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Offseason Outlook: Atlanta Braves

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A barrage of pitching injuries and some underwhelming offensive performances resulted in Atlanta's first losing record and non-playoff season since 2017.  The Braves can't rely just on better health to improve next year, as the club will at least explore upgrades at multiple roster spots.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Austin Riley, 3B: $155MM through 2029 ($20MM club option for 2030)
  • Matt Olson, 1B: $88MM through 2029 ($20MM club option for 2030)
  • Spencer Strider, SP: $69MM through 2028 (includes $5MM buyout of $22MM club option for 2029)
  • Michael Harris II, OF: $54MM through 2030 (includes $5MM buyout of $15MM club option for 2031; Braves also have $20MM club option for 2032 with $5MM buyout)
  • Sean Murphy, C: $45MM through 2028 ($15MM club option for 2029)
  • Jurickson Profar, OF: $30MM through 2027
  • Ronald Acuna Jr., OF: $27MM through 2026 (includes $10MM buyout of $17MM club option for 2027; Braves hold $17MM club option for 2028)
  • Reynaldo Lopez, SP: $22MM through 2027
  • Aaron Bummer, RP: $9.5MM through 2026
  • Joe Jimenez, RP: $9MM through 2026

Option Decisions

  • Chris Sale, SP: $18MM club option for 2026
  • Ha-Seong Kim, SS: $16MM player option for 2026
  • Ozzie Albies, 2B: $7MM club option for 2026 ($4MM buyout); Braves also hold $7MM club option for 2027
  • Pierce Johnson, RP: $7MM club option for 2026 ($250K buyout)
  • Tyler Kinley, RP: $5MM club option for 2026 ($750K buyout)

2026 financial commitments (if all options are exercised): $204.5MM
Total long-term financial commitments (if all options are exercised) = $561.5MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Free Agents

At the time of this post's publication, the Braves still haven't settled on a new manager.  The team's hope was that Brian Snitker would return for an 11th season as manager, but Snitker will instead move into an advisory role for his 50th season in the organization.  Snitker's decade in the manager's chair included six NL East titles and the 2021 World Series championship, but this outstanding run ended on the down note of a 76-86 record in 2025.

It is hard to imagine any manager could've shepherded this year's Braves team to glory given how nearly the entire rotation was lost to the injured list.  Even with their season slipping away due to an 8-17 record in July, the Braves were one of the more active buyers (to some extent) leading up to the trade deadline just because the team was in such need of short-term rotation help.

Bryce Elder (and his 5.30 ERA) led all Atlanta pitchers with 156 1/3 innings, with Chris Sale finishing in second with only 125 2/3 frames.  Sale missed over two months due to a ribcage fracture, but naturally his club option is still a lock to be exercised.  Spencer Strider's recovery from internal brace surgery and a hamstring strain limited him to 125 1/3 innings, and he understandably didn't look nearly as dominant as he did in his All-Star 2023 season.  Reynaldo Lopez made just one start before arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder ended up sidelining him for the rest of the season.  Spencer Schwellenbach (fractured elbow) and AJ Smith-Shawver (Tommy John surgery) were each pitching well before their seasons were ended in June.  Grant Holmes' season was ended by a partially torn UCL in late July, and his status remains a question mark since Holmes is trying to rehab the injury without surgery.

Assuming no more offseason health woes, Sale, Strider, and Schwellenbach have places assured in Atlanta's rotation.  Former top prospect Hurston Waldrep pitched well in his first extended taste of MLB action and put himself in line for a starting job in 2026.  Holmes and Lopez are both tentatively penciled into the rotation for now, with the caveats of Holmes' health and the possibility that Lopez could be transitioned back into a bullpen role.  Back in September, Anthopoulos stressed that the club still views Lopez as a starter, "but what if we have a bunch of starter trades that present themselves and so on?  It would be a great problem to have."

