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Phillies Evaluating Catching Trade Market With Realmuto Still Unsigned

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The Phillies have prioritized reunions with Kyle Schwarber and J.T. Realmuto. They succeeded in bringing back the MVP runner-up on a five-year deal at the Winter Meetings. Realmuto’s free agency has been more extended, leaving the Phils in a holding pattern behind the plate.

While a reunion with their longtime catcher remains the priority, Matt Gelb of The Athletic writes that it’s not a lock to come to fruition. The sides obviously have yet to align on contract terms despite Philadelphia’s willingness to offer multiple years. Gelb writes that the Phillies have been involved in trade conversations about potential alternatives. Although there’s no indication anything is close on that front, that highlights the biggest question for the front office.

Aside from Realmuto, the free agent catching market is bleak. Danny Jansen is off the board on a two-year deal with Texas. Victor Caratini is the only other potential starting option, and he has been more of a high-end #2 catcher over the course of his career. Everyone else is a backup or organizational depth type.

That’s also true of the two catchers currently on Philly’s roster, Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs. Marchán was a promising enough prospect that it isn’t out of the question that he could be a solid glove-first starter if given the opportunity. That’d be a gamble for a win-now team, though, and clubs are sometimes reluctant to upgrade the position at the trade deadline because of the adjustment of learning a pitching staff in the middle of a pennant race. The worst case scenario for the Phils is that they wait out Realmuto’s market but get outbid after Caratini has already signed elsewhere. That’d leave them with little choice but to turn to the trade market.

At the same time, they’re probably reluctant to make a trade while Realmuto is still a free agent. Marchán and Stubbs are both out of minor league options. They’re already likely to expose one of them to waivers before Opening Day. Trading for a catcher and re-signing Realmuto could mean losing both of them, as there’s a good chance another team would claim Marchán. Realmuto’s heavy workloads don’t leave much playing time for his backup, so that’s not an ideal use of resources.

The Phils’ trade conversations may be due diligence for now. They still seem likelier than not to figure something out with Realmuto. If that doesn’t come together, speculative trade options include Pedro Pagés, J.C. Escarra, Connor Wong and Jose Trevino.

Padres To Sign Sung-Mun Song

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The Padres are in agreement with infielder Sung Mun Song on a contract, according to a report from Robert Murray of FanSided. According to Francys Romero of BeisbolFR, it’s a three-year deal that guarantees Song around $13MM.

Song, 29, has broken out in a big way over his last two seasons playing for the KBO’s Kiwoom Heroes. After typically being a slightly below average hitter by that league’s standards in the early years of his career, Song exploded with a .340/.408/.518 (143 wRC+) slash line across 602 plate appearances during the 2024 season. He flashed 20/20 potential at the plate and walked at a career-high 10.6% clip while primarily playing third base for the Heroes. He followed up on that season with an even better year in 2025, as he slashed .315/.387/.530 (151 wRC+) with 26 homers, 25 steals, and 37 doubles in 646 trips to the plate.

Those dominant back-to-back campaigns in the KBO league were enough to convince Song to try his hand in the majors, and the Heroes made Song’s goal a reality when they posted him for MLB clubs last month. That opened a 30-day window (set to close on the 21st of December) for Song to negotiate with MLB clubs. Song has typically been viewed by scouts as a step below MLB Gold Glove winner Ha-Seong Kim, the best South Korean player to make the jump to the majors in recent years, and there’s been some debate about whether he’s more of a utility player or a proper starter at the big league level.

Song’s reported price tag is certainly affordable enough for the Padres to stomach in the event he’s more of a bench piece than a regular. A multi-year pact that pays Song less than $5MM annually figures to be quite affordable for San Diego; Jose Iglesias earned $3MM last year after being added to San Diego’s roster on a minor league deal to fill out the club’s bench mix. Song figures to fill a similar role this year to the one Iglesias held last season, chipping in around the infield and serving as a pinch-hitter.

While Song has primarily played third base throughout his career in the KBO league, that position is manned by Manny Machado in San Diego. Perhaps the Padres will look to get Machado occasional DH reps headed into his age-33 campaign, but aside from those occasional fill-in days Song figures to spend most of his time at first and second base, both of which are positions he logged significant time at in South Korea. Jake Cronenworth is currently slated to serve as San Diego’s second baseman next year, though his name has popped up in trade talks this winter. First base meanwhile, is unsettled after the departure of Luis Arraez. Gavin Sheets has some experience at the position but may be better suited for DH duties. As a result, first base could be Song’s best shot at regular reps, though it’s possible a trade of Cronenworth or the addition of a more traditional first base option like Paul Goldschmidt or Rhys Hoskins changes things.

