Headlines

  • Rangers Hire Skip Schumaker As Manager
  • Albert Pujols To Interview For Angels’ Managerial Vacancy, May Be “Leading Choice”
  • Bill Schmidt Will Not Return As Rockies’ GM
  • Brian Snitker Will Not Return As Braves’ Manager In 2026
  • Angels To Have New Manager In 2026
  • Rays Sale To Patrick Zalupski’s Group Officially Completed
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Athletics
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Astros To Activate Lance McCullers Jr. This Weekend

By Steve Adams | April 30, 2025 at 12:01pm CDT

The Astros are planning to reinstate right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. from the injured list this weekend, the team announced to reporters Wednesday (link via Chandler Rome of The Athletic). He’ll take the ball Sunday to start against the White Sox.

Sunday will mark McCullers’ first appearance on a major league mound since the 2022 postseason. Even in 2022, McCullers was limited to 47 2/3 regular-season innings because of a forearm injury. He made his 2022 debut in August, pitched down the stretch and added another 15 postseason innings. His forearm again flared up in spring training 2023, and McCullers eventually underwent surgery to repair the flexor tendon in his right arm and to remove bone spurs from his elbow.

That procedure ended McCullers’ 2023 season before it began, but the general expectation was that he’d return at some point in 2024. That never came to pass. McCullers worked through a throwing program last summer but never made it to the mound for a rehab start. The Astros revealed in August that McCullers was being shut back down due to persisting pain in his surgically repaired right arm. His absence extended into the 2025 season, but after making four rehab starts — including nine straight scoreless Triple-A frames — McCullers is now set to finally return to the majors.

“It’s a day I’ve been waiting for a long time,” McCullers replied when asked what Sunday’s return means to him (video link via Brian McTaggart of MLB.com). “I almost feel like I’m making my debut in some aspects. It’s been a really long road for me. I thank my teammates, the coaching staff, the Astros organization for standing by me and supporting me.”

Injuries have been a persistent theme throughout the now-31-year-old McCullers’ career, but there’s never been any doubt of his abilities when he’s been healthy enough to pitch. The former No. 41 overall draft pick was a top prospect before making his debut in 2015 and has posted a sub-4.00 ERA in six of his seven major league seasons. Overall, McCullers touts a career 3.48 earned run average, 26.5% strikeout rate and 9.8% walk rate in 718 2/3 regular season frames. His work in 72 2/3 postseason innings is nearly identical: 3.47 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate, 7.3% walk rate.

It’s impossible to know what to expect from McCullers on the heels of such a lengthy absence. If he can recapture even 80% of his prior form, he’d be a boon to an Astros staff that has five other rotation options on the injured list (Luis Garcia, J.P. France, Cristian Javier, Spencer Arrighetti, Shawn Dubin). Hunter Brown has been one of MLB’s best pitchers this year, and fellow starters Framber Valdez and Hayden Wesneski have pitched well. Ryan Gusto has impressed in a small sample of 19 innings since being thrust into the rotation following Arighetti’s injury. Last year’s rotation savior, Ronel Blanco, has stumbled out of the gate with a 5.08 ERA.

On the whole, Astros starters rank seven in the majors with a 3.50 earned run average, but Blanco has struggled and the depth beyond the current quintet is a bit suspect. A healthy McCullers would be a pivotal development.

Houston signed McCullers to a five-year, $85MM extension back in March 2021 — a rare (but hardly unheard of) extension for a Boras Corporation client on the cusp of free agency. He was excellent in ’21, but those previously mentioned 63 innings (regular season and postseason combined) in 2022 are the only innings he’s pitched throughout the duration of that extension. He’s being paid $17MM this year and next in the final two seasons of that contract.

Share Repost Send via email

Houston Astros Newsstand Lance McCullers Jr.

23 comments

Griffin Conine Expected To Miss Remainder Of 2025 Season

By Steve Adams | April 30, 2025 at 11:01am CDT

Marlins outfielder Griffin Conine underwent left shoulder surgery yesterday, as previously reported, but the team announced this morning that Conine is expected to miss the remainder of the 2025 season. A firm timetable for his absence hadn’t been previously established. He’s expected to be ready for spring training 2026, the Marlins added.

