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Nationals, Cionel Perez Agree To Minor-League Deal

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The Nationals have agreed to a minor-league deal with left-hander Cionel Perez, according to Francys Romero of Beisbol FR. Perez earns an invite to major-league Spring Training. He will earn $1.9MM if he makes the roster, with $700k in incentives, per Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Perez is represented by Octagon.

Perez is an eight-year big-league veteran. After stints with the Astros and Reds from 2018-21, he was claimed off waivers by the Orioles in November 2021 and subsequently earned a larger role. His first season in Baltimore was his best. Perez posted a shiny 1.40 ERA in 57 2/3 innings across 66 appearances in 2022. His expected stats weren’t quite as high on him, though his 3.63 xERA and 2.80 FIP still painted the picture of an above-average reliever. Perez excelled that year by keeping the ball in the park and getting plenty of groundballs. His 51.3% groundball rate was tied for 33rd among 152 qualified relievers that year. His 0.31 HR/9 rate was 11th-best.

Perez’s 2023-24 numbers were more serviceable than great. His strikeout and walk numbers both trended in the wrong direction from 2022, leaving him with a 7.2% K-BB rate. He still excelled at inducing grounders, with a 58.3% groundball rate across those two seasons (including a career-best 60.7% mark in 2023). Altogether, he posted a 4.04 ERA in 107 innings from 2023-24.

Batters teed off on Perez in 2025. In 19 appearances in the season’s first two months, he posted an ERA of 8.31 with an elevated 16.4% walk rate, his highest since 2021 with the Reds. More surprisingly, after allowing just four home runs in total from 2022-24, Perez allowed three in only 21 2/3 innings in 2025. A .379 BABIP and 3.93 xERA suggest he was the victim of bad luck, but his 5.77 FIP implied he was doing poorly independently of his defense. By the end of May, the Orioles had seen enough. Perez was designated off the 40-man roster and spent the rest of the year at Triple-A, pitching to a 6.85 ERA in 22 1/3 innings.

Despite the disappointing end to his Orioles tenure, a look at Perez’s Statcast page gives some reason for optimism. His fastball velocity, expected batting average, barrel rate, and groundball rate all would have ranked in the 71st percentile or better had he pitched enough to qualify. As recently as 2024, Perez’s slurve and sinker were above average pitches by run value. Opponents slugged just .282 and .314 against those pitches, respectively.

For the rebuilding Nats, there is no risk in bringing Perez into the fold of what is otherwise a young, inexperienced bullpen. Julian Fernandez and waiver claim Richard Lovelady are the only projected members with even two years of service time, per RosterResource. At the least, Perez is an experienced lefty with a high groundball rate who could turn into a trade candidate by the deadline if he rebuilds his value. Assuming he makes the roster, his $1.9MM salary would bring the Nationals’ payroll to $95.38MM and their luxury tax payroll to $118.18MM.

Photo by Daniel Cusin Jr., Imagn Images

Orioles Acquire Jackson Kowar

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The Orioles have acquired right-hander Jackson Kowar from the Twins in exchange for cash considerations, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN. The team placed fellow right-hander Colin Selby on the 60-day injured list with right shoulder inflammation in a corresponding move. Both teams have announced the move.

Kowar was designated for assignment by the Twins on Thursday. Prior to that, he had only recently been claimed off waivers from the Mariners. Kowar spent most of 2025 shuttling back and forth from Triple-A, though he did make 15 appearances (17 innings) at the big-league level. He had a 4.24 ERA in that sample, along with a 21.1% strikeout rate and a 9.9% walk rate. Kowar’s expected stats were more pessimistic, with his 5.15 xERA and 5.84 FIP suggesting he benefited from good luck.

Since his debut in 2021, Kowar has thrown 91 innings over 54 appearances (eight starts) between the Royals and Mariners. Unfortunately, he owns an unsightly 8.21 ERA in that time, with his expected numbers putting him in the upper-5.00s. His 20.3% strikeout rate is serviceable, but the righty has struggled with control to the tune of a 13.1% career walk rate. He also struggles to keep the ball in the yard, having allowed 19 home runs throughout his career (1.88 HR/9). Injuries certainly haven’t helped his performance. In March 2024, he suffered a torn ulnar collateral ligament and underwent Tommy John surgery while with the Mariners. Though he returned in May 2025, he missed the last month and a half of the season with a right shoulder impingement.

