Braves Sign Dominic Smith, Kyle Farmer To Split Contracts
The Braves announced that Dominic Smith and Kyle Farmer have been signed to Major League split contracts for the 2026 season. The two veterans were already in camp on minor league deals, but as Article XX(B) free agents, Smith and Farmer had the ability to opt out of their contracts five days before Opening Day if they weren’t added to the Braves’ 40-man roster.
These new deals mean that Smith and Farmer will be breaking camp with the club. The Braves have two open spots on their 40-man roster, so they can easily accommodate officially selecting Smith and Farmer closer to the team’s first game. Both players are out of minor league options and the Braves would have to designate either for assignment and then sweat out any waiver claims before sending either to the minors, plus Smith and Farmer have enough MLB service time to just reject a minor league assignment anyway.
It seemed like the two veterans were both somewhat long shots to make Atlanta’s roster, yet some opportunity was created when Jurickson Profar was issued a season-long PED suspension, and Ha-Seong Kim suffered a torn finger tendon that will keep him out until at least the start of May. The door may now be open for Smith to earn some at-bats as a left-handed hitting option for the DH spot, even if his usual first base spot is obviously filled by Matt Olson on an everyday basis. Smith has played in just one Major League game as an outfielder over the last four seasons, but he could get some occasional backup work if Ronald Acuna Jr. or Mike Yastrzemski needs a rest day.
For Farmer, Mauricio Dubon taking over the shortstop role in Kim’s absence means the Braves are short some versatile infield depth. Jorge Mateo and Brett Wisely are also competing for bench jobs and Eli White is expected to be the primary backup outfielder, and both Wisely and White are also out of minor league options.
Martin Perez is another minor league signing in Atlanta’s camp, and MLB.com’s Mark Bowman reports that Perez has been told he isn’t making the team. However, the veteran southpaw will forego his first Article XX(B) opt-out clause and remain in the organization as a Triple-A depth farm.
Phillies To Select Justin Crawford’s Contract
The Phillies have told outfield prospect Justin Crawford that he’ll be breaking camp with the team, according to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel. The widely-expected move means that Crawford will need to have his contract officially selected to Philadelphia’s 40-man roster before Opening Day, but that isn’t an issue since the Phils currently have only 38 spots filled.
There was some speculation that Crawford would receive his first call to the majors last summer, though the Phillies instead chose to keep him in Triple-A for the entirety of his age-21 season. Crawford (who turned 22 in January) hit .334/.411/.452 with seven homers and 46 steals (out of 57 attempts) over 506 plate appearances with Lehigh Valley, which represented Crawford’s first taste of Triple-A action.
It was an impressive performance that only cemented Crawford’s status as a key plank of the Phillies’ future. The offseason saw Max Kepler and Nick Castellanos subtracted from the Phils’ outfield picture, Harrison Bader left to sign with the Giants, and another unexpected development emerged earlier this week when Johan Rojas was issued an 80-game PED suspension. Philadelphia signed Adolis Garcia to take over in the right field, and with Brandon Marsh returning to take the bulk of the left field at-bats, Crawford will line up as the Phillies’ regular choice in center field.
Pundits are mixed on whether or not Crawford will be able to stick in center field, or if he’ll eventually need to move to left field (like his dad, former four-time All-Star Carl Crawford). As a hitter, Crawford’s ability to consistently put the ball in the air may be his biggest challenge against Major League pitching, as he has posted high grounder rates throughout his minor league career. On the positive side, Crawford has at least reduced his grounder rates every year, and his 70-grade speed allows him to beat out several of those grounders.
The 17th overall pick of the 2022 draft, Crawford has drawn regular attention on top-100 prospect lists. Heading into 2026, the Athletic’s Keith Law has Crawford highest on his list in the 48th spot, while MLB Pipeline (53rd), ESPN (69th), and Baseball America (75th) continue to include the outfielder in their rankings.
This top-100 prospect status and Crawford’s inclusion on the Opening Day roster means that he can qualify for the Prospect Promotion Incentive. If Crawford logs a full year of MLB service time and either wins the 2026 Rookie of the Year Award or finishes within the top three in NL MVP voting in his pre-arbitration seasons, Philadelphia would earn a bonus draft pick down the road.
