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The Mets surprised everyone with the news today that they and Bo Bichette agreed to a three-year deal worth $126 million. It was a nice pivot after losing out on Kyle Tucker, as Bichette gives them the right-handed bat they were looking for to balance out the lineup.
The expectation is that Bichette will slide into third base, which certainly shakes things up a bit for Brett Baty and Mark Vientos. Obviously things can change before Opening Day, but as things stand, according to FanGraphs, here is what a potential lineup featuring Bichette could be.
Now, this lineup assumes that Benge makes the team out of camp and that Baty does not get traded for outfield or pitching help. Also, assuming Mark Vientos does not get traded, he is likely to serve as the team’s DH against left-handed pitching.
There is also the possibilty that Baty ends up in left field, but for now this is the team’s new look lineup with the departures from last season and the additions this offseason. Undoubtedly David Stearns will continue to be busy in the coming weeks, but the addition of Bichette lengthens and balances the lineup and gives them some flexibility when it comes to making potential trades in the future.
After the Dodgers signed Blake Snell around Thanksgiving 2024, I remembered the Dodgers’ mindset after winning the 2020 World Series.
My mind kept going back to a quote I read from Andy McCullough’s biography of Clayton Kershaw: The Last of His Kind: Clayton Kershaw and the Burden of Greatness.
In discussing the thought process that Kershaw went through in the years after winning the 2020 World Series that led him back to the Dodgers after considering joining his hometown Texas Rangers and retirement, the mindset of the Dodgers’ front office to start the 2021 season was discussed and could be best described in three words.
“Let’s be pigs.”
On page 325 of McCullough’s book, the above quotation is attributed to Andrew Friedman, as the organization’s thought process was not sit on their laurels, content with just a single title.
[emphasis added.]
For what it is worth, the plan backfired spectacularly as the Dodgers overvalued the results of the shortened regular season to figuratively set $102 million on fire in a decision that had a hangover effect until the signing of Shohei Ohtani. After that fiasco, the Dodgers learned not to needlessly spend, but to spend efficiently on the best fit. The Dodgers did not guarantee themselves success yesterday, but they ruthlessly upgraded themselves, which sometimes is enough.
I will argue to my dying day that had the Dodgers spent a fraction of what they spent on Anthony DeScalfini instead, the streak of division titles would have remained unbroken, and the title defense would have been a lot more likely as DeScalfini effectively ate innings in 2021, preserving arms like Walker Buehler and now-disgraced Julio Urías for the playoff run.
Much like the 2025 Toronto Blue Jays, on this point, I can only go what if, but one never has the opportunity to discuss this particular point in context.
Stop me if you have heard this one, but the Dodgers’ acquisitions of the past three offseasons could be best described as “this verse, same as the first.”
Before the 2024 season, the Dodgers signed both the unicorn, the eventual Hall of Famer Shohei Ohtani, and the best pedigreed pitcher to ever pitch in Nippon Professional Baseball, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and the Dodgers won their first World Series since the COVID Cup year of 2020 on the backs of Freddie Freeman, just enough pitching, and duct tape.
In 2025, the Dodgers sign not-quite-ready yet phenom Roki Sasaki and the best available bullpen arms to fill the perceived weakness of the roster, the bullpen: Tanner Scott, Kirby Yates, and re-sign Blake Treinen. Things got a little hinky, but the Dodgers eventually won their first back-to-back World Series in franchise history and are the first repeat champions in the sport in 25 years.
In 2026, the Dodgers signed the best relief arm available (again) in Edwin Diaz and the best outfield bat available in Kyle Tucker, who greeted the Dodger fanbase on Instagram Thursday evening.
Contrary to popular belief, I have seen Dodgers fans’ reaction to the signing be one of bemused acceptance. It is no longer shocking when the marquee talent comes to Los Angeles; the cost of experience is wonder. Winning the Ohtani sweepstakes, followed by winning the Snell sweepstakes, followed by winning the Tucker sweepstakes, is almost old-hat at this point.
Still, the rich get richer, and it is still fun. While Tucker is not an Ohtani-level talent, he fits the Dodgers’ biggest offensive need while providing some much-needed youth over the next two to four seasons.
I am not going to pretend that the Los Angeles Dodgers are not the perceived villains of the sport. Still, if the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that success on the field is not guaranteed, but one can tilt the odds in one’s favor with enough money.
However, the team makes itself hard to love sometimes, especially when it will not pay its tour guides a living wage and charges its most devoted fans a premium to come to its annual FanFest. One need only look back fifteen years ago to a painfully unfunny monologue by Seth Meyers at the ESPY awards, who rattled off “the Dodgers are so poor jokes” in quick-fire succession thanks to the sheer incompetence of former owner Frank McCourt.
No one outside Los Angeles is laughing anymore.
Yes, fans should be angry at their skinflint owners who refuse to spend money to put a quality product on the field or discuss trading their stars for pennies on the dollar (see: Peralta, Freddy, Milwaukee Brewers; see also: Skubal, Tarik, Detroit Tigers, Skenes, Paul, Pittsburgh Pirates) rather than build a nucleus around them. But if folks want to be angry at the Dodgers, fine — do whatever makes you happy. To paraphrase one of the seminal songs of my childhood: “If it makes you happy, then why the heck are you so sad?”
As Eric Stephen points out, yes, the Dodgers used deferred money and creative accounting to get Tucker into Dodger blue. Other teams are finally starting to use some of the Dodgers’ accounting skills, but there is only one Shohei Ohtani, one Mookie Betts, and so on.
All that ink about the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox being active in the offseason looks a lot less lustrous now. Apparently, the New York Mets tore the figurative guts out of their seemingly dysfunctional team after spending all that non-deferred money on Juan Soto just to regress badly in typical Mets’ fashion. I would riff on the New York Yankees, San Francisco Giants, and San Diego Padres, but for the life of me, I cannot parse a viable strategy apart from “hope and prayer.”
If titles could be won by simply cracking open a checkbook, the Mets and Yankees would be basking in championship gold rather than in the tears of their frustrated and disappointed fans. For all of the money and revenue the Dodgers generated in 2025, they still had to dig themselves out of a 3-2 series hole in Toronto to remain champions.
The Dodgers have built an engine that, at this point, is practically self-sustaining, driven by making money and winning through scouting, development, and signing. Yes, the Dodgers put the torch to their draft picks for this upcoming draft, but if Tucker and Diaz pan out, it’s a small price to pay to keep the engine running. A franchise record of over four million fans came to Dodger Stadium in 2025, and overall attendance topped 70 million for the third consecutive season, in part due to Dodgers fans showing up in droves on the road.
As is often the case, no one pays attention to the avalanche until it is on top of them, when it is far too late to seek cover. In-depth discussions about baseball’s changing economic model are for another day, as well as the owner’s next ill-fated lockout in approximately twelve months; right now, as Jacob Macofsky points out, the Dodgers paid a premium, and reaction around the league was swift.
Everyone sees the end result of the Dodgers’ efforts, and either tries to mimic the model poorly (see: the Blue Jays; see also: the Philadelphia Phillies, the Padres, the Mets) or feigns helplessness and does next to nothing (see: the Giants; see also: the teams subsisting on revenue-sharing money).
