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The Opener: Full Squad Workouts, Lopez, Extensions

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On the heels of one early-morning bombshell, here are three other things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Full squad workouts:

Most teams have fully begun Spring Training at this point, but a small handful of clubs will be having their first full-squad workout today as position players report to camp. The lone Grapefruit League team to which this applies is the Rays, but the Cactus League in Arizona will see the Guardians, Rockies, Brewers, and Mariners all host their first full-squad workouts today. Cedric Mullins (Rays), Jake McCarthy (Rockies), and Brendan Donovan (Mariners) are among the new faces that will be showing up in camp for clubs today, while the Mariners will also be welcoming first baseman Josh Naylor back into the fold after re-signing him back in November.

2. Lopez headed for MRI:

Twins right-hander Pablo Lopez is headed for imaging due to soreness in his elbow. Lopez is one of the most important cogs in the Twins’ rotation but struggled to stay healthy last year, missing time with a Grade 2 strain of the teres major and a late-season forearm strain. The talented 29-year-old now appears to be starting this year’s Spring Training off on the wrong foot as well. More information about Lopez’s status and his potential timeline for a return to throwing should be available in the coming days. If Lopez winds up missing significant time, it will be worth keeping an eye on the Twins to see if they become players for one of the remaining starters on the market like Lucas Giolito or old friend Zack Littell. Minnesota made a late play for Framber Valdez before he signed with the division-rival Tigers.

3. Extension season:

There are only a few notable free agents left on the market, and major trades become increasingly rare as Spring Training gets underway. With many teams having more or less put a bow on their external additions, will teams start turning their attention towards extensions? It would certainly make sense, and in some corners of the league that process has already begun. The Dodgers signed Max Muncy to the fourth extension of his career earlier this month. The Padres turned to their front office and locked up president of baseball operations A.J. Preller on a multi-year deal. Neither of those moves were exactly shocking, but perhaps teams like the Cubs (Nico Hoerner, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki) and Mariners (J.P. Crawford, Randy Arozarena) could look to discuss keeping some of their top players around beyond the final year of their contract. And as the A’s have already reminded us with their Jacob Wilson deal, spring is the most common time for pre-arbitration players to sign extensions as well.

A’s Could Get Zack Gelof Outfield Reps In Spring Training

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The A’s trade pickup of Jeff McNeil solidified second base, where the veteran is expected to play regularly. That pushed Zack Gelof out of the projected starting lineup. The former second-round pick had an impressive half-season as a rookie back in 2023 but has struggled with strikeouts and injuries over the past two years.

Gelof enters camp slightly behind schedule after undergoing surgery to fix a dislocated left shoulder at the end of last season. Gelof is a little delayed in his ramp-up offensively, but Martín Gallegos of MLB.com writes that he can participate fully in defensive drills. He’s not only taking those at second base but in center field to prepare for a potential utility role. Manager Mark Kotsay said that Gelof could see outfield work in games this spring.

The 26-year-old hasn’t played anywhere other than second base in a major league game. Gelof has more than 2000 innings over 237 MLB appearances at the keystone, grading as a slightly above-average defender. The only other position at which he has any significant experience is third base. He played the hot corner at the University of Virginia and during his first year or so in the minor leagues. He didn’t play the outfield at all in college and has nine innings there as a professional — one Double-A game as a center fielder in 2022.

Gelof is a good athlete and an above-average runner. The A’s won’t be able to tell how his instincts and reads will play in the outfield without getting him reps out there. Spring Training is the best time to experiment with different roles. It’d certainly be a big help to Gelof’s chances of making the roster if he’s capable of building defensive versatility. Most teams only carry four position players on the bench to maximize a 13-man pitching staff. Using one of those roster spots on a player who only plays second base isn’t ideal. Gelof has a pair of minor league options and would head back to Triple-A Las Vegas if he doesn’t break camp.

The A’s have Tyler Soderstrom and Lawrence Butler in the corner outfield. They’re likely to give Denzel Clarke the first opportunity in center field. Clarke is a phenomenal defender but has massive strikeout rates, so the A’s may not want to live with that tradeoff all season. Gelof isn’t likely to push Clarke for everyday playing time in center. He’s only a year removed from leading the American League in strikeouts himself, and he’s almost certainly not going to defend at the same level that Clarke does. There’s an opening for a fourth outfielder, while Gelof’s old third base position is also up for grabs in camp. Waiver claim Andy Ibáñez joins holdovers Max Muncy, Brett Harris and Darell Hernaiz in that mix.

