Category: Baseball

Good evening, folks. I hope your week has gotten off to a solid start and that this evening goes well for you, as well.

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If you’ve only been following the Major League deals Arizona Diamondbacks GM Mike Hazen has made over this offseason, you’re likely very disappointed in the lack of pitching additions via Free Agency, aside from Merrill Kelly and Taylor Clarke. However, GM Mike Hazen has actually made quite a few additions at the minor league level, and this article I’ll be going over the majority of them, while gauging their chances at cracking an MLB roster in 2026.

The Likely Five

There’s five pitchers that GM Hazen signed to minor league contracts that I think are the most likely to contribute at some point in 2026, with the major caveat of ‘if healthy’.

Jonathan Loáisiga RHP

Makakilo just did a great writeup on Loáisiga, which I suggest you go read for a much more in depth look at him. Out of all the players in this group, Loáisiga likely has the best chance at providing positive value at the MLB level in 2026.

Derek Law RHP

Law was an effective reliever from 2019 through the 2024 season, especially in 2023 when he posted a 3.60 ERA for the Reds, and even more so the following year, when he put up an even better 2.60 ERA for the Nationals. Unfortunately, Law is coming off a forearm injury that left him sidelined for all of 2025, but he hasn’t thrown an inning since the 2024 season, so how healthy and effective he can be is really in question.

Thomas Hatch RHP

Hatch was a somewhat effective reliever back in 2023, when he put up a 4.08 ERA for Toronto and Pittsburgh. Hatch would head to Japan to play for the Hiroshima Carp but it wasn’t exactly a succesful stint, considering he put up a 7.36 ERA, but his 5.65 FIP and 3.73 xFIP show that he wasn’t nearly as bad as the results indicate. He’d come back to the states last season and pitch for the Kansas City Royals, but spend the majority of his season for them playing in AAA Omaha.

In AAA, Hatch was acceptable, putting up a 4.22 ERA, 4.12 FIP, and 4.09 xFIP, but he’d allow a run to score in his only inning of work at the MLB level. The Royals would go on to designate hatch for assignment, and he’d then get claimed on waivers by the Minnesota Twins. Hatch would actually get into eleven games and 33 innings pitched for the Twins, but he’d put up a 5.82 ERA (4.81 xERA) and an even worse 6.02 FIP and 5.29 xFIP.

Shawn Dubin RHP

Shawn Dubin’s most valuable season came in 2024, when he put up a 4.17 ERA (3.98 xERA, 3.72 FIP, 4.29 xFIP) in 45.1 innings pitched in 31 games for the Houston Astros. In 2025, he wasn’t nearly as effective for the Astros; after 25.2 innings with a 5.61 ERA, which was bad enough that he’d get Designated For Assignment. The Baltimore Orioles would claim him off waivers, and he’d appear in seven games and pitch eight innings down the stretch. Dubin would have six scoreless appearances before he gave up three runs in his final outing of the season. I actually think this may be one of the more underrated signings by Hazen this offseason, especially if the Dubin of 2024 and down the stretch with Baltimore shows up in 2026

Isaiah Campbell RHP

Campbell was excellent for the Seattle Mariners in his pro debut, pitching 28.2 innings in 27 games with a 2.83 ERA. His advanced metrics weren’t nearly great, as evidenced by the 3.86 xERA, 3.32 FIP, and 4.15 xFIP. The Red Sox were particularly impressed by Campbell, who’d acquire him in the offseason for Luis Urias. The 2024 season saw Campbell beset by injuries; first a shoulder impingement in April, right elbow inflammation in September along with minor 7 day IL stints in-between the two.

He’d appear in just 6.2 innings at the MLB level with a 16.20 ERA. In 2025 Campbell spent the majority of the season in AAA, where he’d put up a 3.90 ERA in 57.2 innings. At the MLB level, he’d appear in only 7.2 innings while putting up a 7.04 ERA, 5.01 xERA, 4.83 FIP, and 4.14 xFIP. The biggest positive for his 2025 season was his velocity being not only higher than the 93.8 vFA he put up in his injury plagued 2024 season, but at 96.1 it was a full 1.1 MPH faster than where was averaging in his healthy 2023 season.

The Other Guys

Then there’s guys who have yet to make their MLB debuts, some of whom have made it as high as AAA amd some of whom have only just made it to the AA level in 2025. Of the latter group of players, unless one of them dominates the hitter friendly confines of the Texas League and Pacific Coast League in a sustained run of pitching, it’s unlikely any of them make it to the MLB level, or contributes any positive value. Gerardo Carrillo RHP, Indigo Diaz RHP, Junior Fernández RHP, are all guys that fall into this category.

Then there’s the Rule 5 guys, who although they aren’t minor league free agents, the process is basically the same as far as the AAA portion goes. The Diamondbacks didn’t select anyone in the MLB phase of the Rule 5 draft this past December, but they did take select three players in the AAA phase, two of which are pitchers, so I’ll discuss them here.

First up is RHP Sean Harney, who has had a hectic 2025 season. Originally drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 8th round of the 2022 draft out of the University of Kentucky. Harney was traded to the Mets for future considerations (international bonus pool money) in December of 2024. The Mets then traded him (again) to the Cardinals at the end of March for international bonus pool money. Finally he’d end up with the Diamondbacks a year later in the Rule 5 draft, who then assigned him to AAA Reno. Harney has only reached the AA previously, last year pitching for the Cardinals AA affiliate, he put up a 4.24 ERA in 34 IP. Considering how challenging it can be to find success pitching in the PCL for the first time, I would be shocked if Harney has enough success to earn a promotion to make his MLB debut.

The other pitcher the Dbacks took in the rule 5 draft is RHP Antonio Menendez, also out of the Tampa Bay Rays farm system, though without the St Louis Cardinals as the middle man. Menendez was extremely solid in AA in 2024, putting up a 3.14 ERA, 3.47 FIP, and 3.66 xFIP in 63 innings. In 2025 he was even better, putting up a 1.99 ERA in 22.2 IP, though his 3.45 FIP and 4.25 xFIP show that improvement may have been influenced by luck and excellent fielders behind him. Either way, he’d get a promotion to AAA and his stretch of dominance would come to an end as he’d have 8.31 ERA, 5.02 FIP, and 4.48 xFIP in 21.2 IP at that level. I could actually see Menendez finding success in 2026 in his second go around in AAA, and I think he stands a better chance to make it to the big leagues in 2026.

No one would argue the San Diego Padres’ biggest offseason need was upgrading the depth of the starting rotation. But it would not hurt to add another bat to the mix. Well, the Friar Faithful should be excited about the recent free agent signing of Miguel Andujar.

No question, the Padres have added a proven bat in Andujar. Scouts describe him as one of the top contact hitters in baseball without a natural position. His presence should provide stability at the designated hitter position or off the bench. It was something that was missing from the roster last season.

All of Andujar’s faults are fixable

Andujar is not the smoothest fielder, but he will not embarrass you if called upon to play in the field. He does have a strong, accurate arm, but poor footwork and a lack of range have made him a defensive liability.
Possibly, a change of scenery and working with a new coaching staff could unlock his potential as a defender. Spring Training provides a setting where Andujar can transform into a serviceable utility player.

