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Yomiuri Giants Interested In Kenta Maeda

By Nick Deeds | October 12, 2025 at 7:28pm CDT

The Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball have interest in acquiring veteran right-hander Kenta Maeda, according to a report from Yahoo Sports Japan. Maeda, 37, indicated back in August that he plans to leave MLB and return to Japan for the 2026 season, where he hopes to find a role in NPB.

The veteran’s decision to leave MLB behind isn’t exactly a surprise given how difficult the past two seasons have been for him. After he struggled to a 6.09 ERA in 112 1/3 innings of work with the Tigers in 2024, he failed to make the club’s rotation out of Spring Training and opened the season as a long relief option out of the bullpen. He ultimately wound up making just seven appearances, however, and allowed eight runs (seven earned) on nine hits, six walks, a home run and three hit batsmen while striking out eight across eight innings of work. He was ultimately released in early May, bringing the two-year, $24MM contract between the sides to a disappointing end.

Since being released by Detroit, Maeda has pitched in the minor leagues for both the Cubs and Yankees this year. In 20 starts between those two organizations, he pitched to a 5.40 ERA in 100 innings at the Triple-A level, with a 19.5% strikeout rate against a 9.2% walk rate. With that said, he did improve a bit during his stint with the Yankees’ affiliate in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, as he posted a 4.64 ERA with a 21.5% strikeout rate and a 7.9% walk rate over his final eight starts of the season. He ended his stateside career on a positive note when he threw five scoreless innings against the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons and struck out five batters.

Weak as Maeda’s results at the big league level have been over the past two years, one shouldn’t forget that he was a quality starter for several years for the Dodgers and Twins after making his big league debut back in 2016. Through the end of his age-35 campaign in 2023, Maeda had posted a career 3.92 ERA and 3.74 FIP in 866 1/3 regular season innings in the majors to go along with a strong postseason resume that saw him pitch to a 3.24 ERA and strike out 26.8% of his opponents in 41 2/3 playoff innings.

That solid track record in the majors, of course, came after eight seasons with NPB’s Hiroshima Carp. After breaking out during the 2010 season at the age of 22, Maeda posted six consecutive seasons with an ERA of 2.60 or lower across 175 innings or more for the Carp, including an eye-popping 1.53 ERA in 206 1/3 innings across 29 starts during the 2012 season. He made five All-Star games for Hiroshima, but now it’s possible that he’ll join a new club in his return to NPB next year given Yomiuri’s interest in his services. Of course, it’s also possible that the Carp (or another club) could express interest in Maeda’s services once the NPB offseason begins later this month.

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Nippon Professional Baseball Kenta Maeda

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Guardians Expect To Be Granted Fourth Option Year On Juan Brito

By Nick Deeds | October 12, 2025 at 5:17pm CDT

The Guardians expect to be granted a fourth option year on infield prospect Juan Brito, according to a report from Zack Meisel of The Athletic earlier this week.

Typically, players have three option seasons with one used each season during which the player spends at least 20 days on optional assignment in the minor leagues. A player is considered to be on optional assignment when on a club’s 40-man roster but sent to the minor leagues while not on a rehab assignment. Brito, 24, was selected to the 40-man roster in Cleveland in November of 2022 in a move that protected him from that year’s Rule 5 draft after he was acquired from the Rockies in exchange for Nolan Jones. Since then, Brito has been optioned to the minors in the 2023, ’24, and ’25 seasons with at least 20 days in the minors in each of those years.

Under normal circumstances, that would mean that Brito would have to be exposed to waivers before he could be sent back down to the minors starting in 2026. Occasionally, however, teams are granted a fourth option year on certain players, typically due to the player missing significant time with injury. MLB.com explains that players with less than five full professional seasons (defined as at least 90 days on a major or minor league active roster) are eligible for a fourth option year. That should certainly apply to Brito, who played full-season ball for the first time in 2022 and appeared in just 31 games this year between thumb and hamstring injuries that both ultimately required surgery. When fourth option years are granted to teams on their players, it’s most often in a situation like the one Cleveland now faces with Brito, where the player missed a significant amount of time due to injury during one of their option years.

Assuming the fourth option year is granted as expected, it should afford the Guardians additional flexibility as they look towards building their roster in 2026. Prior to his injury-marred 2025 season, Brito actually put together a strong performance in Spring Training and made a push for the Opening Day second base job, but the team ultimately cycled through Daniel Schneemann, Angel Martinez, and Gabriel Arias in that role before settling on Brayan Rocchio late in the year. All of those players wound up producing well below average results offensively, meaning that if Brito can return healthy and effective in 2026 there should be a path to big league reps for him barring an external addition that changes the makeup of the roster.

That’s especially true given how strong Brito’s results were in his limited sample of healthy games. After hitting .256/.365/.443 with 21 homers and 40 doubles at Triple-A in 2024, he more or less replicated that line in 99 plate appearances at the level this year where he slashed .256/.357/.463 with a 13.1% walk rate against a 21.2% strikeout rate. Even if Brito ends up winning the job come March, however, it’s not uncommon for rookie players to be optioned back to the minors at some point in their rookie season if they begin to struggle to give them a lower pressure environment in which to develop.

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Cleveland Guardians Juan Brito

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MLBTR Live Chat

By Mark Polishuk | October 12, 2025 at 12:10pm CDT

Mark P

  • The Weekend Chat is upon us!  We’ll get things started in a minute or two after the questions start to pile up….

Dave

  • Update on G Stone and R Ryan for Dodgers for beginning of 26

Mark P

  • Definitely the top question on Dodgers fans’ mind as the NLCS begins.  🙂

    Both should be on track to be ready for the start of Spring Training.  It doesn’t appear either pitcher has had any setbacks.

Julio

  • Can my team beat the mighty canadiens

Mark P

  • The Mariners would definitely beat the Montreal Canadiens in a baseball game.

Mike Cutter

  • Will the royals Sign Yaz back .

