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Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability). 

Another Bargain DH

Austin Hays was signed to a one-year, $6 million deal by the Chicago White Sox ahead of the 2026 season. After a calf strain put Hays on the 10-day injured list, he dealt with recurring soreness that halted his rehab assignment. That led to him being placed on the 60-day IL, and Hays played in just 12 games before being designated for assignment and released by the organization. He produced modest results during that time, slashing .233/.250/.326.

Overall Grade: B+

After that, he was released on Aug. 7. Hays almost immediately signed a big-league deal with the Padres, just two days later. He delivered in his very first at-bat, hitting a pinch-hit two-run homer against the Houston Astros. After that, he didn’t produce very much for some time. His slug went down quite a bit, but his contact hitting improved.

In 26 games with the Friars, Hays batted .316/.344/.456. It was a small sample, but it was light years ahead of what he was able to do with Chicago. In his final 15 games of the season, Hays batted .414 with a 1.005 OPS. His only problem was an inability to walk, with just three walks during his San Diego tenure.

His lack of playoff success with San Diego hurt his image with the Friar Faithful. He didn’t record a single hit and reached base only once. Hays is now an unrestricted free agent heading into 2027 and could be re-signed by the Friars to fill out bench depth. His calf injury derailed his 2026 season but he could still be a viable option for teams trying to improve their bench picture.

It’s Tuesday night here at BCB After Dark: the most-talked about late-night spot for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in out of the fall chill. There’s no cover charge. We still have a few tables available. We can check your coat. The hostess will seat you now. Bring your own beverage.

BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.

Last night I asked you how many free agents did you think would accept their qualifying offers? Thirty-eight percent of you thought that one player would accept and another 33 percent thought they would all recject the qualifying offer.

On Tuesday night. I don’t normally do any movie stuff. But I want our evenings to be lively, so that means we need some music. That time is now.

I’ve often said that there is a lot of great jazz that serves as theme songs to television shows. Here’s one you may not know unless you’re an old school anime fan. This is composer Yoko Kanno and her orchestra “The Seatbelts” playing “Tank!,” the opening credits song to Cowboy Bebop.

Welcome back to those who skip all that jazz.

The Cubs obviously need to rebuild their bullpen. While it isn’t in team president Jed Hoyer’s DNA to spend a lot of money on a relief pitcher, there is some reason to believe that he might make an exception this year. And as it would have it, there are two elite relief pitchers available in the free agent market: left-hander Adrián Morejón and right-hander David Bednar.

As luck would have it, Kiley McDaniel has an article up today that has contract estimates up for all the top free agents, including Morejón and Bednar. Now these are just estimates and could be very wrong, but we’re going to use them for the purposes of voting tonight. Taking into account both the player and the contract, would you rather the Cubs sign Morejón or Bednar.

Morejón has been the Padres setup man behind Mason Miller the past few years, but he’d be a closer on pretty much any other team. The 27-year-old (28 by Opening Day) left-hander from Cuba went 9-3 with a 2.83 ERA and three saves. He’s spent his entire career in the Padres organization and has been an excellent reliever over the past three years, posting ERAs of 2.83 in 2024 and a 2.08 ERA in 2025. His four-seam fastball averaged 99 miles per hour this past season, but that’s not even his go-to pitch. That’s his sinker, which also comes in at 99 mph with movement.

Morejón has excellent strikeout, walk and ground ball numbers. He struck out 30 percent of batters he faced last year while walking just eight percent. When batters do put the ball in play, 58 percent of the time it was on the ground last year. That ground ball number is a bit of a outlier in his career, but his career ground ball number is a still very good 50 percent.

Unlike Bednar, Morejón has never been an everyday closer because of Robert Suarez and Mason Miller. So if you believe there is something special about pitching the ninth, then Morejón is a bit of a risk.

McDaniel expects that Morejón will command a four-year, $88 million deal.

The other option is 31-year-old right-hander David Bednar. You’re probably familiar with Bednar’s from his time as a closer for the Pirates. He was an all-star closer for Pittsburgh in 2022 and 2023 before things kind of fell apart for him in 2024. Things got so bad that he was actually demoted to Triple-A for a few weeks in 2025.

