The 2026 World Baseball Classic is upon us, and there are plenty of representatives for the Mets in this year's tournament.
New York always has plenty of players participating in each WBC, for better or worse. Shortstop Francisco Lindor has represented his home country of Puerto Rico proudly -- although he won't play this time around -- while former reliever Edwin Diaz did the same, although that resulted in a lost season for the All-Star closer. The Mets hope that doesn't happen this time as they'll have their top prospect, Nolan McLean, participating this year.
In addition, Clay Holmes will join McLean and play for Team USA, but the biggest name to play in the WBC will be Juan Soto.
The Mets slugger will rejoin team Dominican Republic as they look to capture the WBC championship. Soto participated in the 2023 tournament and showed out on the world stage. Through four games, Soto went 6-for-15 with three doubles, two home runs and three RBI. However, DR finished third in Pool D (behind Venezuela and Puerto Rico) and did not make it out of the group stage.
Here is every Mets player participating for the various teams in this iteration of the WBC...
Clay Holmes - USA
Nolan McLean - USA
Juan Soto - Dominican Republic
Huascar Brazoban - Dominican Republic
Mark Vientos - Nicaragua
Robert Stock - Israel
Jordan Geber - Israel
Ben Simon - Israel
Alex Carillo - Mexico
Daniel Duarte - Mexico
Nick Morabito - Italy
Jared Young - Canada
Daviel Hurtado - Cuba
Jose Ramos - Panama
Carlos Guzman - Venezuela
The 2026 World Baseball Classic is set to run from March 5-17.
Shohei Ohtani and Japan will look to defend their World Baseball Classic crown in 2026, three years after defeating Team USA in an instant classic of a final, the country's third win in five editions of the international tournament.
Ohtani struck out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to clinch that victory, and the now-Dodgers star has earned three more MVP awards and two World Series titles since the famous night in Miami. However, Ohtani won't pitch in the WBC and will just be used as a hitter.
Japan's squad also features MLB All-Stars including Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers) and Seiya Suzuki (Cubs) and two top players who are joining MLB this season in sluggers Munetaka Murakami (White Sox) and Kazuma Okamoto (Blue Jays).
Japan begins pool play in Tokyo on March 6.
Here's a look at Japan's squad for the 2026 WBC:
Japan World Baseball Classic roster
Pitchers
Daichi Ishii
Hiromi Itoh
Yusei Kikuchi
Koki Kitayama
Taisei Makihara
Yuki Matsui
Yuki Matsumoto
Hiroya Miyagi
Taisei Ota
Ryuhei Sotani
Tomoyuki Sugano
Kaima Taira
Hiroto Takahashi
Atsuki Taneichi
Yoshinobu Yamamoto
Catchers
Yuhei Nakamura
Seishiro Sakamoto
Kenya Wakatsuki
Infielders
Sosuke Genda
Kaito Kozono
Shugo Maki
Munetaka Murakami
Kazuma Okamoto
Teruaki Sato
Outfielders
Kensuke Kondoh
Shota Morishita
Ukyo Shuto
Masataka Yoshida
Seiya Suzuki
Designated hitters
Shohei Ohtani
Managers and coaches
Hirokazu Ibata (manager)
Makat Kanero (bench coach)
Atsushi Nohmi (pitching coach)
Kazuki Yoshimi (pitching coach)
Yoshiyuki Kamei (first base coach)
Eishin Soyogi (third base coach)
Yoshinori Murata (bullpen coach)
Is Shohei Ohtani pitching in the WBC?
Shohei Ohtani confirmed that he will not pitch in the 2026 World Baseball Classic and will only be used as a hitter. Ohtani returned to the mound for the Dodgers in 2025 after missing all of 2024 as he recovered from an elbow injury – while hitting full time.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ - FEBRUARY 23: The Colorado Rockies logo on the warm up circle before the MLB spring training baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Colorado Rockies on February 23, 2024 at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kevin Abele/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Pitchers and catchers report exactly one week from today with the rest of the squad following right behind them on Tuesday, February 17. Today, the Colorado Rockies announced their 2026 non-roster invitees.
They have chosen to invite eight pitchers and 12 position players, and 11 of the NRI’s joined the Rockies from different organizations. Below is a full list of the Rockies’ non-roster invitees, their PuRPs rankings (if applicable), and/or which organization they were part of last season.
