Just over a month ago, Dave Dombrowski sat in the media room at Citizens Bank Park across from reporters following the Phillies’ fourth straight postseason exit.
The president of baseball operations kept things honest — maybe a little too honest.
Arguably the biggest takeaway from his 54-minute end-of-season press conference was about Bryce Harper. Dombrowski was blunt about the two-time MVP’s 2025 campaign and his outlook moving forward.
“He’s still an All-Star-caliber player. He didn’t have an elite season like he has had in the past. And I guess we only find out if he becomes elite or he continues to be good,” he said. “Can he rise to the next level again? I don’t really know that answer. He’s the one that will dictate that more than anything else.”
Dombrowski continued: “I don’t think he’s content with the year that he had. And again, it wasn’t a bad year. But when you think of Bryce Harper, you think of elite, right? You think of one of the top 10 players in baseball, and I don’t think it fit into that category.”
In 2025, the 32-year-old Harper slashed .261/.357/.487 with 27 home runs and 75 RBIs. His .844 OPS was his lowest in a season since joining the Phillies and his lowest overall since his age-23 year in 2016. He also played through nagging injuries.
He spent just over three weeks on the injured list in June with right wrist inflammation — an issue he’d felt earlier in the season.
A week after the press conference, with Harper trade chatter swirling, Dombrowski went on Foul Territory and tried to pull things back.
"I've been reading that the Phillies may trade Bryce Harper. That couldn't be further from the truth."
Dave Dombrowski says Bryce Harper is an elite talent, and his comments weren't meant to be criticism. pic.twitter.com/HMJY6TjPsv
“First of all, to me, Bryce Harper is one of the best players in the game of baseball,” Dombrowski said. “Now I’ve been reading that, oh, the Phillies may trade Bryce Harper. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We love him.”
Still, Harper didn’t take Dombrowski’s initial comments lightly. In an interview with Matt Gelb of The Athletic, he said, “I have given my all to Philly from the start. Now there is trade talk? I made every effort to avoid this … It makes me feel uncomfortable.” He later added, “It’s disappointing to hear me being questioned about my contribution to the team. Just really hurt by that notion because I love Philly so much.”
Harper, who has no opt-out and a full no-trade clause, pointed out why the whole thing stung. “I wanted these fans to know Philly is my home, so from the start, I made the commitment to stay here for the rest of my career. No opt-out, even though I was advised otherwise,” he expressed. “From changing positions to coming back early from injury, I show total commitment for my team. And yet there is still trade talk.”
So now that his “elite” status is under the microscope, what can the Phillies expect from Harper in 2026?
Protect him.
Credit: Eric Hartline – Imagn Images
It all begins with lineup help.
Harper has lived in the 3-hole since arriving in 2019. In 2025, he rarely had consistent protection behind him. The cleanup spot produced a .720 OPS — 20th in MLB — a steep drop from his best years in Philadelphia.
Nick Castellanos and J.T. Realmuto carried most of those at-bats this past season. Castellanos, 33, posted a .651 OPS in 214 plate appearances out of the four-spot; Realmuto, 34, had a .683 mark in 180 trips there.
Both of those names have offered real protection for Harper before.
His best two seasons as a Phillie came in 2021 and 2023.
In 2021, Harper put up a league-leading 1.044 OPS on his way to a second MVP. As a team, the Phillies had an .819 OPS — fifth-best in the National League. Realmuto did most of the cleanup work that year and hit .287 with an .832 OPS in that role.
In 2023, Harper slashed .293/.401/.499 (.900 OPS). The Phillies’ overall OPS jumped to .822, helped by Castellanos’ 15 homers and .300/.339/.514 line in the four-hole.
The pattern is obvious: when the cleanup spot is a threat, Harper’s numbers jump off the page.
In 2025, that wasn’t the case. The Phillies need a steady right-handed hitter behind him.
The Alonso question and a first-base pivot
Credit: Rick Osentoski – Imagn Images
One way to get there is the scenario that keeps coming up: Harper moving back to right field.
Dombrowski has publicly pushed back on that this offseason, saying the front office views Harper as its first baseman. But if Harper returned to the outfield, it would open the door to pursue a true middle-of-the-order bat at first — someone like Pete Alonso.
Alonso hit 38 homers and drove in 126 runs in 2025, while also leading the league in doubles. Even with some swing-and-miss, that kind of production behind Harper would change how pitchers game-plan entirely.
His market could be shaped by fellow free-agent first baseman Josh Naylor. On Monday, the 30-year-old signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal after a year in which he hit .295 with 20 homers, 92 RBIs and 30 steals. Naylor is two-and-a-half years younger than Alonso, and his $18.5 million AAV could keep Alonso’s asking price from getting out of control.
Josh Naylor’s contract with the Mariners is for five years, $92.5M, source tells @TheAthletic.
If the Phillies want to push Harper back toward “elite,” adding a legitimate right-handed bat behind him is the clearest path.
The analytics point up, a tad
For as much as Dombrowski’s comments have been dissected, Harper’s underlying metrics in 2025 actually trended the right way compared with his 30-homer, .898 OPS season in 2024.
His barrel rate, hard-hit percentage and bat speed all ticked up. His walk rate improved. His strikeout rate went down. The line on the back of the baseball card may have dipped, but the advanced numbers did not scream decline.
The lack of pitches to hit was real, too. Todd Zolecki of MLB.com noted that among hitters who saw at least 200 pitches, Harper saw strikes only 43 percent of the time — the lowest rate of any of the 532 qualified players. That’s what happens when there is a lack of protection.
It’s fair for the Phillies’ front office to ask whether he’ll be “elite” again at 33 and beyond. It’s also fair to point out that a .844 OPS during an injury-riddled season is still star-level production.
What to expect in 2026
Regardless of how you interpret the comments, there’s no question about Harper’s dedication — or his importance to the Phillies. He has a no-trade clause, chose no opt-out when he signed and has been vocal about wanting to finish his career in Philadelphia.
The front office’s responsibility now is straightforward: build a lineup that gives Harper a chance to produce at a higher level. That starts with real protection behind him.
If Harper is healthy, it’s not hard to envision a return closer to his 2021 and 2023 production than what he posted in 2025.
The word “elite” is going to hover around Harper all season. Dombrowski and the Phils will expect star-level production from the eight-time All-Star — and Harper has made it clear he’ll do everything he can to make that happen.
Even after a trade deadline when the Mets parted with 10 prospects to make a run in 2025, their farm system still ranks among the best in the sport. Notably, ESPN notably ranks the Mets first.
It is a good blend of high-end, close-to-major-league-ready talent and players at the lower levels with real upside -- especially on the pitching side. Nine of the top 10 prospects below finished the season in either Double-A, Triple-A or the majors while still maintaining prospect eligibility.
The 2026 season is a big year for the organization. There should be a real expectation to get impact from the farm system. Mets fans saw some of the top pitchers debut in 2025, and there should be a 2026 expectation to see more pitching -- as well as some position-player impact.
As tough as 2025 was for the Mets, they are still set up well for near-term success with young talent and payroll flexibility with potential for long-term stability.
Here are the Mets’ top 30 prospects for the 2025-26 offseason:
1. RHP Nolan McLean
Nolan McLean is a prospect I was high on entering the 2025 season when I ranked him third in the system, and it turns out I was not high enough. He had a breakout 2025, rising to the big leagues and posting a 2.06 ERA in 48 innings, just staying under the threshold to remain prospect eligible.
McLean can spin a baseball as well and efficiently as anyone in baseball, and he made significant strides in 2025 against left-handed hitters. He emphasized his sinker and curveball, the latter being a pitch he hardly threw before 2025. The next step in his development is improving his control and command -- not that it was a big issue, but there’s always room to grow.
McLean should be lined up to pitch at or near the top of the Mets’ rotation in 2026. He should be considered one of the early favorites to win the 2026 National League Rookie of the Year, which, if he did, would net the Mets a pick just after the first round in the 2027 MLB Draft.
MLB ETA: Already made it
2. OF Carson Benge
It was close between McLean and Carson Benge for who would top this list. Both are likely to be considered among the top 20 prospects in baseball when national outlets re-rank their top 100 lists.
After being selected with the No. 19 pick in the 2024 MLB Draft, Benge had a meteoric rise from a prospect who appeared on only one top 100 list (Baseball Prospectus) before 2025 to one of the best outfield prospects in baseball. Benge will get the chance to compete to be the Mets’ Opening Day center fielder in 2026, David Stearns said.
