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Orioles Pursuing Prominent Pitching Upgrades, Open To Signing Qualifying Offer Recipients

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On the heels of a disappointing 2025 season, Orioles president of baseball operations Mike Elias is striking a much more aggressive tenor in his early media appearances this offseason than last. Baltimore’s baseball ops leader candidly acknowledged this week that he’s hopeful of adding a starter who can give his team “innings and front-half-of-the-rotation stuff” as well as a reliever “who has closer experience” (links via Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner and Jake Rill of MLB.com. Just as notably, Elias voiced that he is “fully prepared” to forfeit draft pick(s) to sign free agents who have rejected a qualifying offer.

It’s a notable departure from Baltimore’s 2024-25 offseason. The O’s made a multi-year offer to Corbin Burnes that wasn’t accepted. It’s not clear how many — if any — other free agents received multi-year offers from the Orioles.

Ultimately, Elias & Co. handed out almost exclusively one-year deals, signing Charlie Morton ($15MM), Tomoyuki Sugano ($13MM), Andrew Kittredge ($10MM), Gary Sanchez ($8.5MM), Ramon Laureano ($4MM) and Dylan Carlson ($975K) for the 2025 season. Outfielder Tyler O’Neill was the lone recipient of a multi-year guarantee, landing three years and $49.5MM. Even that deal came with an opt-out opportunity following the 2025 season.

O’Neill was not only the lone multi-year free agent signing for the Orioles last winter — he’s the only free agent Elias has signed to a multi-year deal in seven offseasons leading Baltimore’s baseball operations. For much of that time, the team has been rebuilding, which helps to explain the lack of a multi-year investment. Elias told Darragh McDonald in a recent guest appearance on the MLBTR Podcast that there’s no organizational aversion to multi-year free agent deals, they simply haven’t lined up on one during his tenure.

At least based on his early comments, Elias seems more resolute in his efforts to pursue higher-end talent. The O’s have a pair of notable arms in Kyle Bradish and the resurgent Trevor Rogers atop their rotation, but Rogers is a free agent next winter and Bradish only returned from Tommy John surgery this past summer. Voicing a preference to sign someone who can pitch in the “front half” of the rotation and expressing a willingness to punt draft picks both signal a more aggressive playbook this winter.

On the free agent side of things, the market has several interesting names. Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez, Ranger Suarez, Michael King, Brandon Woodruff and Zac Gallen all received qualifying offers. None are expected to accept. NPB star Tatsuya Imai will also be posted for MLB clubs, adding a 28-year-old wild card to the mix. Notably, Elias was the Astros’ scouting director when the team signed Valdez as an amateur in 2016. The two overlapped in Houston’s organization for a couple years.

On the trade side of the coin, there are a number of high-profile arms likely to be available. Much as it pains fans of pitching-hungry clubs, there’s minimal chance the Tigers will trade Tarik Skubal. The Brewers seem inclined to hang onto Freddy Peralta. Twins president Derek Falvey has said he plans to add to the roster until he’s told otherwise, which casts some doubt on the immediate availability of Joe Ryan and/or Pablo Lopez. But the market still includes names like MacKenzie Gore, Sonny Gray, Sandy Alcantara, Edward Cabrera and Mitch Keller, among others.

Broadly speaking, whether it’s via free agency or trade, there’s benefit in the Orioles adding a starter who’s controlled/signed beyond 2026. Rogers, as mentioned, is a free agent next winter. Righties Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells will be free agents after the 2027 season. There’s little doubting the pure talent of righty Grayson Rodriguez, but by the time Opening Day 2026 rolls around, he’ll be 20 months removed from pitching in a big league game. There’s very little long-term stability in the group.

As for the relief market, the number of qualified free agents is far lower. Devin Williams didn’t receive a QO from the Yankees. Robert Suarez didn’t get one from the Padres. Edwin Diaz was the only reliever tagged with a QO. That said, there are a number of a high-profile names from which to choose. Diaz, Suarez, Williams, Ryan Helsley, Raisel Iglesias, Kyle Finnegan and Pete Fairbanks all have extensive closing experience in the majors. If the preference is a one-year deal, 38-year-old Kenley Jansen keeps getting the job done even as he inches closer to his 40th birthday.

Whoever ends up emerging as the priority, payroll shouldn’t be an issue. The only players guaranteed anything beyond the 2026 season are O’Neill and catcher Samuel Basallo, who inked a long-term extension just days after making his MLB debut. They’re owed a combined $17.5MM in 2027. After ’27, Basallo’s eight-year, $67MM deal is the only contract on the books. It’d be a surprise to see the Orioles sign a high-end starter and a prominent reliever to multi-year deals, but only because they haven’t operated that way in quite some time. Payroll-wise, there’s no reason they couldn’t bring in a pair of prominent free agents.

Elias also suggested that the O’s will be on the lookout for an additional option in center field. While he praised Colton Cowser’s long-term outlook and expressed confidence that the 25-year-old (26 next March) can handle the position defensively, Baltimore’s president also noted that “you can’t get through the year with one center fielder.”

A reunion with Cedric Mullins seems unlikely, as he’ll presumably want everyday at-bats (or close to it) wherever he goes, while the O’s have O’Neill, Cowser and Dylan Beavers already in the mix for playing time, to say nothing of recently signed Leody Taveras and former top prospect Heston Kjerstad. Enrique Bradfield Jr., the No. 17 overall pick in 2023 and one of the system’s top prospects, reached Triple-A last year and could debut in 2026.