Between Crawford and Andrew Painter, the Phillies have two PPI-eligible players as part their Opening Day roster. The two highly-touted prospects face some extra pressure in joining a Phils team expecting to contend for a World Series this year, plus there’s the bigger-picture importance of how having two everyday contributors (or even breakout stars) on inexpensive pre-arb contracts can help the big-spending Phillies somewhat balance their payroll.
Red Sox To Use Marcelo Mayer As Starting Second Baseman, Kristian Campbell Optioned To Triple-A
In an unsurprising move, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe) that Marcelo Mayer will make the Opening Day roster and act as Boston’s regular second baseman. It isn’t quite an everyday role, as Cora said the left-handed hitting Mayer will be protected against some southpaw pitchers. Veteran infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa or utilityman Andruw Monasterio are both right-handed batters and should be part of this platoon at the keystone.
Mayer didn’t exactly force the issue by hitting only .214/.389/.321 over 36 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action, but it always seemed like the former top prospect was being lined up for some type of regular role in the Red Sox infield as either the second or third baseman. After the Sox didn’t land such targets as Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette this winter, Caleb Durbin was acquired from the Brewers and will handle third-base duties, leaving second as Mayer’s landing spot.
Selected fourth overall in the 2021 draft, Mayer was a fixture within the top-15 of MLB Pipeline and Baseball America’s top-100 lists in each of the last four years. He made his big league debut last season and hit .228/.272/.402 over 136 plate appearances before suffering a wrist sprain that eventually required surgery. Mayer mostly played third base last year since his call-up coincided with an IL stint for Bregman, though he did make eight appearances at second base and two cameos at shortstop.
Mayer was initially drafted as a shortstop, and that could eventually still end up as his position in the majors once Trevor Story‘s contract is up following the 2027 season. For now, the plan is just to get Mayer acclimated to playing in the bigs and for the 23-year-old to establish himself as at least a solid regular. The Sox don’t need for Mayer to be a star just yet, as it’s a good step in his development for Mayer to just stay on the field altogether after a few injury-marred years.
In other roster news, the Red Sox have optioned Kristian Campbell to Triple-A Worcester, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports. This decision was also no surprise given the crowded state of Boston’s roster, and playing everyday in Worcester makes more sense for Campbell than playing sparingly in a part-time role with the Sox.
A year ago at this time, Campbell was preparing to make his MLB debut, as the Red Sox chose to include the breakout prospect on their Opening Day roster. A fourth-round pick for Boston in the 2023 draft, Campbell tore up minor league pitching in his first two pro seasons, and was hitting so well that he’d earned a promotion to Triple-A before the 2024 season was over. Within a week of his first game in the Show, the Red Sox cemented Campbell’s spot as a cornerstone by signing him to an eight-year, $60MM extension.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly when Campbell hit .313/.420/.515 over his first 119 PA in the majors, but what looked like an epic rookie season quickly came to a halt, as he hit only .157/.241/.220 over his next 141 PA. Campbell’s defense was also a big concern, as he posted -16 Defensive Runs Saved and -8 Outs Above Average across only 471 2/3 innings at second base.
The Red Sox chose to option Campbell to Worcester last June 20, and he didn’t receive another call-up over the remainder of the 2025 campaign. Campbell hit a decent but unspectacular .273/.382/.417 over 319 Triple-A PA, and he spent most of his time on the diamond as a first baseman, as well as seeing time at all three outfield slots in addition to second base.
Where Campbell might end up on the big league roster remains speculative. The Red Sox outfield is already crowded (Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu), plus Masataka Yoshida remains in the outfield and DH mix. Mayer and Durbin have second and third base covered for now. As for first base, offseason acquisition Willson Contreras has two years remaining on his contract, so that’s still a while for Campbell to wait if the Sox potentially now view him as Contreras’ heir apparent. Triston Casas is also still in the first base picture, looking to bounce back from his injury-shortened 2025 season.