Conine, 27, made his big league debut with Miami late last season and hasn’t stopped hitting since he arrived in the majors. He’s appeared in only 50 games and tallied just 160 plate appearances but has impressed with a .274/.338/.445 slash (116 wRC+) in that time. He’s benefited from a .379 average on balls in play and punched out too often (29.4%), but it’s still an encouraging start to his career — one that’s been backed up by solid batted ball metrics.

Conine, of course, is the son of “Mr. Marlin” Jeff Conine — a two-time MLB All-Star who won the World Series both with the 1997 Marlins and 2003 Marlins. Griffin was originally a second-round pick by the Blue Jays in 2018 (one of many second-generation talents drafted/signed by Toronto in that time) but made his way to the Fish as the player to be named later in a trade sending infielder Jonathan Villar from Miami to Toronto.

The younger Conine’s big league batting line closely mirrors the .260/.341/.454 line he’s logged in parts of two Triple-A seasons (135 games, 528 plate appearances). With Miami’s outfield — really, its entire roster — in a general state of flux, Conine appeared to have a runway for regular playing time as he sought to establish himself as a viable everyday big leaguer. That endeavor will now be put on hold until next season. In the meantime, Conine will accumulate major league service time and pay.

The Marlins are currently deploying longtime corner outfielder Jesus Sanchez in center field on most days, although Derek Hill and Dane Myers have both played there this season as well (particularly when Sanchez was injured to begin the year). Hill is currently out with a wrist injury, leaving Sanchez, Myers, Eric Wagaman, Kyle Stowers and Javier Sanoja in the mix for outfield playing time.

Outside of Sanchez and Stowers, it’s a group composed primarily of journeymen and/or utility players. Sanchez, controlled through the 2027 season, could very well be a summer trade chip if he’s performing well later this season. The 27-year-old Stowers came to Miami alongside Connor Norby in the deal sending Trevor Rogers to Baltimore last July. He’s hitting well to begin the season (.293/.374/.413) but has been aided by a massive .410 average on balls in play and has fanned at a 29% clip. Prospects Jakob Marsee, Andrew Pintar or Victor Mesa Jr. could get looks later this season, but given the lack of long-term solidity in the group, Conine should still have a path to playing time if he returns next spring and continues hitting.

Share Repost Send via email

Miami Marlins Griffin Conine

7 comments

Astros Select AJ Blubaugh

By Anthony Franco | April 30, 2025 at 10:08am CDT

April 30: The Astros have made Blubaugh’s promotion official. His contract has been selected to the 40-man roster, which is now at capacity. Righty Bryan Abreu has been placed on the paternity list to clear a spot on the active roster.

April 29: The Astros are tabbing AJ Blubaugh to start tomorrow against the Tigers, the team announced to reporters (including Chandler Rome of The Athletic). The righty will go opposite another rookie, Jackson Jobe, in his major league debut. Houston already has an opening on the 40-man roster; they’ll only need to make an active roster move involving a pitcher.

Blubaugh, 24, is one of the top pitching prospects in a Houston system that is light on arms. A seventh-round pick from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the 2022 draft, he has turned in a 4.02 ERA over 268 1/3 minor league innings. Drafted as a reliever, Blubaugh began a rotation move in 2023. He worked as a full-time starter a year ago, pitching to a 3.71 ERA in 28 appearances between the top two minor league levels. Blubaugh recorded a solid 24.5% strikeout percentage against a 9.4% walk rate.

The 6’2″ righty pitched in the Futures Game a season ago. He ranked among the top 10 prospects in the Houston system at both Baseball America and The Athletic (via Keith Law) over the offseason. He’s generally viewed as a likely back-end starter who has decent command of a fringe-average pitch mix. Blubaugh’s fastball velocity has ticked up early this year. He’s averaging 93.8 MPH on the pitch after sitting at 92.5 during his Triple-A work last season. He’s mixing five pitches (four-seam, cutter, slider, curveball and changeup) with regularity.

Blubaugh has found early success in a tough pitching environment in the Pacific Coast League. He carries a 3.86 ERA over 21 innings spanning five appearances. He has punched out 30% of opponents while walking batters at an elevated 10.8% rate. Blubaugh joins Colton Gordon as rotation depth options who occupy a 40-man roster spot.