Part-time center field options on the market could include Lane Thomas, Harrison Bader or Chas McCormick, whom Elias drafted with the Astros back in 2017. Trade possibilities could include Arizona’s Alek Thomas or Colorado’s Brenton Doyle. If Twins ownership winds up pushing the front office to further scale back payroll, then not only would Lopez and Ryan be available — Byron Buxton may even be amenable to waiving his no-trade clause.

As always, this is far from an exhaustive list of targets for the Orioles or possibilities to fill those needs. In all likelihood, the O’s will be looking for multiple relievers, additional bench pieces and ample minor league depth in both the rotation and bullpen (at the very least). There’s been some suggestion that they could pursue a more prominent bat to hit in the middle of the lineup. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman called them a dark horse for Pete Alonso, noting that there’s “some interest” from the O’s. Be that as it may, it’d be a surprise if they did anything more than lurk on the periphery of his market to offer a soft landing if Alonso again struggles to find a long-term deal this winter.

Reds Claim Ben Rortvedt

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November 13th: Prior to being put on waivers, Rortvedt and the Dodgers avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $1.25MM deal, reports Kiley McDaniel of ESPN. The Dodgers presumably hoped that Rortvedt would clear waivers and accept an outright assignment, therefore staying as depth without taking up a roster spot. However, the Reds prevented that from happening.

November 12th: The Dodgers announced that catcher Ben Rortvedt has been claimed off waivers by the Reds. There was no previous indication that Rortvedt had been designated for assignment, so this drops the Los Angeles 40-man roster count to 39. The Reds, meanwhile, go from 37 to 38.

Rortvedt, 28, has bounced around the league quite a bit. He has just 227 big league games under his belt but those have come with four different teams. He has suited up for the Twins, Yankees, Rays and Dodgers. He has put up good defensive numbers in that time but hasn’t hit much. Overall, he has a .190/.279/.270 batting line in 633 plate appearances.

Given the strength of his glovework, even a bit more offense can make him a valuable player. He showed that with the Rays in 2024. His .228/.317/.303 slash wasn’t great in a vacuum. It led to an 87 wRC, indicating he was 13% below league average overall. However, that’s not so bad for a catchers, as backstops are usually about 10% below par. Thanks to his glovework and that passable offense, FanGraphs credited him with 1.4 wins above replacement on the year.

He couldn’t keep it going into 2025. He started the year with a .095/.186/.111 performance and was outrighted to the minors by early June. He was then flipped to the Dodgers as part of the three-team deadline deal which sent Zack Littell to Cincinnati. Rortvedt was called up when Will Smith was injured and hit a more serviceable .224/.309/.327 down the stretch. With Smith still injured as the playoffs began, Rortvedt was the club’s regular behind the plate. He put up a hilarious .429/.500/.571 line in four games before Smith took over. Rortvedt stayed on the roster through the rest of the playoffs but didn’t play in the NLCS or World Series.

Going into 2026, Smith and Dalton Rushing project as the Dodgers’ top two catchers. Rortvedt is out of options. He’s also eligible for arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting him for a $1.3MM salary. Presumably, the Dodgers weren’t planning to tender him a contract. They put him on waivers and gave him a chance to land somewhere else.

The Reds are an interesting landing spot for Rortvedt. They had Tyler Stephenson and Jose Trevino as their primary catchers in 2025. Trevino has been a strong defender in his career but was closer to average in 2025. His bat has never been great but his .238/.272/.351 line in 2025 was below his own standards. He is signed through 2027 with a club option for 2028.

Stephenson, meanwhile, has never received strong grades for his work behind the plate. He has been a good hitter in his career, however. He was league average in 2025 but has shown the potential for more. He slashed .296/.369/.454 for a 120 wRC+ from 2020 to 2022. Over the past three years, he has a .246/.325/.414 line and 99 wRC+. Stephenson is heading into his final arbitration season with a projected salary of $6.4MM.

With Rortvedt now in the fold, the Reds have some options. Since Stephenson isn’t a strong defender, perhaps he could spend more time at first base this year, while leaving the catching duties to Trevino and Rortvedt. It’s also possible the Reds look to see if there’s any trade interest in Stephenson or Trevino. Alternatively, they could hold all three. They could tender Rortvedt a contract and then try to pass him through waivers later. Since his service time is between three and five years, he would have the right to elect free agency but would have to forfeit his salary commitments in exercising that right.

Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images

Grant Taylor Expected To Stay In Relief Role

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Right-hander Grant Taylor emerged as one of Chicago’s top bullpen arms last season. The current plan is for the former top prospect to reprise that role in 2026. White Sox general manager Chris Getz told reporters, including James Fegan of Sox Machine, that Taylor will not operate as a starter next season and will instead serve in a multi-inning relief role. “It’s important for him to pitch multiple innings, and that goes to many of our arms in the bullpen,” Getz said. “It’s more focused on the arsenal and ability to have deeper outings, rather than him grabbing starts next year.”

Taylor entered the season ranked sixth among White Sox prospects at FanGraphs. Baseball Prospectus and FanGraphs both had him inside the top 100 overall. The 23-year-old was called up in mid-June to operate out of the bullpen. Taylor posted a 4.91 ERA across 36 2/3 innings. He made 36 appearances, 34 of which came as a reliever. Taylor’s two “starts” were as an opener, tossing an inning in each outing. Taylor’s 2.34 xFIP and 2.65 SIERA suggest he was much more effective than his ERA would indicate. A .420 BABIP and a 61.5% LOB% were the main culprits for the inflated ERA.