Some future trades could potentially clear this situation up to some extent, with Duran, Casas, and Yoshida often mentioned as speculative trade candidates. Campbell’s contract keeps him part of Boston’s future plans and also probably keeps him off the trade market, as any interested teams would be making a $57MM investment in a belief that Campbell will emerge in the big leagues.
Padres To Select Walker Buehler
The Padres will carry Walker Buehler on their Opening Day roster, reports Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. The veteran righty would have been able to request his release tomorrow if San Diego weren’t going to call him up.
Buehler locks in a $1.5MM base salary by breaking camp. His deal also includes up to $2.5MM in active roster bonuses. Acee writes that Buehler and Germán Márquez are expected to round out the season-opening starting five behind Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Randy Vásquez.
The Padres will be without Joe Musgrove for at least a couple weeks after he didn’t recover as hoped from a recent start. Griffin Canning is beginning the season on the injured list as he rehabs last summer’s Achilles tear. Canning threw one inning against Mariners’ minor leaguers on the back fields this afternoon, his first competitive work since the injury (via the MLB.com injury tracker). Matt Waldron, out of minor league options, is also a few weeks behind due to a hemorrhoid procedure. Yu Darvish will miss the entire season after last fall’s elbow surgery.
Buehler is coming off a second straight rough season. He was tagged for a 4.93 ERA with a career-worst 16.3% strikeout rate across 126 innings. He spent most of the year in Boston but was released in August. Buehler caught on with the Phillies to close the season before returning to the open market at year’s end. He had to settle for a minor league deal but found a good opportunity in San Diego given their rotation injuries.
The righty has pitched in three Cactus League games, allowing four runs with 13 strikeouts and four walks over 11 2/3 innings. Buehler has mixed six pitches but is only averaging 92-93 mph on his fastballs. He’ll probably pick up some velocity as he gets into the season. He has some work to do to match last year’s career-low 94 mph mark, to say nothing of the mid-upper 90s heat he had before undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in 2023.
Buehler isn’t the only veteran with an upcoming opt-out decision. Infielder Ty France can also get his release tomorrow if the Padres aren’t going to carry him on the roster. His minor league deal comes with a $1.35MM base salary. Acee writes that the team still hasn’t decided whether they’ll add France or fellow minor league signee Jose Miranda for that spot. Bryce Johnson is out of options and the favorite to win the fourth outfield role, while Nick Castellanos and Luis Campusano have bench spots secure.
France and Miranda have each had big performances this spring. The utility infield spot will go to Sung-mun Song once he’s back from an oblique strain. Intervening injuries could change the picture, but it’d be a cluttered bench no matter who the Padres tab to start the season. France has the service time to refuse any minor league assignment. Miranda is out of options and would need to go on waivers if the Padres try to send him back down after calling him up.
The Padres have one opening on the 40-man roster after waiving Daison Acosta a couple weeks ago. They’re essentially working with two additional free spots. Neither Darvish nor Bryan Hoeing has been moved to the 60-day injured list yet. They’re both out for the season.
In the bullpen, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com relays word from skipper Craig Stammen ruling lefty Yuki Matsui out for Opening Day. The southpaw suffered a left groin strain that kept him from pitching for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. He’ll begin the season on the 15-day IL but could be back in April.
Righty Jason Adam is making his Spring Training debut tonight. He’s trending towards opening on the active roster. Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Kyle Hart all seem assured of bullpen spots. If Adam is healthy, that’d leave one spot available. Ron Marinaccio is out of options and could be the favorite for that reason. Hard-throwing Bradgley Rodríguez impressed late last season, while the Padres have spoken highly of non-roster invitee Logan Gillaspie as a potential long reliever.
Latest On A’s Extension Talks With Nick Kurtz
The A’s have signed a number of extensions over the past two seasons. Brent Rooker, Lawrence Butler, Jacob Wilson and Tyler Soderstrom are all locked in as long-term lineup pieces in advance of the 2028 move to Las Vegas. The A’s have also opened extension conversations with Nick Kurtz and Shea Langeliers.