Anyone in baseball would be forgiven for waking up to Sonny and Cher’s I’ve Got You, Babe a la Groundhog Day, and thinking it’s either a blissful dream that will never end (if you’re a Dodgers fan) or an odious nightmare that just will not stop (if you’re the rest of the league).
Time is a flat circle, but the Dodgers have got you, babe — at least for right now. The Dodgers’ empire is still ascendant as they finally added some youthful pop in Tucker to complement their aged core. Barring a surprise acquisition by trade of Skubal or Skenes or an ill-advised reunion with Cody Bellinger, one would imagine that the Dodgers’ offseason is now mostly complete.
I say mostly because at the end of the day, the Dodgers are missing only a familiar face as they march towards an attempted threepeat. At this point, it would be shocking if the Dodgers did not reunite with the player who holds the record for appearances in playoff games: Kiké Hernández. As Hernández said at the 2025 Championship Rally at Dodger Stadium, the champion does not apologize to anyone.
This is the second year we’ve done this, looking at names in the Diamondbacks system who might be able to help the team this season. 2025’s selection was a bit of a mixed bag, shall we say. We were one of the earlier passengers on the Tim Tawa bandwagon, and he ended up playing 74 games for the D-backs. At the other end, Seth Martinez found himself designated for assignment about three weeks after our article. So it’s safe to call my track record “mixed” in this area, and that’s perhaps being kind. But, never one to be daunted by being incorrect, I figured I’d try again this winter.
However, I will expand slightly outside the 40-man roster, because there are certainly some intriguing possible candidates who haven’t yet been added to it. There should certainly be plenty of space to do so, because the D-backs will have at least four players (Corbin Burnes, Justin Martinez, A.J. Puk and Blake Walston) going on the 60-day injured list as soon as it becomes available – theoretically the start of spring training, but effectively Opening Day. I would have Lourdes Gurriel Jr. on there too, but based on recent reports of his progress, he might be looking to come back sooner than early June. If so, then the team might be fine with using the shorter IL for him.
Therefore, for inclusion I’m just going to say that the player in question can’t have appeared for the D-backs previously. This rules out somewhat known names like Cristian Mena and Yilber Diaz. But also less familiar ones like Philip Abner, although you may have blinked and missed his 3.2 innings for the team last year. We begin, instead, with a choice which hardly counts as pushing out the boat. For Kohl Drake is currently the consensus top pitcher in the Diamondbacks farm system. Admittedly, not long ago, “having a pulse” would be a credible main criteria there. But largely courtesy of Merrill Kelly, things are looking better there than they were.
That “pulse” statement is little if any exaggeration. Of all the pitchers in MLB Pipeline’s current top 15 Arizona prospects, half of them came from Texas in the deadline trade for Kelly last July. In addition to Drake, Mitch Bratt and David Hagaman also arrived in the D-backs’ system. But Drake is the highest ranked (#6) and, at the age of 25, is also the closest to the major leagues. Right now, it would appear the left-hander will need help – most likely a health issue affecting more than one expected starter – to crack the Opening Day rotation. But he’s going to be near the top of the list for a call-up when necessary, and from previous history, that will not be long into the season.
Drake was originally an 11th round pick by Texas in the 2022 draft, so has already over-performed. He comes out of Walters State Community College in Morristown, TN, and he has a real shot at becoming their best-known player. So far, that is probably another Ranger, Brett Martin, and you’d be forgiven for going “Who?” Though around SnakePit Towers, it would be reliever Chad Bell, because Mrs. SnakePit rented a house to him one spring training. You’d be forgiven for going “Who?” there as well, but we were excited to see him in action when we visited Seattle in 2017.
After a rough start to his pro career in 2023, posting a 6.36 ERA across 46.2 inning, Drake had a much better 2024. He roared through three levels of the Texas system, starting in A-ball and finishing in Double-A. He dominated the lowest tier, posting a K:BB of 71:9 across just 43 innings, though was relatively old for that level. The ratio did decline at the higher levels, but Kohl was still striking out a batter per inning in Double-A, with a 3.10 ERA across five starts. He returned there to start 2025, and was better still: 12 starts, a 2.44 ERA and an impressive 70 strikeouts across 55.1 innings. Kohl was named Pitcher of the Month in the Texas system for June.
That got him a promotion to Triple-A at the beginning of July, and he spent the rest of the season there, both before and after the trade which brought him into the Arizona system. There’s no denying, Drake struggled in the unforgiving environment of the PCL, allowing 24 hits over 16.2 innings, leading to a 9.18 ERA. He may have been hurt, as his season ended after a decent outing (4 IP, one unearned run) on August 20th. He was placed on the IL with a shoulder sprain the following week, though is expected to be fully recovered when pitchers and catchers report to Salt River Fields next month.
He was added to the 40-man roster earlier this off-season, a no-brainer decision to protect Drake from otherwise being available in the Rule 5 draft. That gives him another benefit over some alternatives, in that there’s no need to make room for him on the larger roster. His velo has increased by 3-4 mph since he pitched in college, now sitting around 93-94 mph. MLB Pipeline says, “His combination of size and a short arm action provides some deception, as does his flat approach angle. If he can continue to get more advanced hitters to chase his curveball and changeup, he could make it as a No. 4 starter.”
It’s interesting to think how the rotation will shape up for the D-backs in the coming seasons. We have Corbin Burnes and Brandon Pfaadt under contract through 2030 (plus two team option years in the latter’s case); if Merrill Kelly’s vesting option kicks in, he and Ryne Nelson are controlled until the end of 2028. And Eduardo Rodriguez is signed through 2027 (plus a rarely-exercised mutual option). Soroka is clearly intended as a stop-gap until Burnes returns. Though health is always a potential factor, it appears that Mena, Drake or any other candidate will need to prove themselves capable of a rotation spot for the next couple of years.
It was a sucker punch.
All week, every national media pundit and baseball writer insisted the Phillies were “heavy favorites” to land free agent infielder Bo Bichette. All week, momentum was building. Meanwhile, negotiations continued. While nothing is ever certain until the dotted line is signed, it sure felt like Bichette was already wearing red and white pinstripes.
And then, a sucker punch to the gut.
After losing out on free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers, the Mets pivoted and signed Bichette to a surprise, three-year, $126 million contract with an average annual value of $42 million a season. The deal includes opt outs and the end of every year, essentially giving Bichette the option of spending three years in New York with a $42 million AAV, or testing the market again, all by the time he turns 30.
The Phillies, it appears, made a legitimate, longer-term offer that the Bichette camp said it wanted.
After five days of negotiations, the Phils made the offer his camp wanted. Unfortunately, either because Dave Dombrowski and/or John Middleton dragged their feet, or because Bichette and his agent were using the Phillies and slow-playing the market until Tucker signed, New York swooped in and stole Bichette out from under their noses.
Now, not only did the Dodgers land the best free agent outfielder on the market this off-season, the Mets snagged the best infielder and a prime Phillies target, all within a span of less than 24 hours.
However it happened, Dave Dombrowski didn’t land the plane. The results are devastating.
