Tigers Designate Justyn-Henry Malloy For Assignment
To clear a 40-man roster spot for reliever Kyle Finnegan, the Tigers have designated outfielder Justyn-Henry Malloy for assignment. It’s the first DFA in Malloy’s young career. He appeared in 52 games with Detroit last season.
Detroit acquired Malloy and lefty Jake Higginbotham from Atlanta in a December 2022 trade that sent right-hander Joe Jimenez to the Braves. Jimenez has dealt with injury issues, but has provided strong work in the Atlanta bullpen when healthy. The Tigers haven’t had much to show for their end of the deal. Malloy has hit .209 across 357 plate appearances in his two big-league stints with the club. He’s struck out at a massive 32.8% rate at the MLB level. Higginbotham spent two seasons in Detroit’s minor league system, topping out at Triple-A (one game). He signed with San Diego as a minor league free agent last offseason.
The Braves took Malloy in the sixth round of the 2021 draft. He zoomed through the system, reaching Triple-A in 2022. Malloy compiled a sterling 144 wRC+ across three levels that season. MLB.com ranked him seventh among Detroit’s prospects in 2023. He slugged 23 home runs at Triple-A in his first season in the organization. Malloy continued to do damage with Toledo in 2024, though his strikeout rate ticked up to 28%. He earned a promotion in June and spent the majority of the remainder of the season with the Tigers. Malloy showed some power with eight home runs, but he struck out at a massive 37% clip.
Malloy has a good sense of the strike zone, as evidenced by a career 12% walk rate and a sub-20% chase rate. It’s making contact when he does choose to swing that’s been the problem. Malloy had a hefty 36.6% whiff rate in 2024. He improved that number to 29.1% this past season, though that mark was still well below average. Malloy trimmed his strikeout rate to a reasonable 25.2% in 2025. Unfortunately, his batted ball metrics fell off. Malloy posted a decent 37.8% hard-hit rate in his debut year, but it tumbled to 31.1% this season. After recording a double-digit barrel rate in 2024, that mark plummeted to 4.1% this year.
Most of Malloy’s at-bats came as a DH or pinch-hitter in 2025. He’s totaled -4 Outs Above Average in his career. Malloy came up as a third baseman, but he’s only played the outfield since joining the Detroit organization. He was a bat-first prospect, and he’s trending toward a DH-only future.
Photo courtesy of Junfu Han, Imagn Images
Guardians Sign Shawn Armstrong
December 20: Cleveland has officially announced the addition of Armstrong. The right-hander will earn $4MM in 2026, reports Paul Hoynes of Cleveland.com. The deal also includes an $8MM mutual option for 2027, with a $1.5MM buyout. Left-hander Justin Bruihl was designated for assignment to clear space on the 40-man for Armstrong.
December 18: The Guardians and right-hander Shawn Armstrong have agreed to a deal, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The ISE Baseball client will be guaranteed $5.5MM on a one-year pact with a mutual option. The Guards have a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move to make this deal official.
Armstrong returns to his original organization. He was drafted by Cleveland back in 2011 and pitched for them in the majors from 2015 to 2017. In the almost decade since then, he has spent time with the Mariners, Orioles, Rays, Marlins, Cardinals, Cubs and Rangers.
Despite that nomadic journey, his performance has been fairly steady in some respects. His earned run average has wobbled from year to year, but that’s not unusual for relief pitchers, who pitch a small number of innings annually and can have ERA swings from a few bad games. From 2019 to 2025, Armstrong tossed at least 36 innings in each full season with at least 52 frames in five out of six. His strikeout rate finished between 22% and 27% in each of those. His walk rate has finished below 9.2% in six straight seasons.
Put it all together and Armstrong has thrown 363 1/3 innings since the start of 2019 with a 3.96 ERA, 24.6% strikeout rate and 7.8% walk rate. Despite that fairly solid trajectory, he settled for a modest $1.25MM deal with the Rangers for the 2025 season.
Texas was surely pleased with that investment. Armstrong averaged about 94 miles per hour on both his four-seamer and sinker while also mixing in a cutter, slider and curveball. He tossed 74 innings on the year with a 2.31 ERA, 26.1% strikeout rate and 7% walk rate. His .196 batting average on balls in play and 76.3% strand rate were unsustainably fortunate but his 3.07 FIP and 3.36 SIERA suggest he would have fared well even with neutral luck. He saved nine games and registered 12 holds for the Rangers.
