One Major Red Flag in the Astros’ Projected 2026 Rotation
By now, Astros fans have likely seen the wave of national articles and social media posts projecting Houston’s starting rotation for the 2026 season. Most of the attention has understandably centered on Lance McCullers Jr. and his prominent inclusion in many of those forecasts. But beyond the familiar names, there’s a far more concerning trend hiding in plain sight.
Every projected Astros starter being discussed is right-handed.
Call me crazy, but running out a rotation made up entirely of right-handed pitchers on a daily basis doesn’t feel like a formula for sustained success. Yes, the organization is expected to move on from left-hander Framber Valdez, but if Colton Gordon is truly the only left-handed starting option currently in the system, that signals there is still significant work ahead for Dana Brown and the Astros’ front office.
Whether that solution comes as part of a larger trade perhaps clearing the current infield logjam while adding young pitching talent, or through a more targeted deal specifically aimed at addressing this imbalance, it’s hard to believe the Astros are comfortable entering spring training with such a glaring lack of left-handed starters. At least one, if not multiple, southpaws should be on their radar before camp opens.
That’s not to say the projected rotation lacks quality. In fact, there’s plenty to like from top to bottom. Hunter Brown has firmly established himself as the ace and anchor of the staff, and there’s little reason to believe his trajectory is anything but upward. Replacing Framber Valdez with Tatsuya Imai was a savvy move by the front office, providing a strong presence near the top of the rotation.
Christian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti are expected to factor into the top five, while newcomers Mike Burrows and Ryan Weiss bring intriguing upside as potential contributors. McCullers, entering the final year of his contract, will be given every opportunity to earn a rotation spot. Should he fall short, veteran arms such as Jason Alexander and J.P. France could pitch their way into consideration. Even young prospects like A.J. Blubaugh will be given a legitimate chance to prove they belong among the club’s top six starters.
The Astros have already indicated that early-season scheduling, injury management, and workload concerns will lead them to deploy a six-man rotation. That makes the lack of left-handed balance even more noticeable. As things currently stand, Colton Gordon appears to be the lone left-handed starter with a chance to be utilized when the team breaks camp. Whether he secures a permanent spot in the rotation or not is going to be determined by how he pitches this spring along with injuries and potential additions to the club.
For that reason alone, expect Dana Brown to remain active and creative in the coming months. Adding at least one left-handed starter before Opening Day feels less like a luxury and more like a necessity.
One way or another, the Astros’ 2026 rotation will change between now and Opening Day. The question isn’t if Dana Brown adds a left-handed arm, it’s who? how? and how soon?
While this move will be overshadowed by the MacKenzie Gore trade, Paul Toboni made another waiver claim. This time he picked up Gus Varland from the Diamondbacks. He is the older brother of Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland and has some similarities. To make room on the 40-man roster the Nationals DFA’d Riley Adams.
The Nationals have claimed right-handed pitcher Gus Varland off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and designated catcher Riley Adams for assignment.
While Varland did not pitch in the MLB in 2025 and had an injury riddled season, he has MLB experience. He had a really strong season in 2024, posting a 3.42 ERA in 26.1 innings with 27 strikeouts. If he can get back to that form in 2026, he can be a nice piece for the Nats bullpen.
At just 29 years old, Varland still has time on his side as well. Varland has an exciting fastball/slider combination that can get big league outs. His fastball sat at 95 MPH in 2024, but it has a ton of carry at the top of the zone. The heater is comfortably his best pitch and he throws it over 55% of the time. Varland’s primary secondary pitch is a high-80’s slider, but he also mixes in a changeup.
He is an interesting piece to add to a wide open mix in the Nats bullpen. With Varland and Paxton Schultz in the fold, Paul Toboni has created some more bullpen depth. The high leverage spots are a concern, but it feels like the bullpen has more capable bodies now.
On the other side of the coin, the Nats DFA’d Riley Adams, who has been with the team for a while. Adams was part of a deal that sent Brad Hand to the Blue Jays. While he has not been great, getting a big leaguer for Hand is a win. In his time with the Nats, Adams posted a .640 OPS.
The Nationals have claimed Gus Varland off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and DFA’d catcher Riley Adams.
Adams, acquired in the sell-off in 2021 for Brad Hand, hit .215 with a .640 OPS in five seasons with the Nationals.
Adams has some eye-popping tools, most notably his elite bat speed. His 78.3 MPH average swing speed is one of the best marks in the sport. He also has an absolute cannon of an arm. However, he was just unable to fully put things together.
Adams will turn 30 this year, so time is not really on his side anymore. He is also out of options, so it feels unlikely that he gets claimed. Given some of the tools, I would not be shocked if he got claimed though.
Obviously, this move will be overshadowed by the Gore trade, but it could be a decent pickup for the bullpen. Paul Toboni is making his mark on this roster, there is no denying that.
Tyson Lewis saw his name etched in the annals of internet history earlier today by claiming the #8 spot in this year’s Red Reporter Community Prospect Rankings. Congrats to Tyson on the incredible honor!
By now you know the new voting rules here. There will be an embedded poll at the bottom of this post where you can cast your vote until the poll closes, but if that’s stripped out for you for some reason there will exist a link right here to take you to Google Forms to vote. Both of those will magically disappear when voting closes, though, so that internet chicanery cannot come in after the fact, dump votes, and change the already created history of the world.
Here’s how the list has materialized so far:
Sal Stewart
Alfredo Duno
Rhett Lowder
Hector Rodriguez
Edwin Arroyo
Cam Collier
Steele Hall
Tyson Lewis
A few new names have been added to the voting mix for spot #9. Have at it with the votes!
Chase Petty, RHP (23 years old)
2025 at a glance: 6.39 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 102/58 K/BB in 112.2 IP with AAA Louisville Bats (International League); 13 ER in 6.0 IP with Cincinnati Reds
Pros: Three plus pitches, including a fastball that flirts with 100 mph and 60-grade slider and cutter
Cons: Lit up in first cups of MLB coffee, and struggled in AAA after being sent back down
Petty has long been on the radar of every scout in the game, a former 1st round pick of the Minnesota Twins out of high school (whom the Reds had eyes on drafting back then, too). He was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Sonny Gray the other way, and he’s pitched his way onto multiple Top 100 overall prospect lists since.
Of course, he’s also pitched his way back off those same lists, with much of his work in 2025 doing just that. He was shelled at the big league level, though that’s with the caveat that he’d just turned 22 years old when that went down. The stuff’s still there, he’s just struggled to blend it all together for long enough stretches to show he can be an effective big league starter. The hope is that the lumps he took in 2025 paired with a mostly healthy offseason for the first time in a while will send him into 2026 both ready and with something to prove.
Aaron Watson, RHP (19 years old)
2025 at a glance: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Trinity Christian Academy (FL); signed overslot $2.7 million bonus to forego commitment to the University of Florida
Pros: 6’5” frame; potential 60-grade slider; fastball that runs up to 96 mph from a three-quarter arm slot and already has a solid three-pitch mix with his change rotated in
Cons: Did not pitch professionally after being drafted, so he’s a complete unknown
One glimpse of Watson on the mound and you immediately think yep, I bet that guy can turn into a pretty dang good pitcher. He’s got an ideal frame to produce downhill offerings, and his fastball/slider mix is already something on which he can hang his hat.
