Red Sox To Use Marcelo Mayer As Starting Second Baseman, Kristian Campbell Optioned To Triple-A
In an unsurprising move, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters (including Peter Abraham of the Boston Globe) that Marcelo Mayer will make the Opening Day roster and act as Boston’s regular second baseman. It isn’t quite an everyday role, as Cora said the left-handed hitting Mayer will be protected against some southpaw pitchers. Veteran infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa or utilityman Andruw Monasterio are both right-handed batters and should be part of this platoon at the keystone.
Mayer didn’t exactly force the issue by hitting only .214/.389/.321 over 36 plate appearances in Grapefruit League action, but it always seemed like the former top prospect was being lined up for some type of regular role in the Red Sox infield as either the second or third baseman. After the Sox didn’t land such targets as Alex Bregman or Bo Bichette this winter, Caleb Durbin was acquired from the Brewers and will handle third-base duties, leaving second as Mayer’s landing spot.
Selected fourth overall in the 2021 draft, Mayer was a fixture within the top-15 of MLB Pipeline and Baseball America’s top-100 lists in each of the last four years. He made his big league debut last season and hit .228/.272/.402 over 136 plate appearances before suffering a wrist sprain that eventually required surgery. Mayer mostly played third base last year since his call-up coincided with an IL stint for Bregman, though he did make eight appearances at second base and two cameos at shortstop.
Mayer was initially drafted as a shortstop, and that could eventually still end up as his position in the majors once Trevor Story‘s contract is up following the 2027 season. For now, the plan is just to get Mayer acclimated to playing in the bigs and for the 23-year-old to establish himself as at least a solid regular. The Sox don’t need for Mayer to be a star just yet, as it’s a good step in his development for Mayer to just stay on the field altogether after a few injury-marred years.
In other roster news, the Red Sox have optioned Kristian Campbell to Triple-A Worcester, MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo reports. This decision was also no surprise given the crowded state of Boston’s roster, and playing everyday in Worcester makes more sense for Campbell than playing sparingly in a part-time role with the Sox.
A year ago at this time, Campbell was preparing to make his MLB debut, as the Red Sox chose to include the breakout prospect on their Opening Day roster. A fourth-round pick for Boston in the 2023 draft, Campbell tore up minor league pitching in his first two pro seasons, and was hitting so well that he’d earned a promotion to Triple-A before the 2024 season was over. Within a week of his first game in the Show, the Red Sox cemented Campbell’s spot as a cornerstone by signing him to an eight-year, $60MM extension.
Everything seemed to be going smoothly when Campbell hit .313/.420/.515 over his first 119 PA in the majors, but what looked like an epic rookie season quickly came to a halt, as he hit only .157/.241/.220 over his next 141 PA. Campbell’s defense was also a big concern, as he posted -16 Defensive Runs Saved and -8 Outs Above Average across only 471 2/3 innings at second base.
The Red Sox chose to option Campbell to Worcester last June 20, and he didn’t receive another call-up over the remainder of the 2025 campaign. Campbell hit a decent but unspectacular .273/.382/.417 over 319 Triple-A PA, and he spent most of his time on the diamond as a first baseman, as well as seeing time at all three outfield slots in addition to second base.
Where Campbell might end up on the big league roster remains speculative. The Red Sox outfield is already crowded (Roman Anthony, Ceddanne Rafaela, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu), plus Masataka Yoshida remains in the outfield and DH mix. Mayer and Durbin have second and third base covered for now. As for first base, offseason acquisition Willson Contreras has two years remaining on his contract, so that’s still a while for Campbell to wait if the Sox potentially now view him as Contreras’ heir apparent. Triston Casas is also still in the first base picture, looking to bounce back from his injury-shortened 2025 season.
Some future trades could potentially clear this situation up to some extent, with Duran, Casas, and Yoshida often mentioned as speculative trade candidates. Campbell’s contract keeps him part of Boston’s future plans and also probably keeps him off the trade market, as any interested teams would be making a $57MM investment in a belief that Campbell will emerge in the big leagues.
