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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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Roberts: Alex Vesia “Most Likely” Won’t Pitch In World Series

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When the Dodgers announced their roster for the World Series this morning, Alex Vesia was the most notable name missing. The team explained that he and his wife were dealing with a “deeply personal family matter” and that an update would be provided at a later date.

Speaking to reporters at the Rogers Centre (including Sonja Chen of MLB.com), manager Dave Roberts said Vesia would “most likely” not pitch in the World Series. Of course, having been left off the roster, the southpaw would have only been available as an injury replacement in any case. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman explained that the team chose not to place Vesia on the family emergency list, which could have allowed him to come back sooner, so as not to pressure him to rejoin the team (per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times).

Vesia has been one of L.A.’s most trusted relievers for the past five seasons, pitching to a 2.68 ERA and a 3.16 SIERA in 270 innings since 2021. Only two pitchers have thrown more innings in relief with a lower ERA in that time: Emmanuel Clase and Raisel Iglesias. Vesia’s brief trip to the injured list earlier this year with an oblique strain was the first of his Dodgers tenure, and his stuff looked every bit as nasty upon his return. Although he was charged with two earned runs in his first outing of the playoffs, the lefty gave the Dodgers 4 1/3 scoreless after that, collecting either the win or a hold in each of his next six appearances. Needless to say, his arm will be missed against the Blue Jays, whose bats have been red-hot in October.

In more Dodgers bullpen news, Roberts explained that Tanner Scott was left off the World Series roster because his stuff “wasn’t quite there” in his latest throwing sessions (per Harris). The skipper described it as a “medical” decision rather than anything to do with the pitcher’s performance (per Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic).

Scott was removed from L.A.’s NLDS roster to undergo what Roberts called a “minor procedure” to address a lower-body abscess (per ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez). That meant he was ineligible to pitch in the NLCS. The southpaw initially expressed hope that he could rejoin the Dodgers should they make the World Series (per Jon Heyman of the New York Post), but it was never clear if he would have enough time to ramp back up.

Scott struggled in the first season of his four-year, $72MM contract with L.A., putting up a 4.74 ERA and blowing 10 saves in 33 chances. His strikeout rate dropped, his groundball rate plummeted, and opponents hit him much harder than they had before. That said, pitch models like PitchingBot, Stuff+, and StuffPro were still high on Scott’s arsenal, and his 3.43 SIERA suggested his ERA was bloated by bad luck. Perhaps most importantly, the Dodgers continued to trust him in high-leverage spots. Without Scott and Vesia, the Dodgers will be missing the two lefties they turned to most this season with games on the line.

Giants, Logan Porter Agree To New Minor League Deal

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Logan Porter will be back in the Giants organization in 2026. Bob Nightengale of USA Today reports that the catcher has re-signed with San Francisco on a new minor league contract that includes an invitation to spring training.

Porter, 30, began his career in the Royals organization in 2018 and made his MLB debut for Kansas City in 2023, appearing in 11 games. He went 6-for-31 with a double and a home run, throwing out one of seven would-be base-stealers and making one error behind the plate. While he did not appear in the majors the following season, Porter bounced between three organizations. The Royals traded him to the Giants in June, and he opted out of his minor league contract with San Francisco in July. He then signed a split agreement with the Mets, but found himself designated for assignment shortly thereafter. He finished out the year in New York’s minor league system.

In November 2024, Porter returned to the Giants on another minor league deal to compete for their backup backstop job in 2025. While he failed to make the roster out of camp, he did manage to earn a brief call-up in June when starting catcher Patrick Bailey suffered a neck strain. In five games, Porter went 1-for-7 with a walk, a hit-by-pitch, and two runs scored. He played 21 2/3 innings behind the dish. After being DFA’d in July, he quickly signed a new minor league deal with San Francisco and played out the season at Triple-A Sacramento. He finished the year with a .212/.346/.316 slash line (85 wRC+) for the River Cats, a notable step back from his .267/.370/.453 line (115 wRC+) at Triple-A the year before.

Offensive struggles aside, it’s clear the Giants like what Porter brings to the table as organizational catching depth. While it seems unlikely that he’ll earn the Opening Day backup job in 2026, he can provide the team with a veteran safety net in case of injuries.

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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Nationals To Hire Justin Horowitz As Assistant GM

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The Nationals are set to hire Justin Horowitz as an assistant general manager, as first reported by Joe Doyle of Over-Slot Baseball. Previously the Pirates’ director of amateur scouting, Horowitz will now work under Washington’s new president of baseball operations, Paul Toboni.