The latter two players would be the most difficult to extend. Langeliers is into his arbitration window. Kurtz is coming off an otherworldly rookie season and would require the A’s to shatter their franchise record contract (Soderstrom’s $82MM guarantee).
Joel Sherman of The New York Post reported last month that the A’s made Kurtz an official offer. Details of the proposal weren’t known at the time. The Post’s Jon Heyman wrote last night that the offer was well into nine figures, adding that it’s believed to have landed in the $130MM range. Kurtz evidently declined and Heyman characterizes an extension as a long shot.
[Related: What Would It Cost The A’s To Continue Their Extension Run?]
Despite being called up in late April, Kurtz earned a full year of service time with last season’s Rookie of the Year win. The A’s have him under club control through 2030. He’s two years away from his first major salary jump via arbitration. However, Kurtz should already be well positioned financially. The A’s paid him a $7MM signing bonus as the fourth overall pick in 2024. He also made almost $1.3MM last offseason via the pre-arbitration bonus pool, which rewards the best performers who have yet to accrue the service time to qualify for arbitration.
There have been five nine-figure extensions for players with less than two years of MLB service. The guarantees on those deals range from Corbin Carroll’s $111MM to $210MM for Julio Rodríguez — though the latter’s contract was loaded with escalators and options that could take it close to half a billion dollars in certain situations. The other players to get to nine figures within their first two years as a big leaguer were Wander Franco ($182MM), Jackson Merrill ($135MM) and Roman Anthony ($130MM).
Kurtz would be unique among that group as a first baseman. Rodríguez, Merrill and Franco all played up-the-middle positions. Anthony and Carroll are primarily corner players but are superior athletes and provide more defensive and baserunning value. The biggest extension for a pre-arbitration first baseman is Anthony Rizzo’s $41MM deal from more than a decade ago. That’s useless as a comparison point for Kurtz, so he’s a difficult player to value.
There’s little doubt Kurtz will continue to mash. He hit .290/.383/.619 with 36 home runs over his first 489 plate appearances. His exit velocities are near the top of the league. Although it comes with a fair amount of whiffs, Kurtz has the kind of rare power that should allow him to be an offensive force even if he’s striking out 30% of the time.
It’s not all that surprising if an offer in the $130MM range wouldn’t get it done. Anthony landed that amount of money less than two months into his MLB career and without a full year of service, which put him a year further away from free agency. Anthony was the superior prospect, but Kurtz’s camp could point to the service time difference and the bigger body of work at the MLB level. It’s also notable that Kurtz is represented by an agency (Excel Sports Management) that has almost no history of pre-arbitration extensions.
At the same time, it’s hardly a lowball offer on the team’s part. They were evidently willing to make Kurtz the highest-paid player in franchise history by a wide margin while valuing him similarly to other young superstar hitters despite the lack of positional value.
Kurtz simply has a lot of leverage if he’s inclined to bet on himself remaining a top 10 hitter in MLB. The upside of going year by year could resemble the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. path of racking up arbitration earnings and setting himself up for a monster deal at or near free agency. Kurtz is on track to hit the open market at 28. Guerrero’s $500MM extension with the Blue Jays begins this year, his age-27 season. Anything close to that kind of money would very likely price Kurtz out of the A’s range someday, but the team has plenty of time before concerning itself with that possibility.
Braves, Rowdy Tellez Agree To Minor League Deal
The Braves are signing first baseman Rowdy Tellez to a minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News reports that the Primo Sports Group client would earn a $1.25MM base salary if he secures a spot on the MLB roster.
Atlanta only has four Spring Training games left. It’s not clear if they’ll try to get Tellez any Grapefruit League action or will wait until the beginning of the regular season. The lefty-hitting first baseman figures to begin the season at Triple-A Gwinnett either way. Tellez isn’t coming in completely cold despite lingering on the free agent market. He played for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, going 1-9 with two walks and strikeouts apiece over four games.