Working in shorter stints, at least until he builds up a significant workload, could make sense for Taylor given his career trajectory. He had Tommy John surgery in 2023, wiping out his sophomore season at LSU. Chicago selected him in the second round of the draft that year. Taylor made his professional debut in 2024, but only logged 19 1/3 innings in the low minors before going down with a lat injury. Taylor opened the 2025 campaign at Double-A, making his first six appearances as a starter before moving into a relief role. He excelled with Birmingham, allowing just three earned runs over 26 2/3 innings with a 36.6% strikeout rate. Taylor didn’t cede a run in any of his nine outings as a reliever.

Taylor immediately stepped into a high-leverage role with the White Sox, earning a save or a hold in eight of his first 11 appearances. He finished his debut season with six saves and nine holds. Jordan Leasure edged Taylor for the team lead in saves with seven. Chicago didn’t have a dedicated closer for much of the season, and Getz’s mention of multiple innings for Taylor’s role might mean he won’t be the full-time stopper in 2026. The stuff seems to be there if the White Sox did want to hand Taylor the job. He notched a 34.4% strikeout rate with the help of a 98 mph fastball and elite extension. Taylor’s 50% hard-hit rate isn’t ideal, but a lot of that contact came on the ground. He had just a 17% fly ball rate and didn’t give up a single home run, which is a nice attribute for a closer.

Chicago had nine different relievers record a save in 2025. Leasure might have the upper hand on the closer role heading into next season, with Taylor and potentially Mike Vasil (four saves last year) factoring into the 9th inning strategy. The club hasn’t had a reliever reach double-digit saves since Liam Hendriks had 37 in 2022.

The commitment to keeping Taylor in the bullpen means he won’t factor into the rotation mix. With Martin Perez hitting the market, the staff currently includes Shane Smith, Davis Martin, Sean Burke, and Jonathan Cannon, though Getz said the latter two would need to earn their spots this spring. Yoendrys Gomez closed the season in the rotation and would likely push for a spot if the team doesn’t bring in another arm. Top prospects Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz are also looming as future options. It’s an inexperienced group, and Getz said the team is interested in adding pitching via free agency, but framed it in terms of safeguarding the younger arms from handling a heavy burden. “In terms of protecting some of these players and creating depth, tapping into the free agent market might be the right decision as well.”

Photo courtesy Brad Mills, Imagn Images

Brewers President Downplays Possibility Of Freddy Peralta Trade

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Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta is a speculative trade candidate since he’s now just a year away from free agency. However, president of baseball operations Matt Arnold downplayed the possibility in speaking to Robert Murray of FanSided. “I anticipate him being part of our team moving forward,” Arnold said.

Arnold didn’t completely wipe a trade from the table, acknowledging the reality of Peralta’s situation. “We’ve had to make tough decisions on the (Josh) Hader’s and Corbin Burnes’ of the world,” Arnold said. “Freddy is certainly in that conversation.” He noted that the Brewers have to listen to offers because “we’re the smallest market in the league” but it seems they would prefer to keep Peralta in blue and yellow.

One can’t always take baseball executives at their word, as it’s usually in their best interest to hide their true intentions. If Arnold were shopping Peralta, admitting it publicly would only diminish his leverage in trade talks. However, Andy Martino of SNY reports that rival teams are expecting Peralta to stay. Perhaps some club can bowl the Brewers over with an overwhelming offer, but it seems the winds are blowing Peralta back to Milwaukee for the moment.

The reason it’s a discussion comes from the club’s history, as Arnold alluded to. The Brewers have traded key players as they have neared free agency, with Hader and Burnes two notable examples. Devin Williams is another. A trade seemed plausible enough that MLBTR gave Peralta the #8 spot on the list of Top 40 Trade Candidates for this offseason. However, it doesn’t always play out that way, as Milwaukee held Willy Adames until he reached free agency. They received draft pick compensation after he rejected a qualifying offer and signed with the Giants.

Peralta is only going to make $8MM this year, as part of the extension he signed back in 2020, which has worked out brilliantly for the club. Peralta wasn’t fully established as a big league starter at that time, as he also worked out of the bullpen earlier in his career. He took over a rotation gig in 2021 and logged 738 1/3 innings over the past five seasons with a 3.30 earned run average, 29.6% strikeout rate and 9% walk rate.

The $8MM salary is far less onerous than when the Brewers have been in this situation before. Burnes was going to make $15.6375MM in 2024 when he was flipped to the Orioles. Hader was making $11MM when he was traded at the deadline in 2022 and was going to get another raise in 2023. Adames made $12.25MM with the Brewers in his final season before free agency. Williams made $8.6MM with the Yankees in 2025. Even for a low-spending club like the Brewers, $8MM for a front-of-rotation starter is very affordable.

There could still be an argument for trading Peralta to upgrade other parts of the roster, but it would weaken the rotation. When the Brewers traded Burnes, they knew they could still count on Peralta to step up and take over as the ace. The succession plan wouldn’t be as smooth now. It’s theoretically possible for someone like Jacob Misiorowski to inherit that crown but he isn’t fully established yet. He has great stuff and made his big league debut this year but posted a 5.36 ERA in the second half and doesn’t turn 24 until April.