However, command of all three of his pitches – specifically a very developmental changeup – will be what he needs to work on to begin to move quickly through the ranks. He possesses a good ‘feel’ at the moment in terms of what pitches to throw, which part of the zone to attack vs. which hitters, etc., but how well he can build in more deception with his offerings will be vital.
Jose Franco, RHP (25 years old)
2025 at a glance: 3.11 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 118/54 K/BB in 110.0 IP split between AA Chattanooga Lookouts (Southern League) and AAA Louisville Bats (International League)
Pros: Fastball that flirts with triple digits with ease
Cons: Secondary pitches need work, and that’s impacting his overall command (and ability to limit walks)
Franco turned 25 years old in November and earned a promotion to the 40-man roster of the Reds shortly thereafter due to his consistent performance across the upper levels of their farm system.
The Reds have a few hulks they’ve put on the mound in recent years, and Franco thoroughly qualifies. He’s listed at 6’2” and an oddly specific 257 lbs, and his size and frame allows him to tap into his excellent fastball velocity with ease. It’s the pitch he misses bats with the most, but how well he can differentiate his breaking pitches (and improve his changeup command) will determine whether or not he can a) get left-handed hitter out with aplomb and b) avoid ending up in the bullpen.
He’s been a late bloomer, in part due to injuries that cost him his entire 2023 season, and if he continues the path he’s been on since getting healthy there could be a whole lot more from him as early as 2026 for Cincinnati.
Carlos Jorge, OF (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: .251/.342/.355 with 6 HR, 40 SB in 469 PA with High-A Dayton Dragons (Midwest League)
Pros: Plus speed; former infielder moved to CF in 2023 and in 2025 looked like a natural there; plus speed; shaved 12.5% off K-rate from down 2024 season; 60-grade arm strength a weapon in CF
Cons: ISO declined for third straight year, this time precipitously; prone to extreme streakiness
If you threw out every other stop of Carlos Jorge’s pro career and just focused on the good ones, he’d already be ranked by now. The good parts of the best of his years have been quite tremendous, all told. He’s flashed great speed (40 steals in 2025), good pop for a small-ish CF (12 HR in 2023 and 2024; .483 SLG in the cavernous Florida State League in 2023), and the ability to play pretty elite CF defense (as recently as 2025).
However, he’s added some real clunkers in there, too. He hit just .220/.291/.394 with a K-rate over 31% at Dayton in 2024, and that came on the heels of hitting just .239/.277/.398 in 23 games once he reached Dayton at the end of 2023.
Maybe it’s just Dayton, where he was again in 2025 in a much better all-around year, even though his power dried up again. He’ll surely begin with AA Chattanooga of the Southern League in 2026, and at 22 (with his position in CF now settled) the former 2B might finally have a one-track shot to focus on his all around game in a new locale. After acing his move on defense, shaving off a ton of strikeouts, and bumping his walk rate back up over 11.1% (where it’s been for most of his career), perhaps 2026 will have a lot more in store for him.
Zach Maxwell, RHP (25 years old)
2025 at a glance: 4.50 ERA, 5.64 FIP, 13/4 K/BB in 10.0 IP with Cincinnati Reds; 4.17 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 59/32 K/BB in 49.2 IP with AAA Louisville Bats (International League)
Pros: Huge. Literally gigantic (6’6”, 275-ish lbs). Throws gas (100 mph+) with a devastating slider (70-grade). And he’s titanic.
Cons: Struggles with control (6.1 BB/9 across 172.1 IP in his minors career)
Maxwell, a former 6th round pick out of Georgia Tech, throws the ball up to 102 mph with his heater, and it’s clear that hitters have just about as little idea where it’s actually going to be as Maxwell himself. That’s the rub here, really, in that Big Sugar has the pure stuff to turn even the best hitters into guessers, and it comes down to whether they’ll guess wrong more often than Maxwell misses the zone in each and every PA.
If they swing, though, they’re likely going to miss, and that’s why he’s right in the mix for a spot in Cincinnati’s bullpen again in 2026 after making his debut there in 2025. He can be a bit wild if it’s effectively wild, and that’s a tightrope he’s been walking since his days back at North Paulding HS in Dallas, Georgia. When he’s locked in, though, the heater is backed up by an absolutely devastating slide piece, and that two-pitch mix – again, when he’s locked in – is good enough to be closer material. He’s just got to continue to refine his delivery.
Leo Balcazar, SS/2B (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: .263/.339/.381 with 12 HR, 8 SB in 560 PA split between A+ Dayton Dragons (Midwest League) and AA Chattanooga Lookouts (AA Southern League); .277/.340/.340 in 103 PA with Peoria Javelinas (Arizona Fall League)
Pros: Good strike zone judgement and plate discipline (52/75 BB/K in 2025); well-rounded tools, continuing to improve off ACL surgery
Cons: Not a ton of power yet; some question whether he’ll be able to stick at SS long term
It’s easy to forget just how good of a start Balcazar had to his pro career after signing with the Reds for $100,000 out of Venezuela. He posted an .882 OPS in 2021 in Dominican Summer League play, an .886 OPS in 2022 with the Arizona Complex League Reds, and was off to a wicked start (.897 OPS) across the first 18 games of his 2023 season with Class-A Daytona before he tore his ACL.
2024 was a bit of a rough year for him, however, as the layoff and working back from the surgery clearly impacted his performance (.264/.295/.354 in 410 PA). However, 2025 saw him look a lot more like his former explosive self – both at the plate and in the field – and he clearly was healthy enough once again as he logged a combined 663 PA across all leagues.
He’s still just 21 years of age (22 in June of 2026), and if he’s shaken the rust off completely and enters this season after a normal winter, there’s a chance we see a whole lot more from him, too.
Arnaldo Lantigua, OF (20 years old)
2025 at a glance: .268/.345/.519 in 206 PA with ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League); .261/.318/.445 in 129 PA with Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League)
Pros: Above-average bat speed and raw power; mashes left-handed pitching; good eye at the plate
Cons: Likely destined for corner OF as his range is a concern, though his arm continues to play
The Cincinnati Reds helped the Los Angeles Dodgers sign Roki Sasaki by shipping them international bonus pool money, and in return for it they landed Lantigua, who only turned 20 in December after holding his own across 32 games in the brutal hitting environment of the Florida State League (where right-handed hitters, in particular, are seriously stifled).
You wont see Lantigua winning sprint titles. You won’t see him making plays in the outfield that simply wow you. There’s not a batting title in his future, I don’t imagine. However, there’s a very real chance he continues to evolve into a classic bat-first corner outfielder who can swat over 30 homers a season, and that’s something the Reds have (as you may have noticed) really failed to produce off their farm for quite some time. He’s not on this list because he’s well-rounded, in other words, but the bat/power combo is a skillset where he’s really impressive already at such a young age, and that’s unique among this class.
WASHINGTON — All-Star left-hander MacKenzie Gore is headed to the Texas Rangers in a trade that sends five prospects back to the Nationals in the biggest move of new Washington president of baseball operations Paul Toboni’s roster rebuilding efforts, a person with knowledge of the swap told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced.