The signing of Song comes just one day after the club agreed to reunite with right-hander Michael King on a three-year, opt-out laden contract. According to RosterResource, the Padres project for a payroll just under $217MM in 2026, with a payroll of nearly $258MM for luxury tax purposes. That’s before the addition of Song to the payroll, which at the currently reported numbers would push the team’s payroll up to around $221MM and around $262MM for luxury tax purposes. That would put them just barely below the second, $264MM luxury tax threshold for 2026.

If the Padres don’t want to go over that line, they would need to subtract salary from the roster to make virtually any more additions to the roster. That’s far from impossible, as rumors have percolated around not only Cronenworth but also players like right-hander Nick Pivetta and Ramon Laureano. A trade of Pivetta would save $20.5MM in 2026 and $13.75MM for luxury tax purposes. Cronenworth being dealt would save roughly $12.3MM in 2026 and $11.5MM for luxury tax purposes. Laureano wouldn’t save nearly as much money, as he’s due just $6.5MM next season on the final year of his contract.

Of course, it’s also possible the Padres simply stand pat from here, though doing so without adding another bat to the first base/DH mix would certainly be risky. Perhaps an addition on the trade market that comes with a lower financial cost could make some sense if San Diego neither wants to exceed the second luxury tax threshold nor trade salary to make room in the budget. Players like Triston Casas of the Red Sox and Mark Vientos of the Mets could potentially be available this winter and remain under affordable team control.

D-Backs, Ildemaro Vargas Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Diamondbacks are in agreement on a new minor league contract with infielder Ildemaro Vargas, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The MAS+ Agency client returns to the organization after being outrighted off the roster at the end of the season.

Vargas has plenty of familiarity with the D-Backs. The veteran utilityman has played three separate big league stints and parts of six seasons in the desert. He got into 38 games this past season. Vargas hit .270 but only walked twice in 121 plate appearances, leading to a modest .292 on-base percentage. He’s a .249/.289/.357 hitter over parts of nine MLB seasons.

Defensive versatility has been Vargas’ calling card. The majority of his experience has been at shortstop, but he saw more action between second and third base this year. He’s entering his age-34 season and likely headed to Triple-A Reno. The D-Backs also added glove-first shortstop Jacob Amaya as non-roster infield depth earlier this offseason.

Pirates Designate Marco Luciano, Tsung-Che Cheng For Assignment

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The Pirates are designating outfielder Marco Luciano and infielder Tsung-Che Cheng for assignment, as first reflected on the MLB.com transaction log. Pittsburgh needed to open two spots on the 40-man roster after this morning’s three-team trade that netted Brandon Lowe, Mason Montgomery and Jake Mangum.

Luciano, 24, was a waiver claim from the Giants a couple weeks ago. It was a no-risk flier on a former top prospect who has yet to show much at the big league level. Luciano once ranked among the sport’s top 15 minor league talents at Baseball America. He was then a teenage shortstop with massive raw power upside in a 6’1″ frame. His bat has stalled against higher level pitching and he has moved to left field after struggling with errors on the dirt.

San Francisco gave Luciano limited looks in 2023 and ’24. He hit .217/.286/.304 while striking out 45 times in 126 trips to the plate. The Giants kept him in Triple-A for the entire 2025 season. Luciano connected on 23 home runs while walking more than 15% of the time, but he struck out at a near-31% rate. He whiffed on more than 35% of his swings against Triple-A pitching. While Luciano hits the ball hard when he makes contact, the swing-and-miss and limited defensive profile have dropped his stock. He’s also out of minor league options, so he’ll need to stick on an MLB roster or continue bouncing around via DFA limbo.

Cheng is also a 24-year-old who had some prospect attention not too long ago. He was never as well regarded as Luciano was early in his career, yet he ranked among Pittsburgh’s top 10 prospects as recently as 2024. A lefty-hitting infielder, he appeared in his first three big league contests in April. He went 0-7 with three strikeouts and was caught stealing in his only attempt. He spent the rest of the season at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he managed a .207/.305/.267 line with one home run in 406 plate appearances.