Armstrong has parlayed that into a new deal worth more than four times his last one, the biggest payday of the 35-year-old’s career. The Guardians had a strong bullpen in 2025, as their collective 3.44 ERA was third in the majors behind only the Padres and Red Sox. They are down one key member, as Emmanuel Clase is under investigation for a gambling scandal and may never pitch in the majors again.
The Guards don’t usually have tons of money to throw around but have been busy augmenting their bullpen with minor moves. They have signed Colin Holderman and Connor Brogdon to big league deals. They acquired Justin Bruihl from the Blue Jays and selected Peyton Pallette from the White Sox in the Rule 5 draft. Those new arms will add to a group which includes incumbents Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and others.
Photo courtesy of William Purnell, Imagn Images
Tigers Re-Sign Kyle Finnegan
December 20: Detroit has officially announced the Finnegan deal. He’ll earn $8.75MM in 2026 and $8MM in 2027. The contract also includes a mutual option for 2028 at $10MM, with a $2.25MM buyout. Justyn-Henry Malloy was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster for Finnegan.
December 9: The Tigers are reportedly bringing back veteran reliever Kyle Finnegan on a two-year, $19MM contract. There are also $1MM in bonuses available for the Warner Sports Management client. Detroit’s 40-man roster is full, meaning they’ll need to make a corresponding move once the contract is finalized.
It’s yet another domino to fall in a quick-moving relief market. Detroit initially acquired Finnegan from the Nationals at the trade deadline. He carried a 4.38 earned run average with a sub-20% strikeout rate at the time. It frankly seemed underwhelming for the team’s biggest bullpen pickup. The Tigers correctly identified Finnegan as a player who had another level of upside with a change to his pitch mix, however.
In Washington, Finnegan had thrown his fastball around two-thirds of the time. He used his splitter at a roughly 30% clip and sporadically mixed in a slider. The Tigers encouraged him to dramatically scale up the use of the split-finger offering. It was about a 50-50 divide in August, and he used the splitter more than 55% of the time in September and into the postseason. The impact on his results was immediate.
Finnegan allowed only three runs in 16 regular season innings as a Tiger. He fanned 23 of 66 opponents, almost doubling his early-season strikeout rate. His swinging strike rate jumped by five percentage points. The righty secured four saves and three holds while surrendering just one lead. He missed a couple weeks in September with a groin strain but immediately stepped back into a high-leverage role for skipper A.J. Hinch. Finnegan added 7 1/3 frames of three-run ball in the postseason, albeit with only three strikeouts.
Between the two teams, Finnegan posted a 3.47 ERA with a 24% strikeout percentage across 57 innings. The overall numbers aren’t far off the marks he’d carried over the first five seasons of his career. Finnegan entered 2025 with a 3.56 earned run average and a 23.5% strikeout rate in nearly 300 major league outings.
The altered pitch mix and the strong finish to the season have certainly changed teams’ perceptions of him. At this time last offseason, Finnegan found himself non-tendered by the Nationals in lieu of a projected arbitration salary around $8MM. He waited until a week into Spring Training to return to Washington on a $6MM contract with deferrals. Finnegan commands the first multi-year deal of his career one offseason later. The terms essentially match MLBTR’s prediction of two years and $20MM.
Finnegan will again pair with Will Vest at the back of Hinch’s bullpen. He has plenty of closing experience from his time in Washington and could handle the ninth inning on days when the Tigers use Vest earlier in leverage situations. Detroit could stand to bring in another swing-and-miss arm at the back end. Even after acquiring Finnegan, the Tiger bullpen ranked 25th in strikeout rate. Assuming they build Troy Melton back up as a starter, Finnegan and Vest are their only two projected leverage relievers who sit around 96 MPH on average. They’re a little light from the left side, but Vest and Finnegan each excel against opposite-handed batters. That could allow them to pursue another righty and stick with Tyler Holton and Brant Hurter as their top southpaws.
The specific salary breakdown is unreported. Evenly distributed $9.5MM salaries would push Detroit’s projected payroll to roughly $157MM, according to RosterResource. That’s about $15MM north of where they opened this past season. The long-term books are still wide open. Javier Báez and Colt Keith are the only other players under contract for 2027. Keith’s respective $5MM salaries for 2028-29 and modest option buyout in 2030 are their only commitments after the ’27 campaign.