Kowar makes for an interesting low-cost flier for the Orioles’ bullpen mix. Statcast graded his fastball velocity in the 90th percentile and valued the pitch at two runs above average in 2025. Unsurprisingly, Kowar leaned on the pitch 57.7% of the time. The key for him will be improving his location and avoiding hard contact, as hitters slugged .476 against the pitch in 2025. His mid-80s slider was his second most-used pitch could be a plus pitch going forward. While it had a -1 run value this year, Kowar struck out 39.1% of hitters on that pitch. He has less than three years of service time and is out of options, so the club would need to pass him through waivers if he doesn’t make the roster.

Recent reports indicated that Selby was dealing with shoulder inflammation. He’ll now open the season on the injured list and will stay there until at least late May. Selby was acquired from the Royals in a July 2024 cash trade. He has thrown 18 big-league innings for Baltimore since then, 14 of them coming in 2025. In that small sample, he impressed with a 3.21 ERA and a microscopic 3.3% walk rate (which was admittedly an outlier from his career numbers). Selby’s sinker, slider, and knuckle curve all graded slightly above average in terms of run value. He has less than a year of service time and is also out of options, so he’ll need to perform well upon his return or else risk being placed on outright waivers.

Photo courtesy of Dennis Lee, Imagn Images

Padres, Germán Márquez Agree To One-Year Contract

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The Padres and right-hander Germán Márquez are in agreement on a one-year deal, according to Alden González of ESPN. The precise guarantee is not yet known, although there is a mutual option for 2027, per Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic. The team has a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move to open space for the L.A. Sports Management client.

The team was known to be looking for low-cost rotation pieces and a complementary bat, per comments from president of baseball operations A.J. Preller a few days ago. They achieved the latter by bringing in Nick Castellanos on a one-year deal upon his release from the Phillies. Now, they’ve addressed the rotation side through one-year-deals for Márquez and fellow right-hander Griffin Canning. Canning is coming off an Achilles injury and projects as a back-end starter once he is healthy enough to return. Márquez figures to serve as back-of-the-rotation depth as well.

The 30-year-old (31 later this month) is coming off a ten-year major-league run with the Rockies. After a brief debut in 2016, he settled in as one of the team’s most reliable starters from 2017-21. In that span, he totaled 793 2/3 innings over 135 starts and posted a 4.25 ERA, a 24.0% strikeout rate, and a 6.9% walk rate. Márquez excelled through a combination of control and strong groundball tendencies. He was worth 15.5 fWAR in those five years and continually posted groundball rates in the mid-40s and low-50s, including a career-high 51.6% in 180 innings in 2021.

His performance began to wane from 2022 onward. He still made 31 starts in 2022, but his strikeout rate fell below 20% for the first time since his 20 2/3-inning sample in 2016. His run prevention slipped as well, with Márquez posting a below-average 4.95 ERA and elevated peripheral stats. He then underwent Tommy John surgery in May 2023, costing him the rest of that year and the first few months of 2024. His return in July 2024 only lasted one start, and he spent the rest of the season on the injured list with elbow inflammation, although his UCL was reportedly fine.

In 2025, Márquez pitched 126 1/3 innings over 26 starts but was clearly working with diminished stuff. His four-seamer was down to 94.8 MPH after averaging 95.6 MPH in his most recent healthy season in 2022. His sinker, which used over 20% of the time, also slipped from 95.1 MPH to 94.3 MPH. Statcast graded his fastballs in just the first percentile by run value, while his knuckle curve, formerly his best pitch, also earned career-worst grades. The strikeouts dried up even further, with Márquez’s 14.0% strikeout rate ranking third-worst among starters with at least 100 innings. The Rockies decided to move on as Márquez reached free agency.

Perhaps a change of scenery will help Márquez recover some of his strikeout and groundball tendencies as he moves further from injury. He’ll get that chance with the Padres, who now have a decent amount of rotation depth. The team saw Dylan Cease depart for the Blue Jays but re-signed Michael King on a three-year deal in December. Yu Darvish will miss 2026 while recovering from an internal brace procedure, and he is reportedly contemplating retirement. Joe Musgrove is returning from Tommy John surgery and will be guaranteed a spot if healthy. That leaves King, Nick Pivetta, and Musgrove in the top three spots, with some combination of Márquez, Canning (when healthy), Randy Vásquez, and JP Sears taking the last two spots.