Benge played at three levels, finishing the season at Triple-A. He posted a .281/.385/.472 slash line with 25 doubles, 15 home runs and 73 RBI in 116 games.
He has an above-average offensive profile across the board. His power coming into pro ball was more naturally to left-center field and the opposite way. There are some moving parts to his swing, but he showed the hand quickness to pull the ball more as the season went on.
Defensively is where the questions arise. In talking to evaluators, the ideal outcome would be Benge in a corner outfield spot because he is more of an average or slightly above-average athlete with a plus arm. However, his defense in center field improved throughout 2025. He could have a defensive center field profile like Trent Grisham, who makes it work on reads, reaction and jumps rather than pure athleticism. Benge has a chance to be a core member of the Mets’ offense.
MLB ETA: 2026
3. INF/CF Jett Williams
Jett Williams had a bounce-back season in 2025 after he missed all but 33 games in 2024.
In 96 games in 2025 with Double-A Binghamton, Williams hit .281/.390/.477 with 29 doubles, 10 home runs, 37 RBI and 32 stolen bases. Like Benge, Williams had an adjustment period in Triple-A but did hit seven home runs in just 34 Triple-A games.
He has an above-average hit tool and plate discipline with some sneaky power. Despite his smaller stature, he posted an above-average 104.4 mph 90th percentile exit velocity in Triple-A, which is right in line with Benge’s number. At times, there is some over-swinging in his game. But when Williams is at his best, he smacks line drives to all fields. He is capable of jumping on a mistake pitch and doing some damage.
Defensively, he has played all three up-the-middle spots with second base likely being his best long-term home. He is a plus runner who has flashed some potential in center field but is clearly more natural in the dirt.
Williams projects as a top-of-the-order, everyday player who should get on base at a good clip with 30-plus-stolen-base potential. He may not be as likely for an Opening Day role, but he should push for a job in the big leagues in 2026.
MLB ETA: 2026
4. RHP Jonah Tong
Jonah Tong had an uneven first seven starts to his big-league career, but that debut came on the heels of one of the best minor league seasons in recent memory. In 22 minor league starts, 20 of which came with Double-A Binghamton, Tong posted video game-like numbers with a 1.43 ERA in 113.2 innings. He allowed only 58 hits and led minor league baseball with 179 strikeouts.
He comes with two plus pitches in a fastball that averaged 95 mph in the big leagues and will get up to 98 mph. What makes that pitch special is not just the velocity, but the induced vertical break or “ride” on it. Tong’s 19.8-inch IVB was tied for fourth best of any pitcher in baseball.
Tong has tinkered with different changeup grips since turning pro, and before 2025 he settled on a Vulcan changeup grip, which was a menace to minor league hitters.
At the major league level, he needs to develop a third pitch he can rely on. Tong has the old-school, slow, 12-6 curve that flashes but must land it for strikes more often than he has. He has tinkered with slider/cutter grips but yet to find one that he can land consistently.
He comes from an extreme over-the-top arm angle, which adds deception and borderline elite extension that makes pitches feel as if they are jumping at hitters. Tong could use a little more minor league time, but with improvement in command and refinement of a third and maybe fourth pitch, the sky’s the limit. Without that development, there is a non-zero chance for some reliever risk.
MLB ETA: Already made it
5. RHP Brandon Sproat
Brandon Sproat is the third prospect on this list to have already made his major league debut. He was the last of the three starting pitchers to get called up, but the Mets were impressed by his growth in 2025.
Entering the 2025 season, Sproat was the consensus No. 1 prospect in the Mets’ system despite struggling in his first taste of Triple-A action in 2024. That struggle carried over into the early part of 2025, then there were a couple of changes. Sproat had not been the aggressive pitcher he was in college and early in his pro career.
He began to throw more sinkers and sweepers, which were pitches he learned in 2024 but took time to perfect and trust in-game. He also had a mental shift where he was just going to let it loose and pitch.
Everything ticked up velocity-wise, and he had a 30% strikeout rate, which was double his number from earlier in the season.
This led to Sproat’s call-up, where his poise stood out. He has to continue to work on his control and command and continue to refine his pitches to try to miss bats at closer to his rate at the end of his run in Triple-A than he did in his short stint in the majors.
He threw six different pitches, according to Statcast, headlined by his mid-to-upper-90s sinker and four-seam fastball. He had an uptick in curveball usage, similar to McLean, as a way to combat left-handed hitters. Sproat may be more floor than upside at this stage, but he appears big-league ready now. It will come down to whether the opportunity is available for him.
A.J. Ewing was the biggest riser in the Mets’ 2025 system. He began the season outside the top 30 and climbed all the way to No. 6.
The 20-year-old played across three levels, ending the season with Double-A Binghamton. In 124 games, he hit .315/.401/.429 with 26 doubles, 10 triples, three home runs and 70 stolen bases.
Ewing’s game is based primarily on bat-to-ball skills, limiting swing-and-miss and spraying line drives while using his legs. He can turn on a mistake to the pull side, but home run power is not likely to be a big part of his game. He showed growth by increasing his line-drive percentage from 20.1% in 2024 to 29.3% in 2025, which is a good sign.
Defensively, he has played all three outfield spots as well as second base. He is an electric athlete with true plus speed and a tick-above-average arm. The Mets feel comfortable that he will handle center field at the next level but have the versatility to play anywhere in the outfield.
His strikeout rate ticked up in Double-A, so that will be something to watch in 2026. If he can add strength to hit the ball harder, that will elevate his upside. Either way, Ewing profiles as a center fielder who projects to hit for average, get on base and be impactful on the basepaths. The Mets’ scouting department may have found something in the 2023 fourth-round pick. One scout who saw him play said Ewing looks like a Pete Crow-Armstrong-lite type of player.
MLB ETA: 2027
7. 3B/1B Jacob Reimer
After missing nearly all of the 2024 season because of a torn hamstring, Jacob Reimer put together a complete 2025.
He made mechanical adjustments to his swing and opened his stance slightly. He increased his bat speed, and those changes showed in the results.
In 122 games, evenly split between High-A Brooklyn and Double-A Binghamton, Reimer hit .282/.379/.491 (.870 OPS) with 32 doubles, 17 home runs and 77 RBI.
Reimer has always been considered to have raw power, and he displayed it in batting practice, but 2025 was the first time it translated into game action and graded out as above average, borderline plus. He has an advanced plan at the plate and probably an average to slightly above-average hit tool.
Reimer is a below-average athlete with plenty of arm for third base, but he may profile best across the diamond at first, which will put more pressure on the bat to continue to grow. Reimer’s 2025 season is a feather in the cap for the Mets’ player development department, helping him turn raw tools into game action across a full season. He could be a future 25-home-run corner bat.
MLB ETA: 2027
8. 1B Ryan Clifford
Ryan Clifford unquestionably has the best power tool in the Mets’ system, grading out at least plus.
In 139 games, most of which were with Double-A Binghamton, Clifford hit .237/.356/.470 with 23 doubles, 29 home runs (fifth in all of minor league baseball) and 71 RBI.
His hit tool is below average, with a strong lean toward fly balls that will make it unlikely for Clifford to sustain a high batting average. To his credit, Clifford decreased his strikeout rate from 29.6% in 2024 to 25.6% in 2025.
Clifford’s profile is likely to be based on on-base ability and power. He will take his walks, posting a 15% walk rate in 2025. At the Triple-A level, he showed elite exit velocity and hard-hit rate numbers.
Defensively, he has played some corner outfield with plenty of arm strength to handle it. But his athletic profile fits better at first base, where he could be above average defensively.
The 2026 season will be big for Clifford. If he can continue to trim his strikeout rate, he could become an impactful middle-of-the-order bat with the potential for 30-plus home runs. It will come down to making enough contact to maximize that tool.
MLB ETA: 2026
9. SS Elian Peña
Elian Peña signed with the Mets this past January for $5 million, a franchise-record bonus for an international amateur.
Peña started his professional career in the Dominican Summer League by going 0-for-26. However, in the remaining 46 games, Peña hit .342/.463/.618 (1.081 OPS) with 13 doubles, nine home runs, 32 RBIs and 18 stolen bases while walking more (33) than he struck out (29).
The 18-year-old, while still incredibly raw, possesses strong bat-to-ball skills with a compact, quick swing and plus plate discipline. As he physically matures, he should develop at least above-average power. There are 25-plus home runs in the bat, scouts believe, and his raw power showed with two separate three-home-run games in 2025.
Defensively, he is playing shortstop. However, as he matures, he is most likely to end up at third base long term, scouts believe.
