The Opener News & Rumors

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

1. Pitchers and catchers continue to report:

Most teams have had their first official workout of Spring Training at this point, but a few clubs have still yet to begin official activities. Almost all the remaining teams are scheduled to have their first workout today. In Arizona’s Cactus League, that list includes the Guardians, Rockies, Brewers, and Mariners. Meanwhile, Florida’s Grapefruit League will see the Twins, Yankees, Cardinals, and Rays all officially start spring activities. Notable new faces expected to be present for today’s workouts include Brandon Sproat and Kyle Harrison (Brewers), Dustin May (Cardinals), Michael Lorenzen (Rockies), and Ryan Weathers (Yankees).

2. Castellanos conclusion incoming:

The Phillies’ long, awkward divorce with veteran Nick Castellanos appears to be drawing to a close. According to The Athletic’s Matt Gelb, a resolution for Castellanos, whether that’s a release or a trade, is expected to come together within the next two days. It’s unclear what sort of market Castellanos might have in trade, but it could be viable for a team interested in the soon to be 34-year-old for a part-time role or an interested club without much hope of making the postseason this year to sacrifice a little extra money to swing a trade for him rather than banking on being able to convince him to sign with them after he’s released.

3. Quintana’s deal to be made official:

Along with the aforementioned arrival of Lorenzen in Rockies camp today, Colorado is expected to welcome another veteran pitcher into the fold officially. Southpaw Jose Quintana recently signed with the Rockies on a one-year deal, and Thomas Harding of MLB.com writes that his deal with the team is expected to become official ahead of the club’s first official workout later today. A 40-man roster move will be necessary to officially add Quintana to the roster, and it will be interesting to see if the team sends right-hander Jeff Criswell to the 60-day injured list after he underwent Tommy John surgery last March, or if they expect him to be ready early enough in the season that they don’t want to force him to stay on the shelf that long. If they want to keep Criswell off the IL for now, they’ll need to designate a player for assignment or work out a trade to clear 40-man space.

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

1. Pitchers and catchers continue reporting:

After a handful of teams with early report dates officially kicked off Spring Training yesterday, half of MLB’s clubs are following suit Wednesday. In Arizona’s Cactus League, the A’s, Cubs, Reds, Royals, Angels, and Padres are all reporting. There are even more clubs reporting in Florida’s Grapefruit League, as the Orioles, Tigers, Astros, Marlins, Mets, Phillies, Pirates, Blue Jays, and Nationals are all officially kicking off Spring Training this morning. Edward Cabrera (Cubs), Grayson Rodriguez (Angels), Shane Baz (Orioles), Framber Valdez (Tigers), Tatsuya Imai (Astros), Freddy Peralta (Mets), and Dylan Cease (Blue Jays) are among the most notable players appearing in camp with new teams this year. As we saw throughout the day Tuesday, the opening of camp could also bring about both notable injury updates and some late-winter signings.

2. Pirates 40-man moves incoming?

The Pirates have not yet officially announced their signings of right-hander Jose Urquidy and DH Marcell Ozuna. Both of those moves could be made official as soon as today, and in doing so the Pirates will need to make a pair of 40-man moves to accommodate the new additions. Promising right-hander Jared Jones is still rehabbing from last year’s internal brace surgery and could be a 60-day IL option, depending on how that rehab process has progressed over the winter. (The team will likely have an update early in camp.) He’s the only potential 60-day IL candidate, so Pittsburgh will likely have to to designate a player for assignment or work out a trade that clears a 40-man roster spot.

3. Will injuries spur movement on the market?

Yesterday saw the Tigers reunite with future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander on a one-year deal, but the veteran’s return to Detroit was predicated at least in part on some tough news for fans in Detroit: talented right-hander Reese Olson will miss the 2026 season due to shoulder surgery. The Tigers weren’t the only team to announce a major rotation injury yesterday. The Braves will be without right-hander Spencer Schwellenbach to open the 2026 campaign after he was placed on the 60-day injured list, while Toronto will be without Shane Bieber for the start of the season (plus Bowden Francis for the entirety of it following Tommy John surgery). With prominent arms like Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, and Lucas Giolito still available, will those clubs look to firm up their staff like the Tigers did?