But since his return from the minors, Bedar has been lights out. He did well enough the first half of 2025, with 17 saves, for him to be a deadline deal trade to the Yankees. He served all of 2026 as the Yankees closer, garnering 35 saves.

Bednar doesn’t have the same kind of velocity as Morejón, but his four-seamer is still a very good 96 mph on average. But his go-to pitch is his 91-mph splitter, which McDaniel called the best splitter in baseball. He also has a good curveball, giving hitters a third look.

Bednar doesn’t strike out as many batters as Morejón with 27 percent. But he also walks a bit fewer at seven percent. His ground ball rate of 51 percent was also a career-high for Bednar, over his career numbers of 41 percent.

If you care about saves, Bednar has 146 career saves compared to eight for Morejón.

Comparing their respective WAR numbers, both Morejón and Bednar had a bWAR of 1.9 last season. Fangraphs liked Morejón better, 2.8 to 1.9.

Both Morejón and Bednar have qualifying offers, so they will both cost the Cubs a draft pick should they sign one of them.

So, Morejón at four years, $88 million or Bednar at three years, $60 million? Which deal would you jump at if you were Jed Hoyer?

Thank you for stopping by tonight. Please get home safely. Tell your friends about us. Let us get your coat. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again tomrorrow night for more BCB After Dark.

While the Astros have hired Randy Flores to be the team’s new general manager, it seems that the manager search had already started without him.

According to Jon Morosi on MLB Network, the team has already interviewed multiple managerial candidates, including former catcher Brad Ausmus and future Hall of Famer Albert Pujols.

Latest updates

Two sets of scheduled transactions have taken place since we closed the books on the 2025/26 roster at the end of the regular season. Firstly, free agents have come off the roster. That includes the likes of Zac Gallen, Ildemaro Vargas and Kevin Ginkel, plus Michael Soroka after he declined his side of the mutual option for 2027. Five days after the World Series, the 60-day Injured List also ceased to be a thing, so that meant Tyler Locklear, Andrew Saalfrank and Cristian Mena have been added back in. Additionally, as noted elsewhere, Pavin Smith was outrighted to Reno, then looks to have declined the move, since he is now a minor-league free agent. Interesting times!

As before we’ll be tracking the 40-man roster and logging all the transactions affecting it, over the course of the season – whatever and whenever that might be!

Current 40-man roster

40-man roster transactions

• 11/02 – RHP Michael Soroka elected free agency.
• 11/02 – Activated 1B Tyler Locklear from the 60-day injured list.
• 11/02 – Activated LHP Andrew Saalfrank from the 60-day injured list.
• 11/02 – Activated RHP Cristian Mena from the 60-day injured list.
• 11/02 – 1B Pavin Smith outrighted off 40-man roster and became a Minor League free agent.
• 10/29 – 2B Ildemaro Vargas elected free agency.
• 10/29 – RHP Dennis Santana elected free agency.
• 10/29 – C James McCann elected free agency.
• 10/29 – RHP Taylor Clarke elected free agency.
• 10/29 – RHP Zac Gallen elected free agency.
• 10/29 – RHP Kevin Ginkel elected free agency.
• 10/29 – RHP Jonathan Loáisiga elected free agency.
• 10/29 – RHP Ryan Thompson elected free agency.
• 10/29 – LHP A.J. Puk elected free agency.

It’s early in the abbreviated Hot Stove season before team owners and Major League Baseball will likely lockout players while they try to negotiate a new Collective Bargaining Agreement. But if any teams want to sign players before the terms of the next CBA are set they’ll need to get those deals done before 11:59 PM Eastern Time on December 1. That should signal a flurry of activity in the next few weeks and the Cubs are already in on the action, signing last year’s sometimes closer Jacob Webb to a one year, $2 million deal with a $4 million option (or a $500,000 buyout) in 2028.

I guess it’s not technically a free agent signing since Webb had a $2.5 million team option for 2027 already, but it’s still worth diving into the numbers that inspired the Cubs to keep Webb in the fold for at least one more season and potentially more.

The Stats

It’s not an exaggeration to say Webb helped save the Cubs season. Given the injuries to their pitchers, there were times the Cubs were basically running a continuous shuttle to Iowa in order to fill up a roster. Jacob Webb did more than fill a roster spot or throw some innings. In 67 total innings with the Cubs in 2026 he had a 3.36 ERA off a 4.03 FIP and a 3.57 xFIP. The 33-year-old righty also posted the best strikeout rate of his career with a 25.7% mark. Those aren’t traditionally closer numbers, but Webb locked down a team leading nine saves in 2026 regardless.

