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The Opener: Giants, DFA Resolutions, MLBTR Chat

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Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye out for throughout the day:

1. Giants 40-man move incoming:

Yesterday, the Giants officially announced their signing of right-hander Tyler Mahle. One more piece of the puzzle has to be put into place before Mahle’s deal can become official, however: creating a 40-man roster spot for the righty. San Francisco’s roster is currently at capacity, which means one player will need to be removed in order to make room for Mahle. The Giants have not yet announced that transaction. That typically takes the form of a DFA or release, but it’s at least plausible that the team could be working out a trade that creates 40-man roster space, as the Dodgers did just before the new year by shipping Esteury Ruiz to the Marlins. Whatever the corresponding move for Mahle might be, it figures to be announced in the very near future.

2. DFA resolutions on the horizon:

Yesterday saw a pair of players who had been stranded in DFA limbo over the holidays find a new team, as both Joey Wiemer (Nationals) and Jhonkensy Noel (Orioles) were claimed off waivers by new clubs. There are still several unresolved DFAs from over the holidays, however, and each of them figures to reach a conclusion in the coming days. MLBTR’s Darragh McDonald took a look at the players in DFA limbo just before the new year, with former notable prospects like Marco Luciano, Justyn-Henry Malloy, and Ken Waldichuk among the more interesting names who are waiting to find out where they’ll be playing going forward.

3. MLBTR chat today:

With the start of the 2026, we’re now just over a month away from spring training. The offseason is more than half over at this point both in terms of the calendar and impact free agents on the board, with 30 of MLBTR’s Top 50 free agents having signed already. Still, plenty of questions about this offseason remain. Kyle Tucker, Alex Bregman, Bo Bichette, and Framber Valdez are among the number of top-flight free agents still available, while the trade market holds intriguing talents like Edward Cabrera, Freddy Peralta, and Brendan Donovan who could all still be moved. If you’re wondering what’s in store for your favorite team in the new year or simply looking for the latest hot stove buzz, MLBTR’s Steve Adams has you covered with a live chat scheduled for 1pm CT today. Readers can use this link to ask a question in advance, follow along when the chat begins, and read the transcript after the chat concludes.

Dodgers, Braves Among Teams To Show Interest In Freddy Peralta

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Though the Brewers have continually downplayed the possibility of actually trading him, ace right-hander Freddy Peralta continues to draw a wide array of interest. Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic include the Dodgers and Braves among a list of teams to inquire with the Brewers, joining a group of previously reported clubs that includes the Yankees, Mets and Red Sox. All of those clubs are still believed to have interest in the righty.

Peralta’s appeal is obvious. He’s a durable 29-year-old righty with a 3.30 ERA over his past five seasons, including a career-low 2.70 earned run average this past season (albeit with rate stats and fielding-independent marks that suggest it’s more reasonable to expect a low-3.00s ERA than another sub-3.00 mark). Peralta averages nearly 95 mph on his heater, misses bats at a high level, has only slightly worse-than-average command and, crucially, is earning just $8MM next season. That’s his final year before free agency, but even as a one-year rental, a team surrendering young talent to acquire Peralta would know that he’ll likely net a 2027 draft pick, as he’s a virtual lock to receive and reject a qualifying offer.

For luxury-paying clubs, Peralta’s modest salary is particularly enticing. That’s all the truer for teams like the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers, who figure to be in the top penalty tier for at least a third consecutive season. Those clubs are effectively paying double for any subsequent additions to the payroll. The Dodgers are already in the top tax bracket and thus would pay a 110% tax on any new additions to the payroll. The two New York clubs are just shy of the top tax bracket, but even while sitting in the third penalty tier, they’d be subject to a 95% tax. And both are close enough to the fourth-tier threshold that Peralta would put them right up against it or push them over.

For the Braves and Red Sox, the penalties would be far less severe. Atlanta didn’t pay the tax at all last year and is currently in the first penalty tier. They’d receive only a 20% ($1.6MM) slap on the wrist for adding Peralta’s salary to the ledger. The Red Sox would be crossing the tax line for just the second straight season, as they were under the threshold in 2024. They’re currently about $3MM shy of the tax cutoff, per RosterResource. As a second-time offender they’d pay a 30% tax on the first $20MM by which they exceed the limit. For Peralta, that’d be only a hair over $1.5MM.