Mark P

  • A reunion would make a lot of sense.  KC desperately needs outfield help, and Yaz played really well for them in a brief spell.  While it’s safe to assume Yaz wouldn’t keep up those numbers over a full season, it wouldn’t hurt the Royals to sign him to a relatively inexpensive one-year deal as just a part-timer, if necessary

NY Mess

  • Pete wants 7 years. Five seems too long. What is realistic?

Mark P

  • I think he’ll get five years.  It’s hard to imagine any team giving Alonso seven years, and that might’ve just been an aim-high negotiating tactic that will eventually get reduced to a more manageable number.

Angela

  • Want do you see the phillies  doing this off-season

Mark P

  • I’m slated to write the Phillies offseason outlook piece, so stay tuned on that front.  But broadly speaking, I think they need to shake things up as much as they can with the roster.  That means doing all they can to retain Schwarber, but parting ways with Bohm, Stott, Castellanos, and maybe Realmuto.  (The latter one I’m more lukewarm about, since JTR walks, the Phils then have to find another catcher somewhere.)

Michael King

  • Should I opt in with the Padres after the season I just had?

Mark P

  • I assume by “opt in” you mean accept a qualifying offer, since there’s no scenario where King and the Padres both trigger the mutual option.
  • Assuming the mutual option is declined and the Padres issue the QO, I think there’s a more than decent chance King accepts.  He’ll still draw plenty of interest on the open market, but with his injury-riddled 2025 hanging over his head, he might prefer a QO in a familiar locale than rolling the dice on a short-term opt-out laden deal (or a one-year pillow deal) on a new team entirely

Read more

Brady

  • Who will be the Phillies opening day third baseman?

Mark P

  • As noted earlier, I think they’ll non-tender Bohm.  Maybe they find a trade partner before the non-tender deadline, but after last winter, I think teams realize the Phillies are ready to move on from Bohm and will just wait until he’s cut.

    As for who might take over, 3B is a less difficult position to fill than catcher, but obviously losing Bohm opens up another hole in the lineup.  Bregman would be a mighty interesting possibility if he doesn’t work out an extension with Boston.  Arenado is probably a no-go due to his decline over the last couple of years.

  • On the trade front, I feel I’ll be saying this about a lot of teams, but Brendan Donovan would be a very good fit in Philly

White Sox Fan

  • Is there any value in picking up Luis Robert’s option and trying to trade him?

Mark P

  • The White Sox are kind of damned if they do, damned if they don’t.  Exercise the option, and they’ll still have difficulty finding a trade.  Decline the option and Robert just walks for nothing, apart from some meaningless payroll savings

World Series Bound

  • Chances of a MIL/SEA world series coming soon?

World Series

  • Dream matchup of remaining teams? M’s Brewers would be wild given M’s have never been and Brewers have never won.

Mark P

  • As a Blue Jays fan, I’m not exactly keen on the Mariners winning the pennant, haha

    But if the Jays had to lose, a Mariners/Brewers WS would indeed be a lot of fun. Off the top of my head, I think 1980 (Phillies/Royals) was the last time there was a World Series between two teams seeking their first ring?

Nancy’s Friend Sluggo

  • I keep hearing people suggest the Tigers should trade Skubal this off-season so they don’t lose him for just a QO, but I think they absolutely should keep him and go for the World Series again in 2026. What do you think about the issue?

Mark P

  • Skubal (who is a Scott Boras client) would require a gigantic extension offer to keep him off the free agent market.  The Tigers have plenty of open future payroll space, and if you’re going to go overboard to sign anyone, it might as well be for the best pitcher in the game.

    That being said, I doubt Skubal is still a Tiger in 2027.  There’s even a decent chance he isn’t a Tiger in 2026, if another team presents the front office with a knockout offer.  Despite their success over the last two years, it feels like the Tigers are kind of in a weird spot with their fanbase, and dealing Skubal away would undo a lot of the goodwill generated from back to back playoff appearances

Go Pads

  • If the padres packaged Cronenworth and Estrada, what kind of return could they expect?

Mark P

  • Even with Estrada added, I don’t think you’ll find many (or any) teams willing to take on Cronenworth’s contract.  Cronenworth isn’t even a bad player, but his deal is just that big an overpday.
  • In this scenario, San Diego still has to eat money, or take on an unwelcome contract in return

Steve M

  • begging Dolan to spend some money. Do you see any realistic players that can help our beleagured offense via free agency?

Mark P

  • Acquiring a bat via trade seems more realistic for the Guardians than signing someone notable to a decent-sized FA contract

TC Bear

  • How likely is Torii Hunter managing the Twins in 2026? Any other managerial candidates you like for MN?

Mark P

  • There haven’t been any public rumblings about the Twins’ managerial search, so the team is keeping things pretty close to the vest.  Hunter may be on the radar, or the club may prefer someone more low-profile as the Twins go through what is likely a rebuild in all but name only

    It is possible one of the younger Pohlads may become manager in a Little Big League type of scenario, but probbbbbably unlikely

GoBias Industries

  • Bees?

Mark P

  • Beads?!

Yadi Molina

  • Am I getting any consideration for one of the manager openings?  Should I get some consideration?

Mark P

  • My assumption was that Molina was a bit of a manager-in-waiting in St. Louis, sort of the way that Pujols might’ve been in this same capacity in LA once he was ready and willing to take the job.

    But, the Cards seem content to stick with Marmol in the dugout.  There’s also the question of Bloom perhaps eventually wanting to hire his own manager once the rebuild is through, rather than feel obligated to pick a St. Louis legend

John

  • When we look back on Paul Skenes’s career 15 years from now, will he have played in the postseason in a Pirates uniform?

Mark P

  • In 15 years, we’ll be like “oh yeah, huh Skenes started with the Pirates, I remember that.”

    For comparison’s sake, it’s been only seven years since Gerrit Cole pitched for Pittsburgh but that feels like either a lifetime ago, or a “wait, Cole was a Pirate?” reaction

Trade

  • Taylor Ward for Brady Singer who says no?

Mark P

  • This seems like a very good need-for-need type of swap. Ward will be a bit more pricey (as per our arb projections), but that shouldn’t be an obstacle for a Reds team that badly needs offense

Dan S.