It’s possible something changes in the coming months but perhaps the Brewers will again have Peralta anchoring the rotation in 2026. He’ll be followed by some combination of Misiorowski, Quinn Priester, Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser and Tobias Myers.

Arnold added to Murray that the Brewers would love to bring Brandon Woodruff back. That’s not a surprising admission, as Woodruff has thus far spent his entire career with the Brewers. Milwaukee made him a $22.025MM qualifying offer even though he has some health question marks. He just came back from a lengthy absence due to shoulder surgery and also finished the 2025 season back on the injured list with a lat strain.

In between those IL stints, he was excellent. His velocity was down relative to his pre-surgery work but he still managed to post a 3.20 ERA over 12 starts. His 32.3% strikeout rate and 5.4% walk rate were both excellent numbers.

Even with the question marks and the QO attached, MLBTR predicted he could still secure a three-year, $66MM deal. It would be pretty surprising if the Brewers gave out a deal like that. They have only once gone beyond $50MM for a free agent, which was their $80MM deal for Lorenzo Cain back in 2018. If Woodruff signs elsewhere, the Brewers would be entitled to draft pick compensation.

Photo courtesy of Michael McLoone, Imagn Images

Dodgers Among Teams Interested In Raisel Iglesias

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The Dodgers are among several teams that have been showing early interest in free agent reliever Raisel Iglesias, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com. Romero noted earlier in the day that talks on the relief market have been active at the GM Meetings, so much so that there could be some early movement.

Iglesias, who’ll turn 36 in January, has spent the past three and a half seasons closing games in Atlanta. He originally signed a four-year, $58MM with the Angels but was dumped off to the Braves just a few months into that contract after the ’22 Halos got out to an awful start.

The 2025 season began in rocky fashion for Iglesias. While he was still missing bats and limiting walks early in the year, he was wildly and uncharacteristically homer-prone. Iglesias allowed seven round-trippers through his first 24 innings (2.63 HR/9) en route to a grisly 6.75 ERA. He looked to be potentially on his way to a lost season, but the former All-Star not only righted the ship in early June — he went on to pitch as one of MLB’s most effective relievers the rest of the way.

In his final 43 1/3 innings, Iglesias posted a dominant 1.25 earned run average. He punched out 30.4% of his opponents in that time and issued walks at a tidy 6.3% clip. The home run pendulum swung in the other direction, as he yielded just one long ball from June 9 onward (0.21 HR/9).

It was a season of extremes, but Iglesias finished the year with a strong 3.21 ERA, a 27.4% strikeout rate, a 6% walk rate and a 1.07 HR/9 mark. All of those rate stats are loosely in line with his career marks. His 14.7% swinging-strike rate on the season is down a bit from previous years but still several percentage points north of average (tied for 26th among 147 qualified relievers in 2025).

A lack of bullpen depth nearly cost the Dodgers in the World Series. They advanced through the first few rounds of postseason play on the back of dominant starting pitching from Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Shohei Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow, which helped to mask a bullpen that was hampered by injuries to relievers like Evan Phillips, Brusdar Graterol, Brock Stewart and Tanner Scott (who had a disappointing first year in Los Angeles overall). Roki Sasaki stepped up as a vital late-inning arm, and the club got terrific work out of lefty Alex Vesia as well — at least until a family emergency kept him from appearing in the World Series. In the end, with everything on the line, it was Yamamoto recording the final out — just one day after tossing 96 pitches in a Game 6 start.

As such, it’s hardly a surprise to see the Dodgers linked to some high-profile bullpen arms in the early stages of the offseason. In addition to Iglesias, they’ve already been tied to Devin Williams. With the length of Iglesias’ contract likely capped by age in a way that’s not the case with Williams, Iglesias seems a likelier candidate to sign early in the offseason. Signing Iglesias certainly wouldn’t preclude the deep-pocketed Dodgers for other significant investments in the bullpen, but he’d be a quick first step to deepening a relief corps that felt too thin throughout the playoffs.

Seidler Family Exploring Potential Sale Of Padres

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The Padres announced Thursday that the Seidler family, which has owned the majority stake in the franchise since 2012, will explore “strategic options” for the team, including a potential sale of the franchise. Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune reported the potential sale just minutes before the team’s formal press release.

“The family has decided to begin a process of evaluating our future with the Padres, including a potential sale of the franchise,” chairman John Seidler said within this morning’s announcement. “We will undertake this process with integrity and professionalism in a way that honors [late chairman Peter Seidler’s] legacy and love for the Padres and lays the foundation for the franchise’s long-term success.  During the process and as we prepare for the 2026 season, the Padres will continue to focus on its players, employees, fans, and community while putting every resource into winning a World Series championship. We remain fully committed to this team, its fans, and the San Diego community.”

It’s been nearly two years to the day since the untimely passing of late Padres chairman Peter Seidler, who passed away at just 63 years of age. His brother, John, was approved as the team’s control person earlier this year.

That appointment came after a monthslong legal battle wherein Peter’s widow, Sheel Seidler, filed suit against brothers-in-law Matt and Bob Seidler, alleging that they had breached fiduciary duty and committed fraud as successors of their late brother’s trust. Sheel Seidler accused Matt and Bob of selling assets to themselves at “far” below-market prices as they attempted to consolidate control of the franchise. Matt vehemently denied the allegations in a formal statement of his own, wherein he accused Sheel of “manufacturing claims” against other trustees in an effort to secure control of the franchise herself.

