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Offseason In Review: Seattle Mariners

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Despite some glaring needs for offense, the Mariners only ended up tinkering a bit with their lineup after a pretty quiet offseason.

Major League Signings

2025 spending: $11.25MM
Total spending: $11.25MM

Option Decisions

Trades & Claims

Notable Minor League Signings

Extensions

  • None

Notable Losses

After a few months of scouring the free agent and trade markets for a replacement for second baseman Jorge Polanco, the Mariners ended up signing....third baseman Jorge Polanco, brought back on a one-year deal worth $7.75MM in guaranteed money, and with a vesting option that could guarantee Polanco at least $6MM in 2026.  Polanco has played the vast majority of his nine MLB seasons as a middle infielder, but he does have 24 games of experience as a third baseman, with 15 of those games coming as recently as the 2023 season when he was still a member of the Twins.

Polanco's defensive metrics as a second baseman were mostly subpar, and his lack of a strong throwing arm raises questions about how well he'll translate to the hot corner.  However, the bigger issue might be whether or not Polanco can rebound from a rough year at the plate.  The infielder hit only .213/.296/.355 over 469 plate appearances with Seattle in 2024, while also missing a month due to a hamstring strain, and undergoing surgery in October to correct a lingering left knee problem.

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Yankees Sign Ryan Yarbrough

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10:57am: The Yankees have formally announced the contract. Gil was placed on the 60-day IL to open a roster spot for Yarbrough.

9:45am: Yarbrough is guaranteed $2MM on the deal and can earn another $250K via incentives, ESPN’s Jorge Castillo reports. Since the Yankees are in the top tier of luxury penalization, that comes with a 110% tax. Yarbrough will cost them a total of $4.2MM.

9:16am: The Yankees and free agent left-hander Ryan Yarbrough have agreed to a major league contract, reports Robert Murray of FanSided. The Excel Sports client opted out of a minor league deal with the division-rival Blue Jays over the weekend and was granted his release.

Yarbrough, 33, has spent the bulk of his career in the AL East, most of it with the Rays, for whom he pitched from 2018-22. He spent about half the 2024 season with the Jays, pitching well after coming over in a trade with the Dodgers. Yarbrough logged 31 1/3 frames with Toronto and notched a pristine 2.01 ERA with a 22.2% strikeout rate and 6% walk rate.

Yarbrough finished the ’24 season with a career-low 3.19 ERA in 98 2/3 innings, but that came with a paltry 16.3% strikeout rate and one of the tamest fastballs in the sport — averaging just 86.5 mph, per Statcast. Yarbrough sat 89-90 mph as a starter early in his career, but like new teammate Tim Hill, is now more reliant on an unusual delivery and soft contact. Yarbrough rarely allows hard contact (29.4%) and has plus command that helps him offset his lack of missed bats.

That reliance on soft contact does lead to some year-to-year inconsistencies in Yarbrough’s ERA, but the cumulative results have been solid. In 768 big league innings, Yarbrough has a 4.21 earned run average with an 18.7% strikeout rate and 5.5% walk rate. His history as a starter and more recent track record as a multi-inning reliever — last year’s 98 2/3 frames came in 44 appearances — surely held appeal to a Yankees club that has seen its rotation plagued by injuries this spring. Yarbrough probably won’t step into the rotation at any point, but he’s a nice long man to have on hand at a time when rotation depth is thinner than expected. His addition on a big league deal likely pushes waiver claim and fellow southpaw Brent Headrick to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to begin the season.

The Yankees will need to open a 40-man roster spot to make Yarbrough’s deal official, though given that just-mentioned slate of injuries, that shouldn’t be an issue. Gerrit Cole was already moved to the 60-day IL when the team selected Carlos Carrasco’s contract over the weekend, but the Yankees still have multiple 60-day IL candidates. Luis Gil will miss months due to a lat strain, and while an exact timetable for Giancarlo Stanton’s return from tendon injuries in both elbows, it doesn’t seem like he’s a candidate to make his 2025 debut anytime soon.

Ryan Borucki Expected To Make Pirates’ Roster; DJ Stewart Unlikely To Make Team, Has Opt-Out Clause

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10:34am: Mlodzinski will begin the season in the Pirates’ rotation, Shelton announced to the team’s beat this morning (via Stumpf).