Almost immediately after the Bichette-to-NY news, J.T. Realmuto reportedly agreed to a new contract with the Phillies. It likely was not a coincidence.
Realmuto and his agent had to be quietly smiling to himself somewhere saying, “Oh, I guess you guys need me now, don’t you?”
So, after showing it was willing to pony up $30 million a year over a seven year period for Bichette, is there anyone else the Phillies might give that money to?
The options aren’t great. Harrison Bader could return, especially if it’s just along the lines of a three-year, $45 million contract or something. Eugenio Suarez is a third baseman with a lot of pop (48 HRs, .228 AVG in ‘25), and outfielder Cody Bellinger, whose left-handed bat doesn’t feel like a great fit in this lineup and teams like the Yankees and Blue Jays likely still willing to give him a seven-year deal for too much money.
Not knowing exactly what happened during the negotiations, it’s difficult to make assumptions. But with each passing day a deal wasn’t consummated, and talking heads on TV telling us it almost certainly would, it sure feels in retrospect like Bichette’s agent was using the Phillies to get what he wanted elsewhere.
What does that say about the front office? I guess Don Mattingly, the new bench coach, couldn’t trump the money, huh?
One issue the Phils will have to come to grips with is opt-outs.
So, here we are. Unable to swing any creative trades or haul in Bichette in free agency, Dombrowski is going to run the same roster back again in 2026. The fanbase, understandably, is not excited. In fact, it’s fair to say Phillies fans are crushed by missing out on this player in a way I don’t remember them being for any other free agent over the last 10-15 years.
Dombrowski did a great job convincing John Middleton to spend more money than he planned. He just couldn’t land the player.
In losing Gavin Lux to the Tampa Bay Rays in last night’s three-team deal (that looped in the Los Angeles Angels), the Cincinnati Reds did not really lose an infielder. They did not really lose an outfielder, either.
They lost a left-handed bat.
That’s what Lux had become on this particular Reds roster – no more, no less. His decline defensively was readily evident when given time at 3B and 2B, and the idea of trying to hide him in LF showed he simply didn’t have the instincts required there. It’s impossible to blame him for that, of course, since he’d simply never played out there before, but the reality became that the one (and only) thing he provided to club with was a left-handed bat against right-handed pitching.
A DH who only hit right-handed pitching.
His move to Tampa is the latest in a pretty decent overhaul of the position-player corps on the roster since last July’s trade deadline. Ke’Bryan Hayes came in to claim 3B, and Noelvi Marte was shifted to RF where he’ll presumably get a pretty long leash there. Lux is out, as is Jake Fraley, subtracting a pair of left-handed platoon bats. Santiago Espinal, too, was jettisoned when he simply became far too expensive for his niche role, while lefty JJ Bleday and righty Dane Myers were brought into the outfield mix on the very same day.
Despite all that moving and shaking, up until yesterday it was Lux who at least – on paper – profiled as the guy who’d play a little 2B on days when a right-handed pitcher was on the mound and when Matt McLain would shift over to play SS to give Elly De La Cruz a break. The Reds clearly didn’t really want him in that role – they just traded him, after all – but if the roster froze and that’s who they had, that’s the role he’d have been forced to play. Bleday, though, is a pure outfielder only, as is lefty Will Benson, and while both seem to be the benficiaries offensively from Lux’s move, there appears to still be two clear and obvious voids on Cincinnati’s roster now.
There is no left-handed hitting infielder (aside from Elly, their switch-hitter). There is also no other clear-cut middle infield option, as each of Spencer Steer, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, and even Sal Stewart (despite his 2B experience in the minors) look the part of 1B/3B only guys.
The ‘backup’ shortstop is the everyday 2B, and there is no backup 2B. All that after the Reds said publicly earlier in the offseason how much they want to bake in more rest for Elly after he was ground to a pulp in 2025.
They never actually backfilled the role Espinal had been tasked with last year, and now they have another ‘infield’ void without Lux. The question, though, is whether they can find one guy who can do both, or if they’re still on the hunt for two separate players this late in the offseason.
In house options aren’t exactly the most obvious. They’ve got both Garrett Hampson and Michael Chavis around on minor league deals, though it’s been years since either was really trusted with 2B/SS duties at any level, let alone the big leagues. Edwin Arroyo has the chops for it defensively right this minute, but everyone’s still waiting for the power in his bat to return after a lost 2024 due to shoulder surgery – and he’s still not yet had a single PA at AAA yet. He might be the most logical candidate for that role as early as mid-year, but it would be foolhardy to expect that role to just be etched in stone for him come Opening Day.
So, the Reds have some serious shopping to do, and as we all know they’re going to have to do it with the slightest of budgets.
Luis Rengifo ticks some of the boxes as a free agent, though he’s two years removed from legitimate offensive production (and he, a switch hitter, typically hits lefties from the right side much better than righties from the left side). Luis Arraez is available and a much more known quantity, but he’s years removed from being a legit option on the left side of the infield and will come at a much, much steeper cost. Beyond those two, there’s what remains of Adam Frazier and literally nobody else in free agency who hits from the left side and plays SS/2B.
The trade market, however, opens up a ton more doors for the Reds, and I’m beginning to wonder if the latest series of free agent dominos might have lined one up for them perfectly. Late last night – while the Reds, Angels, and Rays were striking their deal – the Los Angeles Dodgers swooped in to sign star free agent Kyle Tucker away from the New York Mets, who were the presumptive favorites for his signature. The Mets pivoted almost immediately, though, and landed Bo Bichette on his own gargantuan deal this morning. The shift still means the Mets got a star, but the move off Tucker (an outfielder) to Bichette (a shortstop who’ll now play 3B) means New York’s already existing logjam of infielders just got even jammier.
Each of Mark Vientos, Brett Baty, and Luisangel Acuña just watched their paths to playing time get a lot less clear, though none profiles perfectly for what I’ve laid out as a Reds need already. Baty is a 3B primarily with some 2B chops (and none at SS), while both Acuña and Vientos hit from only the right side. It’s former top prospect Ronny Mauricio, though, who now looks like he’d fit on the Reds quite perfectly.
Mauricio will turn 25 in April and hit just .226/.293/.369 in 184 PA with the Mets last year, one year after missing the entire 2024 season at all levels after tearing his ACL in Dominican Winter League action after the end of the 2023 season. He did hit .323/.384/.508 in a small 19 game sample across the minors in 2025 as he worked his way back into form, but irregular playing time never really saw him take off at the big league level despite a swing from the left-side, in particular, that often wows you.
(Technically he’s a switch-hitter, though it’s become pretty clear he’s a guy who should only be leaned on hitting lefty against righties.)
Ronny came up as a shortstop, but with Francisco Lindor entrenched as New York’s future Hall of Famer at the position, the Mets began to move him all over the place. He’s got extensive experience at 3B and 2B, and even logged 26 starts in LF at the AAA level with Syracuse prior to his knee injury. And, most importantly, he’s still cheap as a pre-arb guy (who even has an option remaining if need be). And if the Mets aren’t going to play him, they run the risk of depleting his value even further by simply parking him at AAA once again, leading one to wonder if this winter – especially now that Bichette is around – will be the time they finally deal him elsewhere in exchange for something that fits their roster better.