The Taiwanese-born Cheng is a good athlete and a versatile defender, but he has been a below-average hitter since reaching the Double-A level in 2023. He has one option year remaining. Pittsburgh has five days to trade or waive both players.

Braves Sign Ian Hamilton To Major League Deal

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The Braves announced the signing of reliever Ian Hamilton to a one-year, non-guaranteed contract. Atlanta opened a 40-man roster spot this afternoon when they ran Anthony Molina through waivers. Hamilton is represented by ALIGND Sports Agency.

Hamilton hit the market last month when he was non-tendered by the Yankees. His projected arbitration salary wasn’t far above the league minimum, but he had spent the final two months of the season on optional assignment to Triple-A. Hamilton made 36 appearances before being sent down. He pitched 40 innings of 4.28 ERA ball, striking out a quarter of opponents against a worrisome 13.3% walk rate.

The 30-year-old righty has pitched parts of six MLB seasons between the White Sox, Twins and Yankees. He had a career-best 2.64 ERA behind a 29% strikeout rate for New York back in 2023. His production hasn’t been as strong over the past couple years. Hamilton’s grounder rates have fallen while the free passes jumped this year. He gets plus swing-and-miss rates on his slider but hasn’t gotten great results on his 95-96 MPH sinker.

The 2025 season was Hamilton’s third and final minor league option year. He’ll battle for a middle relief spot in camp. If he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, the Braves would need to take him off the 40-man and either trade him or run him through waivers.

Hamilton has between three and five years of MLB service time. He’d therefore have the right to decline an outright assignment and elect free agency if the Braves get him through waivers unclaimed, but doing so would mean forfeiting his salary. If he pitches well enough to stick on the roster, Atlanta could control him via arbitration through 2028.

Atlanta doesn’t have a ton of roster flexibility with regards to the bullpen. Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez and Aaron Bummer are locked in at the back end. Dylan Lee has two minor league options but is certainly going to be on the roster. Hamilton, Joel Payamps, Danny Young and swing types Bryce Elder, Grant Holmes, José Suarez and Joey Wentz are all out of options. While an injury or two in Spring Training could open roster space, they’re certainly not going to have room for all those pitchers on Opening Day.

Image courtesy of Dan Hamilton, Imagn Images.

Note: This post initially incorrectly referred to Hamilton’s contract as a split deal.

Rangers Re-Sign Chris Martin

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The Rangers announced on Friday evening that they’ve brought back veteran right-hander Chris Martin on a one-year deal. The ISE Baseball client reportedly receives a $4MM guarantee that includes a deferred signing bonus. Texas had a couple of 40-man vacancies and didn’t need to make a corresponding move.

Not so long ago, it seemed like Martin was on his way out the door. Just over a year ago, in September of 2024, he said he was 95% sure that 2025 would be his final season. He turned 39 years old in June and made a few trips to the injured list during the campaign. The first IL stint was in May due to shoulder fatigue, followed by another in July due to a calf strain. Most ominously, his season was ended in late September due to a diagnosis of thoracic outlet syndrome.

Taken all together, it was fair to assume he would be hanging up his spikes. But just a few days ago, it was reported that he was planning to pitch in 2026. His current health status isn’t known but presumably the Rangers feel good about what he can contribute next year.

When he was healthy enough to be on the mound in 2025, his results were still good. He was still averaging in the mid-90s with his four-seamer and sinker, while also mixing in a cutter, splitter, slider and knuckle curve. Long one of the best control pitchers in the majors, he tossed 42 1/3 innings while only walking 4.6% of batters faced. He also struck out 24.7% of opponents and got grounders on 42.6% of balls in play. Put that all together and he allowed 2.98 earned runs per nine innings for the year.

The Texas front office has been given some budgetary constraints over the past few years. Last winter, they put together their bullpen primarily via a series of small one-year deals. In addition to Martin, they also signed Hoby Milner, Luke Jackson, Jacob Webb and Shawn Armstrong. That actually ended up working quite well, as the Texas bullpen was pretty good in 2025. But since they limited themselves to one-year deals, almost the entire bullpen hit free agency at season’s end.

