New York Daily News | Gary Phillips: Everybody knew that after signing Cody Bellinger to a five-year, $162.5 million contract this week, the Yankees’ payroll was going to blow past $300 million quite comfortably. The projected CBT payroll is, according to FanGraphs, at $317.8 million. Cot’s Contracts has the number at $320.1 million, third behind the Dodgers and Mets. It remains to be seen if their current payroll projections stand in the way of the team filling the team’s remaining needs, such as pitching and a right-handed bat.
MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams: Just a few years ago, Marco Luciano was considered the shortstop of the future by the Giants. He was untouchable in trade talks, and fans imagined him holding down the position for the next 10-15 years. Baseball is known for taking unexpected twists and turns, though, and the 24-year-old has been claimed via waivers by the Yanks after being designated for assignment by the Orioles a week ago. Luciano didn’t play in the majors in 2025, and hit .214/.335/.413 with 23 home runs and a 96 wRC+ in 125 games in the Giants’ Triple-A squad. If he sticks in the Bronx, he’ll represent a fun reclamation project. The far more likely outcome is that he’ll be infield depth at Scranton if he can’t find a big-league job by the end of spring training.
Baseball America: Baseball America released its annual list of top 100 prospects this week, with four Yankees featured on it: George Lombard Jr., Elmer Rodríguez, Dax Kilby, and Carlos Lagrange. On Thursday, they published their top 100 pitching prospects for 2026 according to the advanced metric Stuff+, and Lagrange is sitting at the top with a 121 mark. Not too shabby for the 22-year-old flamethrower who finished the 2026 campaign having reached Double-A.
FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: Jaffe takes a candidate-by-candidate look at the 2026 Hall of Fame voting results, including some former Yankees. Outfielders Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones, two former stars who wore pinstripes in their careers, were voted in and will officially be enshrined in the summer. Jaffe also gave helpful updates on where other candidates are in the their Hall of Fame voting journeys, with old friends Andy Pettitte, Bobby Abreu, and Alex Rodriguez among that contingent.
Carson Benge has a chance to make the Mets' Opening Day roster this spring, and the young outfielder is taking steps to prepare himself for that opportunity.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon reported Thursday that Benge is already in Port St. Lucie -- almost a month before the Mets' Feb. 16 full squad report date -- after spending time during the offseason working on his hitting with the Holliday family at Oklahoma State -- that's, of course, Orioles star Jackson and his father Matt.
Benge has shown promise in the minors and is regarded as one of the organization's top prospects. He has enough upside to have caught David Stearns' attention and the president of baseball operations declared that Benge will have a chance to break camp with the squad.
“Carson Benge is going to come into spring training with a chance to make our team, and we’ll see where the offseason takes us beyond that,” Stearns said back in November.
“When you have good players at the upper levels of the minor leagues, we have to find space for those players to play. Carson is among them. He’s not the only one, but he’s among them. So, as we build out our team, we have to ensure that as we move forward, there is room for our young players to get to the major leagues when they deserve to get there, and have a chance to really contribute to our major league team.”
Of course, a lot has changed with the Mets' roster since Stearns made those comments, especially with the outfield.
Stearns swung a trade with the White Sox to bring Luis Robert Jr. over to, presumably, play center field. That leaves left field open for Benge, or any other outfield option on the roster, to take this opportunity.
But after the addition of Robert Jr., Stearns is sticking with what he said months ago.
"With Carson, I've been clear all offseason he has a chance to make the club and Robert's addition doesn't change that," Stearns said Thursday. "We're going to give him a chance to make the club out of camp. Doesn't mean he is, but we'll give him a chance."
Other options for left field include Tyrone Taylor and even Brett Baty, who will play the super-utility role after the addition of Bo Bichette to play third base.
Stearns' comments reveal his confidence in Benge to potentially compete for that spot, no matter what the current roster looks like. But it's not just Stearns' words that illustrate his belief in the young outfielder.
In the same report from Rosenthal and Sammon, Benge was "never seriously on the table" during trade conversations for Freddy Peralta.
Benge started last season with High-A Brooklyn but ended up playing 24 games for Triple-A Syracuse before the season came to a close. The 2024 first-round pick -- and the first draft selection made by Stearns in New York -- struggled once he arrived in Syracuse, putting up just a .583 OPS. But Benge had an overall solid full season as a pro, posting
an .857 OPS with 15 home runs and 73 RBI across all three levels.
On the latest episode of The Mets Pod, Connor Rogers and Joe DeMayo recap a week that turned the tide on the Mets' offseason and outlook for 2026.
First up, the guys react to the huge trade that landed top starter Freddy Peralta, along with Tobias Myers, in exchange for top prospects Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat.
Then Connor and Joe move on to the acquisition of center fielder Luis Robert Jr, the official introduction of Bo Bichette, the addition of Luis Garcia to the bullpen, and maybe more moves to come.
The show also goes Down on the Farm to look at how the trades affect the organization, and answer Mailbag questions about adding another outfielder, and the September return of Pete Alonso to Citi Field with the Orioles.
Be sure to subscribe to The Mets Pod at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.
