Padres Have Discussed Michael King In Trade Talks
The month of January is almost done, which means pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training in a couple of weeks, but there is still plenty of offseason business left to be resolved. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reports that part of the reason things are moving slowly is that there are still lots of ongoing trade talks, with Dylan Cease and Michael King of the Padres “among the starting pitchers who remain in play.”
Cease’s name has been in plenty of rumors this winter but this is the firmest indication of the winter that King is potentially available as well. The logic for the Friars considering a trade is the same for both pitchers, as each is going into his final season of arbitration control.
The Padres are clearly working with financial restraints this winter, though their exact spending ability isn’t totally clear. For much of the winter, reporting indicated that they needed to cut their projected 2025 payroll. But reporting from recent days suggests the club may be able to keep their projected spending around its current level, give or take.
Even if the Friars don’t have to significantly cut spending, considering trades of players like Cease or King is still understandable. The club needs to address left field, catcher, the rotation and maybe shortstop as well. With little wiggle room in the budget, signing free agents to fill those holes will be difficult. The club’s biggest contracts are hard to move since each of Fernando Tatis Jr., Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts, Yu Darvish and Joe Musgrove has a full no-trade clause. Jake Cronenworth has partial no-trade protection and his contract isn’t terribly appealing at the moment.
In a similar position last winter, the Padres felt they needed to move on from Juan Soto while he was one season away from free agency. By flipping Soto and Trent Grisham to the Yankees, the Padres brought back five players who were less established but nonetheless improved the depth in the rotation and behind the plate. One of the players they got back was King, another was Drew Thorpe, who helped the Padres get Cease from the White Sox.
Now with another budget crunch, players like Luis Arráez, Cease and/or King could be this year’s Soto. All three are one year away from the open market and have no ability to stop a trade. Arráez will make $14MM this year and Cease $13.75MM. King and the Padres didn’t come to an agreement prior to the arbitration filing deadline and are slated for a hearing. He filed at $8.8MM and the club at $7.325MM.
The lesser price is a reflection of King’s smaller track record compared to Cease. While the latter has been an established big league starter for a long time now, King really only has one season as a true bona fide rotation option. He spent much of his Yankee career in a swing role, oscillating between the rotation and bullpen. Late in 2023, with the Yankees out of contention, he put together a strong run of starts and seemed to have the potential for a larger role.
The Padres made a bet on him by acquiring him as a key piece of the Soto deal, and that worked out quite well. King tossed 173 2/3 innings over 31 appearances last year, with 30 of those being starts. The other was a long relief outing during the Seoul Series, before the season had begun in earnest. He allowed just 2.95 earned runs per nine on the year, with a 27.7% strikeout rate and 8.7% walk rate. He also made two postseason starts for the Friars, adding another 12 innings with a 3.75 ERA. He finished seventh in National League Cy Young voting.
That should give King plenty of trade appeal going into 2025. While the track record isn’t as long as that of Cease, the price is well below market rates for starting pitching. Alex Cobb and Justin Verlander each got $15MM one-year deals this offseason. Cobb is 37 years old and Verlander about to turn 42, with both pitchers having been injured for much of the 2024 campaign.
A King trade would clear less payroll space for the Padres than one involving Cease or Arráez, since King is slated to make about half as much as the other two. Still, if the Padres find an offer to their liking, the logic would be similar. They could theoretically flip King for cheaper but less established players, perhaps addressing one of their many needs while also improving their depth in other areas. They’d also gain $8MM or so, give or take, to dedicate to other pursuits.
It would be a tricky tightrope to walk since the rotation already needs upgrading as it is and subtracting King or Cease would only add to their need in that department. But given the financial circumstances, it’s something they will have to think about. As of right now, the rotation consists of Darvish, King, Cease and plenty of uncertainty. Guys like Matt Waldron, Adrián Morejón or others could fill in the back but those guys have some question marks.