Workouts start next week, but the first game isn’t until February 20. Which of these players are you most surprised to see? Are there any players you think were snubbed? Let us know in the comments!
Oct 3, 2013; Atlanta, GA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) reacts after the third inning against the Atlanta Braves of game one of the National League divisional series playoff baseball game at Turner Field. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
Repetition is the root of commonality, but there was actually a time when the Dodgers weren’t seen as the prohibitive favorites heading into every playoff series. The stage was quite different back in 2013. Largely propelled by first-year impactful performances from Yasiel Puig and Zack Greinke, a Dodgers squad without the depth we’ve grown accustomed to returned to the postseason for the first time in four years to play a 96-win Braves team. After a playoff hiatus towards the end of the Brian Cox tenure, Atlanta was making the postseason for the third time in the last four years and was the more experienced team.
One big advantage the Dodgers had over the Braves in that particular series was in the form of high-end starting pitching. While Atlanta had a very successful campaign with the likes of Julio Teheran, Mike Minor, and Kris Medlen — the latter faced Clayton Kershaw in Game 1. Los Angeles had two established aces and a number three in Hyun Jin-Ryu that rivaled any team in that period. Now, the depth after those three was very shaky, which led Kershaw to start Game 4 on short rest even though Los Angeles had the lead in the series, but that’s getting ahead of ourselves.
Back then, when pitchers still hit, the Braves only trailed the Rockies in slugging percentage among National League teams, finishing the year at .402. Those numbers were a bit worse against southpaws, which made sense given how lefty-heavy that Braves team was at the top, with the likes of Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, and Brian McCann.
On the road, against a tough opponent, and at the height of his powers, coming off what would be crowned his second Cy Young win in the last three years, Kershaw dominated in a manner that we don’t even see from the aces these days, pushed well beyond the currently acceptable levels, finishing his outing with a whopping 124 pitches.
Setting the tone early, Kershaw finished the opening frame with bookend strikeouts against Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, utilizing that patented down-and-away slider to lefties to punch out Heyward and then blowing a heater by Freeman. Back then, the Kershaw had an easy 95-mph heater he could turn to, something he had to adapt to being without for the second half of his career.
Scoring in every inning between the second and fourth, the Dodgers took a commanding 5-0 lead that felt insurmountable with Kershaw on the mound, particularly with a couple of shutdown frames in the second and third. Trailing 5-1, the Braves had an opportunity to get back into things with Andrelton Simmons up, two on and two out, but once again, that slider bailed him out. Kershaw threw a down-and-in breaking ball to the Braves’ shortstop, who couldn’t help but swing on top of it, thus ending the threat.
Kershaw would leave that game with 12 punchouts, which would remain his career high in the postseason for many years until a marvelous eight-inning performance against the Brewers in 2020, in which he recorded 13 Ks, eventually helping the Dodgers win their first championship that year.
Starting a trend that would remain for the better part of Kershaw’s prime, the Dodgers’ ace was called upon to pitch on three days rest in Game 4 of this series, as the Dodgers hoped to avoid having to go back to Atlanta for a Game 5. Holding his own as he would routinely do in such instances, Kershaw tossed six strong with two unearned runs in a game ultimately decided in the late innings by a Juan Uribe go-ahead homer.
That Dodgers team faltered in the NLCS, but for where it was in its contention window, it had a decent run, and if it even got as far as the NLCS, it owed a lot of it to Kershaw, who played a humongous role in this series against an equally strong Braves team.
With the start of camp just a week away, the Yankees have announced their list of non-roster invitees to audition for a spot with the team this spring.
These 27 players not on the team's 40-man roster are attending and will play for a spot on the Opening Day roster or a spot in their minor league system. Seventeen of those players were signed to minor league contracts this offseason and consist of names who have played at a high level in the majors with other organizations already. Seth Brown and Paul DeJong are two of the more intriguing names on this list and could potentially break camp with the team as bench pieces.
For the other 10 players, they are a mix of minor leaguers who have been in the system, but not on the 40-man roster, acquired in the Rule 5 Draft or returned to the Yankees after playing for them in 2025.