Edwin Díaz, Gregory Soto and Finnegan came off the board on Tuesday. Robert Suarez, Brad Keller, Luke Weaver, Tyler Rogers, Seranthony Domínguez and Pete Fairbanks are the remaining unsigned relievers who made MLBTR’s Top 50 free agents. Keller and Weaver could get consideration as starters, while Rogers and Domínguez are setup types. Suarez is the best reliever still available. Fairbanks and Kenley Jansen join him as unsigned established closers.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the Tigers and Finnegan were nearing a deal. Robert Murray of FanSided had the two-year, $19MM agreement with $1MM bonus. Image courtesy of Stephen Brashear, Imagn Images.
Rangers Sign Andrew Velazquez To Minor League Deal
The Rangers have agreed to terms with infielder Andrew Velazquez on a minor league deal, the club announced this week. The pact includes an invitation to MLB Spring Training. Velazquez is represented by CAA Sports.
The 31-year-old Velazquez spent the 2025 campaign in the Yankees organization. He put together a standout season on the basepaths with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, swiping 25 bags in 106 games. Velazquez hasn’t played in the big leagues since 2023, but he’s piled up 58 steals over the past two seasons at Triple-A.
Arizona took Velazquez in the seventh round of the 2012 draft. After a couple of seasons in the low levels of the Diamondbacks system, he was traded to Tampa Bay along with Justin Williams for Jeremy Hellickson. Velazquez slowly moved up the ladder with the Rays, debuting with the big-league club in 2018. He appeared in 23 games with Tampa Bay from 2018 to 2019, before being dealt again, this time to Cleveland. Velazquez would continue to bounce around from there, spending time with the Orioles, Yankees, and Angels over the next few seasons.
Velazquez has never contributed much as a hitter at the highest level, recording a 48 wRC+ across 624 plate appearances. Speed is his main contribution on the offensive side, as he has 40 steals in 275 games. The Angels gave Velazquez the longest look, as he operated as their primary shortstop in 2022. The light-hitting Velazquez popped nine of his 12 career homers that season, though he slashed a meager .196/.236/.304 over 125 games. The defining moment of Velazquez’s career came the year prior, when the Bronx native was playing for his hometown squad. The light-hitting infielder slugged his first career home run in front of several family members at Yankee Stadium.
While he’s mostly played shortstop, Velazquez has experience at second base, third base, and all three outfield positions. He’s seldom graded as a plus defender, but his versatility could allow him to provide value to a big-league team. With Marcus Semien now in New York, utilityman Josh Smith is expected to step into an everyday role for the Rangers. Considering the extensive injury histories of Corey Seager and Josh Jung, Texas could use some reliable infield depth.
Photo courtesy of Mike Watters, Imagn Images
Mariners Sign Brennen Davis To Minor League Deal
The Mariners have signed outfielder Brennen Davis to a minor league deal, as reported by Aram Leighton of Just Baseball. The deal includes an invite to MLB Spring Training.
Once a consensus top-20 prospect in baseball, the 26-year-old Davis has yet to make his MLB debut. A second-round pick by the Cubs back in 2018, Davis broke out at the age of 19 in 2019 with a with a .305/.381/.525 slash line in 50 games at the Single-A level. Following the cancelled minor league season in 2020, Davis got the bump to High-A to start the 2021 season but lasted just eight games at the level before being promoted to Double-A. After hitting a solid .252/.367/.474 for the Cubs’ Tennessee affiliate in 76 games, Davis got his second promotion of the year with a late-season cup of coffee at Triple-A, where he impressed with a .268/.397/.536 slash line in 16 games.
All of that was enough to position Davis as one of the game’s most exciting prospects, and he seemed poised to make his MLB debut during the 2022 season as the Cubs began a rebuilding phase following their fire sale the prior year that shipped out core players like Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, and Javier Baez. Unfortunately for Davis, however, those dreams of an early debut were scuttled when he struggled badly in the early weeks of the season before undergoing back surgery in early May of that year. While he returned before the end of the year from that surgery and posted solid on-base numbers, a lack of power kept him from earning a coveted September call-up.
By 2023, the Cubs were once again trying to make the playoffs and had a mostly full outfield thanks to the offseason addition of Cody Bellinger. That made Davis’s path to the big leagues a bit harder, and he was unable to force the issue due to continued injury woes. Core surgery and a fractured ankle limited him over the next two seasons, and even when he did play the field results at Triple-A were mixed. That led Chicago to non-tender Davis last November, cutting him from the 40-man roster and sending him into free agency.