Baseball is back! Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world as Spring Training commences:

1. Pitchers and catchers begin reporting:

Spring Training is officially getting underway today… for a handful of teams, at least. As noted by MLB.com, the Diamondbacks, White Sox, Rangers, and Giants have their first workout for pitchers and catchers today in Arizona’s Cactus League. Meanwhile, over in Florida, the Grapefruit League’s workouts kick off with the Braves and Red Sox. Boston (Ranger Suarez, Sonny Gray), Texas (MacKenzie Gore, Danny Jansen), and San Francisco (Adrian Houser, Tyler Mahle) all figure to have some exciting new faces around camp today, while the White Sox (Erick Fedde) and Diamondbacks (Merrill Kelly) will welcome back old friends who re-signed over the offseason. The opening of camp typically reveals some news of offseason injuries, and it’s common for a handful off free agents to pop up in camp with clubs after finalizing a late agreement. There ought to be plenty of news throughout the week as players continue to report.

2. Arraez deal to be made official:

Luis Arraez‘s one-year deal with the Giants has yet to be made official. According to Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle, that delay is so that Arraez can get his physical with the club at their Spring Training facilities, thereby streamlining the process. Slusser adds that Arraez’s signing figures to be made official today. San Francisco’s 40-man roster is full at the moment, meaning that a corresponding transaction will need to be announced alongside the Arraez deal. That could be a minor trade or a player being designated for assignment, but with the start of Spring Training it’s possible the club could simply look to put a player like Randy Rodriguez or Jason Foley on the 60-day injured list. Rodriguez underwent Tommy John surgery last September. Foley had shoulder surgery last May.

3. Arbitration decisions to be handed down:

The Associated Press reports that arbitration results from two hearings should be expected today: catcher Tyler Stephenson (who filed at $6.8MM) and the Reds (who filed at $6.55MM) as well as southpaw Reid Detmers (who filed at $2.925MM) and the Angels (who filed at $2.625MM). Players have won the majority of cases so far, with Orioles lefty Keegan Akin taking the only arbitration loss of the year to this point. Lefties Dylan Lee of the Braves and Eric Lauer of the Blue Jays have already been to hearings but are having their decisions withheld until later this week. Royals southpaw Kris Bubic, Brewers catcher William Contreras, and Marlins righty Calvin Faucher all have hearings scheduled for the future to round out this year’s slate of arbitration cases.

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

1. Arbitration hearings continue:

The biggest news in baseball yesterday was southpaw Tarik Skubal‘s record-shattering victory over the Tigers in his arbitration hearing, where a panel of judges awarded him $32MM rather than the $19MM figure Detroit had submitted. It’s the third consecutive victory (joining Kyle Bradish and Yainer Diaz) for the players in arbitration hearings this year, while teams have yet to win a single case. Tampa Bay right-hander Edwin Uceta and Atlanta southpaw Dylan Lee have both already gone to hearings against their clubs, though decisions aren’t expected until next week on those cases. (Results on cases that could be direct comps for other arb hearings in the same year are often withheld until those other hearings have taken place.) Reid Detmers, Graham Ashcraft, Tyler Stephenson, and Kris Bubic are among the players who exchanged figures with their teams but have yet to go to a hearing. Will those players be able to keep the win streak going?

2. Suter nearing deal with Anaheim:

Reporting yesterday indicated that southpaw Brent Suter and the Angels were nearing an agreement on a major league deal. Any final details and a physical could be hammered out this weekend. Anaheim has already made several veteran additions to the bullpen this winter, as Suter will join Drew Pomeranz, Jordan Romano, and Kirby Yates as a potential setup option for Robert Stephenson in rookie manager Kurt Suzuki‘s bullpen. The Halos’ 40-man roster is full, so they’ll need a corresponding move to formally add Suter unless they hold off on announcing the deal until camp opens and they can then shift a player (Anthony Rendon or Ben Joyce) to the 60-day IL.

3. Do the Twins have a notable move in store?

Although the Twins have had a quiet offseason in terms of player transactions, things have been anything but quiet off the field. They added three new minority owners, Tom Pohlad took over as the team’s new control person, and those changes seemingly led to president of baseball and business operations Derek Falvey departing the club in a shocking move late last month. Amid those ownership and front office shuffles, the Twins have made some surprising gestures toward upgrading the roster. Minnesota was involved in the market for Freddy Peralta before he was traded to the Mets and reportedly jumped into the mix on Framber Valdez before he signed with the division-rival Tigers. There aren’t many impact players left on the market, but righty Zac Gallen remains unsigned and there are various trade options the club could pursue. Bullpen help is the Twins’ most glaring need, but even cursory interest in Peralta and Valdez signals a willingness to add to the rotation as well.

