton didn’t pitch in the majors in either of the past two seasons and only tossed four minor league frames in 2024. He signed a one-year deal with the Cardinals following a nice 2023 season split between the White Sox and Yankees, but a spring flexor injury eventually required surgery over the summer. That sidelined him for the remainder of 2024 and nearly all of 2025, although Middleton did toss 3 2/3 scoreless innings for the Atlantic League’s Long Island Ducks late last season.
Injuries have repeatedly derailed an otherwise promising career trajectory for Middleton. He posted a 3.43 ERA with big strikeout numbers in 76 innings across his first two partial MLB seasons with the Angels in 2017-18 before requiring Tommy John surgery in 2019. He’s since dealt with biceps, ankle, foot and shoulder troubles, all leading to 2024’s flexor surgery.
Now 32 years old, Middleton has pitched in parts of seven major league seasons and compiled a 3.84 earned run average through 194 1/3 innings. He’s fanned an above-average 24.2% of his opponents but also issued walks at a 10.3% clip that’s a couple percentage points worse than average. Middleton averaged 97 mph with his fastball early in his big league career but was down to a 95.5 mph average in his most recent healthy season in 2023.
Even with that slightly diminished velocity, Middleton had no problem missing bats. From 2022-23, he posted an outrageous 17.1% swinging-strike rate, induced chases on 32.5% of pitches off the plate and struck out just over 28% of his opponents.
There’s not a lot of room in what’s currently a crowded Dodgers bullpen scene. Edwin Diaz will close games after signing as a free agent in the offseason. Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia are locked in as veteran setup pieces. Los Angeles has a deep collection of optionable young arms on the 40-man roster to help round the group out, including Will Klein, Justin Wrobleski, Ben Casparius, Edgardo Henriquez, Jack Dreyer, Paul Gervase, Bobby Miller and Ronan Kopp.
Royals’ Stephen Kolek Diagnosed With Oblique Strain
Royals righty Stephen Kolek has been diagnosed with a “Grade 1+” strain of his oblique, per Anne Rogers of MLB.com. Kolek’s original diagnosis of a strain came yesterday, but the Royals sent him for additional testing — the results of which they’ve now received. He’ll be shut down entirely for about a week before being reevaluated.
Even milder oblique strains can cost players upwards of a month. That the Royals are deeming this a Grade 1 “plus” suggests it’s on the more severe side for a Grade 1 strain. A firm timetable won’t be known until he’s reevaluated after his shutdown, but with Opening Day one month out and Kolek in no-throw mode for the next week, it seems fair to suggest this calls his availability for the season opener into question.
Kolek had an uphill battle to claiming a spot in a rotation currently occupied by Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Noah Cameron and Kris Bubic, but he’s at or near the top of the list for sixth starter options in Kansas City. The 28-year-old righty, who came to the Royals alongside Ryan Bergert in the July trade sending catcher Freddy Fermin to San Diego, started 19 games between the Friars and Royals in 2025 and posted a combined 3.51 ERA. His 16.7% strikeout rate was well south of the 22.2% league average, but his 6.7% walk rate was strong (compared to the 8.4% average) and Kolek kept more than 51% of batted balls against him on the ground.
Since Kolek has minor league options remaining, he might be bound for Triple-A even if he’s able to return to the mound and sufficiently ramp up in time for Opening Day. A lengthier absence would compromise Kansas City’s depth, although they’ve improved on that front over the past year.
Cameron’s breakout showing as a rookie gave the Royals another viable big league rotation arm alongside their slate of veterans. He faded after a historically excellent start but still finished the season with a 2.99 ERA, 20.5% strikeout rate, 7.7% walk rate and 41.4% ground-ball rate. Bringing in Kolek, Bergert and swingman Bailey Falter at last summer’s deadline and righty Mitch Spence in a swap with the A’s earlier this month gives Kansas City several more arms to join the mix — all of whom (except Falter) have minor league options remaining.
Twins Notes: Lewis, Rotation, Bradley
The Twins have been hit hard by the injury bug already this spring but dodged their latest bullet, it seems. The team announced that third baseman Royce Lewis‘ recent MRI came back clean. Via Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune, Lewis will be off today after experiencing some tightness in his right side while running the bases yesterday but is expected to return to normal workouts this weekend.