You can get a sense of how much value he added to the team on the below table showing all Cubs pitchers who threw at least 30 innings sorted by K-BB%:

Comparing starters and relievers is difficult because their jobs are so different. However, K-BB% provides us a pretty good proxy for effectiveness. Webb’s K-BB% of 16.9% was fifth among all Cubs pitchers last season. To be clear, that’s not a great mark relative to the rest of the league. This is certainly an area of improvement for the Cubs, whose only pitcher in the top 30 in the National League was trade deadline acquisition Kevin Gausman. But it’s a perfectly acceptable mark for a member of a competitive bullpen. That 16.9% K-BB% would have slotted Webb eighth on the Brewers staff, right between setup man Abner Uribe (18.4%) and swingman Shane Drohan (15.3%). Both Uribe and Drohan saw action during the World Series.

The arsenal

Webb also stands out among relievers for his pitch mix, which is primarily four seam fastball (42.9%) and changeup (38.8%), with hefty doses of slider (8.6%) curveball (7.4%) and a 2.3% dash of sweepers for good measure. Put it all together and it looks something like this:

The slider and curveball usage jump out as functional replacements for the sweeper Webb used to throw more frequently. For whatever reason, that sweeper was substantially less effective in 2026 for Webb as hitters hit .500 and slugged 1.000 on 26 sweepers thrown last season. As you’ve probably guessed the four seam and changeup are most effective both at suppressing power (batters slugged just .360 and .319 on those pitches respectively) and at generating whiffs (26.5% and 41.5% whiff rates respectively).

Takeaways

This is a solid initial move from Jed Hoyer and company, albeit a small move on a roster that demands so much more. Webb may have faltered down the stretch as the Cubs closer, but he never should have been the closer in 2026. He’s a perfectly acceptable middle of the bullpen option. He may even be a solid higher leverage arm if he has another season like 2026. Now it’s on the front office to add enough players around him to ensure he’s pitching more sixth innings than ninth innings for future Cubs teams.

 The Houston Astros have selected three players to their 40-man roster: RHP Roddery Muñoz, RHP Evan Reifert, and C César Salazar. Reifert was officially acquired today from the Tampa Bay Rays in exchange for cash considerations. The announcement was made by Astros General Manager Randy Flores yesterday.

Reifert, 27, pitched his entire 2026 season at Triple A Durham in the Rays organization, posting a 2.48 ERA (16ER/58IP) in 46 appearances, including three starts. He had 81 strikeouts in his 58.0 innings pitched this season, while posting a .180 (37×205) opponent average.

Additionally, OF Jake Meyers, who appeared in 57 games for the Astros this season and in 522 games over the last six seasons (2021-26) in Houston, has been outrighted off the 40-man roster. Meyers will elect free agency.

After these moves, the Astros now have 39 players on their 40-man roster.

Normally this would be the offseason open thread but hey, it’s Election Night and I want to make sure that folks are here arguing about this instead of, well, that. So yeah, let’s get into this: What do y’all think of today’s news that MLB has proposed a salary cap and floor to go into effect for the 2028 season?

Here’s MLB’s proposal as they laid it out on social media:

Here’s how the MLBPA responded:

Needless to say, it sure seems like the salary cap remains a non-starter for the MLBPA and as long as that is the case, the union is going to continue to wait to “negotiate in good faith” and I’m assuming that means once the owners drop the salary cap talk.

I continue to find it peculiar that both sides are putting their proposals out there directly to social media. I suppose if you’re trying to curry public favor then the best way to do it is to essentially use your social media as a propaganda tool and let the debate go straight to the comments section on the internet. Sure, there have been press releases but it’s still very interesting to see where the two sides have decided to fight this battle. Maybe it’s a sign of the current times, maybe it’s just an overall change in tone. Either way, it’s definitely interesting to see where this is being played out.

Either way, I turn things over to y’all. What do y’all make of this? Are you supporting the players or the owners? Or are you just supporting anything that gets the season started on time? Let us know what you think!