Needless to say, the Braves are planning to bring at least one new addition into the starting mix.  The fact that Anthopoulos mentioned trading for a starter first and foremost might hint at his preferred plan, which makes sense given how Anthopoulos has traditionally shied away from big-ticket free agent signings during his front office career.  Anthopoulos has swung several creative trades over the years, and as we'll explore later, some players on the current big league roster could be trade chips just as easily as members of the Atlanta farm system.

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Trade Rumors Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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Steve Adams

  • Good afternoon! And happy World Series. We'll get going at 3pm CT, but as always, feel free to submit questions ahead of time if you prefer.
  • Greetings! Let's begin

Eeyore

  • Lifelong Mariners fan here… also a big fan of Eugenio Suarez, especially what he brings to the clubhouse..  Wondering what it might take for the M’s to retain him and maybe use him at DH and 3rd.  Dreaming of an offseason where Naylor gets signed, a trade lands Brendan Donovan and Suarez is still in the fold… all with Colt Emerson getting called up at so e point.

Steve Adams

  • I don't think there's any chance they keep both Suarez and Naylor and then add someone like Donovan. Individually they're all fine fits, but Suarez is probably going to command $20MM+ annually over 2-3 years, and the Mariners aren't going to spend for a player in his mid-30s when they have Emerson waiting in the wings.Naylor reunion seems possible, particularly if they move some other pieces to make the financial aspect work (assuming ownership isn't going to green-light a major spending hike).

    Donovan fits the Mariners well, but he's versatile, cheap and good at just about everything on the diamond. He fits every contending club well. Mariners do have a better farm than a lot of (most of) the other teams who'll be looking into him, though.

walterj23

  • If Hoyer of the Cubs declined to bring Imanaga back could the Cubs have enough money to sign Cease and Woodruff  ?

Steve Adams

  • The Cubs have enough money regardless of Imanaga. They have about $162.5MM in luxury obligations next year, per RosterResource. They could pick up their option on Imanaga, their option on Kittredge and their option on Rea and still be under $200MM in tax considerations. That's enough room to sign Cease and Woodruff and keep under the line in all likelihood -- and that doesn't even consider possible non-tenders (Reese McGuire, Eli Morgan) or trades of any veterans on the roster.

Rangers13

  • What teams with a need for defensive help would be possible trade partners for AGarcia or Semien if the acquiring team thinks they might be able to return them to close to previous offensive form and who might be options back to the Rangers from those teams?

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Offseason Outlook: Detroit Tigers

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The Tigers were the best team in the American League for a few months. They had a quiet deadline and narrowly avoided what would've been a historic collapse. While winning the Wild Card series and pushing the Mariners to the brink in the Division Series kept this from being a complete disaster, they unquestionably lost momentum in the second half. They're now facing a couple free agent departures and questions about the future for the sport's best pitcher.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Javier Báez, SS: $48MM through 2027
  • Jack Flaherty, RHP: $20MM player option for 2026
  • Colt Keith, 3B: $20.642MM through 2029 (including buyout of '30 club option; deal also includes club options for 2031-32)

Option Decisions

Additional Financial Commitments

2026 guaranteed contracts: $30.5MM or $50.5MM depending on Flaherty's option decision
Total future commitments: $71.142MM or $91.142MM through 2029 depending on Flaherty

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Non-tender candidates: Rainey, Vierling, Foley, Lange, Ibañez, Brieske

Free Agents

It took just a few days after the Tigers were eliminated for speculation to begin about Tarik Skubal. He's a few weeks from his second Cy Young award and now a year away from free agency. Jon Heyman of The New York Post has already suggested Skubal could seek a $400MM contract. Heyman reported that was at least $250MM above what the Tigers were willing to offer during extension talks last winter. Evan Petzold of The Detroit Free-Press subsequently reported that Detroit had offered a four-year deal between $80MM and $100MM.