Time will tell if anything comes from these trade talks. The Padres have been in this situation for most of the winter but have been very quiet. Perhaps that’s due to the fact that they were a serious suitor for Roki Sasaki and wanted to know his choice before proceeding. With Sasaki signing with the Dodgers last week and spring training now so close, perhaps the Padres will blink on something. On the other hand, free agents like Jack Flaherty, Nick Pivetta and Andrew Heaney are still out there, which could prevent clubs from aggressively pushing the Padres for a deal. Pitchers like Marcus Stroman, Luis Castillo, Jordan Montgomery and Chris Paddack are likely available in trades as well. The position player market still features Alex Bregman and Pete Alonso, with those staring contests perhaps broadly holding things up as well.
Astros Have Continued Interest In Jorge Polanco
The Astros have ongoing interest in Jorge Polanco, reports Brian McTaggart of MLB.com. According to Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Houston could experiment with Polanco in left field if they land him.
That’d be a first for the switch-hitting Polanco, who hasn’t played a single major league inning in the outfield. He has logged over 7500 defensive innings in his career. Nearly all of them have come in the middle infield, while he also has a handful of starts at third base. His professional outfield experience consists of 73 innings in rookie ball in 2011-12.
Playing Polanco in left field would be no less of a roll of the dice than it would be to send Jose Altuve out there. The latter option is seemingly on the table only if the Astros re-sign Alex Bregman, who’d retake his spot at third base while pushing Isaac Paredes to second base. Altuve has never started an MLB game at a position other than second base (or designated hitter), but he indicated over the weekend he’d be happy to try his hand in left field if it meant getting Bregman back on the roster. In any case, the Astros haven’t seemed enamored with the unsigned lefty-hitting outfield options (e.g. Alex Verdugo, Jason Heyward).
Houston’s interest in Polanco seems to be as a fallback if Bregman signs elsewhere. General manager Dana Brown said on Saturday that while Houston has had recent talks with their longtime third baseman, it remains a “long shot” that he’ll return. The Athletic reported last week that the team’s previously reported six-year, $156MM offer remains on the table. However, it’s not clear if the Astros are open to pushing that any further. Unsurprisingly, Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 wrote this afternoon that Bregman was unlikely to return unless the team upped its offer.
While Polanco would obviously be far less expensive, it’s questionable whether he’d fit in Houston’s spending plans. The Astros are set to offload $8.5MM of Ryan Pressly’s salary once his trade to the Cubs is finalized. That dropped the team’s estimated luxury tax number to roughly $236MM (per RosterResource). They’re now about $5MM below the $241MM base tax threshold; they were a little more than $3MM above the line before the Pressly trade.
Houston exceeded the luxury tax threshold last season. That their offer is still out to Bregman confirms they’re open to doing so again in certain circumstances. That’s not surprising with regards to a homegrown star who has been one of the faces of the most successful run in franchise history. Paying the competitive balance tax to accommodate Polanco — who hit .213/.296/.355 in a career-worst season with the Mariners last year — could be a tougher sell for ownership.
It seems likely that Polanco will beat $5MM wherever he winds up. He was one of the game’s better offensive second basemen between 2021-23. He’d played through a patellar tendon injury in his left knee last season. He underwent postseason surgery and is expected to be ready for Opening Day. The knee injury coupled with the challenge of hitting at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park make him an intriguing rebound target as he enters his age-31 season. Even if Polanco ends up settling for less than $5MM, the signing would at least put the Astors right on the border of the threshold. If they prefer to stay below the CBT line, they’d probably need to offload more money in a trade or have limited payroll room for midseason acquisitions.
Giants, Jake Lamb Agree To Minor League Contract
The Giants are signing Jake Lamb to a minor league deal, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. The CAA client gets an invitation to big league camp. He’d earn a $1MM base salary if he makes the MLB roster.