A year ago, the Yankees had one clear free agent target in Cody Bellinger.

But the lefty-hitting, Gold Glove left fielder lingered on the market until Jan. 21, when he agreed to a five-year, $162.5 million contract.

That deal contains an opt out after the 2027 season, the start of which could be affected by a work stoppage.

MLB’s current collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1, and a looming lockout will impact business over the next four weeks.

With free agency now underway, here’s a ranking of five potential Yankees targets:

5. Luis Arraez

Position: Second base, first base

In his recent assessment of the Yankees’ latest early October exit, owner Hal Steinbrenner pointed to an inconsistent offense.

“Some of them just underperformed,’’ said Steinbrenner “They didn’t live up to what they’re capable of.’’

This year’s Rays-Brewers World Series, won by Milwaukee, featured lineups that routinely put the ball in play and pressure an opponent’s defense.

And in this year’s free agent class, lefty-hitting Luis Arraez is a connoisseur of contact, with just 28 strikeouts in 655 plate appearances in 2026, while batting .310 for the Giants and Phillies.

A three-time batting champ, Arraez – who turns 30 in April – came up with Minnesota in 2019, with James Rowson, then the Twins batting coach.

But Rowson’s immediate future as Yanks’ batting coach is cloudy and Arraez’s complete lack of power and shaky defensive reputation (though he improved his metrics as a second baseman this year) are marks against a long-term deal.

4. Paul Blackburn

Position: Relief pitcher

Yes, the bullpen is a volatile area.

Blackburn’s success in 2026 doesn’t guarantee a repeat in 2027 and 2028.

But the right-hander was such a revelation – at a bargain price – that a multi-year contract must be a consideration.

Like the Luke Weaver path, Blackburn transformed from a shaky starter to a trusted and valuable multi-inning reliever in pinstripes.

Blackburn added depth to his sinker, increased his changeup use, and posted a 1.69 ERA in 62 appearances during his free agent walk year.

Given the uncertainty about Fernando Cruz’s partially torn UCL, a reunion with Blackburn should be on the Yanks’ winter list.

3. Adrian Morejon

Position: Relief pitcher

Or the Yankees could make a higher priority of this setup lefty.

Morejon’s durable profile and high-octane arsenal could create a competitive market among contenders seeking both elite multi-inning relievers and closers.

Over the past three seasons in San Diego, Morejon has averaged 70 appearances, and a 2.58 ERA with 10 strikeouts and 0.4 home runs allowed per nine innings.

With the swing-and-miss ability from his sinker/slider/changeup/four-seam fastball mix is an elite groundball rate (58 percent this year).

Given Brent Headrick’s overuse in a breakout season, the Yanks could use another significant lefty bullpen presence.

2. Teruaki Sato

Position: Third base

We've just entered a shortened window for posted Nippon Professional Baseball League players to negotiate with MLB clubs.

As USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Monday, the players union is unhappy with MLB's decision not to extend the 45-day negotiating period.

That means Japanese stars like Sato and right-handed pitchers Kaima Taira and Hiromi Itoh must sign by Dec. 1, or else forfeit the opportunity to play in the majors in 2027.

Third baseman Ryan McMahon has one year and $16 million remaining on his contract, but he's a trade candidate (along with 1B-2B-DH Luis Garcia Jr., a fellow lefty hitter) and Sato is a possible target.

The lefty-hitting Sato, 27, is coming off a Triple Crown NPBL season in 2026, batting .306 with 39 homers and 106 RBI.

But some scouting reports on Sato's defense suggest he's more suitable as an outfielder or first baseman in the majors, creating an added dilemma for the Yanks.

1. David Bednar

Position: Closer

Unlike fellow Yankees free agent Jazz Chisholm Jr., the Yanks extended Bednar the $23.15 million qualifying offer in hopes of keeping him for 2017 or signing him to a multi-year deal.

Players who receive the QO have a week to decide whether to decline or accept; taking the offer creates a one-year contract for the upcoming season, as Trent Grisham chose last year.

Over his year-and-a-half in pinstripes, Bednar, 32, has proven himself to be durable and largely drama-free, posting a 1.30 ERA over his last 43 appearances in 2026.