Going into 2026, they are looking to rebuild the relief corps but appear to again be working with limited resources. They recently signed lefty Tyler Alexander to a modest one-year deal. They also reportedly have an agreement with Alexis Díaz. The numbers on that deal haven’t been reported yet but it’s surely on the low side as well. Martin made $5.5MM in 2025. Given his age and the injuries he dealt with in 2025, he shouldn’t be in line for much of a raise, or any at all.

RosterResource currently projects the Rangers to have a 2026 payroll about $50MM lower than in 2025, but since they are expected to spend less on next year’s team, they should have less than $50MM to work with. They are looking to bolster the rotation and add a righty bat, but continuing to build out the bullpen is also on the to-do list.

Jeff Passan of ESPN first reported that Martin and the Rangers had a one-year deal. Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News reported the guarantee and the deferred signing bonus. Photo courtesy of Lon Horwedel, D. Ross Cameron, Imagn Images

Twins Sign Josh Bell

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The Twins announced the signing of free agent first baseman Josh Bell to a one-year deal with a mutual option. It’s reportedly a $7MM guarantee for the Boras Corporation client. Bell’s 2026 salary will be $5.5MM. He also receives a $250K signing bonus, and there’s a $1.25MM buyout on the mutual option.

Bell, 33, has been at least an average bat in every season of his decade-long MLB career, with the exception of a poor showing in the shortened 2020 campaign. At times, the former second-round pick and top prospect has looked on the cusp of breaking out as a star-level slugger — most notably in 2019 and 2021 — but he’s never quite produced as the steady power bat one might expect from a hulking 6’3″, 260-pound first baseman.

That’s largely due to the switch-hitting Bell’s penchant for hitting the ball on the ground. Despite his sizable frame and clearly plus raw power, Bell has struggled to maintain a swing path that allows him to elevate the ball. He’s cut his grounder rate in recent seasons, to be fair; last year’s 45.7% mark was actually the second-lowest of his career, ahead of only the 44% mark he posted during a 37-homer campaign back in 2019. However, that 45.7% mark was still well above the 41.8% league average. For a hitter like Bell, whose average sprint speed ranked in just the seventh percentile of big league position players, per Statcast, that much contact on the ground is a clear detriment.

When Bell does elevate the ball, he does so with tremendous authority. Statcast ranked his 96.4 mph average exit velocity on liners/fly-balls 25th among 251 qualified hitters. Bell’s isolated power (slugging percentage minus batting average) of .507 on fly-balls isn’t elite but is well north of the .436 league average. He popped 22 round-trippers this past season and has averaged 26 homers per 162 games over the past seven seasons — despite his proclivity for hitting the ball into the ground. It’s long been thought that if Bell could consistently elevate the ball, he’d be a high-end slugger, but six teams have now tried to get him to do so consistently and been unable to make it happen.

The end result is typically above-average but not elite offense. Bell hit .237/.325/.417 this past season with the Nationals. His 10.7% walk rate was comfortably north of average and roughly in line with his career 11.2% mark. His 16.5% strikeout rate was the second-lowest of his career. Bell had uncharacteristic struggles with his right-handed swing last season but has traditionally been a solid hitter from both sides of the dish (albeit with better production from the left side). His 90.4 mph average exit velocity and 47% hard-hit rate were his best marks since a strong 2021 season (also spent with the Nats).

The Twins and their fans can perhaps find some optimism in the trajectory of Bell’s 2025 season. He was one of the worst hitters in either league through the end of April but busted out of that slump with a huge showing in May. He took a step back in June and then delivered terrific production over the final three months of the year. Setting aside Bell’s awful first 125 plate appearances of the season (when he had a bloated 50% grounder rate, it should be noted), he hit .278/.358/.462 with 17 homers, 16 doubles, an 11.1% walk rate and a 14.6% strikeout rate. In 250 plate appearances from July 2 onward, he slashed .284/.371/.486 (with a ground-ball rate sitting at 42%).

That’ll be the sort of production for which the Twins hope in 2025. Bell figures to be the primary first baseman for new manager Derek Shelton, who briefly overlapped with Bell during his first season as manager in Pittsburgh. Like most teams, the Twins don’t have a set designated hitter, so Bell could get some looks there, too, if the Twins want to free up some first base time to get Edouard Julien or Kody Clemens into the lineup there. Some additional DH reps for Bell would benefit the team defensively; he posted solid grades at first base back in 2021-22, but Bell has been dinged for -20 Defensive Runs Saved and -16 Outs Above Average over his past 1551 innings in the field. He’s not a skilled defender.

