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Orioles To Sign Leody Taveras

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Outfielder Leody Taveras is expected to sign with Baltimore, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post. Mike Rodriguez first reported the agreement.

Seattle designated Taveras for assignment in mid-June. He cleared waivers and was sent outright to Triple-A Tacoma. The Mariners had acquired him via waiver claim from Texas in early May. Taveras elected free agency a few weeks ago.

Taveras spent the past five big-league seasons with the Rangers. He debuted in 2020, serving in a part-time role. Taveras didn’t provide much at the plate over his first three seasons, but offered strong center field defense and some speed on the basepaths. He stepped into a bigger role the following year, appearing in 143 games. After totaling 660 plate appearances from 2020 to 2022, he reached 554 in 2023. Taveras hit 14 home runs and stole 14 bases while slashing .266/.312/.421.

The strong 2023 helped Taveras maintain a large role in 2024, though he fell off as a hitter. He posted an 84 wRC+ across 529 plate appearances. Taveras did steal a career-high 23 bases, but hit just .229. Notably, Taveras qualified for arbitration ahead of the 2024 season given his Super Two status. He earned $2.55MM that year. Taveras and the Rangers agreed to a $4.75MM deal for 2025, but luxury tax considerations led to trade rumors. Texas ultimately kept him around, only for Taveras to crater at the plate. He slashed .241/.259/.342 in 30 games with Texas before being cut loose. He continued to struggle after joining the Mariners, hitting .174 over 98 plate appearances.

Baltimore will take a flyer on Taveras as potential center field depth. Tyler O’Neill will be back for the Orioles, likely joined by some combination of Colton Cowser, Dylan Beavers, and Dylan Carlson in the outfield. While Taveras posted underwhelming marks by Statcast’s Fielding Run Value this past season, the Orioles could still consider him as a reliable defensive alternative to their current options.

Athletics Hire Ryan Christenson As First Base Coach

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The Athletics announced they have brought back Ryan Christenson to serve as first base coach. Bobby Crosby will shift from first base to third base next season, bumping Eric Martins from the role. The rest of manager Mark Kotsay’s staff will be back for 2026.

Christenson has spent a large portion of his baseball career in the A’s organization, both as a player and a coach. He debuted with the team in 1998 and would appear in parts of four seasons with the club. Christenson got his coaching start with the A’s as a minor league manager in 2013. He spent five seasons as a skipper at various levels. Christenson compiled a 391-307 record and was named the California League Manager of the Year in 2014 and the Texas League Manager of the Year in 2016.

In 2018, Christenson got his first job on the big-league staff. He joined the A’s as a bench coach, a role he would retain through 2021. When former A’s manager Bob Melvin took the same gig in San Diego, Christenson went with him. He once again followed Melvin in 2024, this time to San Francisco. Christenson had been a bench coach with the Giants for the past two seasons.

Crosby’s career has also played out largely with the A’s. The team selected him in the first round in 2021. He spent seven of his eight MLB seasons with the A’s, taking home AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2004. Crosby entered the coaching ranks in 2019 with Midland, the Double-A affiliate of the Athletics. He coached in the minors until 2024, when he became the A’s first base coach. Crosby will now head across the diamond after a pair of seasons at first base.

Martins had been the club’s third base coach since 2023. He also got his coaching start with Midland, serving as hitting coach in 2015. He joined the A’s as assistant hitting coach in 2020. After two seasons in that role, he was named first base coach in 2022.

Tigers Make Several Coaching Additions

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The Tigers announced a trio of new coaches on Wednesday. Cody Asche and Anthony Sanders are heading over from the Orioles to serve as assistant hitting coach and first base coach, respectively. Billy Boyer, Detroit’s minor league field coordinator last season, was promoted to major league quality coach. Cody Stavenhagen and Brittany Ghiroli of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the club was close to hiring Asche and Sanders.

Sanders had coached first base for the Orioles since 2020. He previously coached at multiple minor league levels with Colorado. Sanders was the Pioneer League Manager of the Year in 2014 after leading Grand Junction to a first-place finish. He will take over for Anthony Iapoce, who had been Detroit’s first base coach for the past two seasons.

Asche was playing in professional ball as recently as 2019, but has quickly ascended the coaching ranks. His first gig was as a minor league hitting coach in the Philadelphia organization in 2021. It was a homecoming of sorts, as the Phillies selected Asche as a fourth-rounder back in 2011. Asche moved on to Baltimore in 2022, again as a minor league hitting coach. He was bumped up to the major league staff in 2023 as an offensive strategy coach. In 2025, he was promoted to hitting coach. Asche will replace Keith Beauregard, whose contract ran out at the end of the season.