Each of King, Musgrove, Márquez and Canning comes with injury risk, though the Padres always seemed likelier to stockpile depth than bring a big-name starter at this stage in the offseason. Zac Gallen was the last impact starter in free agency before re-signing with the Diamondbacks. Either way, his $18.7MM luxury tax number might have been too much given the team’s reported payroll constraints. Low-cost signings like Canning and Márquez seem easier to accommodate, barring a potential buyout agreement for Darvish.

Financial terms have not been disclosed yet for Canning or Márquez. RosterResource has the team at a $264.7MM luxury tax payroll for 2026, putting them in the second tier of penalization. The Padres paid the luxury tax in 2025 and would count as second-time payors in 2026. Thus, any money guaranteed to Canning and Márquez would come with an additional 42% surcharge.

Photo courtesy of Isaiah J. Downing, Imagn Images

Dodgers, Max Muncy Agree To Extension

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TODAY: Muncy’s extension includes escalators based on plate appearances, as outlined by FanSided’s Robert Murray.  He can earn up to $2.25MM in bonus money in 2026, as once he makes his 401st trip to the plate this season, Muncy will earn $15K for every PA up to his 550th plate appearance.  His $7MM salary for 2027 can be boosted by an additional $3.75MM, since Muncy will earn $20K for each of his 401st through 500th plate appearance of the 2026 season, and $35K for each PA from 501-550.  This same $3.75MM bonus structure also applies to the 2028 club option, based on his plate appearances in 2027.

FEBRUARY 12: The Dodgers announced Thursday that they’ve agreed to a one-year contract extension with third baseman Max Muncy. He’s now guaranteed an additional $10MM in the form of a $7MM salary in 2027 and a $3MM buyout on a $10MM club option for the 2028 campaign. Muncy is repped by Hub Sports Management.

As can be seen in a quick look at MLBTR’s Contract Tracker, this is the fourth extension of the past six years between the two parties. Muncy signed a three-year. $26MM contract covering his arbitration years back in 2020 and gave up control over his first free-agent season via a club option in that process. In Aug. 2022, he agreed to a new deal that saw his 2023 club option picked up in advance, with the Dodgers tacking on another year of control via a club option for the 2024 season. Following the 2023 campaign, the Dodgers renegotiated a two-year, $24MM deal with a $10MM club option for the 2026 season, which the club exercised back in November.

The new deal now covers Muncy’s age-36 season (2027) and gives the Dodgers a net $7MM decision on his age-37 campaign. With this contract, he’s effectively locked into spending an entire decade with L.A., as he made his Dodgers debut in 2018 after being cut loose by the A’s and signing a minor league deal.

Muncy will go down as one of the best minor league pickups in recent memory. He immediately broke out in Los Angeles, slashing .263/.391/.582 with 35 home runs in his debut Dodger campaign. He’s been a well above-average offensive performer in each of his eight seasons with L.A. so far, save for the 2020 campaign when his .192/.331/.398 slash checked in a bit shy of average overall (98 wRC+).

Injuries have hobbled Muncy in recent seasons, but he’s remained a threat in the batter’s box whenever healthy. He was limited to 100 games last season thanks to a bone bruise in his knee and an oblique strain, but Muncy still delivered a .243/.376/.470 slash with 19 home runs and a massive (career-high) 16.5% walk rate in the 388 plate appearances he was able to take. He’s averaged just 111 games per season over the past four years and regularly hits for a low average, but his impeccable patience and well above-average power continue to make him a productive player.

Muncy will reach 10 years of major league service on the 145th day of the 2026 season. At that point, he’ll gain 10-and-5 rights (10 years of service, the past five with the same team), granting him full veto rights over any potential trade scenario. Today’s extension all but locks him into third base at Dodger Stadium for the next two seasons. Muncy hasn’t been an option at second base in years now, and across the infield Freddie Freeman is signed through the 2027 season. Shohei Ohtani, of course, will continue to take the team’s at-bats at designated hitter.