High-profile prospects are also in this group, and have ranked highly in MLB Pipeline's list. George Lombard Jr. (No. 32), Carlos Lagrange (No. 79) will be there, while Ben Hess -- the Yankees' No. 6 prospect -- will make his spring training debut.
Spencer Jones and Elmer Rodriguez are already on the 40-man roster and will be attending.
Here are the 2026 Yankees non-roster invitees:
INF/OF Seth Brown
RHP Dylan Coleman
RHP Alexander Cornielle
OF Kenedy Corona
RHP Yovanny Cruz
INF Paul DeJong
RHP Drake Fellows
RHP Bradley Hanner
C Payton Henry
RHP Adam Kloffenstein
INF/OF Marco Luciano
RHP Travis MacGregor
INF/OF Ernesto Martínez Jr.
INF Jonathan Ornelas
C Miguel Palma
C Ali Sánchez
INF Zack Short
RHP Brendan Beck
LHP Kyle Carr
RHP Harrison Cohen
RHP Carson Coleman
OF Duke Ellis
RHP Ben Hess
RHP Carlos Lagrange
INF George Lombard Jr.
RHP Michael Arias
C Abraham Gutierrez
Yankees pitchers and catchers are set to report Feb. 11 while position players report Feb. 15.
AUSTIN, TEXAS - JANUARY 7: Carson Tinney #8 of the Texas Longhorns poses for a portrait on Texas baseball media day on January 7, 2026 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by The University of Texas Athletics/University Images via Getty Images)
When the 2025 MLB Draft was approaching, Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle was hopeful to keep his standout catcher, Rylan Galvan, on the Forty Acres for another season.
Instead, the Buster Posey Award finalist signed with the Chicago White Sox after he was selected in the 13th round, sending Schlossnagle and his staff into the NCAA transfer portal to find an impact replacement.
That search turned into a resounding success story when Texas landed a commitment from star Notre Dame transfer Carson Tinney, also a finalist for the Buster Posey Award as the nation’s best catcher, and the only D1 Baseball All-American to enter the NCAA transfer portal last offseason.
“There’s never been a good baseball team with a bad catcher, ever,” Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said this week on the On Second Thought podcast. “We had to go get a great one and, luckily, Carson was out there and he had a real great interest in Texas.”
“They proved to develop guys. They proved, obviously, to develop catchers,” Tinney said of his commitment. “I got along with the coaches very well. The area is great. And I was on campus, and it felt like the right place for me, so I pulled the trigger.”
A first-team All-American in 2025 by the NCBWA and Baseball American, Tinney elevated his stock with a breakout season, leading the Fighting Irish in batting average (.348), runs (52), homers (17), RBI (53), total bases (119), walks (34), on-base percentage (.498), slugging (.753), and multi-RBI performances (17) after battling injuries as a freshman that limited him to 15 starts in 28 appearances during which he batted .268 with three home runs and nine RBI.
In the batter’s box, Tinney’s prodigious pull-side power is elite, producing a top-10 average exit velocity in college baseball last season. This offseason, Tinney’s exit velocity has reached 112 to 114 miles per hour at Texas and up to nearly 120 miles per hour in training.
PR after PR after PR 🚨
Top college prospect Carson Tinney caps his PR streak at 119.5 MPH EV, landing #2 on the FL college leaderboard 💪 pic.twitter.com/Mn9zC26oMo
“He has that big, big power — when he comes to the plate, the crowd is going to pay attention because you never know what you’re going to see,” Schlossnagle said.
“He gets ahold of that ball, it’s going a long way,” Texas sophomore left-hander Dylan Volantis said.
At Notre Dame, Tinney combined that power with the command of the strike zone expected from a catcher in drawing 34 walks for an on-base percentage of .498 and a solid strikeout rate of 25 percent. In comparison, Galvan had a strikeout rate of 35.5 percent, as he was more prone to take close pitches late in the count and swing and miss.
“He’s improved as an overall hitter, which is what he has to continue to do to be the draft pick that he wants to be and to be the hitter that we want him to be,” Schlossnagle said.
Since arriving on the Forty Acres, Schlossnagle praised the development of Tinney’s leadership ability and his improvement behind the plate after throwing out 17-of-25 attempted base stealers in 2025.
“He’s a really good catcher. He’s got unique receiving abilities. He throws well,” Schlossnagle said.