Lewis, 27 in June, looked to be on the cusp of stardom back in 2023. The former No. 1 overall pick returned from a torn ACL to hit .309/.372/.548 with 15 homers in only 239 plate appearances. The Twins won the AL Central that year, due in no small part to that production from the longtime top prospect, and Lewis erupted with four home runs in only 26 plate appearances that postseason, helping the Twins past the Blue Jays in the Wild Card round before falling to the Astros in four games during the ALDS.
Injuries have continued to set Lewis back, however. In addition to a pair of ACL tears in the same right knee, he’s had major league IL stints for an oblique strain, a quad strain (twice), an adductor strain and a hamstring strain (twice). Since showing that glimpse of his true upside in ’23, he’s taken 728 turns at the plate in two seasons and posted a pedestrian .235/.288/.416 batting line while oscillating between the active roster and the injured list due primarily to that slew of lower body injuries.
Getting Lewis back to 2023 form — or at least something within arm’s reach of it — will be pivotal for the Twins in 2026. Ownership and the front office continue to broadcast a desire to compete this season, but the Twins tore down the bullpen at last summer’s deadline, lost Pablo López to UCL surgery already this spring, and made only marginal additions to the roster over the winter.
Of course, it’s still possible that further additions could be on the horizon. There’s a handful of interesting bullpen arms still on the market (e.g. Danny Coulombe, Michael Kopech, Justin Wilson) in addition to two of the more prominent starters in free agency this winter: Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell. With López lost for the season and young righty David Festa shut down due to shoulder troubles, one would imagine the Twins present a good landing spot for a yet-unsigned starter, whether it be Giolito, Littell, Tyler Anderson or Patrick Corbin — if only to give the club some bulk innings amid the mounting injury concerns.
“Hopefully we’ll stay healthy the rest of the way but we’ll evaluate all the options out there from an external perspective and the rest of our internal options,” general manager Jeremy Zoll said yesterday (link via Matthew Leach of MLB.com). “…We want to figure out how we can do everything we can to supplement that [internal] group that we still like a lot. We see a lot of upside and we’ll use spring to see what’s going on everywhere. Usually you see a lull in action for a bit as teams settle in, want to make sure they’re staying healthy. We’ll keep evaluating.”
The Twins have Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober and out-of-options righty Simeon Woods Richardson more or less locked into the first three rotation spots. Righties Taj Bradley, Zebby Matthews and Mick Abel are competing for the final two spots on the staff, and the upper tiers of their farm system include prospects such as Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas and Andrew Morris. Prielipp is generally regarded among the game’s top 100 prospects but has been hobbled by injuries throughout his professional career thus far.
With a clear opportunity to seize a rotation spot in front of him, Bradley has made the decision to withdraw from the upcoming World Baseball Classic, per Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. The 24-year-old righty informed manager Derek Shelton of the decision this past weekend. He’d been slated to pitch for Team Mexico.
“He stated new manager, new staff to some extent, new catcher in terms of (Victor) Caratini, and he just felt like the best use of his workload during spring training was going to be in our camp,” Shelton explained.
Though he’s younger than Woods Richardson, Matthews and Festa, Bradley has the most major league experience of the bunch. He’s accrued 2.097 years of service time with the Rays and Twins, totaling 385 1/3 innings as a big leaguer. The former fifth-round pick quickly broke out as one of the sport’s most promising pitching prospects, climbing as high as the game’s No. 20 overall prospect at MLB.com (36th at FanGraphs, 44th at Baseball America) heading into the 2023 season.
Bradley has shown potential at times but has yet to put it all together in the majors. He has a career 4.86 ERA due primarily to his susceptibility to home runs (1.49 HR/9). His 25% strikeout rate, 8.6% walk rate and 41.1% ground-ball rate all make for a solid profile; metrics like SIERA (4.00) and FIP (4.38) feel he’s already been better than his ERA would indicate, and there’s further breakout potential with the hard-throwing righty. Bradley averages better than 96 mph on his heater and has generated plenty of whiffs with both his splitter and cutter. He’s under club control with Minnesota through the 2029 season.
Offseason In Review: Seattle Mariners
The 2025 Mariners were a game away from the World Series. Their two-decade playoff drought and status as perennial runner-up increasingly feels like a thing of the past. They enter the 2026 season as the AL West favorite in projections at both FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus after a winter that featured multiple upgrades.