Mike Trout Prefers To Return To Center Field

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It appears Mike Trout is set to return to his old position. The future Hall of Famer told reporters this morning that he hopes to be primarily a center fielder this season (links via Rhett Bollinger of MLB.com and Jeff Fletcher of The Orange County Register). General manager Perry Minasian and skipper Kurt Suzuki are evidently aligned with that plan.

“I talked to (Suzuki). I definitely want to play center,” the three-time MVP said. “I told him I’ll play anywhere but obviously prefer center. It was good communication with him and Perry and they’re on board with it.” Suzuki said that Trout will also continue to see work in the corners during Spring Training but sounded broadly open to giving him significant playing time up the middle. “We’ll keep our options open, but he does prefer center, so we’ll take a look,” the manager told reporters.

It’s not completely out of nowhere, as Minasian said as far back as December that the team wasn’t closing the door on Trout getting some center field action. It seems that’ll be more than just part-time work, though it’s not clear how much of a defensive workload he’ll be able to log in his age-34 season.

That was the impetus for moving Trout off center field a year ago. The Angels felt the position was putting too much physical stress and contributing to his unfortunate series of injuries. Trout didn’t play a single inning up the middle last season. He moved to right field and started 22 games before sustaining a bone bruise in his left knee. He missed most of May and was a full-time designated hitter for the remainder of the season.

Trout disagreed with the premise that right field was any less of a physical burden. “Honestly, I felt like when I was in center, it was less on my body,” he said today. “Right field felt like I was running a lot. It’s just a preference thing. Talking to some other outfielders, they feel the same way sometimes, that center is less on your legs. I just feel more confident in center.” Although Trout didn’t have a huge sample of right field work off which to base that assessment, it’s hardly surprising he feels more comfortable with his reads at a position where he has more than 11,000 innings of experience.

At his age and with a history of lower body injuries, Trout is unlikely to be a plus defensive center fielder. He remains a slightly above-average runner at full speed, so he could probably play close to average defense. That’d be a marked improvement over Jo Adell, who was one of the worst defensive center fielders in MLB and should be a right fielder. Whether Trout can stay healthy is the much bigger question, though it’s perhaps notable that many of his recent injuries have come either as a hitter or while running the bases.

Playing Trout in center would allow the Halos to use Adell and Josh Lowe primarily in the corners. They’d have Jorge Soler mostly in the DH role. Trout will surely still see a fair bit of DH action as semi-rest days. Soler would draw into a corner on those occasions with either Adell or Lowe moving to center in what would be a lackluster defensive group. Bryce Teodosio is the best defensive outfielder on the roster but has hit like a fifth outfielder. Jose Siri is in camp on a minor league deal as an alternative to Teodosio for an all-glove depth role. Prospect Nelson Rada is likely ticketed for Triple-A to begin the season but might be the team’s best all-around center field option by midseason.

Trout has five seasons remaining on his $360MM extension. He’ll make $35.45MM per season between 2026-30.

Pablo López Headed For Imaging With Elbow Soreness

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The Twins are sending starter Pablo López for an MRI after he experienced elbow soreness during a live batting practice session this morning (links via Dan Hayes of The Athletic and Matthew Leach of MLB.com). The righty had thrown two innings in a workout before experiencing the discomfort in what would have been his third frame.

To this point, the Twins are framing the situation as precautionary. There’s certainly no reason for López to pitch through any kind of discomfort in the middle of February. It nevertheless comes as a concern any time a pitcher experiences elbow discomfort. That’s particularly true in López’s case, as he’s coming off a season that was cut short by a pair of arm injuries.

López suffered a Grade 2 teres major strain in his shoulder last June. He missed three months. The veteran was able to get back on the mound in early September, hoping to build positive momentum going into the offseason. That was not to be, as he experienced forearm soreness that shut him down for the year after three September starts. His velocity in those appearances was back to where it had been before the shoulder injury. The forearm soreness could have been a residual effect of the layoff. The Twins didn’t seem especially concerned, announcing in early November that he would not have any restrictions over the offseason.

Minnesota also took López (and essentially all their other veteran players) off the trade market. They’d been very aggressive deadline sellers but are going into the season with expectations to compete for a playoff spot. It remains to be seen if that’s wishful thinking, but new ownership control person Tom Pohlad has said repeatedly over the past few weeks that he believes this roster capable of contending. Any optimism is built largely around the rotation, which could have an excellent one-two punch with López and Joe Ryan. If the former misses any time, an already uphill path to a playoff spot becomes more difficult.