Gore gives the 2023 World Series champions a starter who should be able to help the front end of their rotation along with Jacob deGrom — a two-time Cy Young Award winner who was the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 2025 — and Nathan Eovaldi, who dealt with a rotator cuff strain and had surgery for a sports hernia after compiling a 1.73 ERA in 22 starts.
Gore is under team control for the next two seasons; he can’t become a free agent until after the 2027 World Series. He is scheduled to make $5.6 million in 2026 after to a one-year deal with the Nationals that avoided arbitration.
Gore, who turns 27 next month, is 26-41 with a 4.19 ERA in four major league seasons, the past three with Washington. He was an NL All-Star last season, when he ended up going 5-15 with a 4.17 ERA and a career-best 185 strikeouts in 30 appearances, all starts.
He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft by the San Diego Padres and was sent to the Nationals in the 2022 trade that included Juan Soto.
The players Washington is receiving from Texas are Yeremy Cabrera, Gavin Fien, Devin Fitz-Gerald, Abimelec Ortiz, Alejandro Rosario.
Fien is an 18-year-old shortstop who was taken out of high school in the first round of last year’s draft.
Fitz-Gerald is a 20-year-old infielder, Rosario is a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher, Cabrera is a 20-year-old outfielder and Ortiz is a 23-year-old first baseman and outfielder.
All five are considered among the top 20 prospects in the Rangers’ system.
After acquiring a pair of pitchers in Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers in a trade with Milwaukee late Wednesday night, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns met with the media via a video call on Thursday afternoon to talk about the trade, which sent top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to the Brewers, the possibility of a Peralta extension, and much more.
Here's what Stearns had to say...
How the Peralta trade came to be
"Similar to a lot of discussions that can happen over the course of the offseason, these began in November when the offseason started, and they took a lot of twists and turns, and involved a lot of different names at different points, different constructs, different sizes of deals. I think talks probably accelerated over the last few days and ultimately we were able to get it across the line for both sides last night."
Is a Peralta extension in the works?
"I’m not going to speculate on that on day one here. We’ll let Freddy get acclimated to the organization. Any conversations that we may have or have in the future, I think we’ll do our best to keep private and not talk about publicly."
With recent moves, where do Mets fit in NL East picture?
"We’ve got a really tough division. We’ve got some really good teams and some teams that are getting better. Until we win a division, we can’t claim that we’re at the top. So, we’ve got to keep going and we’ve got to keep working."
On giving up major prospects
"We recognize that we’ve parted with some very good young players here, players who are going to have good major league careers, and that’s part of it when you’re acquiring a very good player in return. Brandon [Sproat] is going to be a good player, it was very tough for us to give him up, and I do not think we would have given him up in a deal where there was not a starting pitcher coming back."
...
"It's always tough to give up good players, and those are two really good players. It’s also the reality of what it costs to acquire good players coming back. We’re acquiring one of the better starting pitchers in baseball, a guy who has been really consistent. It was going to hurt and it does hurt, giving up good players hurts. Those guys are going to be playing in Milwaukee for a long time. We’re going to be competing against them. We’re also really excited to get Freddy and Tobias here, and I think both of those guys are going to help us."
The plan for Tobias Myers
"I think Tobias, first and foremost when you look at him, he fills up the zone. He goes right after people, he can zone up pretty much his entire arsenal. He’s not afraid. He’s pitched well in very big moments, as we saw firsthand a couple of years ago. And it’s also the versatility and being able to have success in both the rotation and the bullpen. We like his ability to give us multiple innings out of the pen when needed, and also flex into the rotation if that’s the way it goes."
J.T. Realmuto pulled into third base, stared at the Phillies’ dugout, covered his eyes and held up three fingers. Citizens Bank Park was rocking.
He had just delivered a bases-clearing triple in Game 1 of the National League Division Series off the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani. Phillies up 2-0.
It was Realmuto’s hardest-hit ball since 2020 — 111.5 mph.
But who remembers that now?
The Phillies went on to lose the NLDS in gut-wrenching fashion, and the hit that opened the scoring and jolted the city faded into the abyss.
At the end-of-season press conference, however, manager Rob Thomson couldn’t stop praising the then–free-agent catcher.
“I’ve had a lot of great catchers [that] I’ve been around. [Jorge] Posada, [Iván] Rodríguez, for a short period of time. It goes on and on and on,” Thomson said. “This guy, to me, is the most prepared guy I’ve ever been around, as a catcher.
“He will spend hours watching video, making up his own game plan, and then matching it up with Caleb, and talking with the pitchers,” the skipper continued. “He’s got a great feel for in-game adjustments, when to go to the mound, when to change the pitch, when to change location… He’s just that good.”
The offseason opened quietly. The Phillies re-signed Kyle Schwarber, bought low on Adolis García and added relievers — including Brad Keller — through free agency and trades. There were tweaks, but not sweeping changes.
For weeks, the club had a three-year offer on the table for Realmuto.
Then came Bo Bichette.
Philadelphia’s pursuit of the infielder shifted the feel of the offseason. Had the Phillies landed Bichette, a reunion with Realmuto would have been unlikely.
Bichette ultimately signed with the Mets. Less than an hour later, the Phillies finalized Realmuto’s return on a three-year, $45 million deal.
For many, the emotional swing of those 24 hours reshaped the offseason narrative — from the excitement of chasing Bichette to the underwhelming feeling of turning over a familiar roster.
When the Realmuto deal became official and the club addressed the media, the tone wasn’t celebratory. It was candid.
“I know how the game works and I know there’s certain values on players and at the end of the day, I just value myself in what I do for the team and the clubhouse differently than what the Phillies did for a while,” Realmuto said. “So that’s why it took longer than it, maybe, should have.”
Realmuto’s clubhouse value and impact on the pitching staff is, in many ways, immeasurable.
Since being acquired in 2019, he has caught more innings than any catcher in baseball — 6,699.2 — nearly 1,200 more than the next closest. Over that span, Phillies starting pitchers have posted the highest WAR in the majors (103.5) according to FanGraphs, forced the softest contact (88.1 mph average exit velocity) and ranked top 10 in both strikeout and walk rate.
According to FanGraphs’ defensive run value, Realmuto ranks third at the position with 91.2 — a difficult number to sustain over seven seasons of heavy usage.
That influence shows up daily. It showed up again when Cristopher Sánchez learned his catcher was coming back.
“I got goosebumps,” Sánchez said through an interpreter. “I just know the pivotal part that he is of the team, and me personally, I just wanted him back so bad.
“To me, he’s one of the best catchers in baseball,” he continued. “Obviously, he’s had a huge impact on me… every time I walk in, J.T.’s already in the kitchen, he has a laptop in his hands, he’s looking at the opposing team, going over the [scouting] report, helping us out, and I just think that’s a testament to him and the preparation he puts in for us to go out there and be able to thrive.”
The praise has never been the issue. The challenge, as Thomson noted back in October, is “putting a dollar sign” on that underlying value.
Realmuto acknowledged his offensive production has dipped — but bristled at how the rest of his impact is weighed in negotiations.