The Friars are not expecting him to play the field every day, but part of his role is to give Manny Machado, Ramon Laureano, and Fernando Tatis Jr. an occasional day off. Keeping them fresh will come in handy during the grind of a major league season.

Another aspect that needs improvement is his below average baserunning skills. Andujar is labeled a station-to-station runner because he fails to get a good lead off the bag. This might be the season where he becomes more aggressive in taking an extra base to put himself in scoring position. 

Let’s not kid ourselves, Andujar is in San Diego for one reason — to hit

The right-handed hitter batted .318/.352/.470 with 10 HR and 44 RBI in 94 games with the Athletics and Cincinnati Reds last season. It was his best offensive production since his rookie season in 2018. Andujar hit .297/.328/.527 with 27 HR and 97 RBI in 149 games with the New York Yankees. 

The Friars expect his bat to shine in the bottom third of the batting order. Andujar’s power numbers will not jump out at you, but he can drive a ball into the gaps with runners in scoring position. There is room for improvement, as Andujar’s bat control is too good to not be able to provide more production at the plate. The Padres’ offense has been missing another proven bat for too long.

It is time for Andujar to outperform his career batting numbers. The Friar Faithful are hoping for his 2026 results to be promising. If so, the Padres should have a very successful season.

Matt Arnold has certainly earned the benefit of the doubt.

In his time as the Brewers’ general manager, he’s swung a few trades that have worked out swimmingly for the Brewers. One of those happens to be last offseason’s trade for Caleb Durbin, who became an integral part of a team that led the league in wins and made it to the NLCS. Last month, it seemed like he might even be the third baseman of the future. Instead, he’ll be in a Red Sox uniform on opening day.

Maybe Arnold and the Brewers front office wanted to sell high on a player who wasn’t widely seen as a long-term starter before the 2025 season. Maybe they identified red flags in his profile. Maybe they’re looking at their loaded farm system and thinking they can survive without him.

Or maybe there’s another trade coming.

Milwaukee also sent Andruw Monasterio and Anthony Seigler to Boston in the trade, so the Brewers’ entire depth chart at third base is now in Boston. After shortstop Joey Ortiz, the most experienced third baseman on the Brewers is… Andrew Vaughn.

There has to be something coming.

The return for Durbin, Monasterio, and Seigler — Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton, and Shane Drohan — could look really good in a couple of years. It doesn’t really look great right now. Harrison, a left-handed pitcher, is a former top-25 prospect and clearly the main piece in the deal. Hamilton, an infielder, had a great 2024, but he probably won’t be anything Durbin — or even Monasterio — wasn’t. He hit under .200 last year. Drohan, also a lefty, does have an intriguing profile. He’s also 27, has a career 4.29 ERA in the minors, and had a rough season last year after returning from shoulder surgery.

There has to be something coming.

Who’s going to play third base? Would the Brewers move Joey Ortiz back to third? That would mean, one way or another, that they’re confident in Jett Williams’ (who has yet to make his major league debut) ability to become an everyday contributor next year. Maybe they think Andrew Fischer and Jesus Made are closer to ready than it currently seems. Maybe Sal Frelick has secretly been taking (more) reps at third base. Maybe Ryan Braun has spent the last 20 years fielding grounders at third and is about to pull a Philip Rivers in hopes of seeking redemption. Or maybe, just maybe, there’s another move coming.

Maybe it’s a trade for Isaac Paredes. Or a trade for Alec Bohm. Maybe it’s some AAAA guy most fans haven’t heard of, and maybe that guy will end up hitting .270 and leading the league in hit by pitches.

There has to be something coming… right?

The Super Bowl always, for me, marks the transition between the end of Other Sports season and the beginning of Baseball Season. Pitchers and catchers report this week, players are already in Arizona, and it feels like we’re ready to start grinding on the 2026 season. It’s an especially exciting one, with the Mariners’ deep playoff run followed by a thrilling run by the Seahawks culminating in the highest honor in the sport.

With our minds now bending towards baseball season, what are some of the things you’ll be looking at this spring? We’ll be doing some more in-depth analysis on this later but I find it’s always helpful to crystallize what people think are the most salient issues before diving in (apparently no one cares about the battle for backup catcher as much as I do). Also, if there’s one particular hobby-horse question you’re intent on watching for this spring, do tell.

Three more days until pitchers and catchers officially report.

11 days to the first spring training game.

Happy dawning of baseball season, everyone.

The long-awaited return of baseball is almost over. This week, pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. Not many teams have as much riding on these two groups as the San Diego Padres. With the Friars’ pitchers and catchers reporting to the Peoria Sports Complex in Arizona, Wednesday, here’s what to look forward to between the two groups. 

Catchers: Who will back up Fermin?

The Padres addressed their need behind the dish with the trade deadline acquisition of Kansas City Royals backup catcher Freddy Fermin. Fermin hit respectably to start his San Diego tenure with a slash line of .244/.278/.339. That might seem low but remember the Friars’ options prior to that were even worse with Elías Díaz and Martín Maldonado. 

The question now is who Fermin’s backup will be. Two possibilities are Triple-A El Paso mainstay Luis Campusano and minor league pickup Blake Hunt.

Luis Campusano

Time is running out for Campusano. He is out of options and must make the major league roster or else he has to clear waivers to be sent back to the minors. His time in San Diego has been a strange case. A former top 50 prospect, he has struggled to produce in the majors despite the fact he raked in the minor leagues (finishing the season batting .334/.438/.586 across 466 plate appearances). His offense has not translated over, with him not recording a hit in 27 plate appearances at the big-league level. 

Adding insult to injury, his defense has never been particularly strong. Across 2023-24 he recorded a -20 defensive runs saved, ranking second worst among qualified catchers. If he can’t put it all together this season, it’s likely general manager A.J. Preller will shop him at the trade deadline.

Blake Hunt

The Padres picked up Hunt this offseason on a minor league deal. For San Diego it serves as a reunion with the former second-round pick from the 2017 draft. Hunt owns a .245/.324/.398 slash line across his eight-year career in the minors. And it’s here that Campusano has one thing over Hunt: major league playing time. Apart from one day on the Baltimore Orioles’ active roster (in which he did not record a plate appearance), Hunt has spent no time at the major league level.

Because of that, it’s likely Campusano ends up in the backup role, but it remains to be seen given his obvious struggles. It seems Campusano will be the one with the club on March 26, if only so he doesn’t have to clear waivers, but Hunt may be viewed as the more long-term option behind Fermin if Campusano’s production woes continue.

Pitchers: A duel for back-end spots… or a late acquisition?

As the Padres entered the offseason, it was glaringly apparent that the starting rotation was a major problem. In spite of that, San Diego is in a much better position now. Re-signing Michael King and adding numerous minor-league pickups has helped. The first three spots of the rotation are set with Nick Pivetta, King, and Joe Musgrove, but who will follow?

The returners

Randy Vasquez and JP Sears seem to be the favorites for the final spots, given their time in San Diego’s club. Vasquez produced fairly well across 28 games in 2025, but the underlying metrics suggest that will not continue to be the case.