The question, as it always is, would be just how much it would cost off the Reds farm – or off their active roster. In many ways there is a decent parallel between Mauricio and Arroyo – both ranked routinely on Top 100 overall prospect lists, both with a 2024 totally lost to injury, both still hoping to show a lot more as they move beyond said injuries – and it’s a decent thought process to consider what kind of return would be needed for you to want to deal away Edwin. Mauricio should, in theory, be a little cheaper given that he’s already burned two options and not exactly established himself as a big leaguer, but that’s the same realm of value we’re talking here.
Cincinnati may simply hedge in a cheaper way that’s less impactful to their own roster. That seems like something they’d do, after all, leaning into one of Hampson/Chavis and simply hoping there’s no significant imbalance created. Still, it seems like they’ve got a chance to pounce on someone else’s disjointed roster to directly benefit their own, and it sure would be nice to see them be that aggressive.
Since the 2015 World Series Championship team, the Kansas City Royals have been shut out from claiming another division title. Outside of the 2024 season, where the Royals claimed a Wild Card spot, before being ousted in the ALDS by longtime rival, the Yankees, the Royals haven’t really been in the division title race.
I truly do believe that the Royals win the AL Central crown in 2024 if Lucas Erceg and Vinnie Pasquantino don’t get hurt on the same play, on a night game, in late August in Houston, Texas. (Sorry for upsetting you about reminding you of that.) However, with those injuries the Royals struggled in September and barely hung onto a playoff berth, but they slowly faded out of a divisional crown hunt.
Coming off a somewhat disappointing 2025 season, a winning season, but not reaching their goals, the Royals have been aggressive in the offseason. To me, that reflects why the Kansas City Royals will take the AL Central crown in 2026.
First, let’s talk about what the Royals have done. They have let go of some players who were seemingly never going to figure it out and break through. While I think they still have some moves to improve the team, notably another outfield bat, the Royals have also shored up some weaknesses that have troubled them the last two seasons.
They traded for Kameron Misner, an outfielder with upside potential, while not giving much anything. They signed Alex Lange, a reliever who has back-end-of-the-bullpen experience and could potentially be a bridge guy to Erceg and Carlos Estévez. They traded for Isaac Collins and Nick Mears, while only giving away Angel Zerpa. Collins, a switch-hitting outfielder, can play everywhere and is solid offensively. Mears, another good reliever, can bridge the game to Erceg or Estevez.
They signed Lane Thomas, who albeit wasn’t good last season, mainly because of injuries, but is a right-handed outfielder that mashes lefties and plays a good centerfield. Finally, they acquired Matt Strahm for Jonathan Bowlan from Philadelphia. Strahm, who started with the Royals, is a good reliever. He’s a reliable left-hander that the Royals have needed and can be an 8th or 9th inning guy.
That is just what they have done so far, but I don’t think they are necessarily done. I would like to see them, and I think they’d agree, acquire another veteran left-handed reliever and another outfield bat.
They are being proactive in filling the holes in their roster that have plagued them the last two seasons. Poor outfield production and relying on relievers to do stuff they haven’t before. Getting veterans, especially toward the back of the bullpen, should exponentially benefit the Royals this season.
The other big reason that I think the Royals will break through and take the division this season is because of the lack of productivity from the other four AL Central teams.
Let’s start with the Detroit Tigers. They resigned Gleyber Torres, who has been good for them, and signed future Hall of Fame closer Kenley Jansen. But at this stage, I don’t know how effective Jansen can be this season. They also resigned their big deadline addition from last summer, reliever Kyle Finnegan. The Tigers will still be solid and probably the earlier frontrunner, but they blew a historic 15.5-game division lead to the Guardians. I think that mentally could hurt them, and the Royals can take advantage of that.
Next, the two-time reigning champions, and winners of 3 of the last 4 division titles, the Cleveland Guardians. They haven’t made any notable moves, but they also haven’t lost anyone notable. The team is just really gritty and finds ways to win. Outside of Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan, they don’t have any star talent, but they have a lot of solid dudes. With that being said, the Royals have been right there each of the last two seasons with Cleveland, and I think they finally overtake them this season.
The Minnesota Twins won the division title in 2023, and they seemed poised to be really good for the foreseeable future. In 2024, they were right in the middle of the divisional race with the Royals and Guardians, but then fell off a cliff and missed the postseason altogether. And then last July, they completely blew up everything, trading away almost all of their talent. And now they are in rebuild mode for the foreseeable future. Just shows how quickly a championship window can close.
Lastly, the laughingstock of the MLB the last couple of years, the Chicago White Sox. They signed international infielder Munetaka Murakami and starter Sean Newcomb. But, while this team showed some flashes last season of potential with their youth, they are still very far away and shouldn’t be a concern for the Royals.
What concerns do you have that might hold the Royals back from winning the division? What team might I have undervalued? Because I think this is finally the year that the Boys in Blue are back on top.
The Mets were willing to set salary records to bring in this winter’s top free agent, outfielder Kyle Tucker. Unfortunately for them, the world champion Dodgers were eager to do the same, agreeing to terms with Tucker to a shocking four-year, $240 million contract. The Mets, though, wasted no time in regrouping, reportedly adding Bo Bichette on a three-year, $126 million contract only about 13 hours after Tucker’s decision.
Prior to Tucker’s decision, the Phillies had emerged as the favorites to sign Bichette, who was willing to move off his natural position of shortstop in order to land a bigger contract.
The Phillies had agreed to Bo Bichette’s request for a 7-year, $200 million deal last night and believed they would sign him until the Mets swooped in with their 3-year, $126 million offer after losing out in in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 16, 2026
The Phillies were probably going to play Bichette at third base and trade Alec Bohm had they come to terms. The Mets, likewise, intend to use Bichette at third, displacing likely starter Brett Baty.
D.J. Short
Bichette's $126 million deal includes opt outs after each season and no deferred money. If things go well for him in Queens, it's likely he'll go right back on the market again in search of a long-term deal next winter. He'll even get a $5 million buyout for doing so. At that point, he'll no longer have a qualifying offer hanging over his head, which will be at least a little helpful.
Dominoes are already falling, as Bichette's money is reportedly being redirected to keeping J.T. Realmuto on a three-year, $45 million contract. Not that the Phillies couldn't have made both moves, but they probably did get a little more generous with their longtime catcher with Bichette off the board.
Coming soon: MLB returns to NBC and Peacock in 2026! In addition to becoming the exclusive home of Sunday Night Baseball, NBC Sports will broadcast MLB Sunday Leadoff, “Opening Day” and Labor Day primetime games, the first round of the MLB Draft, the entire Wild Card round of the postseason, and much more.
If the Phillies are willing to keep spending, there's one more big free agent left on the board in Framber Valdez. One of the game's top groundball pitchers, Valdez seems like the perfect replacement for Ranger Suárez in homer-friendly Citizens Bank Park. Unfortunately, he's still due to cost more than Suárez, who one imagines would have gotten a new offer from the Phillies if he hadn't just signed a five-year, $135 million deal with the Red Sox.
