The Rangers Grand Letter-Writer, Chris (Foodini) Drury, has made it clear that his super scorer Breadman Panarin will be out there as a pending free agent to be dealt.

Obviously, the thinking is that by making such a fulsome deal, the Rangers will obtain a juicy return, suitable for chasing rainbows and pennies from Heaven.

But wait: shouldn't Drury put his Hope Diamond in storage? What happens if Bready gets toasted with the kind of injury that has Adam Fox somewhere in mothballs?

As Sean McCaffrey points out in Blue Collar Blue Shirt, playing Panarin nowadays, hockey-wise, worse than walking a mile on hot coals.

"It feels like the Rangers are begging for their greatest asset to be victimized by some sort of season-ending injury," says McCaffrey. "If that happens, it would nullify any chances Drury would have to trade him."

Excellent point. Hence the question, should the Rangers give Bready a pre-trade sabbatical? Yes or no, please!

We have already had several incredibly close voting results in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings, but the race for spot #7 was by far the most ridiculous.

The longer I left the poll open, the more confusing it got. At various points Tuesday, each of Chase Petty, Tyson Lewis, and Steele Hall were the top vote-getters, though it was never more than a two-vote advantage separating the three of them at any point. I let it go long in hopes that someone would run away with the lead, but the opposite ended up happening – at 3:00 PM MT, each had exactly 44 votes cast for them in a three-way tie.

I’d saved my vote, though, and cast it at the last…for Steele Hall, who takes home the #7 spot in this year’s CPR by the slimmest of margins.

Hall, the 1st round pick of the Cincinnati Reds in the 2025 MLB Draft (9th overall), reclassified last year in what was originally slated to be just his junior year at Hewitt-Trussville High School in Alabama, and as a result just turned 18 years of age on July 24th. The Alabama Mr. Baseball projects as a true shortstop defensively with perhaps the best speed in the draft class, though, and the Reds selected him 9th in 2025 because they’d originally scouted him as a guy who – if he stayed in the 2026 Draft as originally planned – had a chance to develop enough to be the #1 overall pick.

He’s already added muscle, as ones do at this time (and with the pressure and direction of being a nine-figure signee of a professional sports team), and the sky is hopefully the limit for him. It’s a testament to the depth in the system right now that he’s only checking in at #7 on the CPR, though it’s going to be quite some time before we see him at the big league level.

Congrats to Steele!

The Texas Rangers have signed relief pitcher Jakob Junis to a one year deal, the team announced today. To make room for Junis on the 40 man roster, the Rangers have designated pitcher Dom Hamel for assignment. In addition, the team has announced that relief pitcher Josh Sborz has been signed to a minor league deal with an invitation to the major league spring training camp.

The news that the Rangers had agreed to terms with Junis on a one year, $4 million deal broke late Sunday. As we discussed in our post yesterday, he’s a soft-tossing righthander with a quality slider, a changeup that was really good last year, and a fastball and sinker that were not so good. Junis started his career as a starter with the Royals, but worked exclusively out of the pen in 2025 for the Guardians, putting up a 2.97 ERA, 3.45 FIP and 4.04 xERA.

I also mentioned in that post that Dom Hamel, Zak Kent and Michael Otanez seemed to be the most likely candidates to get designated for assignment to make room for Junis on the 40 man roster. Hamel, a righthanded pitcher who has put up a 6.27 ERA in AAA over the previous two seasons, and who has one major league appearance (in which he pitched one shutout inning), was claimed on waivers by the Rangers on September 27, 2025 — exactly one week after the Baltimore Orioles had claimed him on waivers from the New York Mets. Kent and Otanez live for another day, and we shall wait and see if Hamel clears waivers or not.

Meanwhile, Josh Sborz will be in camp, looking to show he is healthy again. Sborz was one of the heroes of the 2023 playoffs for Texas, throwing 12 innings and allowing one run over 10 appearances, including closing out the clinching Game 5 of the World Series against the Arizona Diamondbacks. He was on and off the injured list in 2024, however, and spent all of 2025 on the i.l. after shoulder surgery. Sborz made 12 appearances in the minors on rehab assignments late in 2025, but his velocity wasn’t there, and he ended up getting shut down, with his final appearance coming for Round Rock on August 30.

If Sborz is healthy and his velocity returns, that would be a big boost for a Ranger team that is currently looking thin in the bullpen for 2026. Those are a couple of big “if”s, however, and shoulder issues can be very difficult to return from.

This is the day when the National Baseball Hall of Fame will be announcing the results of this year’s ballots. It’s another reminder of how St. Louis Cardinals legend Jim Edmonds should have been given more consideration than he received. I also think it could mean Nolan Arenado’s future enshrinement is anything but a sure thing.