Lamb spent the 2024 season in Triple-A as a member of the Pittsburgh organization. He tallied 414 plate appearances and had a roughly average .264/.350/.393 line with seven home runs. It was a step down from his minor league production from the preceding season. Lamb had combined for a .289/.420/.454 slash in 85 Triple-A contests between the Yankees and Angels two years ago. He earned a brief MLB call from the Halos, appearing in 19 games.
Last season was the first since 2013 in which Lamb did not get to the majors. He’s best known for his early-career run as an everyday third baseman in Arizona. Lamb was an All-Star in 2017 and combined for 59 homers between 2016-17. He hasn’t reached 250 big league plate appearances in a season since then. The lefty batter has appeared for seven different clubs going back to 2018. He has a .205/.306/.359 slash in nearly 900 trips to the plate over that time.
As he enters his age-34 season, Lamb has mostly moved off the hot corner. He didn’t play third base at all last season. He spent most of his time at first base or designated hitter and made a handful of starts in right field. He’ll vie for a spot on the San Francisco bench. The Giants have lefty-swinging LaMonte Wade Jr. penciled in at first base. They don’t have a set answer at designated hitter. Lamb hasn’t hit enough in recent seasons to play there regularly, but he could play his way into a rotational role with a strong showing in camp and/or at Triple-A Sacramento.
Rangers Announce Creation Of Rangers Sports Network
The Rangers announced the formation of the Rangers Sports Network, a club-affiliated entity that will handle the team’s broadcasting deals. It’s the culmination of the franchise’s months-long effort to create its own network after its broadcasting deal with Diamond Sports Group (now operating as Main Street Sports) expired at the end of the 2024 season.
“One of the main goals when seeking solutions for Rangers television broadcasts was to give fans more access to our games,” Rangers owner Ray Davis said in a press release. “We determined that the best path toward providing our fans with more options is to handle many of the broadcast obligations in-house.
By forming Rangers Sports Network to address the various production responsibilities for team broadcasts and content, we feel the entity is in a strong position to deliver for Rangers fans as well as execute other potential broadcast opportunities in the future,” Davis added.
By creating their own network, the Rangers can negotiate contracts with different cable and streaming providers to handle in-market broadcasting. They’ve already negotiated one such streaming partnership with Victory+, the platform that also has a streaming deal with the National Hockey League’s Dallas Stars. The Rangers plan to announce additional deals with cable and broadcast television providers in the coming days.
Evan Grant of the Dallas Morning News writes that those various forthcoming contracts are expected to expand access to nearly every household within the club’s broadcasting territory — which includes not just all of Texas but most of Louisiana, Oklahoma, New Mexico, and Arkansas. Grant notes that only a fraction of households could access Rangers games on Diamond’s Bally Sports Southwest, a result of Diamond’s inability to reach distribution agreements with a number of carriers.
The Rangers took a different path than every other team that had previously contracted with Diamond. Most clubs renegotiated one-year deals with the rebranded Main Street Sports at a slightly lesser fee. A few others turned broadcasting rights to Major League Baseball, which will make those teams’ games available in-market on MLB.tv.
Reds, Aaron Wilkerson Agree To Minor League Deal
The Reds are in agreement with right-hander Aaron Wilkerson on a minor league contract, reports Jon Morosi of the MLB Network. Wilkerson returns to the affiliated ranks after spending a season and a half in Korea.
A former Red Sox minor leaguer, Wilkerson reached the majors with the Brewers in 2017. He pitched parts of three seasons with Milwaukee, allowing a 6.88 ERA across 35 1/3 innings. After the Brewers outrighted him from their 40-man roster, Wilkerson moved to the foreign ranks. He spent a season with the Hanshin Tigers in Japan. He returned stateside on a minor league contract with the Athletics in 2023. The A’s granted him his release after 14 Triple-A appearances so he could sign on with the Lotte Giants in the Korea Baseball Organization.
Wilkerson spent a season and a half with the Giants. He posted a 2.26 ERA over 13 starts during the second half of the ’23 season. That earned him a new deal for the 2024 campaign. Wilkerson took the ball 32 times and put up a 3.84 ERA through 196 2/3 innings. He struck out 20.5% of opposing hitters against a 3.3% walk percentage.