  • Can the Orioles put together a package for a playoff-caliber starter centered around Coby Mayo, or did Mayo’s 2025 struggles tank his value to the point where they’re better off giving him a shot at the everyday 1B job next year?

Mark P

  • Mountcastle is pretty likely to be non-tendered, so if Mayo is also dealt, that leaves 1B for either a new player or maybe Basallo.

    Mayo didn’t do great in his first extended taste of MLB action, but also didn’t do anything that raises serious questions about his overall value.  He’d still get a lot of attention if the O’s shopped him, even if they’re looking for at least a mid-rotation arm

King Tuck

  • Do you think there’s any chance Tucker agrees to a short term deal? Like a “prove it deal”. Maybe similar to Bregman or Bellinger?

Mark P

  • I have some doubts over Tucker getting $400MM, but also think he can do better than a shorter-term opt-out contract.

John

  • do you think the Jays tender Eric Lauer for 2026?

Mark P

  • Definitely. He’s a no-brainer to be retained.  With Bassitt and Scherzer both possibly leaving in free agency, Lauer might be penciled in for another starting role

Lou Brown

  • Jays went worst to first this year, what team has the best chance to accomplish this in 2026?

Mark P

  • Thought about making a poll out of this question, except Baltimore would likely win in a landslide.  Even if you have doubts about the O’s overall, their chances of a turn-around in 2026 seem a lot better than those of the White Sox, Angels, Nationals, Rockies, or Pirates.

Chris

  • Who is starting alongside Judge in the Yanks OF on opening day?

Mark P

  • Bellinger and Dominguez.  New York isn’t giving up on Dominguez this soon, and my guess is that the Yankees pony up to re-sign Bellinger to a big contract.

Richard

  • Mariners need to bring Naylor back! Show him the money!!!! With almost 25 mil coming off the books with both Mitches (Haniger and Garver) leaving what are the odds they resign him?

Mark P

  • Naylor has already become such a legend in Seattle that I can see the M’s go above and beyond their usual financial comfort zone to re-sign him.  Dipoto has already been vocal on the subject, and one would imagine ownership could be swayed as they see more and more extra dollars flow in from playoff revenue.

    Plenty of teams will be looking into Naylor’s market, and I can see him waiting for Alonso to leave the market in order to capitalize on some desperate teams.  This might leave the M’s in a waiting game since I don’t see them as bidders for Alonso.

Mark

  • J. Duran for Caglione. Who says no?

Mark P

  • The Red Sox are likelier to say no, in part because I think the Royals would say yes.  Remember, the Royals are sorely in need for OF help, and Jac might already be without a position on a team with Pasquantino/Perez eating up a lot of the 1B/DH time

Mike Tex

  • Was it wise for the Cubs to announce Jed’s extension at the trade deadline?

Mark P

  • It’s fair for Chicago fans to point out flaws in the team’s approach, but in the macro sense….the Cubs won 92 games, made the playoffs, won a WC series, and almost squeaked into the NLCS.
  • Working out an extension and then just sitting on it for a few months doesn’t really change anything, unless you’re suggesting that the Cubs should’ve moved on from Hoyer entirely

Walter

  • What right handed bats could Cleveland pursue in FA or trade? Thinking Hoskins or Willson Contreras.

Mark P

  • Hoskins is likelier due to a lesser salary, since I have a hard time seeing the Guards absorbing most or all of Contreras’ deal.

hope in the desert

  • what are the chances the diamondbacks get Masanori Murakami, do you think it would be a good fit

Mark P

  • Murakami and Pavin Smith are both LHH, but that’s not necessarily a huge obstacle since Murakami could be a DH, or get some 3B/OF time if the Diamondbacks are okay with his glovework.  Arizona isn’t at the top of my list as natural Murakami candidates, but I can sorta see it

Tim

  • You see the Angels going after Framber or Suarez?

Mark P

  • I’ll repeat my usual line about the Angels and top free agents….barring a huge overpay, why would a star player with choices opt to join a team that hasn’t won anything in a full decade?

    Now, the Pujols aspect adds a wrinkle to this situation.  Maybe it’s slightly easier for the Halos to lure players if they’re excited by the idea of playing with a legend as manager.  But, I wouldn’t suddenly expect free agents to start bumping the Angels up their wishlist just if Pujols is in the dugout.

Carl

  • Does the Paul Toboni era begin with a bang or a whimper this offseason? Presumably he didn’t leave a great job in Boston just to re-sign Josh Bell.

Mark P

  • So far he’s focused on overhauling a lot of the team’s development staff, which isn’t unexpected given how the Nats have struggled to build their own pipeline
  • Overall, the rebuild is still on in DC, so don’t expect any splashy moves

Micky Batt

  • Randy Arozarena has one year left of club control for the M’s.   Do they just ride out next year with him and not sign him to a multi-year extension?

Mark P

  • Leaning towards riding it out.  With their pitchers getting more expensive and the possibility of more money spent on Naylor or Polanco, Arozarena seems expendable
  • Maybe kind of a sneaky trade candidate this winter, but it’s more likely he’s still in Seattle on Opening Day

Royce Lewis

  • Do I end up somewhere else this off-season?

Mark P

  • He’s still inexpensive, so the Twins are under no financial pressure to move him.  The Twins also surely don’t want to sell low, in case Lewis stays healthy and figures it out elsewhere

Everybody’s doin’ the fish?

  • Are Marlins fans the happiest of the NLeast teams going into the offseason? What SHOULD do they do in the offseason to keep the riding the wave?…or maybe I should ask…what are they probably going to do?

Mark P

  • Are Marlins fans the happiest of the NL east teams going into the offseason?

    This gets my vote as “whoa….wait…” eye-opening comment of today’s chat session, lol.  I think this is actually correct, even with the caveat that Miami fans may have never been truly pleased with their team.

    As noted in past chats, I don’t think this year’s relative success will suddenly turn the Marlins into free-spenders or spin them directly towards wanting to contend.  They can get a bit more aggressive with the types of talents they seek out, but maybe moreso in trades than in free agency.

