NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: Austin Slater #29 of the New York Yankees warms up before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium on September 24, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Things sure have gotten wild in Detroit over the past week. From Framber Valdez, to the Skubal arbitration battle, to adding Tigers legend Justin Verlander back to the roster, we haven’t seen a busier stretch in the Scott Harris era. Right after the Verlander deal was announced, another minor bit of news followed as the Tigers added veteran right-handed hitting outfielder, Austin Slater, on a minor league deal with an invite to camp. He’ll make $2 million should he play in the majors for them this year. There are also incentives attached up to $500,000.
Slater is a decent addition to the spring training roster, and provides some competition for both Matt Vierling and Jahmai Jones as the club’s other right-handed hitting outfielders. He has a long track record of hitting left-handed pitching, and he’s a solid defender in all three positions.
The now 33-year-old was drafted by the San Francisco Giants back in 2014. He had a few good seasons in a platoon role with them in his late 20’s. The past few seasons have seen him bouncing around the league, most recently as a depth outfielder for the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees both in 2025.
The Stanford grad has that in common with manager A.J. Hinch, as well as a reputation as a savvy veteran player who knows his role. Winning an Opening Day gig will be difficult, but he would make a fine Triple-A stash if they can keep him.
Slater is a career 119 wRC+ hitter against left-handed pitching. He really has never handled right-handed pitching well at all, so any role he carves out for himself will be quite limited. He hasn’t played center field in the major leagues at all since 2024, but he was worth +1 DRS and +1 Outs Above Average in left field last year, and neutral in right field. He only appeared in 65 total games.
He’s unlikely to have much impact on the Tigers, but as we discussed in an article earlier today, the outfield depth was a problem in 2025. While things already looked better headed into this season, adding Slater to compete in spring training is a nice little depth addition for insurance.
Aug 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) wears a special players weekend glove during the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
According to David Stearns in a pre-spring training media session in Port St. Lucie, Francisco Lindor is seeing a specialist about a stress reaction in the hamate bone on his left hand. Surgery is on the table, which would have an approximately six week recovery time. The Mets believe that, even if surgery is required, Lindor will be ready for Opening Day. He will be evaluated tomorrow.
Much like his teammate Francisco Alvarez, as well as Mets legends Jason Vargas and Tim Tebow, Lindor is the latest to deal with hamate issues, a bone whose name that I imagine that only osteopaths and baseball fans know. Lindor, a switch hitter, throws right-handed, and so this is a fracture on his glove hand. Lingering results from Alvarez’s injury were reported to be part of his ineffectiveness last season, though it is impossible to know to what degree.
Stearns named Vidal Bruján, Jackson Cluff, Grae Kessinger, Ronny Mauricio and Christian Arroyo as potential players to get reps at shortstop if Lindor has to begin the season on the Injuted List, but reiterated that the team believes that, even if surgery is needed, Lindor is expected to be ready for Opening Day.
Additionally, Stearns said that he does not know specifically why Lindor was not approved for insurance for the World Baseball Classic and thus could not suit up for Team Puerot Rico, saying that the insurance decision was “not dependent on the clubs.”
On the injury front, Stearns discussed A.J. Minter’s return after undergoing lat surgery last spring. Minter is expected to return in early May.
Stearns also revealed that Juan Soto would be moving to left field for the 2026 season, with Stearns saying that is where Soto “feels most comfortable.” Generally considered an easier defensive position because of the lack of arm strength needed, this should help the Mets’ overall outfield defense and may help Soto stick in the field for a little longer before his eventual migration to designated hitter. Stearns said the decision was made jointly between Soto and the club. “Juan was working out in LF…he felt really comfortable there. It made sense for us from a roster perspective. Not something we had contemplated, but as we’ve had conversations it made sense.” The expectation is that Carson Benge is the front runner for now-open right field, but Stearns mentioned Brett Baty as an option there as well.
As far as the rotation goes, Stearns said that they would discuss a six-man rotation “if they get to that point,” and mentioned that Tobias Myers will be working out as a starter in spring to give them the maximum amount of flexibility with his role.
Finally, Ryan Clifford, one of the prospects the Mets acquired at the 2023 trade deadline, will be starting the year at Triple-A Syracuse. Clifford, who has played first base, the corner outfield spots, and also got at-bats at DH, batted .237/.356/.470 with 29 home runs in 139 games across Double-A and Triple-A last season.
Los Angeles Angels' Mike Trout in the first inning against the Boston Red Sox on May 16, 2021, in Boston. (Michael Dwyer / Associated Press)
Major League Baseball is making streaming options available for fans to watch in-market games of 20 teams, including the Dodgers, Los Angeles Angels, San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres — a significant shift to respond to the fast-changing TV landscape.
The Angels on Tuesday announced its arrangement with the league to make its games more widely available. The club said the option — Angels.TV — would be available for purchase for $99.99 for the full season or $19.99 per month through the MLB app.
“We are excited to partner with Major League Baseball to bring Angels games to their streaming platform,” Angels President John Carpino said in a statement. “Our priority is making it as easy as possible for fans to watch Angels Baseball and MLB’s industry-leading app provides another great option to stay connected to the team.”