Muncy’s glovework has always drawn mixed reviews, and that’s been no different in recent seasons. Defensive Runs Saved has pegged him as an above-average third baseman in each of the past two seasons, while Statcast felt he was average in 2024 and a fair bit below average in 2025. The Dodgers, clearly, are comfortable with any defensive concessions they’ll need to make to keep Muncy’s perpetually excellent on-base percentage and plus power in the lineup — at least against right-handed pitching.

While Muncy crushed fellow lefties early in his career, his numbers in left-on-left matchups have gone south recently. He still held his own against southpaws in 2024 but was well below average in 2023 and again in 2025, when he hit just .157/.250/.314 in 80 plate appearances. Platoon options at third base for the Dodgers include veteran Miguel Rojas and switch-hitting top infield prospect Alex Freeland.

Marlins Win Arbitration Hearing Against Calvin Faucher

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The Marlins have won their arbitration hearing with right-hander Calvin Faucher, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reports.  The panel ruled that Faucher will receive an $1.8MM salary in 2026, rather than the $2.05MM salary he was seeking.

Faucher finished the 2025 season with two years and 156 days of Major League service time, thus qualifying for an extra year of arbitration eligibility as a Super Two player.  While Faucher and his reps at ACES are undoubtedly disappointed that the arbiters didn’t rule in their favor, the $1.8MM figure will now serve as the base for what the righty hopes will be steadily escalating salaries over his three remaining arb years.

Arbitration panels tend to look more at traditional counting stats than advanced metrics, so Faucher’s camp surely highlighted the righty’s 15 saves in 20 opportunities in 2025, as Faucher was the Marlins’ top choice at closer.  Faucher posted a 3.28 ERA, 23.1% strikeout rate, and 9.4% walk rate over 60 1/3 innings.  While the K% wasn’t anything special and the walk rate was below average, Faucher did a tremendous job of inducing soft contact, which helped him generate outs with his 45.8% grounder rate.

While Faucher pitched well, the Marlins still made a point of upgrading their pen by bringing in Pete Fairbanks on a one-year, $13MM contract.  Fairbanks figures to get the bulk of save opportunities, so a move back to a set-up role will hamper Faucher from an arbitration standpoint, as holds aren’t held in as high regard as saves.  With two solid seasons under his belt since arriving in Miami, Faucher has now established himself as a quality Major League reliever, and will again be a key piece of the Marlins’ relief corps.

Faucher’s case was the last arbitration hearing of the 2025-26 offseason.  It was a successful year for the players, as they went 8-4 in the 12 cases that actually went to a hearing.

Reds, Nathaniel Lowe Agree To Minor League Deal

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TODAY: The Reds officially announced Lowe’s contract.  Sheldon reports that Lowe will earn $1.75MM if he makes Cincinnati’s active roster, with another $250K available in contract incentives.

FEBRUARY 13: The Reds and first baseman Nathaniel Lowe are in agreement on a minor league deal, per Mark Feinsand and Mark Sheldon of MLB.com. The SportsMeter client will be in big league camp as a non-roster invitee.

A year ago, the notion of Lowe settling for a non-roster deal would’ve seemed far-fetched. From 2021-24, the now-30-year-old Lowe was the Rangers’ everyday first baseman — and a good one, at that. He slashed a combined .274/.359/.432 (124 wRC+) with 78 home runs, 104 doubles, 10 triples, 13 steals, a strong 11.3% walk rate and a 23.3% strikeout rate that was only a bit north of average. Defensive metrics were bearish on his glove early in his MLB run, but he posted quality marks in both Defensive Runs Saved (4) and Outs Above Average (10) in 2023-24.

As the Rangers began the process of paring down their payroll, they traded Lowe and his $10.3MM salary to the Nationals for left-hander Robert Garcia. The change of scenery didn’t work out whatsoever for Lowe. He appeared in 119 games and tallied 490 plate appearances with a .216/.292/.373 batting line (86 wRC+) before being designated for assignment and released in August. Lowe’s walk rate in D.C. dipped to 9.6%, and his strikeout rate climbed to 26.5%. He was also a bit more prone to pop-ups and hit fewer line drives than he had during his Texas stint.