The Twins have a decent amount of upside in the starting staff. Simeon Woods Richardson, Bailey Ober, Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, Zebby Matthews and David Festa are all in the mix for rotation spots. Prospects Kendry Rojas, Connor Prielipp and Andrew Morris probably need more time at Triple-A but are on the 40-man roster. Any of them could factor in at some point this year. There’s reason for optimism with everyone in that group, but all of those pitchers who have logged MLB time have had their share of ups and downs. They’ll also probably need some of these pitchers to factor into a patchwork bullpen if they’re to put together a contending pitching staff.

López has a Tommy John surgery in his history, undergoing the procedure when he was an 18-year-old prospect back in 2014. He’d been very durable for most of his MLB career. A rotator cuff injury cost him a couple months in 2021, but he didn’t miss a start in any of the next three seasons. He was limited to 14 outings last year but was as effective as ever on a rate basis. López turned in a 2.74 ERA with a 23.4% strikeout rate over 75 2/3 innings.

Mets, Mike Tauchman Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Mets are in agreement with veteran outfielder Mike Tauchman on a minor league contract, report Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon of The Athletic. The Meister Sports Management client will be in camp as a non-roster invitee once he completes a physical.

It’s a good landing spot for Tauchman, who has a path to breaking camp. The Mets are moving Juan Soto to left field and have Luis Robert Jr. in center. That leaves right field as the biggest question going into the season. New York signed former Royals outfielder MJ Melendez last week. He’s on the 40-man roster but has a minor league option remaining. Melendez signed a split contract that’d pay him at a lower rate for time spent in Triple-A. He’s hardly a lock to make the team.

Tauchman’s biggest competition probably comes from top prospect Carson Benge. The door is open for the 23-year-old, whom most scouts consider the top position player in the system. Benge, a first-round pick in 2024, raked at both the High-A and Double-A levels last year. He didn’t have good numbers in his first 24 Triple-A contests, slashing .188/.272/.311 there to close the year. That’d point toward him beginning this season in the minors. However, Benge’s 18% strikeout rate and 92 mph average exit velocity against Triple-A pitching suggest the results may have simply been bad luck rather than any kind of speed bump.

Benge’s play in Spring Training might be a bigger factor in whether Tauchman makes the team than how well the veteran outfielder performs. The Mets don’t have many bench spots available. Tyrone Taylor is locked into the fourth outfield role, while Mark Vientos will be on the MLB roster barring a surprise trade. Backup catcher Luis Torrens has a third bench spot secure, and they’ll likely want a depth infielder who can play shortstop regardless of whether Francisco Lindor returns from a hamate injury by Opening Day. Vidal Bruján and Ronny Mauricio are the top competitors for that job.

The Mets have a good idea of what to expect from Tauchman if he breaks camp. He’s a high-OBP corner outfielder who has been a little better than average at the plate in three consecutive seasons. The lefty hitter is coming off a .263/.356/.400 showing with nine home runs across 385 plate appearances for the White Sox. Teams have viewed him more as a quality depth piece than a roster fixture, and he has been non-tendered by the Cubs and White Sox over the past two offseasons.

Yankees Outright Yanquiel Fernandez

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The Yankees are outrighting Yanquiel Fernandez to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, the team announced. The outfielder was designated for assignment last week, shortly after the team claimed him off waivers from the Rockies. Fernandez will be in MLB Spring Training with New York.

New York was able to get the former top prospect through waivers, allowing the club to retain him as depth. With Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger back, it’s a crowded position for the Yankees. The plethora of veteran outfielders could leave Jasson Dominguez without a roster spot. Triple-A standout Spencer Jones is also on the verge of contributing in the majors. It’s a lengthy list for Fernandez to leapfrog, but he has the pedigree to make an impact if everything breaks his way.

The 23-year-old Fernandez was one of the organization’s brightest stars heading into last season. He ranked third on MLB.com’s list of Colorado’s top prospects. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs had the outfielder at fifth coming into the year. Fernandez has seemed to hit a roadblock at the upper levels, though. He’s slashed a mediocre .259/.320/.437 in 97 games at Triple-A the past two years. A .757 OPS is far from a failure, but the stat line did come at the extremely hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League.

Fernandez got his first look in the big leagues this past year, and it went poorly. He delivered a 55 wRC+ across 147 plate appearances. Fernandez’s strikeout rate pushed 30% with the Rockies. The one positive for the outfielder was getting to show off his absolute cannon of an arm. Fernandez averaged an absurd 97.2 mph on his throws from right field, which ranked in the 100th percentile. He was a slightly negative defender by Outs Above Average, but the arm strength was apparent.

Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images

Cardinals To Claim Zak Kent, Designate Bryan Ramos

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The Cardinals have claimed right-hander Zak Kent off waivers from the Rangers, reports Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Texas had designated Kent for assignment last week to clear space for left-hander Jordan Montgomery. Both teams have confirmed the move.