10:25am: Left-handed reliever Ryan Borucki, who’s in camp with the Pirates on a minor league deal, is expected to make the roster, reports Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. Outfielder DJ Stewart, another Pirates non-roster invitee, is not expected to make the team and has an opt-out clause in his contract today, Stumpf adds. Meanwhile, Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that pitching prospect Thomas Harrington is expected to open the season in the minors, though he’s yet to be reassigned to minor league camp and is still slated to pitch today’s game.

Borucki, 31 next week, had a terrific 2023 season in Pittsburgh (2.45 ERA in 40 1/3 innings) but struggled through an injury-wrecked 2024 campaign. He signed a $1.6MM deal to avoid arbitration last winter and started strong but landed on the injured list in April due to a triceps issue. He ended up missing five months and was jumped for seven runs in just 7 2/3 innings upon returning.

This spring, Borucki has looked far more like the 2023 version of himself. He’s tossed 8 2/3 frames and held opponents to one run on five hits and five walks with a dozen punchouts. That 13.9% walk rate is obviously discouraging, but Borucki has typically shown strong command, and the 33.3% strikeout rate he’s notched thus far carries some weight as well.

Borucki will be one of at least three lefties in Derek Shelton’s bullpen. Pittsburgh signed Caleb Ferguson and Tim Mayza to one-year deals worth $3MM and $1.15MM, respectively, in free agency this winter. They’re both set. Southpaw Joey Wentz is still in camp as well. He’s out of minor league options. Wentz pitched well after being acquired from the Tigers late last season and has had a big spring, yielding a pair of runs on nine hits with a 12-to-3 K/BB ratio in 8 2/3 innings.

Stewart, 31, has had a decent showing this spring but seems ticketed to be granted his release. The lefty-swinging former first-rounder (Orioles, 2015) slashed .250/.348/.450 in 46 plate appearances but needed a .391 average on balls in play to get there. Stewart hit only one home run during camp and went down on strikes in 34.8% of his plate appearances.

Stewart had a big year with the Mets as recently as 2023, when he slashed .244/.333/.506 with 11 homers in only 185 trips to the plate. However, that’s an outlier relative to the rest of his career, and he followed it up with a .177/.325/.297 output and just five homers in a very similarly sized sample (194 plate appearances) in 2024.

Assuming he indeed opts out, Stewart can seek new opportunities elsewhere. He’ll be an option for clubs looking for some left-handed pop in the outfield corners or at first base (though his experience there is much, much more limited). Stewart strikes out too often but draws plenty of walks and has shown 25- to 30-homer power. Dating back to 2020, he’s batting .205/.329/.396 with 35 long balls, a 13.5% walk rate and a 28.7% strikeout rate in 812 plate appearances.

Harrington, 23, is one of the Pirates’ top minor league arms. A potential path to a rotation spot opened up last week when Jared Jones’ start was skipped due to an ominous elbow issue. It’s still not clear how things will play out with Jones, who at last update was seeking a second opinion. Harrington’s apparent omission from the roster could be a sign that there was good news with regard to Jones or that the Bucs will simply open the season with four starters and use the early off days to skip the fifth spot in the rotation. Pittsburgh could also give the rotation nod to righty Carmen Mlodzinski, who’s been stretching out this spring and remains in camp. Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, Andrew Heaney and Bailey Falter are in the top four spots. Top prospect Bubba Chandler was already reassigned to minor league camp a couple weeks back.

The Pirates will need to open a 40-man roster spot for Borucki. He’ll earn the same $1.15MM as Mayza once his contract is formally selected. The Bucs don’t have a clear 60-day IL candidate, barring bad news on Jones. First baseman Spencer Horwitz is on the mend from wrist surgery, but that early-February procedure came with a recovery timetable of six to eight weeks, so there’s a decent chance he won’t be out long enough to require such a lengthy IL stay.

Buddy Kennedy Will Not Make Phillies’ Roster

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The Phillies have made a decision on their final bench spot. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski informed reporters, including Matt Gelb of The Athletic, that Kody Clemens made the team. This means that Buddy Kennedy, who is out of options, will not. Dombrowski says that there’s a bit of trade interest for Kennedy and they will try to work out a swap, but he’ll be designated for assignment on Thursday if they can’t work something out.