Major League Free Agent Signings
- Josh Naylor, 1B: Five years, $92.5MM
- Rob Refsnyder, OF: One year, $6.25MM
- Andrew Knizner, C: One year, $1MM
Option Decisions
- Team declined $12MM mutual option on C Mitch Garver (paid $1MM buyout)
- Team exercised $7MM club option on RHP Andres Munoz
- INF Jorge Polanco declined $8MM player option
Trades and Waiver Claims
- Acquired INF/OF Brendan Donovan from Cardinals in three-team trade also involving Rays; Mariners sent SHP Jurrangelo Cijntje, OF Tai Peete, Competitive Balance pick (Round B) to Cardinals, 3B Ben Williamson to Rays
- Acquired LHP Jose A. Ferrer from Nationals in exchange for C Harry Ford, minor league RHP Isaac Lyon
- Acquired RHP Yosver Zulueta from Reds in exchange for minor league RHP Dusty Revis
- Acquired minor league LHP Robinson Ortiz from Dodgers in exchange for minor league RHP Tyler Gough
- Acquired minor league RHP Alex Hoppe from Red Sox in exchange for minor league C Luke Heyman
- Acquired RHP Cooper Criswell from Mets for cash
- Acquired C Jhonny Pereda from Twins for cash
- Acquired LHP Josh Simpson from Marlins for cash
- Acquired RHP Cole Wilcox from Rays for cash
- Claimed RHP Ryan Loutos off waivers from Nationals
Extensions
- None yet
Notable Minor League Signings
- Mitch Garver, Dane Dunning, Connor Joe, Casey Lawrence, Randy Dobnak, Guillo Zuñiga, Patrick Wisdom, Michael Rucker, Jhonathan Diaz, Brian O’Keefe, Jakson Reetz, Will Wilson, Brennen Davis
Notable Losses
- Eugenio Suarez, Ben Williamson, Harry Ford, Caleb Ferguson, Luke Jackson, Tayler Saucedo (non-tendered), Gregory Santos (non-tendered), Trent Thornton (non-tendered), Jackson Kowar (claimed by Twins)
When fans think of the Mariners, the dominant starting rotation is often the first thing that comes to mind. The 2025 season, Seattle’s best since 2000-02, played out in somewhat uncharacteristic fashion, however. The rotation was solid but not elite. Mariners starters barely cracked the top half of baseball in terms of ERA, due in part to injuries up and down the staff. Seattle’s bullpen ranked top-10 in ERA, however, and the lineup finished tenth or better in runs scored, home runs, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and wRC+. Cal Raleigh, the AL MVP runner-up, played a huge role in the Mariners’ offensive eruption, but the Seattle lineup was a strong unit top to bottom.
Seattle’s deadline acquisition of Josh Naylor from the D-backs played a big part in that. Naylor hit the ground running in the Emerald City and immediately looked at home, slashing .299/.341/.490 with nine homers in 210 plate appearances. The 5’10”, 235-pound Naylor even delighted baseball fans (not just Seattle fans) by somehow going 19-for-19 in stolen base attempts despite sitting in the third percentile of big leaguers in terms of average sprint speed, per Statcast. Naylor entered the season with 25 career steals in 598 games. He played 54 games as a Mariner.
President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto made it known before season’s end that keeping Naylor was not just a priority for the Mariners but the offseason priority. Appearing on the MLB Trade Rumors podcast, Dipoto told host Darragh McDonald that Naylor was “as good as anybody that’s played in the last handful of years at hitting in this ballpark” while voicing a strong desire to keep the 28-year-old slugger.
True to his word, Dipoto wasted little time in making an aggressive push to keep his newly acquired first baseman. Naylor, who also raved late in the season about how much he loved playing in Seattle, was one of the first major free agents off the board, coming to terms on a five-year, $92.5MM deal two weeks after the World Series wrapped up.
Naylor’s deal is the largest contract the Mariners have given to a free-agent position player since Dipoto began running baseball operations for the Mariners more than a decade ago — and not just barely, but by a magnitude of nearly four times. Dipoto has been open about his desires to avoid building a roster through free agency, and his affinity for working the trade market is well known. That Naylor nearly quadrupled the $24MM guarantee paid to Mitch Garver underscores how strongly the Mariners felt about keeping him. Prior to the Naylor signing, Garver was the only free agent position player to sign a multi-year free agent deal with Seattle in ten years.
While Naylor was the priority, the Mariners remained open to re-signing veterans Jorge Polanco and Eugenio Suarez, both of whom hit in the middle of the lineup down the stretch and into the playoffs. Polanco was always deemed more likely, but the Mariners apparently balked at matching or topping the two-year, $40MM deal he received from the Mets. That $20MM average annual value was steeper than nearly any pundit or fan thought Polanco would command.