It’s unclear if his first appearance will simply be a spot start. Hayden Wesneski would have been lined up on Wednesday. Manager Joe Espada said on Tuesday afternoon that the righty’s start would be skipped after he was pitching with diminished velocity during his start last Friday (link via Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle). Espada downplayed the notion that Wesneski was injured, though it’s worth nothing the Astros provide less in the way of health specifics than any other team. In any case, Blubaugh will get the ball at least once in his initial call to the big leagues.

Share Repost Send via email

Houston Astros Transactions A.J. Blubaugh Hayden Wesneski

17 comments

Royals Recall Noah Cameron For MLB Debut

By Anthony Franco | April 30, 2025 at 10:00am CDT

April 30: The Royals have formally announced Cameron’s recall from Omaha. They’ve also reinstated infielder Tyler Tolbert from the bereavement list. Righty Jonathan Bowlan and infielder Nick Loftin were optioned to Triple-A in a pair of corresponding moves.

April 29: Left-hander Noah Cameron is listed as the Royals’ probable starter for Wednesday evening’s game against the Rays. He’ll go opposite Drew Rasmussen in his major league debut. Cameron was added to the 40-man roster last November, but Kansas City will need to recall him while making a corresponding active roster move involving a pitcher.

This would have been Cole Ragans’ turn through the starting five. The star southpaw was pulled early from his most recent start with left groin tightness. He’s evidently not ready to go on normal rest, but the Royals haven’t placed him on the injured list. Jaylon Thompson of The Kansas City Star reports that the team is optimistic that Ragans will not require an IL stint. He’s scheduled for a bullpen session in the coming days and could start one of the games during the weekend series against the Orioles.

The delay opens the opportunity for Cameron’s first major league call. The 6’3″ lefty was a seventh-round pick in 2021. He hadn’t pitched during his draft year at the University of Central Arkansas because of Tommy John surgery. Cameron has impressed since entering professional ball, emerging as one of the team’s better pitching prospects in the process. Baseball America ranked him eighth overall in the K.C. system during the offseason. BA credits Cameron with a plus changeup as the headliner of a solid, if not overpowering, four-pitch arsenal.

Cameron doesn’t have huge velocity. His fastball averaged 92 MPH during his Triple-A work last year. It’s closer to 93 this season. Cameron mixes his pitches fairly regularly. It has worked against minor league competition. He turned in a 3.08 earned run average with a near-28% strikeout rate between the top two minor league levels last season. He has been similarly effective through five starts with Triple-A Omaha this year. Cameron has fanned 30.3% of opponents while working to a 3.22 ERA across 22 1/3 frames. He has gotten ground-balls at a career-high 58.5% clip.

If Ragans does require an injured list stint, Cameron would probably be the top choice to step into the rotation. Assuming Ragans can avoid the IL, Cameron will likely head back to Omaha after the spot start. Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Kris Bubic and Michael Lorenzen round out the rotation. The Royals have been without Alec Marsh and Kyle Wright all season. Wright, who missed all of last season rehabbing shoulder surgery, is the closer of that duo to a return. Anne Rogers of MLB.com relays that Wright will begin a minor league rehab stint this week.

Share Repost Send via email

Kansas City Royals Cole Ragans Kyle Wright Noah Cameron

8 comments

The Opener: Witt, Prospect Promotions, IL Activations

By Nick Deeds | April 30, 2025 at 8:47am CDT

As the 2025 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Witt reaches 20-game hit streak:

Royals superstar Bobby Witt Jr. may not yet be replicating the absurd heights he reached during his MVP runner-up campaign last year, but he’s still off to an excellent start. The soon to be 25-year-old is hitting .316/.385/.474 with nine steals and an MLB-leading 12 doubles. After a relatively slow start in the season’s first couple of weeks, Witt’s last 20 games have been particularly sensational; he’s batted .356/.424/.521 while getting at least one hit in each game. That 20-game hit streak is the longest of the 2025 season, and today he’ll try to keep it going against the Rays and right-hander Drew Rasmussen.

2. Youngsters getting promoted:

Speaking of the Royals’ matchup with Rasmussen and the Rays this evening, they’ll be sending a rookie to the mound opposite Tampa’s hard-throwing righty. Southpaw Noah Cameron is reportedly poised to make his MLB debut in this evening’s game, which is scheduled to begin at 7:05pm local time in Tampa. Cameron was generally solid in 25 starts between Double-A and Triple-A last year, and to this point he’s posted a 3.22 ERA in five starts at the level this season with a 30.3% strikeout rate. That excellent start was enough to earn him a look at the big league level as a spot starter while ace southpaw Cole Ragans nurses a groin injury.