Sears was part of the blockbuster deal that sent top prospect Leo De Vries to the Athletics and brought Mason Miller to the Padres. He got knocked around for 16 runs after being traded to San Diego, albeit in a smaller sample of 24.2 innings. If Sears can improve his run prevention this spring, he could earn a spot on the roster come Opening Day.

Minor league flyers

The Padres extended non-roster invites to Marco Gonzalez, Triston McKenzie and Francis Peña (among others). The three are all candidates to impact the major league roster if they prove themselves in the next month.

Of the three, McKenzie represents the greatest low-risk, high-reward option. It wasn’t long ago that he finished with a 2.94 ERA across 191 innings during his tenure with the Cleveland Guardians. If he can replicate that even a little, he’ll be well on his way to making the big-league roster.

A remaining pickup?

As always, it’s impossible to rule out a last-minute Preller addition. Whether by trade or free agency, the Friars always seem to find a way to add. Odds are high, with the Padres having checked in on a number of free agent starters as well as being linked to clubs like the New York Mets and Boston Red Sox throughout the offseason.

Whatever San Diego does, the prospect of baseball coming back this week is thrilling enough. It’s been a long (and unusually quiet) offseason for the club, and it will be exciting to see how the team performs ahead of Opening Day.

The Dodgers on Monday announced their initial set of promotions at Dodger Stadium during 2026. The list revealed so far includes 21 bobblehead giveaways, including three for Shohei Ohtani and four bobbleheads featuring notable moments from Game 7 of the World Series.

Ohtani on his six bobblehead-giveaway days at Dodger Stadium in 2024-25 had nine hits in 24 at-bats with four home runs, three stolen bases, and two walks, hitting .375/.423/.875 with nine RBI and eight runs scored. His first two bobbleheads of 2026 commemorate his Game 4 of the 2025 NLCS, during which he hit three home runs and struck out 10 in his six-plus scoreless innings en route to winning NLCS MVP.

Bobbleheads of Dodgers

• March 28 vs. Diamondbacks: Will Smith World Series Game 7 home run
• April 10 vs. Rangers: Shohei Ohtani NLCS Game 4 (batting)
• April 25 vs. Cubs: Roki Sasaki
• May 8 vs. Braves: Miguel Rojas World Series Game 7 home run
• May 9 vs. Braves: Blake Snell
• May 25 vs. Rockies: Dave Roberts
• May 27 vs. Rockies: Yoshinobu Yamamoto World Series Game 7 final out
• May 29 vs. Phillies: Alex Vesia
• May 30 vs. Phillies: Teoscar Hernández
• June 6 vs. Angels: Tyler Glasnow
• June 19 vs. Orioles: Mookie Betts World Series Game 7 final double play
• July 6 vs. Rockies: Freddie Freeman World Series Game 3 walk-off home run
• July 8 vs. Rockies: Shohei Ohtani NLCS Game 4 (pitching)
• July 29 vs. Mariners: Edwin Díaz
• July 31 vs. Red Sox: Kyle Tucker
• August 15 vs. Brewers: Reggie Smith Legends of Dodger Baseball
• August 22 vs. Pirates: Shohei Ohtani pitching
• September 5 vs. Nationals: Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitching

Bobbleheads of non-Dodgers

• May 12 vs. Giants: Ice Cube in a lowrider
• June 20 vs. Orioles: Shaquille O’Neal
• July 11 vs. Diamondbacks: LAFC soccer star Son Heung-min

Promotions worthy of back-to-back Champs. 🏆

Visit https://t.co/36IUWLzvoH to see the promotional calendar for the 2026 season! pic.twitter.com/agcIbzbtrB

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) February 9, 2026

The starters are presented in alphabetical order, and, as always, are written in a No. 2 pencil. Today we’re looking at Matthew Boyd, who had the best year of his career in 2025, throwing 179.2 innings and going 14-8 with a 3.21 ERA and 1.091 WHIP, though he did in fact look gassed during the playoffs and didn’t fare as well.

The 35-year-old lefty will venture into the 2026 season on the strength of the 2.5 bWAR (3.4 fWAR) he amassed during that previous season, where he’s likely to throw a few less innings and occupy a spot from 1-4 in the everyday rotation. To expect numbers like 2025 would be folly… but something between that and his late-teens work in Detroit would be fine. Win 10-11 games, throw 160+ innings, hurl @8 K/9, keep the team in the game.

Boyd and Taillon are probably 4-5, with Cabrera, Imanaga, Horton or some other combination of the three at the top, awaiting the return of Justin Steele. But Craig Counsell may have other ideas.

Boyd does have an option for 2027, with a $2 million buyout. Given his age and high odds of regression or injury, that’s a good deal. We’ll see if it’s time to roll the dice by season’s end. He doesn’t really have a lot of mileage on that arm and might be good for a bit.

Dodgers pitchers and catchers have their first official workout at Camelback Ranch on Friday, so let’s look at the starting rotation for Los Angeles, the team’s greatest strength.

40-man roster starting pitchers

• Yoshinobu Yamamoto
• Blake Snell
• Tyler Glasnow
• Shohei Ohtani
• Emmet Sheehan
• Roki Sasaki
• Gavin Stone
• River Ryan
• Ben Casparius
• Justin Wrobleski
• Landon Knack

Things to watch

Ohtani unleashed: For the better part of the last two seasons, Shohei Ohtani wasn’t a two-way player while recovering from a second Tommy John surgery. He returned to the mound in June, with a methodical ramp up and didn’t pitch five innings in a start until August 27. Beginning with that start, Ohtani had a 2.48 ERA in eight starts, including the postseason, with 55 strikeouts and 11 walks in 40 innings. After totaling 67 1/3 innings on the year, Ohtani will be back to full two-way status from the start of the season in 2026, the same as he was from 2021-23 with the Angels, when he averaged 25 starts and 143 innings. Expect the Dodgers to be somewhat judicious when it comes to planning out his pitching starts, including some maneuvering when possible to pitch on the day before a scheduled off day to minimize situations with next-day fatigue while batting.

“The fun part about Sho is, as long as he knows when he’s pitching, he’ll pitch whenever, if it’s six days rest, if it’s eight days rest, if it’s three days rest, he’s willing to do what it takes to help this club win ballgames,” Dodgers pitching coach Mark Prior said on the Dodgers Territory podcast last week. “We’ll just kind of plan it out and kind of go day by day like we always do, when were in these unorthodox situations where you can’t just map out the next four weeks.”

What to expect from Sasaki: Roki Sasaki last year was the most sought-after international free agent since Ohtani, but his first year fizzled with the Dodgers, thanks to an ineffective fastball and poor command. After some tweaks while sidelined on the injured list, Sasaki found some success in the bullpen down the stretch and into October. Still just 24 years old, Sasaki still has plenty of promise. But it will be interesting to see if he can find success while starting, and whether the Dodgers resist the urge to move him to the bullpen if things go awry.