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

1. Skubal decision expected:

Reigning AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal went to an arbitration hearing with the Tigers yesterday, and a report from the Associated Press indicates that a decision on the matter is slated to be announced today. That decision will have substantial financial ramifications, not only for the Tigers and Skubal but for future high-end starting pitchers who go through the arbitration process. If the Tigers win, the ball won’t be moved forward for those pitchers at all as Skubal will be paid just $19MM, lower than the $19.6MM record David Price set during his final trip through arbitration over a decade ago. That scenario would presumably leave the Tigers with some additional spending power, even after adding Framber Valdez last night. If Skubal wins, the Tigers will add an extra $13MM in salary to their books as they pay him a hefty $32MM in his final season before free agency.

2. What’s next for the Padres?

The Padres have long been known to be hoping to find another bat and found one yesterday when they agreed to a $4MM deal with Miguel Andujar. The former Rookie of the Year runner-up is coming off his best season since that debut campaign; Andujar split the 2025 season between the A’s and Reds, slashing .318/.352/.470 (125 wRC+) in a platoon-heavy role where he torched lefties and was a slight bit above average versus righties. While Andujar has experience at all four corner positions, he’s a poor defender who figures to see plenty of DH work with San Diego. With Andujar aboard, will president of baseball operations A.J. Preller turn his attention towards acquiring a starter who can help fill the void left by Dylan Cease in the club’s rotation?

3. Are the Red Sox done?

The Red Sox reached an agreement with infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa yesterday, adding a talented and versatile defender to an infield that had questions at third base and second base. Though “IKF” raises the infield’s floor, he’s a well below-average hitter coming off a punchless .262/.297/.324 (75 wRC+) showing in 459 plate appearances — not exactly a replacement for the Alex Bregman-sized hole in Boston’s lineup.

It’s possible the Sox could go with some combination of Kiner-Falefa, Marcelo Mayer, David Hamilton, Nick Sogard, and Romy Gonzalez at second and third base, with Kristian Campbell or even Ceddanne Rafaela possibly mixing in, depending on health and performance (though indications are that the Red Sox prefer them in the outfield). It’s still unclear how much — if at all — Kiner-Falefa will impact the club’s pursuits of players like Isaac Paredes, Nico Hoerner, Matt Shaw, and other infield options on the trade market.

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

1. Skubal, Tigers head to arbitration:

As noted by The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen, an arbitration hearing is scheduled for today between the Tigers and back-to-back AL Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal. That makes today the last day for the sides to reach an agreement to avoid a hearing, though that looks extremely unlikely. Not only is there a massive $13MM gap between Skubal’s $32MM filing figure and the team’s $19MM figure, but the Tigers typically refuse to negotiate on one-year deals following the filing deadline. Assuming the case does go to a hearing in front of an arbitration panel, a decision won’t be expected today. When that decision does get handed down, however, it has the potential for notable consequences. If Skubal wins, his $32MM salary for this year would raise the bar substantially for future ace pitchers after decades of arms falling short of even $20MM in salary arbitration. If the Tigers win, they could have significantly more resources available to further bolster the club.

2. The Valdez market:

Framber Valdez is the top name left on the market, with the Orioles standing as the only team aggressively linked to him on the rumor mill. Baltimore has some competition, however, as their AL East rivals in Toronto were also connected to Valdez yesterday. If the Jays pick up their interest, that could put some pressure on the Orioles to get a deal done, and after a busy offseason where the Jays missed out on both Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette the team successfully luring Valdez to Canada can’t be ruled out. With fewer and fewer avenues left to improve, teams who were focused on other targets could start to circle back to Valdez in the days ahead.

3. Two DFA resolutions expected:

Left-hander Konnor Pilkington of the Nationals and Rockies outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez were both designated for assignment one week ago today, meaning they’ve been placed on waivers and a resolution should be expected today. If either player clears, they figure to head to Triple-A as non-roster depth for their current club via outright assignment. A waiver claim from a rival club would send them off to a new organization with their hold on a 40-man roster spot intact. Pilkington made his MLB debut in 2022 as a member of the Guardians and sports a career 3.97 ERA across 88 1/3 innings of work, albeit with lackluster peripheral numbers. Fernandez, meanwhile, made his MLB debut in 2025 and hit just .225/.265/.348 in 147 plate appearances, but he’s only 23 years old, isn’t far removed from top-100 prospect status, and also has a minor league option remaining.