This is Boyer’s second stint with the team. He was Detroit’s infield coordinator in 2022. Boyer then moved on to the college ranks, working as an assistant coach with the University of Washington in 2023, before coming back to the Tigers in a minor-league role.

Detroit also announced changes in the front office. Dr. Georgia Giblin was promoted to Vice President, Health & Performance. She’s been with the organization for the past five seasons, most recently serving as Vice President, Baseball Performance Science. Alex Smith has been named Vice President, Baseball Strategy. He had served as the Cubs’ strategy coach last season. Smith worked on the analytics side with Chicago for more than a decade. Former Driveline employee Christian Hook was promoted to Director, Pitching Evaluation. He joined the organization in 2022.

Former Nationals senior director of amateur scouting Brad Ciolek was named Director, International Scouting. Ciolek had been with Washington for the past two seasons after spending 11 years in Baltimore’s scouting department. His addition will move Tom Moore into a new role as Senior Advisor, International Operations. The final change in the scouting department was the appointment of Theo Hooper to Assistant Director, Amateur Scouting. Hooper had spent the past four seasons as a staff assistant with the Rangers.

Brewers, Royals To Return To Main Street Sports

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The Brewers announced that they have a new deal in place with Main Street Sports, the company that owns FanDuel Sports Network Wisconsin. It’s unclear if it’s a one-year deal or a multi-year pact, but the Brewers will be back on the same channel in 2026. Adam McCalvy of MLB.com was among those to relay the news.

It’s presumably good news for the Brewers, or at least not bad news. The regional sports network (RSN) model has been crumbling in recent years, thanks to cord-cutting and the rise of streaming. Several clubs in the majors have seen their RSN deals collapse. Those clubs have been left to have Major League Baseball run their broadcasts in a direct-to-customer model. That can work out better for some fans, as they can avoid blackouts, but it leads to less revenue for teams.

The Royals are also re-upping with Main Street Sports, exercising their mutual option for the 2026 season. “There is nothing more important to us than connecting with and making our games available to our great fans,” Royals Chairman/CEO John Sherman said in a press release. “Our viewership is growing and continues to rank among the best in baseball, both through linear cable and streaming.”

The partnership with Main Street Sports has been an effective one. Royals games ranked No. 1 in primetime in the Kansas City area this past season, according to the release. “Our multi-platform strategy drove strong viewership growth last season, and we look forward to working together to expand their audience reach and drive fan engagement,”  Sarah Tourville, Executive Vice President, Team Partnerships, FanDuel Sports Network, said in the release.

Photo courtesy of Ron Chenoy, Imagn Images

Phillies Exercise Option On Jose Alvarado

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The Phillies announced they have picked up the club option on left-handed pitcher José Alvarado. The reliever will make $9MM next season.

Alvarado signed a three-year, $22MM extension ahead of the 2023 season. The $9MM club option for 2026 included a $500,000 buyout, though it didn’t seem likely that Philadelphia would go that route. President of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said as much a couple of weeks back. Alvarado’s performance over the past few seasons would’ve made him one of the most enticing lefty relievers on the market. The Phillies will retain him at a relative bargain.

Alvarado and his 99 mph sinker posted solid results this past season. He had a strong 28.1% strikeout rate while showcasing impressive control. Alvarado’s 6.1% walk rate was the best of his career. It was his first year under 11% since his MLB debut with Tampa Bay in 2017. Alvarado’s 2.96 xFIP and 2.87 SIERA suggest he performed better than his 3.81 ERA. Perhaps the only factor that would bring picking up his team option into question was an 80-game PED suspension handed down in mid-May. Alvarado returned to the club for eight appearances before going down with a forearm strain. He was ineligible for the postseason due to the suspension, though he may not have been available anyway due to the injury.

Philadelphia acquired Alvarado via trade in December 2020. The three-team deal sent fellow lefty reliever Garrett Cleavinger from the Phillies to the Dodgers. Alvarado pitched to a 4.20 ERA in his first year with the team, with an untenable 18.7% walk rate leading to uneven results. He got the command in check the following season, while his strikeout rate exploded. Alvarado punched out 37.9% of hitters in 2022, the best mark of his career to date. A career-worst .340 batting average on balls in play pushed his ERA to 3.18, but a 2.37 SIERA was more representative of his dominance that season.