Looking to October: The Dodgers managed to have their four best starting pitchers all healthy and thriving by last September, and rode them to a championship in October. The Dodgers didn’t necessarily plan it this way — there’s no real way to do such a thing — but they were extra cautious with some injured list stints. Blake Snell was down for four and a half months with shoulder inflammation. Tyler Glasnow missed just over 10 weeks with shoulder inflammation. Sasaki was on the shelf for five months. The team is willing to sacrifice some time during the regular season in service of potentially strengthening the cause in the postseason, and they have the depth to fill in the gaps. Remember, Clayton Kershaw and Dustin May were second and third in innings last regular season for the Dodgers. There will be plenty of starts to go around outside of the current top six in the rotation in 2026.

The Sheehan template: Emmet Sheehan is one of those top six starters on the depth chart, and his excellent 2025 season provides hope for a few other arms this year who are in the same boat Sheehan was last year. Coming off a hybrid Tommy John and internal brace surgery in May 2024, Sheehan had a 2.82 ERA and 3.00 xERA in his 15 games, with 89 strikeouts (a 30.6-percent strikeout rate) and 22 walks in 73 1/3 innings. That’s the best-case scenario for River Ryan and Gavin Stone, who each saw their 2024 seasons end with surgery (Tommy John for Ryan, shoulder for Stone) and did not pitch in 2025. Stone led the Dodgers in starts and innings in 2024 before the surgery, and Ryan impressed in his four starts that year but has yet to get an extended major league chance. This year could be the time.

Hybrids: Ben Casparius and Justin Wrobleski were both drafted by the Dodgers in 2021, and both have seen extended time in the majors the last season and a half. Most of the work for Casparius has been out of the bullpen, while Wrobleski has started or pitched extended relief a little more often but also worked as a short reliever when needed. Both could be in the mix for roster spots even if in the bullpen this year, but you figure both will be stretched out during spring training to at least have them available to start early on in the season if a need arises.

While we’re nearing the start of spring training, the hot stove season is still on. On Monday afternoon, the Yankees made a move, although this one can probably be described as reheating something in the microwave more than turning on the stove.

Earlier today, the Yankees picked up infielder Max Schuemann from the Athletics, sending minor-league pitcher Luis Burgos back the other way.

Schuemann has played for the A’s since 2024, having made his MLB debut in April of that year at the Oakland Coliseum. Over the last two seasons, he’s appeared in over 200 games for them, hitting .212/.306/.297 and putting up 1.9 fWAR. However, the A’s recently desginated him for assignment after making a waiver claim of their own.

Schuemann was much more of a regular in his rookie season in 2024, appearing in 133 games with 459 plate appearances. However with the emergence of A’s rookie Jacob Wilson and others, Schuemann was used way more in a utility role in 2025. As one can surmise from those overall stats, he’s not much of a hitter, although he was a bit better with regular playing time in 2024, putting up a 85 wRC+ compared to 62 last year.

The New York Yankees today announced that they have acquired infielder Max Schuemann from the Athletics in exchange for minor league right-handed pitcher Luis Burgos.

To make room on the 40-man roster, the Yankees have designated OF Yanquiel Fernández for assignment.…

— Yankees PR Dept. (@YankeesPR) February 9, 2026

As for what the Yankees expect from him, it’s probably to compete for a utility/bench spot. While the Yankees already have the likes of Oswaldo Cabrera and Jorbit Vivas who could fill that role, with Anthony Volpe out to start the 2026 season, there very well could be a bench spot to claim depending on overall roster health. At the major league level, Schuemann has played at least a couple innings at every position in the field other than pitcher, catcher, and first base. (And you can add in first base, if you count time in the minor leagues.) His defense also rates well, as he has a positive career WAR despite the career 78 wRC+. Schuemann also reportedly has all of his options, so the Yankees can stash him at Triple-A Scranton if they so choose.

To make room for Schuemann on the 40-man roster, the Yankees designated outfielder Yanquiel Fernández for assignment. The team had only acquired Fernández less than a week ago, claiming him off waivers from the Rockies.

As for who the Yankees sent the other way in the deal, Burgos is a 20-year-old pitcher with a career 3.39 ERA in 79.2 minor league innings. That being said, none of the innings have come at a level higher than the Dominican Summer League as of yet.

A good chunk of the Yankees’ roster is already in place as we head towards spring training, but the team is still tinkering with the edges as we inch our way there.

The Yankees acquired infielder Max Schuemann in a trade with the Athletics on Monday afternoon to add to their infield depth. New York is sending minor-league RHP Luis Burgos to the A's to close out the deal.

Schuemann played in 101 games for the Athletics in 2025 and slashed .197/.295/.273 with two home runs and 13 RBI in 183 at-bats while adding seven steals in eight attempts. It was a slight drop-off for the 28-year-old who made his MLB debut in 2024 and hit .220 with seven home runs and 34 RBI in 396 at-bats across 133 games.

The Michigan native adds versatility all across the field for the Yanks after playing six different positions for the A's in his career. Last season, Schuemann saw time at second base (39 games), third base (27 games), shortstop (24 games), left field (seven games), center field (four games) and right field (two games).

To make room for Schuemann on the 40-man roster, New York DFA'd OF Yanquiel Fernandez.

In separate moves, the Yankees outrighted RHP Dom Hamel and INF Braden Shewmake off the major league roster and onto Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre's roster. Both have been invited to major league spring training as non-roster invitees.

The Red Sox acquisition of 3B Caleb Durbin will leave their fans wanting, but it essentially takes a trade partner off the board for the Astros.Did it also add a new one?

With the big news coming down today that the Boston Red Sox have acquired 3B Caleb Durbin in a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers, it removed Boston as a potential trade destination for the Astros as they seek to clear the logjam in the infield. Maybe it opened another door for a new team?

The Brewers now find themselves in need of a third baseman, and they were already looking to get more power in their lineup.

Paredes is under control for the next two season and his cost is already determined, something the cost-conscious Brewers appreciate. The Brewers are also 20th in MLB in Tax Payroll at just over $127M per Spotrac, that’s about $16.5M LESS than what their Tax Payroll was in 2025. This is important at it shows absorbing Paredes’ contract is not outside their proven threshold to spend.

Potential Trade Scenario:

Astros send: 3B Isaac Paredes

Brewers send : CF Garrett Mitchell, LHP J.D. Thompson

In this trade, the Astros get a lefty handed hitting CF who is above average defensively, and graded out 89th percentile in arm strength (90 MPH) and 87th percentile in sprint speed (29 ft/sec).

Mitchell struggled at the plate last season in a very small sample size (68 AB) due to an oblique injury and then injured his shoulder during rehab, had surgery, and missed the remainder of the season.

Prior to that, he had his most playing time in 2024, where he had 8 HR 21 RBI 11SB in 196 AB while batting .255 with a .342 OBP and .812 OPS. While his career batting averages vs. both RHP and LHP are similar, he delivers all of his power vs. RHP, which is exactly what the Astros are seeking.

Mitchell’s addition would also allow the Astros to be more comfortable as they break Cam Smith in to be able to also play CF as a backup, while continuing his strong and improving defensive play in RF. It would also give the Astros legit power from the left side against RHP since the infield is exclusively right handed, with Sanchez, Mitchell, and Cole in the OF and Yordan DH – creating a balanced lineup.

Thompson is a 22-year old LHP selected in the 2nd round of the 2025 draft. While his fastball generally sits 91-93, he does top out at 95, and was near the top of the list in college baseball as far as getting batters to chase and generating swings and misses.