Even with those defensive shortcomings, Bell adds a legitimate bat to the middle of Minnesota’s order. He’s a durable veteran, having appeared in 91.5% of his teams’ possible games dating back to his first season as a full-time regular. That’s an average of better than 148 games per year, and it’s reasonable to expect at least 20 home runs based on his track record, with 25 to 30 not out of the question depending on the extent to which he can avoid falling into another grounder-heavy malaise.

Bell joins Byron Buxton, breakout rookie Luke Keaschall and catcher Ryan Jeffers in the top portion of a Twins lineup that’ll hope for better results from talented but inconsistent young hitters like Royce Lewis, Matt Wallner, Brooks Lee and (if he’s not traded) Trevor Larnach. Top prospects Walker Jenkins, Emmanuel Rodriguez and Kaelen Culpepper could force their way into the mix next season. Alan Roden will get another chance to prove his big Triple-A production can play in the majors, too.

The signing of Bell only reinforces the fact that despite a deadline fire sale, the Twins are intent on adding back to the roster in an effort to be as competitive as possible in 2026. President of baseball operations Derek Falvey plans to hold onto stars like Buxton, Joe Ryan and Pablo Lopez rather than trade them. The Twins were reportedly shopping in the middle tiers of the free agent market at first base, and they’ll presumably use some of the modest budgetary space granted by ownership to add some low-cost relievers as well.

Bell adds $5.75MM to the 2026 payroll, boosting the Twins just north of $100MM in the process, per RosterResource. Dan Hayes of The Athletic has previously reported that the front office has about $20MM to spend this winter. That should mean Falvey, GM Jeremy Zoll and the rest of the front office still have a around $15MM to help deepen the bullpen and perhaps the bench. Given that the Twins shipped out a stunning five relievers at July’s deadline, it seems fair to presume they’ll bring in multiple arms (though they already added one with November’s acquisition of Eric Orze from Tampa Bay).

Overall, payroll will still be down considerably from last year’s $142MM Opening Day mark and certainly from 2023’s franchise-record $153MM. Major additions on either side of the ball shouldn’t be expected. If the Twins compete next season, it’ll be due to big steps forward from in-house talents like Lee, Keaschall, Jenkins, Roden, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel and others. If they fall short of contending in a perennially competitive AL Central, then players like Bell and any of the forthcoming bullpen acquisitions could emerge as trade chips alongside Ryan, Lopez, Jeffers and others.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan first reported that the two sides had agreed to a one-year deal with a mutual option. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported the $7MM guarantee. Bobby Nightengale of The Minnesota Star-Tribune had the salary structure.

Giants Designate Wade Meckler For Assignment

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The Giants designated outfielder Wade Meckler for assignment, the club announced to reporters (including Shayna Rubin of The San Francisco Chronicle). They needed to open a 40-man roster spot upon finalizing the Adrian Houser contract this morning.

Meckler received his first MLB call in August 2023. He hit .232 without a home run in 20 games and was optioned back to Triple-A during the first week of September. He has not appeared in the majors since then despite continuing to hold a 40-man spot until tonight. The left-handed hitter has spent the past two-plus seasons on optional assignment while spending a decent chunk of time on the Triple-A injured list.

Listed at 5’10 and 190 pounds, Meckler has a smaller frame that doesn’t lend itself to much power potential. He has posted bottom of the scale hard contact rates while hitting almost everything on the ground. His skillset is built around an excellent understanding of the strike zone. Meckler has walked at a 13.4% clip in nearly 700 Triple-A plate appearances over the last three years. He pairs that with good bat-to-ball skills and has only punched out at a 16.7% rate. Meckler owns a .296/.392/.429 batting line at the top minor league level.

The Giants never gave Meckler much of a look despite mediocre outfield production over the past couple seasons. They’ll have five days to trade him or place him on waivers. The plate discipline and ability to play all three outfield spots could get him some attention from another club. He still has one minor league option year remaining.

Nationals To Sign Warming Bernabel To Minor League Deal

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The Nationals and infielder Warming Bernabel have reportedly agree to a minor league deal. Reporter Mike Rodriguez was first on the pact, which also includes an invite to big league camp in spring training.