That was a noncompetitive proposal when Skubal was two years from the open market. His asking price has only climbed after another dominant season that moved him a year closer to free agency. It's not accurate to say that they're facing a $300MM gap -- the Tigers would obviously be willing to offer more than that now -- but it doesn't exactly point to them being likely to hammer out a long-term deal. That naturally leads to wishcasting from other teams (and their fanbases) about the possibility of pulling off a blockbuster trade.

There hasn't been any reporting that the Tigers intend to seriously hear teams out on Skubal, much less actively shop him. The rumors to date have been driven by a few recent instances of contending clubs trading a superstar before his final season of arbitration. The Mookie Betts trade was a disaster for the Red Sox. The Padres did quite well when they traded Juan Soto to the Yankees, winning 90+ games in each of the following two seasons. The Brewers got a solid but not overwhelming return for Corbin Burnes and have remained one of the NL's best teams over the past couple years. The Astros landed a strong three-player package for Kyle Tucker but narrowly missed the playoffs in year one.

The Tigers have made consecutive playoff appearances after a nine-year drought. The front office has already come under fire for a deadline where they deepened the pitching staff in bulk without parting with any significant prospects for an impact acquisition (aside from arguably Kyle Finnegan). They already have a top-tier farm system and could enter the offseason with as little as $30.5MM in guaranteed contracts. They can easily accommodate a projected $17.8MM arbitration salary for Skubal.

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Offseason Outlook: New York Yankees

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The Yankees had another good season in 2025, but with the Yankees, good isn't good enough. Going into 2026, they will undoubtedly be looking to reload as they continue trying to take advantage of having a superhuman Aaron Judge on the roster.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • Aaron Judge, OF: $240MM through 2031
  • Max Fried, LHP: $196MM through 2032 (includes $10MM to be paid in January of 2026, half of $20MM signing bonus)
  • Gerrit Cole, RHP: $108MM through 2028
  • Carlos Rodón, LHP: $81MM through 2028
  • Giancarlo Stanton, OF/DH: $64MM through 2027 (includes $10MM buyout on $25MM club option for 2028; Marlins covering $30MM of remaining guarantee as part of trade)
  • Ryan McMahon, 3B: $32MM through 2027

Other Financial Commitments

Option Decisions

2026 guarantees, assuming Hill's option is picked up: $184MM
Total future commitments: $715MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Non-tender candidates: Leiter, Schmidt, Doval, Cousins, Hamilton, Effross, Bird, Cabrera

Free Agents

The Yankees haven't had a losing season since 1992. They have missed the playoffs just five times in the past 31 years. But the expectations in the Bronx are higher than that. It's now been more than 15 years since the last parade.

There's always pressure for the Yankees to compete but that title drought should create extra urgency. There's also the ticking clock on Judge. He is still producing at an incredible level. Despite missing some time this year, FanGraphs credited him with 10.1 wins above replacement. But he can't keep that up forever and will turn 34 in April. Key contributors like Giancarlo Stanton, Gerrit Cole, Max Fried and Carlos Rodón are also in their 30s, adding to the sense that winning needs to come sooner than later.

A lot of good things still happened in 2025. In spring training, the club lost Cole to Tommy John surgery and Luis Gil to a lat strain. Despite losing two rotation building blocks, the team dominated early. They were 35-22 through the end of May, giving them a 5.5 game lead in the American League East. But a summer swoon took some wind out of the sails, allowing the Blue Jays to take over the top spot in the East. Those two clubs kept battling and ended up with the same record, though the Jays were given the nod via tiebreaker. They would then face off head-to-head in the ALDS, with the Jays emerging victorious.

Going into 2026, there is still a lot of talent on the Yankee roster, though there are questions. The rotation should be strong in the long run, though that's assuming improved health relative to now. There is certainly work to do in the outfield and bullpen, and maybe the infield too. There's also the question of how much the club can throw its weight around financially.