Like essentially all clubs, the Phils are expected to carry 13 pitchers on their roster, the maximum allowed. That means there are 13 spots for position players, leaving a four-man bench behind the nine regulars. One of those spots will go to backup catcher Rafael Marchán. With the Phils expected to platoon Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas in center, one of them will take another spot. Edmundo Sosa had another locked down by his ability to provide strong defense around the infield, while also kicking in some roughly average offense. Marchán and Sosa are both out of options.

That left Clemens and Kennedy battling for the final spot. Since both of them are out of options as well, whoever didn’t get picked would end up off the roster entirely. Neither player has hit much in the big leagues thus far. Clemens has a .200/.246/.373 batting line and Kennedy has hit .203/.295/.313. Those leads to respective wRC+ numbers of 68 and 72. Both have hit better in the minors but neither is a guarantee to produce in the bigs.

Defensively, the two have fairly similar skill sets. Both have played all around the infield but neither is really considered a viable shortstop. Both have significant second base innings in the minors, with Kennedy playing a bit more third and Clemens a bit more at first.

That put them on roughly even footing coming into camp, but Clemens has had the better showing in recent weeks. Spring stats are always to be taken with a grain of salt but Clemens has a line of .308/.357/.500, compared to Kennedy’s .162/.347/.432 showing. Kennedy also hits right-handed, the same as Sosa, while Clemens gives the club another left-handed bat.

Though Kennedy is getting squeezed off the Philly roster, he could find interest elsewhere. Dombrowski says they’ve been getting some calls, which lines up with Kennedy’s popularity on the waiver wire. In late 2023 and early 2024, he went from the Diamondbacks to the Athletics, Cardinals and Tigers via waiver claims. He got nudged off Detroit’s roster in June and flipped to the Phillies for cash.

As mentioned, he can bounce around to various different positions. While his bat still hasn’t clicked in the majors, he put up a line of .290/.404/.456 in the minors over the past two years, with that production translating to a 121 wRC+. He has less than a year of service time. Though he’s out of options, any club willing to give him a roster spot would therefore gain six potential years of control.

Photo courtesy of Chris Tilley, Imagn Images

Montero, Okert Will Make Astros’ Roster; Singleton Will Not

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Veteran right-hander Rafael Montero has made the Astros’ Opening Day roster, reports Ari Alexander of Houston’s KPRC-2. Lefty Steven Okert has also made the cut, per MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart. Righty Luis Contreras has also made the club, per Alexander. Lefty Bryan King will also break camp, while non-roster righty Logan VanWey will head to Triple-A. McTaggart adds that first baseman Jon Singleton has been informed that he will not make the team. Both Montero and Okert were non-roster invitees in camp, meaning both will need to be selected to the 40-man roster.

Yesterday’s release of Ben Gamel opened one vacancy on the 40-man for the Astros, and it seems another will be created by designating Singleton for assignment, trading him or releasing him. Singleton is on the 40-man roster but out of minor league options, so one way or another he’ll be coming off between now and Opening Day. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, he could potentially remain with the organization by accepting an outright assignment — but he’d also have the right to reject that assignment in favor of free agency.

Montero, 34, is in the final season of an ill-fated three-year, $34.5MM deal signed when the Astros were operating without a general manager in place. Owner Jim Crane and advisor Jeff Bagwell were reported to be running baseball operations at the time, having parted ways with James Click following the 2022 season. That period produced regrettable agreements with both Montero and the since-released Jose Abreu, to whom the ’Stros still owe $19.5MM this season.

Montero’s deal quickly blew up in similar fashion to that of Abreu. He pitched to a 5.08 ERA in 2023, allowing an average of 1.47 homers per nine frames along the way, and was tagged for a 4.70 mark in 38 1/3 innings in 2024, proving even more homer-prone that season. Houston passed Montero through waivers last summer, and he opted to accept a minor league assignment despite the fact that he could’ve elected free agency and retained his entire salary.

The hard-throwing Montero will now return to Houston’s bullpen, at least for the start of the season. He allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits and seven walks with 10 strikeouts in 8 2/3 spring innings. Statistically speaking, Montero didn’t have the best spring of Astros NRIs (particularly with regard to that 18.4% walk rate), but the Astros are paying him $11.5MM regardless, so they’ll try to recoup some value and hope he can trend closer to his outstanding 2022 form.