Peña has the type of potential that a year from now he could top this list. It will be a good challenge for him to come stateside in 2026.
MLB ETA: 2029
10. LHP Jonathan Santucci
Jonathan Santucci entered the 2024 season, his last at Duke, looking like a potential mid-first-round pick. He dealt with injuries that led to him falling to the second round, where the Mets felt fortunate to land him.
Santucci struggled to begin his professional career (8.14 ERA in his first six starts), but he performed like one of the best pitchers in the minors the rest of the season.
In his next 17 starts across 96.2 innings, Santucci posted a 1.96 ERA with 117 strikeouts. Opposing batters hit only .180 against him, and he walked three batters per nine innings.
Santucci starts with a clean, athletic delivery and two plus pitches: a mid-90s fastball that touches 97 and an upper-80s power slider that he leaned on. He also has a changeup and dabbled with a curveball, but those pitches need work.
There is reliever risk if he cannot fine-tune his command and develop that third pitch. If Santucci can turn in average command and an average third offering with a fourth he can sprinkle in, there is mid-rotation upside.
MLB ETA: 2026
11. RHP Jack Wenninger
Jake Wenninger had an excellent campaign with Double-A Binghamton, posting a 2.92 ERA in 135.2 innings and ranking within the top 20 in minor league baseball with 147 strikeouts. He also played a pivotal role in Binghamton’s Eastern League championship run.
Wenninger has a four-pitch mix with a fastball that ticked up in velocity, touching 97 this year. His best pitch is his plus splitter, which he uses as a swing-and-miss offering. He also has a slider and curveball. He projects as a potential No. 4 starter.
MLB ETA: 2026
12. RHP Will Watson
The 2024 seventh-round pick pitched across three levels in 2025, reaching Double-A and posting a 2.60 ERA in 121.1 innings, allowing only 88 hits and striking out 142. Will Watson has a four-pitch mix headed by a four-seam fastball that ticked up in pro ball, up to 97 mph from a low three-quarter slot with ride. He also throws a slider, changeup and cutter.
Watson needs to refine his command, but he could be a future big-league starter. If Watson does not take that step, he has previous relief experience and could fit as a power reliever.
Nick Morabito had a solid season with Double-A Binghamton, slashing .273/.348/.385 with 27 doubles, six home runs, 59 RBI and 49 stolen bases. He needs to impact the baseball more and hit it less on the ground, scouts said. He had a huge Arizona Fall League, slashing .362/.450/.464 in 17 games with 16 stolen bases. Importantly, he flashed plus exit velocities with a 108.6 mph 90th percentile EV and 111.8 mph max EV. Morabito is an excellent athlete who can play center field at the next level.
The impact of the bat will determine whether he becomes an everyday player or more of a fourth outfielder. The Mets will need to add him to the 40-man roster to protect him from the Rule 5 Draft.
MLB ETA: 2027
14. 2B Mitch Voit
Mitch Voit was the No. 38 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Michigan, where he had a breakout year for the Wolverines with a 1.140 OPS in 56 games. The former two-way player will focus exclusively on offense in pro ball, and he got a taste with Low-A St. Lucie, where he posted a .638 OPS in 22 games with 20 stolen bases.
Offensively, Voit has excellent bat speed and in-zone contact rates. His swing naturally lofts the ball in the air, and he posts above-average, at times plus, exit velocities.
He is a good athlete who thrived at second base despite never playing it before this season, making multiple highlight-reel plays in his first pro stint. He projects more as a high-floor player than a high-ceiling one.
MLB ETA: 2028
15. C/1B/OF Chris Suero
Chris Suero followed up a season split between High-A and Double-A, where he posted a .786 OPS with 16 home runs in 115 games and an excellent Arizona Fall League. He slashed .283/.353/.567 with five home runs (tied for second in the AFL) in 15 games.
Suero lacks a true standout tool but is average across the board with the chance for more power. In Scottsdale, he posted a max 112.5 mph exit velocity and a 60.5% hard-hit rate. His versatility could carry him to the big leagues, even in a reserve role, where his ability to catch adds value.
MLB ETA: 2027
16. OF Eli Serrano III
Eli Serrano III had a strong start to his pro career in 2025, then suffered an ankle injury and never performed offensively like he did early on. There is belief that he will take a step forward when he gets out of the confines of Brooklyn. Serrano hit .189 with a .635 OPS at home and .255 with a .743 OPS on the road.
He added weight to his 6-foot-5 frame and has above-average raw power and a solid plan at the plate. Serrano played all three outfield spots with right field being the best fit for his plus throwing arm.
MLB ETA: 2027
17. RHP Dylan Ross
Dylan Ross was called up to the majors for the last weekend of the 2025 season but will have to wait until 2026 to make his MLB debut. The 24-year-old pitched at three levels, primarily Triple-A. He posted a 2.17 ERA in 54 innings, allowing only 29 hits and striking out 80. It’s a pure power-reliever profile with a fastball that averages 97 mph and touches triple digits. He generated big swing-and-miss numbers on both his low-90s splitter (48.3% whiff rate) and upper-80s slider (67.7% whiff rate).
Ross will need to work through command issues (5.5 walks per nine), but there is belief that being another year removed from Tommy John surgery could help. Ross will compete for a spot in the Mets’ Opening Day bullpen.
MLB ETA: Already made it
18. SS Antonio Jimenez
The Mets selected Antonio Jimenez in the third round of the 2025 draft after he posted a .982 OPS with 11 home runs in 55 games for UCF. He possesses above-average bat speed, and in college he punished velocity to the pull side. Jimenez has work to do on recognizing spin, but Hitting 101 starts with hitting the fastball.
In a small sample with Low-A St. Lucie, he posted strong zone-contact numbers and avoided swing-and-miss issues. Defensively, je has a plus arm but may lack the range for shortstop long term. Jimenez may project best as a utility infielder.
MLB ETA: 2028
19. RHP Ryan Lambert
Ryan Lambert is a pure reliever who posted a 1.62 ERA in 46 games (39 at Double-A), allowing only 31 hits in 50 innings while striking out 81. He is a prototype reliever prospect with two pitches: a plus fastball that sits 96-97 mph and touches 100 mph, and a power mid-to-upper-80s slider.
Lambert currently has below-average command, but if the Mets can extract a little more, he has the stuff and bulldog mentality to be a high-leverage reliever. Expect him to make his MLB debut in 2026.
MLB ETA: 2026
20. LHP Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton was pitching as well as anyone in the Mets’ organization before an oblique injury at the end of June ended his season. He posted a 1.98 ERA in 14 starts across 72.2 innings, striking out 78 and walking only 11 batters.
He can control a four-pitch mix with a fastball that sits in the 91-94 mph range, supplemented by a slider, curveball and changeup. He projects as a back-of-the-rotation starter.
MLB ETA: 2027
21. RHP R.J. Gordon
R.J. Gordon starred at Oregon and was a 13th-round pick in the 2024 draft. He was mostly a reliever his first two seasons with the Ducks, then had internal brace surgery and returned as a starter in 2024, struggling to a 5.13 ERA. His first pro season was a success, posting a 3.36 ERA in 128.2 innings with 147 strikeouts.
His stuff has ticked up, with his fastball now touching 95 mph, and there is belief that he has more in the tank. He added a “kick change” this year, which was a source of swings and misses. Gordon has two solid breaking balls in a slider and curveball. He could be a back-end starter or a multi-inning reliever.
MLB ETA: 2027
22. RHP Peter Kussow
Peter Kussow was the Mets’ fourth-round pick in the 2025 draft out of high school in Wisconsin. The Mets signed him for $897,500, which is second-round money. He is already well built at 6-foot-5, 205 pounds with broad shoulders and natural stuff.
Kussow is raw, as is usual for cold-weather pitchers, but has a fastball that will touch 97 mph and a power slider that reaches the upper 80s. He has a changeup, but it needs work as he didn’t need it in high school. Kussow is a name to watch entering 2026.
MLB ETA: 2030
23. RHP Jonathan Pintaro
Jonathan Pintaro briefly appeared at the big-league level in 2025 after being signed out of independent ball just more than a year ago.
He converted from starter to reliever but still manages a five-pitch mix with a four-seam fastball up to 97 mph, plus a cutter, sweeper, changeup and slider. He projects best as a potential multi-inning relief option.
MLB ETA: Already made it
24. INF Boston Baro
Boston Baro was a hyped prospect entering the 2025 season and even homered in the Spring Breakout game. Baro didn’t have that type of season, hitting only .224 with a .602 OPS.