In terms of roster fit, it’s pretty easy to see how Peralta would fit onto any of the listed clubs. Atlanta currently has Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Spencer Schwellenbach, Reynaldo Lopez and Hurston Waldrep lined up as its likely top five. Each of Sale, Strider, Schwellenbach and Lopez missed time with injuries in 2025. Lopez started only one game. Sale missed more than two months with fractures in his ribcage. Schwellenbach’s season ended in late June when he suffered a fracture in his right elbow. Strider posted a 4.45 ERA in his first season back from UCL surgery. Waldrep was impressive as a rookie but tossed only 56 1/3 innings in the majors.

The Dodgers certainly don’t “need” more starting pitching, but the old “no such thing as too much pitching” adage applies to veritably any club. Adding Peralta would be about further deepening the club’s October options. Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and Justin Wrobleski give the Dodgers an embarrassment of riches, and high-upside younger arms like River Ryan, Gavin Stone and Kyle Hurt are all on the mend from 2024 surgeries. Top prospect Jackson Ferris isn’t far from MLB readiness. It’s a deep group, but the Dodgers probably don’t want to simply presume that all of their more established arms will be healthy for the postseason. Bringing in another top-tier arm to join the group would further bolster their choices as they pursue an elusive threepeat.

The Yankees have yet to make an addition to the big league roster, beyond re-signing Ryan Yarbrough on a cheap one-year deal and selecting righty Cade Winquest from the Cardinals in the Rule 5 Draft. With Carlos Rodon, Gerrit Cole and Clarke Schmidt all ticketed to open the season on the injured list, they could use some rotation help. The Mets, meanwhile, have subtracted more big names than they’ve added this winter. President of baseball ops David Stearns knows Peralta well from his Milwaukee days. The current Mets rotation is heavily reliant on rebounds from Kodai Senga and Sean Manaea as well as notable steps forward from prospects like Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat. The Red Sox have added Sonny Gray and Johan Oviedo to what was already a pretty deep mix, but Peralta would be a clearer No. 2 option behind ace Garrett Crochet than Gray or right-hander Brayan Bello.

Other teams have surely shown interest in Peralta. Earlier in the offseason, it was reported that the Astros had looked into him, but they’ve since added Mike Burrows in a trade and Tatsuya Imai in free agency. The Orioles have shown interest as well, though Baltimore acquired Shane Baz and re-signed Zach Eflin, at least reducing some urgency. (Peralta would still be a notable and needed upgrade to the top end of the staff.) The Athletic’s report notes that some lower-payroll clubs are also looking into Peralta, given that his $8MM price point is affordable for any team.

Broadly speaking, it stands to reason that any 2026 postseason hopeful in the sport has probably at least gauged the asking price on Peralta. Rosenthal and Sammon suggest that a major league-ready starting pitcher is very likely to be a starting point in any talks regarding Peralta. Milwaukee won an MLB-best 97 games in 2025 and is seen as a favorite in the NL Central as a result. The Brewers know they could also get a compensatory pick in the 2027 draft if and when Peralta departs via free agency. They’re a revenue sharing recipient who doesn’t pay the luxury tax, so that pick would come at the end of the first round. That establishes a pretty reasonable base line that needs to be exceeded in any trade talks, and targeting MLB-ready help for a win-now club is only natural.

A Peralta trade shouldn’t be seen as likely. Milwaukee brass has publicly downplayed the possibility, but the Brewers will never fully close themselves off to trades of any notable stars as they approach free agency. Milwaukee traded Corbin Burnes, Devin Williams and Josh Hader near the end of their original windows of club control, after all. However, the Brewers also held onto Willy Adames for the 2024 season, knowing he’d likely reject a qualifying offer and depart via free agency, which is precisely how things played out. Keeping Peralta would give Milwaukee a deep and talented rotation, as he’d be joined by Brandon Woodruff, Jacob Misiorowski, Quinn Priester and Chad Patrick, with depth options including Logan Henderson, Tobias Myers and former top prospect Robert Gasser, who’ll be returning from Tommy John surgery.