The veteran Polanco’s departure left the Mariners in a familiar position. As was the case the offseason prior, the M’s had openings at both second base and third base. Dipoto and GM Justin Hollander spent most of the 2024-25 offseason working the trade market to find an option at one or both positions before ultimately re-signing Polanco to one-year deal that turned out to be a raucous bargain.
For much of the current offseason, it looked as though things might play out similarly. The Mariners engaged with the Cardinals on Brendan Donovan early, but interest in the utilityman extraordinaire was robust. Dipoto and Hollander kept in touch with Suarez’s camp, were at least loosely involved in the market for star NPB third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, spoke to the D-backs repeatedly about Ketel Marte and inquired on the Cubs’ Nico Hoerner. There were surely other trade and free agent targets whose names didn’t become public.
Through it all, the Mariners were cited as one of the top suitors and front-runners for Donovan, who entered the offseason as a veritable lock to be traded by the rebuilding Cardinals. It may have taken longer than fans hoped, but the Mariners eventually got their man on Feb. 2, parting with top pitching prospect Jurrangelo Cijntje, outfield prospect Tai Peete, young third baseman Ben Williamson and a Round B Competitive Balance draft pick (No. 68 overall) in a three-team deal that brought Donovan their way. Seattle’s interest in the former Gold Glove winner dated back to last season, meaning the three-team swap capped off more than a yearlong pursuit of the versatile infielder/outfielder.
Donovan indeed feels like a perfect fit for the M’s. He’s a quality defender at either third base or second base, meaning the Mariners can see which of Cole Young and Colt Emerson stand out the most this spring. The hope is that Emerson is the team’s long-term third baseman — or perhaps shortstop, if J.P. Crawford departs in free agency next winter — and that Young is the second baseman of the future. Donovan’s ability to play either spot lets the Mariners take a flexible approach to their infield alignment. And if both players eventually force their way onto the roster, Donovan can split time between those two positions, the outfield corners and designated hitter.
While Seattle paid a steep price to acquire Donovan in terms of the talent they surrendered, they’re getting him for just $5.8MM this season and can control him through the 2027 campaign. It wouldn’t be a surprise if the two parties eventually talked extension. Donovan was open to a long-term deal in St. Louis even as the Cards embarked on a rebuild.
Time will tell whether he feels similarly about his new surroundings, but at the very least he doesn’t appear to be dead-set on testing free agency 18 months from now. Recent extensions for Tommy Edman and Ryan McMahon paid that pair of comparably aged infielders $70MM total; Donovan might command a bit more, but a five-year deal in that general range (beginning with next year’s final arbitration season) feels like something that could work for both sides, speculatively speaking.
Even if no extension comes to fruition, Donovan will be hitting at or near the top of a deep Mariners lineup for the next two seasons. He’s the sort of versatile, high-contact bat the Mariners coveted several years ago when trying to reshape their offensive identity after years of ranking at or near the top of the league in strikeouts. With Donovan (career 13.5% strikeout rate) and Naylor (career 16%) now helping to anchor the lineup, the M’s have a bit of a different feel than the all-or-nothing bunch to which we’d grown accustomed earlier this decade.
The Donovan trade may have been the Mariners “signature” trade of the offseason, but it wasn’t the only swap of consequence for Dipoto, Hollander & Co. One of the Mariners’ first moves post-Naylor was to address the lack of reliable left-handed relief in their bullpen, swinging a trade for Nationals southpaw Jose A. Ferrer. Many fans were shocked to see the Mariners part with top catching prospect Harry Ford to acquire a reliever, but Ford was blocked by Raleigh with no clear path to playing time in Seattle. That doesn’t mean he can be swapped out for any old bullpen arm, but what Ferrer lacks in name recognition he makes up for in extremely intriguing underlying numbers.
Ferrer’s 4.15 ERA over the past two seasons (4.48 in 2025) isn’t going to garner much attention. However, that mark came playing in front of a porous Nationals defense that rarely did the flamethrowing sinker specialist help. The 25-year-old Ferrer (26 next week) averages a blazing 97.7 mph on a sinker that’s helped him post a gargantuan 61% ground-ball rate dating back to 2024 — fifth highest in all of baseball (min. 100 innings pitched).