St. Louis designated infielder Bryan Ramos for assignment to add Kent. Ramos was claimed off waivers from the Orioles in early February.

It’s Kent’s second stint this offseason with the Cardinals. His transaction carousel began in December, when St. Louis grabbed him off waivers from the Guardians. He lasted about a month, then was bumped off the roster when the Cardinals acquired left-hander Justin Bruihl. The Rangers claimed him shortly thereafter.

Kent was drafted by Texas in 2019. The 28-year-old had spent his entire career with the organization until a cash deal sent him to Cleveland. Kent made it up for his big-league debut in April of this past season. He notched a 4.58 ERA across 12 appearances with the Guardians. Kent posted a 21.1% strikeout rate to go with a double-digit walk rate.

While his numbers were somewhat underwhelming with the Guardians, Kent put up a strong campaign at Triple-A in 2025. He cruised to a 2.84 ERA with a strong 31.4% strikeout rate. Kent picked up his first two professional saves with the Clippers.

The Cardinals now send Ramos back to DFA limbo just 10 days after claiming him. The 23-year-old infielder had spent his entire career in the White Sox organization before being dealt for cash to the Orioles a couple of weeks back. He’ll provide depth in the minors if St. Louis can get him through waivers.

Ramos has appeared in each of the past two seasons with the White Sox. He’s totaled 120 plate appearances as a big leaguer, slashing .198/.244/.333 in the brief sample. Ramos has only appeared at third base with Chicago, but he has minor league experience at first base, second base, and left field.

Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images

Front Office Subscriber Chat Transcript

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Anthony Franco

  • Hey everyone, hope you enjoyed your weekend!
  • Different schedule with the holiday so I'll have to keep this one around an hour

RoxTalks

  • When Arenado gets into Cooperstown, does he go in as a Rockie, or is there too much bad blood there? Thanks!

Anthony Franco

  • Agree he's a Hall of Famer, and yes, pretty clearly a Rockie for me
  • Could argue his best season was with St. Louis in '22 but majority of his career was in Colorado, including five of the six top 10 MVP finishes. Second or third best player in franchise history for the Rox

Guest

  • Over Under 93.5 Mets wins, and what is the X-factor

Anthony Franco

  • I'll go under but not dramatically so. If I have to pick one x-factor, it's McLean
  • Confident they're going to hit. Bullpen isn't elite but should be solid enough. Rotation's the highest variance but obviously looks much stronger if McLean is immediately a #2 starter

Joe from Milwaukee

  • Do you think the Brewers make an effort to extend Contreras? They seem a lot more willing to give big money to their position players historically and he's one of the best catchers in baseball. Also, the Yelich money is gone after 2028 anyway.

Anthony Franco

  • Pretty far outside their usual spending habits at this stage of a player's career. Quero's hanging around as a potential long-term answer as long as the throwing drop-off isn't permanent. Eventual trade of Contreras seems more probable

el jefe

  • After a busy week (Andujar, Castellanos, France, Canning, Marquez), how much have the Padres improved?

    Thoughts on the Preller extension?

Anthony Franco

  • Probably added two wins between all those moves? Not bad for the cost. Canning's my favorite of them but they're all sensible since rotation depth and the bench were the biggest issues and not that difficult to address for cheap
  • France would've been overkill on an MLB deal. For a minor league deal, sure. Decent chance he just doesn't break camp and opts out at the end of Spring Training
  • We'll see how long the Preller extension runs but makes sense to keep him around. Much as the approach can be shortsighted at times, especially with the free agent spending toward the end of Peter Seidler's ownership, they continue to trot out top 5-10 teams that are also far more exciting than virtually any Padres teams from before Preller was hired

Ms fan

  • Are teams generally staying away from promoting their top prospects to AAA now? Seems like you get a lot more guys going straight from AA to the majors.

Anthony Franco

  • Yeah it seems like this is happening more often. The Prospect Promotion Incentive rules are part of it. There's also just less to be gleaned from Triple-A from an evaluation perspective
  • The Pacific Coast League, in particular, is so hitter-friendly that the stats there don't mean much. The pitcher quality at Triple-A continues to drop as injuries at the MLB level rise and force teams to call up more of their depth arms. There's also more of a tendency for the interesting Quad-A pitchers to move to Asia rather than sticking around in Triple-A because they can see the earning potential if they have success overseas

Guards4Life

  • Is Kwan open to an extension or is he gone? Haven't heard much from his camp.

  • Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription

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Nationals To Sign Drew Smith To Minor League Deal

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Right-hander Drew Smith is heading to the Nationals on a minor league deal, reports Michelle Margaux of SNY Sports. The Roc Nation Sports client can earn a base salary of $1.75MM if he makes the big-league club. Margaux adds that Smith can earn another $1.25MM through performance bonuses.

Smith missed the entirety of the 2025 season as he recovered from Tommy John surgery. The Mets declined their $2MM club option on the reliever for 2026, sending him to free agency. Smith has pitched in parts of six big-league seasons, all with New York.

The 32-year-old has put together a 3.48 ERA across 191 MLB games since his debut in 2018. The elbow surgery cut short what was shaping up to be his best season with the Mets. Smith bumped his strikeout rate to a career-best 29.1% over 17 2/3 innings with the club in 2024. He chipped in two saves while providing an ERA of just over 3.00. The July 2024 procedure was the second TJ of Smith’s career.

Smith has typically relied on a fastball/slider combo, with the occasional changeup and curveball. After throwing just one cutter from 2022 through 2023, he made the pitch a more regular part of his arsenal in 2024. Smith’s cutter put up a 35.8% whiff rate and propelled him to a strong 14.3% swinging-strike rate. The one concern when looking at the righty’s repertoire is the four-seamer, which averaged less than 95 mph for the first time in 2024. Smith didn’t progress to a rehab assignment last season, so there’s no indication of where his velocity stands after the second major elbow injury.

Landing in Washington gives Smith a solid shot at a big-league gig, assuming health. The Nationals ranked dead last by a significant margin in bullpen ERA last season. One of the club’s few reliable relievers, Jose A. Ferrer, was dealt to Seattle for catching prospect Harry Ford. Smith joins a lengthy list of non-roster invitees competing for a bullpen job in Spring Training, including Trevor Gott, Cionel Perez, and Zach Penrod.

Photo courtesy of Jim Cowsert, Imagn Images

Brewers Sign Luis Rengifo

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Feb. 16: Milwaukee has officially announced the addition of Rengifo. With room on the 40-man roster, the Brewers did not need a corresponding move.

Feb. 13: The Brewers are bringing in Luis Rengifo on a one-year major league deal, reports Mark Feinsand of MLB.com. The veteran infielder has spent his entire seven-year MLB career with the Angels. He’s a client of MVP Sports Group. The team has yet to announce the move.

Feinsand adds that Rengifo will earn a $3.5MM base salary in 2026. The agreement includes a $10MM mutual option for 2027. Rengifo can also make an extra $1.5MM in incentives this year.

Milwaukee had a hole to address in the infield after dealing Caleb Durbin to the Red Sox. This might not be the move MLBTR’s Steve Adams had in mind when he wrote about the potential for another notable addition, but Rengifo could provide credible production at multiple spots. The 28-year-old had delivered three seasons of above-league-average offense before struggling mightily last year. He has considerable experience at second base, third base, and shortstop.

Rengifo debuted with the Angels in 2019. He held down the second base job for the majority of the season. The infielder managed an 83 wRC+ across 406 plate appearances. He earned poor marks for his work at the keystone (-4 Defensive Runs Saved, -4 Outs Above Average). Rengifo fell into part-time work over the next two seasons, scuffling at the plate but offering defensive versatility.

The 2022 campaign represented a breakout for Rengifo. He slugged 17 home runs in 127 games. Rengifo came into the year with just 14 career homers. He improved his hard-hit rate while striking out just 15.5% of the time. Rengifo maintained the offensive gains the following year, popping 16 home runs with a 115 wRC+.

Rengifo remained a valuable asset in 2024, though his production took a different shape. He only left the yard six times, but stole 24 bases and hit an even .300. Rengifo had totaled 18 thefts in the previous five MLB seasons. He’d maxed out at a .264 batting average. Biceps and wrist injuries limited Rengifo to 78 games, and could have been to blame for his lack of power.

Last season was a challenge for Rengifo. His OPS tumbled to .622, his worst mark since 2021. He did chip in nine home runs and 10 steals. Rengifo managed to stay healthy for the full year, playing in a career-high 147 games.

The switch-hitting Rengifo has typically been better from the right side. He’s slashed .268/.311/.438 against lefties in his career, compared to .242/.305/.360 when facing righties. Rengifo didn’t show noticeable splits last season, with just two points separating his OPS from each side of the plate.

It’s been more quantity than quality for Rengifo with the glove. He’s logged at least 98 appearances at all three infield positions excluding first base, but doesn’t have a DRS better than -4 at any spot. Rengifo posted a -5 DRS at third base last season, though he was a +5 at second base.

Photos courtesy of Gary A. Vasquez and Jay Biggerstaff, Imagn Images

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