The Opener News & Rumors

Here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye out for headed into the weekend:

1. MLBTR’s Free Agent Power Rankings:

The 2026 season is only just getting underway, but we at MLB Trade Rumors are always preparing for the next offseason. Much of the talk surrounding this coming winter is focused on the impending lockout, but just like any other year there will be a class of talented players reaching the open market. With the season still in its early stages, we’re taking the opportunity to take a temperature check of this year’s class with the first edition of our Free Agent Power Rankings. Some of those choices were obvious — spoiler: Tarik Skubal made the cut! — but there’s plenty of room for change in the pecking order as the season progresses, especially on the hitting side of things. MLBTR readers can look forward to the March/April installment of our Free Agent Power Rankings going live later today.

2. Griffin to make his debut:

While the sides are still deep in extension talks, the Pirates are calling up No. 1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin to the majors today. Griffin, 19, is now poised to debut three weeks shy of his 20th birthday after posting a .749 OPS in Spring Training and following that up with a 7-for-16 showing at Triple-A with three doubles and three steals. It remains to be seen if Griffin will hit the ground running in the majors or if he’ll need some time to adjust to the highest level, but fans in Pittsburgh are ecstatic to get to watch a potential cornerstone player on a daily basis either way. Griffin’s first assignment will come against the Orioles and right-hander Kyle Bradish at 4:12pm local time in Pittsburgh.

3. Fitzgerald on the move?

Giants utilityman Tyler Fitzgerald remains in DFA limbo after being designated for assignment earlier this week. He’s coming off a tough year in 2025 where he struggled to hit at the big league level, but his speed, versatility and strong 2024 season could still make him an interesting pickup for a club with a less crowded bench mix than the Giants. San Francisco will try to find a trade before placing Fitzgerald on waivers, and if a swap is to come together it’ll need to happen in the near future. Fitzgerald was designated on Monday, and at the five-day mark he’ll need to be placed on waivers so that 48-hour process could conclude within the maximum one-week window for DFA resolution. It’s unlikely the Giants would find a huge return for a player who’s been designated for assignment, but a swap for a low-level prospect or even just a cash deal is entirely feasible. Will the club find a deal to its liking, or will Fitzgerald simply hit waivers?

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball throughout the day:

1. Winn OK after car accident:

Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn hit the first walk-off of his career against the Mets in the 11th inning yesterday, but not long after doing so the shortstop was involved in a single-car accident on the interstate near Busch Stadium. As noted by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals thankfully announced that Winn is OK after he was examined at a local hospital.

The Cardinals are off today as they travel to Detroit for their first road series of the year. Whether the star shortstop will play remains to be seen, and Goold notes that the team plans to re-evaluate him prior to tomorrow’s game. Thomas Saggese, José Fermín, and Ramon Urías all have infield experience and could sub in for Winn on the infield if needed. Fermín and Saggese both have shortstop experience, while Urías could plug in at second base if JJ Wetherholt covers short for Winn.

2. Griffin, Pirates working towards extension:

The Pirates have been working to extend the sport’s top prospect, shortstop Konnor Griffin, ahead of his impending MLB debut later this year. ESPN’s Buster Olney characterized the sides as “deep” into extension talks yesterday. The Pirates are seemingly willing to offer Griffin the largest contract in franchise history (surpassing Bryan Reynolds‘ $100MM deal). That would also top Mariners prospect Colt Emerson‘s newly secured $95MM deal for the largest ever to a pre-debut player. Will Griffin join Emerson, Cooper Pratt, and Pete Crow-Armstrong in signing early-career extensions this spring?

3. White Sox home opener postponed:

The White Sox announced that today’s scheduled game against the Blue Jays has been postponed until tomorrow. Today was meant to be Chicago’s home opener, but those festivities will now be moved back a day due to an inclement weather forecast for this afternoon. Perla Paredes of MLB.com writes that the pitching matchup for the game remains unchanged, with righty Sean Burke set to take on former White Sox ace Dylan Cease as he returns to town with the Blue Jays. Gates for tomorrow’s home opener will open at 11:10am local time, with first pitch scheduled for 1:10pm. Paredes goes on to note that all tickets for today’s postponed game will be valid for tomorrow’s home opener without any exchanges being necessary.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Eflin injury spurs Orioles roster moves:

Orioles right-hander Zach Eflin is expected to land on the injured list as he undergoes imaging to determine the cause of his elbow discomfort, which has prompted the team to select the contract of veteran righty Albert Suarez. Baltimore will need to make a 40-man roster move, as Suarez is currently in Triple-A on a minor league deal. He’s been effective for the O’s when called upon over the past two years, with a 3.59 ERA and 4.07 FIP across 145 1/3 innings of work. While Eflin’s rotation spot eventually figures to go to Dean Kremer, Suarez can provide length out of the bullpen for a few days until Eflin’s spot in the rotation comes up, at which point Kremer can take over. Details on both Eflin’s MRI and the corresponding move for Suarez could be available as soon as today.