Alvarado had his best season from a run prevention perspective in 2023. He posted a career-best 1.74 ERA across 41 1/3 innings. Opposing batters hit just .195 against Alvarado. He maintained a strikeout rate above 37%, while trimming his walk rate to 10.5%. Alvarado entered the closing mix on a more regular basis that season, earning 10 saves after totaling just seven in his first two years with the team.

The 2024 campaign saw Alvarado set a new career high with 13 saves. He topped 60 innings for the first time since 2018. The strikeout numbers fell off, however, with Alvarado punching out just over a batter per inning. His 4.09 ERA was supported by a 3.83 SIERA. Alvarado allowed two earned runs in his lone postseason appearance, which came against the Mets in the NLDS.

Philadelphia acquired Jhoan Duran at the 2025 trade deadline to serve as its closer. Alvarado will be in the setup mix with Matt Strahm and Orion Kerkering for the upcoming season. The Phillies ranked 20th in bullpen ERA this past year, though they were 11th after adding Duran.

Astros To Hire Victor Rodriguez As Hitting Coach

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The Astros are finalizing a deal to hire Victor Rodriguez as their new hitting coach, reports Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune. He has been serving as the hitting coach in San Diego for the past two seasons. Rodriguez has a year remaining on his deal with San Diego. Houston parted ways with hitting coaches Alex Cintrón and Troy Snitker in early October.

Rodriguez has more than a decade of hitting coach experience at the MLB level. After several years coaching in Boston’s minor league organization, he became the Red Sox assistant hitting coach in 2013. Following the 2017 season, he moved on to Cleveland, once again as the assistant hitting coach. Rodriguez took over as hitting coach in San Diego ahead of the 2024 season.

San Diego has hit safely at an elite rate under Rodriguez. After ranking 20th in batting average as a team in 2023, the Padres finished first in 2024. As Acee points out, it was the first time in franchise history that the club paced the league in batting average. San Diego also had the lowest strikeout rate in the majors by a decent margin in Rodriguez’s debut campaign. The Padres’ 17.6% strikeout rate was 1.7% lower than the next-closest team (Houston at 19.3%). The midseason addition of Luis Arraez certainly provided a boost in terms of batting average and contact, while a strong rookie debut from Jackson Merrill helped the club finish eighth in scoring.

The Padres ranked seventh in batting average this past season. They had the third-lowest strikeout rate. Scoring was an issue, as San Diego finished 18th in runs. Merrill, slowed by injuries, took a step back. Xander Bogaerts also missed time. The team had just two regulars finish with an OPS above .800 (Fernando Tatis Jr. and trade deadline acquisition Ramon Laureano).

Houston’s typically dynamic offense scuffled mightily in 2025. The Astros were 21st in scoring this past season. They hadn’t finished bottom 10 in runs since 2014. Houston traded Kyle Tucker to the Cubs and lost Alex Bregman in free agency this past offseason, leaving a gap in the middle of the order. Injuries limited Yordan Alvarez to 48 games, which didn’t help matters. The Astros got solid contributions from Isaac Paredes, who came back in the Tucker trade, though he also missed two months with a hamstring injury. Better luck on the health front, plus continued development from youngsters Cam Smith and Zach Cole, should help Houston bounce back under Rodriguez.

 

Photo courtesy of Mark J. Rebilas, Imagn Images

Marlins Outright Five Players

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The Marlins announced that five players have been outrighted off the 40-man roster. They are right-handers Jesús Tinoco, Tyler Zuber, Valente Bellozo and Freddy Tarnok, as well as catcher Brian Navarreto.

There had been no previous indication that the Marlins had designated these players for assignment or put them on waivers. However, roster cleanouts like this are expected at this time of year. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series, meaning several players need to retake 40-man roster spots. The Marlins opened space with these five moves. They also lost Troy Johnston to the Rockies and George Soriano to the Orioles via waiver claims today.

Tinoco, 31 in April, seemed to have a breakout with the Marlins last year. He gave them 40 2/3 innings with a 3.32 earned run average, 25.9% strikeout rate, 7.4% walk rate and 46.7% ground ball rate.

He couldn’t keep it going in 2025, however. He made 20 appearances with diminished velocity, a diminished strikeout rate and a 5.12 ERA before landing on the injured list in June due to a forearm strain. He underwent flexor surgery in August and is slated to miss most of the 2026 season. The Fish could have held him through the winter and put him on the 60-day injured list in spring training but he’s been squeezed off the roster now.