Meanwhile, two prospects figure to make their own MLB debuts today when the Reds promote right-hander Chase Petty and infielder Tyler Callihan. Those promotions will come in advance of today’s doubleheader against the Cardinals. Petty, 22, is a top-100 prospect acquired from the Twins in the Sonny Gray trade a few years back. He’s slated to pitch opposite St. Louis lefty Steven Matz after posting a 3.52 ERA in his first five starts of the year at Triple-A. As for Callihan, the third-rounder of Cincinnati’s 2019 draft has just begun his age-25 season and has torn the cover off the ball in his first taste of Triple-A, with a .311/.432/.553 slash line in 28 games (including a brief four-game look there late in 2024).

3. Notable returns in Los Angeles, Boston:

Two starting pitchers who haven’t pitched since the 2023 season are slated to return to the big leagues today. The Dodgers are welcoming Tony Gonsolin back from the injured list following rehab from Tommy John surgery that’s kept him sidelined 20 months. He’ll face the Marlins in his return game at Dodger Stadium, which is scheduled for 12:10pm local time and will feature Miami righty Cal Quantrill on the mound opposite the 2022 All-Star.

Meanwhile, Lucas Giolito will finally make his Red Sox debut after signing with the club during the 2023-24 offseason but undergoing elbow surgery during spring training. Giolito is poised to take on the Blue Jays in Toronto, with the game scheduled for 7.07pm local time. The Jays have not yet announced who will take the mound opposite Giolito in this evening’s game.

Share Repost Send via email

The Opener

13 comments

A.J. Puk Shut Down With Flexor Strain, Not Expected To Require Surgery

By Anthony Franco | April 29, 2025 at 11:54pm CDT

D-Backs southpaw A.J. Puk has been diagnosed with a flexor strain, reports Nick Piecoro of The Arizona Republic. He’ll remain shut down from throwing for 2-3 weeks before going for reevaluation. Fortunately, the team does not believe the injury will require surgery.

It’s moderately encouraging news after last week’s revelation that Puk was seeking multiple opinions on his elbow injury. He went on the 15-day injured list on April 19 and almost immediately went for imaging. That obviously raised the possibility of surgery, but it seems he’ll avoid the worst-case scenario.

That said, he’s clearly going to be out for an extended stretch. Puk will not resume throwing until the middle of May at the earliest. He’ll surely require a multi-week build from there. He won’t be back on an MLB mound before June, and there’d seem to be a decent chance he’s out beyond the All-Star Break. Puk has a previous Tommy John procedure on his medical chart. He underwent the surgery while he was a prospect in the A’s system back in 2018.

Acquired from Miami at last year’s deadline, Puk has been brilliant for the Diamondbacks. He posted a 1.32 ERA with 43 strikeouts in just 27 1/3 innings down the stretch. He’d reeled off another eight frames of three-run ball with 12 punchouts this season. He recorded four saves and two holds without surrendering a lead over the first three weeks.

Puk’s absence puts greater pressure on Justin Martinez to cement himself as Torey Lovullo’s top late-game weapon. The fireballer has worked 10 innings of two-run ball with 11 punchouts and a massive 61.9% grounder rate. Shelby Miller, Kevin Ginkel, Jalen Beeks and Ryan Thompson are among the setup group.

Share Repost Send via email

Arizona Diamondbacks A.J. Puk

10 comments

Giants Sign Cal Mitchell To Minor League Contract

By Anthony Franco | April 29, 2025 at 9:05pm CDT

The Giants signed outfielder Cal Mitchell to a minor league deal. He was assigned to Double-A Richmond, where he’s making his organizational debut tonight. Mitchell was released from a minor league contract with the White Sox over the weekend.

A second-round pick by the Pirates in 2017, Mitchell reached the majors five years later. He hit .226/.286/.349 with five homers over 69 games as a rookie. Mitchell spent most of the following season on optional assignment to Triple-A before being designated for assignment that September. He cleared waivers and elected minor league free agency during the 2023-24 offseason. The San Diego native signed a minor league deal with his hometown club.