The Giants added Tucker Davidson and re-signed Charlie Barnes to serve as their foreign-born pitchers for the upcoming season. That made it apparent that Wilkerson would not return to the team. (KBO clubs are limited to two foreign pitchers and three non-Korean players overall.) Wilkerson is likely to open the season as rotation or long relief depth for the Reds at Triple-A Louisville.
Mets Notes: Bregman, Nimmo, Minter
Infielder Alex Bregman remains unsigned, with his market taking some turns recently. While returning to the Astros once seemed impossible, it now seems that door is open a crack. Other teams are still lurking but it doesn’t seem like the Mets will be jumping in. Ari Alexander of KPRC 2 reports that the Mets are no longer in the running.
The Mets were connected to Bregman earlier this winter but it always seemed like a somewhat less-than-perfect fit since the club has a lot of other options for the infield corners. First baseman Pete Alonso and the club have been in a bit of a staring contest for months and it’s still possible that he comes back to Queens. Even without Alonso, the Mets could have Mark Vientos as their regular first baseman and then have third base open for a competition between Brett Baty, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña. Bregman is reportedly willing to move to second base but the Mets have Jeff McNeil there. McNeil can also play the outfield but the Mets have a somewhat crowded mix there.
Bregman is a more established big leaguer than any of the Mets young options but he wouldn’t come cheap. He reportedly has been unwilling to accept a six-year, $156MM offer from the Astros this winter, hoping to get something in the $200MM range. While the Mets might have had some interest in going with a more certain player like Bregman for the 2025 season, signing Bregman would be a larger commitment in terms of dollars and years. He’s about to turn 31 years old and the Baty/Acuña/Mauricio trio are all in the 22-26 range, so perhaps the Mets would rather dedicate their money elsewhere.
It also seems like Alonso is more likely to sign a short-term pact, having pitched a three-year deal to the Mets, while Bregman is still holding out hope for a long-term deal. Considering all those factors, it seems that a reunion with Alonso is probably more likely than pivoting to giving a big deal to Bregman.
Turning to players already on the roster, the club held Amazin’ Day recently, which allowed members of the media to get updates on certain players. Per two reports from Bill Ladson of MLB.com, both outfielder Brandon Nimmo and left-hander A.J. Minter are hoping to be ready before or around Opening Day.
Nimmo, the longtime Met, was playing through plantar fasciitis in his left foot during the latter parts of last year’s schedule. It’s possible that affected his performance, as he slashed .248/.361/.454 in the first half but just .190/.277/.319 in the second, followed by a tepid .220/.328/.280 performance in the postseason. He tells Ladson that he had an injection in his foot after the season and has ramped up to jogging, but has not yet started sprinting. He says he will probably miss some early spring training games but expects to be ready to go by Opening Day.
Getting a healthy season out of Nimmo hasn’t always been easy. Due to various injuries from 2016 to 2021, he only once topped 92 games and maxed out at 140. In 2022 and 2023, he finally showed what he could do with proper health. He got into at least 151 games in both of those campaigns and slashed a combined .274/.365/.450 for a 131 wRC+. Last year, despite the foot injury, he got into 151 contests but his production dipped to .224/.327/.399 and a 109 wRC+.
Nimmo turns 32 in March but his contract runs through 2030, so the club will obviously want to keep him healthy and productive for as long as possible. The fact that he’s trending towards Opening Day readiness is a good sign but the club will probably opt for playing things slow for long-term health if any speed bumps arise.
Minter, 31, was just signed a few days ago. His 2024 season was ended by left hip surgery in August. Regardless, the Mets liked him enough to give him a two-year, $22MM deal with an opt-out after year one. His recovery timeline in the wake of that procedure has been a little murky but he’s hoping to be ready for the start of the season as well.