Historically, the Yankees have often been the biggest-spending club in the league. In 2025, they were third, according to RosterResource. The Yanks were at $294MM, well behind the Dodgers and Mets, and just barely ahead of the Phillies. Owner Hal Steinbrenner seems to feel that he shouldn't have to spend much more than $300MM, per Greg Joyce of The New York Post. The 2026 payroll is currently slated for $227MM, per RR. That gives the Yanks some breathing room even if they are going to be capped around $300MM, though that kind of powder can get used up pretty quickly when filling a roster with some notable holes. Is there enough pressure to push Steinbrenner beyond his comfort zone?

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Offseason Outlook: Pittsburgh Pirates

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The Pirates took a step back in 2025 and fired manager Derek Shelton early in the season. He was replaced by his bench coach, Don Kelly, who'll take over in the dugout into 2026 and beyond. General manager Ben Cherington's job status prompted plenty of speculation, but he'll be back for 2026 as well. Can the Pirates finally turn things around?

Guaranteed Contracts

Total 2026 commitments: $30.5MM
Total long-term commitments: $130.5MM through 2030

Option Decisions

  • None

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; salary projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Free Agents

The Pirates have drawn increasing levels of praise for their excellent core of young pitching, headlined by likely NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes, but the team's collection of bats is miles behind its impressive stable of arms. Anemic offense proved to be Pittsburgh's downfall yet again in 2025. The Pirates scored just 583 runs -- last in the majors and nearly 300 fewer than the MLB-leading Yankees' mark of 849. Pittsburgh hitters connected on just 117 homers -- a whopping 31 long balls behind the 29th-ranked Cardinals. The Pirates' lineup ranked 28th in batting average, 23rd in OBP and dead last in slugging percentage.

Addressing such widespread offensive deficiency isn't an easy task. Cherington's job security was the source of considerable speculation late in the year. He'll be back for 2026, but with Shelton out the door and owner Bob Nutting calling for "urgency" -- a rich declaration from an owner who hasn't signed a free agent to a multi-year deal in a decade -- there's mounting pressure for the sixth-year Pittsburgh GM to bolster the lineup in support of a strong pitching staff.

Even coming off a last-place finish, the Pirates seem far likelier to add to the roster than subtract. That doesn't mean there won't be some veteran Buccos available via trade -- there very likely will be -- but such trades will be aimed at acquiring young, MLB-ready hitters who can augment a lineup that's badly in need of an overhaul. Let's run through the roster and some possibilities.

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Offseason Outlook: San Francisco Giants

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The first year of Buster Posey's front office tenure saw the Giants add a pair of stars. The end result was the same league average record that defined the Farhan Zaidi era. That spurred a bold change in the dugout. The Giants fired three-time Manager of the Year Bob Melvin while turning to the college ranks with a splash hire of former University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello.

Guaranteed Contracts

Option Decisions

  • Team holds $4MM option on C Tom Murphy ($250K buyout)

2026 guaranteed contracts: $132.75MM
Total future commitments: $693.75MM through 2033

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Non-tender candidates: Brubaker, Knizner, Lucchesi

Free Agents

After a few years of coming up empty on star pursuits, the Giants landed two impact hitters within the first nine months of Buster Posey's tenure atop baseball operations. They signed Willy Adames to a seven-year, $182MM free agent deal that represented the largest in franchise history. They made an even bigger commitment when they pulled off the Rafael Devers blockbuster in June. The Giants took on more than $240MM on Devers' contract over eight and a half seasons.

While the moves added much needed star talent to the San Francisco lineup, they didn't push the team to a playoff berth. On the heels of another .500 finish, they're now emphasizing a deeper pitching staff. "I think our focus is going to be on pitching, to try to fortify our starting staff. The same goes with the bullpen," Posey told Alex Pavlovic and Laura Britt of NBC Sports Bay Area. "I believe that pitching and defense wins, so that's where we'll probably start looking this offseason when free agency does happen."