He found a minor league pact with the Yankees this past year. He didn’t debut with his new organization until late May as he rehabbed the aforementioned fractured ankle, and suffered another injury over the summer that caused him to miss two months. In all, he made it into just 36 games with New York’s Triple-A affiliate, but when he did so he raked with an excellent .271/.324/.576 slash line including 12 home runs in just 142 trips to the plate.
While injuries have led him to stop stealing bases as he had when he was a top prospect vaunted for his speed, the 26-year-old still offers intriguing power and could be an impactful addition to the Mariners organization if he can finally remain healthy for a full season for the first time in half a decade. Seattle’s outfield mix currently features Julio Rodriguez in center, flanked by Randy Arozarena and Victor Robles in the corners. If Davis can prove himself healthy and remain as effective as he’s looking in short bursts the past two years, it wouldn’t be hard to see him pushing for a call-up to the majors at some point this year.
Guardians Sign Stuart Fairchild To Minor League Deal
The Guardians announced this afternoon that they’ve signed outfielder Stuart Fairchild to a minor league deal. The deal includes a non-roster invite to MLB Spring Training.
Fairchild, 30 in March, was a second-round pick by the Reds back in 2017. He was traded to Arizona as part of the Archie Bradley deal back at the 2020 trade deadline and made his MLB debut with the Diamondbacks in 2021, but made his way back to Cincinnati (after brief pit stops in Seattle and San Francisco) by the end of the 2022. He’d spend the next few years in the Reds’ outfield mix and ultimately appeared in 223 games across parts of three seasons.
The outfielder hit fairly well during his time in Cincinnati, with a .232/.316/.403 slash line that was good for a 94 wRC+ overall. He split time between all three outfield spots with the Reds and managed to go a respectable 23-for-29 on the base paths during his time in the organization. While his overall production was slightly below league average, his ability to handle center field and swipe bases was valuable enough to keep him on the roster in a part-time role. Fairchild’s main draw was his ability to hit left-handed pitching as his .256/.354/.424 (114 wRC+) slash line against southpaws made him a solid complement to the team’s lefty outfield bats like Jake Fraley and Will Benson.
Headed into the 2025 season, however, the Reds lacked a clear path to a roster spot for Fairchild following the club’s acquisition of Austin Hays as well as the decision to move Spencer Steer into the outfield. With those righty bats in the club’s outfield plans, Fairchild became expendable and was designated for assignment. With a need for additional outfield depth while Ronald Acuna Jr. was on the injured list, the Braves traded for him not long afterwards. Between Acuna’s injury rehab and the early-season suspension of Jurickson Profar, there was plenty of playing time to be had in the Atlanta outfield mix. Fairchild took on some of that load, ultimately appearing in 28 games for the club where he hit a paltry .216/.273/.333 with a 27.3% strikeout rate across 55 plate appearances.
A dislocated pinkie finger cost Fairchild around a month of the 2025 season, and between that injury and poor performance when healthy he found himself DFA’d by Atlanta back in July. He was scooped up by the Rays in a minor trade but did not make an appearance for the MLB club before being designated for assignment once again at the outset of the offseason. He cleared waivers successfully and elected free agency, leading to the Guardians being able to add him on this non-roster pact.
For Cleveland, Fairchild’s addition means they’ve found a decent right-handed depth option for an outfield that lost Lane Thomas to the Royals in free agency this year. The Guardians have a heavily left-handed outfield mix as things stand, with Steven Kwan in left field, Chase DeLauter in center, and George Valera in right. Johnathan Rodriguez and Angel Martinez should serve as decent right-handed complements, but Fairchild offers some additional depth behind that group and protection against the possibility that the Guardians, whose 87 wRC+ in the outfield ranked 26th in the majors last year, don’t make a more significant addition on the grass.
Mets Outright Brandon Waddell
The Mets assigned left-hander Brandon Waddell outright to Triple-A yesterday, as noted by Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. Waddell had been designated for assignment earlier this week to make room for catcher Drew Romo on the 40-man roster.
Waddell, 31, returned to the majors for the first time since 2021 this year. Prior to the 2025 season, Waddell had pitched 12 2/3 MLB innings across four different organizations during the 2020-21 seasons. He posted a 5.68 ERA and 6.41 FIP during that time. His results were much better this time around, as he delivered a solid enough 3.45 ERA with a 4.54 FIP across 31 1/3 innings of work as a long relief arm for the Mets this year. While Waddell’s top-level run prevention numbers weren’t bad, the peripherals told a different story. A 16.4% strikeout rate left much to be desired, and the lefty’s 37.4% ground ball rate, 10.0% barrel rate, and 8.2% walk rate were nothing to write home about either.