He is still only 21 years old, puts the ball in play and is a good athlete with a strong throwing arm. He will need to find a way to impact the baseball to climb back up this list.
MLB ETA: 2028
25. INF Marco Vargas
Marco Vargas was once the headlining piece in the trade that sent David Robertson to Miami.
The hit tool hasn’t translated as expected, but Vargas still has excellent plate discipline and avoids strikeouts. He is a quality defender up the middle, but it’s hard to see anything more than a utility-infielder ceiling.
MLB ETA: 2027
Yovanny Rodriguez / Courtesy of Klutch Sports Group/SNY treated image
26. C Yovanny Rodriguez
Yovanny Rodriguez was the Mets’ top international signing in the 2024 class. After a tough first pro season, the 18-year-old hit .336/.446/.493 (.939 OPS) in 44 games while repeating the Dominican Summer League. He is a hit-over-power profile with above-average plate discipline. Defensively, he has grown as a receiver, but his strength is his plus arm. He threw out 29% of baserunners this year.
MLB ETA: 2029
27. INF Jeremy Rodriguez
Jeremy Rodriguez struggled with a .540 OPS as an 18-year-old for Low-A St. Lucie. Now 19, Rodriguez needs to physically mature. His average and 90th percentile exit velocities were well below average. His max EV of 109.4 mph was above average, so there is something there.
He ranked near the best in the league in whiff rate and in-zone contact percentage. He is an average athlete who can play both second base and shortstop. Rodriguez should repeat Low-A in 2026.
MLB ETA: 2028
28. C Daiverson Gutiérrez
Daiverson Gutiérrez’s best trait is putting the bat on the ball and avoiding strikeouts. In 91 games with Low-A St. Lucie, he had almost as many walks (53) as strikeouts (58). Gutiérrez shows the natural ability to loft the baseball, but he needs to hit it harder more consistently.
Defensively, Gutiérrez is an average receiver with above-average arm strength, but suboptimal pop times have led to stolen base issues. He threw out only 17% of runners in 2025.
MLB ETA: 2029
29. RHP Camden Lohman
Camden Lohman was the Mets’ eighth-round pick in the 2025 draft out of high school in Missouri. He signed for $797,500, which is third-round money. Lohman is a projectable 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds with room to grow.
He was a late bloomer with his fastball up to 95 mph and shows the ability to spin the ball with a slider and curveball. Lohman is a fun developmental project for the Mets’ player development group. Don’t be surprised if he takes a big step forward in his first pro season.
MLB ETA: 2030
30. RHP Nathan Hall
Nathan Hall was the Mets’ sixth-round pick out of Division II Central Missouri. After four starts in 2025, he underwent internal brace elbow surgery. When healthy, he features a mid-90s fastball that touches 98 mph, a mid-80s sweeper and a curveball.
Hall could have gone in the second or third round if not for his injury, MLB.com’s Jim Callis said at the time of the draft. The expectation is that Hall should be ready not long into the 2026 season and for the Mets to deploy him as a starter.
Yoshimobu Yamamoto celebrates after beating the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the 2025 World Series at Rogers Centre. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
In a series of photos filled with cuteness coming from his fur baby, the Dodgers pitcher showed off his best friend, Carlos, on Instagram during the weekend.
“He’s gentle and loves a slow life,” Yamamoto wrote in his post. “He loves naps, walks, and eating good food.”
In the series of wholesome photos of Carlos in his dad’s arm, wearing sunglasses and resting, the pitcher included a video of when he first met his future K9 in August.
“I’m really happy mi Carlitos is with me now,” he added.
The two-time World Series winner adopted him from Best Friends LA, which replied to his post saying Carlos was a fan favorite in their location — loved by staff and volunteers.
“We’re so happy Carlos has found such a happy home with you,” Best Friends LA's Instagram account commented on Yamamoto’s post.
Yamamoto joined the Dodgers in 2023 after signing a 12-year, $325-million deal. Since joining them, he’s won back-to-back championships.
Nationals manager Blake Butera, left, and president of baseball operations Paul Toboni meet the media Monday in Butera's formal introduction as the franchise's top man in the dugout. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
His age, or lack thereof, was a main character at Nationals Park on Monday afternoon as the eighth skipper in franchise history was formally introduced. The stadium’s subterranean press conference room, adorned with red, white and blue roses, was packed to the gills for the occasion. Members of the club’s elusive ownership group, the Lerner family, peppered the front few rows. A large throng of front-office officials, clad in a department store’s worth of obligatory quarter-zips, crammed themselves into the back of the room.
Up on the podium sat just two placards; one for Butera and one for his new boss, Paul Toboni, the team’s recently hired president of baseball operations.
“As you've heard me say many times over the course of the last six weeks, I'm a strong believer that you win with people,” Toboni, 35, offered during his opening statement. “And Blake's character and ability to connect with everyone across the baseball spectrum is second to none.”
The two men then shook hands before Butera, 33, curved a red cap onto his head and pulled a crisp white uniform over his 5-foot-9 frame. He and Toboni, formerly an assistant general manager for the Boston Red Sox, briefly posed for a few pictures before the skipper, still too young to run for president, settled in to introduce himself.
“As we move forward, our identity is going to start with character,” Butera proclaimed. “I believe true leadership is built on real relationships, relationships that create unity, clarity and a shared purpose.”
Since raising the World Series trophy in 2019, the Nationals have slogged to baseball’s second-worst record, better than only the catastrophically discombobulated Colorado Rockies. The trades conducted in the teardown of that core have borne some fruit, most notably the Juan Soto deal that brought young All-Star outfielder James Wood to D.C.
But in the main, Washington has been a draft-and-development disasterclass, an organization distinctly unskilled at making players better. That half-decade run of ineptitude reached a turning point this past July, when a pair of title-winning stalwarts, GM Mike Rizzo and manager Davey Martinez, were simultaneously fired.
And now, into that void, charge Toboni and Butera, a pair of unwrinkled, clean-shaven 30-somethings. Together, they come armed with fresh perspectives, cathedral expectations of themselves and almost zero big league experience. Butera, in fact, has never spent a day in a Major League dugout.
Drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 35th round of the 2015 MLB Draft after a plucky four years at Boston College, the infielder’s playing career petered out after two minor league seasons. But Butera quickly and successfully made the transition to coaching. In 2018, still just 25 years old, he was named manager of Tampa’s short-season Hudson Valley affiliate. After two strong years there, Tampa pushed him to Low-A Charleston, where he won back-to-back league championships and a Manager of the Year award. That eventually earned him a big new gig as the Rays’ senior director of player development, a role that he served in until his hiring a few weeks ago. Butera was also the bench coach for Team Italy under manager Mike Piazza during the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
It’s an impressive résumé, but not necessarily one that would have pointed to a big league head job, at least not in such short order. In fact, Butera admitted that he entered this winter not expecting to be a part of the managerial carousel. His biggest concern was much closer to home: Butera’s wife Caroline was set to have the couple’s first child around the last week of October, right as the Nats were trying to finalize the hiring.
To simplify things, Toboni flew down to Raleigh, where the Buteras live, so that Blake could stay close to home just in case Caroline went into labor. It all came together on the same day, with Blake receiving the job offer before the birth of their newborn Blair and accepting it later that day after having become a father. It has been a whirlwind, to say the least.
But Butera, ever-youthful, did not appear worn down by the taxing, early days of parenthood. That is, by all accounts, par for the course. Despite being “young for the level” at every turn, the new skipper has thrived. Butera draws rave reviews for a special ability to communicate with players, empowering them to get the most out of their skills. In that sense, his lack of trips around the sun have proved helpful, allowing him to relate better to players close to him in age.
That will remain an important dynamic in D.C., as a young Nats roster attempts to author a pivot back to contention. A whopping 60 percent of the team’s plate appearances last season were taken by players aged 25 or younger. After a brilliant first half, Wood scuffled down the stretch. Consistency from the spindly slugger is key. So is developing the other kids on the roster, players like Dylan Crews, Brady House, CJ Abrams and Daylen Lile, into needle-moving pieces.
The pitching staff presents an even more formidable task. Only the Rockies, in their launching pad of a ballpark in the sky, had a higher ERA last season. Improvement on that front will largely be the responsibility of new pitching coach Simon Mathews, formerly an assistant with the Cincinnati Reds. Mathews, whose hiring was first reported by Yahoo Sports, is even younger than his skipper, having turned 30 just two months ago.