“Yeah, it’s definitely frustrating… I know that I haven’t had my best years the last couple years, but I do believe that it’s not like age or physically related. It’s something that I can improve on and work on and be better for the years to come.”
From a peripheral standpoint, 2025 was one of the least productive offensive seasons of Realmuto’s career. Among qualified catchers, he posted the lowest slugging percentage (.384) and OPS (.700) at the position — the lowest and second-lowest marks, respectively, of his 12 big-league seasons.
October has told a different story.
Realmuto hit .353 with a 1.118 OPS in the NLDS and has collected 11 extra-base hits since the start of the 2023 postseason, posting an .816 OPS across his last 21 playoff games.
Realmuto, who once held the highest average annual value ever for a catcher after signing a five-year, $115.5 million deal, still believes the position remains undervalued.
“For me, it sucks that like the catchers, in my opinion, are just undervalued in this game, as far as contracts and dollars go,” he said. “I truly believe it’s one of, if not, the most important position on the field. So like, I just enjoy fighting for that.”
Left-hander Tanner Banks echoed the sentiment — with a smile.
“From a pitching standpoint, I know he’s got a great rapport with the starting pitching and the relievers that are coming back and I collectively think I could speak for us all and say we’re excited,” Banks said Tuesday.
He also acknowledged the difficulty in quantifying Realmuto’s value.
“It’s hard to put a number on, but a catcher’s in every play of every game. So there’s an extreme value there. You think about a starting pitcher — how good is a starting pitcher if you don’t have your counterpart there, helping you call shots and navigate a lineup three times?”
As with his 2021 free agency, Realmuto again found himself at a negotiating crossroads. This time, though, the leverage shifted.
When Bichette went elsewhere, the Phillies moved quickly — and decisively.
“The dollars looked different and luckily, you know, after the Phillies missed out on an opportunity there at the end, they called back and were able to make something happen, and improve their offer and get to a place that we were happy with.”
Either way, the Phillies have their leader behind the plate.
With Ranger Suárez now gone in free agency, Realmuto’s role as the voice and backbone of the pitching staff becomes even more critical — especially with top prospect Andrew Painter entering the picture.
In the end, both sides landed where they wanted to be.
“We always wanted to bring J.T. back. That was always a priority for us,” Dave Dombrowski said. “We’re thrilled that [he’s] back.”
“The whole time, this is where we wanted to be,” Realmuto added. “I’m glad we’re back here and this is where we want to be the whole time. So really, my focus was just on my legacy here and being able to finish my career with the Phillies.”
We’re now less than three weeks from pitchers and catchers reporting to Salt River Fields, and it feels like the D-backs’ off-season remains a work in progress. With all respect to Taylor Clarke, the bullpen has barely been touched. We don’t know who will be replacing Lourdes Gurriel in left field on Opening Day. Arizona is still waiting to find out what will happen with regard to the bonus draft pick connected to Zac Gallen [despite a report in December the Cubs were “close to finalizing an agreement” with him]. But perhaps no topic, outside of the Ketel Marte trade rumors, has been more discussed than a potential reunion with Paul Goldschmidt.
Goldy remains the best position player in franchise history, putting up an average of almost five bWAR across his eight seasons with the team. That included six All-Star appearances, and a trio of top three finishes in MVP voting, as well as likely the best value extension in franchise history. But, with one season left to go on that contract, Mike Hazen dealt Goldschmidt to the St. Louis Cardinals, for Carson Kelly, Luke Weaver, Andrew Young and a competitive balance pick, which became Dominic Fletcher. Even though none of those panned out long-term, given it was in exchange for just one year of Goldy, you’d be hard pushed to call it a bad trade.
It is fair, however, to ask why the team did not work out a contract extension with Goldschmidt. The Cardinals certainly did, agreeing a five-year, $130 million deal before the following Opening Day. After a shaky first season in St. Louis, the deal turned out a good price for St. Louis. Goldschmidt posted 20.9 bWAR over the 2020-2024 period included in the extension. It included Goldschmidt finally snaring the NL MVP honor in 2022, which had eluded him with the D-backs. However, the Cardinals failed to get past the wild-card round in three successive years, Goldscbmidt hitting just .174 (4-for-23) in the postseason over that contract.
When it expired, he went to the Bronx, signing a one-year deal worth $12.5 million with the New York Yankees. Aged 38 by the time the Yankees exited in the AL Division Series against the Blue Jays, it seems that Father Time might finally be catching up to him. Paul struggled significantly against right-hand pitching in 2024 and 2025. Across a total of 853 plate-appearances there, he hit only .237/.284/.367 for a .651 OPS. Goldschmidt was still solid against left-handed pitchers, albeit in a smaller sample (335 PA). He hit .315/.389/.522 for a .911 OPS there over the last two seasons. Goldschmidt hit the open market again this winter.
The case for Goldschmidt
Right now, the plan for the D-backs would involve a platoon of left-hander Pavin Smith and right-hander Tyler Locklear. However, Locklear ended up missing the end of the season with injury, after a collision at first with Boston’s Connor Wong, when trying to field and an errant throw from Jordan Lawlar. Whether due to that, or a pre-existing condition, subsequent evaluation determined Lockler needed surgery both on his ulnar collateral ligament (elbow) and labrum (shoulder). While there’s been no news since, Paul Gambadoro said at the time that Locklear could return late in spring, but would potentially miss the first month of the season before being 100%.
There’s also the question of how good he will be. Locklear came over from the Mariners in the Suarez trade, but did not impress before the injury. Across 31 games as a Diamondback, he hit just .175, with a .529 OPS and 43 strikeouts over 116 PA. It is true that Tyler only turned 25 in November, and has less than fifty games of experience at the major-league level. Which is fine, if the team is punting on 2026, and thinking about Locklear as a long-term solution. Let him take his licks this year, and hopefully, he’ll become capable of taking over full-time down the road.
But if the team is committed to competing in 2026 – and, at least publicly, that seems to be the approach Hazen is advocating – Locklear might not be good enough, even after he has fully recovered from those surgical processes. Signing Goldschmidt as a one-year platoon partner, to face left-handed pitching, while Smith gets the bulk of the at-bats against righties (where he has a career .772 OPS), might not be the worst thing in the world. There’s also a lot of residual love in the fanbase for Goldschmidt, understandably so. Bringing him back and allowing him to finish his career where it started could perhaps end up in Goldy entering Cooperstown as a Diamondback.
The case against Goldschmidt
The biggest obstacle to Paul returning to the desert, might well be Paul himself. On the latest edition of Snakes Territory, Jack Sommers reports [around ninety seconds in] that Goldschmidt still thinks he’s worth an everyday spot in the line-up, rather than having a roster spot and getting fewer starts on the weak side of a platoon. The D-backs are not willing to pay the obviously increased salary due to an everyday player – Jack reckoned they are more or less capped at around a $5 million salary for the spot. He also mentioned the Padres as a possible alternative landing spot, who could be willing to give Goldschmidt that everyday job and the matching price.
There hasn’t been much chatter otherwise regarding where Goldschmidt might go. The fact, again, we are less than one month away from spring training, and Paul is still unemployed, suggests there may be a gap between what he wants, and what teams are looking for – both in role and cost. There’s also the question of how much Goldschmidt wants to return – to the same team and GM which wouldn’t extend him, and traded him instead. According to Nick Piecoro, writing at the time of the trade to St. Louis, “Sources indicated that preliminary conversations with Goldschmidt’s camp left the Diamondbacks less than confident they would be able to reach an agreement.”