The league separately announced the move, which provides options for fans of other teams, through its MLB app. In-market games for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Guardians, Colorado Rockies, Kansas City Royals, Miami Marlins, Milwaukee Brewers, Minnesota Twins, New York Mets, Philadelphia Phillies, St. Louis Cardinals, Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Rays and Washington Nationals will be provided through the app.
Games will still be available to traditional pay-TV subscribers.
Spectrum, owned by cable giant Charter Communications, which distributes the Dodgers' SportsNet LA, had previously made available Dodger games as a streaming option through a separate app.
On Tuesday, ESPN announced that it would become the new streaming home of MLB.TV, bringing out-of-market live games to the ESPN App and ESPN.com.
“With MLB.TV now available through ESPN, we’re taking a significant step forward in reinforcing ESPN as the home of the MLB regular season while deepening the value proposition of the ESPN Unlimited plan — giving fans even more flexibility in how and where they watch all season long,” Rosalyn Durant, executive vice president, ESPN Programming & Acquisitions, said in a statement.
The move comes as traditional regional sports networks struggle amid the exodus of pay-TV customers. Regional sports networks once were viewed as cash cows for teams and TV programming companies that owned them, but, in recent years, at least one regional sports network owner has filed for bankruptcy. That prompted the MLB to step in to fill the gap.
The league said it also was taking over the television production of games for 14 teams, including the Padres and Arizona Diamondbacks.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - APRIL 4: Andre Pallante #53 of the St. Louis Cardinals walks to the dug-out after being pulled by St. Louis Cardinals manages Oli Marmol during a game against the Miami Marlins during the home opener at Busch Stadium on April 4, 2024 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I think it’s safe to say that many of us have our expectations set low for the upcoming St. Louis Cardinals season based on the newness of the rebuild process that’s underway, but it appears that we’re likely wildly optimistic compared to the new projections just shared by Baseball Prospectus.
The new PECOTA Standings shared by Baseball Prospectus are an eye-opener. Not only do they believe that the St. Louis Cardinals will be cellar dwellers in the National League Central, but they only envision the team with 66 wins and 96 losses. When you dig deeper into their depth chart for the St. Louis Cardinals, you see why. They project the team being outscored 624 to 761. Dang.
The individual player breakdowns are interesting as they see Ivan Herrera being in the lineup as a catcher only 20% of the time with 60% of his appearances coming as a designated hitter. JJ Wetherholt is predicted to be at second base 70% of his appearances with 5% also being at third base and another 5% at shortstop. Pedro Pagés is seen as the St. Louis Cardinals primary catcher behind the plate for 50% of his games. Nolan Gorman is projected as the team’s third baseman only 60% of his games with 10% at first base, 5% at second base and 10% as the Cardinals DH. Anyone else expecting Nolan Gorman to be at first base much? I certainly don’t.
I’m not a gambler, but I’d take the over on what they predict for the St. Louis Cardinals. They have the lowest projection of wins for the team that I’ve seen so far this offseason and I believe that a 66 win campaign is way below what this team will achieve. If the St. Louis Cardinals team were a prospect, I’d say that overall they have a high upside with lots of fundamental work to be done. No, I would not predict 2026 to be a “winning” season when it comes to record, but I believe it will be the first really fruitful season we’ve seen in the past 3 years when it comes to getting the organization pointed back toward their former winning ways. If Baseball Prospectus is right, it will be a painful one to watch.
One other Cardinals news of note today is this. The St. Louis Cardinals today acquired right-handed pitcher George Soriano in a trade with the Washington Nationals in exchange for right-handed pitcher Andre Granillo. I’m doubting that will change the Baseball Prospectus outlook for us much.
The Atlanta Braves have had one of the most talented roster in baseball over the last half-decade. The one main obstacle in their title hopes has been injuries.
2026, meet the Braves.
Today the Phillies’ NL East rival placed starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach on the 60-day disabled list with bone spurs in his right elbow.
This is yet another significant injury for a team that has dealt with its fair share over the past few years, particularly in its rotation.
Last season, Schwellenbach was 7-4 with a 3.09 ERA in 17 starts before being shut down for the season with a fractured elbow. New Braves manager Walt Weiss said Schwellenbach’s pre-spring training workouts were progressing well before this major setback.
“He was doing great,” Weiss told mlb.com. “He was throwing bullpens, and everything was great. The last bullpen he threw was a week and a half ago or so, and it wasn’t great. That’s when the red flags went off. So we’re hoping for the best.
In 2025, Bryce Elder was the only Braves starter to make more than 23 starts. Chris Sale missed 2 ½ months with a fractured rib cage; Spencer Strider had a hamstring injury that limited him to three starts through the end of May, after missing nearly all of the 2024 season due to elbow surgery. Grant Holmes’ season was shut down at the end of July with a partial UCL tear, that did not require surgery.
Now, Schwellenbach likely won’t take a big-league mound for Atlanta until at least June.
“I always say, before a season even starts, your pitching depth is going to get tested,” Weiss said. “It’s inevitable, you know. But you’d rather not have it happen right away in February.”