His hiring was yet another data point that Toboni and Co. plan to chart a new path. That dynamic was further reinforced at Butera’s news conference Monday. For better or worse, this era of Nats baseball will not unfurl with a strategy of half-measures. Over the last half decade, the Nationals have been an emblem of regressive, archaic baseball thinking. Unwilling and unable to adapt, the game passed them by, leaving them playing catch-up.
The shift under Toboni will be significant, comprehensive and immediate. Big swings will be taken. Character will be prioritized over experience. They will dream big. It is risky and refreshing. Butera may well be too young, too green for such a big job. He might be great at the gig and the players fall short anyway. Perhaps he’ll manage here for decades and oversee the glory years of D.C. baseball. Time will tell. But on Monday afternoon, he certainly looked the part and said all the right things in the right way.
For Nats fans, it is, at the very least, a plan to believe in.
Coming off their first trip to the World Series in over 30 years, the Toronto Blue Jays have plenty of reasons to keep the momentum going into 2026. Not only did Toronto have a strong showing in the World Series despite the defeat, but they now have a roster with postseason experience and a superstar in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. who showed he can carry a team in October.
The Blue Jays’ run in 2025 left a mark on an entire country, and the team’s front office is now tasked with putting the Blue Jays back into a position to make another postseason run.
This is why Toronto is the biggest wild card in baseball this season.
Toronto has been a suitor for some of the biggest free agents, finishing as the runner-up for Shohei Ohtani before he signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and ending as a finalist for Juan Soto before he signed with the New York Mets.
The Blue Jays have been looking to swim in the deep end of MLB’s payroll pool by signing a major free agent, but with no success. Even without landing Soto or Ohtani, they finished last season fifth in payroll. And fresh off their World Series run, they’re looking like one of the most attractive destinations in baseball, both economically and on the field.
“I think Mark [Shapiro] and Ross [Atkins] have done a tremendous job,” Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said of Toronto’s top player personnel executives. “And I think going back for us [is] one big thing — probably our largest kind of focal point and biggest goal was to try to create a destination spot where our own players didn't want to leave and where players from other teams wanted to come.
“And I think invariably we find ourselves going up against the Blue Jays a lot in different ways, and they have created that as well. I think they have done a really good job with their facilities, the way they communicate, and how they help get the most out of players.”
High-leverage arms, high priority for the Blue Jays
One of the biggest areas of need for the Blue Jays this offseason is getting help in the back end of their bullpen. Just a year after they signed reliever Jeff Hoffman to a three-year, $33 million deal, Toronto is back on the market for high-leverage arms.
Sources tell Yahoo Sports that the Blue Jays have been one of the more aggressive teams on the market for the offseason’s top relievers, including Devin Williams, Edwin Díaz and Pete Fairbanks. Toronto has already had initial conversations with each of the free agents.
You could understand why the Blue Jays think additional bullpen reinforcements are necessary. Despite an amazing World Series run, a lasting image from it will be Hoffman surrendering the game-tying homer to Miguel Rojas in the ninth inning of Game 7, leading to Toronto’s eventual extra-innings defeat. But even before that, the Blue Jays right-hander was having a year to forget. The Toronto closer went 9-7 with a 4.37 ERA with an AL-leading seven blown saves.
Adding Williams, Fairbanks or Díaz would make the Blue Jays’ bullpen stronger. It remains to be seen if Hoffman would remain Toronto’s closer, move to an eighth-inning role or if the team would go closer by committee.
What to do with Bo Bichette?
While the bullpen is the area the Blue Jays have started to dive into right away, their biggest question is whether they’ll bring back former shortstop and now second baseman Bo Bichette.
He is a homegrown star and came up the same year as Guerrero in 2019. While Vladdy is locked in on a 10-year, $500 million extension, Bichette will have a chance to hit the open market and test his value.
The Blue Jays infielder has been one of the most consistent bats in the American League over the past five years, leading the AL in hits twice to go along with two All-Star appearances. Bichette bounced back last season after a down 2024, hitting .311 with 18 homers, 94 RBI and 181 hits before missing the final three weeks of the season with a knee injury.
And while the knee injury kept him out most of the postseason, he showed up when it mattered in the World Series, hitting .348 with a homer and a .923 OPS.
Bichette has a strong market this winter as both a second baseman and a shortstop in a weak class for shortstops. And after showing he has the ability to play second base, where he would likely be a stronger defender, his flexibility only helps him.
Could Kyle Tucker make sense as Plan B for Bichette?
When a player is a free agent, that means there’s always a 50% chance of them signing elsewhere. And while having Bichette return to play second base and running it back in 2026 is Toronto’s Plan A, Plan B could also be tantalizing.
Tucker could play either corner in Toronto’s outfield, giving the Jays a strong outfield with Gold Glove winner Daulton Varsho in center field. Addison Barger could play the other corner with Nathan Lukes or shift back to the infield at third base, where he spent a majority of his time in 2025. Ernie Clement showed he could be an elite defender at both third base and second base, so a move wouldn’t be a problem for him either.
The one thing standing in the way of Tucker being the perfect fit for the Blue Jays is outfielder Anthony Santander, who signed a five-year, $92.5 million deal last winter. Santander did not have an inaugural season to remember in Toronto, playing in just 54 games in 2025 due to injury. And when he played, he didn’t play well, hitting a paltry .175 with six homers and 61 strikeouts in 194 at-bats.
Moving Santander is likely impossible at this point for the Blue Jays. And unless they eat a majority of his deal, which teams generally don’t do this early into contracts, he’s going to be on the roster one way or another in 2026.
But if Tucker wants to be a Blue Jay, they have to find a way to make it work. Because there’s no doubt adding that caliber of player to a team that just made a World Series appearance puts Toronto back into a position to be the favorite in the American League next season.
Shohei Ohtani, left, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Roki Sasaki have won a World Series together with the Dodgers. But will they attempt to win another World Baseball Classic next March while representing Japan, which won the 2023 tournament? (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Just weeks into the offseason, the Dodgers are already thinking 11 months ahead.
Having just finished yet another grueling October campaign, they are bracing for the long road required to get back.
The team’s central focus right now, of course, is on bolstering its roster and supplementing its star-studded core coming out of last week’s annual MLB general managers’ meetings in Las Vegas.
But as they go for a World Series three-peat in 2026, one of their primary challenges will be managing the returning talent — and ensuring the burdensome toll from their previous two title treks doesn’t become a roadblock in their pursuit of another ring.
That thinking was present last week, when general manager Brandon Gomes announced that utilityman Tommy Edman will undergo surgery to address an ankle injury that nagged him for the second half of this past season.
When asked about Edman’s recovery timeline, Gomes said the “goal” is to have him ready for spring training — but that the team was also “gonna be smart” about making sure he isn’t rushed back.
“Obviously, he hasn’t had [the surgery] yet. So we’ll look into that as we get into the rehab process,” Gomes said. “And like we do with everything, let’s keep the big picture in mind, with the goal of playing through October.”
Taking such a long view has become an annual practice for the Dodgers. Their collection of star talent and organizational depth means they are almost always in position to make the playoffs. It has afforded them leeway to manage players’ regular-season workloads and recovery from injuries with an eye toward having them at full strength come the fall.
It was a balance the team struck well this past season, navigating a wave of regular-season pitching injuries to have their rotation fully healthy to spearhead their postseason run.
Next season, however, the difficulty of that task could be significantly amplified.
Their already aging roster will be another year older. The after-effects of playing 33 extra games the past two Octobers will be acutely felt. And while it’s a price the Dodgers have been happy to pay, it will make next year an ultimate test of endurance that the club is already accounting for now.
“That's an extra month to a month and a half that you don't get to rest and recover, and that you're pushing beyond what you normally do,” third baseman Max Muncy said during this year’s playoffs about the challenges that come with deep October runs. “One postseason game is the equivalent of playing three extra-inning games, all at one time. The stress — both mental, physical, emotional — it's just on a whole ‘nother level.”
The big question in 2026 will be how the Dodgers’ pitching bounces back from this October’s heavy workload. All four of their top starters (Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani) threw more than 20 postseason innings and worked either out of the bullpen and/or on short rest. Yamamoto logged a whopping 37 ⅓ innings between his two complete games and heroic back-to-back performances in Games 6 and 7 of the World Series.
Typically, that kind of mileage can have adverse effects the following season.
The good news is that the Dodgers have depth. They could run a six-man rotation of Yamamoto, Snell, Glasnow, Ohtani, Roki Sasaki (who will return to starting pitching duties after his stint as a reliever at the end of last year) and Emmet Sheehan. They have other young arms capable of providing innings as well, from Ben Casparius and Justin Wrobleski to the return of Gavin Stone and River Ryan from injury.