Does he hold a grudge? It doesn’t seem that the laid-back Paul we knew would be the kind to do so, instead accepting that it was (to misquote The Godfather) “not personal, Goldy – it’s strictly business.” But it doesn’t appear he is (yet) willing to bend on his demands for the season, and give a home-town discount in financial or other areas. As the trade of Goldschmidt shows, Mike Hazen makes decisions with his head, not his heart, even when these are unpopular with the fans. I don’t expect this to change: if Goldschmidt is going to be a D-back in 2026, I think it’ll be on the team’s terms. Otherwise, expect an alternative – perhaps someone like Ty France.
What do you reckon? Should the team sign Goldschmidt or not? That’s what the comments are for…
Just after I wrote that a MacKenzie Gore trade seemed unlikely, Paul Toboni pulled the trigger. He sent Gore to the Texas Rangers for a five prospect haul. While the Nats did not get Sebastian Walcott, they got five quality pieces from Texas. The return consists of SS/3B Gavin Fien, RHP Alejandro Rosario, 2B Devin Fitz-Gerald, 1B Abimelec Ortiz and OF Yeremy Cabrera.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
Rangers get: LHP MacKenzie Gore
Nationals get: 3B Gavin Fien, SS Devin Fitz-Gerald, RHP Alejandro Rosario, 1B Abimelec Ortiz and and OF Yeremy Cabrera
A big return for the Nationals. Fien was the 12th pick last year. Evaluators love Fitz-Gerald.
The headliner of the return is Fien, who was selected 12th overall by the Rangers last year. He was a shortstop in high school, but is likely to move to third base. Fien was one of the most impressive hitters in last year’s class with a really nice blend of hitting ability and power.
Analytically inclined scouts loved Fien’s bat speed and plate discipline. While his swing is not the most traditional, he made plenty of contact on the showcase circuit. He may not be a top 100 prospect yet, but with a strong year, he can surge on to the list.
What you need to know about new Nats prospect Gavin Fien -12th overall pick in 2025 MLB Draft -Demolished top prep arms in summer before senior year, posting a 1.262 OPS -Analytics people love him for his strong plate discipline and bat speedpic.twitter.com/SOKv6ECNmV
Admittedly, this is a bit of an underwhelming headliner for Gore. However, that is the reason the Nats were able to get five interesting pieces in this deal. Toboni had a choice, he could swing big for one top 50 type prospect or get a grab bag of solid pieces. He chose the latter option, and only time will tell if he is right.
Most of my trade suggestions had the Nats going after a big name headliner, but only getting one or two other pieces. Toboni decided to do something different, which is a bit of a gamble. However, it is one that could pay off in a big way.
There is a world where Fien and Fitz-Gerald are top 100 prospects. As Jeff Passan noted, evaluators loved Fitz-Gerald. He is a switch hitter with a really nice blend of contact and power. Fitz-Gerald is not much of a defender, but scouts think he could be serviceable at second base.
Alejandro Rosario is an interesting case. He was a top 100 prospect in 2024, but went down with a torn UCL in 2025, missing the whole season. However, it has been reported that he did not get his Tommy John Surgery until a couple weeks ago and will miss all of 2026 as well. A weird situation, but if the 2024 version of Rosario returns, his upside is massive.
The squatty 5’10 230 pound Abimelec Ortiz is the fourth prospect in the deal. The 23 year old slugger hit 25 homers in the minors last year and has very good bat to ball data. He should have a chance to compete for reps at 1B or DH.
Abimelec Ortiz finished 2025 with 25 HR and a 124 wRC+ across AA and AAA. In 165 PA at AAA, he put up a .953 OPS w/ a 53.8% Hard-Hit%, .377 xwOBA, & an 88.6% Z-Contact%. He's raked in his professional career & put up a 33 HR campaign back in 2023 in just 109 games. pic.twitter.com/MMPJ6zCv8X
The last piece is 20 year old outfielder Yeremy Cabrera. He is a speedster who also has some power upside. It is more of a throw in, but he is better than your average throw in.
Prospect rankings in Rangers' top 30 per MLB Pipeline/Baseball America:
Overall, the package is solid, but unexpected. It is pretty similar to the Shane Baz deal that went down between the Rays and the Orioles. The Nats needed to add more depth to their farm system and they did that here. Only time will tell if this is the right move, but I am intrigued.
Washington traded the lefty hurler to the Rangers on Thursday, according to The Post’s Jon Heyman.
The Rangers shipped minor leaguers Gavin Fien, Alejandro Rosario, Abimelec Ortiz, Devin Fitz-Gerald and Yeremy Cabrera. FanSided reported.
Fien, a prized shortstop and the first-round pick of the Rangers last year, was the franchise’s No. 2 prospect, according to MLB.com.
MacKenzie Gore traded to Rangers. Getty Images
Gore, 26, went 5-15 for the woeful Nationals last season, with a 4.17 ERA over 30 starts with 185 strikes over 159 2/3 innings. He led all Nats pitchers with a 3.0 WAR.
He now joins a rotation that includes Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi.
The Yankees were among the teams reported to be interested in Gore’s services this offseason as they prepare to open the season without aces Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Clarke Schmidt.
All three hurlers are working their way back from various injuries.
The Texas Rangers landed the most coveted arm remaining on the trade market when they acquired MacKenzie Gore from the Washington Nationals in exchange for five prospects, the clubs announced Jan. 22.
Gore, 26, earned his first All-Star nod in 2025, and while he faded a bit in the second half, still possesses one of the most dominant left-handed arms in the game. He established career highs in strikeouts (185) and strikeouts per inning (10.4) last season for Washington.
Part of the return package includes shortstop Gavin Fien, as the No. 12 overall pick in the 2025 draft joins the No. 1 overall, Eli Willits, in Washington's system.
The Rangers finished last season 81-81, their second consecutive non-winning season since taking the 2023 World Series. They traded second baseman Marcus Semien to the New York Mets, non-tendered slugger Adolis Garcia and have been relatively quiet this offseason otherwise.
Now, they can slot Gore between the right-handers Nathan Eovaldi and Jacob deGrom atop the rotation, giving them a potentially dominant starting pitching look.
That's assuming Gore, whose fastball reaches 98 mph, cleans up some of his peripherals. He posted a 1.35 WHIP last season and walked 3.6 batters per nine innings. Yet after the trade of Freddy Peralta from Milwaukee to the New York Mets Jan. 21, Gore was the clear-cut best remaining arm on the trade market - and he comes with two years of club control before becoming eligible for free agency.
Gore joined Washington as one of the centerpieces of the blockbuster 2022 deal that sent Juan Soto to San Diego. While the trade worked out splendidly for the Nationals, with Gore, shortstop CJ Abrams and slugger James Wood emerging as foundational pieces, the Nationals lost 91, 91 and 96 games in the three full seasons since that deal.