For a division race that will be as hotly-contested as it has, perhaps in its history, between the Braves, Phillies, and Mets, losing a pitcher of Schwellenbach’s quality is something Weiss and his team can ill afford.
Justin Verlander has signed a one year deal with the Detroit Tigers, the team announced today. Reports indicate that the deal is for $13 million, with $10 million of that being deferred payments that begin in 2030.
Verlander is returning to the team that originally selected him second overall in the 2004 Draft, and for whom he has had his best seasons. Verlander won the Rookie of the Year Award in 2006 for the Tigers, as well as winning the Cy Young Award and Most Valuable Player Award in 2011. Sadly for Verlander, his Tigers got knocked out in the ALCS in 2011 by a team whose identity I can’t recall, with Verlander giving up 7 runs in 11.1 IP in two starts in that ALCS series.
While with the Tigers, Verlander also had a pair of second place Cy Young finishes, a third place finish, and a fifth place finish. His 24 wins in 2011 tie him with Randy Johnson in 2002 for the most wins in a single season by a pitcher in the 21st century. He was traded to the Houston Astros in 2017, and ended up finishing fifth in the Cy Young balloting that year, while also winning a ring in the trash can banging World Series. Verlander won another ring with Houston in 2022, won finished second in the Cy Young voting in 2018, and won his second and third CYAs in 2019 and 2022, with the 2022 campaign coming after he missed all of 2021 due to Tommy John surgery.
Verlander joined the New York Mets in 2023, but was traded to the Astros at the deadline. Verlander once again made it to the ALCS that year, only to see the Astros get knocked out in memorable fashion against a team I can’t remember. After putting up a 5.48 ERA in 17 starts for Houston in 2024, Verlander joined the San Francisco Giants in 2025, putting up a 3.85 ERA and 3.85 FIP in 152 innings over 29 starts.
Verlander spent too much time with the Astros for me to have warm fuzzies about him, but he’s an inner-circle Hall of Famer, one of the all time greats, and his returning to his original club for what may be his final season is pretty cool.
Julian Aguiar checked in at #17 in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings thanks to the most recent round of voting. The big right-hander is poised to reclaim a spot with the big league Reds at some point in 2026, and my best hope is that he does so well enough – and for long enough – that he’s no longer a prospect and instead is a big leaguer.
Now, we take the voting into the final few spots, with #18 next up on the list!
Per usual, you can find the link to the Google Form for voting right here, yet it’s also embedded at the bottom if you want to read through first and not have to embark upon the painstaking process of scrolling all the way back up here. Both link and embed will be removed once voting closes so you can’t stuff the ballot post facto, however, so be advised that this paragraph will make zero sense if you stumble back across it a year from now.
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
Chase Petty
Arnaldo Lantigua
Jose Franco
Zach Maxwell
Leo Balcazar
Adolfo Sanchez
Carlos Jorge
Aaron Watson
Julian Aguiar
A large list of talented names exists below for spot #18. Have at it with the votes!
Liberts Aponte, SS (18 years old)
2025 at a glance: .247/.368/.461 with 7 HR, 9 SB in 193 PA for DSL Rojos (Dominican Summer League)
Pros: 29/35 K/BB showed greatly improving strike zone awareness; already a plus defender at short where he projects to be excellent both with range and arm long-term
Cons: Still not viewed as a potential plus with the bat, though early returns are already better than original scouting reports; has a long way to go in terms of physically maturing
The Reds doled out $1.9 million to sign Aponte last January, and that marked the single largest contract they doled out in that particular international signing window. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the #18 player overall in that class, noting he was ‘one of the most skilled defenders in his class’ and ‘offers solid wheels’ with ‘magic in his hands’ while doling out a 65 grade on his fielding ability.
The rest, we knew, would take time, as he was just liked at 6’0” and 160 lbs, and that even felt like a slight exaggeration. To his credit, though, he mashed 7 homers as a 17 year old in DSL play while showing more power than anticipated, and if that aspect of his game grows to match what’s already known the Reds have found themselves a gem.
It will be interesting to see if the Reds push him up to Arizona Complex League play at all in 2026 or give him another year in the DSL seeing as he just turned 18 years old in November.
Luke Holman, RHP (23 years old)
2025 at a glance: ER, 2 H, 10 K, 4 BB in 9.0 IP with Daytona Tortugas (Class-A Florida State League
Pros: Two plus breaking pitches (slider, curve)
Cons: Not a ton of velocity on his fastball, which sits 91-94 mph
Luke Holman threw 109 pitches for LSU in a 6-2 loss to North Carolina on June 1st, 2024, a game in which he yielded 4 ER in 6.2 IP with 7 H, 11 K, and a lone walk. Since then, he’s thrown just 9.0 IP on a mound, total.
Holman, Cincinnati’s 2nd round pick in 2024, sat out the remainder of 2024 after being drafted, finishing his calendar year with 91.2 IP of 2.75 ERA ball that included a wonderful 0.98 WHIP and 127/33 K/BB. When his 2025 began in Daytona, all signs looked promising in his first pair of starts only for an elbow issue to subsequently sit him down and require Tommy John surgery, and we’ve not seen him since.