Astros Haven’t Discussed Extension With Manager Joe Espada, GM Dana Brown

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Astros manager Joe Espada and GM Dana Brown are entering the final seasons of their respective contracts. It’ll be Espada’s third season in the role and Brown’s fourth year running baseball operations.

Many clubs prefer not to have their manager and front office heads on lame duck contracts. Astros owner Jim Crane has been more willing to do that than most of his counterparts, and it appears that both Brown and Espada may need to work on expiring deals in 2026. Crane said on Monday morning that there had been no extension conversations with either the GM or skipper, nor did the owner seem interested in doing that this offseason.

“I think we’ll go through this year like we always do, evaluate it and then make the decision at the end of the year,” Crane said (link via Matt Kawahara of The Houston Chronicle). “We won’t probably do any extensions now. But I’m not saying that’s impossible. We haven’t talked about it yet. We’ve been focused on getting what we need to compete this next year.”

That doesn’t necessarily indicate any kind of dissatisfaction on Crane’s part with the team’s direction. Dusty Baker managed the Astros on a series of one-year contracts before retiring after the 2023 season. Houston also allowed former GM James Click to work through the end of his contract in ’22. That was driven partially by personal discord between Click and Crane that led the Astros to move on from him even though the team won the World Series. There’s no suggestion of such issue between Crane and his current staff.

The Astros narrowly missed the playoffs last season, snapping an eight-year run of postseason appearances in the process. Their 87-75 record was only marginally worse than the 88-win showing that was enough to claim an AL West title one year earlier. Houston was in control of the division at the All-Star Break last year, but they played at a slightly below-.500 pace in the final three months of the season. That was enough to not only drop behind the Mariners but also fall back of the Guardians, who rode a September hot streak into an improbable playoff berth to bump Houston from the field.

Houston’s focus this winter has been on the rotation with Framber Valdez hitting free agency. They’ve added Mike Burrows and Tatsuya Imai as mid-rotation arms behind ace Hunter Brown. The roster is probably close to what they’ll have on Opening Day, but they’re looking for a backup catching upgrade behind Yainer Diaz and could try to land a better left-handed hitting outfielder than Jesús Sánchez.

Giants’ GM Zack Minasian Discusses Rotation

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The Giants finalized their one-year, $10MM contract with Tyler Mahle this afternoon. He’s their second short-term free agent rotation addition. They brought in Adrian Houser on a two-year, $22MM deal last month.

Mahle and Houser are back-end types rather than the top-of-the-rotation arm which many fans hoped the Giants would add when president of baseball operations Buster Posey called pitching the offseason focus. The team has consistently downplayed their desire to make expensive or long-term free agent commitments and their first couple moves align with that reluctance. Like every team, they’ll continue to keep an eye on the rotation market, but general manager Zack Minasian suggested the Mahle and Houser moves may complete the rotation.

“We’re very comfortable with the five that we have and then the bundle of arms behind them now to say that our depth is in a much better spot than it was at the beginning of the offseason,” Minasian told reporters (links via John Shea of The San Francisco Standard and Susan Slusser of The San Francisco Chronicle). “We’re happy with where we’re at. We’ll keep working at it but I do think this is a solid five-man rotation going into the spring.”

Mahle and Houser would slot alongside Landen Roupp as the back three starters behind Logan Webb and Robbie Ray. They have a number of intriguing but unproven younger arms who’d compete to be the first one up in the event of an injury. Trevor McDonald, Keaton Winn, Hayden Birdsong, Carson Whisenhunt, Carson Seymour and Blade Tidwell are all on the 40-man roster. Everyone in that group has minor league options remaining and/or could contribute in a multi-inning role out of the bullpen.

While it’s a deeper group than most clubs have, the Giants are arguably lacking at the top end of the staff. Webb is a true ace, of course, but Ray tailed off in the second half. He had a solid year overall, striking out nearly a quarter of opponents with a 3.65 ERA across 182 1/3 innings. His ERA spiked to 5.54 as his strikeout rate dropped by five percentage points after the All-Star Break.