Kyle

  • Is the fact that the DH is mostly used for either a proven masher or as a carousel for off days for position players that versatile bench options can fill in for preventing the rise of another Ohtani? At least in US baseball development? It feels a bit weird that another team hasn’t tried something with someone, bc even half of Ohtani as a hitter and pitcher is an all star

Mark P

  • Ohtani’s emergence probably means that you’ll see a few more guys give it a real go as a two-way player.  But beyond the reasons you mentioned, the biggest obstacle against “another Ohtani” emerging is that is exceptionally hard to be both a big league-caliber hitter AND big league-caliber pitcher, let alone a star in both fields.  Ohtani is an utterly unique talent.

Joe E

  • who should the Astros try and acquire?

Mark P

  • The best team trainers and medical staff that money can buy

Sam Francisco

  • Giants big spenders and traders?

Mark P

  • I see the Giants being aggressive this winter.  They have holes to fill, and with a new manager coming in, Posey will want to further put the stamp on the roster being ’his’ team.

    Luring free agents to SF will continue to be a little tricky, and it’ll be interesting if Posey is more active on the trade front.  Maybe not quite to the huge extent of a Devers-type blockbuster, but if FAs aren’t biting for whatever reasons, the Giants could pursue the trade route again

Houston

  • Do I win the AL West?

Mark P

  • The Rangers may be cutting payroll, the Athletics’ pitching (and ballpark) is still a big issue, and the Angels are the Angels.  So overcoming the Mariners won’t be easy, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see the Astros rebound to another division title just because the rest of the West is pretty thin.

Slappy Slapster

  • As commented earlier, Singer for Ward makes sense. Thoughts on Bubic for Ward?

Mark P

  • Also a sensible move, though Bubic at a projected $6M makes him a valuable trade chip for players with a higher ceiling than Ward.

SKUBAL AND CROCHET

  • Odds Boston tries to pry Skubal and uses Duran/Abreu + some prospects?

Mark P

  • The Sox will absolutely at least check in on Skubal, and can offer enough in return to make Detroit think about it.  Skubal probably isn’t any likelier to sign an extension in Boston than he is in Motown, however, so the Sox will have to gauge how much they want to give up for what’ll very likely be a one-year rental

Skip

  • Can Joe Ryan return a top 10 global prospect? What teams are most interested in him?

Mark P

  • If the Red Sox did go big on a pitcher trade, Ryan is the likelier candidate than Skubal.  Actually, Pablo Lopez is the likeliest of all since the Twins would welcome saving some money, but sticking with Ryan, the two sides already had some talks at the deadline.

    Ryan is projected to make $5.8MM in 2026 and is arb-controlled through 2027.  That’s an inexpensive price for a frontline pitcher, so he’d fit into any team’s budget.

  • With just two years of team control, however, that’s probably not enough to pry a top-10 prospect

Bernie Brewer

  • Does Woodruff come back to the Brewers? Won’t his injury situation limit his opportunities elsewhere?

Mark P

  • Woodruff looked so good in his limited outings this season that I think he’ll get plenty of attention in free agency.  Not necessarily on a long-term contract, however, which might keep the Brewers in play to some limited extent.  Woodruff is an interesting qualifying offer candidate, in fact, if the Brew Crew wanted to go that route

Ricky

  • Would bichette accept playing 2B for the Jays

Mark P

  • Bichette’s reps surely have a strategy in mind for explaining their client’s inconsistent-at-best defense, but the easier route would indeed be a willingness to change positions.  An elite shortstop makes more than an elite second baseman, but Bichette’s bat will get him paid anyway, and a position change might even help him if he becomes a plus at 2B.

    As I and many others have pointed out, the Andres Gimenez trade seemed like Toronto’s hedge against a Bichette departure.  So if Bichette was willing to go with 2B, a path can now emerge towards a reunion with the Jays.  I still feel that overall, Bichette will sign elsewhere.

Pumpsie

  • Would Rice and Caballero be better next year than McMahon and Goldschmidt was last year? If so, where does McMahon go? Angels?

Mark P

  • McMahon’s contract won’t be the easiest to trade.  The question the Yankees should be asking if Caballero over Volpe, not McMahon.

    Rice is pretty much looking like a lock to be the starting 1B (and occasional catcher) next year.  Goldschmidt will likely head elsewhere.

Guest

  • Does Colt Emerson start next season with the M’s

Mark P

  • If he has a big spring, I can see the Mariners putting him on the Opening Day roster and aiming for the PPI bonus.  Crawford is still the shortstop, but Emerson could be tabbed for a hole at 2B or 3B

Cubs

  • Cubs have to re sign Tucker after what they gave up for him right ?

Mark P

  • You’d think so, but all signs point to Tucker leaving

Oriole Orange turned Blue

  • I don’t understand why teams let their players play through injuries rather than just letting them heal up?  It seems risky to let an already injured player possibly further aggravate the problem further.  Why not just put the injured player on the IL and let the back up play?   Austin Hays used to play injured for the Orioles and it drove me crazy! He’d have an All Star half season bookended by an injured other half.  The same with Colton Cowser now.  Broken finger and then broken ribs, but he plays through it with dismal results.  Kyle Tucker and Gleyber Torres the same thing.

Mark P

  • It depends on the player and the injury in some cases.  Like the cliche goes, there’s a difference between playing “hurt” and “being injured,” since over the course of a six-month baseball season, pretty much everyone is varying degrees of banged up.

    You’re not wrong that in many cases, having an obviously struggling player on the field is doing more harm than good, even if a team has no ready-made backup option to use.

    But sometimes, a player is able to play through injury just fine, like Tucker over his first month after the hairline fracture.  Or in Torres’ case, if he gets sports hernia surgery in mid-July when it first arose, then he’s likely gone for the rest of the season.  That’s not a welcome outcome for a player like Torres who is chasing a free agent contract, plus the simple fact that he wanted to keep contributing to a Tigers team that was (at the time) flying high

Twins fan

  • Does a trade based around Joe Ryan and Coby Mayo make sense for either team involved?

Mark P

  • The Orioles should be burning up the Twins’ phone lines for Ryan or Lopez.