“The goal is to be ready for Opening Day, hopefully,” Minter said. “With that being said, my hip does feel really good. I’m happy where I am. I don’t want to put a date on it. … The Mets are going to have their protocols. They want me to take it day by day. But for me, personally, my goal is to be ready close to Opening Day.”
Over the past five years, Minter has posted an earned run average of 2.85 over 267 appearances. He has struck out 30.1% of opponents while limiting walks to a 7.8% clip. His contributions were more limited last year due to the hip injury but the Mets are clearly hoping he can be back to his old self once that’s fully in the rear-view mirror.
Tristan Gray Elects Free Agency
4:21pm: Gray has indeed opted free agency. He can now sign with any club.
2:04pm: Pirates infielder Tristan Gray cleared waivers following last week’s DFA, MLBTR has learned. As a player with a prior outright assignment, he’ll have the option of rejecting a second outright in favor of free agency, if he chooses to do so. If he accepts an outright assignment, he’d likely be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis and be in major league camp as a non-roster invitee.
Gray, 29 in March, landed with the Bucs back on Halloween when they claimed him off waivers from the A’s. Over the past calendar year, Gray has signed as a minor league free agent with the Marlins, been selected to the majors, and claimed off waivers by the A’s and Pirates.
The Pirates were Gray’s original organization, selecting him in the 13th round back in 2017. He was traded to the Rays less than a year later as part of the deal bringing outfielder Corey Dickerson to Pittsburgh. He went on to spend parts of six seasons the Rays organization, briefly making his MLB debut with Tampa Bay in 2023. He only appeared in two games and tallied five plate appearances, but Gray made the most of that tiny look when he popped his first big league homer off righty Jorge Lopez. Gray totaled 31 plate appearances between the Marlins and A’s in 2024 and went 3-for-28 with a double.
While he hasn’t hit much in a tiny big league sample, Gray has shown plenty of pop in the upper minors. He swatted 33 homers with Tampa Bay’s Triple-A club in 2022 and connected on another 30 in 2023. He’s played in parts of four seasons in Triple-A and posted a combined .238/.306/.472 batting line.
Gray has played all four infield positions in his professional career, though shortstop has been the most frequent, with 2477 innings there. The Marlins and A’s played him at the corners exclusively in 2024, however. Overall, Gray has 1439 professional innings at third base, 1312 at second base and 911 at first base. He’s a versatile left-handed bat with some platoon issues and strikeout concerns but plenty of pop and a better-than-average walk rate in each of the past two Triple-A campaigns.
MLBTR originally reported that Gray had already been assigned outright to Triple-A, which is not accurate. We regret the error.
Rangers Sign Jesse Chavez, Cody Thomas To Minor League Deals
The Rangers announced that they have signed right-hander Jesse Chavez and outfielder Cody Thomas to minor league deals. They also announces previously-reported pacts for righty David Buchanan and catcher Chad Wallach. Chavez is represented by Apex Baseball and Thomas by Octagon. Both of them will be in big league camp as non-roster invitees.
Chavez, 41, has already written a lengthy baseball story. He debuted in the big leagues back in 2008 and has appeared in each season since then, suiting up for nine different clubs, having multiple stints with many of them.
That includes the Rangers. Chavez was drafted by Texas way back in 2002, but was traded to the Pirates prior to making it to the majors. He eventually found his way back to the Rangers, signing with them going into 2018, though he was traded to the Cubs that summer. Going into 2019, he came back to Texas yet again, signing a two-year deal at that time.
Despite his age, he has proven himself still capable of getting major league hitters out. He spent 2024 with Atlanta and tossed 63 1/3 innings over 46 appearances. He allowed 3.13 earned runs per nine frames, though there may have been a bit of luck there. His 20.8% strikeout rate was subpar but his .279 batting average on balls in play and 80.3% strand rate were both on the fortunate side, which is why his 4.43 FIP and 3.81 SIERA were higher than his ERA.