Houser was in Triple-A at the beginning of last season. He had a fantastic ERA over 11 starts for the White Sox but struggled after a deadline trade to Tampa Bay. Mahle is coming off a 2.18 ERA over 16 starts for the Rangers, yet his 19.1% strikeout rate was well below the plus marks he posted early in his career with the Reds. The righty also hasn’t reached 25 starts in any of the past four seasons because of 2022 Tommy John surgery and shoulder issues in each of the last two years.

The Giants opened the 2025 season with a $173MM payroll. RosterResource estimates they’re around $185MM for next season. That doesn’t include a $17MM deferred signing bonus owed to Blake Snell which comes due next week. The Giants have yet to address a wide open right field spot or done anything to add a late-inning reliever after last summer’s Camilo Doval and Tyler Rogers trades and losing Randy Rodríguez to injury. They’re also poking around for an upgrade over Casey Schmitt at second base.

The payroll situation has seemingly taken them out of the mix for the top free agent starters. Trading Ray would offload most or all of his $25MM salary and create some short-term spending capacity if they wanted to upgrade the #2 starter spot, but that’d require a longer deal than their remaining one year commitment to Ray. (Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez and Zac Gallen are the top unsigned starters.) Trading for a controllable starter like MacKenzie Gore and Edward Cabrera would require significant prospect capital. Even if the Giants turn to the trade market, they may focus more on the other needs and hope that Roupp and/or one of the unproven starters takes a step forward to raise the rotation’s ceiling.

Astros Could Open Season With Six-Man Rotation

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The Astros officially introduced Tatsuya Imai at Daikin Park this morning. The surprising three-year deal continues what has been a pitching-focused offseason for a Houston team losing Framber Valdez to free agency. The Astros also acquired Mike Burrows in a trade that cost two of their better prospects while adding potential back-end starters Ryan Weiss and Nate Pearson on cheap one-year deals.

Manager Joe Espada said at Imai’s press conference that the club is likely to lean on a six-man rotation frequently throughout the season (link via Chandler Rome of The Athletic). That could be the case from day one, as the skipper indicated they may begin the year with an extra starter. Espada pointed to the team’s heavy early-season workload. The Astros only have two off days between Opening Day on March 26 and April 22. Barring rainouts, they’ll play 26 games in their first 28 days.

Hunter Brown is the clear #1 starter with Valdez expected to head elsewhere. Imai and Burrows slot into the middle of the rotation, while Cristian Javier is lined up for a spot somewhere in that 2-4 mix. Options for the final rotation spot or two include Weiss, Pearson, AJ Blubaugh, Spencer Arrighetti, Jason Alexander, Lance McCullers Jr. and prospect Miguel Ullola. Weiss, who signed for $2.6MM after pitching to a 2.87 ERA with a 28.6% strikeout rate in Korea, probably enters camp at the top of that group.

There are durability and/or experience questions with everyone who slots behind Brown. Javier has been a quality starter at his best but was up-and-down upon his return from Tommy John surgery in the second half of 2025. This will be Burrows’ first full season in the big leagues. Neither Imai nor Weiss have pitched in MLB. Arrighetti and McCullers slogged through injuries last year and were ineffective when healthy. Blubaugh has three career starts. Alexander, J.P. France and Colton Gordon all look more like depth arms than rotation stalwarts.

Given the innings questions for almost everyone after Brown, it’s sensible to ease their early-season workloads. That would leave one fewer spot in the bullpen given the 13-pitcher limit, however. Houston has six relievers who are either slam dunks or near-locks for the MLB roster if healthy: Josh Hader, Bryan Abreu, Steven Okert, Bennett Sousa, Bryan King and Enyel De Los Santos. They’re also bringing Rule 5 pick Roddery Muñoz to camp and would need to carry him on the MLB roster to keep his contractual rights. Spring Training injuries and any late-offseason additions will change the picture.

Join The Beta Test For The New Trade Rumors iPhone App

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It’s been 11 years since our iOS app launched. Now, the fully revamped version is almost ready for your iPhone or iPad.