To this point, Sheel’s lawsuit has yet to be litigated in full. If it reached that point, it’d presumably be a yearslong process. There’s no indication that the parties have settled the suit outside of court, either.

At this juncture, it’s not yet known whether the Seidler family will sell the majority stake or seek new minority investors. Acee reports that one minority owner, who owns a roughly 10% stake in the team, is in the process of selling his stake in the club. Whether there will be larger portions available remains to be seen and is surely in part dependent on interest. Acee’s report also indicates that the preliminary $1.8 billion valuation of the franchise includes around $300MM in debt and “more than $150 million in paybacks to owners for two cash infusions made in recent years.”

As we recently saw with the Twins, who had a reported $425MM in debt while they attempted to sell the franchise for around $1.7 billion, that level of debt can prove a major obstacle in finding a buyer. The Pohlad family ultimately opted not to sell the Twins franchise, instead bringing in two new minority stakeholders whose investments in the club (coupled with an aggressive deadline fire sale) helped to clear that debt.

While the current ownership landscape is rather tumultuous, the Padres should still be in a position to command considerable interest. Both Forbes and CNBC have reported the team to be profitable. They’ve set franchise attendance records in three straight seasons and ranked second in the National League in terms of attendance this season — thanks in part to a lack of competition in terms of major sports teams in the market — but still enjoy the benefit of receiving revenue-sharing funds due to the size of their market. In that sense, even with that notable debt and some infighting among the current owners, the Padres have many points working in their favor if the Seidler family does choose to pursue a sale of the majority stake.

Acee further reports that even as the team explores a potential sale, one source described the team’s baseball operations as “business as usual,” adding that payroll will be in the same general range as in 2025. The Padres opened the 2025 season with a payroll of nearly $210MM and tacked on a few million more over the course of the season. RosterResource currently projects a $201MM payroll, though that’s before any potential non-tenders or trades from the big league roster.

The Padres were far more free-spending under Peter Seidler’s watch than they have been since his passing. “Business as usual,” in that sense (coupled with a repeat of the 2025 payroll), seems to suggest that San Diego will need to explore creative deals to address various holes on the roster. The Padres have utilized complex contract structures (e.g. Nick Pivetta’s backloaded, opt-out-laden four-year contract) to keep payroll in what current ownership deems an acceptable range. They’ve also worked aggressively on the trade market to find low-cost options at areas of need (e.g. catcher Freddy Fermin, closer Mason Miller) — but in the process have further depleted an already thin farm system. They’ll now look to fill multiple rotation holes and perhaps add a bat without much in the way of financial flexibility.

Further cementing the notion that the status quo will be maintained, at least from a baseball operations standpoint, Acee writes that John Seidler and president A.J. Preller have been discussing a contract extension which could be finalized in the near future. Preller is entering the final season of his most recent contract extension. He’s been running baseball operations in San Diego since 2014. Readers are highly encouraged to read Acee’s piece in full, as it contains more granular details about the current financial structure of the ownership group and quotes from various anonymous sources on the possibility of a sale and the long-term outlook of the club.

Tigers GM: “We’re Going To Prioritize Pitching”

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The Tigers have reached the postseason in consecutive seasons but still have plenty of work to do this offseason, with a number of key free agents reaching the open market. General manager Jeff Greenberg said at this week’s GM Meetings that the Tigers “are going to prioritize pitching” in the months ahead, even after Jack Flaherty’s decision to exercise his $20MM player option filled one rotation spot next season (link via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com). Greenberg added that the Tigers are open to further rotation additions and “certainly” need to address their bullpen.

As things stand, Detroit’s rotation lines up with Flaherty joining two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal and righties Casey Mize and Reese Olson. Options for the fifth spot that are already on the 40-man roster include Troy Melton, Keider Montero, Sawyer Gipson-Long and Ty Madden. Righty Jaden Hamm, one of the organization’s top prospects, started 20 games in Double-A last year during his age-22 season and could push his way into the big league mix with a strong 2026 showing. Ballyhooed young righty Jackson Jobe could factor into the mix late in the season, but he underwent Tommy John surgery in mid-June and thus can’t be counted upon for any meaningful innings next year.

It’s a talented group overall, but there are question marks throughout. Mize and Flaherty both had some struggles down the stretch in 2025. Olson’s season ended in late July after just 13 (excellent) starts, as a shoulder strain sent him to the shelf for the remainder of the season. If each of Skubal, Flaherty, Olson and Mize is healthy and in peak form, the Detroit rotation would be among the best in the sport, but a World Series hopeful can’t necessarily afford to bank on that — particularly not as Skubal enters his final season of club control.

In the bullpen, Detroit’s need is more acute. Deadline pickup Kyle Finnegan was brilliant during his two-plus months as a Tiger but is now a free agent. Relievers Tommy Kahnle, Rafael Montero and Paul Sewald are free agents as well. Meanwhile, 2024 bullpen standouts like Beau Brieske and Jason Foley dealt with significant injuries. Brieske’s ERA nearly doubled, from 3.59 in 2024 to 6.55 in 2025. He was limited to 22 MLB frames and another 10 in the minors, and he ended the season on the 60-day IL owing to a forearm strain. Foley didn’t pitch at all in the majors and only logged 6 2/3 (scoreless) innings in Triple-A before undergoing season-ending shoulder surgery in May.