Bernabel, 24 in June, joins a new organization for the first time in his career. The Rockies signed him out of the Dominican Republic as an international amateur and he spent his entire career with them until he became a free agent earlier this month.

As he climbed the minor league ladder, he put up big offensive numbers in the lower levels, though mostly with a contact-based approach. By the end of 2022, he had climbed as high as High-A and taken 830 trips to the plate in his minor league career. He only struck out 13.4% of the time but also only drew walks at a 7.1% clip. This led to a combined line of .295/.355/.470 and a 115 wRC+.

But the approach has been less effective at the upper levels. From 2023 to 2025, he slashed .265/.308/.385 in the minors for an 84 wRC+. The Rockies also gave him 146 big league plate appearances, with Bernabel slashing .252/.288/.410 for a 78 wRC+. He was outrighted off the roster a couple of weeks ago and was able to elect free agency.

For the Nats, there’s little harm on a minor league deal. Bernabel is still quite young and won’t take up a roster spot for now. If he gets in a good place and earns one, he still has a couple of option seasons. He also has less than a year of service time, so he could be controlled for years to come if he plays his way into the club’s long-term plans.

Bernabel has experience at both infield corners and the Nats don’t really have long-term solutions for either spot. Brady House was the 11th overall pick in 2021 and was once viewed as the third baseman of the future in Washington, but he has a .234/.252/.322 line in his first 274 plate appearances.

At first base, the club traded for Nathaniel Lowe a year ago but gave up on him in August. Josh Bell took most of the playing time down the stretch but became a free agent and has since signed with the Twins. Players like Andrés Chaparro and Luis García Jr. are candidates there but they can play other positions, so it’s fairly wide open. The Nats might make some more moves between now and Opening Day but there’s currently a path for Bernabel to hit his way onto the roster if he takes a step forward.

Photo courtesy of Christopher Hanewinckel, Imagn Images

Padres To Sign José Miranda To Minor League Deal

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The Padres have agreed to a minor league deal with infielder José Miranda, reports Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. The Boras Corporation client also receives an invite to big league camp in spring training.

Miranda, 28 in June, seemed like a long-term piece for the Twins not too long ago. He debuted with Minnesota in 2022 and hit 15 home runs in 483 plate appearances. His 5.8% walk rate was quite low but he was also tough to punch out, going down on strikes just 18.8% of the time. He finished that year with a .268/.325/.426 line and 116 wRC+, splitting his time between the two infield corners.

A shoulder injury wrecked his 2023 season. He required surgery and only got into 40 games, with a dismal .211/.263/.303 line in those. He got back on track the following year. He only hit nine homers in 429 plate appearances but slashed .284/.322/.441 for a 114 wRC+. Another swoon came in 2025. He started the year with a .167/.167/.250 line and got optioned to the minors in mid-April. He spent the rest of the year in Triple-A with a dismal .195/.272/.296 line at that level.

The lack of offense really hurts Miranda. He’s not a fast runner and his defensive grades are mostly poor. He’s work at third base has been worth minus-14 Outs Above Average in his career, though Defensive Runs Saved has given him a grade of +1. Both metrics frown upon his first base work, as Miranda has a -6 DRS and -4 OAA there.

He exhausted his final option this year and will be out of options going forward. That will make it harder for him to hold a roster spot. He was passed through waivers and outrighted in November, then became a free agent.

For the Padres, there’s no harm in a non-roster pact like this. They currently have Manny Machado as their everyday third baseman, though he is going to turn 34 next summer, so perhaps the Padres might be wise to use him as the designated hitter more frequently. They reportedly have a deal in place with Sung Mun Song, which will give them more depth at both infield corners and at second base, though Song is unproven since he’s coming over from South Korea and has no major league experience. Jake Cronenworth is likely to be at second base and Gavin Sheets potentially at first, though Song could theoretically factor in at either of those positions and Cronenworth can play first. The DH spot is fairly open at the moment, so Machado or Sheets or someone else could carve out time there.

Cronenworth has been in trade rumors as the Padres look to strike a balance between competing and their keeping their financial house in order. That could change the whole picture, as could other moves or injuries. If Miranda is able to hit his way onto the roster, he is out of options but has less than three years of service time, meaning the Padres could potentially control him for four seasons.

Photo courtesy of Jordan Johnson, Imagn Images

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