Waddell’s time with the Mets came on the heels of a three-year run of solid work in the KBO league, where he pitched for the Doosan Bears. In 43 KBO starts, Waddell posted a 2.98 ERA while posting a respectable 21.1% strikeout rate and generating grounders on more than 50% of his batted balls. It was a much more encouraging profile over all than the one he flashed in the majors with the Mets this past year, and Waddell’s 5.02 ERA in 75 1/3 Triple-A innings in 2025 offer little encouragement headed into 2026. While the lefty might not look to be a solid rotation option like other KBO pitchers (such as Erick Fedde and his quality performance for the White Sox and Cardinals in 2024) have proven themselves to be in the past, he’s a perfectly useful non-roster depth piece for the Mets.
That’s what he’ll be headed into 2026, though given the uncertain state of the Mets’ pitching staff it’s not impossible to imagine injuries allowing Waddell to force his way back onto the MLB roster at some point next year if he can turn his numbers at Triple-A around. Of course, that will depend on the club’s moves going forward this winter. It’s possible the team could make rotation additions that would push youngsters like Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat into depth roles themselves, minimizing Waddell’s opportunities to get back to the majors. With that said, it’s also not impossible to imagine those same young hurlers getting discussed in trade talks, and a trade of one or both of those young righties could make Waddell one of the team’s top non-roster depth arms alongside Robert Stock.
Braves Sign Elieser Hernandez To Minors Contract
The Braves signed Elieser Hernandez to a minor league deal back in November, as per the right-hander’s MLB.com profile page. Hernandez spent the end of the 2025 season in the Blue Jays’ farm system, and he elected minor league free agency at season’s end.
Atlanta saw plenty of Hernandez during his days with the Marlins from 2018-22, as Hernandez posted a 5.04 ERA over 287 2/3 innings as both a starter and a reliever. Miami parted ways with Hernandez in November 2022 by sending him to another NL East rival in the Mets, but Hernandez didn’t see any big league action during his lone season in New York, as injuries sidelined him for the majority of the year.
The righty caught on with the Dodgers and Brewers in 2024 and tossed 15 2/3 innings at the MLB level before electing free agency rather than outright assignment off of Milwaukee’s roster. He then signed with the LG Twins of the Korea Baseball Organization since July 2024, and posted a 4.14 ERA, 27.17% strikeout rate, and 8.5% walk rate over 113 innings across the 2024-25 seasons. This caught the attention of the Jays, but Hernandez’s minor league contract with Toronto resulted in just a 7.91 ERA in 19 1/3 frames with Triple-A Buffalo.
Over his 303 1/3 career innings in the Show, Hernandez has a 5.10 ERA, 7.6% walk rate, and a 21.8% strikeout rate. His biggest problem has been the long ball, as Hernandez was taken yard 73 times during his relatively limited Major League career. This inability to keep the ball in the park limited Hernandez’s effectiveness in any capacity as a starter or long reliever.
While Hernandez did do a better job of limiting homers in the KBO League and even in his brief stint with the Jays, his tough results in Buffalo suggest that the right-hander is still a work in progress. The Braves will become the latest team to take look at Hernandez, and he’ll be one of many pitchers with MLB experience in Atlanta’s spring camp on minor league contracts. Hernandez’s ability to start games might give him at least a leg up on a Triple-A assignment, though the Braves have plenty of starter-capable pitchers already on hand in a depth capacity.
Dodgers Sign Chuckie Robinson To Minors Contract
The Dodgers have signed Chuckie Robinson to a minor league deal, according to the catcher’s MLB.com profile page. It is a reunion between the two sides, as Robinson spent the bulk of the 2025 season in the Dodgers organization after being claimed off waivers from the Angels in May.
Robinson was designated for assignment and then outrighted off the 40-man roster within a few days of joining the Dodgers, and his previous stint with the team included a single MLB game on September 15. This marked Robinson’s only big league playing time of the 2025 campaign, and the Braves then claimed the backstop off waivers a week later. Atlanta outrighted Robinson off its 40-man roster in early November, and because he had a previous outright on his resume, Robinson exercised his right to become a free agent.