In 2025, Ferrer upped his strikeout rate from the prior year’s 19.4% to a nearly league-average 21.9%. His swinging-strike rate rose to a slightly above-average 11.5%. Ferrer has only walked 4.9% of his opponents the past two seasons. That blend of plus command and plus-plus ground-ball tendencies, coupled with even average bat-missing abilities (and a competent defense behind him) gives Ferrer immense breakout potential. Metrics like SIERA (2.97) and FIP (2.95) already feel he’s great, and the Mariners’ track record in coaxing breakouts from unheralded relievers (e.g. Paul Sewald, Gabe Speier, Drew Steckenrider, Justin Topa) shouldn’t be overlooked. Ferrer is controlled for four more seasons and has two minor league option years remaining. Adding him to a bullpen anchored by Andres Munoz and Matt Brash could make for a lethal trio.
Most of the remaining moves were more on the margins of the roster. Rob Refsnyder and his lifetime .281/.383/.443 line against lefties (.302/.399/.560 in 2025) gives manager Dan Wilson a big platoon bat to pair with lefty-swinging outfielder/designated hitter Dominic Canzone, who’s coming off a breakout .281/.358/.481 showing in 268 plate appearances. Canzone more than held his own against lefties, so he’ll still get some left-on-left looks, but all of his power was against righties. Only two of his 22 extra-base hits (one double, one homer) came versus southpaws.
Andrew Knizner was brought in on a moderately surprising big league deal to be the backup to Raleigh. He’s earning just $1MM, so it’s a minimal commitment if Knizner doesn’t pan out. He’s a career .211/.281/.316 hitter whose defensive marks have improved in a small sample over the past two seasons. Notably, he was one of the best catchers in Triple-A last year when it came to challenging pitches under the incoming ABS system, which could have factored into the decision. Catching depth in general was a priority though, as they also reunited with Mitch Garver on a minor league deal and picked up Jhonny Pereda from the Twins in a cash swap.
Assembling a deep collection of optionable arms also proved to be a priority this winter. The Mariners acquired a whopping six optionable young relievers via either small trades or waivers. The current big league bullpen doesn’t have much flexibility — Ferrer and Brash are the only optionable arms, and neither is being sent down anytime soon — so it’s possible something will shake loose later in camp with the Mariners moving on from an out of options arm like Casey Legumina. The Mariners added Yosver Zulueta, Josh Simpson, Cole Wilcox, Alex Hoppe and Robinson Ortiz via trade and claimed Ryan Loutos off waivers. They’ll have plenty of options to evaluate when injuries inevitably crop up among the more experienced members of the bullpen.
The starting pitching lacks that same level of depth, particularly after sixth starter Logan Evans suffered a UCL tear that’ll require season-ending surgery. The Mariners’ top quintet of Logan Gilbert, Bryan Woo, George Kirby, Luis Castillo and Bryce Miller is among the most talented in the game, but the top options behind him are now out-of-options swingman Cooper Criswell, former prospect Emerson Hancock (who’s struggled in the majors thus far) and non-roster veteran Dane Dunning. Finding an optionable rotation candidate or bringing in one more low-cost or non-roster veteran would arguably still be prudent, but even if they opt to do so, it’s not likely to be one of the top names available.
By and large, the Mariners’ heavy lifting is wrapped up. Naylor, Donovan and Ferrer are quality headline additions, but the M’s have done plenty of work to round out the margins of the roster with improved depth to position them for the rigors of a long season. They’ll head into 2026 as a popular pick to win their division at the very least, and better health from their top starters could make Seattle one of the favorites in the broader American League overall.
How would you grade the Mariners' offseason?
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B 52% (1,143)
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A 29% (639)
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C 14% (305)
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D 3% (60)
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F 2% (50)
Total votes: 2,197
Twins Claim Zak Kent
The Twins announced Thursday that they’ve claimed righty Zak Kent off waivers from the Cardinals, who’d designated him for assignment a few days ago. Righty Pablo López, who underwent an internal brace procedure yesterday and will miss the entire 2026 season, was transferred to the 60-day injured list to open a spot on the 40-man roster.
Kent joins his third team since spring training opened and his fourth of the offseason. The 28-year-old (as of Tuesday) finished the 2025 campaign on the Guardians’ roster but has since bounced to the Cardinals, Rangers, back to the Cardinals, and now to the Twins following a series of DFAs. There’s fortunately no cross-country journey for him this time around, as the Twins and Cardinals both play their spring games in Florida’s Grapefruit League.
The 2025 season saw Kent make his big league debut with Cleveland, tossing 17 2/3 innings with a 4.58 ERA, 21.1% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate. Most of his season was spent with the Guardians’ top affiliate in Columbus, where Kent notched a 2.84 ERA and set down a gaudy 31.4% of his opponents on strikes — albeit against an ugly 13.2% walk rate. Kent isn’t an especially hard thrower, sitting 93.1 mph with his four-seamer in 2025, but he missed plenty of bats in the upper minors thanks to the quality of his mid-80s slider and low-80s curveball.