After one of the offseason’s biggest trades last night, here are three things for MLBTR readers to keep an eye out for throughout the day today:

1. Cardinals press conference:

The Cardinals pulled off the aforementioned major deal yesterday. They sent Brendan Donovan to the Mariners as part of a three-way trade involving Tampa Bay, and in return received a haul of prospects and draft picks headlined by right-hander Jurrangelo Cijntje. As noted by Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom is scheduled to hold a press conference at 11:15 am CT to discuss the trade. That figures to offer additional insight into the club’s negotiations regarding Donovan, and perhaps an update on future plans regarding other trade pieces (such as lefty reliever JoJo Romero) or free agent additions as Spring Training draws closer.

2. Arb Decisions to be handed down:

Arbitration hearings are underway, and yesterday saw panels listen to cases for Orioles right-hander Kyle Bradish and Astros catcher Yainer Diaz. The Associated Press reports that decisions on both cases are expected to come today. Bradish filed at $3.55MM while Baltimore filed at $2.875MM. Diaz and the Astros, meanwhile, had a larger differential between their filing figures as Diaz landed at $4.5MM while Houston countered at $3MM. Edwin Uceta and Dylan Lee have both also been through their hearings, but decisions on those cases aren’t expected until later in the process because they’d potentially impact ongoing hearings. That leaves Bradish and Diaz to be the first cases resolved in this year’s slate. Teams won five of the nine cases that went to hearings last year, though players won seven of 12 cases in 2024.

3. MLBTR Chat today:

Pitchers and catchers will begin reporting later this month, but some offseason questions still remain. Framber Valdez and Zac Gallen are among the top free agents still available, and while yesterday’s Donovan trade took the last major trade piece off of the market, a surprise deal can never be ruled out. If you’re wondering what’s left for your favorite team to do before spring begins or simply looking for the latest hot stove buzz, MLBTR’s Steve Adams has you covered with a live chat scheduled for 1:00 pm CT today. Readers can use this link to ask a question in advance, follow along when the chat begins, and read the transcript after the chat concludes.

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

1. What’s next for the Red Sox?

The Red Sox swung a trade to clear space in their budget and on the 40-man roster when they shipped right-hander Jordan Hicks, pitching prospect David Sandlin and $8MM cash and two players to be named later in exchange for Gage Ziehl and a player to be named later. Getting the majority of Hicks’ salary for the next two seasons of the books has allowed them to squeak back under the second tier of the luxury, but the team has still yet to replace Alex Bregman on the infield. Marcelo Mayer poised to play either second or third base depending on where a new addition would play, but options are dwindling after both Luis Arraez and Eugenio Suarez signed over the weekend. How will Boston address its biggest remaining need?

2. First base market heating up?

While every hitter in our annual Top 50 MLB Free Agents list has signed after Suarez reached a deal with the Reds yesterday, there are still a number of interesting bats on the market. Specifically, the first base market has remained rather quiet throughout the winter, leaving players such as Paul Goldschmidt and Rhys Hoskins unsigned. Recently, that market has appeared to heat up. The Diamondbacks are reportedly interested in adding a first baseman, and yesterday they were connected to switch-hitting veteran Carlos Santana and also said to have interest in Ty France. Arizona’s division rivals in San Diego are also looking for help in their first/base DH mix and have interest in France, who is drawing interest from both New York clubs as well. Wilmer Flores, Nathaniel Lowe, and Rowdy Tellez are among the other noteworthy options still available. With Arraez and Suarez off the board, is the market heating up for some of these corner bats?

3. Arbitration hearings underway:

Arbitration hearings kicked off late last week, and the Associated Press reports two such hearings have occurred so far: one between right-hander Edwin Uceta and the Rays, and one between left-hander Dylan Lee and the Braves. The decision from those arbitration hearings is typically not immediately announced; Uceta’s is being withheld until other cases have resolved, while Lee’s is expected to be announced at some point next week. After first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino avoided arbitration last week, 12 more players are scheduled for arbitration hearings. The most notable among those is two-time AL Cy Young award winner Tarik Skubal, who is facing a massive $13MM gap between his filing figure and that of the Tigers. Arbitration hearings are scheduled to run through February 13.