Detroit still has some quality arms in the relief corps. Will Vest posted a third consecutive strong season. Brennan Hanifee doesn’t miss many bats but is a hard-throwing grounder specialist with plus command. Southpaw Tyler Holton was effective again, albeit not to the same extent as in 2024. Fellow lefty Brant Hurter excelled in a multi-inning role. They’ll all be back, as will Foley and Brieske, and all six of those arms have minor league options remaining, too.

As with the rotation, it’s not necessarily that the Tigers are lacking in raw talent — just that the incumbent names have question marks stemming from a combination of health issues and lesser results in 2025 (relative to their strong 2024 showings, anyhow). Given that Detroit liked Finnegan enough to acquire him at the deadline and then saw him exceed even the most optimistic expectations following his change of scenery (1.50 ERA, 34.8 K%, 6.1 BB%), it stands to reason that they’ll have interest in retaining him at the very least. Other prominent names on the relief market include Edwin Diaz, Devin Williams, Robert Suarez, Brad Keller, Raisel Iglesias and Ryan Helsley.

Detroit clearly has other needs, though one such need would be answered if Gleyber Torres accepts their $22.025MM qualifying offer. That’d lock a quality option in at second base. Shortstop, third base and at least one outfield spot still stand as fair questions even in that scenario, however, and president of baseball operations Scott Harris spoke openly at his end-of-season press conference about wanting to cut down on his team’s swing-and-miss and improve the team’s contact. That has and will continue to lead to ongoing speculation about the Tigers revisiting last offseason’s pursuit of Alex Bregman, though there are myriad ways to go about achieving that goal if the team prefers to dedicate more resources to the pitching staff.

Currently, RosterResource projects the Tigers for a payroll just under $125MM. That’d jump to $147MM if Torres accepts his qualifying offer. That’s already higher than last year’s Opening Day mark, although by season’s end, after including deadline pickups, the Tigers had invested $155-160MM in the roster. They’ve also run payroll up to the $200MM range in the past, though that was back in 2016-17 under late owner Mike Ilitch. The Tigers haven’t returned to that level of spending under new owner Chris Ilitch (Mike’s son), though that’s at least partially due to the fact that much of his tenure as the team’s chairman has come during a rebuild. This offseason will serve as a good litmus test as to whether Chris Ilitch is comfortable investing as much into the team as his father was.

Of course, the source of intrigue surrounding Detroit’s pitching staff is Skubal’s future. It still seems overwhelmingly unlikely that he’ll be traded this offseason. Greenberg, as Harris has done previously, declined to speak about the possibility of a Skubal trade or extension when asked at this week’s meetings (link via Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press). Skubal, Petzold writes, acknowledged that he “loves the city of Detroit” and “wants to be a Tiger for a long time,” while in the same breath noting that any trade possibility is out of his control.

Meanwhile, agent Scott Boras held court with reporters yesterday for his annual GM Meetings media scrum. Asked about Skubal’s contract status, Boras merely stated: “Our point of view is we always listen. We’re prepared to listen to about anything that Chris or really Scott has to say. We’ll just see how it goes.”

Royals, Guardians Among Teams Interested In Brendan Donovan

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Cardinals infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan figures to be one of the most sought after trade candidates this offseason. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the Royals and Guardians are two of the clubs interested in acquiring him. Goold also mentions that the Yankees and Dodgers had interest prior to the deadline, which perhaps indicates they would be interested again.

Donovan, 29 in January, has a strong major league track record. He has appeared in 492 games and stepped to the plate 2,006 times. His 9.1% walk rate is solid while his 13.5% strikeout rate is much better than par. He has slashed .282/.361/.411 for a 119 wRC+, indicating he’s been 19% better than league average overall. He has also bounced around the diamond, having played all four infield positions as well as the outfield corners.

He is now two years from free agency. MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projects him for a $5.4MM salary in 2026. He’ll be due a raise in 2027 before hitting the open market. The Cards are reportedly planning to engage in a multi-year rebuild and likely won’t be competitive in Donovan’s window of control.

Today, a report from Ken Rosenthal, Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic says the Cards are willing to entertain offers on many of their players but would prefer to hold Alec Burleson and Iván Herrera. Burleson is controlled for three more seasons and Herrera four. That perhaps gives some insight into what the Cards are envisioning as their rebuilding timeline.

That situation alone makes Donovan a trade candidate but there’s also the club’s broader infield picture to consider. Infielder JJ Wetherholt is one of the top prospects in the sport and is knocking on the door of the majors. Masyn Winn, controlled for four more years, is a strong glove-first shortstop. Wetherholt is also a shortstop but his defense is not at Winn’s level, so he’s likely to be moved to second or third base. The Cards also have Donovan, Nolan Arenado, Nolan Gorman and Thomas Saggese in the mix for playing time at those spots.

Arenado and Gorman are coming off some poor seasons and don’t have huge trade value right now. That’s especially true for Arenado, considering his contract, which features a large salary and a no-trade clause. Trading Donovan is the best path for the Cards to both recoup some meaningful young talent, likely on the pitching side, while also freeing up more playing time for others.

President of baseball operations Chaim Bloom admitted to Goold this week that he would likely be focused on acquiring rotation options. That could be controllable young guys or even veterans to eat innings. That will be especially true if they trade Sonny Gray, who is getting interest.