He also throws a sweeper (primarily to lefties), curve and change. He could project as a mid-rotation starter if he continues to develop his secondary pitches and continues success with fastball.

Paredes would give the Brewers the right-handed power they crave at a position they don’t currently have an answer for at the moment. American Family Field (the Brewers’ home park) is very friendly to right-handed pull hitters with power. Paredes would likely see an increase in power production moving from Daikin Park to American Family Field, according to advanced metrics.

For the Astros, this works on several levels:

• They clear the infield log jam
• They get a LH hitting OF
• They pare down payroll by almost $8M
• They get a lefty SP prospect

Now this is not a report of the teams talking, it is simply a look at two teams who have needs that match up via trade.

It does seem to be a potential fit for both teams.

It’s that time of the year! As the spring semester starts kicking into full gear for students, the baseball programs around the Mountain West will be competing on the diamond once again. And now, we here at Mountain West Connection will begin full-season coverage of the spring spectacle, starting with our first official power rankings of the season.

This season is filled with storylines. Will Fresno State and Nevada be able to defend their conference tournament and regular season titles respectively? Can schools like New Mexico and UNLV contend for those titles again and possibly get over the hump? Can San Jose State, who made the tournament championship game with a losing regular season record, get back to how they ended last season? How will the newly-added Grand Canyon University, a program with a history of winning seasons, fare in the mix?

All of this and more will be answered in due time. While we wait, here’s the first iteration of the Mountain West Connection baseball power rankings.

1. Nevada

Coming off a 34-23 and 19-11 MW record, including the regular season conference title, the Wolf Pack comes in as our No. 1 team in the conference. Nevada returns seven starters, including five players who were picked for the all-conference team (LHP Alessandro Castro, 3B Sean Yamaguchi, C Jake Harvey, 1B/RHP Jayce Dobie and 2B/SS Junhyuk Kwon).

The biggest difference for Nevada will be who’s at the helm, as Jordan Getzelman, who’s been the team’s hitting coach for the last four seasons, was promoted to manager for the 2026 season. Former manager Jake McKinley took an MLB job with the Seattle Mariners, letting Nevada go with the in-house option.

Kwon and Yamaguchi should lead the way with offensive production in many different ways. They were able to bring in OF Sam Kane from Seattle to likely play center field for them and provide solid defense and offensive versatility.

Nevada’s biggest potential weakness is the pitching staff. Castro is the only weekend starter returning for the Pack. The Miami Marlins drafted ace Peyton Fosher, who was the main Friday guy for Nevada last year. Transfers Jordan Giacomini and Aidan Brainard are two options to fill those holes, as well as Dobie and Dominic Desch.

2. Fresno State

The Bulldogs are coming off a 2025 Mountain West Tournament Championship run that included a trip to the NCAA Los Angeles Regional.  It was a big offensive year, as they hit above .300 as a team and recorded 72 home runs in 2025. The pitching side was equally impressive, as they were ranked 2nd in both ERA and H/9.

With such a successful season, it usually means a lot of players are going to leave. Pitchers Jack Anker and Aidan Cremarosa, 3B Murf Gray and C Justin Stransky were all drafted and signed to MLB organizations at the season’s end.

They return starter Tyler Patrick, who is expected to deliver another solid season on the mound. Patrick logged 38 innings with a 4.26 ERA last year while working primarily as a spot starter, and he’s poised to take on a larger role in 2026 after the rotation took multiple losses in the draft. The Bulldogs also bring back a strong core of everyday bats, including 1B Cayden Munster, 2B Owen Faust, SS Lee Trevino, OF Cam Schneider, OF Sky Collins, and DH Griffen Sotomayor. Ultimately, their ceiling will depend on how well the pitching staff comes together, but the offense should once again be a major strength.

3. New Mexico

New Mexico closed the regular season with the third-best conference record in the Mountain West before entering the league tournament, but their postseason run was cut short by a red-hot San José State squad in the opening round. The Lobos were an offensive juggernaut last season, leading the conference in batting average and home runs while posting a staggering .999 team OPS. Pitching, however, told a very different story, as New Mexico finished with the worst team ERA in the Mountain West.

The biggest departure is DH Jordy Oriach, who transferred to Georgia and could very well emerge as an everyday contributor there. On the mound, the Lobos return Ryan Castillo to the starting rotation. While his numbers in 2025 weren’t what you typically expect from a front-line starter, he did show improvement from his 2024 campaign and provides much-needed continuity for a staff searching for stability in 2026.

Offensively, despite key losses, New Mexico should remain productive. They return catchers Brodey Williams and Caleb Herd, along with 2B Luke Mansy, 3B Akili Carris, SS Karsen Waslefsky, and add power bat Damian Garcia from Texas Southern to help offset some of the departed production. As was the case a year ago, much of New Mexico’s success will hinge on its pitching staff, but the Lobos should once again be able to swing it with the best offenses in the Mountain West in 2026.

4. San Diego State

The 2025 season didn’t unfold the way San Diego State had hoped, as the Aztecs finished 20–39 overall, yet they still secured the fifth seed in the Mountain West Tournament. SDSU showed flashes in the postseason, shutting out UNLV before falling to top-seeded Nevada and then dropping a one-run game to San José State. Offensively, the Aztecs weren’t a major threat, but they landed squarely in the middle of the conference in most pitching metrics.

The offseason brought significant roster turnover, highlighted by the departures of 3B Daniel Arambula, SS Finley Bates, 2B Nevan Noonan, and pitcher Marko Sipila to power conference programs, along with several additional transfers. The pitching staff also lost Xavier Cardenas, who was selected in the 17th round of the MLB Draft by the Miami Marlins. As a result, San Diego State will field a largely new-look roster, particularly on the offensive side.

The Aztecs add a trio of Oregon State transfers in SS Jabin Trosky, OF Levi Jones, and 1B Tyce Peterson, all of whom will compete for immediate playing time, along with OF Adam Magpoc from Boston College, who should factor into the lineup early. On the mound, returning arms Garvey Rumary, Evan Miranda, Aidan Russell and Connor Shaw are expected to battle for spots in the starting rotation.

Another major change comes at the top, with Kevin Vance taking over as head coach. Vance brings Omaha experience from his time as an assistant at Arizona and is widely regarded as one of the premier pitching minds in college baseball. With new leadership and an influx of fresh talent, San Diego State has the opportunity to emerge as a dangerous contender in what appears to be a wide-open Mountain West race.

5. UNLV

UNLV opened the 2025 season on a strong note, notching early wins over Indiana and Cincinnati, both ranked at the time, and later adding an impressive nonconference victory against Arizona State. The Rebels’ momentum, however, stalled in the Mountain West Tournament, where they were shut out by San Diego State to close out their season. Offensively, UNLV was a fairly balanced group, but the pitching staff carried the load, finishing with the lowest team ERA and H/9 in the conference.

The offseason brought notable roster turnover, particularly on the mound, with pitchers Alex Overbay and LJ Mercurius transferring to Arizona State and Oklahoma, respectively. The Rebels also lost key offensive pieces, as DH Cole Koniarsky departed for Georgia and OF Dean Toigo transferred to Arizona State. Despite those losses, UNLV retained Carson Lane, who appears poised for a breakout year after a strong sophomore campaign that saw him log 78 innings with a 4.23 ERA and 85 strikeouts.