Padres To Select Walker Buehler
The Padres will carry Walker Buehler on their Opening Day roster, reports Kevin Acee of The San Diego Union-Tribune. The veteran righty would have been able to request his release tomorrow if San Diego weren’t going to call him up.
Buehler locks in a $1.5MM base salary by breaking camp. His deal also includes up to $2.5MM in active roster bonuses. Acee writes that Buehler and Germán Márquez are expected to round out the season-opening starting five behind Nick Pivetta, Michael King and Randy Vásquez.
The Padres will be without Joe Musgrove for at least a couple weeks after he didn’t recover as hoped from a recent start. Griffin Canning is beginning the season on the injured list as he rehabs last summer’s Achilles tear. Canning threw one inning against Mariners’ minor leaguers on the back fields this afternoon, his first competitive work since the injury (via the MLB.com injury tracker). Matt Waldron, out of minor league options, is also a few weeks behind due to a hemorrhoid procedure. Yu Darvish will miss the entire season after last fall’s elbow surgery.
Buehler is coming off a second straight rough season. He was tagged for a 4.93 ERA with a career-worst 16.3% strikeout rate across 126 innings. He spent most of the year in Boston but was released in August. Buehler caught on with the Phillies to close the season before returning to the open market at year’s end. He had to settle for a minor league deal but found a good opportunity in San Diego given their rotation injuries.
The righty has pitched in three Cactus League games, allowing four runs with 13 strikeouts and four walks over 11 2/3 innings. Buehler has mixed six pitches but is only averaging 92-93 mph on his fastballs. He’ll probably pick up some velocity as he gets into the season. He has some work to do to match last year’s career-low 94 mph mark, to say nothing of the mid-upper 90s heat he had before undergoing his second Tommy John surgery in 2023.
Buehler isn’t the only veteran with an upcoming opt-out decision. Infielder Ty France can also get his release tomorrow if the Padres aren’t going to carry him on the roster. His minor league deal comes with a $1.35MM base salary. Acee writes that the team still hasn’t decided whether they’ll add France or fellow minor league signee Jose Miranda for that spot. Bryce Johnson is out of options and the favorite to win the fourth outfield role, while Nick Castellanos and Luis Campusano have bench spots secure.
France and Miranda have each had big performances this spring. The utility infield spot will go to Sung-mun Song once he’s back from an oblique strain. Intervening injuries could change the picture, but it’d be a cluttered bench no matter who the Padres tab to start the season. France has the service time to refuse any minor league assignment. Miranda is out of options and would need to go on waivers if the Padres try to send him back down after calling him up.
The Padres have one opening on the 40-man roster after waiving Daison Acosta a couple weeks ago. They’re essentially working with two additional free spots. Neither Darvish nor Bryan Hoeing has been moved to the 60-day injured list yet. They’re both out for the season.
In the bullpen, AJ Cassavell of MLB.com relays word from skipper Craig Stammen ruling lefty Yuki Matsui out for Opening Day. The southpaw suffered a left groin strain that kept him from pitching for Japan in the World Baseball Classic. He’ll begin the season on the 15-day IL but could be back in April.
Righty Jason Adam is making his Spring Training debut tonight. He’s trending towards opening on the active roster. Mason Miller, Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada, David Morgan, Wandy Peralta and Kyle Hart all seem assured of bullpen spots. If Adam is healthy, that’d leave one spot available. Ron Marinaccio is out of options and could be the favorite for that reason. Hard-throwing Bradgley Rodríguez impressed late last season, while the Padres have spoken highly of non-roster invitee Logan Gillaspie as a potential long reliever.
Braves, Rowdy Tellez Agree To Minor League Deal
The Braves are signing first baseman Rowdy Tellez to a minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Ari Alexander of Boston 7 News reports that the Primo Sports Group client would earn a $1.25MM base salary if he secures a spot on the MLB roster.