The Red Sox, needing help at first base, quickly scooped Lowe up and got better production out of the veteran’s left-handed bat. In a smaller sample of 119 plate appearances with Boston, Lowe turned in a .280/.370/.420 slash that pretty closely resembled the production from his time in Arlington. His production was buoyed by a .361 average on balls in play that he’s highly unlikely to sustain, but Lowe was also dogged by a .267 BABIP with the Nationals — a whopping 72 points south of the .339 mark he carried into the season.

With the Reds, Lowe will have a chance to win a prominent role in the lineup. Top prospect Sal Stewart is the presumptive front-runner at first base, but he has all of 18 big league games under his belt. The 2022 No. 32 overall pick belted five homers in that time and had a big year in Triple-A as well (.309/.383/.524, 152 wRC+) but some veteran competition for him won’t hurt. Also in the mix at first base are Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Spencer Steer. The former hasn’t hit in the majors since 2023 and has minor league options remaining, while the latter can play all over the diamond.

There could be occasional DH at-bats available, although the returning Eugenio Suárez will likely take the bulk of those reps in 2026. Suárez could also see time at the hot corner if the oft-injured Ke’Bryan Hayes hits the injured list, which would open up additional avenues to get both Stewart and Lowe into the lineup — assuming Lowe performs well enough to make the roster, of course.

Twins Sign Andrew Chafin To Minor League Contract

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11:55AM: Chafin will earn $2MM if he makes the Twins’ active roster, according to SKOR North’s Darren Wolfson.  Chafin’s contract also has another $1.25MM available in bonus money.

7:05AM: The Twins signed left-hander Andrew Chafin to a minor league deal, according to multiple team beat writers.  Chafin’s contract includes an invitation to attend Minnesota’s big league Spring Training camp.

As Chafin prepares for his 13th Major League season, the Twins will become the ninth team the southpaw has pitched for at the MLB level if Chafin can win a spot on the active roster.  The 35-year-old added two more clubs to his list by appearing for the Nationals and Angels in 2025, posting a 2.41 ERA and a solid 25.2% strikeout rate over 33 2/3 innings, but also with a 13.3% walk rate.

Between the inflated walk rate and an 81.9% strand rate, Chafin’s SIERA was 4.11 — far higher than his real-world ERA.  Most of his other underlying metrics were quite good, though Chafin’s biggest issue last season was staying healthy.  He had a pair of stints on the injured list due to a right hamstring strain and then left triceps inflammation, resulting in a little over five weeks’ worth of missed time.

This is the second straight winter that Chafin has had to settle for a minor league deal, as he also inked a non-guaranteed contract with the Tigers last February.  He opted out of that deal at the end of April and quickly landed a MLB contract with Washington, then pitched in 26 games for the Nats before the Angels acquired Chafin at the trade deadline.

Chafin’s lack of control continues to be a concern and his strikeout rate dropped from 28.5% in 2024, though his other numbers suggest he still has something left in the tank even at this later stage in his career.  Chafin is the latest relief addition for a Twins team that has brought Taylor Rogers, Anthony Banda, and Eric Orze into the fold, not to mention a long list of NRIs with experience on big league pitching staffs.  Rogers, Banda, and Kody Funderburk are all left-handers, so Chafin provides some more depth in that area as well.

Diamondbacks Sign Joe Ross, Oscar Mercado To Minor League Deals

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The Diamondbacks signed right-hander Joe Ross and outfielder Oscar Mercado to minor league contracts that contain invitations to Arizona’s big league spring camp.  The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal was the first to report Ross’ deal, while MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams had the Mercado signing.  Ross is a Wasserman client, and Mercado is represented by Excel Sports Management.

Ross signed a one-year, $4MM guarantee with the Phillies last offseason, in the aftermath of a 2024 campaign that saw Ross post some strong numbers (1.67 ERA over 27 innings) once he was moved from the Brewers’ rotation into a bullpen role.  After a Tommy John surgery prevented Ross from any big league action over the 2022-23 seasons, his 2024 numbers were a nice rebound, and a sign that relief pitching could potentially be the way forward in his career.