Okert, 33, is another story entirely. He signed a minor league deal back in November and promptly gave the ’Stros no choice but to carry him on the roster. In 11 spring frames, Okert held opponents scoreless. The veteran southpaw allowed only four baserunners — two hits, two walks — and fanned 17 of the 36 batters he faced (47.2%). His minor league deal carries a $1.2MM base salary.

Okert was a productive reliever with the Marlins in 2022-23 but struggled through 35 1/3 innings with the Twins in 2024. His lone season in Minnesota resulted in a 5.09 ERA with a 20.6% strikeout rate (second-lowest of his career) and 10% walk rate. On top of a diminished strikeout rate and shaky command, Okert yielded a career-high 1.53 HR/9.

The 28-year-old Contreras, like Okert, made it hard for the Astros to leave him off the roster. He’s already on the 40-man and could’ve been optioned, but he rattled off 9 2/3 shutout frames during camp, fanning 32.5% of his opponents. His 10% walk rate could stand to come down, but if Contreras can continue to miss bats at that level, he could get by with a higher-than average rate of dishing out free passes. He made his big league debut for Houston last year but was tagged for six runs in six innings. His strong spring will earn him another look, though.

As for Singleton, this wave of decisions will cost him his 40-man roster spot. The former top prospect returned to the Astros in 2023 after a brief appearance with the Brewers. That MLB comeback came on the heels of an eight-year absence. He wound up serving as Houston’s primary first baseman in 2024, after the club cut Abreu. Singleton hit .234/.321/.386 and popped 13 home runs but struggled with the glove and on the basepaths. He hit just .171/.239/.195 in 46 spring plate appearances. Those struggles, plus the offseason signing of Christian Walker to play first base, left Singleton with a tough path to the roster and a limited role if he’d made it.

The Opener: Free Agency, Injuries, Extensions

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After a busy weekend, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Veterans return to free agency:

While the free agent market was largely picked clean as recently as last week, Article XX(B) free agents (as well as a selection of other players) had opt-out clauses this weekend. Many of those players took those opportunities, and those who did not get added to their club’s 40-man roster are now back on the open market. Among the names to return to free agency are infielder Brandon Drury, southpaw Ryan Yarbrough, infielder Nick Ahmed, and right-handers Adam Ottavino and Jake Woodford. It’s possible many of the players who returned to free agency over the weekend could find new clubs in relatively short order, as outfielder Manuel Margot did when he was released by the Brewers, only to sign with the Tigers less than 24 hours later. In Margot’s case, he managed to garner a major league offer, but most players will likely be limited to minor league deals.

2. Hand surgeries out west:

The clubs that previously shared the Bay Area both have position players going under the knife today, as Giants outfielder Jerar Encarnacion is set to undergo surgery on his fractured left hand later today. In West Sacramento, meanwhile, A’s second baseman Zack Gelof is scheduled to undergo hamate surgery to repair a fracture of his own after he was hit by a pitch on his right hand last week. Both players are tentatively expected to be out until May, although more specific timetables for their returns to action are expected at some point after the procedures are completed. A’s top infield prospect Max Muncy (no relation to the former Athletic and current Dodgers third baseman) figures to fill in for Gelof at the keystone while he’s out of commission, while the Giants could rotate players through the DH slot in the lineup while Encarnacion is out.

3. Extension season is heating up:

It’s been a busy few days on the extension front, with multiple players landing long-term deals with their club over the weekend. Blue Jays catcher Alejandro Kirk agreed to a $58MM pact that will keep him in Toronto for five more seasons, while Guardians righty Tanner Bibee landed a five-year deal of his own that guarantees him $48MM. Earlier last week, Diamondbacks right-hander Justin Martinez and Reds catcher Jose Trevino both reached deals of their own that will keep them in town long-term. As Spring Training winds down, will any other players and clubs use the last few days before Opening Day to hammer out a long-term agreement?

Mariners Release Mitch Haniger

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The Mariners announced this morning that they’ve released outfielder Mitch Haniger. Haniger was owed $15.5MM this season, the last year of the three-year, $43MM contract he signed with the Giants prior to the 2023 season. Both Haniger himself and president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto provided statements alongside the announcement.

“Mitch has been a significant part of Mariners history and will be missed,” Dipoto said in the statement. “The day he arrived for his first spring training back in 2017, he established himself as one of the most focused, prepared, and hardest working players I’ve ever been around. We all appreciate the many ways he’s made us all better, on the field and off.”