The Mets clearly needed a No. 2 or No. 3 hitter to pair with Juan Soto behind Francisco Lindor. Bichette doesn't offer the same kind of power as Tucker, but he does add some balance as a right-handed bat to complement the left-handed Soto.
1. Francisco Lindor (S) - SS
2. Juan Soto (L) - RF
3. Bo Bichette (R) - 3B
4. Jorge Polanco (S) - 1B
5. Mark Vientos (R) - DH
6. Brett Baty (L) - LF
7. Francisco Alvarez (R) - C
8. Marcus Semien (R) - 2B
9. Carson Benge (L)/Tyrone Taylor (R) - CF
Baty has some experience in left, but if the Mets aren't comfortable with him out there, they could let him and Vientos battle in out at DH. That could also hinge on how well Benge plays this spring. The Mets' No. 1 position prospect is expected to contend for a job after hitting .281/.385/.472 at three minor league levels last season. He's most experienced in center and could start there, but most believe he fits better in a corner. The Mets still might want to add an outfielder who could help in center, though pickings are pretty slim after Harrison Bader and he still figures to command a nice multi-year deal.
The Blue Jays were one of the three finalists for Tucker, but they didn't seem to be a fit for Bichette any longer after signing Kazuma Okamoto to play third base. Maybe they'll get into the mix for Cody Bellinger now, but their lineup looks pretty nifty as is.
Bichette in Citi Field will be pretty interesting. While the ballpark plays pretty well in terms of homers, it hurts BABIP, which is Bichette's biggest strength. If not for his late season knee injury, Bichette would have led the AL in hits for a third time last season and made a run at 50 doubles (he had 44 in 139 games). Maybe he'll add a few homers on the Mets and batting next to Soto is an upgrade even over Vladimir Guerrero Jr., but a .300 average seems unlikely. His numbers likely would have been somewhat better in Philadelphia.
Everything could still work out fine for Vientos if he gets off to a hot start and establishes himself as the Mets' everyday DH. Still, his 2025 was pretty discouraging — besides the middling .233/.289/.413 line, he ranked in just the 36th percentile in terms of bat speed (down from 73rd in 2023 and 50th in 2024) — it might be that he doesn't belong in the team's lineup against right-handers.
It's still not quite a lock that Bohm will remain in Philadelphia, but unless they suddenly take a liking to Eugenio Suárez, the Phillies seem to have run out of big upgrade opportunities. A Bohm trade likely would have hurt his fantasy stock, since he's currently in a nice ballpark and has a chance to bat cleanup.
The Pittsburgh Pirates are counting down the days before Opening Day, when they will face off against the New York Mets at Citi Field.
However, the Pirates’ job to beat the Mets in the first game of the season may have gotten a little more challenging after the team signed Toronto Blue Jays star Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract.
“The Mets have agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with infielder Bo Bichette, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand on Friday. The club has not confirmed. MLB Network insider Jon Heyman reported that the deal includes two opt-outs and is pending a physical,“ MLB.com contributor Manny Randhawa wrote.
“After trading for second baseman Marcus Semien in the offseason, the Mets plan on starting Bichette at third, according to MLB.com’s Jon Paul Morosi. The incumbent third baseman is Brett Baty, who delivered career highs in homers (18) and RBIs (50) in 130 games. Baty missed the last week of the regular season with a right oblique injury.“
Bichette won’t have things easier either because he will likely match up with Pirates star pitcher Paul Skenes in his first game with the Mets. Skenes is coming off a Cy Young season and he still has the potential to get even better.
After large contracts were fleshed out to Bichette and Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Kyle Tucker, it’s beginning to feel a lot like baseball season.
BD community, what do you think of Bichette and the Mets? Chime off in the comments section below.
The long wintertime staring contest between J.T. Realmuto and the Philadelphia Phillies is finally over.
Realmuto, the three-time All-Star catcher and highly respected handler of the Phillies' pitching staff, agreed to terms on a three-year, $45 million contract Jan. 16, according to a person with direct knowledge of the agreement.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal, first reported by The Athletic, has not yet been finalized.
Realmuto turns 35 in March and while he has been worth between 2.5 and 6.5 WAR in the six full seasons since the Phillies acquired him in 2019, his advancing age gave the club some pause entering the offseason. Multiple reports indicated the club preferred a two-year term and while both desired a reunion, the team scheduled a Zoom meeting with free agent infielder Bo Bichette on Jan. 12.
Acquiring Bichette would have all but ensured Realmuto's exit, but Bichette reached agreement with the New York Metsearlier in the day, and Realmuto's agreement with the Phillies - which includes incentives worth up to $5 million per season - came together shortly thereafter.
Realmuto was acquired from Miami before the 2019 season and led the major leagues in games caught in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Despite that workload he has largely produced well above league average offensively, with his finest season coming in 2022, when he hit 22 homers with an .870 OPS and a 130 adjusted OPS.
But that mark dwindled to 91 this past season when he hit a career-low 12 homers in 133 games.
Contributing: Bob Nightengale
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: JT Realmuto contract with Phillies ends free agent staring contest
It's been a whirlwind 24 hours for the Mets after the first two-plus months of their offseason saw them say goodbye to a large chunk of the offensive core.
After a spirited effort to bring Kyle Tucker to New York, which came with a four-year offer for $220 million, Tucker chose the Dodgers over the Mets and Blue Jays on Thursday night.
Then came the Mets' response.
Early Friday afternoon, New York agreed to a three-year deal with Bo Bichette worth $126 million -- with the expectation that Bichette will play third base.
The deal has been met with mostly excitement, but also with some wondering how Bichette fits given David Stearns' emphasis on improving the club's run prevention.
While that question is fair, there are two things to point out.
First, run prevention is not just defense. It's also pitching. And most people seem to be focusing only on the defensive aspect. Of course, the Mets still need to add significantly to their starting rotation this offseason.
Second, while Bichette has rated poorly at shortstop when it comes to his range, he should be better suited for third base -- and should be helped additionally by the rangy Francisco Lindor being to his left.
With Bichette now in tow, there are a number of ways the Mets can go with their infield alignment.
Let's break it down, in no particular order...
The possible alignment:
Brett Baty, 1B
Marcus Semien, 2B
Francisco Lindor, SS
Bo Bichette, 3B
With Bichette taking over at third base, sliding Baty to first could make sense.
In that scenario, Jorge Polanco would be the regular DH.
Aside from one inning in left field in 2023, Baty has spent his entire major league career on the dirt. And the fact that he transitioned well to second base duty last season suggests that it isn't crazy to ask him to pick up a first base glove.
There are a lot of intricate things to learn at first base that you don't have to learn at second base, though. So it's easier said than done.
But with months to prepare, it's fair to believe Baty would be able to handle it.
The possible alignment:
Jorge Polanco, 1B Marcus Semien, 2B Francisco Lindor, SS Bo Bichette, 3B
The plan after the Mets signed Polanco was for him to spend plenty of time at first base -- a position he hasn't yet played in the majors.
Polanco, a natural middle infielder, started getting acclimated to first base during workouts last season while still with the Mariners.
In this scenario, Baty and Mark Vientos could conceivably get at-bats at DH, with Baty getting additional time around the diamond.