“Playing this deep, guys did things that most people don’t do in the World Series, so it’s just making sure we’re being prudent on the front end and saying, ‘If we need extra rest here, we can do it,’” Gomes said. “We have ways to navigate it.”
Still, complications loom — starting with the triennial World Baseball Classic scheduled for next March.
Nine current Dodgers participated in the event’s 2023 edition, and several more could be candidates for next spring’s tournament. The most intriguing names on that list are the club’s Japanese trio of Yamamoto, Ohtani and Sasaki, who will be expected to star for their home country as it tries to defend its 2023 title in the international event.
Some pitchers in their situations might sit out the WBC, or pitch with strict workload limitations coming off the kind of strenuous stretch they experienced in the playoffs — not to mention the shoulder injury that sidelined Sasaki for much of the year. But the tournament’s significance in Japan (where it is held in even higher standing than the World Series) would make any sort of limitations on their availability a culturally controversial development — and leave the Dodgers in a potentially tricky position if they were to try to push for any of them to prioritize extra rest.
“We haven’t gotten into WBC stuff yet,” Gomes said. “I’m sure we’ll be getting those asks in soon.”
Ohtani himself presents another question for next regular season, as he embarks on what will be his first full-time season as a two-way player since 2023.
Though Gomes said Ohtani’s pitching plan will “probably look more like a normal schedule than last year” — when he slowly built up in his return from a second career Tommy John surgery, and didn’t make full-length starts until the end of the season — he also said Ohtani’s usage could be somewhat “fluid,” leaving the door open to some flexibility with his schedule as he also balances his designated hitting duties.
“Everything we’ll do is with a big-picture mindset,” Gomes reiterated. “So those are conversations we’ll have as we get closer [to next season].”
There could be similar conversations with some of the club’s older stars. By the end of next October, Freddie Freeman will be 37, Muncy will be 36, Teoscar Hernández and Mookie Betts both 34, Ohtani 32, and Will Smith and Edman 31. Most of them have nursed injuries over the past couple of seasons. Keeping them healthy and fresh for the long haul next year could require some more strategic load management — and insurance from a wide range of other options in the organization (plus whoever they add this offseason) to provide steady depth.
“I feel like our guys take really good care of themselves, so they might not be quite the same aging curve as everyone just with their level of hunger and their commitment in the offseason,” Gomes said. “But I think there's the give and take of … making sure we maintain a good group of young guys that are ready to come up and fill holes when necessary. [It’s] also balancing, as we get into the season, are we making sure we're having conversations with our guys of, ‘Maybe a day [off] here and there isn't the worst thing,’ and trying to work those in more.”
It all underscores the difficult road ahead for the Dodgers in their push for three straight titles: inevitable speed bumps that will only further complicate their quest.
“It's a balancing act,” Gomes said.
One that the team is already factoring in as the winter progresses.
NEW YORK — Side-arming left-hander Ryan Yarbrough agreed to a one-year contract to stay with the New York Yankees, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the agreement, the first offseason move by the Yankees, was subject to a successful physical examination.
Yarbourgh, who turns 34 on Dec. 31, agreed in March to a one-year, $2 million contract, one day after he was released from a minor league deal with Toronto, and he earned $150,000 in performance bonuses based on innings.
He went 3-1 with a 4.36 ERA in eight starts and 11 relief appearances, striking out 55 and walking 19 in 64 innings. Yarbrough did not pitch for the Yankees between June 18 and Sept. 5 because of a strained right oblique. He was left off the roster for postseason series against Boston and Toronto.
An eight-year major league veteran, Yarbrough is 56-41 with a 4.22 ERA in 76 starts and 139 relief appearances for Tampa Bay (2018-22), Kansas City (2023), the Los Angeles Dodgers (2023-24), Toronto (2024) and the Yankees.
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Cole Hamels, Ryan Braun and Matt Kemp are among 12 newcomers on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot, and Carlos Beltrán heads 15 holdovers after falling 19 votes shy in 2025 balloting.
Howie Kendrick, Daniel Murphy and Rick Porcello also are among the first-time eligibles, joined by Shin-Soo Choo, Edwin Encarnación, Gio González, Alex Gordon, Nick Markakis and Hunter Pence.
Beltrán received 277 of 394 votes for 70.3% in the 2025 balloting, when Ichiro Suzuki, CC Sabathia and Billy Wagner were elected.
A nine-time All-Star, Beltrán hit .279 with 435 homers and 1,587 RBIs over 17 seasons with Kansas City (1999-2004), Houston (2004, ’17), the New York Mets (2005-11), San Francisco (2011), St. Louis (2012-13), the New York Yankees (20014-16) and Texas (2016).
He received 46.5% support in his first ballot appearance in 2023, then rose to 57.1% in his second.
Beltrán was the only player cited by name in baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred’s 2020 report concluding the Astros used electronics in violation of rules to steal signs during Houston’s run to the 2017 World Series title and again in the 2018 season. Three days after the report was issued, the New York Mets said Beltrán was out as their manager, just 2 1/2 months after he was hired.
Other holdovers include steroids-tainted stars Alex Rodriguez (146 votes, 37.1%) and Manny Ramirez (135, 34.3%) along with Andruw Jones (261, 66.2%), Chase Utley (157, 39.8%), Andy Pettitte (110, 27.9%), Félix Hernández (81, 20.6%), Bobby Abreu (77, 19.5%), Jimmy Rollins (71, 18%), Omar Vizquel (70, 17.8%), Dustin Pedroia (47, 11.9%), Mark Buehrle (45, 11.4%), Francisco Rodríguez (40, 10.2%), David Wright (32, 8.1%) and Torii Hunter (20, 5.1%).
Pettitte is on the ballot for the eighth time after doubling support from 13.5% in 2024. A player can appear on the ballot up to 10 times.
BBWAA members with 10 or more consecutive years of membership are eligible to vote. Ballots must be postmarked by Dec. 31 and results will be announced Jan. 20. Anyone elected will be inducted on July 26 along with anyone chosen Dec. 7 by the hall’s contemporary baseball era committee ballot considering eight players whose greatest contributions to the sport were from 1980 on.
Hamels, a four-time All-Star, was 163-122 with a 3.43 ERA for Philadelphia (2006-15), Texas (2015-18), the Chicago Cubs (2018-19) and Atlanta (2020), pitching a no-hitter from the Phillies against the Cubs on July 25, 2015. He was MVP of the 2008 NL Championship Series and World Series as Philadelphia won its second title, its first since 1980.
Braun, the 2011 MVP and a six-time All-Star, hit .296 with 352 homers and 1,154 RBIs for Milwaukee from 2007-20. He was suspended for the final 65 games of the 2013 season for violations of baseball’s drug program and labor contract. A 50-game suspension for an alleged positive test in 2011 was overturned after Braun challenged the chain of custody of the urine sample.
Kemp, a three-time All-Star, batted .284 with 287 homers and 1,031 RBIs for the Los Angeles Dodgers (2006-14, ’18), San Diego (2015-16), Atlanta (2016-17), Cincinnati (2019) and Colorado (2020).
Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, Don Mattingly and Dale Murphy are being considered by the contemporary era committee along with Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela.
Yarbrough had a 4.36 ERA and 1.20 WHIP while striking out 55 batters in 64.0 innings for New York this past season as he was used in both the rotation and bullpen -- the 33-year-old made eight starts and 11 relief appearances.
In eight big league seasons, Yarbrough -- who has also pitched for the Rays, Royals, Dodgers, and Blue Jays -- has a 4.22 ERA (4.30 FIP) and 1.18 WHIP in 832 innings.
With Devin Williams and Luke Weaver among New York's relievers who recently hit free agency, the bullpen could look significantly different in 2026.
David Bednar is penciled in as the closer, while Camilo Doval should again be a late-inning option.
Tim Hill, who re-signed earlier this offseason, will also figure in.
When their top free agent departed last winter, the Yankees proved adept at triggering Plan B. Their pivot after Juan Soto signed with the Mets worked and, even without Soto’s prodigious bat, the Yanks tied for the American League lead in wins and made the playoffs for the 26th time since 1995.
What if their top free agent departs for the second consecutive offseason? Can the Yankees do it again should Cody Bellinger, who was part of Plan B last winter, sign elsewhere?