JeffyM

  • Do Yesavage and Lauer just slide into the rotation for Scherzer and Bassitt next year, or do you think the Jays are active on a starting pitcher in FA or trade?

Mark P

  • Next year’s rotation lines up as Gausman, Yesavage, Berrios, and Lauer, so there’s definitely a need for at least one and probably two more starting pitching additions.

Ebenezer_Batflip

  • Any chances for the Reds to trade Hunter Greene for Jarren Duran + other players or prospects? Feels like those two teams are good potential trade partners with each having a surplus of what the other needs.

Mark P

  • Greene has a higher ceiling for me than Duran, so if I’m the Reds, I see if I can talk Boston into another starter.

Hits Like Rays

  • Your thoughts on the new Rays’ owners being able to really raise the player payroll if Tampa will not spend “one dollar” to help build a stadium?  Or are the Rays now more likely to just blackmail some other city and re-locate?

Mark P

  • The new group’s desire to have a new ballpark ready for Opening Day 2029 seems wildly optimistic, so I don’t think Tampa fans should feel entirely safe yet about the Rays staying in the Tampa/St. Pete area

Mac

  • You’re NHL Stanley cup finalists for 2025 -26

Mark P

  • Continuing the long history of players finding immediate championship success as soon as they leave the Leafs, I’ll pick Mitch Marner’s Golden Knights to hoist the Cup by beating the Panthers in the finals

Jason C

  • What do you see the Atl doing this offseason?

Mark P

  • Lots of bullpen moves, a new shortstop, maybe a new second baseman as well, plus at least one starting pitcher.  Technically Atlanta could have a rotation surplus between a new arm and their current staff if everyone is healthy, but everyone won’t be healthy.
  • That’s it for today’s chat.  Thanks for everyone’s questions, and I hope everyone enjoys Game 1 of the ALCS!  We’ll be back with more chatty goodness next weekend.
  • If you’re interested in more baseball Q&A, one of the many benefits of our Trade Rumors Front Office subscription is the exclusive weekly live chats. The more limited field means you’re about 10 times more likely to get a question answered, as opposed to battling for space with hundreds of other questions in today’s chat. For more on our memberships, check out this link:

    https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/membership?ref=chat-10-12-25

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Brandon Woodruff Won’t Be On Brewers’ NLCS Roster

By Mark Polishuk | October 12, 2025 at 11:58am CDT

Brandon Woodruff has yet to take part in the Brewers’ postseason run, as the lat strain the veteran righty suffered in September kept him off Milwaukee’s NLDS roster.  That absence will now stretch into the NL Championship Series, as MLB.com’s Adam McCalvy writes that Woodruff has yet to start even playing catch, so he naturally won’t be ready in time for the start of the NLDS on Monday.

With his throwing work still not underway, Woodruff would have to make a lot of progress in a pretty short window of time to receive consideration for a possible World Series roster slot.  If the Brewers defeat the Dodgers in the NLCS, Game 1 of the World Series falls on October 24, giving Woodruff just 12 days to get ramped up enough to pitch even in a relief capacity.

Asked if a return was possible, Woodruff said “I’m not ready to answer that question yet.  I’ve been trying to get ready.  Each day is better and better for me.  I don’t know what tomorrow looks like, but these past 2-3 weeks have been good for me and we’ll see what happens.  It’s too early to make a call on anything.”

Woodruff last pitched on September 17, when he threw a strong start (five IP, one earned run on two hits and no walks with nine strikeouts) in the Brewers’ 9-2 win over the Angels.  The performance continued Woodruff’s quality results in his comeback season, as the right-hander recorded a 3.20 ERA, 32.3% strikeout rate, and 5.4% walk rate across 12 starts and 64 2/3 innings.

These would be outstanding numbers for any pitcher, but it was a particular triumph for Woodruff considering his many injury battles.  Shoulder surgery cost him the entirety of the 2024 season and an ankle issue delayed the start of his 2025 campaign, but Woodruff returned not just healthy, but displaying the kind of form that made him a two-time All-Star.  Unfortunately, Woodruff’s dream return and a surefire role in Milwaukee’ s postseason rotation was spoiled by his lat strain.

With Woodruff still out, Freddy Peralta may be the only Brewers pitcher guaranteed to work as a traditional starter in the NLCS.  Quinn Priester, Jose Quintana, and Chad Patrick could all get starts, or potentially be pseudo-starters in a bulk pitcher capacity, if the Brew Crew again deploy a high-leverage reliever as an opener against Los Angeles.

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Mariners Add Bryan Woo, Miles Mastrobuoni To ALCS Roster

By Mark Polishuk | October 12, 2025 at 10:12am CDT

The Mariners announced the 26 players who will be part of their American League Championship Series roster against the Blue Jays.  After using a complement of 14 pitchers and 12 position players against the Tigers in the ALDS, the M’s will use an even 13 pitchers and 13 position players to navigate their series with Toronto.  The full list…

Catchers: Harry Ford, Mitch Garver, Cal Raleigh
Infielders: J.P. Crawford, Josh Naylor, Jorge Polanco, Leo Rivas, Eugenio Suarez
Outfielders: Randy Arozarena, Dominic Canzone, Victor Robles, Julio Rodriguez
Utility player: Miles Mastrobuoni
Left-handed pitchers: Caleb Ferguson, Gabe Speier
Right-handed pitchers: Eduard Bazardo, Matt Brash, Luis Castillo, Logan Gilbert, Emerson Hancock, Luke Jackson, George Kirby, Bryce Miller, Andres Munoz, Carlos Vargas, Bryan Woo

The biggest story is Woo’s return, as the right-hander hasn’t pitched since suffering pectoral tightness in a start against the Astros on September 19.  Woo’s ramp-up work didn’t quite allow him to be ready for Seattle’s ALDS roster, but president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto said on Friday after the Mariners’ Game 5 clinch that Woo would likely be part of the roster against Toronto.