He has previously been outrighted in his career and therefore has the right to elect free agency. Presumably, he will do so. Given his injury timeline, he may not find interest until he makes more progress in his recovery.

Zuber, 31 in June, was claimed off waivers the Mets in July. Not long after, he landed on the IL due to a lat strain and finished the season there. He has 64 2/3 big league innings with a 6.26 ERA, 24.7% strikeout rate and 15.2% walk rate. His current health status is unclear but he’s out of options and would have had a hard time holding a roster spot even if he were healthy. He has a previous career outright and therefore has the right to elect free agency.

Bellozo, 26 in January, has been a swingman for the Marlins in recent years. He has made 45 appearances since the start of 2024, 19 of those being starts, logging 150 innings. His 15.2% strikeout rate is fairly low but his 4.20 ERA isn’t bad. That seems to be thanks to a fortunate .267 batting average on balls in play and 79.6% strand rate. His 5.44 FIP and 5.08 SIERA suggest he would have a hard time maintaining that ERA going forward. He doesn’t have a previous career outright or three years of service time but should qualify for seven-year minor league free agency.

Tarnok, 27 this month, signed a minor league deal with the Fish last offseason. He was added to the roster in June but was mostly kept in the minors, only appearing in five big league games. He pitched 68 2/3 Triple-A innings this year with a 3.28 ERA. His 26.3% strikeout rate was good but he also walked 11.2% of batters faced. He has a previous career outright and will have the right to elect free agency.

Navarreto, 31 in December, signed a minor league deal with the Fish coming into the year. He was added to the roster in September to give them a third catcher, alongside Agustín Ramírez and Liam Hicks. He put up a strong .286/.267/.643 line in a small sample of 15 plate appearances down the stretch. His Triple-A games resulted in a more tepid .229/.301/.392 line. He has a previous career outright and therefore has the right to elect free agency.

Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images

Reds Decline Options On Brent Suter, Scott Barlow, Austin Hays

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The Reds announced that they have turned down three contract options. Outfielder Austin Hays had a $12MM mutual option on his deal but the club has declined that in favor of giving him a $1MM buyout. Right-hander Scott Barlow receives a $1MM buyout instead of a $6.5MM club option. Left-hander Brent Suter gets a $250K buyout instead of a $3MM club option. All three players are now free agents.

None of the three decisions is a shock, though there did seem to be a chance of Suter being brought back. His earned run average jumped up to 4.52 this year and he’s now 36 years old but the price isn’t egregious. He also has a strong clubhouse reputation and local ties as a guy who played high school ball in Cincinnati.

It seems that wasn’t enough for the Reds to overlook the numbers. As mentioned, his age and ERA both crept up this year. He is still doing a good job limiting hard contact, so he should still be in line for a gig somewhere. Perhaps the Reds will circle back to him and try to bring him back at a lower price point.

Barlow, 33 in December, signed with the Reds last offseason. The one-year deal came with a $2.5MM guarantee in the form of a $1.5MM salary plus the aforementioned option buyout. His 4.21 ERA this year was fairly close to last year’s 4.25 but with concerning trends under the hood. His strikeout rate dropped from 28.2% last year to 24.8% this year, his walk rate climbed from 12.9% to 14.9% and his grounder rate dropped from 47.1% to 42.9%.

Though the ERA held fairly steady, given the direction of the other numbers, it’s understandable that the Reds didn’t want to give him a relatively hefty raise. The Reds aren’t a big spender and will have about the same payroll next year, so they are keeping some powder dry for now.

As for Hays, his option always seemed destined to be bought out. It’s been over a decade since a mutual option was triggered by both sides. They are usually added to contracts as a way for the team to delay paying part of the guarantee. The Reds signed Hays last winter to a one-year, $5MM deal, with a $4MM salary and then the $1MM buyout on the $12MM mutual option.

He had a decent season, slashing .266/.315/.453 for a 105 wRC+, but that wasn’t going to be enough for the Reds to double his salary. He’ll head out to the open market to look for his next opportunity. That will likely come from a club in need of help against southpaws. Hays swings right-handed and has been better against lefty pitchers in his career. That includes a .319/.400/.549 line and 155 wRC+ in 2025.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Doster, Imagn Images

Rangers Claim Willie MacIver, Michel Otañez

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The Rangers announced that they have claimed catcher Willie MacIver and right-hander Michel Otañez from the Athletics. Additionally, Texas has outrighted outfielders Dustin Harris and Billy McKinney. Both outfielders have elected free agency.