Atlanta only has four Spring Training games left. It’s not clear if they’ll try to get Tellez any Grapefruit League action or will wait until the beginning of the regular season. The lefty-hitting first baseman figures to begin the season at Triple-A Gwinnett either way. Tellez isn’t coming in completely cold despite lingering on the free agent market. He played for Team Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, going 1-9 with two walks and strikeouts apiece over four games.
Matt Olson is locked in as the everyday first baseman. He essentially never takes a day off. Tellez’s path to playing time is as a designated hitter or bench bat. Jurickson Profar is officially suspended for the entire season after his second failed performance-enhancing drug test. That opened DH playing time that might go to Dominic Smith, another lefty-swinging first baseman who is in camp as a non-roster invitee. Smith has hit .258/.343/.387 over 11 Spring Training games after a solid .284/.333/.417 showing for the Giants a year ago.
As MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted on Tuesday, Smith is among the veteran players whose deal contains an automatic opt-out opportunity this week. It’s not known if he exercised that, but if he did, the Braves would either need to put him on the Opening Day roster or grant him his release tomorrow. Either outcome would leave a spot for Tellez in the minors. A Smith opt-out would mean he’s either in the big leagues or back in free agency.
The automatic opt-out only applies when players with sufficient service time sign a minor league deal at least 10 days before the start of the regular season. Tellez’s deal comes too late to meet that criterion. His camp could still negotiate some opt-out or upward mobility opportunities into the contract.
Tellez played in 112 MLB games last year. He struggled early with the Mariners but had a better second half after signing with the Rangers. The end result was a .228/.276/.443 slash with 17 home runs across 312 plate appearances. Tellez has plus power against right-handed pitching but runs subpar averages and on-base marks. He’s a limited defender and baserunner whose game is built on slugging.
Guardians Outright Nolan Jones; Hunter Gaddis, George Valera Likely Starting Season On IL
The Guardians outrighted outfielder Nolan Jones off the roster, reports Zack Meisel of The Athletic. That indicates the Guards passed him through waivers in recent days. Their 40-man count drops to 39. Jones has the right to elect free agency but likely won’t do so because he would have to forfeit his $2MM salary. Meisel adds that right-hander Hunter Gaddis and outfielder George Valera are highly likely to begin the season on the injured list.
Jones, 28 in May, seemed to have a breakout season with the Rockies in 2023. He had a 20-20 season that year in just 106 games. His .297/.389/.542 batting line translated to a 137 wRC+. He got some help from a .401 batting average on balls in play but it would have been a strong campaign even with more neutral luck in that department. On the whole, FanGraphs considered him to be worth 3.7 wins above replacement that year.
He has been far less productive since then. His offense cratered in 2024. The Rockies traded him back to the Guardians, his original organization, ahead of the 2025 season. Returning to Cleveland didn’t help him get back on track. He has a .218/.307/.311 line and 71 wRC+ since the start of the 2024 season and his defensive metrics have also declined. Despite the diminished production and the fact that Jones is out of options, the Guards tendered him a contract this winter. Jones and the club avoided arbitration with a $2MM pre-tender deal in November.
Jones also hasn’t had a good spring, having hit .152/.222/.303 in 36 plate appearances. Given the downward trend with his performance, his out-of-options status and his salary, it’s unsurprising that no club claimed him via waivers.
Players with at least three years of service time have the right to reject outright assignments in favor of electing free agency. However, if they have less than five years of service, they have to walk away from their remaining salary commitments in doing so. Jones has three years and seven days of service. If he were to elect free agency, he would have to leave $2MM on the table. It seems highly likely that he’ll head to Triple-A and look to get back on track at that level.