Dipoto specified that Woo wouldn’t be available until closer to midway through the series, which would seemingly line him up for a start in Game 4.  Because Gilbert and Castillo were both needed in the 15-inning finale against Detroit, the Mariners’ rotation plans over the first two ALCS games in Toronto are very much up in the air.  Miller will start Game 1 on short rest and it can be assumed that Kirby will start Game 3 on regular rest, but it remains to be seen if Castillo and/or Gilbert will be involved in Game 2, and in what capacity.

Woo takes the roster spot of rookie infielder Ben Williamson, who didn’t see any action in the ALDS (and hasn’t played in a big league game since July 30).  Williamson’s inclusion on the ALDS roster was largely as a hedge against Josh Naylor potentially missing time on paternity leave, so the Mariners wouldn’t be left short-handed in terms of infield depth.  As it happened, Naylor played in all five games against Detroit and was still able to welcome his first child into the world.

Seattle’s other change comes on the bench, with one left-handed utilityman in Mastrobuoni replacing another in Luke Raley.  Mastrobuoni doesn’t have Raley’s offensive upside, but brings more to the table in pure versatility.  Raley can play first base and all three outfield positions, but Mastrobuoni saw work at both corner outfield slots and at first base in 2025, as well as time as a second and third baseman.  Essentially, Mastrobuoni’s inclusion allows the Mariners to replace Raley and Williamson in one fell swoop.  Raley came off the bench in four games of the ALDS, with one hit-by-pitch over six plate appearances.

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Blue Jays Add Chris Bassitt, Max Scherzer To ALCS Roster; Bo Bichette Not Included

By Mark Polishuk | October 12, 2025 at 9:39am CDT

The Blue Jays have announced the 26 players who will be part of their American League Championship Series roster against the Mariners.  As in the ALDS, the Jays will be using 13 pitchers and 13 position players, though a couple of new arms will be joining the pitching staff.  The full list…

Catchers: Alejandro Kirk, Tyler Heineman
Infielders: Addison Barger, Ernie Clement, Andres Gimenez, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Isiah Kiner-Falefa
Outfielders: Nathan Lukes, Anthony Santander, Davis Schneider, George Springer, Myles Straw, Daulton Varsho
Left-handed pitchers: Mason Fluharty, Eric Lauer, Brendon Little
Right-handed pitchers: Chris Bassitt, Shane Bieber, Seranthony Dominguez, Braydon Fisher, Kevin Gausman, Jeff Hoffman, Yariel Rodriguez, Max Scherzer, Louis Varland, Trey Yesavage

Beginning with the most notable omission from the roster, Bo Bichette remains unavailable, as the shortstop has yet to fully recover from a left knee sprain that has kept him out of action since September 6.  Bichette didn’t start any running work until this past Wednesday, but a move to a bit more high-intensity running on the bases yesterday didn’t yield much progress.  Bichette clearly looked to be in discomfort following even this brief session, which created doubt that he would indeed be healthy enough to be activated.

Since Bichette has been able to take batting practice and face live hitting, there had been some speculation that the Jays might use Bichette just in a DH role or even as a pinch-hitting specialist.  Even that limited capacity would involve Bichette having to run in some form if he ended up getting hits, of course, and yesterday’s footage implies that Bichette’s knee is still far from 100 percent.

Technically, the Jays could still activate Bichette at some point during the ALCS if another injury arose.  But the far likelier scenario is that Bichette won’t see any action until the World Series should Toronto advance, and it remains unclear if even 12 more days of rest and rehab will be enough for Bichette to return at all during the Jays’ postseason run.

By this point the Blue Jays have gotten used to playing without Bichette to some extent.  Gimenez has settled in as the glove-first option at shortstop, and the Jays were will able to both win the AL East and defeat the Yankees in the ALDS without Bichette available.  That said, obviously Toronto’s roster is better with Bichette than without, and the Jays figure to miss his bat against the Mariners’ deep pitching staff.

Speaking of rotations, Bassitt and Scherzer return after being left out of the ALCS picture.  Scherzer was omitted since manager John Schneider felt the veteran didn’t match up well against the Yankees in particular, while Bassitt wasn’t fully recovered from a bout of back tightness that sent him to the 15-day injured list on September 19.  The Jays felt they could navigate the five-game ALDS with only three starters (Gausman, Yesavage, Bieber) on the roster, and that proved to be the case, as the relief corps stepped up with a big bullpen-game performance in the clinching Game 4.

Gausman is set to start Game 1, and in all likelihood rookie sensation Yesavage will start Game 2 and Bieber will go in Game 3.  Still, Gausman is the only announced starter to date, so the Blue Jays might still yet creative with their exact deployment of their starters.  Not all five starters will actually start, of course, leaving some question with how Bassitt or Scherzer will be used.  Bassitt has a little more career experience as a reliever, yet Scherzer struggled so much down the stretch that that recent form is a bigger factor for the Jays than Scherzer’s distinguished postseason track record.

Bassitt and Scherzer will be taking the places of relievers Tommy Nance and Justin Bruihl.  Nance was inching his way into higher-leverage work after delivering a 1.99 ERA over 30 1/3 innings in the regular season, but he didn’t look sharp in posting a 13.50 ERA over 1 1/3 innings in the ALDS.  Bruihl was charged for two earned runs in his lone one-third of an inning of ALDS work, and the southpaw was something of a 26th man for much of Toronto’s season, as he logged 13 2/3 innings with a 5.27 ERA.

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Poll: Who Will Win The League Championship Series?

By Mark Polishuk | October 12, 2025 at 8:49am CDT

The postseason field has been narrowed down to four teams, in mostly chalk fashion.  Each member of the final four is a division winner, and three of the clubs received first-round byes.  The Dodgers were the only club who had to advance through the wild card round, and the reigning World Series champs aren’t exactly underdogs.  In fact, all of the Brewers, Mariners, and Blue Jays had a lot more questions to answer about their playoff readiness given a recent lack of postseason success, yet all three teams were up to the task in winning their League Championship Series matchups.