He sat 91-94 with his fastball (and touched 96) before, and has a pair of wicked breaking balls that he uses as his out pitches. If he returns to form in 2026 the way he ways before (or even better!), he still profiles as a back-end starter who should move quickly through Cincinnati’s system after dominating SEC play in stints first with Alabama and later with LSU.
Mason Morris, RHP (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: 9.00 ERA, 7/1 K/BB in 4.0 IP with Class-A Daytona Tortugas; 3.29 ERA, 78/31 K/BB in 54.2 IP with University of Mississippi
Pros: Fastball that can touch 100 mph; four-pitch mix
Cons: Lack of experience
Mason Morris landed with Ole Miss in 2023 primarily as a corner infielder, and the now 6’4” 225 lb righty only recently became a full-time pitcher prior to the Reds selecting him with their 3rd round pick in 2025. He’s got projection through the roof, though, with a 100 mph heater, plus cutter, and a pair of other breaking balls that look like they’ve also got the juice.
The question, though, is how Cincinnati plans to use him.
Morris only got a pair of outings as a pro after being drafted, and it appears the Reds have intentions on seeing if he can develop into a starting pitcher. That’s something he’s never really done before, however, and he’ll turn 23 years old in August of 2026. So, we’ll see how long of a leash the Reds give him with that avenue, since if they want to simply keep him in the bullpen there’s very little reason why he shouldn’t rocket through the minors and give them a legit relief arm at the big league level in short order.
Mason Neville, OF (22 years old)
2025 at a glance: .247/.333/.442 with 1 HR, 2 SB in 90 PA with Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League); .290/.429/.724 with 26 HR, 9 SB in 280 PA with University of Oregon
Pros: 60-grade power with potential plus arm and plus speed & baserunning; chance to stick in CF, though still profiles as a solid RF if moved to the corner; led Division I with 26 HR in final season at Oregon
Cons: Lots of swing and miss in his game, at times, including a 34.4% rate in his short sample with Daytona
The Reds clearly love Neville, as they drafted him in the 18th round out of high school 2022 only to watch him initially attend the University of Arkansas. After transferring to Oregon and swatting more dingers than anyone else in 2025, the Reds went back to him in the 4th round of the most recent draft.
Neville is incredibly toolsy, his left-handed swing producing significant power when he makes contact. He’s good at working walks despite his swing-and-miss proclivities, and posesses the kind of athleticism and speed to be a legitimate CF.
His tiny sample with Daytona has some red flags with the Ks, but it’s such a small sample that it’s hard to take it with too much certainty. For instance, he hit .298/.365/.526 through his first 17 games there only to go 2 for 20 with 9 Ks across his final 6 games – that could, and likely is, all small-sample noise.
Big tools, that Neville. He could well be the steal of the 2025 draft.
Sheng-En Lin, RHP (20 years old)
2025 at a glance: 3.06 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 61/15 K/BB in 47.0 IP split between ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League) and Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League); .172/.348/.310 with 2 HR in 113 PA with ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League)
Pros: Former two-way player has tons of athleticism; fastball that runs to 97 mph with three-pitch mix including curve and change; excellent command
Cons: Still building up innings; dropping hitting to focus on being a pitcher
Lin was signed for $1.2 million during the 2023 international signing period, and the Taiwan native spent the last trio of seasons in Arizona attempting to do both hitting and pitching. The hit tool stalled, though, as his K-rate spiked and power never arrived, and on pitching he’ll now focus after making a late-season cameo with Daytona after being promoted to full-season ball for the first time.
In very, very small samples, his work on the mound has been excellent. He’s the owner of an impressive 4.07 K/BB rate for his short career, and that’s with an impressive 11.7 K/9 that shows just how much of a strikeout pitcher he can be. His secondary pitches both flash plus grades, at times, and more consistency there with a fastball that hits 97 mph already (with perhaps more velocity coming as he focuses solely on the mound) could see him rocket up these rankings in short order…if he hits the ground running in April.
Ricky Cabrera, 3B (21 years old)
2025 at a glance: .187/.276/.240 with 0 HR, 0 SB in 89 PA with High-A Dayton Dragons (Midwest League)
Pros: Above-average power, speed, and hit tool, with an arm that’s good enough to play at 3B (if he can find his accuracy)
Cons: An absolutely lost 2025 season that included a season-ending knee injury
The optimist in you sees that Cabrera only just turned 21 years old in October, and in 2024 posted a 110 wRC+ with 11 HR and 19 SB in the pitcher-friendly confines of the Florida State League with Daytona (with said wRC+, along with his OPS, both ranking among that league’s top 10). That same optimist probably would point out that 2025 saw the Venezuela native play in the cold April weather of the Midwest League with Dayton for the first time, and he struggled mightily in those new conditions before a knee injury rendered his 2025 completely lost.
There’s still a lot to like about Cabrera, even though he’s physically matured off shortstop at this juncture and likely profiles as a 3B, or potentially at 2B defensively – with his defense needing just as much improvement as his bat at the moment, too. If the batting cage stuff can begin to translate onto the field again post-injury, there’s still a ton to like about the former $2.7 million signee and Top 5 overall international prospect from the 2022 class.
I’m assuming there is no pessimist in you, for now.