In addition to Fien, a high school draftee from Temecula, Calif., the Nationals will receive right-hander Alejandro Rosario, a 24-year-old who sat out all of last season due to Tommy John surgery. Abimelec Ortiz (Class AAA outfielder, 23), Devin Fitz-Gerald (Class A infielder, 20) and Yeremy Cabrera (Class A outfielder, 20) are also headed to Washington.
MLB Trade Rumors: The Texas Rangers have acquired starting pitcher MacKenzie Gore from the Washington Nationals, per reports. Texas is sending five prospects, including 2025 first rounder Gavin Fein.
Well, we have been saying that the Rangers needed to add another starting pitcher. It appears they have done so.
Gore, who turns 27 next month, is a lefthander who was picked third overall in the 2017 draft out of Whiteville High School in North Carolina. He was a consensus top-10 prospect heading into both 2020 and 2021, but a disappointing 2021 season that saw him start poorly at AAA, miss time due to blisters and general ineffectiveness, and ultimately make just 12 starts in affiliated ball (half of them below AAA) before struggling in three Arizona Fall League starts saw him plummet in the rankings.
He started 2022 in the minors, but ended up making 13 starts and three relief appearances in the bigs for the Padres before being traded to the Washington Nationals in the Juan Soto deal while on the injured list with elbow issues.
From 2023-25, Gore has posted a 4.15 ERA in 89 starts covering 469.1 IP, with 517 Ks against 186 walks and 62 homers. Last season he threw 159.2 innings in 30 starts, with a 4.17 ERA, a 3.74 FIP and a 4.33 xERA.
We will update as more information becomes available.
UPDATE — According to Evan Grant, along with Fein, the Nats are getting Abi Ortiz, Devin Fitz-Gerald, Alejandro Rosario, and one other prospect. The unknown prospect is not, he says, Sebastian Walcott or Caden Scarborough.
UPDATE II — The fifth prospect is reportedly Yeremy Cabrera.
Fein is the guy in the deal who you feel like could make the Rangers regret the deal.
Ortiz had a strong final couple of months of 2025, but he’s a bat-only guy who wasn’t a lock to be added to the 40 man roster this offseason. He was, of course, ultimately added, which means that Gore will replace Ortiz on the 40 man.
Rosario was a super-exciting prospect at the end of 2024, a guy who was on most top 100 lists. He then was diagnosed with a torn UCL in the spring, needed Tommy John surgery, didn’t actually have Tommy John surgery for a while, and it isn’t clear whether he actually has had it or not (ed. note — he had it on January 13, so nine days ago). He was not going to be pitching again until 2027, so you see why the Rangers would be willing to part with him, given his injury situation.
Fitz-Gerald was the Rangers’ 5th round pick in 2024. He performed well in the ACL in 2025, and earned a promotion to Hickory to finish out the season.
Cabrera was a $10,000 international signee who turned heads in 2024. He spent the 2025 season at Hickory, slashing .256/.364/.366 with 43 stolen bases.
Their ranks on the Rangers’ BA list:
Fein — #3
Fitz-Gerald — #8
Rosario — #13
Cabrera — #14
Ortiz — N/R
I will offer more extensive thoughts on Gore later on tonight.
With Opening Day here, here's the final update to the preseason Top 300. I will be continuing on with a weekly updated in-season Top 300 on Mondays. Players are ranked for 5x5 mixed leagues using a one-catcher format. I include the mixed-league disclaimer because I do reward upside, particularly past the top 200 or so.
⚾️ Coming soon: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
- Opening Night has passed, but there was still one more round of rankings tweaks to be posted. A lot of the changes are lineup related. I had high hopes Sal Stewart would eventually become the Reds' cleanup man, but I never thought it would happen in time for Opening Day. He climbs from 57th to 48th, while Eugenio Suárez falls from 99th to 136th. Oneil Cruz got a bump up to 51st with the Pirates seemingly committed to him as a leadoff man. JJ Wetherholt moves from 229th to 173rd; he'll have plenty of time to establish himself in the leadoff spot for the Cardinals with Lars Nootbaar surprisingly on the 60-day IL.
- Jackson Chourio was the final update, going from 20th to 35th with the news that he'd miss two to four weeks with a hairline fracture in his hand. That gives Garrett Mitchell more of a runway in Milwaukee after a rough spring, but Mitchell still fell a tad short of making the list. He'll be there in the first in-season update if he gets off to a nice start.
March 20 Notes
- The unfortunate Dylan Crews update.
I was, of course, very high on Crews for fantasy purposes this year, not so much because I expected him to emerge as a star (at .747, he had the second lowest projected OPS of my top 60 position players ahead of only Pete Crow Armstrong), but because I thought he'd make a run at 40 steals on a bad Nationals team. I probably should have factored into my expectations that said bad Nationals team can retain him for an extra year by keeping him in the minors for seven weeks or so. And after his demotion on Friday, it sure looks like that's what they'll do.
Crews was in the midst of a poor spring. I didn't care about that, and I don't think the Nationals really did, either. After all, the prospect likely replacing him on the roster, Christian Franklin, is hitting .241/.267/.241 with a 10/1 K/BB in 30 plate appearances. I still expect that Crews will come back and be pretty useful in mixed leagues starting in June, but even if he goes on a tear right away and the Nationals offense is as poor as seems likely, he's probably not returning until those seven weeks are up. He comes in at No. 199 for now.
- That's the day's only change to the top 300. The Twins' decision to release Liam Hendriks got Cole Sands moved up some in my projections, but not enough to crack the list. It's kind of hard to imagine a bullpen with less upside than the one Minnesota is going to running out there. Like, it's not going to be as bad as Washington's, but at least the Nationals have a couple of guys who are interesting. My favorite Twins reliever is probably Cody Laweryson, who the team DFA'd over the winter and who later wound up getting released by the Angels before making his way back to Minnesota. And he still might not make the club.
March 19 Notes
Falling off: Lars Nootbaar (285th), Zebby Matthews (295th)
- We're short on major changes this week, which is great, because major changes are usually the result of injuries. I did drop Joe Musgrove once again, though it still looks like he might return from his Tommy John setback before the end of April. Trey Yesavage fell from 50th to 62nd among starters after the Jays finally came clean about the reason they were slowplaying him this spring. Still, the shoulder impingement doesn't sound like a disaster; he was able to pitch in a minor league game earlier this week.
- Moving up on the pitching side of things was Nathan Eovaldi, who has looked strong after missing the final five weeks of last season with a shoulder injury. I've also moved Zac Gallen back into the top 300 after dropping him following his late re-signing with the Diamondbacks. Gallen has averaged 94.7 mph with his fastball in his three spring starts. He averaged 93.5 mph last year, and his career-high there is 94.1 mph from 2022. There's no guarantee the boost will stick around, but if it does, one imagines he'll bounce back in the strikeout department; he finished with a 21.5% K rate last year after never coming in below 25% previously.
- On the offensive side, I couldn't help but give Daulton Varsho another boost. I put little stock in spring numbers for veteran bats, but five homers and two strikeouts in 47 plate appearances is absurd. Chandler Simpson (up 12 spots to No. 211) and Kevin McGonigle (up 18 spots to No. 224) also climbed while getting projected for a little more playing time.