There wasn’t any previous indication that the A’s had put anyone on waivers or designated anyone for assignment. However, roster maintenance is common at this time of year. The 60-day injured list goes away five days after the World Series, which can often lead to roster crunches.

MacIver, 29, is a longtime depth catcher who just made his major league debut. He was initially drafted by the Rockies back in 2018 and finally got to the show with the A’s in 2025. He got into 33 games and slashed .186/.252/.324. His Triple-A work this year was much better, as he put up an eye-popping line of .362/.426/.541. That took place in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League and was aided by a .428 batting average on balls in play, but it was nonetheless enough to intrigue the Rangers.

Texas has Jonah Heim and Kyle Higashioka on the roster. MacIver is the clear #3 catcher on the roster for now. He still has options and can be kept in Triple-A as depth, though his path to big league playing time could open up if the Rangers decide to shake things up with a trade. For the A’s, they still have Shea Langeliers as their primary backstop. Austin Wynns is also on the roster for now but he’s a non-tender candidate, so perhaps they will look to add more depth this winter.

Otañez, 28, has been on the Athletics’ 40-man since the summer of 2024. He has thrown 39 1/3 big league innings with a 4.81 earned run average. His 34.1% strikeout rate is impressive but he’s also walked 14% of batters faced. He has also tossed 55 minor league innings since the start of 2024 with a 6.05 ERA, 31.8% strikeout rate and 16.5% walk rate. The righty has powerful stuff, averaging in the upper 90s with his fastball, but clear control issues. He is still optionable, so the Rangers could keep him in the minors as they try to help him harness his arsenal.

Harris, 26, was once a notable prospect but his stock has faded in recent years. Dating back to the start of 2022, he has taken almost 2,000 minor league plate appearances with a .268/.364/.428 line and 103 wRC+. He has also stepped to the plate 50 times in the majors with a .217/.280/.435 line. He exhausted his final option season in 2025. The Rangers outrighted him to the minors in August but re-selected him later. Since this is his second career outright, he has the right to elect free agency.

McKinney, 31, is somewhat similar. He is also a former prospect who hasn’t delivered much on the hype. He has received almost 1,000 big league plate appearances but has produced a .209/.283/.382 line and 79 wRC+. He was added to the Texas roster late in the year as they were playing out the string. He has the right to elect free agency both due to having a previous career outright and three years of big league service time.

Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images

A’s Outright Three Players

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The A’s announced that three pitchers have gone unclaimed on outright waivers: righty Anthony Maldonado and left-handers Ben Bowden and Jared Shuster. Maldonado and Bowden have each elected free agency, as is their right as players who have been outrighted more than once in their careers. This is the first outright for Shuster, so he’ll be assigned to Triple-A Las Vegas and remain in the system going into 2026.

These were three of five players whom the A’s placed on waivers this week. Righty Michel Otañez and catcher Willie MacIver were claimed by Texas. This gets their 40-man roster count down to 38. All teams need to be at or below 40 by Thursday, when they’re required to activate everyone from the 60-day injured list.

Maldonado was a waiver claim from Miami last winter. The A’s outrighted him shortly before the start of Spring Training but put him back on the roster in May. He held his 40-man spot for the remainder of the season but spent most of his time on optional assignment to Triple-A Las Vegas. The 27-year-old posted a 5.10 ERA despite an impressive 29% strikeout rate at the top minor league level. Maldonado walked almost 12% of opponents and gave up a decent number of home runs across 47 2/3 frames. He only pitched six times for the A’s at the MLB level, allowing eight runs on a trio of homers in six innings.

Bowden, 31, signed an offseason minor league contract. The 6’4″ southpaw had not pitched in the big leagues since his 2021 rookie season in Colorado. He made it back to the highest level early in the second half. Bowden posted a 1.36 ERA over 39 2/3 Triple-A innings to get an MLB look. He tossed 10 2/3 frames over 11 appearances, allowing six runs (five earned) with seven strikeouts and five walks. He went down with a season-ending lat strain in August.

Shuster, the only member of this trio who’ll stick with the organization, is probably the most well-known. That’s mostly a testament to his status as a former first-round pick of the Braves. He has pitched in parts of three MLB campaigns between Atlanta and the White Sox. The Wake Forest product carries a career 5.27 ERA with a well below-average 15.1% strikeout percentage in 141 2/3 innings. The A’s claimed him off waivers from Chicago around the trade deadline. He spent the rest of the season in Triple-A, where he was tagged for nearly a run per inning with seven strikeouts and walks apiece over 10 appearances.

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