It’s hard to tackle a topic like this without unintentionally disrespecting the current manager of the St. Louis Cardinals, but I have to wonder if Yadier Molina might be the leader the team needs once the ongoing rebuild is complete. But, I also have a few reservations about why I fear that it might not be the great idea many of us think it is.
Let me be clear that I am not an anti-Oli Marmol person. While he’s not my favorite St. Louis Cardinals manager ever, I realize he’s been working with a roster that has been lacking to say the least. Oli did a good job handling a tricky lineup in 2022 when Albert Pujols rejoined the Cardinals for his final season, but let’s not talk about his bullpen use during the playoffs that year against the Phillies. No matter what you think of Oli as a manager, I think many in the Cardinals fanbase will forever view him as a remnant of the John Mozeliak era no matter if that’s fair or not. My point is I want to look at Yadi’s capabilities and not Oli Marmol’s faults.
We learned this week that the St. Louis Cardinals had hired Yadi again as a special assistant to the President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom. The Cardinals said “Yadi will provide input on our catching program, will advise our staff on catching and game planning strategy and will give…our front office valuable perspective from his unique vantage point.”. The St. Louis Cardinals emphasized the need for Yadi to communicate his “championship mindset” to the players. My mind immediately began wondering if the team will someday turn to Yadi to execute that as the manager.
Let’s pretend there will be no work stoppage after the season because the owners and players can’t get together on a new collective bargaining agreement. For the sake of argument, let’s also say the foundational aspects of the St. Louis Cardinals rebuild is in good shape after just a couple of seasons. If the team decides that Oli Marmol is not the manager that’s needed when the Cardinals are ready to seriously contend again, should Yadi Molina be the next St. Louis skipper? I have created a pros and cons list because there are some real concerns.
Let’s start with the obvious pros. Yadier Molina has elite levels of tactical knowledge. Tony La Russa once said that he considered Yadi as an extra coach on the field. He said that Yadi “thinks and manages a game and a pitching staff as well as anybody ever has”. I can’t think of anyone I would want handling the St. Louis Cardinals bullpen for a full season than Yadi. He’s also a proven leader, not just during his Cardinals playing career but also as a manager in the Puerto Rican winter league. Yadi was the on-field leader that helped bring world championships to St. Louis in 2006 and 2011. There is no aspect of team and field management that he does not possess.
The cons list isn’t substantial, but there are a few potential hurdles that would give me pause before I offered Yadier this opportunity. The first and most significant is his ability to commit to a full season and all that requires when his involvement with the team over the past couple of years has been limited by family needs. I also wonder if Yadi has the patience needed to deal with the media on a day-to-day basis. While I was often entertained by some of the tense Tony La Russa post-game interviews (especially after a loss), it’s vital that a manager be able to handle media responsibilities. Would Yadi’s sometimes intense demeanor have the patience for that? That would be interesting. A modern day manager needs to understand how to incorporate all of the new data and technology that’s available into decision making and I’m not aware of how Yadi feels about that.
One thing I do not question is Yadier Molina’s drive to accomplish something that he sets out to do and it’s clear that he envisions himself as a major league manager someday. I think his new “special” assistant role with the Cardinals could be the key step to preparing him for that opportunity. If his family demands allow him to be a full-time manager, I believe he might be the perfect next leader of the St. Louis Cardinals. When you factor in how much the St. Louis Cardinals fanbase loves Yadi, it’s a marketing team’s dream for him to someday become the manager. Let’s watch this coming season and see if Yadi is a more visible presence with a bigger time investment. If that happens, we could be seeing the transition of a legendary Cardinals player into the future manager he so longs to be.
Stay up to date with the MLB free agent market this offseason, including player signings, contract details, and team fits as the 2025-26 Hot Stove heats up.
D.J. Short
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Extreme Mets Makeover
It’s not quite Michael Corleone at the end of Godfather I, but David Stearns has made a number of significant transactions in quick succession to reshape the Mets’ roster in his image.
Over the last few days, he’s swung huge trades for Freddy Peralta and Luis Robert Jr. after signing Bo Bichette to a surprise contract last Friday. That is an incredibly exciting trio of players to bring in this late in an offseason.
Starting with Peralta, he fills the Mets desperate need for a frontline pitcher. Since becoming a full-time starter in 2021, he has a 3.30 ERA and 29.6% strikeout rate. That’s a remarkable level of consistency over nearly 740 regular season innings.
Last year may have marked a true step forward for him too.
‘Fastball Freddy’ was reliant on that fastball as a young pitcher. It received an elite 60-grade by FanGraphs when he was a prospect and carried him to the big leagues.
Once there, it was that fastball and his slider willing him through spurts of brilliance followed by bouts with inconsistency. He bounced between the rotation, bullpen, and minor leagues for three seasons while battling that variability.
Regardless, that fastball was special from the jump.
He took his first leap forward in 2021 after adding a changeup to his repertoire. That new pitch was enough to keep left-handed hitters honest and helped Peralta earn a full-time rotation spot.
Something clicked with the curveball and changeup last season as they became more meaningful parts of his repertoire than before.