That won't happen for another week or two, but the Giants didn't waste any time making significant changes. They fired manager Bob Melvin the day after the end of the regular season. A few weeks later, they zeroed in on Tony Vitello as their hire. There isn't any precedent for a top-tier college baseball coach jumping directly into MLB managing without any coaching or front office experience in pro ball.

There have been a few instances of teams poaching college pitching coaches. There are also examples of the "college to professional head coach" move in the NFL, NHL and NBA. Vitello will be the first test case in Major League Baseball. It remains to be seen how much of Melvin's staff will be retained. Bench coach Ryan Christenson and third base coach Matt Williams were out as soon as Melvin was dismissed.

The front office's focus now turns to the roster. They should have a good amount of payroll space with which to work. They have $132.75MM in guaranteed commitments for six highly-priced players. It's one of the game's lightest arbitration classes, though, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting the group for a little over $10MM. Non-tenders of JT Brubaker, Joey Lucchesi and Andrew Knizner would drop that below $5MM, as Patrick Bailey and Ryan Walker are their only two locks to be offered contracts.

That'd put their Opening Day payroll projection in the $150-155MM range if they filled the rest of the roster with minimum salaried players. RosterResource estimates their luxury tax number around $174MM, which is $70MM below the base threshold. The Giants ducked the luxury tax this year but had exceeded the threshold as recently as 2024. Even if they're not willing to go all the way to $244MM, they should be able to make multiple notable additions.

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Offseason Outlook: Cleveland Guardians

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The Guardians pulled off one of the most incredible comebacks in baseball history to win the American League Central in 2025. Going into the winter, they have a lot of good pieces in place and will look to strengthen the roster as they try to win a third straight division title in 2026.

Guaranteed Contracts

  • José Ramírez, 3B: $69MM through 2028.
  • Tanner Bibee, RHP: $43MM through 2029, including $1MM buyout on 2030 club option.
  • Emmanuel Clase, RHP: $8MM through 2026, including $2MM buyout on 2027 club option. Deal also includes 2028 club option.
  • Trevor Stephan, RHP: $4.75MM through 2026, including $1.75MM buyout on 2027 club option. Deal also includes 2028 club option.
  • Austin Hedges, C: $4MM through 2026.

Other Financial Commitments

  • Owe $2.75MM to Blue Jays as part of Myles Straw trade

Option Decisions

  • Club has $6MM option on LHP John Means with no buyout

2026 guarantees: $44.5MM
Total future commitments: $131.5MM

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Non-tender candidates: Hentges, Lively, Jones, Brennan

Free Agents

2025 was quite the rollercoaster season for the Guardians. They were 31-26 at the end of May and in possession of a Wild Card spot. But then they hit a skid, going 9-16 in June, which included part of a ten-game losing streak that went from June 26th to July 6th. After that losing streak, they were 40-48 and seven games back of a playoff spot.

Amidst that losing streak, right-hander Luis Ortiz was placed on leave due to a gambling investigation. It seemed the season was slipping away, so trade rumors started to swirl around players like Emmanuel Clase, Steven Kwan and Shane Bieber. Then Clase himself was placed on leave alongside Ortiz, also due to that gambling investigation. That took him off the trading block but also harmed Cleveland's bullpen. As the deadline came and went, they did some modest selling. They flipped Bieber and Paul Sewald, who were both on the injured list at the time, but held Kwan and everyone else.

Amazingly, everything turned around from there. The Guards went 14-13 in August and then an incredible 20-7 in September. That latter month included a ten-game winning streak from September 11th to 20th. As the Guards were surging, the Tigers were scuffling. Cleveland managed to finish a game ahead of Detroit, winning the Central for a second straight season. The Tigers got the last laugh by beating the Guards in the Wild Card round, but it was still an incredible run for the Guards, and one that could give them momentum going into 2026.