Longhorns pitchers like Volantis appreciate the big target that Tinney presents behind the plate and his coach in the Cape Cod league last summer praised the way that Tinney is able to frame pitches.
“He makes our pitchers better,” Jamie Shevchik said. “He steals strikes. There’s pitches that are probably two, three balls off the plate that he’s pulling back in and getting calls on.”
This is what a catcher’s system looks like.
Answers for whatever the game demands.
Simple. Fluid. Efficient. Consistent. Effective.
Build the system. Challenge the system. Refine the system.
Despite adding 40 pounds since high school, when he reached 87 miles per hour throwing from behind the plate with a pop time of 1.80 seconds, Tinney has maintained his athleticism.
But no matter how much athleticism and toughness Tinney has, one certainty for the 2026 season is that he’ll suffer some knocks playing catcher and need some games off or at designated hitter to stay fresh, so he wasn’t the only important addition at the position.
With the departures of Oliver Service and Cole Chamberlain, backup options for Schlossnagle last season, landing a catcher with experience was paramount to allow some development time for signee Presley Courville.
Texas looked to the junior-college ranks to fill that need by signing San Antonio product Andrew Ermis, who made big strides as a hitter last season at Temple, improving his batting average from .255 to .338 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI. According to Schlossnagle, that offensive improvement has continued in Austin, but his floor is set by his advanced catching ability.
“He’s a really good catch-and-throw guy. I mean, really good,” said the Texas head coach.
The other certainty for the 2026 season is that if the Horns are going to make a run to Omaha, Tinney’s power in the middle of the lineup and play behind the plate will play crucial roles.
The Diamondbacks traded infielder Blaze Alexander to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, Feb. 5, in exchange for right-handed reliever Kade Strowd and a pair of minor leaguers, a deal that represents the club’s biggest addition to its bullpen yet this winter.
Strowd, 28, enjoyed a strong debut in the big leagues last season, posting a 1.71 ERA in 25 games, allowing only one homer, walking 13 and striking out 24 in 26⅓ innings. He arrives in Arizona with six full years of club control.
Strowd, who averages 96 mph with his fastball, pitches predominantly off his cutter, a pitch he threw 41.1 percent of the time. He also throws a sinker, curveball and sweeper.
The Diamondbacks are also getting two prospects: right-hander Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia.
In exchange, the Diamondbacks had to part with Alexander, who had a breakout second half after taking over at third base following the trade deadline. He hit .230/.323/.383 with seven homers while playing excellent defense at third base.
Alexander became somewhat expendable after the Diamondbacks acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals last month. The Diamondbacks still have infield depth in the form of Jordan Lawlar.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 27: Ty France #2 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats during the seventh inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the 2025 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The offseason trudges onward, and while the Yankees have likely made their splash by bringing back Cody Bellinger, there is always more work to do. One potential move could be to add another right-handed bat on the infield to provide a counterbalance to their lefty-heavy lineup. It would be a supplementary move, though depth is certainly never a bad thing, and Ty France could fit that bill quite well for the Yankees.
The veteran has been a very good Major League hitter for stretches, and is coming off of his first career Gold Glove award. It would be risky to think his best days are ahead of him, but France could prove to be a valuable addition to plenty of teams around the league, a list that perhaps includes the Yankees.
Ty France came up to the big leagues in 2019, his age-24 season, with the Padres. After a brief but unconvincing stretch in his debut season, France began to make noise in the shortened 2020 season, where he managed a 133 wRC+ across 43 games between San Diego and the Mariners.
A year later, the right-handed hitting infielder was in full breakout mode. During the ‘21 season, his first crack at a real full-time role, France was a major contributor across 650 plate appearances in Seattle. During that stretch, he swatted 18 homers, reached base at a .368 clip, and maintained an impressive 129 wRC+. The next year, he was just as good in the same role, this time topping 20 homers for the first time, and even earning his first All-Star selection.
France was legitimately an All-Star level player over those three seasons, and although it was not that long ago, his stock has fallen significantly since then. 2023 was his last full season with the Mariners, and while he was still a generally above-average contributor with the bat, playing primarily as a first baseman with significantly diminished power at the plate, his production had become far less valuable.