There’s no real harm in the Rangers bringing aboard an old friend via a minor league deal. The club has been trying to remake its bullpen while dealing with some notable financial restraints. Kirby Yates, David Robertson, José Leclerc and Andrew Chafin all hit free agency after last year, but the club has been a bit frugal in replacing them since it seems they want to stay under the competitive balance tax.
They acquired Robert Garcia, who has not yet qualified for arbitration, in the Nathaniel Lowe trade. They’ve also given one-year pacts to Chris Martin, Jacob Webb, Shawn Armstrong, and Hoby Milner, with no one in that group getting more than $5.5MM. It’s unclear what kind of salary Chavez would make if selected to the big league roster, but it’s likely not huge, so he provides the club with yet another modestly-priced addition to the relief group.
Thomas, 30, got into 29 games with the Athletics over the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He hit .250/.308/.333 in those but was outrighted off the roster and became a free agent going into 2024. He headed to Asia last year to play for the Orix Buffaloes of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. He went hitless in 18 at-bats and was mostly kept on the farm by the Buffaloes, slashing .263/.335/.324 in 79 games in the minors.
Looking For A Match In A Spencer Torkelson Trade
The Tigers rearranged their infield when they signed Gleyber Torres last month. He’ll play second base, a move that pushes Colt Keith to first base. The trickle-down effect is to block the clearest path to at-bats for 2020 first overall pick Spencer Torkelson.
As one would expect, Detroit’s baseball operations president Scott Harris pushed back against the idea that adding Torres squeezed Torkelson out of the picture. “My message to Tork was: ’if you have a big offseason and a big Spring Training, there’s a role for you on this team.’ This team needs more right-handed power and we’ve seen Tork do that in the past,” Harris said last month.
That may be true, but it’s also not difficult to imagine a change-of-scenery trade. In an MLBTR poll last week, a plurality of respondents felt that Torkelson would be dealt before Opening Day. At times, he has flashed the power that made him a top pick. He hit 31 homers in 2023. While his overall batting line wasn’t great, a .238/.318/.498 showing in that season’s second half provided hope that he’d taken a step forward. Even if he didn’t look like an all-around impact bat, he showed the potential for plus power. Torkelson’s production tanked in 2024, as he hit just .219/.295/.374 with 10 longballs over 92 MLB games. He spent more than a third of the season in Triple-A, where he drew a ton of walks but struck out at a 31% clip.
This may be the last opportunity for the Tigers to recoup anything of note in a Torkelson trade. While he certainly doesn’t have the value he had during his prospect days, Detroit would find some interest if they shopped him. Another down year could make him a DFA or non-tender candidate as he heads into what’d be his first year of arbitration. It’s possible Torkelson spends enough time in the minors this year that he doesn’t reach arbitration, but that would burn his last option season. If the Tigers keep him in Triple-A for that long, they’d be hard-pressed to carry him on the 2026 Opening Day roster.
Which teams are best suited to take a flier on Torkelson? Every team could theoretically fit, since he’s set for a salary around the league minimum and has one minor league option remaining. Still, it doesn’t make much sense for a team that has both first base and designated hitter solidified (i.e. Astros, Dodgers, Braves) to give up anything of note just to keep Torkelson in Triple-A. We’re looking for clubs that could realistically give him 400 or more plate appearances going into a make-or-break year.
Best Fits (listed alphabetically)
- Giants: San Francisco has been loosely tied to Pete Alonso this offseason. While it seems they’re reluctant to make a multi-year commitment at first base, they’ve looked for ways to add power. Installing a potential 30-homer bat at shortstop in Willy Adames helps, but the Giants are lacking pop in their first base/designated hitter mix. LaMonte Wade Jr. is an OBP-focused hitter who has come up in trade rumors. The Giants could use a committee approach at DH with the likes of Wilmer Flores, Brett Wisely and former top prospect Marco Luciano. While Torkelson would add another right-handed bat to a lineup that skews to that side, he carries a higher ceiling than Flores provides at this stage of his career. Wade will be a free agent next offseason, so there’s room for both Torkelson and top prospect Bryce Eldridge as a long-term first base/DH combination if both players work out.