Before, he threw his fastball and slider around 85% of the time to right-handed batters. This past season, he flattened the usage of his slider, curve, and change to almost exactly all even around 15% each. The changeup was layered in off his fastball early in counts while hitters were left guessing whether he’d drop the slider or curve when ahead.
Letting that slider be more of a surprise helped its whiff rate rise to a career best 53.4% too. From the outside, this looked like Peralta further growing into his abilities as a pitcher.
The Mets’ and Brewers’ home parks have a similar park factor and the Mets’ defense will likely be a bit worse than the Brewers’ was, but Peralta may be coming into his own and should still be considered a top-25 or so pitcher entering the year.
Williams is a former first round pick and just put up a 156 wRC+ across 96 games in Double-A as a 21-year-old. He’s known for a tremendous eye with a nearly 16% walk rate across all levels as a professional, yet some criticize him for extreme passivity that likely will not play once he reaches the big leagues.
Otherwise, he has much more power than his five-foot, seven-inch frame would indicate and is a capable defender at every up-the-middle position without being necessarily great anywhere either. This is the exact type of high-floor, athletic player the Brewers gravitate towards.
Sproat got his first taste of the big leagues late last season and showed excellent breaking ball quality and feel, just without a swing-and-miss fastball. Again, that’s an archetype the Brewers have found success with as recently as Quinn Priester.
The big difference is Sproat sits around 97 mph. He’s also thrown nearly 260 innings across all levels over the last two seasons, so he’s ready to take on a full major league workload should the Brewers require one.
Both players are considered top-100 prospects on nearly every available ranking and each have pushed their way towards the top-20s at their respective peaks. There’s a good blend of ceiling and floor with this return for the Brewers.
Flying a bit under the radar, the Mets also acquired Tobias Myers as the second piece of this trade. He had a 3.00 ERA across 138 innings in 2024 before working mostly as a reliever last year due to extreme crowding in the Brewers’ rotation.
His release point is one of the highest in the league and that helps him get great vertical action on his fastball. That pitch doesn’t get many swings-and-misses though and is well below average in terms of velocity for right-handed pitchers. Also, his feel for spin is iffy at best due to that extreme over-the-top release.
He has a nice splitter though, prior success in both the rotation and bullpen, and a minor league option. He’ll likely start the year in Triple-A and will be the first arm the Mets call on when they need someone to slot into their rotation.
Big Risk on Robert Jr.?
The day before acquiring Peralta, the Mets made a more risky addition in centerfielder Luis Robert Jr. Theysent infielder Luisangel Acuña and Low-A pitcher Truman Pauley to Chicago in exchange and will pay the entirety of Robert’s $20 million contract this season.
Anyone who tells you they know what version of Robert will show up this year is lying.
He looked like one of the most dynamic young players in the league from 2021 to 2023 and peaked with a 38-homer, 20-steal, five-WAR season, but has fallen off a cliff since.
His slash line is .223/.288/.372 over the last two seasons and he’s continued to deal with the same nagging injuries that have always plagued him.
With that being said, he still has all the tools to be a high-end player. Athletically, few others have the same level of bat speed, sprint speed, and defensive prowess.
90th percentile or better in both sprint speed & bat speed, 2025:
Even without dreaming on the ceiling, a player with Robert’s defensive floor is a great fit for this Mets roster.
Defensive specialist Tyrone Taylor was slotted to be the Mets’ everyday center fielder with top prospect Carson Benge in line to challenge for playing time early on.
Taylor had an abysmal .598 OPS last season across 341 plate appearances and the kindest projection system had him slated to still be a well below average hitter this coming year. He’s a great fourth outfielder, but should not be counted on as a regular for a team with playoff aspirations.
As for Benge, this move takes tons of pressure off him. He’s more of a corner outfielder by trade and struggled through the lone month he played at Triple-A last season. Only just drafted in 2024, he could use a bit more seasoning in the upper minors and will likely benefit from not being relied upon immediately for a team with playoff aspirations.
The best part of this trade for the Mets is they didn’t have to give up a ton for Robert’s services. Luisangel Acuña was the big piece going back to Chicago and he profiles as a utility infielder with great defense at second base and fantastic speed. Just without a great hit tool or much power.
That was an easy price to pay for what could be a lightning rod in Robert.
Gore has sought consistency for his entire major league career because his raw stuff, high velocity from the left side, and ability to induce swings-and-misses at a high rate should have converted into him breaking out by now. Any uptick in his command will let that happen. It’s just hard to bank on it before seeing him sustain it for a full season.
Of the prospects heading back to Washington, recent draftee Gavin Fien appears to be the headliner. He was the 12th overall pick last June and has plus-plus bat speed for a teenager.
Much of the Red Sox scouting department loved Gavin Fien in the 2025 Draft. He had real buzz in the top five or six picks. Boston was seen as the floor.
These two sides were simply meant for one another despite the two-way media frenzy trying to push the opposite narrative.
The adjustments Bellinger has made to get his career back on track play perfectly to Yankee Stadium: he makes tons of contact and pulls his fly balls at one of the highest rates in the league. He and the short porch in right field had a great introduction last season and will get to know each other very well over the next few years.