As for the injuries, Meisel didn’t provide specifics but both players have been slowed by minor issues in recent weeks. Gaddis made just one in-game appearance this spring, which was back in late February. He then experienced some forearm tightness and underwent imaging, which came back clean, per Tim Stebbins of MLB.com. His timeline still isn’t clear. A season-opening stint on the 15-day IL can be backdated three days, so he could be back less than two weeks into the season, though that scenario is obviously dependant on him building back up to readiness in that time frame.
Gaddis has been a key setup arm for the Guards in recent years, with 68 holds since the start of 2024. He posted a 3.11 earned run average last year while striking out 26.6% of opponents and limiting walks to a 7.7% clip. For whatever time Gaddis misses, guys like Shawn Armstrong and Erik Sabrowski will move up to leverage roles in front of closer Cade Smith.
Valera was diagnosed with a mild left calf strain about a week ago, per Stebbins. Assuming he hits the 10-day IL to start the year, that subtracts him from the Opening Day outfield mix. If the injury proves to be mild, perhaps he could be back a week into the season with the three-day backdating, but his timeline from a health perspective isn’t clear.
Meisel notes that Steven Kwan will play at least some center field this year. He had primarily been a left fielder in recent seasons, with just one inning in center since 2022. Time will tell how often they’ll put Kwan in the middle spot but that should give them greater flexibility to work in other guys. Valera will be in that outfield rotation when he’s healthy. For now, Chase DeLauter, Ángel Martínez, C.J. Kayfus and Daniel Schneemann appear to be jockeying for the outfield playing time. Petey Halpin was optioned today, per Meisel, so he’ll start the season in Triple-A.
Photo courtesy of David Richard, Imagn Images
Twins Release Gio Urshela, Andrew Chafin
The Twins announced they’ve granted releases to infielder Gio Urshela and reliever Andrew Chafin. Both players were in camp on minor league deals and had been informed they wouldn’t make the Opening Day roster. Minnesota also granted Liam Hendriks his release from a minor league contract this morning.
As MLBTR’s Steve Adams noted this week, Chafin and Hendriks were among more than two dozen veteran players whose deals contained an automatic opt-out opportunity under the collective bargaining agreement. Infielder Orlando Arcia also fits that bill. Dan Hayes of The Athletic reports that Arcia decided not to trigger the out. Urshela didn’t have an automatic opt-out under the CBA, but Hayes suggests his camp negotiated one into his deal.
Urshela was an above-average everyday player for the Twins back in 2022. He hasn’t had the same level of success since Minnesota traded him to the Angels at the end of that season. Urshela suffered a pelvic fracture in ’23 and has been a light-hitting utility player over the past two years. He returned to the Twins on an offseason minor league contract but hit only .208 with one extra-base knock (a double) in 24 at-bats.
Chafin, a 35-year-old southpaw, pitched six innings of two-run ball. He struck out five while walking three. Statcast had Chafin’s average fastball in the 86 mph range, four ticks below last year’s regular season mark. It’s common for pitchers to work with diminished velocity early in camp as they build arm strength, but it’s hardly a surprise the Twins opted not to carry him in the Opening Day bullpen. Lefties Taylor Rogers, Kody Funderburk and Anthony Banda are all likely to begin the year in Derek Shelton’s relief corps.
White Sox Release Four Players
2:27pm: Sims triggered an opt-out in his minor league contract and was granted his release, MLBTR has learned.
1:22pm: The White Sox have trimmed four more from their spring roster, per the team. Chicago announced that left-hander Ryan Borucki, first baseman/outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr., and right-handers Austin Voth and Lucas Sims have all been released. All four had signed minor league deals with spring invites. All are now free agents who can sign with any club.
Borucki, 32 later this month, has pitched in each of the past eight major league seasons. He sports a career 4.28 ERA with a below-average 19.7% strikeout rate, an 8.9% walk rate that’s narrowly north of average, and a strong 48.3% ground-ball rate. He notched a middling 4.63 ERA in 35 innings between the Pirates and Blue Jays in 2025 but has been outstanding with the White Sox this spring, firing six shutout innings with an 8-to-1 K/BB ratio.