- Falling off: Sean Manaea (277th), Brandon Pfaadt (295th), Ryne Nelson (298th)
- Sorry, no notes right now. Working on my annual "undervalued players" column. Expect another update here early in the week.
March 9 Notes
- Falling off: Jurickson Profar (239th), Jordan Walker (299th), Dominic Canzone (300th)
- Aside from Profar's 162-game PED ban, it was a pretty quiet week. Profar's exit from the heart of Atlanta's lineup moved up a couple of the players who were due to hit behind him. Mike Yastrzemski still didn't crack the list, though; he's a nice player, but not one with a lot of fantasy potential.
- Hunter Greene's elbow problem has dropped him some while waiting for the official word about the source of his stiffness. He said his UCL is just fine, and if that's the case, he hopefully won't be looking at any sort of lengthy absence. He's tumbled from 49th to 74th for now.
- Pitching for his country did nothing for Carlos Estévez's velocity woes Monday, as his fastball was still down five mph from last year's norm. Maybe he gets it back, but he was far from one of my favorite relievers in the first place. He drops to No. 210 for now, and Lucas Erceg joins the top 300 at No. 282.
- Kevin McGonigle is another debut this week, as Detroit's No. 1 prospect comes in at No. 260. As of this point, I still think he's a little bit of a long shot to make the team; he'd be a defensive downgrade at short, and the Tigers entered the spring pretty well set with their 13 position players. But he might well be one of the club's better hitters already. When it comes to fantasy potential, I'm not sure he's ready to hit more than 20 homers yet, and he probably wouldn't be a big factor in steals (he was 10-for-17 stealing base in 88 minor league games last year after going 22-for-24 in A ball in 2024). He'd be a mixed-league guy playing regularly, but I don't think he'd offer top-100 potential as a rookie.
March 2 Notes
- Falling off: Pablo López (205th), Zac Gallen (244th), Jake McCarthy (297th), Max Scherzer (299th), Jac Caglianone (300th)
- This was longer between updates than I wanted to go, but things will definitely be better this month. One big change this update is that relievers have been pushed up. There's just aren't as many good bets for saves as usual this year, and the third- and fourth-tier closers are going earlier as a result. So, Kenley Jansen, for instance, jumping from No. 174 to No. 146 isn't the result of a projections change. It's just more the price that needs to be paid to get a mid-range closer.
- Many of the position player changes are a result of new lineup projections. Jo Adell was hit particularly hard there; I had him as the Angels' likely cleanup hitter entering the spring, but it's starting to look like he'll hit sixth behind Yoán Moncada and Jorge Soler. I had already dropped the Reds' Noelvi Marte some because of doubts over whether he'd continue to bat second, but now it looks like he might hit as low as eighth initially. On the other hand, Matt McLain has moved up some, since he's the likeliest choice to replace Marte.
- That Kyle Tucker is likely to bat second for the Dodgers moved him up from 13th to 10th. Fernando Tatis Jr. lost a little ground with the Padres seemingly dropping him from the leadoff spot, but not quite enough to push him below Nick Kurtz in the rankings, since there was a significant gap there initially.
- Yordan Alvarez is down a few spots because the Astros' self-inflicted logjam will put him back into the outfield at least occasionally. I was really hoping for 150 games from him as a DH this year. It's now pretty clear that neither Christian Walker nor Isaac Paredes is getting traded prior to Opening Day, so Paredes is down to No. 171 and Walker fell about 30 spots to No. 261. Paredes would be about 40 spots higher if assured regular playing time, and he really ought to be, given that he's probably Houston's second-best hitter.
- Konnor Griffin's three early homers helped get him a 20-spot bump in the rankings to No. 193, but I'm still projecting him to open up in the minors. If the Pirates announced tomorrow that he'd be their starting shortstop, I'd have him around 110th or so. He'd probably be good for 30-40 steals, but his ability to hit for average would be in some question, and while he already has above average major league power, he'll be playing half of his games in a ballpark that's as tough for right-handers to homer in as any in the league.
- The Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt is looking increasingly likely to land a starting job at second base. I'm not quite sure that would make him an asset in shallow leagues, in part because the Cardinals just don't have a very good lineup. He might make a run at 15 homers and 15 steals, but the run and RBI numbers probably won't be there, especially if he's batting in the bottom half of the order early on. He checks in at No. 264 for now.
They thought Tucker was worth that kind of investment.
“Anytime you can add a guy to your lineup that is arguably better against same-side pitching — there’s really no holes in what he does offensively. Really balanced splits, versus right, versus left, incredible decision making, really good bat-to-ball skills,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday. “Just the way that will kind of complement and help further round out our offense, something we thought that would be significant in terms of the odds increasing on our championship quest.”
Dodgers outfielders as a group in 2025 hit .240/.299/.415, with a 98 wRC+ that ranked 17th among 30 MLB teams. Tucker is a career .273/.358/.507 hitter with a 138 wRC+, and has posted a 130 wRC+ or better in each of the last five seasons. Dodgers outfielders last year totaled 4.3 fWAR as a group (Andy Pages accounted for 4.1 fWAR himself), while Tucker has tallied 4.2 fWAR or higher five years in a row, averaging 4.7.
Since the start of 2021, Tucker is one of only four major league hitters with an isolated power — slugging percentage minus batting average — .200 or above combined with a strikeout rate of 16 percent or lower, along with fellow star players Mookie Betts, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and José Ramírez.
The Dodgers in 2025 had a 21.9-percent strikeout rate as a team, 12th-lowest in the majors. Adding Tucker should help that.
But where does he fit in the Dodgers lineup? Last week, I asked this question on The Feed here at True Blue LA, and got various responses, ranging between Tucker batting as high as second or as low as fifth. But either way, he’ll be in a prime spot in a suddenly more-loaded lineup with him on board.
“I was talking with Gomer [general manager Brandon Gomes] and Andrew [Friedman] recently, and it’s just fun to think about where Kyle is going to hit in the lineup,” manager Dave Roberts said Wednesday. “He’ll be in the top third. I don’t want you guys to hold me to it right now, but [hitting] second or third seems to make sense.”
It’s still only January 22, still a month from spring training games starting and nine weeks from opening day. A lot can happen between now and then. But let’s unpack what Roberts said on Wednesday.
For the last two seasons, Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman have been the Dodgers’ big three atop the lineup. If Tucker hits second or third, one of those other three is moving. It won’t be Ohtani, who seems entrenched in the leadoff spot. Betts is coming off his worst offensive season, but the Dodgers have been loath to move him down in the lineup. It took until Game 5 of the World Series for Betts to shift down in the lineup to third, his first start outside of the top two since 2021. Betts hit third in Games 5 and 6, and hit fourth in Game 7.
Freeman in four years with the Dodgers has hit mostly second or third. He batted cleanup four times in September 2024, but those were only against left-handed pitchers to help split up the left-handed hitters in the lineup. That continued into 2025, but Freeman also hit cleanup sometimes against right-handed pitchers, and hit fourth a total of 47 times in the regular season, and batted cleanup eight times in 17 postseason games.
I think Freeman is the most likely of the Big Three to move down in the lineup. Putting Tucker second or third would mean at least two of the Dodgers’ first three hitters batting lefty, but they happen to be two of the best lefty-on-lefty hitters in the game.