- Mariners: Seattle’s only acquisition of note this offseason is the signing of Donovan Solano to a $3.5MM free agent deal. He’s a righty hitter who may spend the majority of his time at first base. Solano is a part-time player who has only reached 400 plate appearances in a season once. He’s going into his age-37 campaign. Solano can factor in at second and third base, neither of which are settled in Seattle. The M’s could find at-bats for Torkelson, especially if they offload part of the Mitch Haniger or Mitch Garver salaries via trade, though his kind of power-over-hit approach hasn’t traditionally played well at T-Mobile Park.
- Marlins: Most of the time, these trade fit exercises focus on competitive teams. Rebuilding clubs don’t often acquire major league talent. Torkelson’s four years of contractual control make this a different situation. If Miami still feels he’s a long-term regular, there’s a straightforward case for taking a flier. The Marlins could play Torkelson regularly for a season or two and market him as a more valuable trade chip down the line. If he flops, it’s not likely that they’ve taken at-bats away from any core pieces. Presumptive first baseman Jonah Bride hit well over 272 plate appearances last season, but he’s 29 years old and has a career .232/.325/.342 slash line in the majors. Deyvison De Los Santos could get at-bats at DH if the Fish want to give him a look.
- Padres: San Diego has yet to make a payroll-clearing trade from their infield. If they don’t, they’ll run things back with Luis Arraez at first base. They don’t have anyone slated for regular DH work, though, and payroll space is limited. Torkelson would be an affordable bat they could plug in there to divide time with Arraez between first base and designated hitter.
- Rockies: The Miami logic applies to the Rockies — arguably even more so. Former first-round pick Michael Toglia is a career .206/.287/.406 hitter. He hit 25 homers but struck out in almost a third of his plate appearances last year. He’s not demonstrably better than Torkelson, at least, and the Rox could be intrigued by the latter’s power upside at Coors Field. The DH spot is open after Charlie Blackmon’s retirement. Colorado can’t rely on Kris Bryant to stay healthy.
Plausible Long Shots
- Blue Jays: Toronto has kicked around the idea of playing Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at third base more often. They don’t have a clear option for regular DH work. That Pete Alonso is on their radar suggests they’re not opposed to adding a first baseman. That could be an approach specific to Alonso rather than a buy-low candidate like Torkelson, though.
- Brewers: Milwaukee doesn’t have room for Torkelson right now. They’d no doubt love to offload a good portion of Rhys Hoskins’ $18MM salary. That’s easier than done, but if they line up a Hoskins deal, they could view Torkelson as a viable (and much more affordable) target to backfill first base.
- Reds: Cincinnati’s infield has gone from a perceived area of depth to its most significant weakness within a year. They’ve already attempted to address it this offseason with the acquisition of Gavin Lux to rotate between second and third base. First base remains a big question mark after Christian Encarnacion-Strand’s injury-plagued season and the down year from Jeimer Candelario. There’s enough rebound potential with both players that the Reds may not feel Torkelson is an upgrade, but it should at least be on the table.
- Twins: Minnesota is looking for a right-handed bat. That’s likelier to come in the outfield, but they also haven’t addressed first base since losing Carlos Santana to free agency. Torkelson could compete with Jose Miranda and Edouard Julien for reps between first and DH. Intra-division trades are rarely easy to pull off, especially when both teams are aiming for a playoff spot. However, a Torkelson trade would be (at least to an extent) an acknowledgement on Detroit’s part that they don’t believe he’ll be the player he was expected to become as a prospect. That could reduce their hesitancy about moving him to another AL Central team.