UNLV will have several options to round out the rotation, with Reese Lueck and Cody Albright emerging as early contenders for starting roles. Offensively, there are significant gaps to fill, but the additions of OF Reggie Bussey from Ohio State and Drew Barragan from Western Kentucky should help offset some of the lost production. With proven pitching depth and new bats stepping into larger roles, the Rebels look capable of remaining a factor in the Mountain West and will have an opportunity to showcase their resilience in 2026.

6. GCU

The Mountain West welcomes a new member in 2026, as Grand Canyon joins the conference after making the move from the WAC. The Antelopes finished the 2025 season with a 31–27 record before their run ended in the WAC Tournament. Offensively, GCU hit .300 as a team, though the power output wasn’t quite enough to match the top offenses in the league. On the mound, the Antelopes graded out as a middle-of-the-pack staff across most statistical categories.

The offseason brought significant turnover, including the departures of 1B Zach Yorke to LSU, pitcher Walter Quinn to TCU, and pitcher Connor Mattison to Kentucky. Grand Canyon also saw several players selected in the MLB Draft, including pitchers Isaac Lyon and Grant Richardson, shortstop Emilio Barreras and outfielder Josh Wakefield.

To help offset those losses, GCU adds pitching reinforcements Nicholas Rabb from UT Arlington and Jacob Limas from UTRGV, both of whom should compete for spots in the starting rotation. The Antelopes also bring in 3B Vincent Bianchina from Northwestern and OF Griffin Cameron from Kentucky, each expected to push for significant playing time in 2026.

The strength of this team should once again be its pitching, led by Garrett Ahern and Chance Key, who combined for 128 innings last season and are poised to anchor the staff while consistently working deep into games. Offensively, Grand Canyon returns starters C Marcus Galvan, 2B Troy Sanders, OF Carson Ohland and DH Cannon Peery, who will headline the lineup alongside the incoming transfers.

It’s hard to evaluate newcomers into preseason rankings, and although the Mountain West voted GCU pretty high, the Antelopes will have to be a prove-it team for us.

7. San Jose State

San José State turned heads last season, not so much during the regular season, but with an impressive run through the Mountain West Tournament. The Spartans knocked off New Mexico, San Diego State and top-seeded Nevada in an extra-innings thriller before ultimately falling to Fresno State in the conference championship game. Their postseason success was driven largely by pitching, as they finished with the fourth-best team ERA and the third-lowest hits allowed per nine innings in the conference.

There’s reason to believe that strength will carry over into 2026. San José State returns a deep mix of arms and newcomers, headlined by Tyler Albanese. After working primarily out of the bullpen last season, Albanese logged 39 innings with a sub-3.00 ERA and an impressive 32 percent strikeout rate. He’s expected to transition into a starting role and has the potential to emerge as the leader of the rotation.

Offensively, the Spartans will lean heavily on returning contributors, particularly corner outfielders Jake McCoy and Alex Fernandes, who bring back much of the team’s proven production. Additional returners expected to play key roles include 1B Drew Giannini, 3B JC Osocio-Agard, SS Rocco Caballero and DH Neil Jansen.

With the sheer volume of pitching options available, San José State should again be able to control games on the mound. The primary question remains on the offensive side. The Spartans were another team that was tough to rank, as we feel they could’ve been as high as top four-five, but we’ll have to see if the late-season momentum will carry into a new season.

8. Washington State

Washington State will be looking to turn the page quickly after a difficult 2025 campaign that saw the Cougars finish with the worst overall and conference record in the Mountain West. Among the notable departures are outfielder Logan Johnstone, who will suit up for Vanderbilt this season, and starting catcher Will Cresswell, who was selected in the 18th round of the MLB Draft by the Toronto Blue Jays.

Offensively, Washington State was fairly average a year ago, but the pitching staff struggled to find consistency and ultimately held the team back. In an effort to stabilize the rotation, the Cougars return familiar arms in Griffin Smith and Nick Lewis, both of whom should provide experience and continuity on the mound.

The lineup also brings back a solid core of contributors, including 1B Ryan Skjonsby, 2B Ollie Obenour and Luke Thiele, 3B Kyler Northrop, SS Gavin Roy and OF Max Hartman. With a year of experience together and several key pieces returning, Washington State appears positioned to take a step forward in 2026, but may struggle to keep up with the rest of the conference.

9. Air Force

Air Force fell short of expectations in 2025, finishing 20–34 overall with a 12–18 record in Mountain West play. The Falcons ended the season next to last in the conference standings and did not qualify for the Mountain West Tournament. Offensively, they hovered around the middle of the league, but pitching proved to be a major issue, as Air Force posted the second-highest team ERA and tied for the most hits allowed per nine innings.

As a service academy, Air Force was inactive in the transfer portal, emphasizing internal development. That may work in their favor, as the Falcons fielded one of the youngest rosters in the conference last season and return all eligible players. The pitching staff should take a step forward, led by Ethan Dillinger, who logged 37 innings in 2025. While he took his share of contact, he showed an ability to limit damage and avoid free passes. Returning starter Cranz Smelcer also figures into the rotation after a challenging freshman season, and with a year of experience under his belt, he should provide improved consistency this spring.

At the plate, Air Force brings back key contributors in catcher Walker Zapp and second baseman Ben Niednagel, along with 1B Luke Elmore, 2B TJ Oster, OF Christian Taylor and DH Tripp Garrish. With a full year of experience together and a more mature roster, the Falcons should show natural improvement in 2026, even without outside additions.

The Detroit Tigers will see pitchers and catchers reporting on Wednesday this week, with the first full squad workout set for Sunday, February 15. Currently, the club has 15 pitchers slated to participate who lack a 40-man roster spot and no longer have prospect eligibility. The group is a mix of veteran arms and former prospects, including several Tigers prospects who have just aged out of that status without breaking through at the big league level. The number of reinforcements the club has added in free agency this offseason will make it harder for any of these pitchers to break through and win a spot on the Opening Day roster, but hopefully one or two of them will stick around and contribute along the way in 2026.

Last year’s group included left-handers Dietrich Enns and Matt Gage, who both pitched briefly with the Tigers during the season before getting DFA’d and ultimately going on to decent success elsewhere. Others, like former prospects Wilmer Flores and Brendan White, got injured and left behind, while long-time starting prospect Wilkel Hernandez spent the year at the Triple-A level and never broke through and is no longer in the organization.

You get the drift. Occasionally there’s a real surprise, but most of these guys are former prospects whose expiration date is close, or pitchers who have had some success in the major leagues but are running out of time to get back.

The Tigers pitching staff certainly looks a lot more robust this time around. Instead of Alex Cobb, Tommy Kahnle, whatever Kenta Maeda had left, which proved to be very little, and small deals to RHP John Brebbia and LHP Andrew Chafin, this time around they’ve added Framber Valdez, Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, and one of the top returning KBO arms in free agent RHP Drew Anderson. Quite a difference.