Unfortunately, things didn’t really work out for Ross in Philadelphia.  He posted a 5.12 ERA, 17.1% strikeout rate, and 7.9% walk rate over 51 innings (starting one of 37 appearances) for the Phils, and was tagged for eight home runs while allowing a lot of hard contact.  Philadelphia released Ross near the end of August and he caught on with the Cubs on a minors deal, but didn’t receive any looks on Chicago’s active roster, even when rosters expanded in September.

Mercado last played in the majors in 2023, when he appeared in 20 games with the Cardinals.  The outfielder had a strong rookie year with Cleveland in 2019, but has since batted .206/.262/.334 over 491 plate appearances since the start of the 2020 season.  St. Louis outrighted Mercado in July 2023 and he elected free agency, and he has since bounced around to the Dodgers, Tigers, and two stints apiece with the Padres and Phillies without getting any more time in the Show.

The D’Backs have a ton of pitchers in camp on non-roster deals, so Ross faces an uphill battle in winning a spot on Arizona’s Opening Day roster.  Though he worked almost exclusively in a relief role last year, Ross could be utilized again as a swingman, which might help his chances finding a niche with the Snakes.

Corbin Carroll will start the season on the injured list while recovering from hamate surgery, leaving the D’Backs thinner than expected in the outfield for at least the early stages of the 2026 campaign.  If other outfielders or multi-positional types (i.e. Tim Tawa, Ildemaro Vargas) on the depth chart have now been bumped up a slot with Carroll absent, Mercado’s signing adds more depth on at least the Triple-A level.  Mercado is best suited as a corner outfielder but he does have some experience in center field, so there could be some opportunity for Mercado to backup job if he has a big camp performance.

Padres Sign Griffin Canning

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The Padres have signed right-hander Griffin Canning, as initially reported overnight by the Divine Sports Gospel.  Canning’s deal will be official once he passes a physical, according to FanSided’s Robert Murray.  San Diego has a full 40-man roster in the wake of the Nick Castellanos signing, so the Padres will have to make another move to open up 40-man space for Canning, who is represented by Wasserman.

It’s something of a SoCal homecoming for Canning, who was born in Mission Viejo and played his college ball at UCLA.  The 29-year-old also spent his first first Major League seasons with the Angels, posting a 4.78 ERA over 508 innings (starting 94 of 99 games).  This was less than was expected of a pitcher who was once viewed as a top-100 prospect, and the Angels parted ways with Canning via a trade with the Braves last offseason for Jorge Soler.  Atlanta then chose to non-tender Canning, since the Braves’ chief goal of the trade was to unload Soler’s contract.

Canning then signed a one-year, $4.25MM contract with the Mets that initially looked like it was going to be a steal, as the righty posted a 2.47 ERA over his first nine starts in New York.  Some struggles over his next seven outings boosted his ERA to 3.77, yet that’s unfortunately where Canning’s story ended, as he suffered a season-ending ruptured Achilles tendon in late June.

Reports from earlier this offseason suggested that Canning is hoping to be ready for Opening Day, or at least relatively early in April.  He was feeling good enough to throw for scouts in a showcase last week, and his velocity was up to 93mph even at this relatively early stage in the preseason ramp-up process.  The Mets, Cardinals, and White Sox were all linked to Canning earlier this winter, but he’ll now be part of San Diego’s rotation mix.

The Padres’ starting pitching situation has been a key issue for the team all winter, as Dylan Cease left for the Blue Jays in free agency and Yu Darvish will miss all of 2026 while recovering from an internal brace procedure.  Re-signing Michael King helped the Padres restore some stability, and Canning joins a list of arms that consists of King, Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez, JP Sears, and Joe Musgrove in his return from Tommy John surgery.  Assuming everyone is healthy, Canning will probably push Vasquez or Sears into a relief or depth role once Canning is ready to pitch.

While 76 1/3 innings isn’t the largest of sample sizes, Canning’s 2025 season saw him post a 50.9% grounder rate, in a marked change for a pitcher who had only a 39.5% groundball rate during his time in Anaheim.  Keeping the ball out of the air helped somewhat counter-act all of the hard contact Canning was allowing, as his 45.7% hard-hit ball rate was only in the 11th percentile of all pitchers.  Canning’s 10.7% walk rate was the highest of his career, and his 21.3% strikeout rate was nothing special.