That lone game on September 15 was the 52nd Major League appearance of Robinson’s career, as he previously played in 25 games with the Reds in 2022 and 26 games with the 2024 White Sox. Robinson has only a .131/.169/.192 slash line to show for his 138 plate appearances in the bigs, and even his career Triple-A numbers are pretty modest (.268/.329/.405 with 27 homers over 1039 PA).
Despite the lack of offensive pop, Robinson’s excellent defensive reputation has kept him on the radar as a backup option for multiple clubs. He’ll now return to Los Angeles in a depth role, as the Dodgers are set behind the plate with All-Star Will Smith as the starter and former top prospect Dalton Rushing acting in a backup role. Robinson is the only other catcher in the Dodgers’ system with any big league experience, so L.A. might look to bring in more catching help for Spring Training just purely for evaluation purposes, or so the team’s younger pitchers can work with another seasoned backstop.
Astros, Pirates, Rays Finalize Three-Team Trade Sending Brandon Lowe To Pittsburgh, Mike Burrows To Houston, Jacob Melton To Tampa
The Astros, Pirates and Rays have completed a big three-team trade. Each team’s end of the deal breaks down as follows…
- The Pirates send right-hander Mike Burrows to the Astros and receive second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-hander Mason Montgomery from the Rays.
- The Rays send second baseman Brandon Lowe, outfielder Jake Mangum and left-hander Mason Montgomery to the Pirates, receiving outfielder Jacob Melton and right-hander Anderson Brito from the Astros.
- The Astros send Jacob Melton and right-hander Anderson Brito to the Rays and receive right-hander Mike Burrows from the Pirates.
The Bucs have a full 40-man roster and will have to make two corresponding moves, which they have not announced yet.
Lowe is the biggest name of the bunch here. The 31-year-old has spent the past eight seasons with the Rays. In that time, he has established himself as one of the better power-hitting second basemen in the sport. Dating back to the start of 2019, he has hit 151 home runs. Among primary second basemen, only Marcus Semien and Jose Altuve are ahead of him in that category, with Semien having 178 homers in that span and Altuve 158.
That power production from Lowe is even more impressive when one considers that he did that in about one thousand fewer plate appearances than Altuve and about 1,600 shy of Semien. But that also demonstrates the main knock on Lowe, which is that he has had trouble staying on the field. Due to various injuries over the years, he has only twice been able to play more than 107 games in a season. Lower back problems have been a frequent issue but he’s also hit the injured list due to a right shin bone bruise, a right triceps contusion, a right patella fracture, a right oblique strain, left oblique tightness and left ankle/foot tendinitis.
Earlier in his career, the Rays moved Lowe between second base and the outfield corners. Presumably because of the injuries, he hasn’t been sent out to the grass since 2022. He has been almost exclusively a second baseman lately, with a few stints at first as well. His second base defense was once around league average but seems to have slipped as he has battled those injuries and pushed into his 30s. He was given a minus-13 grade from Outs Above Average this year and minus-14 from Defensive Runs Saved.
There’s also a bit of concern from his declining plate discipline. He has always had a high strikeout rate but offset that earlier in his career with solid walk rates. That hasn’t been the case lately, as Lowe walked in fewer than 8% of his plate appearances in each of the past two years.
The power has still been enough to carry the profile. Dating back to the start of 2024, he has 52 home runs and a .251/.309/.475 batting line. That translates to a 118 wRC+, indicating his offense has been 18% above league average overall. Despite the defensive shortcomings, FanGraphs credited him with four wins above replacement in 241 games over that two-year span. He is going to make $11.5MM in 2026 before he’s slated to reach free agency.
Though Lowe is an imperfect player, he will be a big upgrade for the Pirates. They had almost no offensive prowess to speak of in 2025. Spencer Horwitz was the only Pirate to produce a wRC+ higher than 101.
While the Bucs had a clear lack of offense, they have a huge pile of pitching talent. Paul Skenes is the clear headliner but they have plenty of other exciting young arms in the mix. After several years struggling to return to contention, the Bucs came into this winter looking to get aggressive in upgrading the offense.
They made some spirited attempts in free agency, making competitive offers to Kyle Schwarber and Josh Naylor before they re-signed with the Phillies and Mariners respectively. Even if the Bucs had succeeded in signing one of those guys or someone else, it always seemed likely that they would use their stockpile of young arms to bolster the offense. This is the second such trade of the offseason for the Bucs. They sent Johan Oviedo to the Red Sox earlier this month as part of a five-player swap, with outfielder Jhostynxon García coming back to Pittsburgh.