Since then, France has bounced around teams (playing with Seattle and Cincinnati in ‘24, and splitting time between the Twins and Blue Jays last season), finding even less success with the bat. Between those two seasons since then, the first baseman has been a below average bat (90 OPS+), reaching base far less often and displaying significantly less power over that time. They are troubling trends, to be sure, but don’t necessarily tell the entire story with France.
In a rather surprising turn of events, France has at least turned himself into an elite defender at first base. In 2024, he was a 1st percentile defender, with -12 OAA, last season, he was 96th percentile (10 OAA), and took home his first Gold Glove award. If he’s able to maintain anything close to that level of prowess with the leather, along with his contact skills at the plate, his floor is certainly kept above water. This isn’t to mention any kind of bounce back in the on-base or power departments, which is not entirely out of the picture.
When it comes to the Yankees, there is definitely a plausible fit with France. They have been reportedly interested in the veteran’s services, and it’s not difficult to see why. A competent right-handed bat to compliment Ben Rice at first base, and to take over if Rice plays behind the plate, would be a luxury to the Yankees, and someone with France’s skillset could make a lot of sense.
Entering his age-31 season, the contact-reliant first baseman seems to be on the decline, but his ability to develop elite skills as recently as last season at least keeps the door open to continued production one way or another. France’s services would also be unlikely to break the bank, as he’s coming off consecutive underwhelming seasons, and may have to join his future squad in a complementary role. It would be a low-risk investment, and one that could make some sense for the Yankees.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Blaze Alexander #9 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after being hit by a pitch during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Steve Gilbert was first with the news that Blaze Alexander is being traded to the Baltimore Orioles for relief pitcher Kade Strowd, and a pair of minor-league prospects. Strowd is a 28-year-old right-hander, who reached the majors for Baltimore last year, and impressed with a 1.71 ERA across 27 appearances. He struck out 26 across 24.1 innings, though his FIP of 3.40 was considerably higher. He doesn’t even have a year of service time, so Strowd comes with a lot of team control – he won’t even be arbitration eligible until 2029. It seems he could be the ‘bridge closer’ Mike Hazen spoke about getting, until A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez are ready to come back.
The prospects are right-handed pitcher Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia. Aracena turned 21 in December and spent last year in A- and High A-ball, after being traded to the Orioles from the Mets last July, in the Gregory Soto deal. All told, he had a 2.25 ERA across 92 innings, with a 114:51 K:BB ratio. Mejia is younger still, being just 20, and played almost all of 2025 in the Florida Complex League. He did hit quite well there, with a particularly impressed 16:26 K:BB ratio. That helped him to a triple-slash line of .274/.418/.411 for an OPS of .829 across 47 games. A long way to go for both men.
Alexander, of course, should be well-known – not least for having won the SnakePit’s 2025 award for Play of the Year. He played a total of 135 games since making his debut at the start of 2024. There had been consideration to him perhaps playing left-field this year, especially after the trade for Nolan Arenado gave the D-backs an everyday starter at third-base. But that option is no longer on the table. Alexander was definitely a fan favorite here though, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors with the Orioles.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Blaze Alexander #9 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after being hit by a pitch during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Strowd is a RHP that pitched well last season for the Orioles. In 25 games he had a 1.71 ERA, FIP of 3.40 and a WHIP at 1.101. He struck out 36, walked 15 and gave up 4 home runs.
The Diamondbacks are sending infielder Blaze Alexander to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitchers Kade Strowd and Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia, source said. @SteveGilbertMLB had it first.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 27: Blaze Alexander #9 of the Arizona Diamondbacks reacts after being hit by a pitch during the first inning of a game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 27, 2025 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Orioles responded to missing out on starting pitcher Framber Valdez by trading for yet another right-handed hitter who can’t be optioned freely to the minors. MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert was first to report that the Orioles are swapping Kade Strowd to the Diamondbacks for Blaze Alexander. A pair of minor leaguers are also going to Arizona, reported by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic: pitcher Wellington Aracena and infielder José Mejía.
Blaze Alexander has a cool first name and not very cool just about anything else. He’s now played in 135 big league games across two seasons and batted .237/.322/.366 in that time. He hit slightly better in 2025, getting the OPS over .700 though still counting as a below-average hitter, and provided enough defensive value across four different positions (mostly third base) that he was worth 1.7 bWAR in 74 games.