2. DeLauter nursing foot injury:

Guardians outfielder Chase DeLauter has kicked off his rookie season in a big way, slashing .273/.304/.818 with an MLB-best four home runs. Unfortunately, last night’s game against the Dodgers put a bit of a damper on his torrid start. DeLauter fouled a pitch from Shohei Ohtani off his foot in the first inning, forcing him to leave the game. Jacob Gurvis of MLB.com notes that x-rays came back negative. DeLauter was already scheduled to have today’s game off according to manager Stephen Vogt. With the Guardians off Thursday, the first big test for DeLauter’s injury will be whether he’s in the starting lineup against the Cubs on Friday. C.J. Kayfus replaced DeLauter in the outfield yesterday and would likely continue filling in until he’s ready to return to the field.

3. Skenes looks to move past rough first start:

Reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes kicked off the 2026 season with a rare clunker when he allowed five runs in the first inning while recording just two outs before being pulled. It was just the second start of Skenes’ career where he’s surrendered five earned runs, and the first one saw the righty go six innings despite those struggles. Skenes had no help from his defense during last week’s start, of course, and far fewer than five runs would have scored if not for defensive lapses from center fielder Oneil Cruz. Even so, Skenes wasn’t at his best; he faced a total of nine hitters, walking two of them and plunking another. He’ll look to rebound today against lefty Andrew Abbott and the division-rival Reds in a game scheduled for 12:40pm local time in Cincinnati.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. McClanahan makes long-awaited return:

Rays southpaw Shane McClanahan hasn’t thrown a pitch in the majors since 2023 due to Tommy John surgery and nerve issues. After missing more than two full seasons, the lefty is finally ready to return to the major league mound. His first assignment will be a start against the Brewers and their own oft-injured ace, Brandon Woodruff (3.20 ERA in 12 starts last year). It’s easy to forget after such a long layoff, but McClanahan was among the most talented young starters in the sport when he first broke onto the scene in 2021. In 74 career starts to this point, the lefty sports a 3.02 ERA and 28.0% strikeout rate. Now just a month from his 29th birthday, McClanahan will have the opportunity to prove he can still be a high-end starter when healthy this year. His first game is scheduled for 6:40pm local time in Milwaukee.

2. Painter to make MLB debut:

Phillies right-hander Andrew Painter has been a highly-discussed name for years now, ever since he was on the cusp of making the majors with Philadelphia back in 2023. He wound up undergoing surgery on his UCL instead, and after missing two full seasons he return to the mound last year. Unfortunately his 22 starts at the Triple-A level came with lackluster results, including a 5.40 ERA. Despite that middling performance last year, Painter remains a consensus top-40 prospect in the sport and looked good during Spring Training with a 2.31 ERA in four starts. He didn’t strike out many of his opponents, but that was still enough to earn him a rotation job. He’ll finally make his big league debut today against the Nationals in Philadelphia. The game is scheduled for 6:40pm local time and will see him face off against D.C. lefty PJ Poulin.

3. Pratt extension incoming?

The Brewers and top shortstop prospect Cooper Pratt are reportedly working on an extension, though no deal appears to be finalized at this point. It’s a surprising move given that the 21-year-old is just three games into his Triple-A career, but with Caleb Durbin having been removed from the infield in Milwaukee over the offseason the Brewers might have interest in fast-tracking the youngster to the majors this year. The pact would guarantee him $50.75MM over eight years if finalized, and would have a pair of club options at the end as well. Assuming the deal gets done, Pratt will become the Brewer under team control for the longest period of time, beating out outfielder Jackson Chourio‘s own pre-debut extension. We’ll sure hear more about both the necessary corresponding move to add Pratt to the 40-man roster and the timeline for his arrival in the majors in fairly short order after the deal is completed.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. deGrom still waiting for season debut:

Rangers veteran Jacob deGrom was slated to make his season debut over the weekend, but was scratched from his scheduled start due to a neck issue. Via Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News, manager Skip Schumaker indicated that deGrom could still make his first start of the year during the club’s current series in Baltimore. Righty Jack Leiter has already been announced as today’s starter, but deGrom could start tomorrow’s game against Orioles righty Zach Eflin or pitch Wednesday versus lefty Trevor Rogers. The 37-year-old deGrom enjoyed his first full season of the decade in 2025, making 30 starts for the first time since winning the NL Cy Young Award in 2019. The righty’s 2.97 ERA and 3.64 FIP weren’t quite the same level as his peak, but that’s still clearly front-of-the-rotation production the Rangers are counting on as they look to return to the playoffs this year.

2. Murakami kicks off MLB career with homer streak:

Longtime NPB slugger and current White Sox rookie Munetaka Murakami exploded onto the stateside scene over the weekend, hitting home runs in three consecutive games against the Brewers to kick off his MLB career. The corner infielder took a deal well below expectations with Chicago due to concerns about his contact rate and defensive ability. Those concerns will take a lot more than one series to fade, but there was never any doubt about his prodigious power. That’s absolutely played so far, and when the White Sox head to Miami to face Chris Paddack (5.35 ERA in 2025) Murakami will look to extend his career-opening homer streak to four games. That game is scheduled to take place at 6:40pm local time in Miami this evening, with Davis Martin (4.10 ERA in 2025) set to take the mound opposite Paddack.

3. Key starters making team debuts:

As the first turn through the rotation of the 2026 season continues, a number of impact starters will make their first starts with new teams today. Cubs right-hander Edward Cabrera (3.53 ERA in 2025) will take on the Angels at 6:40pm local time in Chicago, while the Red Sox will send southpaw Ranger Suarez (3.20 ERA in 2025) to the mound against the Astros at 7:10pm local time in Houston. Ryan Weathers (3.99 ERA in eight starts last year) will make his Yankees debut against the Mariners at 6:40pm Seattle time, while Paddack (Marlins), Walker Buehler (Padres), Nick Martinez (Rays), and Kyle Harrison (Brewers) are among the other starters making team debuts. It’s not quite a team debut, but Justin Verlander (3.85 ERA in 2025) is slated to make his first start for the Tigers since 2017 at 7:10pm local time in Phoenix against Diamondbacks righty Michael Soroka (who is making his own debut for the Snakes).

With the 2026 season now underway, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Opening Day Part 3:

Most teams have already had their first game of the season, but a handful of clubs are only just now getting the Opening Day experience. The season begins today for fans of the A’s, Blue Jays, Rockies, Marlins, Royals, and Braves. The game between Kansas City and Atlanta is particularly exciting, given the impressive pitching matchup between a pair of excellent left-handers: Kansas City’s Cole Ragans and Atlanta’s Chris Sale. First pitch is scheduled for 7:15pm local time in Atlanta. Both Ragans and Sale missed time last year to injury, but the former has a 3.52 ERA in his last 45 starts while Sale has been even more impressive with a 2.46 ERA in 50 appearances.

2. Hoerner extension details incoming:

The Cubs and second baseman Nico Hoerner got together on a six-year extension last night. It’s the second six-year extension they’ve signed this week after star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong agreed to a $115MM deal. The financial details of Hoerner’s contract aren’t yet known but should come to light in short order. Hoerner would’ve been among the top free agents in this year’s class had he tested the open market after this season. It does bring about questions about the future of Matt Shaw on the Cubs’ roster, as Hoerner and new third baseman Alex Bregman are now both locked into the Chicago infield for the foreseeable future, leaving Shaw without a position.

3. Starters suiting up for new teams:

A pair of starters will be making their debuts with their new teams Friday. Tigers fans will get their first look at southpaw Framber Valdez, who’ll take on right-hander Michael King and the Padres. King is coming off an injury-marred 2025 season but is one of the most effective arms in the sport when healthy, while Valdez posted a 3.66 ERA with a 3.37 FIP in 192 innings of work last year.