“Putting on a Mariners uniform and playing at T-Mobile Park is something I’ll cherish forever,” Haniger said in his statement. “To our fans, my teammates, and everyone a part of this organization, thank you for embracing my family and me. We have so many great memories to look back on.”

It’s an unfortunate ending to Haniger’s tenure with the organization, which first began during the 2016-17 offseason when the Mariners acquired him from the Diamondbacks alongside Jean Segura and Zac Curtis in a deal that sent Ketel Marte and Taijuan Walker to Arizona. While Diamondbacks fans surely remember that deal fondly as Marte has grown into a star player with the club, Haniger enjoyed an impressive career of his own with Seattle over the years. Though he was often dogged by injuries throughout his tenure with the club, the outfielder remained productive and slashed .263/.337/.480 with a 124 wRC+ in 530 games from 2017 to 2022. His most impressive campaign with Seattle came in 2018, when he delivered a 137 wRC+ en route to a 5.0 fWAR/6.5 bWAR season that earned him an All-Star appearance and an eleventh-place finish in AL MVP voting that year.

Haniger departed the club for free agency following the 2022 campaign, and found a lucrative deal in San Francisco that guaranteed him $43MM over three years. Unfortunately, his first season with the Giants was one to forget as the outfielder was limited to just 61 games where he slashed a paltry .209/.266/.365 in 229 trips to the plate. Haniger was bit by the injury bug repeatedly through that season, as he suffered a fractured forearm in addition to oblique and back issues throughout the year. Despite those injuries, the Giants opted not to keep him in the fold and find out what a healthy season from their new outfielder might look like.

Instead, they shipped him back to Seattle alongside right-hander Anthony DeSclafani last winter in a deal that sent Robbie Ray to San Francisco. The surprise blockbuster reunited Haniger with the Mariners, and as he entered the season much healthier than he was the year prior there was plenty of reason for optimism that the veteran could return to form with the club. Unfortunately, that did not come to pass. Haniger struggled through 121 games with Seattle last year, slashing just .208/.286/.334 in 423 plate appearances.

It was his second consecutive season with negative WAR, and a career-high 29.8% strikeout rate offered little reason for optimism that he would be able to turn things around going forward. Haniger’s odds of recapturing his past success in Seattle further shrunk when the club acquired Randy Arozarena and Victor Robles during the 2024 season, both of whom effectively have the outfield corners locked down headed into 2025.

Haniger entered camp this year in competition with Mitch Garver and non-roster invitee Rowdy Tellez for the starting DH job, but quickly fell behind the club’s other two options when he hit just .167/.250/.389 across seven games this spring before being sidelined by shoulder soreness. He hasn’t played in a game since early March, and while a stint on the injured list appeared possible it now seems that the Mariners will instead allow Haniger to pursue opportunities elsewhere while clubs around the league are still finalizing their Opening Day roster decisions. Expecting a significant bounceback from a 34-year-old who is two full seasons removed from being an above average hitter would be a risk, but there’s little harm in another club seeing what Haniger might have left on a minor league deal should he be interested in one.

Yankees Considering Adding Right-Handed Hitting Depth

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It wasn’t long ago that the Yankees’ lineup was almost entirely comprised of right-handed hitters, but the additions of such players as Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr., plus the emergence of in-house options like Austin Wells, Ben Rice, and switch-hitter Jasson Dominguez has brought a lot more balance to the Bronx.  GM Brian Cashman even told reporters (including The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner) yesterday that he would be “happier” with another right-handed bat available on the roster, and that the Yankees are exploring such options as other teams make their end-of-spring cuts.

“I think some choices have emerged in camp, then it comes down to if those choices are better than anything else that might exist outside that you could either trade for and that you are comfortable enough giving up what it would take to get,” Cashman said.  “We’re measuring that versus options that might get the bad word in another camp that they’re not making it and all of a sudden we’re competing for those services.”

Giancarlo Stanton and DJ LeMahieu will both be on the injured list for the foreseeable future, leaving the roster short of two prominent bats that were expected (particularly in Stanton’s case) for regular roles.  Ideally, a right-handed hitter that could handle at least one of left field or third base would be the best fit, as such a player could step into the outfield if Dominguez struggles in his first extended stint of MLB playing time, or help out at a third base position that remains a question mark as Opening Day approaches.