That’s not bad. That’s basically your Ramón Urías replacement. One might fairly observe that the Orioles could have just kept Urías and then not had to trade Strowd plus other guys in order to get Alexander. I don’t get paid to run a baseball team, so what do I know?
Strowd, 28, made a solid impression with the Orioles in the back half of last season, allowing a 1.71 ERA and 1.101 WHIP across 25 games. There were some markers of good fortune in the former 12th round pick’s results, particularly a .227 BABIP that is unlikely to be repeated in 2026 or beyond. He has typically had a higher walk rate than you’d like in the minors and that was true at the MLB level as well. It seems the Orioles thought this was the peak of his value.
Why they then also had to add Aracena and Mejía to the deal is beyond me. I would have been confused by this trade if it was Strowd for Alexander just on its own. I don’t even like Strowd.
Mejía is an infielder who received around a $400,000 signing bonus from the team three years ago. He hasn’t gotten higher than the Florida Complex League yet in his career. In 47 games there last year, Mejía batted .274/.418/.411.
Aracena was one of the players acquired when the Orioles sent Gregory Soto to the Mets last July. He was the #23 prospect in the Orioles system before being sent off in this trade. The 21-year-old righty Aracena finished last season with a 2.25 ERA and 1.087 WHIP in 23 games across two levels with the Orioles and Mets. He was striking out a lot of guys but also walking way too many guys, with a 5.0 BB/9 for the year.
Beyond the general “What in the heck?” reaction to this deal, my next thought is this probably shows that the Orioles have no plans of having Jeremiah Jackson back up any position on the infield dirt. This trade doesn’t happen if they have confidence in that outcome. The next thought after that is, who is actually going to pitch in this bullpen this year? Strowd seemed to have earned a spot based on how he pitched last year. Whoever’s taking his spot has proven even less than he has.
Or at least that’s how it looks to me. Mike Elias is a weird guy and he might have some more weird roster moves that nobody foresees between now and when things lock in for Opening Day. Maybe one of those moves will even appear good at first glance, or ever turn out to be good over any length of time.
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 24: Tarik Skubal #29 of the Detroit Tigers poses with his wife Jessica during the 2026 BBWAA Awards Dinner at New York Hilton Midtown on Saturday, January 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Detroit Tigers pitcher Tarik Skubal won his arbitration case, per multiple reports, meaning that he will receive his request $32 million contract for the 2026 season. The Tigers had countered Skubal’s request with a $19 million proposal.
This is the largest salary for a player who was arbitration-eligible, as well as the highest salary ever awarded in a contested MLB arbitration, with the previous high being $19.9 million. Skubal’s request was in line with the salaries received by stars in their final year of arbitration eligibility in recent years, such as Juan Soto, who agreed to terms for $31 million in 2024, and Vlad Guerrero Jr., who settled with the Toronto Blue Jays for $28.5 million.
While most players in arbitration can only compare themselves for salary purposes to other players with similar service time, because Skubal has at least five years of service time, he was able to compare himself to all players. In addition, the CBA allows a player to argue for a higher salary based on special accomplishments, which in Skubal’s case meant back to back Cy Young Awards.
In MLB’s arbitration system, the arbitration panel must pick one of the two numbers submitted. With the halfway point between the two numbers being $25.5 million, if the panel felt Skubal’s case warranted a $25.51 million salary, they are required to go with Skubal’s $32 million request, rather than the team’s $19 million request.
Barring injury or a disastrous season, Skubal will almost certainly receive more than $32 million per year when he hits free agency this upcoming offseason.
The two-time reigning American League Cy Young Award winner won his arbitration case Thursday, meaning he’ll make $32 million this year, per The Post’s Jon Heyman.
It’s a record salary for an arbitration-eligible player.
The Tigers, on the other hand, offered $19 million.
Tarik Skubal MLB Photos via Getty Images
The decision comes after rumors that the Tigers could trade Skubal, especially with one year remaining on his contract.
“I don’t believe in untouchable players at any level,” Detroit top executive Scott Harris told MLB Network during the Winter Meetings in December, per ESPN. “It’s not a commentary on Tarik; it’s more of a blanket approach to building a winning organization. My job is to make this organization better.”