The possible alignment:
Mark Vientos, 1B Marcus Semien, 2B Francisco Lindor, SS Bo Bichette, 3B
The probability might not be high, but the Mets exploring the trade market for Baty -- especially if it helps them land a difference-making outfielder or starting pitcher -- shouldn't be ruled out.
In a world where Baty is dealt, it could open up first base for Vientos (with Polanco at DH). Vientos has gotten time at first each of the last three seasons.
Vientos has been a poor defender at third base, though, so it's fair to wonder how he'd look at first base in a regular role.
The makeshift 2021 Cubs, after a bad run for most of August, won 10 of 13 late that month and early September, then went on another long losing jag, losing 10 of 13 entering a doubleheader date with the Cardinals on Sept. 24.
In 2021, as was the case in 2020, doubleheader games were limited to seven innings (unless tied after seven). The Cubs dropped the first game 8-5 and in the second game, David Ross sent Zach Davies, Scott Effross, Rex Brothers, Trevor Megill and Adam Morgan to the mound and they got pounded for 16 hits and 12 runs in 6.2 innings. Ross had wanted Morgan to finish off the game, with the Cubs trailing 9-4 entering the seventh, but Morgan allowed four hits and three runs, including a pair of homers while recording only two outs.
After Paul Goldschmidt hit an RBI double off Morgan, Ross had seen enough and sent infielder Sergio Alcántara in to pitch to Tyler O’Neill.
Alcántara ran a 1-2 count on O’Neill, then got him to fly to right [VIDEO].
As noted in the clip, that pitch was thrown at 91 miles per hour. In fact, all these pitches look pretty decent:
Maybe the Cubs should have tried Alcántara as a pitcher. After he left the Cubs, he spent time with the Diamondbacks and Padres, and played one game for the Giants in 2025. He’s currently a free agent.
Note: Today is nomination day! Head to the comment section to nominate the next group of Giants prospects.
Spring Training is less than a month away, and the smell of baseball is almost in the air. To prepare ourselves, we’re continuing with the Willie McCovey Memorial Community Prospect List, which will see us work together to rank the top 44 prospects in the San Francisco Giants organization. And we almost have a top 30!
The last chapter was a very close one, and it narrowly featured a winner who we might see in the Major Leagues this year: right-handed reliever Trent Harris, who has been voted as the No. 29 prospect in the system. That’s a drop of nine spots for Harris, who was No. 20 a year ago, and that speaks more to the improved strength of the system than his talent.
2025 was a tale of two stories for Harris. It was just his second full season of Minor League Baseball, as he joined the organization in the summer of 2023 as an undrafted free agent (remarkably, the Giants have three UDFAs in their top 30). Harris, who is 6’2 and well built, began the year with AA Richmond, where he was utterly dynamic. He posted a 1.69 ERA and a 1.73 FIP in 13 relief appearances, while striking out 25 batters in just 16 innings … and only walking four. Everything was going brilliantly, and he received an early promotion to AAA Sacramento.
That’s where the struggles began, as they do for so many pitchers entering the Pacific Coast League. Harris struggled mightily out of the gates, and never really covered over his few months with the River Cats. In all, he made 30 appearances in AAA, and finished with a 5.44 ERA and a 4.69 FIP. The strikeout stuff came down dramatically (8.71 per nine innings), though he did a good job of limiting walks (3.27 per nine).
On a recent podcast with Roger Munter, Harris attributed some of his struggles to shelving his curveball — largely viewed as his best pitch — after it got shellacked in the early going by more advanced hitters. And indeed, the numbers bore that out: Harris’ most used pitch in AAA was his cutter, which he threw nearly half the time, with quite poor results: a .313 expected batting average, a .492 expected slugging percentage, and an 18.4% whiff rate. His curve (which he threw 16.4% of the time), despite those early struggles, had an xBA of .242, an xSLG of .392, and a whiff rate of 30.3%, while his sweeper, which he threw roughly a third of the time, carried a .216 xBA, a .288 xSLG, and a 33.0% whiff rate. He also has a splitter, which was statistically speaking his best pitch, though in part because he so rarely used it.
So it would seem that the goal for Harris would be to get his pitch mix sorted a little better … and perhaps he can turn to teammate Trevor McDonald for some inspiration and optimism. McDonald put up poor numbers in AAA last year, but with a defensive savant calling his games and a talented infield defense behind him, wowed during his 2025 MLB stint. That could help Harris, as could adding a little velo to his heater, which averaged just 94.1 mph in Sacramento.
Needless to say, 2026 will be a critical year for Harris, in part because he’s no spring chicken (by prospect standards, at least) — he turns 27 next week. He’ll certainly be a non-roster invitee when pitchers and catchers report to Scottsdale in mid-February, and don’t be surprised if he’s coming out of the bullpen and taking the ball from Tony Vitello at some point this year.
Now let’s add to the list, and don’t forget that it’s nomination day. Nominations and prospect voting both take place in the comment section now.
Note: Clicking on the above names will link to the CPL where they were voted onto the list.
Rayner Arias — 19.8-year old OF — .173 OPS/-42 wRC+ in Low-A (30 PA); .699 OPS/87 wRC+ in ACL (178 PA)
Carlos De La Rosa — 18.1-year old LHP — 4.73 ERA/2.30 FIP in DSL (32.1 IP)
Lisbel Diaz — 20.5-year old OF — .725 OPS/96 wRC+ in Low-A (561 PA)
Diego Velasquez — 22.3-year old 2B — .677 OPS/107 wRC+ in AA (566 PA)
Note: Each player’s first name links to their Baseball-Reference page, and their last name links to their Fangraphs page. All stats are from the 2025 season.
Major League Baseball's annual game of musical chairs was accompanied by a waltz-like soundtrack for two months - then somebody suddenly flipped it over to speed metal.
The wham-bang contract agreements forged by Kyle Tucker with the Los Angeles Dodgers and brand new New York Met Bo Bichette in the span of roughly 15 hours suddenly swept the board clean of franchise players younger than 30 - and curtailed the destinations of a few players still out there.
Bichette's three-year, $126 million agreement resets the perception of the offseason for multiple teams, players and fan bases. With that, let's take a look at the winners and losers from Bichette's Citi Field foray:
Nah, it wasn't the $300 million deal one might have envisioned for Bichette both earlier in his career and as he put together an outstanding platform season in lifting the Blue Jays to the AL East title. But lest we forget, Bichette produced a .225/.277.322 line over 81 games just one year ago, worth -0.1 WAR. He finished this regular season with an injured knee, but a gallant World Series return reminded the world how impactful a player he can be.
At second base. Yeah, Bichette had to swallow some pride and will now likely be a second or third baseman the rest of his career, his defensive metrics being what they are. Yet with all that, he will command a $42 million salary - and be able to opt out next winter, when he's just 28.
Pete Alonso and Alex Bregman showed how swimmingly that can work out. And Bichette is both younger and more positionally diverse than both of them. He may yet near a $300 million total guarantee once he signs his next deal.
Had 'em all the way, eh, David Stearns?