Matt Olson is locked in as the everyday first baseman. He essentially never takes a day off. Tellez’s path to playing time is as a designated hitter or bench bat. Jurickson Profar is officially suspended for the entire season after his second failed performance-enhancing drug test. That opened DH playing time that might go to Dominic Smith, another lefty-swinging first baseman who is in camp as a non-roster invitee. Smith has hit .258/.343/.387 over 11 Spring Training games after a solid .284/.333/.417 showing for the Giants a year ago.
As MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted on Tuesday, Smith is among the veteran players whose deal contains an automatic opt-out opportunity this week. It’s not known if he exercised that, but if he did, the Braves would either need to put him on the Opening Day roster or grant him his release tomorrow. Either outcome would leave a spot for Tellez in the minors. A Smith opt-out would mean he’s either in the big leagues or back in free agency.
The automatic opt-out only applies when players with sufficient service time sign a minor league deal at least 10 days before the start of the regular season. Tellez’s deal comes too late to meet that criterion. His camp could still negotiate some opt-out or upward mobility opportunities into the contract.
Tellez played in 112 MLB games last year. He struggled early with the Mariners but had a better second half after signing with the Rangers. The end result was a .228/.276/.443 slash with 17 home runs across 312 plate appearances. Tellez has plus power against right-handed pitching but runs subpar averages and on-base marks. He’s a limited defender and baserunner whose game is built on slugging.
Guardians To Carry Rule 5 Pick Peyton Pallette On Opening Day Roster
The Guardians informed Rule 5 pick Peyton Pallette that he’ll make the Opening Day roster. The rookie right-hander announced the decision to the Cleveland beat this evening (relayed by Tim Stebbins of MLB.com).
Pallette made that a fairly easy call with an excellent camp. He has fired six scoreless innings on three hits and walks apiece while striking out 11. Pallette’s fastball has been around 97 mph on average, up two ticks from where it had been last year in the minors. He has gotten swinging strikes on 15% of his offerings.
It’s naturally a small sample but about as strong an impression as a reliever can make during Spring Training. Cleveland nabbed Pallette from the White Sox system in December’s Rule 5 draft. The Arkansas product was a second-round pick in the 2022 draft. Pallette was rehabbing Tommy John surgery at the time. His stuff wasn’t as sharp when he returned, with hitters especially teeing off on the fastball. The Sox moved him to a full-time relief role last year.
Pallette divided the season between the top two minor league levels. He threw 64 1/3 innings of 4.06 ERA ball, striking out an excellent 32.5% of batters faced. Pallette’s command was a little shaky (10.6% walk rate) and the Chicago front office was skeptical enough that they opted not add him to the 40-man roster. The Sox made two Rule 5 picks themselves. They returned one of them, Alexander Alberto, to the Rays earlier this week.
The Guardians will need to keep Pallette on the MLB roster (or injured list) all season to retain his contractual rights. The 24-year-old has work to do to ensure he sticks around, but a fantastic camp earns him his first MLB opportunity.
Cleveland is opening the season without Hunter Gaddis or Andrew Walters due to injury. Pallette joins Cade Smith, Shawn Armstrong, Matt Festa, Connor Brogdon, Erik Sabrowski, and Tim Herrin in the projected bullpen. The final spot should be determined by how the Guardians arrange their rotation. Joey Cantillo is out of options and a lock to make the team. He’d pitch in long relief if the Guardians opt for Parker Messick as the fifth starter. If Cantillo wins a rotation spot, Colin Holderman or non-roster invitee Kolby Allard could claim the final bullpen job.
Guardians Outright Nolan Jones; Hunter Gaddis, George Valera Likely Starting Season On IL
The Guardians outrighted outfielder Nolan Jones off the roster, reports Zack Meisel of The Athletic. That indicates the Guards passed him through waivers in recent days. Their 40-man count drops to 39. Jones has the right to elect free agency but likely won’t do so because he would have to forfeit his $2MM salary. Meisel adds that right-hander Hunter Gaddis and outfielder George Valera are highly likely to begin the season on the injured list.
Jones, 28 in May, seemed to have a breakout season with the Rockies in 2023. He had a 20-20 season that year in just 106 games. His .297/.389/.542 batting line translated to a 137 wRC+. He got some help from a .401 batting average on balls in play but it would have been a strong campaign even with more neutral luck in that department. On the whole, FanGraphs considered him to be worth 3.7 wins above replacement that year.