Pivetta’s breakout in 2025 is evidence that the Padres can help pitchers unlock their potential, but for now, Canning projects as a back-end starter with some upside.  How Canning responds to his Achilles injury is another x-factor, and his health history also includes a stress fracture in his back that cost him the entire 2022 season.

Terms of Canning’s deal aren’t yet known, though it is fair to assume he’ll earn something close to the $4.5MM he received from New York in 2025.  The price tag was surely attractive to the Padres, who have been operating within a seemingly limited budget this offseason.  Not counting Canning’s deal, San Diego is projected (by RosterResource) for roughly a $220.9MM payroll and a $265.48MM luxury tax number — both are slightly up from 2025, when the Padres had a $211.1MM payroll in 2025 and a $263MM tax number.  The addition of Canning’s contract now puts San Diego over the second tier ($264MM) of tax penalization.

Diamondbacks Sign Paul Sewald

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TODAY: Arizona officially announced the Sewald signing, and Justin Martinez was placed on the 60-day injured list in the corresponding 40-man roster move.

FEBRUARY 12: The D-backs are bringing right-hander Paul Sewald back to Arizona on a one-year, $1.5MM contract, Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic reports. The agreement is pending a physical. Sewald is represented by ISE Baseball.

Sewald, who’ll be 36 in May, spent the second half of the 2023 season and all of the 2024 season in Arizona after coming over in a deadline trade that shipped outfielder Dominic Canzone, infielder Josh Rojas and infielder Ryan Bliss back to the Mariners. The veteran right-hander battled unusually shaky command but posted solid results down the stretch in ’23 before seeing his overall production take a step back in a 2024 season that was truncated by oblique and neck injuries.

After becoming a free agent following the 2024 campaign, Sewald signed a one-year, $7MM deal in Cleveland. He pitched only 15 1/3 innings for the Guardians, this time due to a shoulder strain. The Tigers picked him up in a small deadline deal despite the fact that he was on the injured list, and he pitched 4 1/3 innings for Detroit late in the year.

Sewald was a tenth-round pick by the Mets back in 2012 and had an unremarkable four-year stint in Queens, pitching to a 5.50 ERA in 147 1/3 innings. He was a minor league free agent gem for the Mariners, however, signing with Seattle ahead of the 2021 season and quickly emerging as a go-to reliever. In two-plus seasons as a Mariner, Sewald pitched 171 2/3 innings with a 2.88 ERA, 52 saves, 24 holds, an enormous 35% strikeout rate and a solid 8.1% walk rate.

We’re now a few years removed from that peak. Sewald’s average fastball sat at just 90.4 mph last season, down 2.1 mph from its peak, and he’s posted a 4.40 ERA over his past 59 1/3 MLB frames. That said, he’s still fanned more than one quarter of his opponents while posting a strong 6.5% walk rate in that time. His slider still grades out as at least an average pitch, if not slightly better, and it’s possible that improved health could add a bit more life back to his heater or bring some additional whiffs back on that breaking ball.

For an Arizona club in dire need of bullpen help, it’s hard to fault the addition of an experienced, generally successful reliever at less than two times the $780K league minimum. Sewald probably won’t return to peak levels, but he doesn’t need to in order to benefit this version of manager Torey Lovullo’s bullpen. The Snakes are without Martinez, A.J. Puk, and Andrew Saalfrank, all of whom will open the season on the injured list. Saalfrank won’t pitch at all this year. Puk is probably out until at least June. Martinez may not be back until late in the summer.

At the moment, the Diamondbacks’ bullpen includes Kevin Ginkel, Ryan Thompson, trade acquisition Kade Strowd and another bargain pickup in righty Taylor Clarke. There’s no shortage of candidates to compete for the final few spots. Brandyn Garcia, Drey Jameson, Philip Abner, Juan Morillo, Andrew Hoffmann and non-roster invitees Jonathan Loaisiga, John Curtiss and Shawn Dubin are among the candidates. Sewald will add some low-cost stability — a veteran reliever who even as his numbers have taken a step back in recent seasons has at least remained serviceable. If things don’t pan out, the Snakes can cut him and move on, but the Sewald reunion is a sensible one, given the team’s lack of bullpen certainty and minimal capacity to further add to the payroll.

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