Fans of Valdez’s former club in Houston will be getting their first look at right-hander Mike Burrows, who came to the ‘Stros from the Pirates in the three-team trade that sent Jacob Melton to Tampa Bay and Brandon Lowe to Pittsburgh. Burrows, 26, made 23 appearances (19 starts) for the Pirates last year and posted a 3.94 ERA, 24.1% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate in 96 innings. He’s gearing up for his first full big league season and will get started with tonight’s game against Yusei Kikuchi and the Angels.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world as the 2026 season fully gets underway:

1. Opening Day Part 2:

While the 2026 season officially kicked off last night with the Yankees’ 7-0 romp over the Giants, most of the league will be starting its season today. Thursday’s games kick off at 1:15pm ET, when the Pirates take on the Mets in New York. Games will continue throughout the day before wrapping up with the Guardians facing the Mariners at 7:10pm PT in Seattle, nearly nine hours after the first game of the day. Just one matchup between division rivals is scheduled, as the Diamondbacks head to L.A. for a series against the reigning World Series Champion Dodgers.

2. Will O’Neill continue his streak?

Opening Day brings about many things each year: the start of a new baseball season, room for optimism for almost every fan base in the majors… and an opportunity for Tyler O’Neill to continue one of the wildest streaks in baseball. O’Neill has hit home runs on Opening Day for six consecutive years now, having started his streak as a member of the Cardinals in 2020 and carried through his trip through Boston and into his arrival with Baltimore. Today, he’ll look to continue that streak with the Orioles in their game against the Twins, which is scheduled for 3:05pm ET at Camden Yards. Twins ace Joe Ryan (3.42 ERA in 2025) will be on the mound for Minnesota and looking to build on his first All-Star campaign. Ryan surrendered homers on 12.1% of his fly balls both in 2025 and for his career so far, and gave up 26 total bombs last season. O’Neill is looking to rebound from an injury-wrecked season that saw him bat just .199/.292/.392 with nine home runs in 209 plate appearances.

3. Peralta to make first official Mets start:

Many fans already got a glimpse of right-hander Freddy Peralta in a Mets uniform during Spring Training, when he posted an impressive 2.70 ERA across ten frames. However, today’s matchup between the Mets and Pirates will be the first time Peralta starts a game that actually counts for his new club. His first assignment is a tough draw, as he’ll be battling reigning NL Cy Young winner Paul Skenes (1.97 ERA in 2025) while trying to suppress a new-look Pittsburgh lineup. Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds return, but this time they’re surrounded by a supporting cast of offseason additions like Marcell Ozuna, Brandon Lowe, and Ryan O’Hearn. It’s a big test for the Pirates’ offense out the gate, as Peralta finished fifth in NL Cy Young voting last year after firing 176 2/3 innings with a 2.70 ERA and a 28.2% strikeout rate.

Baseball is back! Here are three things for baseball fans to keep an eye on as the 2026 season gets underway:

1. Opening Day 2026:

The 2026 season kicks off this evening with a single game set to air on Netflix. The Yankees will head to San Francisco for a game against the Giants that’s set to begin at 5:05pm local time. Right-hander Logan Webb (4th in NL Cy Young voting last year) is poised to face off against southpaw Max Fried (4th in AL Cy Young voting last year). The Yankees didn’t make any real changes to their lineup over the winter, though they’ll be without injured shortstop Anthony Volpe, which will give Jose Caballero the Opening Day nod at shortstop. It’ll be the first Yankees Opening Day for Caballero and third baseman Ryan McMahon, both of whom were acquired at last year’s trade deadline. The Giants, meanwhile, added infielder Luis Arraez and center fielder Harrison Bader in free agency, and Wednesday will be Rafael Devers‘ first Opening Day with San Francisco following last year’s June acquisition.

2. Roster moves aplenty:

All 30 teams, not just the Yankees and Giants, need to get their rosters ready for Opening Day today. That means there will be plenty of roster moves to keep an eye on throughout the day. Veterans who opted out of minor league deals are signing new contracts, players are being selected to 40-man rosters and designated for assignment, injury list decisions are being made, and even a few trades are likely to take place. Keep an eye on MLBTR throughout the day for the latest on all the last-minute roster decisions and transactions around the league.