One caveat to this deal, the Yankees’ outfield seems set with Bellinger, Aaron Judge, and Trent Grisham in the fold along with Giancarlo Stanton at designated hitter. Does that make Jasson Domínguez a trade chip? Or will he enter another season on the outside looking in.
Realmuto’s best days are certainly behind him as he enters his age-35 season and just turned in a sub-.700 OPS for the first time since 2015. He’ll offer the Phillies great intangibles though and will likely wind up as a more valuable player in real life than for fantasy baseball.
◆ Bradley Blalock will be freed from the shackles of Coors Field after the Marlins acquired him from the Rockies. He will be a fascinating case study for how much the altitude affects a pitchers’ raw stuff because his pitch movement becomes much, much more interesting outside of Colorado.
◆ The Braves signed Jorge Mateo to potentially be their opening day shortstop in the wake of Ha-Seong Kim’s finger injury. It’s reported that Kim’s recovery time is between four and five months, so Mateo will have plenty of runway to play if he wins the job. And if Mateo is playing, he will be stealing plenty of bases.
◆ Framber Valdez, Eugenio Suárez, and Zac Gallen are likely the next batch of players on the move. The trade market is still hot too. Make sure to keep up the Rotoworld Player News page so you don’t miss any of the action plus live stream and video content here all next week!
⚾️ Coming soon: MLB returns toNBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
The Mets have acquired utility player Vidal Bruján from the Twins for cash considerations, and to make room for him on their 40-man roster, they’ve also designated left-handed pitcher Richard Lovelady for assignment.
Entering his age-28 season, Bruján has struggled pretty mightily at the plate in his major league career despite having been a consensus top-100 prospects from 2019 through 2022. He’s made 645 plate appearances in total over the past five seasons, playing for five different teams, and has hit .199/.267/.276 with five home runs, 16 stolen bases, and a 54 wRC+. He’s accumulated -2.0 fWAR over the course of his career thus far, and it would be somewhat surprising if he were to make it to the end of spring training without being designated for assignment.
As for Lovelady, this isn’t his first, second, or third time getting DFA’d by the Mets, as this marks the fourth time the team has removed him from the 40-man roster in less than a year. Despite the previous three instances and the 8.49 ERA that Lovelady had in the big leagues last year, the Mets signed him to a one-year major league contract in October. We’ll see if he remains with the Mets after this one.
The Yankees are taking a flier on infielder/outfielder Marco Luciano, who the club claimed off waivers from the Orioles on Thursday.
Luciano, 24, has appeared in part of two seasons with the Giants, where he hit .217 (25-for-115) with eight doubles, one triple across 41 games between 2023-24. He has appeared as a shortstop and second baseman in the bigs, but appeared mostly in left field in the minors in 2025. Luciano spent all of last season with Triple-A Sacramento in the Giants' system, where he batted .214 with 21 doubles, 23 home runs and 66 RBI.
The Dominican Republic native was once a top prospect with the Giants, being in the top two in the organization from 2020-24, according to MLB Pipeline.
Prior to being picked up by the Yankees, Luciano was claimed by the Pirates on Dec. 5 before Pittsburgh designated him for assignment two weeks later. The Orioles claimed him on Jan. 7, but DFA'd him on Jan. 15.
The 27-year-old Brujan played for three teams in 2025, combining for a .616 OPS in 60 games split among the Cubs, Orioles and Braves.
To open up a spot on the 40-man roster for Brujan, left-hander Richard Lovelady was designated for assignment.
Vidal Bruján taking a swing against the Nationals during the sixth inning in Game 1 of a split doubleheader at Nationals Park on Sept. 16, 2025. Getty Images
Brujan was selected off waivers by the Twins from Atlanta a week ago and must be sent through waivers in order to be sent back to the minors.
He has played in parts of five major league seasons and appeared in 102 games with the Marlins in 2024.
The Mets made a trade with the Twins on Thursday night, acquiring utilityman Vidal Brujan for cash considerations.
Brujan, 23, has spent five seasons in the big leagues, most recently with the Braves.
In 2025, Brujan appeared in 59 games, slashing .244/.298/.302 with an OPS of .600 with the Cubs, Orioles and the aforementioned Braves. He was claimed by the Twins in January but was designated for assignment on Jan. 21 before the Mets came in and traded for him.
What makes Brujan appealing to president of baseball operations David Stearns and the Mets is his versatility. Brujan has started at all three outfield spots, shortstop, third base and second base. He's played most of his games at second, but has appeared in 67 games (33 starts) in the outfield.
In a corresponding move to make room for Brujan on the roster, the Mets designated LHP Richard Lovelady for assignment.
New York sent prospects Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams to Milwaukee to complete the deal for Peralta and reliever Tobias Myers. It was a bittersweet day in Mets land as Williams was often at the top of the organization's prospect lists, including SNY's Joe DeMayo, who had him ranked No. 3 on his latest rankings -- behind only Nolan McLean and Carson Benge.
About 24 hours after the deal was made official, Williams posted a message to the Mets and fans as he embarks on a new journey with the Brewers.