Wade, 32, has had a big spring himself. He’s taken 49 plate appearances and slashed .289/.429/.605 with three homers, two steals, nine walks and 10 strikeouts. He’s appeared in each of the past seven big league campaigns, mostly with the Giants, and is a lifetime .236/.341/.390 hitter in the majors. His most recent work was well shy of his career marks, however; in 282 plate appearances between San Francisco and Anaheim last year, he posted a dreadful .167/.271/.254 batting line (52 wRC+) with a career-worst 24% strikeout rate. Wade grades out below average at first base (his primary position) and in the outfield corners, and he’s never hit left-handed pitching. He could latch on with a club seeking a lefty-swinging corner bat — ideally one looking for help at first base.
The 33-year-old Voth has more than five years of MLB service but spent the 2025 season in Japan pitching for the Chiba Lotte Marines. He totaled 125 innings with a 3.96 ERA, sub-par strikeout numbers and strong command. In 360 1/3 MLB frames, the former Nats farmhand carries a 4.70 earned run average. Voth is a fly-ball pitcher with average strikeout and walk rates overall in his big league tenure. He only pitched two official innings for the Sox this spring, allowing a run with two strikeouts and no walks.
Sims, 31, looked like a potential late-inning weapon earlier in his career with the Reds, but injuries have continually set him back. He has more than six years of MLB service but only 318 1/3 innings pitched due to frequent IL trips. In that time, he’s posted a 4.86 ERA, 26.5% strikeout rate and 12.5% walk rate. Sims tossed five shutout innings and fanned seven while walking three this spring. He spent 2025 with the Nationals and was torched for 19 runs in 12 1/3 innings due to staggering command troubles: 19 walks and seven hit batters. His command was better in camp with the South Siders, but he’ll head back to the market and look to latch on with another club seeking bullpen depth.
Nationals Option Dylan Crews
The Nationals announced that outfielder Dylan Crews has been optioned to Triple-A Rochester. That seems to set them up to have an Opening Day outfield mix consisting of James Wood, Jacob Young and Daylen Lile, perhaps with Joey Wiemer and/or Christian Franklin on the bench.
Crews, now 24, was once one of the top prospects in the league. The Nats took him with the second overall pick in the 2023 draft. He shot through the minors and was up in the big leagues by August of 2024, barely a year after being drafted. At that time, he was considered one of the five to ten best prospects in the whole league.
The shine has come off a bit since then as he hasn’t shown success at the major league level yet. He missed about three months of the 2025 season due to an oblique strain. To this point, he has 454 big league plate appearances with a .211/.282/.352 line. His defense has been good and he has already swiped 29 bags but the Nats clearly expected more offensively. Crews had a monster .380/.498/.689 line for Louisiana State University and then hit .275/.351/.455 in the minors before his 2024 call-up.
Despite his lack of major league success, it was expected that he would get some runway in 2026. The Nats are rebuilding and don’t plan to contend soon, as evidenced by their offseason deals of MacKenzie Gore and Jose A. Ferrer. But Crews put up an awful .103/.206/.103 line in spring training this year, striking out in 11 of his 34 plate appearances, a 32.4% clip.
It’s possible the demotion is about playing time, as Crews would ideally be getting regular reps to get back on track after his injury-marred 2025. At the big league level, Wood is one of the best players on the club and will certainly be out there. Young doesn’t hit much but is an elite defensive center fielder. Lile debuted last year and was rough on defense but hit .299/.347/.498.
Wiemer is a good fit as a fourth outfielder since he’s a strong defender and his right-handed bat could help him form a platoon with the lefty-swinging Lile. Franklin hasn’t yet made his major league debut but he’s considered a well-rounded player who is decent at just about everything, so he could slot into the mix in various ways if he makes the team, either as a defensive replacement, pinch hitter or pinch runner. Both Wiemer and Franklin are optionable, so it’s possible one of them ends up getting sent down in the coming days but the Nats also might roster five outfielders.