Tyler Callihan, IF/OF (26 years old)
2025 at a glance: .303/.410/.528 with 4 HR, 6 SB in 106 PA with AAA Louisville Bats (International League); 1 for 6 with an RBI in 4 G with Cincinnati Reds
Pros: Plus bat speed from the left-hand side of the plate; advanced approach at the plate and potentially solid ability to take a walk
Cons: Plays a little bit of everywhere because his defense isn’t great anywhere; injuries have persisted with him just about every single year since being drafted back in 2019
Callihan had barely made his big league debut (and picked up his first career big league hit) in 2025 before he went crashing into the wall in foul territory chasing a Matt Olson liner and shattered pretty much every bone in his arm. That ended his season, obviously, something that Callihan has had to hear told to him just about every year since being drafted – he’s even had Tommy John surgery despite obviously not being a pitcher.
If and when he can stay healthy, there’s always been a bit to like about his offensive potential, however. Drafted as a bat-first guy out of high school in 2019, he signed an over-slot bonus to turn pro because people knew then he could hit, and that’s still the case despite him always having the look of being rusty off a long layoff.
He’s got a bit of speed, a bit of pop, a bit of just about everything, and he also now has experience at 2B, LF, 1B, and even some 3B back in the day, all while swinging from the left side. That has him firmly in the mix for the final roster spot on the Reds come Opening Day, as none of their other litany of utility infield options has both a) big league experience and b) bats from the left side.
Hansel Jimenez, SS/3B (19 years old)
2025 at a glance: .269/.374/.445 with 5 HR, 12 SB in 147 PA for DSL Reds (Dominican Summer League); .229/.345/.364 with 4 HR, 3 SB in 142 PA for Sydney Blue Sox (Australian Baseball League)
Pros: 70 grade raw power (per FanGraphs) with potential to be a plus runner, fielder, and have a plus arm
Cons: Potential swing and miss issues (25.9% K-rate in the DSL, 64% contact rate); may end up at 3B long term
Signed for an undisclosed amount during the 2024 international signing period, Jimenez has immediately hit the ground running in prospect circles with his mix of potentially elite athleticism and batted-ball metrics that jump right off the page.
After dabbling in DSL play in 2024 at age 17 (6 for 14 with a double and 4 steals in 5 G), he repeated that level in 2025 and more than held his own with an .820 OPS. Those solid surface stats hide his pretty monumental 45% hard-hit rate, 106 mph EV90, and maximum exit velocity of 113 mph – all numbers posted by an 18 year old. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs has him ranked 12th (right behind Tyson Lewis) and notes the multiple similarities between the two, though Jimenez is a full year younger.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 07: Bryan Hudson #60 of the Chicago White Sox throws a pitch during the seventh inning against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on August 07, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets have reportedly added another reliever into the mix, acquiring left-handed pitcher Bryan Hudson from the White Sox for cash considerations. Chicago had designated Hudson for assignment back on February 4. To make room on the 40-man roster, the club transferred Reed Garett to the 60-day IL.
Hudson was drafted by the Cubs in the third round of the 2015 MLB Draft but never appeared in the majors for the club, instead electing for free agency after the 2022 season. He signed with the Dodgers and went on to make six appearances for Los Angeles in 2023 and allowed seven earned runs over 8 2/3 innings. He was traded to the Brewers, where he had his best season in 2024. In his lone full season in Milwaukee, he posted a 1.73 ERA and a 3.60 FIP with 62 strikeouts over 62 1/3 innings, finishing the year with a 2.5 bWAR. He returned in 2025 but was far less effective, posting a 4.35 ERA (five earned runs over 10 1/3 innings) before getting designated for assignment in July. He was picked up by the White Sox, where he allowed three earned runs over 4 2/3 innings.
Hudson will look to earn a spot in a bullpen that has no shortage of names competing for the chance to make the Opening Day roster. Hudson’s acquisition is especially noteworthy following the announcement by David Stearns that A.J. Minter is expected to return from his injury in early May. That could offer Hudson an opening to snag a spot this spring, as the only other definite lefty in the pen is Brooks Raley.
Justin Verlander is a Detroit Tiger again, hoping to lead his original team to a third trip to the World Series.
Verlander, the 266-game winner who will celebrate his 43rd birthday this month, agreed to a one-year, $13 million contract with the Tigers, the club announced Feb. 10.
That presumably wraps up a Tigers off-season that finished with plenty of fireworks: The three-year, $115 million agreement with left-hander Framber Valdez, Tarik Skubal's historic $32 million arbitration victory and now Verlander.
The presence of Skubal, set to become a free agent this season, Valdez, Jack Flaherty and 2025 All-Star Casey Mize ensures the Tigers won't need to lean on Verlander for much more than 150 innings. He's made no secret that he'd like to get to 300 wins, yet playing for an offense-poor club in San Francisco last season, posted a 4-11 record with a 3.85 ERA.
He finished particularly strongly, with a 1.96 ERA and 3.72 fielding independent pitching over his last seven starts.
The Tigers would take that. They reached the 2006 World Series in Verlander's rookie year, and again in 2012, when they were swept by the San Francisco Giants. Last year, Detroit blew a 14-game lead and lost the division title to Cleveland, yet advanced to the American League Division Series as a wild card, losing a five-game thriller to Seattle.