It’s been 10 years now since Jim Edmonds had his one and only year on the National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. It was 2016 when he received only 2.5% of the vote which resulted in his name not being carried over for future consideration. Why such a low support total? It certainly didn’t help that 2016 was the year that Ken Griffey Jr. and Mike Piazza were on the ballot. I also remember a lot of chatter about how Jim didn’t have enough career home runs or hits to merit entry into the Hall. That shortsightedness overlooks a career rich with other metrics which should have earned Edmonds more serious consideration. Here are some numbers to digest:

393 HR

903 OPS

132 OPS+

60.4 WAR,

8 Gold Gloves,

4-time All-Star

From 2000 through 2004, Jim Edmonds was one of the most impactful players in Major League Baseball. He was one of the game’s best center fielders in history and also had many iconic regular season and playoff moments including the 2004 walk-off winner against the Astros plus his game-saving catch in game 7.

I understand that the National Baseball Hall of Fame has to maintain standards so the ballot doesn’t become a glut of players, but allowing a player of Jim Edmonds caliber to appear on one ballot and disappear with no other consideration feels wrong. Yes, he still has a chance at the Hall thanks to the Eras Committee, but I believe Jim would have fared better on subsequent regular Hall ballots if allowed the chance.

Jim Edmonds exclusion to this point makes me wonder if Nolan Arenado will run into the same barriers when his playing time is done. Nolan has an elite resume of defensive awards and recognition as the best at his position for many years, but also lacks the big hit and home run totals. I realize there’s no perfect way to enshrine players in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, but Jim Edmonds is one of the St. Louis Cardinals greats that has sadly fallen through the cracks and Nolan Arenado could face a similar unfair future after his career is complete.

Paul Toboni and the Washington Nationals made an interesting move on the waiver wire this afternoon. They claimed utility-man Mickey Gasper from the Twins and DFA’d Andry Lara to make room for him on the 40-man roster. While Gasper is 30 and has not had success at the MLB level yet, it is easy to see why he was claimed.

The Newest Nat:

Mickey Gasper can play all over the field. In 45 games for the Twins last year, Gasper played catcher, DH, first base, second base and left field. Talk about a wild mix of positions. He was pretty abysmal at the plate last year, but if the bat comes around, he could be the perfect bench piece.

Gasper has proven he can hit at the AAA level. In each of the last two seasons, he has posted OPS numbers above .900 in the minors. He has been unable to translate that to the MLB, with a .133 average in 113 career AB’s. However, the Nats seem like they are willing to give him a shot.

That versatility alone makes him an interesting flier. Gasper also does some nice things at the plate, at least at the AAA level. He is a patient hitter who does not strike out much, something that actually carried over to the MLB. The quality of contact was not good in the MLB, but he has shown power at the AAA level.

At 30, there is a pretty good chance that Gasper is just a quad-A guy, but it is worth taking a flier. He has two option years remaining, so if he is not producing in the MLB, he can be quality depth in the minors. Gasper can also fill in at so many positions, which makes him an easy player to have on stand by.

Surprise DFA:

The Nats corresponding move was also interesting. They DFA’d former top prospect Andry Lara. The right handed pitcher was a prized international free agent pickup back in 2019. He received a $1.25 million bonus, a very high mark for a pitcher. Lara was a name to watch in the system for years, but never quite put it together. 

He is still the 22nd ranked prospect for Pipeline, but dropped out of the BA top 30. It looked like he had turned a corner in 2024, posting a 3.34 ERA in High-A and Double-A as a 21 year old. However, he had a dismal year in 2025. Lara posted a 7.55 ERA in 56 minor league innings, allowing 74 hits. 

Due to the Nats lack of pitching depth, he was forced into action at the MLB level for 9 games. He was even worse, posting an 8.79 ERA in 14.1 innings, allowing 27 hits. Lara was just not ready for prime time.

Toboni clearly did not see him as worthy of a 40 man spot, despite only being 23 years old. Honestly, it makes sense to me. Lara does not have a ton of upside or a high floor. He has a nice slider, but that is his only real standout trait besides youth. Lara would come back to the Nats organization if he goes unclaimed, which is the likely path here.

The reality of baseball can come at you quickly, and we saw that with Lara. I am interested to see how much run Gasper gets and how he is deployed. He is probably just a quad-A guy, but the versatility intrigues me.

One of the more underdiscussed prospects in the Nationals system is Alex Clemmey. In a way, this makes sense. He is not one of the Nats top 3 prospects and his year pretty much went according to plan in 2025. Clemmey is who we thought he was, an electric arm that can dominate when he is in the zone. Staying in the zone is the big question though.

Clemmey’s stats were very strong in his first full season in the Nats organization. In 116.2 minor league innings, Clemmey posted a 3.47 ERA with 136 strikeouts. He was particularly dominant in High-A, where he posted a 2.47 ERA. Double-A proved to be a challenge in his first few starts, but he finished the season with three strong outings.

Clemmey only turned 20 in July and was seen as a raw prospect, so reaching Double-A at all is impressive. There is still plenty of work to do, but Clemmey is ahead of schedule and is one of the few Nats top prospects to have a positive year in 2025. Clemmey showed he can be durable and effective as a young pitcher. He also made some strides in his game.