Additionally, you could see the Yankees attempting to reunite with free agent relievers John Schreiber and Ryan Yarbrough, who each made both playoff rosters in 2026.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Yankees free agent targets for 2027: 5 players for Bombers to pursue

Sometimes, a celebration can go a bit too far.

In the midst of the Milwaukee Brewers winning their first World Series title in franchise history, manager Pat Murphy and slugger Jake Bauers shook hands on the field and bashed his former team, the Yankees, not thinking the audio would get out for the internet to hear.

Upon learning that everyone heard his comments about the Yanks, Murphy said he called general manager Brian Cashman to clear the air.

“I called Brian Cashman right away when I heard it got out,” Murphy said on The Show with Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman. 

"I heard the next morning, we were at the parade, and everybody was talking about it. I was like, 'What, how did they hear that?' You know, like, hot mic. And I'm like, whatever. So I picked up a phone and called Brian right away and had a good conversation. And the best I could try to explain that I wasn’t talking about the 2026 Yankees."

When talking to Bauers, who played for New York in 2023, Murphy called the first baseman's former team "horses--t" and that the clubhouse mindset was much different from Milwaukee's vibe.

"You're gonna be a rich fu--er," Murphy said. "Just remember when you were on that horses--t Yankees team, you guys were all playing for yourself? Just remember, say, 'this is the way we used to do it.'"

Murphy clarified on the podcast Tuesday that his and Bauers relationship is unique, as they have consistently celebrated together after playoff wins and joked about him playing so well the Brewers won't be able to pay him in free agency. 

"After every celebration, I’d shake his hand. I’d say, 'You rich so and so, you’re going to leave us,'" Murphy explained. "We’re not going to be able to pay you. You’re going to leave us and you’re going to forget all about how we did things. … I would just give him this rhetoric every time."

Murphy added on the Yankees: "I was just referring to the teams that have a lot of high-paid long-contract players. That sometimes it’s harder to get all those guys together to play together. And I used the Yankees because I knew Jake was with them before. … I regret saying it, but that was Jake and I’s humor behind the scenes and I got caught."

The skipper made it known he felt bad for his comments being made public and referred to Cashman as "such a good guy" who's very "levelheaded."

"I wish I had his demeanor and his way of handling things," Murphy said. "I felt horribly if I slandered the Yankees because I was just kind of referring to them as this kind of iconic machine that maybe isn't -- I don't know, maybe it's just an easy way to refer to it."

MLB owners are willing to wait an additional year on a key proposed element of the next collective bargaining agreement.

The league has proposed postponing a salary cap and floor until the 2028 season, as the CBA nears expiration on Dec. 1.

“Starting in 2028 would allow a smoother transition into the scale and floor system without delaying key player benefits,” MLB posted on social media.

The proposal calls for a cap of $258.2 million that no club can exceed. Under that proposal eight teams, including the Mets and Yankees, would have to shed significant dollars from their payrolls (per 2026 figures). 

According to Spotrac, the Mets led MLB last season with a $346.7 million payroll. The Yankees were third at $308.3 million.

The proposal calls for a salary floor of $180.2 million that all clubs must meet. Last season, 12 teams were below that figure, with Guardians last at $74.5 million, according to Spotrac.

MLB said the 12 clubs under the proposed threshold would have increase payroll by a combined $636 million. The eight teams over the proposed threshold would have to shed $528 million in payroll, according to MLB.

“The projected salary cap and floor for 2028 continues to provide more money for major league players while leveling the playing field and giving more teams the ability to participate in the free agent market and retain their homegrown stars so that every fan believes their team has a fair chance to win it all,” MLB’s statement said. 

The players’ association has voiced vehement opposition to the implementation of a salary cap, leaving the two sides headed toward a December lockout.

MLB said it’s also willing to accept the players’ association proposal that players at least 30 years old can become free agents after five years of service rather than having to complete a sixth.

Also, MLB has indicated it is willing to eliminate the qualifying offer – as the players’ association has proposed. Under the current system a team signing a player that receives the qualifying offer must surrender a draft pick. The players’ association has long maintained that such a system suppresses a free agent’s value.

Under MLB’s proposal the league minimum salary would be raised from $780,000 to $1.5 million. The pre-arbitration bonus pool, which currently stands at $50 million, would be raised to $180 million.