Perhaps an old hand can help nudge them over the top.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - OCTOBER 02: Steven Kwan #38 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a double during the eighth inning in Game Three of the American League Wildcard Series against the Detroit Tigers at Progressive Field on October 02, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The Guardians dropped their 2026 promo schedule! There is a lot of cool stuff here, from the Manzo-lorian bobblehead to the Jose Ramirez Camp Shirt. However, it is noteworthy that there is nothing for Steven Kwan. It’s starting to look more and more like his future will not be in Cleveland, but we will see.
Former Guardian Konnor Pilkington signed a minor league deal with the Tigers.
The Guardians 37th overall pick in 2022, Justin Campbell, looks to finally be healthy and on track to make his pro debut this Spring.
We’re getting closer and closer to Baseball being back. Pitchers and catchers report in Arizona very soon and before we know it, Spring Training will be here.
LAKELAND, Fla. — Justin Verlander is going back to his first big league team, agreeing to a $13 million, one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers on Tuesday.
Verlander, who turns 43 on Feb. 20, is looking to rebound from a frustrating year with San Francisco. The deal for the three-time AL Cy Young Award winner includes $11 million in deferred payments starting in 2030.
Verlander’s 266 victories are tied with Bob Feller and Eppa Rixey for 34th on baseball’s career list, while his 3,553 career strikeouts are eighth and closely trailing Don Sutton with 3,574.
Verlander said he needed a “relentless pursuit of finding something, anything to make it click” in turning his struggles around last year with the Giants. His 2.60 ERA from July 23 through the remainder of the season ranked fourth in the National League with a minimum of 60 innings pitched.
Verlander returned June 18 after being sidelined for a month by a strained right pectoral muscle. The right-hander wants to keep pitching after a disappointing season in which he began 0-8 and was winless in his initial 16 outings before a win at Atlanta on July 23.
He went on to finish 4-11 with a 3.85 ERA and 137 strikeouts over 29 starts spanning 152 innings. He has 266 wins, still far off from joining the 300-win club but something he could approach with a strong, healthy 2026.
“First half, quite difficult. Happy I was able to find some mechanical fixes to kind of get back in the right direction and pitch well in the second half,” Verlander said following his final outing Sept. 27. “I think obviously you’d always rather it go well, but it’s nice to be able to turn it around, especially after a few months it gets really draining and it’s tiresome. You’ve just got to come in every day and have a positive mindset and keep working hard.”
Verlander signed a $15 million, one-year contract with San Francisco last January and had a forgettable home debut for the Giants. The Giants often struggled to provide him with enough run support.
The second-half turnaround mattered to Verlander, who limited foes to a .228 average over his final 13 appearances. He allowed two or fewer earned runs in 10 of his last 13 starts.
Los Angeles, CA - January 31: Manager Dave Roberts on stage during Dodgerfest at Dodger Stadium on Saturday, Jan. 31, 2026 in Los Angeles, CA. (Ronaldo Bolaños / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
Projection systems by their nature tend to be conservative, which is why it’s rare to see such a clear outlier. When it comes to predicting baseball records, the Dodgers are standing out.
Seeing a projection of 105 wins is eye-popping given all the regression that goes into these systems, and it’s not the first time for this era of Dodgers baseball. Last year they were projected for 104 wins, the highest PECOTA projected win total since 2009.
“Baseball projections are supposed to end with most teams bunched up together because that’s just how baseball works: the small talent disparity between most squads and the sport’s inherently random nature come together to create tons of equality,” wrote Mario Delgado Genzor at Baseball Prospectus. “This is not supposed to be possible, for one team to be so clearly head and shoulders above the rest.”
The Dodgers now been projected by PECOTA for triple-digit wins in six of the last seven seasons, but it makes sense given that they have a .629 winning percentage dating back to 2017, a 102-win pace over 162 games, with seasons of 111, 106, 106, 104, and 100 wins during that time. They finished with the best record in MLB in four of those nine years, and were one win shy of the best record two other times.
It’s a little bit funny that the Dodgers won the World Series in each of the last two years without winning 100 games. Granted, their 98 wins were the most in MLB in 2024, but they were downright slumming it to 93 wins last year but had every key player healthy in October.
The Dodgers added premium free agents Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz to shore up their biggest weaknesses, and boast enviable pitching depth that might be their best to date. Their ultimate goal obviously is to win another World Series, but they’ll have to win a lot of games in the regular season to get there.
Today’s question is how many games will the Dodgers win in the 2026 regular season? Let us know in the comments below.
Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns announced that shortstop Francisco Lindorwill be evaluated on Wednesday for a stress reaction in his left hamate bone.
Per Stearns, Lindor reported soreness in his left hand/wrist area over the last couple of days, and will see a specialist on Wednesday to determine if surgery is necessary.
If Lindor does require surgery, it would likely include a six-week recovery time, including a ramp-up period, which means he could still be back by Opening Day.
"Even if it does require a surgery, we would remain optimistic that Francisco would be back for Opening Day," Stearns said.
According to Stearns, Lindor has had soreness in the hamate area on and off for “a couple of years.”