The Yankees have such a player available in utilityman Pablo Reyes, who has amassed quite a bit of playing time at third, in left, and at other positions over his six big league seasons.  Reyes hasn’t hit much at the big league level, but he has hit decently well this spring, to the point that he seems to be on track to have his minor league contract selected to New York’s Opening Day roster.  That decision would put Reyes in position to share some at-bats at the hot corner with switch-hitter Oswaldo Cabrera.

Whether or not Reyes makes the team remains to be seen, as he could yet be the odd man out should the Yankees indeed bring a new player into the mix.  At the very least, Reyes seems to be a higher priority to the team than former top prospect Oswald Peraza.  As Kirschner observes, Cashman talking so openly about a need for right-handed hitting help doesn’t exactly bode well for Peraza’s future in the Bronx.

Peraza burst into the majors with an .832 OPS over 58 plate appearances during his 2022 rookie season, but that was reduced to a .539 OPS in 191 PA in 2023, as he didn’t rise to the occasion when given more of an opportunity at third base with LeMahieu on the injured list.  A shoulder injury then delayed his start to the 2024 season, and Peraza ended up making only four MLB appearances last year.

Both Reyes and Peraza are out of minor league options, so they would have to first go through waivers before New York could them send them to Triple-A.  Kirschner feels Peraza wouldn’t last long on the waiver wire given his solid defense, plus his former top-100 prospect status would surely attract teams that might feel he needs a change of scenery.  Having two out-of-options players on the bench isn’t ideal anyway from a roster flexibility standpoint, so it will be interesting to see how the Yankees proceed with this duo, or if a new face is brought into the organization.

Giants Notes: Stassi, Huff, Villar, Schmitt

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Max Stassi won’t exercise the opt-out clause in his minor league contract, Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle writes, and the catcher will instead remain in the Giants organization and play with Triple-A Sacramento.  Yesterday marked the first of three opt-out dates automatically included in Stassi’s contract due to his Article XX(b) free agent status, and Stassi’s next chance to evaluate his future will come on May 1 if he hasn’t yet been added to the Giants’ roster.

There apparently wasn’t much drama in the competition between Stassi and Sam Huff to be Patrick Bailey’s backup catcher, as Slusser notes that Stassi “has known the plan for a while and is fine with it.”  If anything, playing in Sacramento has particular appeal for the catcher because he lives in the city and can spend more time with his family.  Playing in the minors also allows Stassi the more regular on-field action he needs to ramp up after undergoing hip surgery last year.

Tom Murphy will miss the start of the season due to a herniated disc, creating the opening for Huff to eventually win the backup job.  Formerly a top prospect in the Rangers’ farm system, Huff’s defense was often called as a question to stick in the catching role, and Jonah Heim ended up passing Huff on the depth chart.  After Huff’s numbers dropped off at Triple-A last year, Texas designated the backstop for assignment, and the Giants claimed him away off waivers in January.  The change of scenery seems to have helped thus far, as Huff has been tearing it up at the plate in the Cactus League.

The rest of San Francisco’s bench mix has yet to be determined, though Luis Matos will likely claim the backup outfielder role.  Since it doesn’t seem like Jung Hoo Lee’s recent back issue is serious (“I don’t even want to use the word injury, it was so mild,” Lee told Slusser and other reporters), the Giants could take two infielders from the group of Casey Schmitt, Brett Wisely, David Villar, and prospect Christian Koss.

Villar seems to be the odd one out, as Slusser feels the Giants will be designating him for assignment this week since Villar is out of minor league options.  The infielder hit a respectable .231/.331/.455 over 181 plate appearances in his 2022 rookie season, but then struggled badly over 140 PA in 2023 and seemed to fall out of favor for playing time.  Villar has a very impressive .268/.377/.511 slash line and 60 homers over 1182 career Triple-A plate appearances, with the caveat that that production came in Sacramento in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.  A rival team in need of infield depth might be impressed enough by those numbers to take a flier on Villar if he does up on the waiver wire in the coming days.

There would seemingly be a lot more interest if the Giants made Schmitt available, as Slusser reports that multiple teams have expressed trade interest this offseason.  The Giants, however, don’t have much interest in moving Schmitt, who is still two seasons away from even gaining arbitration eligibility.  He also has one minor league option year remaining, giving the Giants flexibility in sending him back and forth from Triple-A.