Jamming Crews into that mix would have perhaps meant taking a bit of playing time away from everyone, so the Nats have decided it best to let Crews rediscover himself at the Triple-A level. He will join Robert Hassell III in that regard. Hassell is also a former first round pick who has struggled at the major league level. He was optioned to the minors earlier this week.
The move could have implications for Crews, depending on how much time he ultimately spends down on the farm. He currently has one year and 35 days of service time. If he stayed up in the majors, he would be under club control through the 2030 season. If he spends about two months or more on optional assignment, he wouldn’t get to the two-year mark in 2026, therefore pushing his path to free agency by a year. His path to arbitration could also be impacted.
Those will be concerns to be worked out in the future. For now, the Nats and Crews need to find a way for him to reach his potential and establish himself as a major leaguer. As mentioned, the Nats don’t really hope to be good in 2026 but their future chances will improve if young players like Crews can take steps forward.
Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke, Imagn Images
Dodgers Select Santiago Espinal
March 20th: Espinal will make a salary of $2.5MM, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic.
March 18th: The Dodgers announced that they have selected the contract of infielder/outfielder Santiago Espinal. They opened a 40-man roster spot earlier this month when outfielder Jack Suwinski was outrighted, so no corresponding move is necessary today.
Opening Day is still over a week away. With the Dodgers selecting Espinal’s contract now, it’s possible he had some sort of opt-out in his minor league deal. At any rate, there wasn’t much mystery regarding his status. A couple of weeks ago, manager Dave Roberts said that Espinal was trending towards making the team.
Espinal should provide the club with defensive versatility, while ideally helping against lefty pitching. In his career, Espinal has played all four infield spots as well as the outfield corners. Offensively, his right-handed bat is best deployed as part of a platoon. He has a career .291/.344/.409 line and 107 wRC+ against southpaws, compared to a .245/.300/.316 line and 73 wRC+ against righties.
He’s a few years removed from his best years at the plate, which were with the Blue Jays in 2021 and 2022. He slashed .282/.340/.382 for a 105 wRC+ over those two seasons. Since then, he has a .245/.298/.325 line over three seasons, a period which saw him get flipped to the Reds. That includes a rough .243/.292/.282 line and 58 wRC+ in 2025. The Reds outrighted him off the roster at season’s end and he elected free agency.
Tommy Edman and Enrique Hernández are going to open the season on the injured list. That leaves the second base spot fairly open, with guys like Hyeseong Kim and Miguel Rojas in the mix there. Kim is a lefty hitter but he was better against southpaws in 2025, so perhaps a platoon with Espinal isn’t perfect. In any case, Espinal can add some depth on the bench.
The Dodgers have a relatively old roster, as guys in their mid-30s like Mookie Betts, Max Muncy, Freddie Freeman and Teoscar Hernández should have regular roles. If anyone in that group is banged up or just needs a day off, Espinal can move around as needed.
Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images
Twins’ Liam Hendriks Granted His Release
Veteran right-hander Liam Hendriks has been granted his release by the Twins, per Betsy Helfand of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. He can now sign with any club.
As an Article XX(b) free agent (i.e. six-plus years of service, finished last season on a major league roster/injured list) who signed a minor league deal in free agency, Hendriks had uniform opt-out dates written into his contract: one a week before Opening Day, a second on May 1 and a third on June 1. When a player triggers an out clause of that nature, the team has 48 hours to either add him to the 40-man roster or release him back into free agency. The Twins opted for the latter route.
Hendriks, 37, was originally signed by the Twins out of Australia back in 2007. He made his MLB debut as a Twin in 2011 but was never able to settle into a rotation role. He eventually found himself designated for assignment and passed around the league via a series of waiver claims and small trades. From 2013-15, Hendriks bounced from the Twins, to the Cubs, to the Orioles, to the Blue Jays, to the Royals and finally to the A’s, with whom he’d eventually break out.