A starting rotation of Tarik Skubal, Framber Valdez, Reese Olson, Jack Flaherty, and Casey Mize is one of the best in baseball. In terms of depth, they’ve got Troy Melton, Anderson, Keider Montero, and Sawyer Gipson-Long to lean on as needed. A veteran minor leaguer like Troy Watson might be able to pitch in, and the Tigers can of course flex left-handers Tyler Holton or Brant Hurter into a starting role in a pinch. That’s pretty good depth to start with, although rumors of Olson still dealing with shoulder trouble could thin that out somewhat.

On the other hand, things are a lot thinner in terms of actual prospect help. There really isn’t a guy who looks primed to break in as a bona fide starter with mid-rotation upside in the upper minors.

LHP Jake Miller is the most advanced of the bunch, but his own injury ridden 2025 season resulted in offseason surgery to repair both labrums in his hips. What started as back trouble and rumors of a shoulder strain last summer, was finally sourced to the hip issues. He’s still rehabbing and may not get back on the mound until the end of camp or in April. A really advanced strike thrower with a solid three pitch mix, we’ll have to wait and see how his recovery goes to forecast whether he’ll be much help this year.

Beyond him, it’s basically LHP Andrew Sears and RHP Hamm. Sears didn’t get an invite to camp but will no doubt pitch some on the major league side. He has strong swingman vibes and might help out a bit this season. Hamm isn’t on the 40-man roster yet either, but if he’s healthy and gets his velocity back, he could contribute at some point as well.

None of this is particularly encouraging compared to Jobe, but pitchers, especially young pitchers, tend to have wild swings from year to year particularly when there are injuries involved. Perhaps someone will finally get dialed in and surprise us. Just don’t count on it.

The Tigers really struggled to find bullpen support last year, but the first two seasons of Scott Harris’ tenure were better in that regard. So perhaps they’ll bounce back in this regard. Leading with Will Vest, Kenley Jansen, and Kyle Finnegan, with Troy Melton and Keider Montero potentially in the mix, with Holton and Hurter working as the flexible lefties, gives them a lot more to work with than they had last year.

The group of non-roster invitees is also, by definition, not inspiring either. If any of these guys threw 100 mph and had an incredible breaking ball, they wouldn’t be accepting minor league offers with camp invites. However, they do actually have some quality arms this year who could contribute out of the bullpen along the way in case of injuries. There just isn’t a whole lot of high potential stuff here beyond some former prospects who re-signed on minor league deals this offseason.

If you want my five names to watch, I’ll go with Cole Waites, Dugan Darnell, Tyler Mattison, Tanner Rainey, and Tyler Owens, and maybe you can add Jack Little to that list. Let’s just run through them quickly.

RHP Phil Bickford

This 30-year-old right hander had some success with the Dodgers a few years back but fell on hard times with injuries and shaky control undercutting his performance. He spent 2025 in Triple-A with the Cubs and the Phillies, showing flashes of his old strikeout touch but still hasn’t recaptured his previous mid-90’s velocity. Bickford gets good extension to the plate, and a solid slider, but unless he gets those extra ticks of gas back on the fourseamer and shows he can control it better, this is just a short-lived spring training project.

RHP Dugan Darnell

This 28-year-old out of Northville High School could be the local guy makes good story of spring camp. Darnell has a good splitter to go with a solid fastball-slider combo. He’s been in the Colorado Rockies system for years, so he’s getting a coaching upgrade in Detroit. His strikeout rates were really good in the minors, but his brief major league debut for the Rockies was a bit ugly and he was quickly laid low by a hip injury. You may notice a theme developing when I mention his above average extension. His fastball averaged 94 mph but he gets some ride on it and touched as high as 98.5 mph on one heater early last season. If the Tigers can tune the movement up and Dugan is healthy, there’s a little more in the tank there. Still, the splitter is the key pitch for him. The Tigers have some solid raw material in Darnell to work with.

RHP Scott Effross

32-year-old Scott Effross is this spring’s sidearmer de jeur. His fastball is just 89-90 mph, and he doesn’t have the lethal slider of the best of this type. Effross controls contact against right-handed hitters in particular, and he throws strikes. Still there isn’t a lot here to suggest he’s anymore than a Triple-A caliber reliever. He did pitch for the Yankees briefly in 2025, but only when they were really desperate for some help at the end of their bullpen.

LHP Sean Guenther

You’ll of course remember the 30-year-old Guenther from the bit of help he gave the Tigers bullpen in 2024. He’s still a low velo guy with a solid splitter who can induce weak contact from either side of the plate. There just isn’t anymore meat on the bone. In 2024 he briefly showed the best command of his career and reached the bigs but that precision fastball command didn’t last very long. He had some injury issues last year and never really got it going at all, but it wouldn’t be a shock to see him throw a few innings in a pinch for the Tigers this season.

LHP Enmanuel De Jesus

This 29-year-old lefty pitched in the KBO the past two seasons to decent success. He was originally a starter in the Boston Red Sox system, and had a cup of coffee with the Marlins in 2023 before heading overseas. With a 92-93 mph fourseamer and sinker, and an average slider-changeup combo, he’s a short-arm southpaw with some deception and feel for pitching, but nothing in his repertoire really stands out. His control improved a little in Korea with the KT Wiz, but he still profiles as a Triple-A lefty starter who might get a bit of work as a swingman or to spell a short injury to Hurter or Holton if someone like Andrew Sears or eventually Jake Miller isn’t ready.

RHP Jack Little

Little must have a little something the Tigers like, as they claimed him from the Pirates early in the offseason, then DFA’d him, and then re-signed him to a minor league deal. A minor Dodgers prospect for years, Little sits around 94 mph with a solid slider-splitter combination but has never been much of a strikeout artist. He does have pretty good command of his three pitch mix and manages to suppress home runs despite extreme fly ball rates. Other than some bursts of 96 mph velo last year, there isn’t really anything that stands out to me here other than that he has a splitter and shuts down right-handed hitters well. Unless the Tigers unlock something new with him, he just looks like a solid depth reliever who will make Triple-A Toledo manager Gabe Alvarez’s life a little easier.

RHP Tyler Mattison

Mattison is a former Tigers relief prospect who was returning from Tommy John in 2025 but didn’t get very far. Armed with a good riding overhand fourseamer, a wipeout breaking ball, and a pretty good changeup, Mattison has at times done a decent Trey Yesavage impression as a minor league reliever and collected tons of whiffs. As a result, he was regularly atop the list as the Tigers’ best relief prospect circa 2023-2024. Unfortunately he’s rarely been able to command everything consistently. His 2024 surgery was a success, and his velocity appears intact, but whether he can finally locate everything consistently is a wide open question.

RHP Tyler Owens

Owens is in a similar bucket with Mattison. The Tigers acquired him in the Carson Kelly trade back in July of 2024. The right-hander is another with a pretty high arm slot that produces a riding fourseamer in the 94-95 mph range, and has shown sustained bursts of 96-97 mph heat at his best. He gets whiffs up in the zone, but his slider is fairly average and doesn’t pair quite as well as you’d like with the fastball. Owens has worked on developing a splitter with the Tigers, and it really would suit his arm slot and fastball type really well if he can refine that pitch.