"To the Mets organization, thank you for giving me an opportunity and for allowing me the space to grow - through both failure and success. Thank you to the fans for welcoming me with open arms and supporting me through every high and low. To my teammates and everyone in the organization, you will always have a special place in my heart."
Williams was drafted 14th overall by the Mets in the 2022 draft and had a taste of the Triple-A level by the 2024 season, but was slowed down by injury. The infielder/outfielder returned to have a bounceback 2025 between Binghamton and Syracuse, slashing .261/.363/.465 with an OPS of .828 across 130 games. He smashed 17 home runs, drove in 52 runs and stole 34 bases.
Spring training is fast approaching, but not fast enough for me. These days, we are in a serious baseball content drought: MLB The Show is in end-of-life, most of the major names have been signed, and the trade market is coming to a standstill. All I have left to keep me going these days is the 40 in 40s. Most recently, I read what Isabelle Minasian wrote about Emmerson Hancock. The article was a good read. Until now, I did not know Hancock was the 6th overall pick, which makes the Mariners’ development of him interesting, especially considering the success they’ve had with other guys who didn’t have as much upside, like Bryan Woo or Bryce Miller. Hancock is not the only player to raise these kinds of questions. The Mariners currently have a plethora of players who may, in fact, be on their last chance or close to it. Through circumstance, injury, or just plain chance, these are players who now find themselves on the outside looking in of the opening day roster, which raises a few questions for me:
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Now, obviously, there may be other players you have opinions about, but let me explain why I chose who I chose.
Cole Young could become the starting second baseman right out of spring training, or even third base if things don’t work out for Williamson over there. While a bad run for Young could mean starting in Triple-A and allowing the Mariners to run out whoever for 2-3 months while Young builds up some momentum again in the minors. Williamson is in a similar boat to Young; it seems they are going to go with him at third, but I would hesitate to call it a sure thing. Williamson had some good moments last year and looked solid, but is going to take more than 76 OPS+ to be a core contributor on this team at a power premium position, at least I think it should. Luke Raley didn’t see much action last year due to injury, but even when he was healthy, he still didn’t see an uptick in use and went unused in the playoffs. Raley has to come out of the gate hot. He has some value as a utility player for outfield and first, but with the addition of Refsnyder, it’s hard to say how Raley fits on this roster moving forward.
Bryce Miller was haranged by injury, inconsistancy and poor performance last year, I imagine mostly stemming from his repeated elbow issues. Miller has shown he can be dominant. I fully expect him to return to form and more this season; I don’t think there’s any reason to expect less. Now, I’ll preface this by saying I am a well-known Canzone hater. Now, Canzone has had flashes, but I’m ready to see him put it together if he can. However, if he can’t, I support ending the Canzone experience. Emmerson Hancock’s name still haunts the comments on these posts. What is there to say that Isabelle hasn’t said already? He’s 26, a former top pick, now is the time show us he’s got it. The random usage, being called up and down at a whim, I’m sure, takes its toll mentally and physically. But Hancock has got to show up with a new gear this year, or I fear his time as a Mariner may be soon drawing to a close.
Of course, I can’t let you go without seeing the results from last week. So let us get into it. Last week I asked you all if you thought the Mariners were done this offseason, and boy did people let me know:
Vast majory of you said know. I think that’s cope (formerly known as Edge) but I guess we shall see. If there is going to be a deal, it will be the NL Central, either the Cubes or the Cardinals, but I really think the asking price for Nico Horner or Brenden Donovan is too high. That being said, competitive teams make competitive moves; you rarely miss prospects when you’re playing in October. Plus, while the cost is high now, it might only get higher at the deadline, or depending on where teams are at, become nonexistent.
In relation to that we also asked if you thought the Mariners had a World Series leve roster as they are right now, the results were less straightforward:
Slight lean towards “I don’t know,” but really it’s split into thirds. Obviously, we still have yet to see how this group will play over the course of a full season. Personally, I don’t think the Mariners have made massively impactful changes that put them over the top, but I guess that depends on how much they need to get over the hill.
Regardless, let us know what you think in the comments and survey below…or I guess above in this case.
One Major Red Flag in the Astros’ Projected 2026 Rotation
By now, Astros fans have likely seen the wave of national articles and social media posts projecting Houston’s starting rotation for the 2026 season. Most of the attention has understandably centered on Lance McCullers Jr. and his prominent inclusion in many of those forecasts. But beyond the familiar names, there’s a far more concerning trend hiding in plain sight.
Every projected Astros starter being discussed is right-handed.
Call me crazy, but running out a rotation made up entirely of right-handed pitchers on a daily basis doesn’t feel like a formula for sustained success. Yes, the organization is expected to move on from left-hander Framber Valdez, but if Colton Gordon is truly the only left-handed starting option currently in the system, that signals there is still significant work ahead for Dana Brown and the Astros’ front office.
Whether that solution comes as part of a larger trade perhaps clearing the current infield logjam while adding young pitching talent, or through a more targeted deal specifically aimed at addressing this imbalance, it’s hard to believe the Astros are comfortable entering spring training with such a glaring lack of left-handed starters. At least one, if not multiple, southpaws should be on their radar before camp opens.