Only the Yankees have reached the World Series more times than the Dodgers, who are vying for the franchise’s 23rd trip to the Fall Classic.  Los Angeles is the defending champion aiming for its third ring in six seasons, against three teams with much less of a postseason resume.  The Blue Jays are a perfect 2-0 in the club’s only two World Series appearances, but they last reached the Series in 1993.  The Brewers’ lone Series appearance was so long ago (in 1982) that the club was still in the American League, and Milwaukee fell to the Cardinals in a seven-game nail-biter.  The Mariners can get a big albatross off their backs just by winning the AL pennant, as Seattle is the only team in Major League Baseball to have never reached a World Series.

The ALCS between the Mariners and Blue Jays carries some added historical import since the two teams both joined MLB in 1977.  The only previous playoff series between the two expansion cousins took place in 2022, when Seattle swept Toronto in two games in the best-of-three wild card series, and made an epic comeback from an 8-1 run deficit to capture a 10-9 win in Game 2.  That crushing loss was part of the 0-6 playoff record the Jays carried during the Vladimir Guerrero Jr. era, before Toronto broke out with a dominant win over the Yankees in this year’s ALDS.

Blue Jays hitters erupted for 34 runs and a collective .338/.373/.601 slash line over the four games against New York.  While that level of an explosion came as a surprise, Toronto led the league in both batting average and OBP this season, while also finishing near the top of the table in runs and OPS.  Seattle’s season-long numbers weren’t quite as impressive, yet the club has been one of baseball’s best offensive teams since Josh Naylor and Eugenio Suarez were acquired at the trade deadline.  Led by these two big bats, Julio Rodriguez, Jorge Polanco, and the all-around brilliance of MVP candidate Cal Raleigh, the Mariners’ powerful lineup will provide the Jays’ pitching staff with a huge challenge.

In terms of run prevention, the Blue Jays have a significant edge on defense.  Toronto had a collective +51 Defensive Runs Saves and +14 Outs Above Average in the regular season, in comparison to Seattle’s +9 DRS and -30 OAA.  This could potentially help the Jays counter the Mariners’ deeper rotation, as with Bryan Woo expected to return from injury in the ALCS, all five of the M’s regular starters will be available in some capacity.  How exactly those starters will be deployed is still a matter of debate, as George Kirby, Logan Gilbert, and Luis Castillo all had to pitch during Seattle’s 15-inning marathon with the Tigers in Game 5 of the ALDS.

The Blue Jays held a 4-2 edge in the season series with the Mariners this year, and have the homefield advantage as the AL’s top seed.  That is a significant point for a Jays team that is 56-27 at Rogers Centre during the regular season and playoffs, plus the Mariners’ road record is only 40-43.  Turning to the National League, the Brewers and Dodgers each had identical 52-29 home records in the regular season, and Milwaukee was an impressive 45-36 away from home, while the Dodgers were only 41-40 on the road.

The other eye-opening statistic is Milwaukee’s perfect 6-0 record in head-to-head play against Los Angeles this season.  As daunting as the Dodgers’ star-studded roster may be, the Brewers have had their number in 2025, and will now have to try and do it again in the postseason.  L.A. has won the only two prior postseason series between the two franchises, including a seven-game win in the 2018 NLCS.

That 2018 season marked the last time the Brew Crew won a playoff series until their five-game win over the Cubs in this year’s NLDS.  The series as a whole was a demonstration of the kind of quality pitching and timely hitting that the Brewers have enjoyed all season.  A relative lack of power is basically the only flaw for a lineup that posted tremendous numbers, but Andrew Vaughn’s career turn-around since being acquired by the Brewers in June has added a new dimension to the offense.

A pair of shaky starts from Freddy Peralta and Quinn Priester at Wrigley Field could be red flags for the Brewers against L.A.  Peralta pitched well enough in Game 1 that his Game 4 performance might just be a hiccup, yet if Priester can’t get on track, the Brewers will have to lean even harder on a bullpen that has already logged a lot of innings in the NLDS.  Milwaukee is as creative as any team in getting the most out of its pitching staff, so expect plenty of unconventional pitcher usage as the Brewers will try to keep the Dodgers at bay.

After a somewhat underwhelming regular season by their high standards, the Dodgers may have flipped the switch for October, sweeping the Reds in the wild card series and then dispatching the Phillies in a four-game NLDS.  Even with several stars (Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, and an injury-diminished Will Smith) yet to get rolling at the plate, the Dodgers have been aided by a red-hot Mookie Betts and contributions from up and down their seasoned lineup.

Roki Sasaki’s emergence as the club’s seeming first choice at closer has been huge for Los Angeles, and perhaps addresses the team’s biggest weakness.  If Sasaki is now a high-leverage option late in games and the excellent L.A. starting rotation remains in form, the Brewers have a pretty narrow window to strike against the rest of the struggling Dodger bullpen.

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Latest On Giants’ Managerial Search

By Nick Deeds | October 11, 2025 at 10:56pm CDT

As Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey conducts his first managerial search, John Shea of the San Francisco Standard reports that he’s spoken to an intriguing name: former Orioles manager Brandon Hyde. Shea does not clarify whether or not the conversation was part of Posey’s search for a new manager or even if either side has clear interest in Hyde taking over for Bob Melvin in San Francisco, but the conversation between the two is noteworthy nonetheless.

After all, Hyde would make plenty of sense as a manager for the Giants. Like Melvin before him, Hyde is a Bay Area native who has had success managing a small market team in the past. Ignoring a one-game stint as manager of the Marlins back in 2011, Hyde’s time in the manager’s chair has been spent entirely in Baltimore. He managed the club from 2019 until he was fired back in May, and in doing so led the club through a lengthy rebuild, exceeded all expectations with a surprisingly competitive 2022 season, and then build on that success to deliver a 101-win campaign to Baltimore in 2023 en route to an AL Manager of the Year award.

Hyde’s 421-492 record with the Orioles leaves much to be desired, though it must be viewed through the lens of a club that had no intentions of competing during the first three seasons he spent in the organization. The early-season disaster the Orioles suffered under Hyde this year is an undeniable blemish that can’t be excused as the trials of managing a rebuilding club, but he’s nonetheless well-respected around the game. Former Rockies manager Bud Black told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale last month that he believes Hyde will be managing again “soon,” and for his part Hyde indicated to Nightengale that he does hope to return to the dugout as soon as next season. Perhaps that opportunity could come with the Giants, his hometown team.