Here’s what’s new:

  • Completely rebuilt and modernized interface, so that we can deliver new features and system integrations that we haven’t been able to before, and do so quickly.
  • Redesigned comment threads with improvements for composing and replying to comments.
  • Quick search for a team or player with the ability to read those feeds without adding them to your saved feeds. Great for quickly looking up things you might care about occasionally without clogging up your primary reading.
  • Trade Rumors Front Office content fully available within the app. Just go to the Settings icon in the upper right and log in.

To join the beta test, you’ll first need to download Apple’s TestFlight app from the App Store.  Then go here to download the beta version of Trade Rumors.  If you already have the old version of the app, the new app will take the place of it on your device.

Send your feedback to traderumorsapp@gmail.com, or leave a comment on this post.  We are eager to catch bugs and address other concerns before rolling the app out in the store.

Android user? Don’t worry, we’re revamping our Android app in much the same way.  Google seems to make large-group beta testing more difficult on Android, so we’re planning to just test it internally and roll it out to the store when it’s ready.

Red Sox Sign Devin Sweet To Minor League Deal

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The Red Sox have signed right-hander Devin Sweet to a minor league deal, according to his transactions tracker at MLB.com. He has been assigned to Triple-A Worcester but may get an invite to big league camp in spring training.

Sweet, 29, has a limited big league track record. He tossed 8 2/3 innings in 2023, split between the Mariners and Athletics. He allowed ten earned runs, giving him an unsightly 10.38 earned run average in that small sample.

The M’s called him up in July of 2023 but he was designated for assignment the following month and went to the A’s via waivers. In the 2023-24 offseason, he went to the Giants and Tigers via waiver claims. Detroit later passed him through waivers unclaimed in February of 2024. In November of 2024, the Phillies acquired him and added him to their 40-man, preventing him from becoming a minor league free agent. He was outrighted in August of 2025 and then became a minor league free agent at season’s end.

Despite his limited track record, the interest from all those clubs demonstrates his appeal. From 2021 to 2024, he tossed 257 2/3 innings on the farm, with a 4.19 ERA. His 9.2% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 30% of batters faced. Unfortunately, he had a downturn in results in 2025. He logged 51 1/3 Triple-A innings with a 5.08 ERA, 21.2% strikeout rate and 11.7% walk rate. That’s why the Phillies bumped him from the roster last summer and no one claimed him.

For Boston, there’s no harm in a non-roster deal for some extra bullpen depth as they see if Sweet can bounce back. If he eventually earns his way onto the roster, he still has an option year remaining and less than a year of service time, meaning he can provide roster flexibility and is still years away from qualifying for arbitration.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images

Phillies Sign Zach Pop To Major League Deal

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January 5th, 2026: According to the Associated Press, Pop will make $900K in the majors and $250K in the minors.

December 22nd, 2025: The Phillies announced that they have signed right-hander Zach Pop to a major league deal. Their 40-man roster count jumps to 39. Salary figures haven’t been reported.

It’s a bit surprising to see Pop command a big league deal. He bounced around during the 2025 season. He opened the year with the Blue Jays but was released shortly after Opening Day. Pop got to the big leagues for four appearances with the Mariners and pitched one time as a member of the Mets. He allowed 12 runs (11 earned) in just 6 2/3 MLB innings. That pushed his career earned run average to 4.88 over 162 1/3 frames spanning five seasons.

The Canadian-born righty made 20 appearances in the minors this year. He allowed a 4.19 ERA over 19 1/3 innings. His underlying numbers were more encouraging. Pop fanned more than a quarter of opponents against a manageable 8.9% walk rate. He got ground-balls at a massive 75% clip while sitting in the 96-97 MPH range with his sinker. Pop has always done a good job keeping the ball down, running a career 55% grounder percentage in the big leagues.

Philadelphia was intrigued enough by the stuff to give Pop one of their two vacant roster spots. Assuming he remains on the 40-man into Spring Training, he’ll get an opportunity to battle for a middle relief job in camp. Pop has exhausted his minor league option years, so the Phils cannot send him down without running him through waivers.