That’s not to say the projected rotation lacks quality. In fact, there’s plenty to like from top to bottom. Hunter Brown has firmly established himself as the ace and anchor of the staff, and there’s little reason to believe his trajectory is anything but upward. Replacing Framber Valdez with Tatsuya Imai was a savvy move by the front office, providing a strong presence near the top of the rotation.
Christian Javier and Spencer Arrighetti are expected to factor into the top five, while newcomers Mike Burrows and Ryan Weiss bring intriguing upside as potential contributors. McCullers, entering the final year of his contract, will be given every opportunity to earn a rotation spot. Should he fall short, veteran arms such as Jason Alexander and J.P. France could pitch their way into consideration. Even young prospects like A.J. Blubaugh will be given a legitimate chance to prove they belong among the club’s top six starters.
The Astros have already indicated that early-season scheduling, injury management, and workload concerns will lead them to deploy a six-man rotation. That makes the lack of left-handed balance even more noticeable. As things currently stand, Colton Gordon appears to be the lone left-handed starter with a chance to be utilized when the team breaks camp. Whether he secures a permanent spot in the rotation or not is going to be determined by how he pitches this spring along with injuries and potential additions to the club.
For that reason alone, expect Dana Brown to remain active and creative in the coming months. Adding at least one left-handed starter before Opening Day feels less like a luxury and more like a necessity.
One way or another, the Astros’ 2026 rotation will change between now and Opening Day. The question isn’t if Dana Brown adds a left-handed arm, it’s who? how? and how soon?
While this move will be overshadowed by the MacKenzie Gore trade, Paul Toboni made another waiver claim. This time he picked up Gus Varland from the Diamondbacks. He is the older brother of Blue Jays reliever Louis Varland and has some similarities. To make room on the 40-man roster the Nationals DFA’d Riley Adams.
The Nationals have claimed right-handed pitcher Gus Varland off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and designated catcher Riley Adams for assignment.
While Varland did not pitch in the MLB in 2025 and had an injury riddled season, he has MLB experience. He had a really strong season in 2024, posting a 3.42 ERA in 26.1 innings with 27 strikeouts. If he can get back to that form in 2026, he can be a nice piece for the Nats bullpen.
At just 29 years old, Varland still has time on his side as well. Varland has an exciting fastball/slider combination that can get big league outs. His fastball sat at 95 MPH in 2024, but it has a ton of carry at the top of the zone. The heater is comfortably his best pitch and he throws it over 55% of the time. Varland’s primary secondary pitch is a high-80’s slider, but he also mixes in a changeup.
He is an interesting piece to add to a wide open mix in the Nats bullpen. With Varland and Paxton Schultz in the fold, Paul Toboni has created some more bullpen depth. The high leverage spots are a concern, but it feels like the bullpen has more capable bodies now.
On the other side of the coin, the Nats DFA’d Riley Adams, who has been with the team for a while. Adams was part of a deal that sent Brad Hand to the Blue Jays. While he has not been great, getting a big leaguer for Hand is a win. In his time with the Nats, Adams posted a .640 OPS.
The Nationals have claimed Gus Varland off waivers from the Arizona Diamondbacks and DFA’d catcher Riley Adams.
Adams, acquired in the sell-off in 2021 for Brad Hand, hit .215 with a .640 OPS in five seasons with the Nationals.
Adams has some eye-popping tools, most notably his elite bat speed. His 78.3 MPH average swing speed is one of the best marks in the sport. He also has an absolute cannon of an arm. However, he was just unable to fully put things together.
Adams will turn 30 this year, so time is not really on his side anymore. He is also out of options, so it feels unlikely that he gets claimed. Given some of the tools, I would not be shocked if he got claimed though.
Obviously, this move will be overshadowed by the Gore trade, but it could be a decent pickup for the bullpen. Paul Toboni is making his mark on this roster, there is no denying that.
Tyson Lewis saw his name etched in the annals of internet history earlier today by claiming the #8 spot in this year’s Red Reporter Community Prospect Rankings. Congrats to Tyson on the incredible honor!
By now you know the new voting rules here. There will be an embedded poll at the bottom of this post where you can cast your vote until the poll closes, but if that’s stripped out for you for some reason there will exist a link right here to take you to Google Forms to vote. Both of those will magically disappear when voting closes, though, so that internet chicanery cannot come in after the fact, dump votes, and change the already created history of the world.
Here’s how the list has materialized so far:
Sal Stewart
Alfredo Duno
Rhett Lowder
Hector Rodriguez
Edwin Arroyo
Cam Collier
Steele Hall
Tyson Lewis
A few new names have been added to the voting mix for spot #9. Have at it with the votes!