Mitchell spent all of last season with the Friars’ top farm team in El Paso. He had a good year, batting .277/.359/.512 with 22 home runs and 26 doubles across 469 plate appearances. Mitchell walked at a strong 11.7% clip against a serviceable 20.3% strikeout percentage. The Padres nevertheless didn’t bring him up.

The 26-year-old signed with the White Sox early last offseason. He struck out 11 times in 28 Spring Training plate appearances. The whiffs remained an issue in the minors. Mitchell fanned 14 times without drawing a walk over 10 Triple-A games. He hit .111 in 27 plate appearances, leading to his release. Mitchell now drops back a minor league level but gets a change of scenery to try to find his groove offensively.

Share Repost Send via email

San Francisco Giants Transactions Cal Mitchell

4 comments

Braves Release Jake Marisnick

By Steve Adams | April 29, 2025 at 8:07pm CDT

The Braves have released outfielder Jake Marisnick, who’d been playing with Triple-A Gwinnett after signing a minor league contract, per the transaction log at MiLB.com. He’ll head back to the market and look to latch on with another team needing outfield depth.

Marisnick’s release comes both on the heels of some notable struggles in Gwinnett and a shakeup in Atlanta’s outfield corps. The Braves signed veteran Eddie Rosario to a big league deal yesterday after his recent release from the Dodgers organization. In a corresponding move, they optioned Jarred Kelenic to Gwinnett, hoping a minor league reset can get the former top prospect back on track. Releasing Marisnick will clear roster space and playing time for Kelenic in Triple-A.

As noted, the 2025 season has been a struggle for Marisnick anyhow. The 34-year-old has appeared in a dozen games and taken 45 turns at the plate. He’s produced a woeful .098/.178/.195 batting line in that time. Marisnick has homered and was successful in his only stolen base attempt, but he’s fanned in 29% of his plate appearances and posted bottom-of-the-scale batted ball metrics (81.7 mph average exit velocity, 28.6% hard-hit rate).

Although he didn’t hit well in Gwinnett, Marisnick logged a big .286/.371/.549 slash in the Angels’ minor league ranks just last year. He’s a veteran of 11 major league seasons who has more than nine years of major league service time under his belt. Marisnick has never been a big threat with the bat — as evidenced by a lifetime .228/.281/.385 line in 2247 MLB plate appearances — but Statcast regularly places him in the 85th to 90th percentile in terms of sprint speed, and Marisnick is a superlative defender in center field; in 4448 career innings, he’s been credited with 54 Defensive Runs Saved and 40 Outs Above Average in center. He’s chipped in another 26 DRS and 12 OAA in 908 career innings in the corners.

Marisnick has at least held his own against left-handed pitching in his major league career (.237/.293/.417, 92 wRC+). That, coupled with his speed and glovework, ought to earn him a look with a new organization — albeit likely on another minor league contract.

Share Repost Send via email

Atlanta Braves Transactions Jake Marisnick

10 comments

Poll: Should The Rangers Be Worried About Marcus Semien?

By Nick Deeds | April 29, 2025 at 7:07pm CDT

On balance, Rangers fans are surely happy that the club signed Marcus Semien prior to the 2022 season. After all, his second year with the club saw him make the AL All-Star team, finish as a finalist for the AL MVP award for the third time in his career, and join the rest of the Rangers in hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy after bringing home the first World Series championship in franchise history. Flags fly forever, so in a sense that surprising seven-year, $175MM contract that Texas brass shelled out to convince Semien to join a team coming off a 102-loss season is already a resounding success.

Perhaps that’s a good thing, as Semien has shown some worrying signs as he enters his mid-thirties. Last season represented a notable step back from his star-level production thanks primarily to a down season at the plate. In 159 games for the Rangers last year, the veteran hit .237/.308/.391 with a 99 wRC+. It was a step back from the 126 wRC+ he had posted the previous year, but hardly out of the ordinary. 2024 was the seventh year in a row where Semien had alternated a relatively average offensive season with one where he mustered up enough offense to finish third in AL MVP voting. It’s a trend that stretched across three different teams, starting during his time in Oakland in 2018 with a pedestrian season that he followed up by crushing a then career-high 33 homers in 2019.