He has been far less productive since then. His offense cratered in 2024. The Rockies traded him back to the Guardians, his original organization, ahead of the 2025 season. Returning to Cleveland didn’t help him get back on track. He has a .218/.307/.311 line and 71 wRC+ since the start of the 2024 season and his defensive metrics have also declined. Despite the diminished production and the fact that Jones is out of options, the Guards tendered him a contract this winter. Jones and the club avoided arbitration with a $2MM pre-tender deal in November.
Jones also hasn’t had a good spring, having hit .152/.222/.303 in 36 plate appearances. Given the downward trend with his performance, his out-of-options status and his salary, it’s unsurprising that no club claimed him via waivers.
Players with at least three years of service time have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of electing free agency. However, if they have less than five years of service, they have to walk away from their remaining salary commitments in doing so. Jones has three years and seven days of service. If he were to elect free agency, he would have to leave $2MM on the table. It seems highly likely that he’ll head to Triple-A and look to get back on track at that level.
As for the injuries, Meisel didn’t provide specifics but both players have been slowed by minor issues in recent weeks. Gaddis made just one in-game appearance this spring, which was back in late February. He then experienced some forearm tightness and underwent imaging, which came back clean, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. His timeline still isn’t clear. A season-opening stint on the 15-day IL can be backdated three days, so he could be back less than two weeks into the season, though that scenario is obviously dependant on him building back up to readiness in that time frame.
Gaddis has been a key setup arm for the Guards in recent years, with 68 holds since the start of 2024. He posted a 3.11 earned run average last year while striking out 26.6% of opponents and limiting walks to a 7.7% clip. For whatever time Gaddis misses, guys like Shawn Armstrong and Erik Sabrowski will move up to leverage roles in front of closer Cade Smith.
Valera was diagnosed with a mild left calf strain about a week ago, per Stebbins. Assuming he hits the 10-day IL to start the year, that subtracts him from the Opening Day outfield mix. If the injury proves to be mild, perhaps he could be back a week into the season with the three-day backdating, but his timeline from a health perspective isn’t clear.
Meisel notes that Steven Kwan will play at least some center field this year. He had primarily been a left fielder in recent seasons, with just one inning in center since 2022. Time will tell how often they’ll put Kwan in the middle spot but that should give them greater flexibility to work in other guys. Valera will be in that outfield rotation when he’s healthy. For now, Chase DeLauter, Ángel Martínez, C.J. Kayfus and Daniel Schneemann appear to be jockeying for the outfield playing time. Petey Halpin was optioned today, per Meisel, so he’ll start the season in Triple-A.
Photo courtesy of David Richard, Imagn Images
Yankees Option Jasson Domínguez
The Yankees announced a series of camp cuts today, most notably optioning outfielder Jasson Domínguez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Relievers Kervin Castro and Yerry De los Santos were also optioned out.
Domínguez opening the season in the minors has been the expectation since camp began. The Yankees retained Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham in free agency. Bellinger signed a five-year deal, while Grisham accepted a qualifying offer. They’re alongside Aaron Judge in what is probably the best outfield in the sport. Giancarlo Stanton is healthy and opening the season at designated hitter, while the Yanks will run a Ben Rice/Paul Goldschmidt platoon at first base.
There simply wasn’t a path to regular playing time for Domínguez. The Yankees are looking for a right-handed bench bat who can platoon with Grisham. Bellinger will primarily play the corners against righty pitching but can slide to center field in Grisham’s place against southpaws.
The switch-hitting Domínguez isn’t suited for that role. He’s much better from the left side, for one, and it’s hardly ideal for his development to work as a short-side platoon bat. Non-roster invitee Randal Grichuk seems the favorite for the last bench spot based on his track record against lefty pitching, even if he hasn’t hit in a minuscule spring sample.
The demotion certainly isn’t in response to Domínguez’s camp performance. He did all he could to try to win a job, batting .325 with three homers and two doubles in 45 plate appearances. He’ll get everyday playing time in Triple-A and will very likely be the first one up if Stanton or any of the regular outfielders suffers an injury.