“He’s usually able to grind through it, and he’s done it," Stearns said. "I don’t know when he first felt it, but I think it just persisted to the point where he felt like he should say something about it. Once we examined it a little bit more yesterday, our medical staff determined that he should see a specialist."
This isn't the first bit of injury news for Lindor this offseason. Following the 2025 season, Lindor had a procedure on his right (throwing) elbow that was described as a "minor cleanup." As a result, Lindor is not competing with team Puerto Rico in this year's World Baseball Classic.
Lindor is coming off his first All-Star season as a Met, as he slashed .267/.346/.466 with 31 home runs, 86 RBI and 117 runs scored.
Stearns said multiple times that the Mets are optimistic and even "confident" that if Lindor undergoes surgery, he'll be back by Opening Day. When pressed on other internal options at shortstop if Lindor isn't back by March 26, Stearns said the club has a number of players with shortstop experience in camp, including Ronny Mauricio and Vidal Brujan.
However, it sounds as if the club wants to keep the recently acquired Bo Bichette at third base, rather than move him around the infield.
Mets star Juan Soto is moving from right field to left field this season, president of baseball operationsDavid Stearnsannounced on Tuesday.
"Over the last month or so, as (Carlos Mendoza) and Juan were talking about the season, Juan was working out in left field because he's gonna play left field for the DR in the WBC," Stearns explained. "As they had their conversations, he felt really comfortable there. It made sense for us from a roster perspective. So we're gonna go forward with it, and everyone is on board with it.
"Not something we had really contemplated coming into the offseason, but as we've had conversations over the last month it made sense for all involved."
Speaking later in the afternoon, Mendoza said that he and Soto had many conversations in the offseason, including Mendoza visiting the outfielder in the Dominican Republic, and it was probably around late December when Mendoza and Soto first seriously entertained the idea of Soto making a position change.
Talks started with Mendoza asking about where Soto would play for the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic. When Soto explained that he was preparing to play left, with Fernando Tatis Jr. playing right, Mendoza asked about Soto making the change for the Mets.
"I asked how he would feel if he played left field for us, and he was like 'I’m willing to do whatever. If you want me to pitch, Mendy, I’ll pitch,' kind of with that smile," Mendoza explained. "I said ‘Seriously speaking here, is that something that you would consider if it makes sense for both?' and he was like 'Absolutely.' He reinforced it and said 'I’m comfortable in right, I’m comfortable in left, whatever the team needs.'"
Soto has played mostly right field over the last few seasons, including in 2025, when he started all 157 games there.
However, he has started 458 big league games in left field, including six in 2024 and 154 in 2023 -- when every one of his starts in the field for the Padres came in left.
"I think it's just where he is comfortable," Stearns noted. "He's done it in the past. He feels good over there. We've talked about it a lot, we've got a lot of athletic outfielders -- both at the major league level and nearing the major league level. And so having right field available to them isn't a bad outcome.
"We were also comfortable with Juan in right field and having left field available to them. As we were talking with Juan, it frankly didn't make a lot of sense to bounce him back and forth from corner to corner during spring training. He's comfortable in left, it fits with our roster, so we'll go forward with it."
While Soto has a strong arm that he utilizes well, he was near the bottom of the league last season when it came to Outs Above Average. The same was the case in 2024 and in 2023 (when he was in left field).
With Soto shifting to left, that means right field will be a competition between Carson Benge and others.
Benge has lots of experience in right field, including 26 games last season. He was primarily a right fielder during his college career with Oklahoma State. He can also play center and left.
Stearns has spoken highly of Benge throughout the offseason, noting that he has a legitimate chance to make the team out of spring training as a starting outfielder.
In addition to Benge, other possibilities for right field include Tyrone Taylor and Brett Baty.
Baty has yet to play right field professionally, but has 29 games of left field experience in the minors (and one game of experience there in the majors).
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 27: Andrew Miller #48 of the New York Yankees pitches against the Tampa Bay Rays during their game at Yankee Stadium on April 27, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
At the conclusion of the 2014 season, Brian Cashman certainly knew his team was approaching a pivot point. After missing the postseason for the first time since 2008, the Yankees GM was tasked with replacing a franchise icon — Derek Jeter, whose retirement represented the end of an era. To this end, Cashman swung a three-team trade for Arizona’s Didi Gregorius, a little-known shortstop who the team hoped could fill the captain’s shoes. Much of the narrative around the team that offseason revolved around this crucial decision. But another offseason acquisition would prove nearly as exemplary.
Andrew Miller Signing Date: December 5, 2014 Contract: Four years, $36 million
After a historic run at the University of North Carolina, Andrew Miller was as close to a sure-thing prospect as they come. The Tigers took the 6-foot-7 lefty sixth overall in the 2006 MLB Draft. After he made just three outings at Class-A, Detroit could wait no longer to see their phenom in the midst of a pennant race, calling him up to the bigs for an eight-game stint to end the year, with his debut coming on August 30th at Yankee Stadium.
Perhaps due in part to this meteoric rise, Baseball America ranked Miller as the 10th-best prospect in baseball entering the 2007 season. He struggled in 13 starts that year but, at the age of 22, still appeared destined for success.