The Mets' unflappable president, empowered by bottomless-pocketed owner Steve Cohen's megabucks, nearly fumbled it all away this winter - letting Alonso walk without so much as a courtesy offer, declaring he'd pass on the elite starting pitching market, losing peerless closer Edwin Diaz by just a few bucks, the eh acquisitions of infielder Jorge Polanco, second baseman Marcus Semien and closer Devin Williams.
Bichette does not cure all. There's still a gaping hole in left field where Brandon Nimmo once stood, and there's tons of ambiguity surrounding how much trust and how many plate appearances the Mets will invest in several young players.
Still, Cody Bellinger remains on the market if they want to go big in left, and tweak the Yankees at the same time. Stearns' notion of going economy on the rotation looks wise - a glut of fairly trusty veteran starters remain on the market.
And Bichette's ability to "flat-out hit," as they say - he's twice led the AL in hits and is in the 86th percentile in K rate - will create a suffocating 1-2-3 atop the lineup with Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto.
Still not ideal. But far from the cataclysmic winter hyperventilating Mets observers envisioned.
Whew.
For a minute there, the Blue Jays and their Rogers Communications arsenal were starting to look like George Steinbrenner North. They struck quickly for ace Dylan Cease, and the notion of adding Tucker and retaining Bichette didn't seem so farfetched at the outset of the season.
Under those circumstances, would the Yankees, Red Sox, Orioles and Rays be playing for second? Not quite, eh, but it would have been far less optimal.
Yet 2026 will bring no Tucker and no Bichette to the Blue Jays - or anyone else in the AL. The competitive balance of both division and league suddenly got a lot flatter.
The venerable Phillies catcher had been locked in a staring contest with his club, which just so happened to schedule a Zoom call with Bichette four days ago. Signing Bichette would have required moving several pieces around - and moving on from Realmuto.
Yet just hours after Bichette's Mets agreement, team and club found common ground on a three-year, $45 million deal, ensuring their ironman backstop who turns 35 in March is back in the fold.
You just hate to see it.
Sure, the re-signing of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to a $500 million extension seemed certain to break up the organization's power couple: Bo and Vladdy, together for a decade, legacy players and beloved in all of Canada.
Yet Bichette's subpar 2024 dampened his value. His 2025 comeback did not totally send it into the stratosphere. Maybe the de facto brothers would be together forever.
Alas, it will be Vladdy going it alone, and suddenly the Jays' $60 million signing of Japanese infielder Kazuma Okamoto looks all the more critical. His early performance will be watched warily, as Japanese hitters often need a greater adjustment time than pitchers.
So, too, will the Blue Jays' many playoff heroes. Ernie Clement and Addison Barger and Andrés Giménez are now far more primary, rather than complementary pieces.
Sure, the Jays may yet forge a mini-dynasty in the AL. But it just got a lot tougher.
For a minute there, it looked like he had the Yankees over a barrel. Maybe he still does.
But as he and the Yankees squabble over number of years on a contract, two of his alternatives – the Dodgers and Mets – spent big for Tucker and Bichette. Not to say the Mets won't get back in the Bellinger game, and perhaps the Blue Jays will jump in, with money to burn and an upgrade over Nathan Lukes readily available.
We still believe the Yankees and Belli will find common ground somewhere between five and seven years. But it feels like the Yankees wield a little more clout in the power exchange now.
Maybe someday, Mark Vientos and Brett Baty will get an unadulterated crack at a full-time job.
Unfortunately, they are developing players on a club that will be in perpetual win-now mode for the foreseeable future. And thus, Baty's 3.1 WAR accrued in a 121-game 2025 campaign gets nudged to the side. Vientos's backslide in 2025 after a second-half surge in 2024 might have slammed the door on any chance at a full-time gig going forward.
For now, the two third basemen are DH partners on paper, but with four projected regulars in their 30s, it's not hard to imagine many of those at-bats will be gobbled up by veterans needing a day out of the field.
Perhaps a trade and a fresh start will be in the offing for one of them. For now, winter remains the time their playing time dreams evaporate.
It's getting increasingly difficult for one of the game's best-run organizations to keep up with the Northeast behemoths.
The Braves were considered a solid candidate for Bichette's services at the start of the winter. They opted to retain shortstop Ha-Seong Kim. Totally fine. Really good player.
Yet it will be hard to match the Mets' and Phillies' firepower, especially since Atlanta's 2026 calculus likely bakes in bounceback seasons from the likes of Austin Riley and Jurickson Profar. Their margin for error is looking pretty thin.
It's not like the Braves are paupers; listen to any old Liberty Media earnings call and you realize the Braves and The Battery are, as public equity bros might say, just printing. Still, they remain hesitant for big free agent splashes that upset the formula of retaining their own players.
From 2018 to 2023, when they ruled the NL East, that was fine. But it seems to get harder every year.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bo Bichette Mets contract winners and losers: MLB rivals left fuming
Ty Johnson, RHP
24 | 6’6” | 205
AA | 2.61 ERA, 2.33 FIP, 110.1 IP (26 G, 20 GS), 34.7% K, 8.8% BB
A dip-and-drive pitcher with a quick arm action and a limited arsenal with a flat plane have given Johnson a reliever projection most of his minor league career, but his success speaks for itself. Johnson has a fastball that continues to be difficult for batters to see. It sits around 94 as a starter and can ramp up to 98, but talking about the fastball buries the lede. Johnson’s slider passed the test of Double-A in part because he was able to throw it fast and slow to keep hitters off balance. Accordingly, he hasn’t really needed a third pitch just yet, but there’s a change up in development for problematic lefties.
| Rank | Player | Position | Votes | Total | Percentage | Last Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carson Williams | SS | 14 | 25 | 56% | 1 |
| 2 | Brody Hopkins | RHP | 19 | 25 | 76% | 8 |
| 3 | Jacob Melton | OF | 14 | 28 | 50% | N/A |
| 4 | Theo Gillen | OF | 14 | 26 | 54% | 13 |
| 5 | Ty Johnson | RHP | 12 | 25 | 48% | 15 |
Ty Johnson is the first significant variation from the national lists, who appears destined for a 20-30 range ranking at other sites. Our commentariat believes in the results, though, and has vaulted him into the Top-5. Daniel Pierce was a close second with 8 votes, while Jadher Areinamo, Anderson Brito, Slater de Brun, Michael Forret, and TJ Nichols all got votes. Up next we add a personal favorite, Brendan Summerhill.
Jadher Areinamo, INF
22 | R/R | 5’8” | 160
A+ (MIL) | .255/.316/.397 (126 wRC+) 415 PA, 11 HR, 15 SB, 8.2% BB, 11.6% K
AA (TB) | .255/.316/.697 (111 wRC+) 159 PA, 4 HR, 6 SB, 7.5% BB, 11.9% K
VEN | .364/.420/.692 162 PA, 13 HR, 5 SB, 8.6% BB, 12.3% K
Acquired in return for Danny Jansen at the 2025 trade deadline, Arienamo was promoted straight to Double-A by the Rays, and his success at that level carried over into the Venezuealan winter league, where his 1.112 OPS and 13 HR were each the second highest marks in the league. He’s considered to have a high baseball IQ, strong motor, excellent bat control, and defensive flexibility, any one of which could earn him an entertaining major league debut.