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

1. Moncada to be made official:

The Angels agreed to re-sign third baseman Yoan Moncada to a one-year deal last week, but that deal still has yet to be made official. It’s unclear what’s caused the delay, as other clubs with agreements signed at a similar time have officially announced those deals. Regardless, an announcement figures to happen in the near future given that spring training is just around the corner. The Angels’ 40-man roster is at capacity, so Moncada will require a corresponding move to create space. There’s no indication that the Halos are planning to remove Anthony Rendon from the 40-man roster even after his contract was restructured and the club indicated that he won’t be with the team this season — they’ve already made multiple transactions that required 40-man moves since that revelation and have not removed him — so it seems they’ll simply place him on the 60-day IL when camp opens. That will give them some mid-February flexibility, but Moncada’s deal will surely be finalized before that point.

2. Fan events this weekend:

A number of teams are hosting fan events this weekend as spring training nears and fan excitement for the coming season grows. The White Sox will kick things off with SoxFest Live today and tomorrow, while the Braves, Royals, and Padres are all hosting one-day fan events tomorrow. The Giants’ Fan Fest tour will be in Sacramento tomorrow as well, while the Mariners will host their two-day FanFest tomorrow and Sunday. Details regarding each event’s schedule, ticketing, and location can be found at the team’s respective link, courtesy of MLB.com.

3. Free agents linger with February on the horizon:

The month of February is just days away. Pitchers and catchers report in just a couple weeks. Despite that, a number of notable free agents remain unsigned. Framber Valdez, Zac Gallen, and Eugenio Suarez are arguably the most impactful names still on the market, but solid mid-rotation pieces like Lucas Giolito, Chris Bassitt, and Justin Verlander have also yet to sign. Will the impending arrival of spring training increase pressure to get a deal done, or will some of these players be content to continue holding out for the best deal possible? Max Scherzer, for his part, has indicated a willingness to hold off on signing until after the season begins in order to ensure he finds the right fit.

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

1. Rangers press conference scheduled:

The Rangers are hosting a press conference at 1pm local time to introduce newly-acquired southpaw MacKenzie Gore. Gore will be joined by president of baseball operations Chris Young and GM Ross Fenstermaker at the presser, which figures to provide insight into last week’s trade with the Nationals. In addition, Young and Fenstermaker are expected to field questions regarding spring training, which could provide hints as to whether the team is largely done adding for the offseason or if there are more moves yet to come. If this is it for Texas, it’s been a somewhat quiet offseason but certainly an interesting one. Marcus Semien, Adolis Garcia, and Jonah Heim are out the door after the former was dealt to New York and the latter two were non-tendered, while Brandon Nimmo, Danny Jansen, and now Gore have been brought into the fold alongside an overhauled bullpen.

2. Guardians presser also scheduled:

The Guardians are also hosting a press conference at 10:30am local time in Cleveland to formally announce the extension of star infielder Jose Ramirez. Ramirez will be joined by club owner Paul Dolan and president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti. An appearance from both ownership and the leader of Cleveland’s front office should provide insight into how the Guardians might look to spend the money freed up by Ramirez’s restructured contract. That’s a topic MLBTR’s Anthony Franco looked into for Trade Rumors Front Office subscribers yesterday. The press conference will also surely serve as a celebration of Ramirez, who now is poised to remain a Guardian for his entire career as he continues on his Cooperstown-bound track.

3. DFA resolution expected:

One week ago today, the Rockies made their signing of utilityman Willi Castro official. When they did so, they created a 40-man roster spot by designating right-hander Garrett Acton for assignment. Acton has been in DFA limbo since, facing an uncertainty about where he’ll be playing next and whether he’ll be able to hang on to a 40-man roster spot. That should be resolved today, as Acton will either be plucked off waivers by a rival club or pass through them unclaimed. If the latter occurs, he’ll be outrighted to Triple-A and serve as non-roster depth for the Rockies headed into 2026. Acton made his debut with the A’s back in 2023 but most recently pitched in the majors with the Rays last year. He has just seven MLB outings to his name, but the 27-year-old Acton tossed 58 2/3 innings of 3.68 ERA ball with a 30.1% strikeout rate — albeit against an 11.4% walk rate — with the Rays’ Triple-A club last year.