Chase Petty, RHP (23 years old)
2025 at a glance: 6.39 ERA, 1.61 WHIP, 102/58 K/BB in 112.2 IP with AAA Louisville Bats (International League); 13 ER in 6.0 IP with Cincinnati Reds
Pros: Three plus pitches, including a fastball that flirts with 100 mph and 60-grade slider and cutter
Cons: Lit up in first cups of MLB coffee, and struggled in AAA after being sent back down
Petty has long been on the radar of every scout in the game, a former 1st round pick of the Minnesota Twins out of high school (whom the Reds had eyes on drafting back then, too). He was the centerpiece of the deal that sent Sonny Gray the other way, and he’s pitched his way onto multiple Top 100 overall prospect lists since.
Of course, he’s also pitched his way back off those same lists, with much of his work in 2025 doing just that. He was shelled at the big league level, though that’s with the caveat that he’d just turned 22 years old when that went down. The stuff’s still there, he’s just struggled to blend it all together for long enough stretches to show he can be an effective big league starter. The hope is that the lumps he took in 2025 paired with a mostly healthy offseason for the first time in a while will send him into 2026 both ready and with something to prove.
Aaron Watson, RHP (19 years old)
2025 at a glance: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Trinity Christian Academy (FL); signed overslot $2.7 million bonus to forego commitment to the University of Florida
Pros: 6’5” frame; potential 60-grade slider; fastball that runs up to 96 mph from a three-quarter arm slot and already has a solid three-pitch mix with his change rotated in
Cons: Did not pitch professionally after being drafted, so he’s a complete unknown
One glimpse of Watson on the mound and you immediately think yep, I bet that guy can turn into a pretty dang good pitcher. He’s got an ideal frame to produce downhill offerings, and his fastball/slider mix is already something on which he can hang his hat.
However, command of all three of his pitches – specifically a very developmental changeup – will be what he needs to work on to begin to move quickly through the ranks. He possesses a good ‘feel’ at the moment in terms of what pitches to throw, which part of the zone to attack vs. which hitters, etc., but how well he can build in more deception with his offerings will be vital.
Jose Franco, RHP (25 years old)
2025 at a glance: 3.11 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 118/54 K/BB in 110.0 IP split between AA Chattanooga Lookouts (Southern League) and AAA Louisville Bats (International League)
Pros: Fastball that flirts with triple digits with ease
Cons: Secondary pitches need work, and that’s impacting his overall command (and ability to limit walks)
Franco turned 25 years old in November and earned a promotion to the 40-man roster of the Reds shortly thereafter due to his consistent performance across the upper levels of their farm system.
The Reds have a few hulks they’ve put on the mound in recent years, and Franco thoroughly qualifies. He’s listed at 6’2” and an oddly specific 257 lbs, and his size and frame allows him to tap into his excellent fastball velocity with ease. It’s the pitch he misses bats with the most, but how well he can differentiate his breaking pitches (and improve his changeup command) will determine whether or not he can a) get left-handed hitter out with aplomb and b) avoid ending up in the bullpen.
He’s been a late bloomer, in part due to injuries that cost him his entire 2023 season, and if he continues the path he’s been on since getting healthy there could be a whole lot more from him as early as 2026 for Cincinnati.
Carlos Jorge, OF (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: .251/.342/.355 with 6 HR, 40 SB in 469 PA with High-A Dayton Dragons (Midwest League)
Pros: Plus speed; former infielder moved to CF in 2023 and in 2025 looked like a natural there; plus speed; shaved 12.5% off K-rate from down 2024 season; 60-grade arm strength a weapon in CF
Cons: ISO declined for third straight year, this time precipitously; prone to extreme streakiness
If you threw out every other stop of Carlos Jorge’s pro career and just focused on the good ones, he’d already be ranked by now. The good parts of the best of his years have been quite tremendous, all told. He’s flashed great speed (40 steals in 2025), good pop for a small-ish CF (12 HR in 2023 and 2024; .483 SLG in the cavernous Florida State League in 2023), and the ability to play pretty elite CF defense (as recently as 2025).
However, he’s added some real clunkers in there, too. He hit just .220/.291/.394 with a K-rate over 31% at Dayton in 2024, and that came on the heels of hitting just .239/.277/.398 in 23 games once he reached Dayton at the end of 2023.
Maybe it’s just Dayton, where he was again in 2025 in a much better all-around year, even though his power dried up again. He’ll surely begin with AA Chattanooga of the Southern League in 2026, and at 22 (with his position in CF now settled) the former 2B might finally have a one-track shot to focus on his all around game in a new locale. After acing his move on defense, shaving off a ton of strikeouts, and bumping his walk rate back up over 11.1% (where it’s been for most of his career), perhaps 2026 will have a lot more in store for him.
Zach Maxwell, RHP (25 years old)
2025 at a glance: 4.50 ERA, 5.64 FIP, 13/4 K/BB in 10.0 IP with Cincinnati Reds; 4.17 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 59/32 K/BB in 49.2 IP with AAA Louisville Bats (International League)
Pros: Huge. Literally gigantic (6’6”, 275-ish lbs). Throws gas (100 mph+) with a devastating slider (70-grade). And he’s titanic.