Schmitt has a good track record of Triple-A results, and he showed improvement at the big league level in 2024, albeit in significantly fewer at-bats than he received in his 2023 rookie season.  Schmitt hit .206/.255/.324 in 277 PA in 2023, and then bumped that up to a .252/.283/.477 slash line over 113 PA last year.  In theory, Schmitt should again see limited action now that Willy Adames was signed to bring more stability to San Francisco’s infield, which in turn bumped Tyler Fitzgerald into a regular second-base role.

Cardinals Set Opening Day Roster, Plan To Use Six-Man Rotation In Mid-April

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Reports last week suggested that the Cardinals were thinking about utilizing a six-man rotation as a way of finding innings for both the veterans on the staff and for the younger arms the Cards are prioritizing in this semi-rebuild year for the franchise.  Manager Oliver Marmol confirmed to reporters (including The Athletic’s Katie Woo) today that the Cardinals will indeed use six starters during a busy stretch of the schedule that will see St. Louis play 26 games over 27 days from April 11 through May 7.

There is a bit of surprise in which starters will be involved in the expanded rotation, as the Cards optioned Michael McGreevy to Triple-A Memphis today.  McGreevy is one of the Cardinals’ top pitching prospects, and after impressing in his first 23 MLB innings last season, seemed poised to break camp with the team after posting a 1.08 ERA over 16 2/3 spring innings.

However, Matthew Liberatore also turned heads in camp, with a 1.62 across his own 16 2/3 frames of work.  As a result, Liberatore was named as one of the initial starting five (along with Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Erick Fedde, and Andre Pallante), with Steven Matz slated to work as a long man before becoming the sixth starter.

Obviously, a single injury could change these plans considerably, and some other health issues in camp also perhaps factored in the Cardinals’ plans.  Zack Thompson and Drew Rom are both dealing with injuries, so McGreevy became needed as a Triple-A depth arm given the lack of other ready options.  Given how rare it is for a pitching staff to get through a season in one piece, it might not be long before McGreevy gets another opportunity in the Show.

The “you can never have too much pitching” mantra looms large in what is technically a surplus situation for the Cardinals pitching staff.  Yet the number of arms available also relates to a strangely quiet offseason, as the Cards ended up retaining most of their veteran talent despite their stated goal last fall to view 2025 as something of a re-development year.  The team’s inability to trade Nolan Arenado garnered the most headlines, yet on the pitching end, St. Louis also opted to keep Fedde, who has only one year remaining on his contract.  Gray had no interest in waiving his no-trade clause to go elsewhere, and trading Mikolas or Matz (also free agents next winter) could’ve probably required the Cards to eat some money since both pitchers are coming off down years.

Mikolas or Matz could be more plausibly moved closer to the deadline, perhaps in salary-dump fashion once some of their salaries are already doled out over the first half.  Fedde might be one of the most sought-after rental pitchers at the deadline if he matches his 2024 form, though naturally the Cardinals are hoping they can return to contention this year, rather than look to sell at the deadline.

Marmol also announced the rest of the Cardinals’ roster for Opening Day, including the news that Victor Scott II won the team’s center field competition.  Scott was battling with Michael Siani for the job, yet Scott outhit not only Siani (who struggled badly) but also just about the rest of the team by posting a 1.225 OPS over 49 plate appearances.  Scott may not play every single day since Lars Nootbaar also figures to get some time in center as the Cardinals juggle around their lineup, but Scott has put himself in position to get the lion’s share of playing time up the middle.

Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Masyn Winn will be the only true lineup regulars for St. Louis, and Brendan Donovan is also expected to play every day but at multiple positions.  Moving Arenado would’ve helped open up third base and a lineup position to get more players onto the field, yet Marmol said he is confident of the team’s plans to rotate players around without necessarily adhering to strict platoons.

“I’m going to do my absolute best to get everybody the necessary amount of at-bats for us to know what we have at the end of the year….We’ll see what this looks like in 30 days, 60 days, 90 days.  But we’ll have a [lineup] rotation that while we’re all healthy, still gets guys at-bats,” Marmol said.

Infielder Jose Fermin won’t be part of this mix in the early going, as Fermin was optioned to Triple-A today.  Woo notes that Fermin was told earlier this week that he would be part of the Opening Day roster, yet the Cardinals’ plan apparently changed in the last few days.  Without Fermin, the Cards don’t have a proper backup shortstop, yet the versatile Donovan will handle that role if Winn is given a breather.

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