The trend continued when he suffered a down season during the 60-game 2020 campaign, though Semien came roaring back with a 45-homer season and 6.0 fWAR in 2021 as a member of the Blue Jays. That was the platform campaign Semien put together ahead of his decision to sign with the Rangers, and overall the first three years of that deal have been successful overall with a .254/.320/.433 (111 wRC+) with 14.8 fWAR. Despite his pedestrian season offensively last year, Semien still managed to piece together a four-win campaign thanks to him offering some of the most defensive value in the entire sport with his work at second base. Among all qualified players regardless of position last year, Semien’s +19 Outs Above Average were eclipsed by only fellow second baseman Andres Gimenez. His Fielding Run Value was similarly impressive, as his +14 figure was tied with Gimenez for the league lead among all infielders.

That sort of wizardry with the glove can make up for a pedestrian bat, but it can’t make up for the sort of numbers Semien has put up in 2025 so far. In Semien’s first 115 plate appearances this year, he’s hit a paltry .155/.226/.223, good for a 30 wRC+. That’s 70% worse than league average, and the third-weakest offensive performance in the majors among qualified hitters so far this year. That sort of offensive production is nearly impossible to make up for with the glove and on the bases, and that’s assuming Semien can replicate his elite defense from last year despite being just a few months shy of his 35th birthday. With three years and $72MM still remaining on his contract after this year, Semien’s age and brutal start to the season are clear causes for worry in Texas.

Fortunately, Semien’s underlying offensive numbers do provide reason for at least some optimism. Semien’s .175 BABIP won’t stay more than 100 points below his career mark (.281) all year long. In the power department, his 8.1% barrel rate is actually the highest he’s posted since his 45-homer campaign with the Blue Jays back in 2021, though his 31.7% hard-hit rate is the lowest its been in a 162-game season since 2017. The more concerning metrics are those regarding his plate discipline. While Semien’s 8.7% walk rate is largely unchanged from last year’s 8.9% figure, his strikeout rate jumped from 14.6% in each of the past two seasons to 20.0% so far in 2025.

That increase in strikeouts has been due to an increase in whiffs, especially outside of the strike zone. Semien’s swinging strike rate this year is up to 10.9%, a full two points higher than his career mark of 8.9% and the highest he’s posted since his 21-game cup of coffee with the White Sox back in 2013. When looking at pitches outside of the strike zone, Semien is making contact just 45.5% of the time, down more than ten points from last year. Even though Semien can expect some positive regression in the power and BABIP departments, his newfound issues with whiffs outside of the strike zone could limit his ability to be an above-average bat in the majors if not corrected.

How do MLBTR readers think Semien’s 2025 season will play out? A rebound on at least some level appears all but guaranteed, given that Billy Hunter of the 1953 St. Louis Browns is the last player to post a 30 wRC+ or lower while qualifying for the batting title. The real question appears to be whether Semien will be able to get his offense back to a level that would allow his defense to make him an above-average major leaguer. Have your say in the poll below:

What's in store for Marcus Semien this year?
He'll bounce back enough to be an average or better player overall, though his offense will remain below average (99 wRC+ or lower). 42.97% (1,388 votes)
He'll continue to struggle badly enough that he's a below-average player overall at the end of the year. 28.92% (934 votes)
Semien will bounce back strongly enough to post an at least average offensive season (100 wRC+ or higher). 28.11% (908 votes)
Total Votes: 3,230
Share Repost Send via email

MLBTR Originals MLBTR Polls Texas Rangers Marcus Semien

30 comments

Mets Sign Brooks Raley

By Darragh McDonald | April 29, 2025 at 7:00pm CDT

April 29: The deal is now official and Mike Fitzpatrick of the Associated Press has the details. Raley is guaranteed $1.85MM, which comes in the form of a $1.5MM salary this year and a $300K buyout on a $4.75MM club option for 2026. Raley will get a $250K bonus if added to the active roster this year. There are also performances bonuses worth $900K this year and $1.75MM next year. In 2025, he will earn an extra $125K for appearing in 10, 15 and 20 games, then $175K at 25, 30 and 35 games. In 2026, it’s $250K for 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 and 65 games.