After briefly showing out in spring camp last year, it never came together for Owens during the season for any significant length of time. He then dealt with a hip injury in late July that ended his season, though he did get a brief cup of coffee with the Tigers along the way. If he’s healthy, the stuff is good enough to function as a depth reliever. He’s just never been able to repeat his delivery consistently enough to put the whole package together. Still, he only just turned 25, and he’ll get another crack at commanding everything more effectively this spring.

RHP Tanner Rainey

Rainey is a reasonably hard-throwing right-hander who had some solid seasons in the Washington Nationals in his mid-to-late 20’s, but has been in the wilderness for a few years now. He still sits 96 mph and will hit 98 with his fourseamer, but it’s his power slider that will keep getting him opportunities to revitalize his career a little longer. He’s never been able to limit the walks enough to really be effective for long, but the one silver lining is that he spent most of his career with the Nationals, one of the worst teams in baseball at developing pitchers. If the Tigers can get him on target more often he might be effective, but he’s 32 years old now and the odds are slim.

LHP Bryan Sammons

Here’s another somewhat familiar face. The 30-year-old lefty has been bouncing around the league for years as a decent depth starter you don’t mind having at the Triple-A level. He tossed 27 1/3 very mediocre innings for the Tigers in 2024. He’s just never been able to unlock that one upgrade to get more whiffs and make him viable as a long reliever-swingman type of lefty. He mixes his 91 mph fourseamer and his cutter well enough to get outs, and he throws strikes, but there just isn’t a good enough breaking ball or changeup here to make him a major league option except in a pinch.

RHP Matt Seelinger

Now 30 years old, Seelinger has always racked up a ton of whiffs with his cutter and knuckle curve combination. His 92-93 mph fourseamer is just too fringy to succeed at the major league level without really good command, and he’s always fallen a bit short in that regard. Seelinger gets a ton of fly balls and lots of weak contact in the air, and both secondary pitches will whiff Triple-A hitters are nearly 50 percent rates. So there’s some things to like here, but he’s just a bad fastball guy who hasn’t found a way around that issue to enough of a degree to let the cutter and knuckle curve play in the majors. Still, he’s hell on right-handed hitters, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see him have some modest success in the Tigers bullpen by leaning into his two best pitches. As relief depth, he’s not a bad option to keep around.

RHP Burch Smith

This 35-year-old right hander had some success with the Oakland A’s back in 2020-2021, but has never quite been able to recapture it after years of injuries and ineffectiveness. He’s been all over, pitching in the NPB and KBO for a season apiece, and then putting up decent results for the Marlins and the Orioles in 2024. Smith features a riding 95 mph fourseamer that gets a lot of weak contact, but it’s not quite the type of high IVB monster that draws a ton of whiffs. He backs it mainly with a decent cutter-slider combination, but both are fringy pitches that really only work well when he’s commanding the whole package. He usually does keep the walk rates low, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he were called on in a pinch sometime this season if he sticks at Triple-A after spring camp. There just isn’t any upside beyond that.

RHP Ricky Vanasco

The Tigers can’t quite quit on Ricky Vanasco. Now 27 years old, Vanasco has spent parts of the last two seasons with the Toledo Mud Hens. He racks up a good volume of strikeouts, but is persistently wild as well. His fourseam fastball sits around 95 mph with above average extension and pretty good vertical movement. A power curveball at 83-84 mph draws a good amount of whiffs and is his main secondary pitch. If Vanasco could command the fastball consistently, he’s got enough stuff to function as a lower tier setup man, but he continues to be wild from time to time, and rarely is really locked in and locating the fastball that well.

RHP Cole Waites

Waites came up in the Giants system and is no doubt well known to Scott Harris as a result. The right-hander sat 96 mph with plus extension and could touch triple digits with a true double plus fourseamer in those days, backing it with a pretty average slider. He racked up great strikeout numbers moving through the Giants system, but his control started to fail him in 2023 and he eventually needed Tommy John surgery late in the year that cost him all of 2024 and much of 2025. He returned last season but was really just getting his feet wet after almost two full years on the shelf. The excellent IVB numbers say the heater will still draw plenty of whiffs, but we’ll have to see if he’s got the velocity all the way back this spring or not. Waites certainly qualifies as one of the highest ceilings in this group, and possibly Harris’ Giants ties will pay a little dividend here is he’s finally back to full strength.

RHP Troy Watson

The 28-year-old Watson has been in Toledo parts of the last two seasons and done a pretty nice job in a starting role. His cutter, slider, and changeup will all get some whiffs for him, and Watson throws strikes. He’s a classic problem fastball guy, where he has the velocity, sitting 94-95 mph with a little extra in the tank, but the fourseam shape just doesn’t have any particular standout traits. It’s not really bad, just mediocre. When he’s commanding it well, he can look really good, set hitters up consistently, and handle either-handed hitters. When he’s leaving too many over the middle of the plate, it gets whacked. Watson isn’t a bad option as an emergency starter, but unless they can tune up the fastball a little more he’s always going to be too vulnerable for regular MLB starting work. As a relief option, he could throw his secondaries more and be an effective middle reliever, but he has to command everything more consistently.

Welcome to the first game week of the season for Tennessee baseball. The Volunteers will open the Josh Elander era this weekend with a three-game series against Nicholls, and we now know who the three starting pitchers will be. Elander named Tegan Kuhns, Landon Mack and Evan Blanco as his top three to begin the season while speaking to the media on Monday.

“We’ll roll with Tegan Kuhns on Friday,” Elander said. “We’ll go Landon Mack on Saturday, and then Evan Blanco on Sunday. Think that puts us in the best position to have success out of the gate. I think you can make the argument where you can mix and match those guys in any capacity, but it was pretty cool. Got to call those guys one by one last night and let them know. But total confidence in all three of those guys and their ability to throw the baseball.”

Kuhns, a former big-time recruit, was in Tennessee’s rotation last season. The right-hander started ten total games for the Vols, going 2-4 with a 5.40 ERA. He finished the season with 40 strikeouts over 36 innings pitched.

Mack comes in from Rutgers, giving Tennessee another prized transfer portal addition. As a true freshman last season, Mack went 6-5 with a 4.03 ERA. He finished the season with 70 strikeouts against only 17 walks.

Blanco transfers in from Virginia to round out the rotation. The only lefty starter for Tennessee, Blanco comes in with 26 career starts under his belt. He had a 4.17 ERA for the Cavaliers, going 12-8 over the past three seasons.

“Landon, I think again, when I think of him there’s some Chase Dollander in there,” Elander said of Mack. “Just even some similarities in the delivery, but the compete factor is about as good as it gets. And the stuff is, it’s just gross to be honest. It’s really good stuff. It’s a real heater. Two breaking balls, a change that he’s made some adjustments with.

“And then Blanco, just maturity. It’s just again, you know what you’re going to get. It’s a very comforting feeling as a coach. He had, arguably, numbers wise, the best fall of any pitcher we had on the staff. But again, can really ride the heater, good separation on the change up. Has thrown in Omaha, has been in a lot of different roles.”

Elander also noted that left-hander Brandon Arvidson was “a little bit behind.” That’s another starter option for Tennessee, perhaps a bit down the road.