Orioles Sign Dylan Carlson, Designate Jacob Amaya For Assignment
The Orioles announced that they have signed outfielder Dylan Carlson to a one-year deal. The ALIGND Sports Agency client will reportedly make $975K with a $25K bonus for getting to 200 plate appearances. Infielder Jacob Amaya has been designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Carlson, 26, has seen his stock slide in recent years. That includes a very rough showing in 2024. Between the Cardinals and Rays last year, he stepped to the plate 265 times but struck out in 28.3% of those appearances and hit just .209/.287/.277 for a wRC+ of 67. The Rays could have retained him via arbitration, with MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz projecting a $2.7MM salary, but they non-tendered him instead.
It’s been a steep drop from a few years ago. Carlson was selected by the Cardinals with the 33rd overall pick in 2016 and he performed well in his first professional games. Baseball America ranked him as one of the ten best prospects in the entire league in both 2020 and 2021.
In the latter of those two years, he seemed to be on his way to delivering on that prospect hype. He got into 149 games for the Cards in 2021, hitting 18 home runs and slashing .266/.343/.437 for a 111 wRC+. He also got some decent marks for his glovework, leading FanGraphs to credit him with 2.4 wins above replacement on the year. Since he was only 22 years old at the time, it would have been fair to consider that just the beginning.
Unfortunately, his production has trended down since then, perhaps due to a lack of health. A left hamstring strain sent him to the injured list, followed by a later stint for a left thumb sprain. He played 128 games with a .236/.316/.380 line and 98 wRC+. In 2023, left ankle issues were the culprit, sending him to the IL multiple times and eventually requiring surgery. He hit .219/.318/.333 for a wRC+ of 84, getting into just 76 games. In 2024, a left AC joint sprain put him on the IL to start the year. As mentioned earlier, he went on to have a poor season and got sent to free agency.
For the O’s, they probably aren’t expecting much out of Carlson except to fill a fourth outfielder role. They have Cedric Mullins, Tyler O’Neill and Colton Cowser likely to be their regular trio on the grass. Even if someone in that group gets hurt, they have Heston Kjerstad as an option to step up. He still has options remaining and could perhaps be ticketed for everyday at-bats in Triple-A until he’s needed in the majors. The designated hitter slot will probably be shared by first basemen Ryan Mountcastle and Ryan O’Hearn.
That will likely leave Carlson and Daz Cameron in bench/depth roles. Carlson has played all three outfield spots in his career, with mixed reviews. Defensive Runs Saved considers him to have been slightly above average on the whole, though Outs Above Average has him a bit below par.
Based on his past prospect pedigree, there’s theoretically some upside there since Carlson is still young, though he will need to stay healthy and find a path to some regular playing time. If that comes to pass, Carlson can be retained for 2026 via arbitration. He also has a full slate of options, so it’s possible the O’s send him to the minors to try and get him back on track that way. His service time is at four years and 104 days, putting him 68 days of the five-year mark. Once he gets to that line, he can’t be optioned without his consent.
Amaya, 26, was just claimed off waivers earlier this month. The O’s have a penchant for grabbing guys off the wire and then trying to pass them through at a later date, so it’s not especially surprising to see that happen here.
The young infielder is considered to be stronger as a fielder than as a hitter. He has plenty of experience with the middle infield positions, as well as some time at third base, generally impressing prospect evaluators. He has hit .182/.222/.195 in 81 major league plate appearances. That’s a tiny sample size but his minor league work has also been subpar. Over the past two years, he stepped to the plate 868 times on the farm and hit .241/.332/.379 for a wRC+ of 80.
He exhausted his final option in 2024. As his out-of-options status was nearing, he started to bounce around the league. He was designated for assignment by the Marlins in March and traded to the Astros. Houston put him on waivers in August, which led the White Sox to make a claim, though they subsequently lost him to the O’s this month.
Amaya heads back to DFA limbo and will know his fate within a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so any possibility of a trade would need to be explored in the next five days. Based on his past few DFAs, he’s probably headed for the waiver wire again in the coming days. If he clears this time, the O’s will retain him as some infield depth but without him taking up a roster spot.
Jon Heyman of The New York Post had the financial terms.