Bellinger fits in the Bronx – he looked so comfortable in his first season in pinstripes it was as if he’d played there for years. But the 30-year-old will have a strong market after flourishing in 2025 with 29 home runs, an .813 OPS and strong baserunning and defense. He can play all three outfield positions and first base and that versatility only enhances his value. He wasn’t eligible for a qualifying offer, so there’s no attached draft pick loss to the team that signs him, either.
Losing him would be a big blow to the Yankees, who are trying to win the World Series for the first time since 2009.
So how would they cope? We have some ideas for this winter’s version of Plan B. If it’s necessary...
The kids in the outfield
While there’s endless debate over what Spencer Jones might or might not become and similar scrutiny on what Jasson Domínguez is or isn’t, what if both turn out to be answers in the outfield? GM Brian Cashman said Jones, who has massive power and athleticism but also massive swing-and-miss, has put himself in position to make the big club after a 35-homer season in the minors.
Domínguez showed flashes last season, but as one of the most hyped prospects in history, most fans expected towering numbers, which he did not deliver. If both are good enough in ‘26, having two cheap lineup staples would allow the Yanks to plow more money into the free agent market to fill other needs.
Sleep on it
Trent Grisham was a revelation in ‘25, pounding a career-high 34 home runs and setting himself up for a big free agent payday. The Yanks gave "The Big Sleep" a qualifying offer, which is $22.05 million for one year. He could accept it and return. Or the Yanks could bring him back by working out a multi-year deal.
If Grisham and his laid-back vibe were in center again, it would leave only left field for the Yanks to figure out. They’ll gather more intel by Tuesday at 4 p.m., which is the deadline for Grisham to accept or reject the qualifying offer.
We want a pitcher
A big part of why last season’s Plan B worked was because the Yankees signed Max Fried and the lefty was sensational, with a 2.86 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in 195.1 innings. He was eighth in ERA and finished fourth in the AL Cy Young Award voting. Nice add to a team that also had MLB’s top offense in terms of runs per game and homers. If no Bellinger, perhaps they should fortify through the rotation again by adding a big-name free agent such as Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, or Ranger Suárez.
Perhaps Tatsuya Imai, a righty who had a 1.92 ERA last season, fits for a team that has thrived with Japanese aces in the past.
Yes, the Yanks already have a formidable starting staff in place with Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and Luis Gil. But Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón will start the season late as they finish recovery from surgeries -- and teams need huge starting inventories in the war-of-attrition world of modern-day pitching.
Gil or Warren could be moved in a trade (Yanks need 'pen help). Someone else could get hurt. The Dodgers didn’t seem to be worried about adding too many starters last winter. How’d that work out?
Contact play
In previous columns, we’ve been over the many reasons the Yankees could use a hitter – hitters? – with a nifty contact profile and a low-strikeout mindset. It’s even more vital if Bellinger splits, considering he had a career-best 13.7 percent strikeout rate last year, well south of the MLB average of 22.2 percent.
We dream of Steven Kwan in pinstripes. If such a trade with Cleveland could be possible, it must be pursued vigorously. Even if it’s just one slot in the batting order, the Yanks might be helped by a hitter who puts the ball in play and gets some action going on the basepaths.
Could free agent contact fiend Luis Arraez, who had by far the lowest strikeout rate in the majors, fit somewhere, even if he’s not a good defender?
Jazz at Bronx center?
Maybe there’s a world in which the Yanks move Jazz Chisholm Jr. to center field and then sign Bo Bichette to play second base. Chisholm has played 192 games in center in his career and the Marlins once believed he was their long-term solution there. He’s athletic and fast and it might be a nice way to play out his final season before free agency, showing teams his crazy versatility along with his 30-30 offensive profile. Bichette, who has the seventh-most hits in baseball since 2021, would help diversify the Yankees' attack.
Tuck(er) and roll
OK, we’re like the rest of the world, linking the Yankees to the top bat on the free agent market, Kyle Tucker. They are the Yankees, after all, and this feels like an annual tradition. Tucker would be a neat replacement should Bellinger leave and he’ll play next season at 29 years old.
Tucker has played much of his career in right field, a spot currently occupied on the Yankees by the game’s most destructive offensive force (Aaron Judge, duh), so he’d have to move to left. No biggie and it’s fun to imagine Judge and Tucker in the same lineup, along with other thumpers such as Giancarlo Stanton and Ben Rice.
Adding Tucker doesn’t feel super-likely, however, considering how much more expensive he could turn out to be than Bellinger. The Yanks are already sitting on some mammoth contracts.
Speaking at the GM Meetings, president of baseball operations David Stearns said the Mets would love to have Alonso (and Edwin Diaz) back.
"We love both Pete and Edwin," Stearns said. "They've been great representatives of the organization. We'd love to have them both back. At this stage of the offseason, it’s really tough to predict any outcomes, but certainly, we would love to have both those guys back."
Stearns added:
"All parts of player contribution inform how we view the player. For a position player, that’s certainly going to include offense and what they do in the box and what they do defensively. It also includes what they mean to us off the field, what they meant to us in the clubhouse and in the community. All that gets factored in with every player and Pete's no different."
Nov. 10, 5:06 p.m.
SNY MLB Insider Andy Martino says his "hunch" is that David Stearns and Steve Cohen "would be happy to welcome Alonso back in 2026" if he's open to a significant increase in at-bats at DH.
Additionally, Martino notes that it's "hard to imagine an increased willingness" by the Mets to offer Alonso a deal for four or five years.
Weeks removed from introducing Tony Vitello as the new Giants manager, president of baseball operations Buster Posey and general manager Zack Minasian had time to reflect on the process at the General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas last week.
The confidence in the move has only grown within the Giants’ front office.
“He’s so good with the media and he’s got a great presence about him, and I think it’s something that he enjoys doing,” Posey said of Vitello to NBC Sports Bay Area’s Alex Pavlovic on the “Giants Talk” podcast. “That’s a good thing, because he’s about to do it a lot coming up here in his first season.”
From star MLB pitchers to Hall of Fame quarterbacks, there has been no shortage of praise for Vitello. His popularity has made an impression on Posey.
“I’ve heard from a lot of people about him,” Posey said. “It seems that he knows a lot of different people in a lot of different walks of life. We’ve all seen it over the last couple of weeks.”
Although Minasian hasn’t been a GM for too long, he has been a part of many interview processes. He worked with the Milwaukee Brewers in the scouting department during the hirings of Ron Roenicke and Craig Counsell, and with the Giants in a similar role when the team hired Gabe Kapler and Bob Melvin.
In his second offseason as Giants GM, Minasian has seen an evolution in interview processes, which now include interviews over Zoom and through phone calls in addition to in-person meetings.
While some interviews test candidates with in-game situations, the Giants did not put Vitello through that.
“I know there’s some interview processes where there has been legitimate game situation video up and the potential manager is being asked what they would do in a certain situation,” Minasian recalled. “We didn’t go to that extent with Tony.”
The Giants were sold on Vitello’s proven relationship and leadership skills. Situational-based decision making will be developed as a collaboration between the new MLB coach and the front office.
“I think we’re all pretty open to Tony entering a little bit of a different world from what he’s experienced,” Minasian noted. “We talked about it, we all acknowledged it, but we didn’t necessarily try and test his knowledge on when do you want to flip the left-hander to the right side, and when you’re bringing this reliever in …
“I think those are things, hopefully, that we can collaborate on and have good conversations during the spring and even in the offseason.”
The Giants have built a brain trust of franchise legends such as Posey and former managers Dusty Baker and Bruce Bochy, who all will lend a hand to Vitello in his quest into uncharted MLB territory.
“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know him even more since we made the hire,” Posey said. “Still very, very excited about him.”
The easiest and cleanest way for the Mets to add a top-of-the-rotation starter to their staff this offseason is to turn to the free agent market, where the headliners are Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, and Ranger Suarez.
Ahead of his age-32 season, Valdez is the oldest of the available top starters. And he'll be seeking a huge deal.
Suarez, who turned 30 in August, might be the safest bet -- but he's also the least imposing. He has allowed 8.6 hits per nine during his eight-year career, is not a big strikeout guy, and has never thrown 158 innings or more in a season.
Then there's Cease, whose upside is sky high.
Entering his age-30 season, Cease has finished in the top-four in Cy Young voting two of the last four seasons. And he eats tons of innings. However, he's coming off a campaign where he had a 4.55 ERA, and has been maddeningly inconsistent.
San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) throws a pitch against the Colorado Rockies during the first inning at Petco Park. / Orlando Ramirez - Imagn Images
PROS
King, who will be entering his age-31 season in 2026, was tremendous for the Padres in 2024 as he transitioned from relieving to being a full-time starter.