Cons: Struggles with control (6.1 BB/9 across 172.1 IP in his minors career)
Maxwell, a former 6th round pick out of Georgia Tech, throws the ball up to 102 mph with his heater, and it’s clear that hitters have just about as little idea where it’s actually going to be as Maxwell himself. That’s the rub here, really, in that Big Sugar has the pure stuff to turn even the best hitters into guessers, and it comes down to whether they’ll guess wrong more often than Maxwell misses the zone in each and every PA.
If they swing, though, they’re likely going to miss, and that’s why he’s right in the mix for a spot in Cincinnati’s bullpen again in 2026 after making his debut there in 2025. He can be a bit wild if it’s effectively wild, and that’s a tightrope he’s been walking since his days back at North Paulding HS in Dallas, Georgia. When he’s locked in, though, the heater is backed up by an absolutely devastating slide piece, and that two-pitch mix – again, when he’s locked in – is good enough to be closer material. He’s just got to continue to refine his delivery.
Leo Balcazar, SS/2B (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: .263/.339/.381 with 12 HR, 8 SB in 560 PA split between A+ Dayton Dragons (Midwest League) and AA Chattanooga Lookouts (AA Southern League); .277/.340/.340 in 103 PA with Peoria Javelinas (Arizona Fall League)
Pros: Good strike zone judgement and plate discipline (52/75 BB/K in 2025); well-rounded tools, continuing to improve off ACL surgery
Cons: Not a ton of power yet; some question whether he’ll be able to stick at SS long term
It’s easy to forget just how good of a start Balcazar had to his pro career after signing with the Reds for $100,000 out of Venezuela. He posted an .882 OPS in 2021 in Dominican Summer League play, an .886 OPS in 2022 with the Arizona Complex League Reds, and was off to a wicked start (.897 OPS) across the first 18 games of his 2023 season with Class-A Daytona before he tore his ACL.
2024 was a bit of a rough year for him, however, as the layoff and working back from the surgery clearly impacted his performance (.264/.295/.354 in 410 PA). However, 2025 saw him look a lot more like his former explosive self – both at the plate and in the field – and he clearly was healthy enough once again as he logged a combined 663 PA across all leagues.
He’s still just 21 years of age (22 in June of 2026), and if he’s shaken the rust off completely and enters this season after a normal winter, there’s a chance we see a whole lot more from him, too.
Arnaldo Lantigua, OF (20 years old)
2025 at a glance: .268/.345/.519 in 206 PA with ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League); .261/.318/.445 in 129 PA with Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League)
Pros: Above-average bat speed and raw power; mashes left-handed pitching; good eye at the plate
Cons: Likely destined for corner OF as his range is a concern, though his arm continues to play
The Cincinnati Reds helped the Los Angeles Dodgers sign Roki Sasaki by shipping them international bonus pool money, and in return for it they landed Lantigua, who only turned 20 in December after holding his own across 32 games in the brutal hitting environment of the Florida State League (where right-handed hitters, in particular, are seriously stifled).
You wont see Lantigua winning sprint titles. You won’t see him making plays in the outfield that simply wow you. There’s not a batting title in his future, I don’t imagine. However, there’s a very real chance he continues to evolve into a classic bat-first corner outfielder who can swat over 30 homers a season, and that’s something the Reds have (as you may have noticed) really failed to produce off their farm for quite some time. He’s not on this list because he’s well-rounded, in other words, but the bat/power combo is a skillset where he’s really impressive already at such a young age, and that’s unique among this class.
WASHINGTON — All-Star left-hander MacKenzie Gore is headed to the Texas Rangers in a trade that sends five prospects back to the Nationals in the biggest move of new Washington president of baseball operations Paul Toboni’s roster rebuilding efforts, a person with knowledge of the swap told The Associated Press on Thursday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal had not yet been announced.
Gore gives the 2023 World Series champions a starter who should be able to help the front end of their rotation along with Jacob deGrom — a two-time Cy Young Award winner who was the American League Comeback Player of the Year in 2025 — and Nathan Eovaldi, who dealt with a rotator cuff strain and had surgery for a sports hernia after compiling a 1.73 ERA in 22 starts.
Gore is under team control for the next two seasons; he can’t become a free agent until after the 2027 World Series. He is scheduled to make $5.6 million in 2026 after to a one-year deal with the Nationals that avoided arbitration.
Gore, who turns 27 next month, is 26-41 with a 4.19 ERA in four major league seasons, the past three with Washington. He was an NL All-Star last season, when he ended up going 5-15 with a 4.17 ERA and a career-best 185 strikeouts in 30 appearances, all starts.
He was the No. 3 overall pick in the 2017 amateur draft by the San Diego Padres and was sent to the Nationals in the 2022 trade that included Juan Soto.
The players Washington is receiving from Texas are Yeremy Cabrera, Gavin Fien, Devin Fitz-Gerald, Abimelec Ortiz, Alejandro Rosario.
Fien is an 18-year-old shortstop who was taken out of high school in the first round of last year’s draft.
Fitz-Gerald is a 20-year-old infielder, Rosario is a 24-year-old right-handed pitcher, Cabrera is a 20-year-old outfielder and Ortiz is a 23-year-old first baseman and outfielder.
All five are considered among the top 20 prospects in the Rangers’ system.
D.J. Short
Matthew Pouliot