April 25: The Mets and left-hander Brooks Raley have agreed to a deal, pending a physical, reports Joel Sherman of The New York Post. It will be a one-year pact with a club option for 2026. The Mets have an open 40-man roster spot, so no corresponding move will be necessary if it’s a major league deal. The financial components of the deal for the Vanguard Sports client have not yet been reported.

Raley, 37 in June, was with the Mets last year when he required Tommy John surgery in May. That put him on the shelf for the remainder of the campaign and the start of 2025 as well. He is evidently making progress in his rehab, as it was reported last week that he threw for interested clubs. Sherman relays that Raley’s doctors believe he can start a rehab assignment in June.

Prior to his surgery, he had a good run as an effective lefty reliever. He spent 2015 to 2019 pitching as a starter in Korea but was able to return to affiliated ball and carve out a bullpen job. From the start of 2020 to the present, he tossed 184 1/3 innings, allowing 3.42 earned runs per nine. He had a 29% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate in that time.

The Mets are plenty familiar with him, as they acquired him from the Rays ahead of the 2023 season. He posted a 2.80 ERA in 54 2/3 innings for them that year. That compelled them to pick up a $6.5MM club option on his contract for 2024, which was a net $5.25MM decision at that time on account of the $1.25MM buyout. Unfortunately, they only got seven innings out of that investment before he got hurt.

The two sides have now reunited on a fresh deal. The structure reflects his current injury status. Raley will presumably bank a bit of money this season, even though he will only pitch about half of it in a best-case scenario. For the Mets, by investing in Raley now, they are hoping to get a bit of a payoff later this year with the option giving them a chance to carry it into 2026. Such arrangements are common for pitchers in this position.

The Mets have one of the best bullpens in the league so far this year. Their relievers have a collective 2.35 ERA, which is second only to the Padres. The lefty contingent currently consists of A.J. Minter and Danny Young. They don’t strictly need Raley but pitching injuries are fairly inevitable and the Mets love to stack depth. He’ll work his way into their plans in the coming weeks. If he is getting a big league deal, he could be moved to the 60-day injured list if he Mets don’t expect him to be big league-ready by late June.

Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, USA TODAY Sports

Share Repost Send via email

New York Mets Transactions Brooks Raley

25 comments
« Previous Page
Load More Posts
    Top Stories

    Rangers Hire Skip Schumaker As Manager

    Albert Pujols To Interview For Angels’ Managerial Vacancy, May Be “Leading Choice”

    Bill Schmidt Will Not Return As Rockies’ GM

    Brian Snitker Will Not Return As Braves’ Manager In 2026

    Angels To Have New Manager In 2026

    Rays Sale To Patrick Zalupski’s Group Officially Completed

    Guardians Promote Chase DeLauter For Wild Card Series

    Bruce Bochy Will Not Return As Rangers Manager Amid “Financial Uncertainty”

    Liam Hendriks Undergoes Ulnar Nerve Transposition Surgery

    Twins Fire Rocco Baldelli

    Giants Fire Bob Melvin

    Pirates Sign Manager Don Kelly To Extension

    Pete Alonso To Opt Out Of Mets Contract, Enter Free Agency

    Padres Place Ramón Laureano On Injured List Due To Finger Fracture

    Willson Contreras Will Consider Waiving No-Trade Clause But Prefers To Remain With Cardinals

    Cade Horton To Miss At Least One Playoff Series Due To Rib Fracture

    MLB To Take Over Mariners’ Broadcasts In 2026

    Nolan Arenado More Open To Waiving No-Trade Clause As Cardinals Plan To Rebuild

    Sonny Gray Will Consider Waiving No-Trade Clause This Offseason

    Nationals To Hire Paul Toboni As President Of Baseball Operations

    Recent

    Curt Casali Retires

    Tigers, Mariners Announce ALDS Rosters

    Dodgers, Phillies Announce NLDS Rosters

    Max Scherzer, Chris Bassitt, Bo Bichette Left Off Blue Jays’ ALDS Roster

    Cubs, Brewers Announce NLDS Rosters

    Bryan Woo Left Off Mariners’ ALDS Roster

    Rangers Notes: Coaches, Offense, Eovaldi, Bradford

    Offseason Outlook: New York Mets

    Rangers Hire Skip Schumaker As Manager

    Lawrence Butler Undergoes Patellar Tendon Surgery

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Tim Dierkes' MLB Mailbag
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version