The biggest stride he made was with his pitch mix. Before last year, Clemmey was almost exclusively a 4-seam fastball/slider guy. However, he brought two effective new offerings to the table this year. The first one is a sinker that he uses to get ground balls. Using two fastballs has become a bit of a trend, and it is something Clemmey has decided to do.

However, his biggest development was with his changeup. Before this year, he barely threw one and had little for the pitch. He took a massive step in the right direction with the pitch in 2025. Baseball America noted that he was much more comfortable throwing the pitch and it has above average potential. They gave the pitch a 55 grade, much better than the 40 grade from MLB Pipeline.

When Clemmey is on his game, he can be absolutely filthy. He is a 6’6 lefty with a deceptive delivery, a lower arm slot and nasty stuff. Clemmey is just tough for hitters to pick up, especially lefties, who hit .198 against him. At his best, Alex Clemmey is a buzz saw.

There is one pretty serious drawback for Clemmey, and it is the walks. Last season, Clemmey walked 14.4% of hitters. That is an improvement from his 16.1% mark from 2024, but still not good enough. Even when he was dominating in High-A, the walks were an issue. In fact, he walked 15.9% of hitters at the High-A level last year. If he wants to remain a starter, that number needs to come down closer to 10 or 11%. 

He does not need to be Greg Maddux, but he needs to be in the zone more. When he got to Double-A, he clearly got told to throw it in the zone more, but the results were not great. While his walks went down to under 10%, he became much more hittable. Clemmey will always need to find that balance. It is why a lot of scouts think Clemmey will be a reliever.

If he ends up in the bullpen, Clemmey has the chance to be a lights out reliever. As a starter, Clemmey sits in the 92-96 MPH range. However, he has more in the tank and I think he could be a 96-97 guy in a bullpen role. At just 20 years old, the Nats should give him the runway to start, but the reliever option gives him a nice fallback.

Getting an arm like this in exchange for Lane Thomas was a really nice move by Mike Rizzo. He had his flaws, but finding fun talent at the trade deadline was not one of them. Clemmey could end up being one final present from Rizzo to the organization.

This season will be an important one for Clemmey. Developing command is tougher than teaching a new pitch or adding velocity, but we have seen guys learn to throw more strikes. Hopefully the new regime can help Clemmey make strides with his command. If he can throw more strikes, watch out because the sky is the limit.

José Berríos came to the Jays in a trade with the Twins at the deadline in 2021. Austin Martin and Simeon Woods Richardson went to Minnesota.

The Jays signed Berrios to a seven-year, $131 million contract after the 2021 season. There is an opt-out after the 2026 season, and there are $5 million incentive bonuses in both 2027 and 2028. Opting out after this season would be costly to him. He will make $18,714,286 this year, and $24,714,285 in 2027, and $1 more in 2028. I have a hard time believing he could do better than that at age 33.

I understand that he wasn’t thrilled to be left off the playoff roster, and I’m sure I wouldn’t have been either. TSN posted this:

“He was not happy,” Atkins said, per MLB.com’s Keegan Matheson. “He was disappointed that he wasn’t in our rotation. He handled it well, but then when it came down to roster selection, he wasn’t on it.”

“It’s always tough when someone of his pedigree is not in the rotation,” Atkins explained of the late-season move. “I’m sure he was not excited with that decision. Having to be the one who makes it makes it very difficult. I’d describe the relationship as solid, professional.”

It would be tough to have been such a steady presence in the rotation for several years and then be forgotten when the team is finally doing well.

In four and a half seasons with the Jays, Berríos has a 53-39 record and a 4.09 ERA in 138 starts (he had a 4.08 ERA in 135 starts with the Twins, he’s nothing if not consistent). He has a 6.9 bWAR in his time with the Jays.

2025 didn’t quite match his previous two. He had a 4.17 ERA in 31 games, 30 starts, and a 1.3 bWAR. Not bad, but a step back from what he’s been. He pitched 166 innings, the least he’s thrown since 2017, but that was still 23rd most in the AL.

There is a cost to throwing as many innings as he has over the past several years.

The question is how he fits into the Jays’ plans this year. We have Shane Bieber, Dylan Cease, Kevin Gausman, Cody Ponce and Trey Yesavage set for the rotation. Eric Lauer and Ricky Tiedmann are available in case of injury.

You can never have too much pitching, but, presuming the others are healthy, it is pretty hard to imagine that Berríos wouldn’t be the odd man out.

It’s a tough spot for the team. I have my doubts that he can be traded, at least without sending a lot of money along with him.

Anyway, Steamer thinks he’ll pitch in 47 games, 19 starts, 139 innings with a 4.37 ERA. I have no idea. He could fill a long relief role, but we already seem to have a lot of pitchers in the pen as well. But, he’s going to be pain, so he’ll be on the roster.