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Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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Anthony Franco

  • Good afternoon, hope you're all well! Looking forward to another of these
  • Busy week for us with offseason prep so I'm going to keep this one at an hour. Let's get going

Bo nose

  • I sure hope Bichette's addition to the Jays' roster is not a sentimental move nor one anticipating contributions defensively. Ordinarily a plus bat, the area where, arguably, the Blue Jays are strongest as a team right now, he has been feeble against L.A. over the past two years. That's only six games but, combined with the lay-off, is his best usage more likely to be as a super-sub PH than in any starting defender capacity? I think the noise about using him at 2nd is just that, noise.

Duffy Scliff

  • Does Toronto realistically have a shot in this series? Does the fact that LAD hasn’t played in awhile hurt them?

Anthony Franco

  • Dodgers are favorites but it's like 55-45, they've definitely got a shot. L.A.'s bullpen still feels like a weakness and the Jays should put up a much better fight against the rotation than Milwaukee did
  • We'll see on Bo. Obviously if he can move at all, then playing him at second would be ideal. Use Clement at third with Barger in RF and IKF as a defensive sub late in games. If he's so hobbled that he can't field a ground-ball, well he's at least a better pinch-hitting option than Loperfido would've been

Hopeful Halo

  • What do you think the angels chances are to land a top starter like Valdez?

Anthony Franco

  • Would be out of character for Moreno and they've got so many other needs that I don't think using most of the budget on one top starter would be the wisest choice anyway
  • I could see them more in on Gallen or a boring innings eater like Littell. They'll need to spend something on a center fielder and a third baseman and should at least bring Kenley back to solidify the back of the bullpen

Japanese Players

  • Who do you think gets the highest contract for Japanese pitchers coming over this year? Imai seems to be the one getting most of the conversation now. I do wonder if he might be getting a little to hyped now? It does seem sometimes we get hyped for a player and they struggle coming over.

Anthony Franco

  • Yeah it'll be Imai. He's a bit of split camp guy but I'd be surprised if he signs for less than $130M
  • I think the recent track record for the top NPB starters is pretty good actually. Yamamoto's phenomenal. Tanaka worked out really well, Imanaga was excellent value at 4/53. Jury's still out on Sasaki but for even if he's only a late-inning reliever, that's well worth what the Dodgers paid with the hard capped bonuses

Rangers13

  • How much do you expect Okamoto to cost?

Anthony Franco

  • We all landed at three years and between $33-45MM but there's a really wide error bar on the predictions for players (especially hitters) coming over from foreign leagues
  • Seems like he's at least equally interesting as Jeimer Candelario or Jurickson Profar were though

Ding a ling

  • Has Dillon Dingler really changed his hit tool? Both FanGraphs and MLB gave him a 30 as a prospect, but this past season, he hit for a respectable average. Who's the real Dillon Dingler?

Anthony Franco

  • Yeah definitely think he's better than a 30 hit tool. Big step forward in his in-zone contact rate, fewer chases. Hits the ball hard enough to post decent results on balls in play, even if he's probably not turning in a .345 BABIP every year
  • Feels like a 50 hitter with average pop who plays really strong defense behind the plate. Good player

Mike Yastrzemski

  • Please find me a home?

Anthony Franco

  • I fully expect the Royals to bring him back on a one-year deal for $10-12M. He hit well there and it's obviously an ongoing need
  • If they go elsewhere, Philly, Pittsburgh or Cleveland would work. Wouldn't pick the Giants to do it after they traded him but it's not like Luis Matos/Drew Gilbert seized the RF job. If they focus most of their resources on the rotation and Yaz is out for $8M in February, I don't see why they wouldn't be willing to circle back

Arthur Dent

  • Any chance the Guardians will entertain offers in Steven Kwan? If so, what would Cleveland be looking for in return?

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Offseason Outlook: Minnesota Twins

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The Twins gutted their roster at the trade deadline, fired their manager after the season and still haven't divulged any information on their new limited partners who bought a heavy share of the club. To call morale "low" among fans would be an egregious understatement, and the looming offseason doesn't offer much reason for optimism.