Even in Oakland, Hendriks took years to pan out. At one point, the A’s passed him through waivers unclaimed and outrighted him off the 40-man roster. But in 2019, a 30-year-old Hendriks emerged not just as then-skipper Bob Melvin’s closer but as one of the best relievers in baseball. From 2019-22, Hendriks pitched 239 innings with a 2.26 ERA, a mammoth 38.8% strikeout rate and a tiny 5.1% walk rate. He signed a three-year, $54MM deal with the White Sox ahead of the 2021 campaign and was excellent there for two years before health troubles arose.
Hendriks missed time after being diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He thankfully went through chemotherapy and came away cancer-free, but he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow not long after and wound up requiring Tommy John surgery. He inked a two-year deal with the Red Sox, planning to rehab the first year and join their bullpen the second. It didn’t go as well as hoped. Hendriks pitched 13 2/3 innings with a 6.59 ERA last season.
The return to the Twins this winter had the makings of a potential full-circle homecoming, but it seems Hendriks will ultimately land elsewhere. He’s had a decent spring, allowing three runs in seven innings, but Hendriks allowed nine hits, walked five batters, plunked another and only totaled five strikeouts. He averaged 93.9 mph on his four-seamer, which would be his lowest mark since he moved from the rotation to the bullpen back in 2015. He averaged 94.9 mph in Boston last year.
Hendriks can now sign anywhere. Time will tell whether his showing with Minnesota this spring will earn him a big league deal with another club. As for the Twins, they’ll likely be on the lookout for bullpen help themselves on the late spring waiver/opt-out market. Minnesota has Taylor Rogers, Cole Sands, Anthony Banda and Kody Funderburk more or less locked into spots. Trade acquisition Eric Orze and veteran Justin Topa have had poor showings this spring but entered camp as favorites to hold bullpen spots. Veteran Andrew Chafin has pitched decently as a non-roster invitee and has a chance to make the club, though he had the same opt-out clause Hendriks took yesterday. It’s not clear whether he’s exercised it, but if he did, the Twins will have until tomorrow morning to make a decision.
Dodgers, Logan Allen Agree To Minor League Deal
The Dodgers are in agreement with left-hander Logan Allen on a minor league contract, reports Shi Davidi of Sportsnet. Allen, 28, spent last season in Korea and is fresh off representing Canada in the World Baseball Classic.
A namesake of a current Guardians starter (who also pitched in the WBC as a member of Team Panama), this Logan Allen is a former Cleveland pitcher. Allen also suited up with the Padres, Orioles and Diamondbacks in an MLB career which has spanned parts of five seasons. His most recent big league experience came with Arizona two years ago. Allen allowed a 5.46 earned run average over 28 innings.
He signed with the KBO’s NC Dinos last winter. Allen took the ball 32 times and logged 173 innings but didn’t have great rate production. He allowed a 4.53 ERA in the pitcher-friendly league. That ranked 28th among the 38 KBO pitchers who reached 100 innings. Allen was 25th among the group with a 19.4% strikeout rate.
KBO teams are limited to four foreign-born pitchers, one of whom must be from Australia or elsewhere in Asia. Given that restriction, it’s not surprising the Dinos went in a different direction after Allen’s middling season. They re-signed Matt Davidson, former Cubs minor leaguer Riley Thompson and added Curtis Taylor (who spent last year in Triple-A with the Cardinals) as Allen’s replacement. Japanese-born Natsuki Toda is their Asian-born international player.
Davidi writes that Allen was set to sign with a Mexican League team for 2026. He got the WBC nod and pitched twice for Team Canada, working 3 1/3 innings of one-run ball. He impressed Dodgers evaluators enough to instead land a new affiliated ball opportunity. He’ll begin the season as rotation or long relief depth for Triple-A Oklahoma City.