Caden Bodine, C
22 | S/R| 5’10” | 200
A (BAL) | .326/.408/.349 (133 wRC+) 49 PA, 0 HR, 0 SB, 5 BB, 8 K
Drafted 30th overall in 2025, Bodine was acquired in the Shane Baz trade. He profiles as a relatively safe prospect thanks to near-70 grade bat-to-ball skills, and comfortably-plus blocking and receiving behind the plate. There is some concern that his smaller frame limits him to fringe power, but those concerns are off-set by solid plate discipline from both sides of the plate; his sweeter swing is left handed. All catching prospects will see their value proposition shift with the challenge system, but his defensive actions, leadership, and receiving give him real value, projecting him as a solid major league contributor.
Anderson Brito, RHP
21 | 5’10” | 155
A+ (HOU) | 3.28 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 49.1 IP (12 GS), 31.1% K, 13.4% BB
Acquired in the Brandon Lowe trade, Brito has three plus pitches with a fastball that touches 100 with cut-ride, and two breakers in a mid-80s curveball with surprising depth and a mid-80s slider he commands best. He also mixes in a developing low-90s cutter and a scattershot but intriguing mid-80s changeup with strong velocity and movement separation, with some added deception from his smaller frame helping limit hard contact. The concern is control, as he’s posted below-average strike rates in A-ball across 2024–25 and lacks consistent feel outside the slider, leaving him to project as a slightly wild, high-leverage reliever for now. Still, with multiple plus pitches, improved durability, and meaningful command gains, he has mid-rotation starter upside, giving him possibly the widest range of outcomes on this list.
Slater de Brun, OF
18 | L/L | 5’10” | 187
Drafted 37th overall in 2025, through a draft pick traded by the Rays, de Brun was essentially re-acquired in the Shane Baz trade. Like many Rays outfield prospects he’s not expected to develop much power, but compensates with an ability to hit to all fields, and has the benefit of years to develop. His hit tool rates plus thanks to a quick, compact swing, and his double-plus speed elevates both his baserunning and range in center; he has a solid arm and can stick long term. The key to his development will be improving pitch selection to maximize his power potential. Despite not yet playing in a pro game, he’s a good bet to skip the complex league and debut in Charleston this season.
Michael Forret, RHP
22 | 6’3” | 190
A+ (BAL) | 1.51 ERA, 2.45 FIP, 59.2 IP (16 G, 15 GS), 33.5% K, 7.5% BB
AA (BAL) | 1.88 ERA, 2.03 FIP, 14.1 IP (3 GS), 15 K, 3 BB
A product of the State College of Florida Manatee – Sarasota (formerly Manatee Junior College), Forret was a well above slot ($450k) 14th round draft choice in 2023 and arrives via the Shane Baz trade. Despite missing some time to a back injury in 2025, his array of fastballs and breaking balls already look major league ready. He seems adept at trying new things, as he picked up a whiff-worthy kick change in 2024, and is already tinkering with a Rays-like sweeper, both through his offseason program at Tread Athletics. He has a low release point (below 6 feet) but a rising fastball, and has — to quote Eric Longenhagen — “sensational feel.” He pitches with efficiency and variety, and could climb the ladder quickly in 2026.
Xavier Isaac, 1B
22 | L/L | 6’3” | 240
AA | .201/.366/.446 (144 wRC+) 175 PA, 9 HR, 1 SB, 19.4% BB, 29.7% K
Isaac had his season cut short large-in-part due to the discovery of a brain tumor, disrupting an otherwise great start to the season that duplicated his cup of coffee in Double-A as a 20-year old, despite some minor arm injuries along the way. He has the best power projection in the system, and if he can hold his own for a full season in 2026 — particularly against southpaws, which is somewhat of a concern — the former first round pick (29th overall, 2021) could see his status restored near the top of the Rays prospect rankings.
TJ Nichols, RHP
24 | 6’5” | 190
A+ | 3.63 ERA, 4.52 FIP, 96.2 IP (19 G, 18 GS), 30.4% K, 5.4% BB
AA | 0.97 ERA, 2.27 FIP, 37.0 IP (6 GS), 28.0% K, 6.8% BB
A sixth rounder from 2023, Nichols entered the Rays organization with low mileage and control issues, a match made in development heaven. Fast forward to 2025, and his 68% strike percentage ranked 10th best among all minor league pitchers with 100 innings, according to Baseball America. His breaking ball is a big fish in a little pond thanks to its two-plane movement. By my eye, he has a mid-90’s dead zone-ish fastball with easy, over the top heat, and a classic but inconsistent change up. Despite all his gains in control it’s his command that might hold him back, but he fills the zone and might be able to eat innings, which is enough for a back end starter floor. If you’re buying stock, he’s Kimberly-Clark.
Daniel Pierce, SS
19 | R/R | 6’0” | 185
The 14th overall pick in the 2025 draft, Pierce is a preternatural defender at short stop, with a top flight glove that could rival any player in the organization. Early reports say he’s already started building muscle as a professional, which is helpful for his projection on offense. His hit tool carries, with a swing similar to Bobby Witt Jr. — out of the draft he received comps of a “faster Dansby Swanson.” A coach’s son, he has the good face, and should get the starting role in the Holy City and have plenty of time to develop into or above his projection of an above average regular.
Santiago Suarez, RHP
21 | 6’2” | ?
A+ | 2.88 ERA, 2.07 FIP, 40.2 IP (10 GS), 26.9% K, 3.6% BB
AAA | 5 ER (9 H, 2 BB, 3 HR) 11.0 IP (2 GS), 9 K
Suarez climbed the ladder to Triple-A to finish a short season, as some triceps/shoulder issues hampered his 2025, but when called upon this Venezuelan strike-thrower has earned the trust of his managers to go out there and pitch. He has two plus fastballs, with easy heat but average ride on the 4-seam, and a hard cutter with tight bite. His only complimentary pitch thus far is a 12-6 curve, which makes it a fairly vertical arsenal. He gets good extension, although I’d be remiss to not mention the double pump in his plant leg that on first glance looks like noise, but has led to evident repeatability. What Suarez boasts in control he might lack in command. Right now it’s a supinator’s profile with an average arm slot. To progress he either needs to add some east-west depth to his arsenal (à la Chris Bassitt), or find ways to unlock the spin rates a touch more (Shane Baz). I’d expect him to slot into Montgomery’s rotation as one of the younger starters for his level.
Brendan Summerhill, OF
22 | L/R | 6’3” | 200
A | .333/.429/.444 (160 wRC+) 42 PA, 0 HR, 5 SB, 14.3% BB, 11.9% K
Following an All-Star performance at the Cape Cod summer league, Summerhill exhibited some of the best bat-to-ball skills in NCAA as a junior at Arizona. His draft stock took a minor hit due to injury (broken hand from from punching a cooler), and was drafted 42nd overall ($2m signing bonus), but Summerhill rebounded well with a dominant stop at Charleston to finish the year. Summerhill has plus barrel control, allowing for a high-contact approach for his long swing. He has plus speed as well, which provides a chance to stick in center. Evaluators would like to see more power to complete a five-tool profile. If he does in his first professional season, it’s an above average contributor’s projection.