3. Extension season continues:

Yesterday, the Cubs and center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong finalized a six-year extension that guarantees the All-Star $115MM. That’s only the most recent in a busy spring for extensions, with Cristopher Sanchez, Jesus Luzardo, and Chris Sale among those to have inked new contracts on the player side, while Ross Atkins, Oli Marmol, Pat Murphy, and A.J. Preller have all done so on the personnel side. Extension conversations tend to continue a bit beyond Opening Day, and that’ll likely be true in 2026. Pirates top prospect Konnor Griffin and A’s catcher Shea Langeliers are among the young players whose teams could look to lock them up long-term. Pending free agents like Cubs second baseman Nico Hoerner and Mets right-hander Freddy Peralta have been heavily discussed extension candidates but might be less likely to get a deal done with just seven months to go before free agency.

Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day:

1. Crow-Armstrong extension details incoming:

The Cubs and star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong are finalizing a contract extension, but the deal has yet to be made official and the terms of the agreement are not yet reported. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports the deal is worth “more than double”the $66MM guarantee Crow-Armstrong was offered last year. That suggests a guarantee north of $132MM, and Nightengale goes on to write that the length of the deal will be “at least six years and perhaps as long as nine years.” More concrete information on the contract terms could become available as soon as today.

2. Will McGonigle make the Tigers?

Opening Day is just around the corner, meaning a number of major roster decisions need to be made around the league. Perhaps the biggest undecided call is in Detroit, where top prospect Kevin McGonigle could make the team as the club’s starting shortstop but has not yet received that assurance, with manager A.J. Hinch telling reporters (including Evan Petzold of the Detroit Free Press) that they have not yet made a decision. McGonigle is the consensus No. 2 prospect in the game and certainly seemed ready during Spring Training, when he slashed .250/.423/.500 with more walks (11) than strikeouts (8) in 52 trips to the plate. A poll of MLBTR readers conducted just three weeks ago was fairly split on the matter, with 54% of respondents suggesting they expected McGonigle to break camp with the Tigers. Will he manage to do so, or will he head back to Triple-A and leave the shortstop position in the hands of Zach McKinstry and Javier Baez?

3. Pena status update:

Astros manager Joe Espada told reporters yesterday that star shortstop Jeremy Pena was undergoing testing after his pregame workout and could wind up getting at-bats in today if those tests go well (via Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle). That would be a big step for Pena, who suffered a finger fracture during the run-up to the World Baseball Classic earlier this month. That injury seemed to make a return to action by Opening Day an unlikely outcome, but the Astros at no point ruled Pena out for the start of the season and still not have done so with their first game just two days away. If Pena takes at-bats today and they go well, he could yet avoid a trip to the injured list. If the All-Star does wind up shelved to start the year, that would open the door to both Brice Matthews and Zach Cole making the roster.

On the heels of big news out of Toronto earlier this morning, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:

1. Roster decisions abound:

Opening Day is just around the corner, and as a result a flurry of roster moves have taken place over the past few days. That’s sure to continue going forward, as non-roster players breaking camp with the team will need to be added to the 40-man roster, while players without options remaining who don’t make their current team will need to be cut loose. Some big roster decisions yet to be made include whether top prospect Kevin McGonigle will break camp with the Tigers and whether Astros shortstop Jeremy Pena will be healthy enough to begin the season on the roster or require a trip to the injured list.

2. Trades, opt-outs, and signings galore:

As teams finalize their rosters and inform veterans on minor league deals that they won’t make the club, many of those veterans will have the opportunity to return to free agency. We’ve already seen southpaw Joey Lucchesi granted his release from the Giants, while catcher Reese McGuire managed to leverage his opt-out in the Brewers organization into a big league deal with the White Sox. In addition to those veterans moving in and out of free agency, the trade market is rife with possibilities at this time of year. The Nationals already took advantage of a roster crunch in New York by acquiring young infielder Jorbit Vivas from the Yankees, while some minor league veterans like Joe La Sorsa have upward mobility clauses in their contracts that can force a trade to a team willing to roster them.

3. Extension season continues:

Even amid the flurry of roster moves headed into Opening Day, springtime remains extension season all around baseball. It’s been a busy past few days on the extension front, as the Phillies inked southpaw Cristopher Sanchez to a new contract yesterday, locking up the lefty through his mid-30s, while this morning saw the Blue Jays extend GM Ross Atkins and manager John Schneider ahead of what would’ve been the final years of their contracts. Outside of the deals that have already gotten done, the loudest buzz in terms of extensions involved star Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin, who was assigned to minor league camp over the weekend but also has mutual interest in an extension with his organization. Are there more deals on the horizon as Opening Day draws near?