Freeman hitting cleanup would mean three lefties in the first four hitters, which is generally fine, but can cause problems later in the game, either with an opposing manager bringing in a left-handed pitcher to handle a run of lefty batters or if trying to extend a southpaw starting pitcher a little bit deeper into the game. Last year the Dodgers occasionally countered the latter by inserting a right-handed batter before Freeman, usually Teoscar Hernández or Will Smith.
But whether Freeman bats fourth or fifth still highlights the depth of the Dodgers lineup now with Tucker on board. After Freeman, there will be one or both of Smith or Hernández, and that’s before considering Max Muncy, Tommy Edman, and Andy Pages.
No matter how you slice it, that’s a formidable lineup top to bottom.
NEW YORK – By agreeing with Cody Bellinger on a new contract Wednesday, the Yankees’ top offseason task was completed.
But that doesn’t end the winter work for GM Brian Cashman and company.
Three weeks away from the start of spring training, the Yankees are still exploring upgrades to the pitching staff, along with right-handed hitting depth.
And the potential for a significant trade exists, now that Bellinger is secured on a five-year, $162.5 million free agent deal that includes opt-outs after years two and three.
This is now a crowded outfield, with Bellinger in left field, Trent Grisham in center and Aaron Judge in right, which impacts the playing time of switch-hitter Jasson Dominguez and lefty-hitting prospect Spencer Jones.
Let’s examine where the Yankees might be exploring additional options for 2026:
Yankees' potential rotation targets
Current rotation: LHP Max Fried, RHP Cam Schlittler, RHP Luis Gil, RHP Will Warren, LHP Ryan Weathers.
On the injured list: RHP Gerrit Cole (June ETA), LHP Carlos Rodon (May), RHP Clarke Schmidt (September).
Current depth: RHP Paul Blackburn, LHP Ryan Yarbrough.
Summary: Several contenders, including the Yanks, had been tied to interest in Milwaukee Brewers’ right-hander Freddy Peralta, the subject of trade discussion for months.
But late Wednesday night, as first reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan, the Mets closed out a stunning deal to land Peralta, earning a relative-bargain $8 million in 2026, his free agent walk year.
Washington Nationals lefty MacKenzie Gore is under team control through the 2028 season, but he’s already set to earn $5.6 million this season with some expensive arbitration years ahead.
Meanwhile, the Cincinnati Reds have some notable starting depth including right-hander Brady Singer, though he’s earning $12.75 million in 2026, his free agent walk year.
The current Grand Canyon-sized arbitration gap between Tarik Skubal and the Tigers makes things interesting, but you’d anticipate Detroit going into 2026 with the game’s best starter and re-evaluating at the trade deadline.
Though the Yanks are questionable to add a pricey free agent starter at this point, even on a one-year deal, the versatile Nick Martinez and Cooperstown-bound veterans Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are intriguing options.
Yankees' potential bullpen targets
Current bullpen: LHPs Tim Hill, Brent Headrick; RHPs David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Fernando Cruz, Kaleb Ort, Cade Winquest.
Current depth: RHPs Jake Bird, Yerry de los Santos, Paul Blackburn; LHP Ryan Yarbrough.
Summary: St. Louis lefty JoJo Romero was linked to Yankees’ interest earlier this winter, with the re-tooling Cardinals likely to remain active on the trade front.
Entering his free agent walk year, Romero posted a 200 ERA-plus last season and is due to earn $4.26 million in 2026.
Though the Yanks aren't heavily into this free agent market, a patient strategy might get them to take an inexpensive flyer here, with some interesting names such as right-hander Michael Kopech and lefty Danny Coulombe available.
In recent years, the Yankees have been adept at making under-the-radar deals for relievers - especially power right-handers with swing-and-miss ability that have yet to reach their potential.
And if the Yanks are seeking to move payroll here in a bigger trade, Doval is making over $6 million this season.
Yankees' potential right-handed hitting targets
Current position players: 1B/C Ben Rice, 2B Jazz Chisholm Jr., 3B Ryan McMahon, IF Jose Caballero, Amed Rosario, Oswaldo Cabrera; OF Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, Cody Bellinger, Jasson Dominguez; DH/OF Giancarlo Stanton; C Austin Wells, J.C. Escarra.
On the injured list: SS Anthony Volpe (ETA May).
Current depth: IF Paul DeJong, Braden Shewmake, Jorbit Vivas; OF Seth Brown, Spencer Jones; C Ben Rice.
Summary: There's room to add a right-handed hitting first baseman, a corner outfielder and possibly a catcher (to better complement the lefty-hitting Wells).
Free agent outfielders Austin Hays and Harrison Bader could see their markets accelerating now that the major free agents are off the board and Luis Robert Jr. is a Met, traded by the White Sox this week.
Paul Goldschmidt has designs on playing in 2026 and the 2025 Yankee remains in free agency, as does veteran Rhys Hoskins, whose career since 2023 has been hampered by injuries.
With their recent free agent signing of Victor Caratini, the Minnesota Twins might have a catching surplus.
Switch-hitting former All-Star catcher Jonah Heim remains in free agency, as does catcher Gary Sanchez and outfielder Miguel Andujar (who mashes lefty pitching) though the defensive shortcomings of both ex-Yankees is notable.
At the trade deadline in 2025, the Jays traded for Shane Bieber, who hadn’t pitched in the majors to that point in 2025, coming off Tommy John surgery in 2024. The Guardians received Khal Stephens (who I mentioned was named by his Kryptonian parents).
Shane didn’t pitch for the Jays until August 22nd (my wife’s birthday). He was pretty good, in seven starts, with a 3.57 ERA, batters hit .225/.264/.417 in his 40.1 regular season innings.
The Jays picked him up, planning for the playoffs (we have very hopeful people running our team). He did work out; he made five starts and one relief appearance in the playoffs, with a 3.86 ERA. Unfortunately, what we will remember is the relief appearance (such is the life of a pitcher).
Shane had a player’s option for the 2026 season, which we were pretty sure he would decline, but he didn’t, so he is a Jay going into 2026.
There may be a reason, the team says he is dealing with ‘arm fatigue’ and may not be ready to start the season on the active roster. I’m sure I’m not the only one who reads the words arm fatigue and thinks there may be more going on than they are telling.
Bieber turns 31 in May and is 8 seasons into a very good career. He’s won a Cy Young, received votes to other seasons, got MVP votes once, made two All-Star teams and won a Gold Glove. And he also had the pitcher’s Triple Crown, leading the league in wins, ERA and strikeouts in the strike-shortened 2020 season.
He has a 66-34 record, a 3.24 ERA in 141 starts, 883.1 innings and an 18.5 bWAR. A good run in his 30s, and he would have a shot at the Hall of Fame. But then, that depends on him having good health in his 30s, and that’s the question for the team at the moment. In the Berrios post, I talked about how Berrios might not have a path to the rotation, but there are always things that happen with a pitching staff, there is never enough depth.
Shane throws five different pitches:
A Four Seamer (that averaged 92.6 mph last year).
Slider
Knuckle Curve
Change up
Cutter
Steamer figures him to make 24 starts, throw 143 innings with a 3.87 ERA.