Of course, while there’s a plausible fit between Hyde and the Giants that doesn’t mean that he’ll be hired or even necessarily interview for the position. Shea notes that Rangers special assistant (and former Giants catcher) Nick Hundley is “fast becoming the popular choice” to replace Melvin and highlights his strong relationship with Posey, who he served as the backup for during his time as a player in San Francisco. Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic takes things a step forward and reports that Hundley is “considered the favorite” for the job in San Francisco, before adding that he’s not believed to be considering any managerial opportunities besides the Giants’ vacancy. Hundley has been a known candidate for the job for some time now, and has already interviewed for the role, but the fact that he’s considered the favorite is new information. Former All-Star catcher Kurt Suzuki and Guardians associate manager Craig Albernaz are both known to be candidates for the role in San Francisco as well.

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Dodgers Notes: Rotation, Bench, Hernandez

By Nick Deeds | October 11, 2025 at 9:02pm CDT

The Dodgers don’t yet know whether they’ll be heading to Milwaukee to face the Brewers or welcoming the Cubs into Dodger Stadium for Monday’s series opener of the NLCS, but that’s not stopping them from making plans for the series. In particular, manager Dave Roberts told reporters (including MLB.com’s Sonja Chen) this afternoon that he expects the club to carry at least one more pitcher on their roster for the upcoming series after carrying 11 (plus Shohei Ohtani) in the NLDS against the Phillies.

That will consequently mean shortening up a bench that was six players deep during this past series. Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register suggests that utility man Hyeseong Kim and outfielder Justin Dean are the most likely candidates to be left off the NLCS roster. Kim, 26, has a wRC+ of 95 in 71 regular seasons games this year in his rookie campaign after signing with the Dodgers out of South Korea during the offseason. He’s primarily played second base this year but has also made cameos at shortstop and in center field. Dean, meanwhile, has just two plate appearances in the majors this year as he’s been used almost exclusively as a pinch runner by Los Angeles. He does have a stolen base this postseason, however, while Kim has made just appearance so far across L.A.’s two series.

Alex Call, Ben Rortvedt, and Miguel Rojas have all drawn starts in the playoffs already and seem likely to once again be parts of the bench mix headed into the NLCS. Dalton Rushing has seen virtually no playing time so far, but might be needed insurance for the Dodgers at the catcher position given that Will Smith is playing through a hairline fracture in his throwing hand. Keeping Rushing on the roster would mean that the Dodgers will have two catchers available even if Smith needs a game or two off at some point to manage the injury. Without a three-catcher setup, a day or two off for Smith would likely necessitate a placement on the injured list, which would then make him unavailable for the World Series if the Dodgers were to advance.

One player that definitely won’t be removed from the roster, it seems, is utility man Enrique Hernandez. Hernandez has served as the club’s starting left fielder this postseason and, while he’s known to have been nursing a day-to-day back injury since the Wild Card series against Cincinnati, Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic relays that Hernandez is doing fine in spite of that injury and that the days off between the end of the NLDS and the start of the NLCS should help him get healthy. Hernandez has long been excellent in the postseason and that hasn’t changed this year, with a .318/.400/.409 slash line (132 wRC+) across 25 plate appearances.

Turning back to the rotation, Roberts indicated to reporters (including Chen) that despite both Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto needing extra rest built in between their starts, he does not anticipate the Dodgers needing more than four starters for their upcoming seven game set. That quartet figures to be the aforementioned duo of Ohtani and Yamamoto, plus Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow. Clayton Kershaw and Emmet Sheehan have both been available to provide length out of the bullpen so far, and headed into the NLCS it’s possible someone like Ben Casparius or Andrew Heaney is added to the playoff roster to give the team another long relief option.

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Blue Jays Notes: Bichette, Scherzer, Bassitt

By Nick Deeds | October 11, 2025 at 7:48pm CDT

The Blue Jays put together an impressive win in four games over the Yankees in the ALDS this past week, and it’s all the more impressive when one considers that they managed to pull it off without one of their star players. Shortstop Bo Bichette has been on the injured list since early September due to a left knee sprain, and did not participate in the Division Series as a result. With the ALCS against the Mariners scheduled to start tomorrow, it seems a decision on Bichette’s status has not yet been made.

Earlier this afternoon, Ben Nicholson Smith of Sportsnet relayed that, per Jays manager John Schneider, Bichette hit against live pitching yesterday and ran the bases today. Schneider added that how Bichette responds to that uptick in activity will help to determine whether or not he’s rostered for the ALCS. Keegan Matheson of MLB.com expanded on that, noting that Schneider suggested the decision on Bichette would be one of the last ones they would make before rosters are announced tomorrow morning. Per Matheson, Bichette still appeared to be experiencing discomfort when he ran the bases today, and he suggested that Bichette might be confined to a DH-only role if he does return to action.

As Matheson notes, a DH role for Bichette would push George Springer into the outfield and force a fellow outfielder like Nathan Lukes or Anthony Santander out of the lineup. That’s surely only something they would do if they were confident that Bichette was healthy enough to contribute substantially at the plate. On the other hand, if Bichette isn’t quite ready to return but making enough progress, Toronto could opt to roster him even if he wouldn’t be available for Game 1. That would come with substantial risk, however, as if he was placed back on the injured list at some point in the ALCS he would not be eligible for the World Series if the Jays advance.

Moving on to the rotation, Toronto made the somewhat bold decision to leave both Chris Bassitt and Max Scherzer off their ALDS roster. Both veteran starters were left off for understandable reasons; Scherzer struggled badly late in the year, while Bassitt wasn’t fully stretched out after being placed on the injured list in late September. That was fine for a five-game set where the team could lean heavily on Kevin Gausman, Trey Yesavage, and Shane Bieber to handle starting duties, but Schneider acknowledged to reporters (including Nicholson-Smith) that both Bassitt and Scherzer will be in the mix for the club’s roster given the need for “more length” in a seven-game series. All of those roster decisions will be made by 9am CT tomorrow morning, when rosters are due for both clubs.

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