Spencer Jones is the only other outfielder on the 40-man roster. He’s a good prospect with monster power but struck out at a 35% clip in the minors last season. Domínguez was a league average hitter in the big leagues (.257/.331/.388 over 429 plate appearances) and is a little more than two years younger.
It remains to be seen whether the move will have meaningful service time implications. Domínguez has one year and 130 days of MLB time. He only needs to be on the big league roster for 42 days this year to surpass the two-year threshold and remain on track for free agency after the 2030 season. It seems likely he’ll get there given Stanton’s injury history, in particular.
There may be a less impactful but more immediate service implication, however. If he logged a full service year this season, Domínguez would have been right on the border of the usual Super Two cutoff for early arbitration next winter. Unless he’s recalled by the middle of April, he’s unlikely to have enough time to qualify as a Super Two. That’d keep his 2027 salary close to the league minimum. This will be Domínguez’s second of three option seasons.
Braves Reassign JR Ritchie To Minor League Camp
Atlanta announced a series of camp cuts today. Arguably, the most notable name in the bunch is that of right-handed pitching prospect JR Ritchie, who has been reassigned to minor league camp.
Ritchie is still quite young, turning 23 in June, and isn’t on the 40-man roster. He didn’t come into spring training with a great path to a season-opening roster spot but his odds kept improving as guys ahead of him on the depth chart kept dropping off.
Spencer Schwellenbach hit the 60-day injured list as soon as camp opened due to elbow inflammation. Hurston Waldrep also had an elbow issue pop up and both pitchers underwent surgeries to remove loose bodies from their elbows. Their respective timelines aren’t clear but each will likely be out for at least a few months. A few weeks later, Joey Wentz tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee, meaning he’s already done for the year.
Those three subtractions nudged Ritchie into the conversation. Atlanta still had Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo López and Grant Holmes in four spots but those guys all have varying levels of health question marks. Bryce Elder, José Suarez, Martín Pérez and others were around as options for the fifth spot, with Ritchie potentially in that mix as well.
Last year, Ritchie surged from High-A to Double-A and then Triple-A. Across those three levels, he posted a 2.64 earned run average. His 9.6% walk rate was close to par while his 24.8% strikeout rate and 49.6% ground ball rate were both a bit better than average. He popped up at the back end of most top 100 prospect lists coming into this year.
In the small sample of spring training, Ritchie did his best to force his way into the picture. He made four starts with a 2.25 ERA. His 11.6% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 32.6% of batters faced and induced grounders on 45.5% of balls in play.
The club had different paths available, with pros and cons to each. Ritchie is the upside play and he would have put the Prospect Promotion Incentive on the table, but giving him a shot would have meant sacrificing depth. Elder and Suarez are both of options. If they don’t have spots on the active roster, they would need to be removed from the 40-man. Pérez can opt out of his minor league deal if not added to the roster.
If Ritchie had the fifth starter spot, one other pitcher could be in the bullpen as a long reliever but they would probably have to let go of at least one, if not two of those other guys. By sending Ritchie down to start the season in the minors, they can perhaps have Elder in the fifth starter spot, with Suarez and/or Perez in the bullpen.
It seems Atlanta will take the latter path, which has less upside but allows them to keep more arms in the mix. It’s an understandable decision, given the likelihood of further injuries. Sale has been very injury prone in recent years, making more than 20 starts just once since 2019. Strider missed most of 2024 recovering from elbow surgery and was mediocre in his return last year. López made just one start in 2025 due to shoulder surgery. Holmes was diagnosed with a partial tear of his ulnar collateral ligament last year. He opted for non-surgical rehab and now appears healthy but there’s naturally still some worry about him going forward.
Teams generally need 10 to 15 starters to get through a season. Atlanta has already seen their depth tested. With plenty of question marks still in the mix, it’s defensible to opt for preserving what they have. Time will tell how they juggle the Elder, Suarez and Pérez mix. Ritchie will head to Triple-A and try to position himself to get a call when the time comes.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images