“We’ve definitely been listening on him,” Bloom said. “And definitely, as you would imagine, any time you have a good player, you’re probably going to get some attention and people who are interested. That’s not a surprise. He’s still one of the better pitchers in the league. We value him very highly. Just where we are and thinking long term, we’ve talked to him and we feel there might be something that makes sense. We’ll continue to explore that.”

Without Gray, the projected rotation includes Andre Pallante, Matthew Liberatore, Michael McGreevy and Kyle Leahy. Even a rebuilding club will want to do better than that. Bloom also spoke of a desire to add a veteran or two to the bullpen, though that would likely come via free agency rather than trade.

Given Donovan’s defensive flexibility, he could make sense for almost any contending club, but the Royals are certainly a good fit. “Right now we don’t have somebody who can play infield and right field, and that’s something we’ve got to look at,” Royals president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo said to Goold, speaking generally, not of Donovan specifically. “If we had somebody who could go from the infield to the outfield that’s very beneficial.”

The Royals have had problems in the outfield for years. In 2025, they got a collective .225/.285/.348 line from their outfielders. That resulted in a wRC+ of 73, dead last in the majors. Second base was also a problem this year. Jonathan India and Michael Massey were the primary options at the keystone. India hit .233/.323/.346 on the year for a wRC+ of 89. Massey was even worse, with a .244/.268/.313 line and 57 wRC+. India is going into his final arbitration season, with a projected $7.4MM salary. Massey is projected for just $2MM and can be controlled through 2028.

The payroll appears to be tight in Kansas City but moving on from India and replacing him with Donovan would actually save money. It would, however, require the Royals to give up something of value to the Cardinals. Thankfully, the Cards need controllable pitching more than anything and that’s something the Royals have. Kansas City currently projects to have a rotation of Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, Kris Bubic and Michael Wacha. That leaves just one spot for Noah Cameron, Stephen Kolek, Ryan Bergert, Luinder Avila or Ben Kudrna.

Since pitching injuries are inevitable, the Royals would presumably prefer to hang onto that depth. However, without a lot of money to spend, there’s an argument for using those arms on the trade block to address their needs on the position player side. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reports that they are also looking for a left fielder and righty-swinging guy to platoon with Jac Caglianone.

Donovan swings from the left side and wouldn’t help with the latter need, though he could help in left field if he is acquired and either Massey, India or someone like Nick Loftin takes hold of the second base job. Some righty platoon bats who wouldn’t break the bank include Lane Thomas, Miguel Andujar, Randal Grichuk, Austin Hays, Rob Refsnyder and Austin Slater .

The Guards are also a sensible fit. Similar to the Royals, they have been struggling to get strong production from their outfield. As mentioned, the Royals had the worst outfield production in the league in 2025. The Guards were barely above them on that list with a .225/.288/.341 line and 77 wRC+. Second base was also a weak spot, with Brayan Rocchio and Daniel Schneemann getting most of the playing time this year. Rocchio finished the season with a .233/.290/.340 line and 77 wRC+, with Schneemann posting a .206/.283/.354 line and 79 wRC+.

For both the outfield and second base, there are some potential in-house solutions. Travis Bazzana, one of the club’s top prospects, is a second baseman who is closing in on his major league debut. In the outfield, Chase DeLauter and George Valera both got late promotions in 2025. Given Donovan’s versatility, he could move around the field depending on which of those young guys are healthy and productive. His modest projected salary is also an obvious highlight for a low-spending club like the Guardians.

There’s often an abundance of controllable pitching depth in Cleveland but that’s less the case than usual right now. Their rotation was middling in 2025, but they did just bolster their pipeline by adding Khal Stephen in the Shane Bieber trade.

For the Yankees and Dodgers, their situations have changed since their reported interest in Donovan in July. The Yanks grabbed Ryan McMahon from the Rockies ahead of the deadline, moving Jazz Chisholm Jr. to second. They could still fit Donovan in the outfield but they will probably try to reunite with Cody Bellinger and/or Trent Grisham, while perhaps pursuing Kyle Tucker as well.

The Dodgers, they had Max Muncy on the injured list in July and Tommy Edman was banged up as well. Muncy got healthy by the end of the year. Edman recently underwent surgery to address his ankle and should be good to go by spring training. Both Edman and Donovan are capable of playing both second base and the outfield, so perhaps there’s a way they can co-exist. Donovan’s two-year window of control would line up with recent reporting that the Dodgers might look for a short-term outfield solution since they have so many prospects on the way. Donovan could fit into that plan but the Dodgers could also target more of a straightforward outfielder.

Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images

Pete Alonso Open To Some DH Time In 2026

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After turning in one of the strongest offensive performances of his career in 2025, it was an easy decision for Pete Alonso to opt out of the final year of his deal with the Mets and return to the open market. After last year’s contentious trip through free agency that saw Alonso return to Queens only after a soft market left him to sign a short-term deal, it’s understandable that many observers have wondered if this year could be his last in New York. Those questions about Alonso’s future were somewhat amplified by a report that the Mets aren’t especially enamored with Alonso defensively at first base and would intend for him to spend time at DH if he returns to the club next year.

That’s actually something Alonso appears amenable to, however. Agent Scott Boras, who represents Alonso, told reporters (including Tim Healey of The Boston Globe) yesterday that Alonso would be willing to spend at least some time at DH next year, and that would be especially true if he were playing for a winning franchise or in the right situation for that to take place. Meanwhile, Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports that the Mets and Alonso have opened talks about a new contract and that there’s a “better feeling” around those early negotiations than was present last winter.