Philly has six bullpen spots accounted for if everyone gets through camp healthy. Jhoan Duran, Brad Keller, José Alvarado, Tanner Banks and the out-of-options Jonathan Bowlan are locks. Right-hander Orion Kerkering should pretty safely be in there as well unless he has a terrible Spring Training. Pop and Rule 5 pick Zach McCambley either need to stick in the big leagues or be taken off the 40-man (and offered back to the Marlins after clearing waivers, in McCambley’s case).

Mets To Sign Christian Arroyo To Minor League Deal

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The Mets have agreed to a minor league deal with infielder Christian Arroyo, reports Mike Puma of The New York Post. The O’Connell Sports Management also receives an invite to big league camp in spring training.

Arroyo, 31 in May, was once a notable prospect but he hasn’t been able to do much with scattered big league opportunities. In seven seasons from 2017 to 2023, he appeared in 295 games split between the Giants, Rays, Guardians and Red Sox. In his 992 plate appearances, his 21.7% strikeout rate was decent but he only walked 5.1% of the time and hit just 24 home runs. That led to a combined .252/.299/.394 line and 86 wRC+.

He did at least provide defensive versatility. He has experience at all four infield spots as well as right field. But the lack of offensive output has kept him in the minors for the past two years. He signed a minor league deal with the Brewers for the 2024 season and the Phillies for 2025, without getting called up by either club.

With the Phils last year, he went on and off the minor league injured list throughout the season. He got into just 45 Triple-A games on the year. His .314/.384/.485 line in those was quite strong but aided by a .375 batting average on balls in play.

For the Mets, there’s no harm in a non-roster deal to add some more depth. They have the middle infield spots settled with Francisco Lindor at shortstop and Marcus Semien at second base. At first base, Pete Alonso has departed for the Orioles. Jorge Polanco has signed with the Mets and could take over at first but he could also spend significant time in the designated hitter spot. That could allow Mark Vientos to spend time at first and leave Brett Baty as the regular at third. Ronny Mauricio, Luisangel Acuña and Jared Young are also on the roster and could be in the mix.

It’s a fairly crowded group but Mauricio and Young still have options, meaning the Mets could send them to Triple-A for regular at-bats, which could open up room on the bench. It’s also possible that another swap shakes things up, as the Mets are reportedly open to talking Vientos, Mauricio and Acuña in trade talks. If Arroyo is eventually able to earn a roster spot as a veteran bench/utility player, he is out of options.

Photo courtesy of Kim Klement, Imagn Images

The Rangers’ Wide Open Infield Mix

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The Rangers entered the offseason in need of a lineup reboot. They’ve had below-average offenses in consecutive years and haven’t strung together competitive at-bats consistently. They’ve been 20th and 26th, respectively, in on-base percentage over the last two seasons. Their walk rate dropped from 14th to 23rd. Their hitters were among the most aggressive in MLB, both on pitches within and outside the strike zone.

While that needed to be addressed, the front office is seemingly operating within a tight budget. They have five contracts on the books that pay at least $18.5MM annually. They’re now two years removed from their World Series run, and ownership began scaling back spending during the 2023-24 offseason in the wake of the collapse of their local broadcast agreement. Offseason reporting has cast doubt on their chances of meeting the asking price for even mid-tier free agent hitters J.T. Realmuto and Luis Arraez.

Texas has made a pair of significant changes on the offensive side, though they’ve each come with a notable corresponding subtraction. They swapped Marcus Semien for Brandon Nimmo, taking on more money overall but clearing a little payroll room in the short term. Nimmo provides the patient approach they’re seeking and allowed them to move on from Adolis García in right field. The other change has come behind the plate, where they non-tendered Jonah Heim after a second straight poor season. He has been replaced by Danny Jansen on a two-year free agent deal.

Catcher and the outfield mix are probably set. Jansen joins Kyle Higashioka as a veteran pairing behind the dish. Nimmo slots alongside Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter on the grass. However, they haven’t acquired anyone to replace Semien at second base. It seems they’re planning to do that internally. That’d be a tall ask for an infield group that was a weakness even with Semien.