Toboni, like Horowitz, has a background in amateur scouting. In fact, Horowitz worked under Toboni in the Red Sox’s amateur scouting department for several years. That’s surely no coincidence. To that point, the first assistant GM Toboni hired this offseason was Devin Pearson, who just so happened to be his successor as Boston’s director of amateur scouting in 2023. Toboni clearly wants to improve Washington’s draft performance – years of poor drafting almost certainly led to Mike Rizzo’s unceremonious ousting just before the draft this past summer – and hiring Horowitz is a step toward achieving that goal. While it’s difficult to accurately evaluate a draft class without the benefit of hindsight, Pittsburgh’s performance in two drafts under Horowitz, 2024 and 2025, was widely praised.

The Nationals made several personnel changes after hiring Toboni, and former assistant GMs Eddie Longosz and Mark Scialabba were among the casualties. Mike DeBartolo, Washington’s interim GM between the Rizzo and Toboni eras, remains with the organization, but it’s unclear if he will serve as an AGM alongside Horowitz and Pearson or if he’s taking on a new role. DeBartolo has worked in the Nationals’ front office for than a decade, including as an AGM from 2019 until his temporary promotion in July.

The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Brittany Ghiroli initially reported that Toboni would bring on a GM “soon,” but that was now a month ago, so it’s unclear if hiring a second-in-command remains a priority for the Nationals and their new chief baseball executive. Ironically enough, the Nationals are also without a director of amateur scouting after losing Brad Ciolek to the Tigers last month. According to Doyle, this is a hole the team does indeed still intend to fill.

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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Brewers’ Connor Thomas Clears Waivers, Elects Free Agency

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Brewers lefty Connor Thomas has cleared waivers and rejected an outright assignment in favor of free agency, the team announced.

Thomas, 27, was a Rule 5 pick out of the Cardinals organization last year. He had a strong spring showing, broke camp with Milwaukee, made his big league debut and pitched 5 1/3 innings across two appearances before hitting the injured list with an elbow injury. Thomas was tagged for an alarming 12 runs in his brief MLB look, though the elbow injury likely contributed to those troubles. He was shelved for nearly three months before undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow.

At the time the Brewers announced the surgery, they noted that a UCL repair was possible as well. A formal announcement never followed, but MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy now reports that Thomas indeed underwent Tommy John surgery. That’ll sideline him until late into the 2026 season, if not all the way until the 2027 season.

Though Thomas’ 2025 season was rough, he’s a former fifth-round pick who’s had some success in the upper minors. That includes a tidy 2.89 ERA in 90 1/3 Triple-A frames with the 2024 Cardinals. He posted a below-average 20.6% strikeout rate but also recorded a sharp 6.3% walk rate and an excellent 55.3% ground-ball rate.

Thomas’ injury and lack of big league record will limit him to a minor league deal in free agency, but he figures to latch on as a depth option somewhere — possibly even back with the Brewers. Milwaukee’s decision to outright him doesn’t necessarily indicate that they no longer have interest in the southpaw, but they’d have had to dedicate a 40-man roster spot to him all winter since there’s no 60-day IL in the offseason.

Dodgers Announce World Series Roster

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The Dodgers announced their 26-man roster for their World Series showdown against the Blue Jays this morning. Among the notable omissions are Alex Vesia, Tanner Scott and Ben Casparius. Scott has been out since the NLDS after undergoing a lower body abscess excision. He was hopeful of returning for the World Series but has seemingly not been cleared. The Dodgers announced that Vesia is “away from the team as he and his wife Kayla navigate a deeply personal family matter.”

Los Angeles’ 26-man roster breaks down as follows:

The Dodgers will turn to Snell to start Game 1 of the World Series tonight against Blue Jays rookie Trey Yesavage. Yamamoto is lined up to start Game 2, which is expected to be started by Jays righty Kevin Gausman.

Glasnow and Ohtani figure to start Games 3 and 4 for L.A., while Toronto will have Shane Bieber and former Dodger Max Scherzer as options in those contests. Of course, specific matchups haven’t yet been finalized and are subject to change anyhow, given the all-hands-on-deck nature teams tend to employ in critical postseason series.