Guaranteed Contracts

Other Financial Commitments

  • $30MM owed to Astros through 2028 as part of Carlos Correa trade ($10MM annually)

Total 2026 commitments: $46.5MM
Total long-term commitments: $118MM through 2028

Option Decisions

  • Justin Topa, RHP: $2MM club option with $225K buyout (Topa remains under control via arbitration if Twins decline)

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; salary projections via MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Non-tender candidates: Cabrera, Tonkin, Larnach, Misiewicz

Free Agents

The Twins were in contention for much of the season's first half, even rattling off a 13-game winning streak from early May into the middle portion of the month. When things went south and the club fell below .500 with the deadline approaching, Minnesota emerged as a clear seller. It was originally expected to be a minor sale of pending free agents like Willi Castro, Chris Paddack and Harrison Bader. Instead, Minnesota traded a staggering 11 players, including several who were controlled beyond the current season -- in some instances (e.g. Louis Varland) as far out as 2030.

Whether that was due to the front office acting opportunistically in a market that lacked many pure sellers or (more likely) because ownership mandated further payroll cuts after being unable to find a buyer for the team due to a reported $400MM+ in outstanding debt, Minnesota's stunning deadline fire sale set the stage for what feels like a notable step back that will continue into the forthcoming offseason.

The large-scale changes didn't stop at the deadline. Manager Rocco Baldelli was the sacrificial lamb at season's end, getting fired with a year to go on his contract. Baldelli's tenure was far from perfect, as the Twins have had their share of disappointing seasons (including 2024's September collapse), but no manager could have succeeded in the wake of such a dramatic teardown, which included shipping out the five best relievers in what had been an excellent bullpen.

The Twins' offseason, accordingly, commences with a managerial search that has already seen them tied to names like former Mariners skipper Scott Servais, Red Sox bench coach Ramon Vazquez, and old friends Derek Shelton, James Rowson and (stretching much further back) Nick Punto. Change is coming in the Twins' dugout, but there's also still a fair bit of turnover possible on the roster itself.

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Offseason Outlook: Philadelphia Phillies

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For the second straight season, the Phillies won the NL East and earned a bye to the NLDS, only to lose in four games.  The Phils again face some big decisions about retaining or replacing members of their core, and the bigger-picture question might be if this core group needs a larger shakeup to get the team over the top.

Guaranteed Contracts

Option Decisions

2026 financial commitments (assuming Alvarado's option is exercised):$177.34MM
Total future commitments (assuming Alvarado's option is exercised): $642.54M

Arbitration-Eligible Players (service time in parentheses; projected salaries courtesy of MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz)

Free Agents

Coming off a 56-homer season, Kyle Schwarber is understandably looking to cash in, and could aim for a five-year free agent deal that would cover his age 33-37 seasons.  That would be a hefty commitment to a player who is basically a DH-only bat at this point in his career, though it is possible that in exchange for a longer term, Schwarber and his reps at Excel might be willing to bend a little on the contract's average annual value.

Speculating on the tenor of negotiations could be a moot point, however, since there is a sense that the Phillies are dead set on bringing Schwarber back.  There has been public interest in a reunion from Schwarber himself, from president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski, and (most importantly) from owner John Middleton.  The Phils have been more than willing to pay top dollar to retain most of their top talents during the Middleton era, ranging from Zack Wheeler's extension to new contracts with Aaron Nola and J.T. Realmuto after first letting them test free agency.

Realmuto is back on the market again now that his five-year, $115.5MM deal is up.  It was money well spent, as Cal Raleigh is the only catcher in baseball to post a higher fWAR than Realmuto's 17.8 number over the 2021-25 span.  On the flip side, Realmuto's production at the plate dropped in his age-34 season, as he hit .257/.315/.384 with 12 homers (for a 94 wRC+) over 550 plate appearances in 2025.

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