Kent is entering his final minor league option year. He’s actually already exhausted the standard three option years allotted to players, but teams can be granted fourth option years based on a player’s minor league injury history and/or the speed with which they burn through those original option years. He’ll give the Twins another option to consider in a wide-open bullpen mix that has only Cole Sands, Anthony Banda, Taylor Rogers and Justin Topa locked into spots. In parts of four Triple-A seasons, Kent carries a 3.74 ERA, a 26% strikeout rate and a 12% walk rate.
Twins’ David Festa Likely To Begin Season On Injured List
The hits for the Twins’ rotation keep coming. Right-hander David Festa, who entered camp hopeful of securing a spot on the starting staff, has been diagnosed with a shoulder impingement and will be shut down from throwing for at least two to three weeks, per Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star Tribune. He’s received an injection and is likely to open the season on the 15-day injured list.
Since camp opened just two weeks ago, Minnesota has lost Pablo López for the entire season (internal brace surgery) and seen No. 2 starter Joe Ryan slowed by inflammation in his lower back. Ryan has already resumed throwing, but what looked like a quietly crowded Twins’ rotation mix has begun to thin out rather quickly.
Assuming Ryan’s back issue proves minor, the Twins will enter the season with him and right-hander Bailey Ober locked into spots. Righty Simeon Woods Richardson is out of minor league options and pitched well down the stretch in 2025, so he’s likely to grab a third spot. Festa had been competing with homegrown righty Zebby Matthews and 2025 trade acquisitions Taj Bradley (acquired for Griffin Jax) and Mick Abel (acquired for Jhoan Duran) for spots at the back of the group. All four were top-100 prospects in the game prior to their respective debuts.
For now, the competition for those two remaining spots appears to have been whittled down to three (Matthews, Bradley, Abel). There are some longshot options in camp, like southpaw prospects Connor Prielipp and Kendry Rojas, as well as righty Andrew Morris. All three are on the 40-man roster, but no one from that trio has made his big league debut yet. Prielipp and Rojas have barely pitched in Triple-A.
Festa’s injury is the latest health-related setback in the lanky righty’s development. The 2021 13th-rounder has had the look of a late-round steal thanks to terrific strikeout and run-prevention numbers as he climbed through the minors, but he’s now been slowed by two different injuries within the same shoulder over the past year. Festa has started 25 career games in Triple-A, pitching to a 3.46 ERA with a 33.2% strikeout rate, 9.7% walk rate and a swinging-strike rate north of 16%. He’s had some nice starts in the majors but lacked consistency, working to an overall 5.12 ERA in 117 2/3 frames dating back to his 2024 debut.
With injuries mounting for the Twins’ staff, it’ll be telling to see whether they look outside the organization. New executive chair Tom Pohlad, who took that post from younger brother Joe when the Twins introduced a trio of new minority owners in December, has said since assuming that new position that the Twins “want to be aggressive” and believe they can compete despite last summer’s July sell-off. Pohlad publicly confirmed that his club made a run at Framber Valdez before he signed in Detroit, hoping to capitalize on the opportunity presented by Valdez lingering on the market.
None of the remaining starters in free agency — Lucas Giolito, Zack Littell, Tyler Anderson among them — can match Valdez’s output, but someone like Giolito or Littell would at least give the Twins some credible mid-rotation innings to help offset the loss of López and provide insurance while Ryan and Festa deal with what will hopefully prove to be relatively minor injury issues. The Twins’ payroll currently projects to come in about $30MM shy of last year’s levels and around $50MM shy of its 2023 peak. That, coupled with their purported interest in Valdez, certainly suggests that there’s room in the budget for another established arm.
Turning back to Festa specifically, it’s a frustrating setback for the lanky 6’6″, 185-pound righty, but there’s no immediate indication that it could be a long-term issue. He enters the 2026 season with 1.052 years of big league service and a pair of minor league option years remaining. The Twins control the 25-year-old for at least five more years. If a rotation role doesn’t work out, Festa’s 94.5 mph heater and above-average slider and changeup could all play up in a relief role. Minnesota’s bullpen looks even more uncertain than the rotation and will need several young, unproven contributors to seize key roles in order to avoid being one of the weakest groups in the sport (barring some late veteran signings).