Over 173.2 innings in 2024 -- which was nearly 70 innings more than the career-high he tossed in 2023 -- King had a 2.95 ERA (3.33 FIP) and 1.19 WHIP while striking out 201.
King was still effective in 2025, but his season was interrupted twice due to injuries.
In 73.1 innings spanning 15 starts this past season, King had a 3.44 ERA (4.42 FIP) and 1.20 WHIP while striking out 76.
While King has the ability to pitch near the top of the rotation when healthy, questions about his durability could result in the contract he signs this offseason being short.
That could mean a three-year contract. Or perhaps King bets on himself and takes a one-year deal with an eye on hitting the market again next offseason and cashing in.
Either way, he will almost certainly not get anything close in terms of years or average annual value to what Valdez, Suarez, Cease, or even Japanese ace Tatsuya Imai will get.
On a three-year deal, King would be a medium-risk, high-reward proposition.
On a one-year deal, the risk would be incredibly low.
San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres starting pitcher Michael King (34) pitches against the New York Mets during the first inning at Petco Park. / Orlando Ramirez - Imagn Images
CONS
King dealt with a nerve injury in his throwing shoulder last season, and also lost time due to a knee injury.
King has less mileage on his arm than most starting pitchers his age since he only recently transitioned to starting, so that's a plus. But it's also a double-edged sword of sorts since it means he isn't used to the rigors of starting every fifth day.
Most importantly, his pitching run value went from near the top of the league to near the bottom.
Meanwhile, after King's xERA, chase percentage, whiff percentage, and barrel percentage were all elite in 2024, he was below average in each of those metrics in 2025.
Looking at King's stuff, while he has a legitimate four-pitch mix (sinker, four-seam fastball, changeup, and sweeper) and also tosses in a slider every now and then, his sinker and four-seamer are noticeably down in velocity.
In 2022, King's sinker averaged 95.5 mph. In 2025, it averaged 92.7 mph.
In 2022, King's four-seamer averaged 96.4 mph. In 2025, it averaged 93.7 mph.
VERDICT
For a Mets team that needs more consistency in the rotation after their 2025 season was derailed because their starting staff faltered, King is arguably too big of a question mark.
Perhaps he could make sense on a one-year deal if he's paired with a top-of-the-rotation addition. But saving that, the Mets should be focusing their attention elsewhere.
SAN FRANCISCO — Watching Game 7 of this year’s World Series was painful for just about everybody in the Giants organization. But for a few front office employees who were heavily involved in courting Yoshinobu Yamamoto two years ago, there was an extra layer of discomfort.
For all of the attention that was paid to Shohei Ohtani, Yamamoto was a more realistic addition. The Giants were crushed when they were told that they were out of the bidding, and then they watched as Yamamoto opted to join Ohtani in Los Angeles on a record $325 million deal. So far, the right-hander has been worth every penny.
Giants general manager Zack Minasian led the organization’s pro scouting efforts at the time and made plenty of trips to Japan to see Yamamoto and others. At the GM Meetings last week, Minasian said watching Yamamoto in the postseason brought back some flashes from those scouting trips. This type of success is what he envisioned when he tried to bring Yamamoto to San Francisco.
“It still stings a little bit,” he said on the “Giants Talk” podcast. “But I think one of the things about losing and seeing your rival win, as tough as it can be — we have to turn it into a positive. If it pushes us to go beyond our comfort zone, to challenge ourselves and be more creative about getting players, then so be it.”
The nice thing about being in charge of finding talent is there’s always another class coming, and this offseason is no exception. It’s not considered a particularly strong free-agent group overall, but there are several potential standouts who are expected to come over from Japan.
Right-hander Tatsuya Imai is considered by many to be one of the top-10 players on the market and infielder Munetaka Murakami is right there with him. They could be joined by third baseman Kazuma Okamoto, right-hander Kona Takahashi, Taiwanese right-hander Jo-Hsi Hsu and others. There also are several former big-league pitchers who had success in either Japan or South Korea and are looking to come back, led by former Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Cody Ponce.
Teams will even get another crack at Shota Imanaga — who came over in 2024 and just had his team option declined by the Chicago Cubs — and infielder Ha-Seong Kim, who loomed as an obvious option for the Giants last year before they signed Willy Adames.
The international market has exploded in recent years, and the Giants want to be right in the center of it, or at least right there with any team outside of Dodger Stadium. Earlier this year, president of baseball operations Buster Posey joined Minasian on a five-day trip to Asia to scout some players and lay the groundwork for potential future deals.
“We most definitely want to have a presence there,” Posey said on “Giants Talk” last week. “You can see the impact that Japanese players have had on teams, really, I guess you can go back the last decade now. We know how important it is to try to land those guys and just how talented they are.
“When I was over there I was impressed with the pitching. The pitching didn’t feel like it was too, too far behind. I’d say the hitting is probably a little bit behind still, but (there are) a lot of really good players.”
While the Giants have done a lot of work on Murakami over the years, most of that was before Posey traded for Rafael Devers, which gives them long-term starters at first and third (Matt Chapman), with Bryce Eldridge also in the mix with Devers at first and designated hitter. Some Giants people think Murakami can handle the outfield, but he’s expected to have plenty of big-market suitors who can play him on the dirt.
Imai stands out as the much cleaner fit this offseason, and he is expected to be posted soon by the Seibu Lions, opening a 45-day window to negotiate with MLB teams. The 5-foot-11 right-hander had a 1.92 ERA in Japan last year with 178 strikeouts in 163 2/3 innings. He always has limited homers and has dramatically cut his walk rate in recent years, pairing a splitter and slider with a fastball that touches the upper 90s.
One of the reasons the Giants were so willing to go to $300 million for Yamamoto was his age, and Imai will hit the open market at 27. He is right in his prime, and Posey and Minasian happened to see him during that trip to Japan.
“We’d like to be a destination for those teams and for those players,” Minasian said. “We’d like the NPB and the KBO to look at the Giants as one of the premier Major League Baseball franchises (which) is how we see ourselves.”
The Giants point to their community and fan base as draws. While Jung Hoo Lee hasn’t fully broken out on the field, he certainly has become a fan favorite, and the Giants have put a good support system around him.
Of course, they still are playing catch up. The Dodgers are Japan’s team, and they added Roki Sasaki to Ohtani and Yamamoto last offseason. They always will be mentioned first when a Japanese star is posted, although they might not be a great fit for Imai this time around.
You can never have too much pitching, but it isn’t a need for them this offseason, when they likely will first look to bolster their bullpen and outfield. Any Japanese pitcher intent on joining the Dodgers might find himself behind Ohtani, Yamamoto and Sasaki in the rotation, along with Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow and others.
Whether it’s Imai or someone else this year, or a future free agent, the Giants hope to have others from Asia join Lee on their roster. They spent years bolstering their efforts in Latin America and that’s starting to pay off, with Josuar Gonzalez signing last year and another big class on the way this offseason.
Teams on the West Coast often have an advantage with stars from Japan or South Korea, and the goal is for the organization to be able to go head-to-head with the Dodgers when a player is the right fit. Minasian said he doesn’t view it as convincing those players not to choose the Dodgers. He wants them to see all that San Francisco has to offer.
“(We) basically just put our best foot forward about who we are, how we can treat them, how we can take care of them, the things that we can do that separate ourselves from those other clubs,” Minasian said. “We’re pretty fortunate in San Francisco to have such a great fan base, a diverse fan base that appreciates what those players in particular can bring, so I think things of that nature hopefully mean something to Japanese players and Korean players going forward.”
SEATTLE (AP) — First baseman Josh Naylor and the Seattle Mariners are finalizing a five-year contract, a person with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press on Sunday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team had not announced the contract. ESPN was the first to report the deal.
Naylor, 28, became a free agent for the first time shortly after the Mariners lost to the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series. Soon after Seattle’s season ended, president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto stressed the importance of re-signing Naylor after acquiring him from the Arizona Diamondbacks and called it a priority to bring the first baseman back.
Manager Dan Wilson spoke highly of the impact Naylor had on the Mariners both on and off the field over his three months with the franchise.
“You need that intensity. You need that drive,” Wilson said. “I think his drive to win is incredible also. And that’s what you’re going to need from all your guys, and that’s a big part of what he brought to this club.”
In 54 games with the Mariners, Naylor hit .299 with nine home runs, 33 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. In 12 postseason games, Naylor hit .340 with three home runs, five RBIs and two stolen bases.
Over the entire season, Naylor hit .295 with 20 home runs, 92 RBIs and a career-high 30 stolen bases.