Blue Jays Add Bo Bichette To World Series Roster

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Bo Bichette is back. The Blue Jays announced their World Series roster today, and it includes the two-time All-Star infielder. Bichette has been sidelined since early September due to a sprained posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Manager John Schneider indicated yesterday that Bichette could see time at shortstop, second base and/or designated hitter if cleared to rejoin the roster. If he appears in a game at second base, it’ll be his first time playing there since the minor leagues in 2019.

The Jays dropped outfielder Joey Loperfido and righty Yariel Rodriguez from their roster, which contains 14 position players and 12 pitchers. It breaks down as follows:

Yesavage gets the ball opposite Blake Snell in Game 1, becoming the second-youngest Game 1 starter in World Series history (trailing Ralph Branca of the ’47 Dodgers (as noted by MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson). The Jays haven’t formally announced a Game 2 starter to take on righty Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but it’s expected to be Gausman. Bieber and Scherzer are likely up, in some order, for Games 3 and 4. The Dodgers figure to counter with Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani.

Of course, all eyes will be on Bichette in his return to the diamond after an absence of roughly seven weeks. It’s not likely that he’s at 100%, but the Jays medical staff cleared him to take the field for the franchise’s biggest series in more than 30 years.

There’s an offseason component to consider as well, given Bichette’s status as an impending free agent. Any time at second base in the World Series could offer a potential glimpse of the future, too; Bichette’s glovework at shortstop has been perhaps the key knock on his free agent case, and it’s likely that some clubs will prefer to sign him and move him to second base. A small handful of appearances when he’s coming off a notable knee injury isn’t going to be indicative of how he’d look there at full strength in 2026 and beyond, but it’s still a source of intrigue both for the duration of the Fall Classic and for the broader, long-term picture.

The Opener: Blue Jays, Dodgers, World Series

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Here are three things to keep an eye on headed into Game 1 later today:

1. Blue Jays roster decisions:

As the Blue Jays finalize their World Series roster, the biggest question for the club is what will happen with star shortstop Bo Bichette. Bichette has been out since the regular season due to a PCL strain, but appears close to a dramatic return. Bichette himself indicated following the ALCS that he’ll be ready to play tonight, and manager John Schneider suggested during yesterday’s media availability that a return is a distinct possibility. Of course, it’s up to the Toronto medical staff to clear him for play following yesterday’s workouts.

If Bichette does make the roster, it’s possible that rather than leaning on him at shortstop or forcing George Springer into the field at DH, Bichette could make some starts at second base to ease his move back into defensive work in games. Andres Gimenez is a superior defender at shortstop anyhow and has filled in nicely in his absence.

2. Dodgers roster decisions:

The Dodgers have already announced one major roster decision ahead of today’s full-roster announcement: Clayton Kershaw will make the club’s World Series roster. That decision comes after Kershaw struggled in the NLDS, was left off the Wild Card roster, and did not make an appearance in the NLCS. Given that this World Series will be the final games of Kershaw’s career, it will be worth tracking if the Dodgers can find the right opportunity to give their franchise face and future Hall of Famer a proper sendoff amid their fight to become the first repeat World Series champions since the 2000 Yankees.

Outside of Kershaw, there’s the question of whether Tanner Scott will be available for the club’s World Series roster after a minor procedure on his lower body removed him from the NLDS roster and left him ineligible for the NLCS roster. Scott had a tough year in 2025 but isn’t far removed from being one of the game’s most dominant relievers.

3. Games 1 and 2 Preview:

The first two games of the World Series will happen in Toronto this weekend. First pitch in both games is scheduled for 8pm local time. Game 1 tonight will feature Trey Yesavage (3.21 ERA) on the mound for the Blue Jays opposite Dodgers lefty Blake Snell (2.35 ERA). Snell has dominated this postseason with a 0.86 ERA and 28 strikeouts in three starts, but Yesavage has impressed far more than his 4.20 postseason ERA would suggest. He struck out 11 Yankees in 5 1/3 n0-hit innings during the ALDS, and while the Mariners chased him from a tough Game 2 start in the ALCS, he rebounded in Game 6 to offer 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball while striking out seven.

In Game 2, the Dodgers will send Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2.49 ERA) to the mound opposite a yet-to-be-named Blue Jays starter. Kevin Gausman would most likely be in line for the start after his relief appearance in Game 7 of the ALCS. Whoever he ultimately faces, Yamamoto will be coming off a dominant complete game against the Brewers where he allowed just one run on three hits and a walk while striking out seven.

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