Lowe could jump in as the regular second baseman. The Bucs used guys like Jared Triolo, Nick Yorke and Nick Gonzales there in 2025 without anyone taking firm hold of the position. Given Lowe’s age, injury issues and defensive shortcomings, it’s also possible he sees significant time in the designated hitter slot. That would leave open some playing time for those guys, though Triolo and Gonzalez could also factor in at shortstop or third base.
Since Lowe is going into the final year of his deal, he’s just a one-year upgrade for the Pirates, though it’s possible they could make him a qualifying offer at season’s end if he has a healthy and productive campaign.
They had added yet another guy to their position player mix with Mangum, though he’s not likely to be a massive lineup boost. He got into 118 games with the Rays this year as a speed-and-defense guy with a contact-based approach. His 15% strikeout rate was lower than league average but he also only drew walks at a 4% clip and hit only three home runs. His .296/.330/.368 batting line translated to a 95 wRC+ but he stole 27 bases and got strong defensive grades in all three outfield slots.
Mangum has exactly one year of service time, meaning he’s at least two years from arbitration and five years from free agency. He also has a full slate of options, so he could be sent to Triple-A to serve as depth. The Bucs should have Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds in two outfield spots. One spot is available with guys like García, Jack Suwinski, Marco Luciano and others in the mix. Mangum could push for a regular role or a gig as a fourth outfielder, or he could end up in Triple-A, as mentioned. A lengthy optional assignment could delay his trajectory to arbitration and/or free agency.
The Bucs also picked up a reliever in Montgomery. The southpaw tossed 55 2/3 innings for the Rays over the past two years, allowing 5.01 earned runs per nine. He struck out 32.5% of batters faced and got grounders on 45% of balls in play but also gave out walks at a big 13% clip. He has a high-90s fastball, as well as a cutter and a slider, but control is clearly an issue.
He is also optionable and can be controlled for five years, so the Bucs can see if they can help him harness his stuff, without having to commit a big league roster spot. Pittsburgh’s southpaw relief contingent is currently headlined by Gregory Soto, with Evan Sisk and now Montgomery also in the mix.
In order to get those players, the Pirates are making a notable subtraction from their rotation. Burrows, 26, was an 11th-round pick and spent many years in the middle range of Pittsburgh’s top 30 prospects. However, he has increased his stock lately. He has thus far tossed 99 1/3 innings in his big league career with a 3.90 ERA, 23.8% strikeout rate, 8.2% walk rate and 41.9% ground ball rate. He has averaged in the mid-90s with his four-seamer and sinker while also throwing a slider, curveball and changeup. He has also thrown 83 2/3 innings in the minors over the past two seasons with a 4.20 ERA, 27.4% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate.
The Pirates are hoping that their trades this offseason have bolstered their lineup and bullpen, while the rotation could still be a strength despite the subtractions. Even without Oviedo and Burrows, they still have Skenes, Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, Bubba Chandler, Hunter Barco, Thomas Harrington and others in the mix. Jared Jones is still recovering from Tommy John surgery but should rejoin that group at some point in 2026.
Burrows is a sensible addition for the Astros. Injuries tore apart their rotation in 2026. Luis Garcia required yet another elbow surgery and was jettisoned from the roster. Ronel Blanco, Hayden Wesneski and Brandon Walter all required Tommy John surgery during the 2025 season and are facing lengthy absences.
In addition to the injury issues, they also lost Framber Valdez to free agency and don’t appear likely to re-sign him. That’s because they are reportedly hoping to avoid the competitive balance tax in 2026. RosterResource pegs them for a CBT number of around $220MM, which is roughly $24MM shy of the $244MM base threshold. That gives them some ability to do things but they also have other needs on the roster and presumably want to keep some powder dry for midseason additions.
Put it all together and the Astros came into the winter with a rotation consisting of Hunter Brown and a series of question marks. Cristian Javier should have a spot next year but he had middling results in 2025 after recovering from his own Tommy John surgery. They can’t count on Lance McCullers Jr. for anything after he posted a 6.51 ERA in his return from a lengthy injury absence. Jason Alexander is in the mix but is a veteran journeyman. Spencer Arrighetti, J.P. France, Colton Gordon, AJ Blubaugh and Miguel Ullola are on the 40-man but they’re all either unestablished at the big league level or struggled with injuries in 2025.