That all creates some reason for optimism among Mets fans that a reunion could be on the table once again this winter. At least on paper, they certainly seem to be the clear best fit for his services around the league. The Mariners and Padres could use help at first base but seem unlikely to spend what it would take to bring in someone like Alonso. Teams like the Pirates and Marlins are in desperate need of offense and are seemingly willing to spend more than usual, but a deal for Alonso would be a massive departure from their usual comfort zone and Alonso himself might prefer to play for a more consistent winner than either of those teams.

That doesn’t mean there aren’t any suitors for whom he would be a fit, of course. The Red Sox have been heavily speculated about as a destination for Alonso, and if Alex Bregman departs in free agency Alonso might represent their best chance to add an impactful, right-handed bat to the lineup who can replace him. The Giants had interest in Alonso last year, but have added Rafael Devers to the lineup and moved him to first base since then. Both teams also have young, up-and-coming first base options (Triston Casas, Bryce Eldridge) they’d be displacing by signing Alonso. That further complicates the fit.

Heyman also suggests that there’s at least some interest in Alonso from the Orioles, who will have Samuel Basallo drawing regular at-bats at either first base or DH on days that Adley Rutschman is behind the plate but could look to add someone more reliable than Coby Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle to handle the other position. Alonso would be an interesting fit given the team’s heavily left-handed lineup, but adding pitching figures to be the team’s top priority this winter with most of their rotation headed into free agency and closer Felix Bautista sidelined for most if not all of the 2026 season.

As sensible as the fit between the two sides might seem on paper, that doesn’t mean a reunion is necessarily a slam dunk. The Mets have gotten involved in the market for players making the jump from NPB to MLB in the past, as they were a finalist for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and landed Kodai Senga. They’ve already been connected to Tatsuya Imai on the pitching side of things, but corner infield sluggers Munetaka Murakami and Kazuma Okamoto could be attractive alternatives to Alonso as well. Murakami, in particular, could have appeal at just 26 years old; president of baseball operations David Stearns went well out of his typical comfort zone to land Juan Soto last winter in part due to him being exceptionally young for a star free agent. Josh Naylor, Ryan O’Hearn, Paul Goldschmidt, and Rhys Hoskins are among the other first basemen on the market this winter, but none besides Murakami can offer anything close to Alonso’s power output.

Jeff McNeil Underwent Thoracic Outlet Procedure

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Mets infielder Jeff McNeil underwent a procedure to address thoracic outlet syndrome following the season, agent Garrett Parcell of Paragon Sports International tells Joel Sherman of the New York Post. Parcell noted that McNeil is expected to be a full participant in spring training.

It’s an out-of-the-blue revelation and a relatively alarming one at that. Parcell called the procedure “minor,” though the majority of TOS cases throughout the majors come with notable recovery periods. There are two types of TOS, however: vascular and neurogenic. The latter is most common among pitchers and has a tougher recovery period, whereas the former is a more serious medical condition but also has a better success rate. For instance, right-hander Merrill Kelly underwent a vTOS procedure back in Sept. 2020 and was back on the mound at full strength the following season, taking the ball on April 2 and starting 27 games over the course of the season. (The Athletic’s Zach Buchanan explored the distinction between the two TOS types at the time in 2020.)

Regardless of the specifics, it’s a notable operation for the Mets’ longtime second baseman/outfielder. McNeil, who’ll turn 34 next April, is coming off a solid rebound campaign after a couple down seasons at the plate. He hit .243/.335/.411 (111 wRC+) with a dozen homers and nearly as many walks (10.6%) as strikeouts (11.9%) in 122 games and 462 plate appearances this season. His offensive contributions were far more robust through the end of August, though it seems the TOS symptoms crept up in the season’s final month and dragged his numbers down.

McNeil was sporting a hearty .266/.357/.457 line (128 wRC+) with more walks than strikeouts as deep into the season as Sept. 3. Over his final 71 plate appearances, he turned in an awful .125/.211/.172 batting line with an elevated 19.7% strikeout rate. His average exit velocity when he did make contact in those final three-plus weeks was down a whopping 4.5 mph over his previous levels.

The hope for the Mets and McNeil will be a return to full strength next season. He’s entering the final guaranteed season of a four-year, $50MM contract extension. That contract will pay McNeil $15.75MM next season. There’s also a 2027 club option with a matching $15.75MM salary or a $2MM buyout.

McNeil figures to reprise his role as the Mets’ primary second baseman next year, although he did slide into more of a true utility role in ’25. McNeil still spent 79 games at second base but also made 34 appearances in center field, 10 in left field, seven in right field and even logged two innings at first base.

Given the glut of young infielders on the Mets’ roster (Brett Baty, Luisangel Acuña, Ronny Mauricio, Mark Vientos), that expanded versatility will again give manager Carlos Mendoza some flexibility when writing out his lineup card each day, though it doesn’t sound like he’ll be viewed as a regular option in the outfield. President of baseball operations David Stearns said at this week’s GM Meetings that he envisioned “probably less” time in center field next year. Stearns touted McNeil’s versatility and didn’t rule out occasional outfield reps but said he’s not expecting the outfield to account for a “significant” portion of McNeil’s playing time next year.

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