That’s when the Tigers made him available as the centerpiece of an all-time blockbuster that would alter the fortunes of two franchises. In the deal that netted them Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis, Detroit shipped their former top prospect off to the Marlins. But, after he posted a 5.89 ERA in 220 innings across three seasons, Florida threw in the towel too, pawning Miller off on the Red Sox. When he fared no better in his first season in Boston, the former can’t-miss prospect appeared to be a textbook bust.
That’s when the Red Sox made a decision that would resurrect Miller’s career. As he approached his 27th birthday, Boston converted their failed starter into a full-time reliever. The lanky lefty excelled in his new role, leveraging his arm talent into nearly-doubled strikeout rates from his days in the rotation. After two-and-a-half years as a key cog in Boston’s bullpen, they flipped him once again at the 2014 trade deadline, this time to the Orioles in a trade that brought back Eduardo Rodríguez. He quickly became a Baltimore folk hero of sorts, allowing just three runs in 20 innings as the Orioles took the division before holding opponents to just one hit and no runs in 7.1 playoff innings.
A free agent after this remarkable campaign, the player who’d nearly pitched his way out of baseball was now a hot commodity once again. With the Yankees losing their incumbent closer David Robertson to free agency, they were in the market for a top bullpen arm to pair with Dellin Betances. With Robertson commanding $46 million from the White Sox, Cashman instead made a savvy pivot to a slightly more cost-effective option, signing Miller to a four-year, $36 million contract. He revealed after the fact that his new fireman had an offer on the table elsewhere for $40 million that he eschewed for the chance to pitch in the pinstripes.
In addition to the money differential, the ability to pair Miller with the even-taller Betances — who stood six-foot-eight — may have driven Cashman’s decision. “I was taught the bigger, the better,” Cashman said. “It doesn’t always play out that way, but I like big power pitchers, so I do have a lot of those types, and I’ve always gravitated to those types.”
Cashman initially demurred when asked which of his two bullpen giants would close upon the signing. “I’m not in that mode,” the GM said. “I’m actually in the mode of, well, this was an opportunity too good to pass up, especially without a draft pick attached to it. It protects us and gives us diversification and reinforces our efforts to continue to have a strong bullpen.”
Manager Joe Girardi reinforced this, indicating the team would begin the year alternating between Miller and Betances in the ninth based on matchups. But Miller put this tandem to rest quickly, tearing off a 17.2-inning scoreless streak to begin his Yankees tenure. By the time he allowed his first run, he’d saved 13 games and was firmly entrenched as the team’s closer. He’d finish the season with a 2.04 ERA in 61.2 innings en route to the Mariano Rivera Relief Pitcher of the Year Award, the first Yankee to take home the honor since it was renamed for their franchise’s icon.
The following offseason, the Yankees somewhat surprisingly unseated their newly feted closer, trading for Aroldis Chapman from the Reds and installing the Cuban Missile in the ninth. Miller was even more effective in a setup role, pitching to a 1.39 ERA through July as he earned his first All-Star berth. Along with Chapman and Betances, Miller formed a trio known as “No Runs DMC,” a fearsome late-game combination that struck out 41.8 percent of opponents during their time together.
“I had the best seat in the house for probably the two most electric pitchers in baseball,“ Miller later said humbly of his partnership with Chapman and Betances.
Unfortunately, the team’s fortunes did not follow their bullpen’s. At the Trade Deadline, sitting at .500 and seven games back of the division lead, the Yankees commenced a fire sale that included trades of Miller, Chapman, Carlos Beltrán, and Ivan Nova. The rare rebuild allowed the Yankees to import a bevy of talent, headlined by Gleyber Torres in the Chapman trade.
For Miller, their haul from Cleveland included Clint Frazier, Justus Sheffield, Ben Heller, and J.P. Feyereisen, a king’s ransom in the context of how well-regarded Frazier and Sheffield were at the time. The talented Frazier would spend a frustrating and controversial five years with New York, while Sheffield ended up getting flipped for James Paxton, who struggled with injuries during his two years in pinstripes but was mostly effective when healthy, including a memorable six-inning, one-run start in Game 5 of the 2019 ALCS to keep the Yankees’ season alive.
For his part, Miller continued his run of dominance, pitching to a 1.48 ERA through his first year-and-a-half in Cleveland. He was a rubber-armed playoff hero during their run to the 2016 AL pennant, winning ALCS MVP honors and recording a 1.40 ERA across 10 games and 19.1 innings, pitching in just about any scenario and not running out of steam until the climactic World Series Game 7 against the Cubs. Back for more playoff action the following October, he was matched up against his old Yankees teammates in a memorable ALDS. The veteran allowed just one run in five innings, but it was an iconic lefty-on-lefty solo homer off the bat of Greg Bird that broke a scoreless tie in the seventh inning of Game 3 to key the Yankees’ series comeback from down 2-0.
After parts of three seasons in Cleveland, Miller pitched for three more years in St. Louis before retiring at the age of 36. In a testament to his determination, the former bust took a circuitous route to finally realizing his vast potential. And, while his time in New York was brief, it ranks among the most dominant runs of relief work in the franchise’s history.
See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.