Adding to the rotation was obviously necessary but the budgetary situation has impacted their approach. Instead of going after top free agents, they have given modest deals to reclamation project Nate Pearson and KBO returnee Ryan Weiss.
Burrows also fits into the low-cost mode. He has less than a year of service time, meaning he’s still years away from arbitration and even further from free agency. He also still has an option season remaining, so the Astros can send him to Triple-A throughout the year if other guys push him for a rotation spot.
To get that affordable rotation upgrade, they are subtracting from their outfield mix and their long-term pitching pipeline. Melton, now 25, debuted in 2025 but didn’t hit the ground running. He hit just .157/.234/.186 this year, though in a tiny sample of 78 plate appearances. A right ankle sprain cost him a decent chunk of the season, as he only got into 67 games between Triple-A and the majors.
His minor league work is naturally more impressive. Prior to this trade, many outlets considered him the top prospect in Houston’s system. He’s considered a plus outfielder and baserunner. Though his 2025 was shortened by injury, he swiped at least 30 bags in the two previous minor league seasons. In 1,146 minor league plate appearances, he has a 22.6% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate, 48 home runs, .255/.334/.462 line and 110 wRC+.
Though Melton had reached the big leagues, he was part of a somewhat jumbled outfield mix consisting of Jake Meyers, Cam Smith, Jesús Sánchez, Zach Cole and Zach Dezenzo, with Yordan Alvarez also in the mix from time to time when he’s not the designated hitter. Meyers has been in some trade rumors but Melton was perhaps more appealing to the Rays. Meyers is down to two years of club control and is projected by MLBTR contributor Matt Swartz for a $3.5MM salary next year.
Melton has less than a year of service time, so he comes with six full years of control. He also has two option seasons remaining, so the Rays can keep him in Triple-A if he hasn’t yet earned a big league job with them. The Rays effectively swap him into their outfield mix for Mangum. He’ll compete for playing time with Chandler Simpson, Josh Lowe, Cedric Mullins, Jake Fraley, Jonny DeLuca, Richie Palacios and others.
Brito is also an attractive piece but he’s farther away. An amateur signing out of Venezuela, he has limited professional experience, having not yet reached the Double-A level. Thus far, he has shown big strikeout stuff but he’s clearly still working on controlling his stuff. He has thrown 103 minor league innings over 2024 and 2025 with a 2.36 ERA, walking 11.7% of batters faced but also punching them out at a 35% clip. Baseball America had him ranked as the #3 prospect in the Astros’ system before the deal.
The Rays have been busy today, as they have also sent Shane Baz to the Orioles for four prospects and a draft pick. This deal is also future-focused for them, as they have sent out three big leaguers for two prospects. Given the young and controllable talent they acquired, it’s possible this is some kind of setback for a rebuild.
On the other hand, Lowe was already a classic Rays trade candidate, as he is relatively expensive for them and nearing free agency. Baz isn’t quite the same, as he can still be controlled for three more seasons, but he is projected for a $3.1MM salary next year. Maybe the Rays will now pivot to investing in the roster, now that they’ve saved some money and bolstered their farm system.
Given that this deal involves three teams and half a dozen players, most of whom are young and controllable for years to come, it’s going to take quite a while to determine whether it was wise for the clubs involved. For now, it aligns with their immediate needs.
The Astros have bolstered their rotation without having to pay big bucks. They have subtracted one of their top prospects in Melton, but from an area of the roster with some depth. Brito is another notable prospect gone but he’s been replaced by a pitcher who can provide more help in the near term.
The Rays have saved a bit of money by trading Lowe. They also subtracted a couple of other players but one of them was in a crowded outfield mix with some fourth outfielder tendencies, the other a clearly talented but volatile reliever.
The Pirates were widely expected to move starting pitching to try to add to their position player group and this is the second time this winter they have executed a trade with that aim. There’s a bit of risk in giving up a controllable starter for an injury-prone bat with just one year of control and a couple of fringier pieces, but they needed to do something for the lineup and free agency was proving challenging. They have gone the trade route instead and used their area of greatest strength to hopefully patch over weaknesses elsewhere.
Chandler Rome and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic first reported the elements of the deal. Alex Stumpf of MLB.com and Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reported that the deal was done but pending medical reviews. Rome and Jeff Passan of ESPN reported that the deal was done.
Photos courtesy of Patrick Gorski, Kim Klement Neitzel, Nathan Ray Seebeck, Charles LeClaire, Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images