The Rangers were in the bottom half of MLB in offense from each non-shortstop infield position. Semien’s strong defensive grades kept them above average at second base overall despite his declining production at the dish. The corners were the biggest issue. They had a combined .248/.298/.393 batting line from their first and third basemen.

Most of the positives came from utilityman Josh Smith, who had a .283/.369/.439 showing in his 227 plate appearances at those positions. If the Rangers don’t replace Semien externally, Smith is ticketed for regular playing time at second base. The other nine players who logged any corner infield reps last year combined to hit .241/.283/.384 in nearly 1100 trips.

Three players from that group — Rowdy Tellez, Dylan Moore and Blaine Crim — are no longer on the roster. Former first-round pick Justin Foscue is coming off back-to-back league average seasons in Triple-A and turns 27 before Opening Day. He’s probably on the roster bubble. Ezequiel Duran should be as well, as he’s a .237/.278/.309 hitter over the last two seasons. Joc Pederson made two starts at first base but was otherwise a full-time designated hitter, and he was a major disappointment in the first season of a two-year free agent deal.

As it stands, that leaves three players battling for the remaining two infield spots: Jake Burger, Josh Jung and Cody Freeman. Freeman, who turns 25 today, is coming off a fantastic Triple-A season but hit .228/.258/.342 in 36 MLB games. He’s a gifted contact hitter but doesn’t walk often and has questionable power upside. Freeman did slug a personal-best 19 homers at Triple-A Round Rock last year, but the Pacific Coast League inflates most hitters’ power numbers. He ranked near the bottom of the league in hard contact rate in his brief MLB look.

If Freeman settled in as an everyday third or second baseman, that’d allow Skip Schumaker to move Smith around the infield in a utility role. Freeman feels more like a utility type himself, though. Burger and Jung project as the primary corner infield tandem despite speculation that Texas could move on from one or both players.

The Rangers acquired Burger from the Marlins last offseason. He went on the injured list three times and had a brief stint in Triple-A when he slumped early in the year. Burger concluded his first season in Arlington with a replacement level performance. He hit .236/.269/.419 over 376 plate appearances and offered limited baserunning and defensive value. Burger underwent postseason surgery to address a tendon sheath tear in his left wrist. The hope is that his power was limited by playing through the issue and he can get back to being a 30-homer threat. Burger has never posted an OBP above .310 in a season (excluding a rookie year in which he played in 15 games), so he’s not going to get on base much even if the power returns.

Jung is a similarly aggressive hitter. The Rangers clearly grew frustrated with his approach. They optioned him after he’d hit .158 with a .208 on-base mark in June. He came back on a hot streak a few weeks later, but that was driven by a huge average on balls in play that masked a continuing rough strikeout/walk profile. Jung’s numbers crashed again in September. He finished the season with a .251/.294/.390 slash and seemed like a change-of-scenery candidate coming into the winter. There haven’t been any reports about the Rangers shopping Jung. It seems they’re leaning towards giving him a rebound opportunity, which could be driven by their lack of alternatives.

Maybe that’ll change once Spring Training approaches and free agent prices fall. Alex Bregman or Eugenio Suárez are probably out of their range no matter the timing. If Arraez lingers unsigned into February, could he come into play on a one-year deal? Rhys Hoskins or Yoán Moncada will sign affordable one-year contracts and would at least provide insurance at first or third base, respectively. Ryan Mountcastle should be traded now that the Orioles signed Pete Alonso. Would the Rangers be willing to meet a near-$8MM arbitration projection, or is Mountcastle too similar to Burger? Maybe Bregman signs with a team that has a semi-established third baseman who comes available as a trade chip.

Otherwise, the Rangers would be reliant on a handful of rebound hopefuls and a thin farm system. Top infield prospect Sebastian Walcott could be the answer by the end of the season. He has no Triple-A experience and doesn’t turn 20 until March, so he’s unlikely to break camp. First baseman Abimelec Ortiz hit his way onto the 40-man roster with a .257/.356/.479 showing between the top two minor league levels. Most prospect evaluators feel he projects as a bench bat/Quad-A type, but the opportunity is there if he can outperform that. Texas will need someone unexpected to step up to get enough production on the dirt.

Photo courtesy of Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images

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