Skubal has been arguably the best pitcher in baseball across the last two years.
Despite starting his career with three seasons holding an ERA above 3.00, Skubal has led the American League with 2.39 and 2.21 marks in 2024 and 2025, respectively.
He also hit the 200 strikeout plateau in both campaigns.
By winning back-to-back Cy Youngs, Skubal became the first pitcher to do so since Jacob deGrom in 2018 and ’19.
A third straight would make him the first since Randy Johnson from 1999-2002.
Besides Skubal’s decision, the Tigers have been busy as of late.
They signed former Astros left-hander Framber Valdez to a three-year, $115 million deal Wednesday night, adding to a rotation that also consists of Skubal, Jack Flaherty and Casey Mize.
Valdez’s $38.3 million average annual value marked the most by a southpaw in MLB history.
The deal makes it less likely that Detroit will ship off Skubal before he hits free agency, since the Tigers have shown they’re willing to spend big to improve.
They now boast one of the top rotations in the league and look to build off their best postseason finishes — two straight Divisional round appearances — since 2014.
And Skubal will be paid handsomely for his potential final year in Motor City.
ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Ken Waldichuk #64 of the Oakland Athletics reacts after the third out in the third inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on September 29, 2023 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Paul Toboni and Ani Kilambi have been doing work on the waiver wire lately. They are churning through players on the fringes of the 40-man roster. Today, they claimed Ken Waldichuk from the Rays and DFA’d George Soriano in the process. Soriano was only claimed last week, but the Nats still decided to move on.
Washington Nationals claim LHP Ken Waldichuk.
Waldichuk ranks eighth in all of Minor League Baseball (min. 275.0 IP) with 13.02 strikeouts per 9.0 innings since the start of the 2019 season.
On the surface, Waldichuk is a weird claim. He posted an ERA over 8 in the minor leagues last year as a 27 year old. However, there is more than what meets the eye here. Waldichuk is a former top 100 prospect with some pedigree. He was part of the trade that sent Frankie Montas to the Yankees in 2022.
At the time of that trade, Waldichuk was a big deal. He pitched in the Futures Game for the Yankees and was a strikeout machine in the minors. For his career, Waldichuk’s K/9 in the minors is 13.02. Despite low to mid 90’s velocity, Waldichuk’s fastball has always played up.
Yankees top pitching prospect Ken Waldichuk gets the save in the Futures Game! pic.twitter.com/RZajHJD3QR
In 2022, he got a cup of coffee in the MLB with the A’s, before spending all of 2023 in their rotation. He has 175.2 career innings with a 5.28 ERA and 165 strikeouts. Things did not work out very well for him in the MLB, but he was still a young pitcher.
However, he had to undergo Tommy John Surgery, missing all of 2024. When he came back in 2025, he did not look like the same guy. The Minor League ERA of 8.17 makes that pretty clear. His velocity was down about 2 ticks and his control was not there.
Despite that, Waldichuk was still getting strikeouts. He fanned 68 batters in 54 minor league innings last year. The fact he was still getting strikeouts makes him sort of interesting. A lot of pitchers struggle in their first year back from Tommy John before looking better as they get further removed from surgery.
There are some signs that this could be the case for Waldichuk. In bullpen’s this offseason, his fastball averaged 93.9 MPH. This season, he only averaged 91.6 MPH on his heater. If the Nats can get Waldichuk to sit 94 consistently, they could have something here.
Whoever picks up @Ken_Waldichuk is getting an absolute steal.
Hardest avg and top FB velocity since pre TJ (and it was a bullpen).
Despite being a starter for his whole career, I think the Nats should transition Waldichuk to the bullpen. He has proven he is not a very effective starter at this point. Waldichuk throws his fastball a lot and I think letting it rip in shorter spurts could help him. A lot of his profile just feels like a failed starter who could thrive in the bullpen.
Even if the velocity is back, Waldichuk will still need to improve his control. Walks were a concern before the surgery, and the control was very bad last year. This is another reason why I think a move to the bullpen makes sense.
As we have seen, there is a chance Waldichuk is not on the team next week. Just ask guys like George Soriano and Micky Gasper. However, I think he is an interesting enough reclamation project for Toboni to want to see what he has in Spring Training. If he does not look good this spring, you can always DFA him again.
The Nats have made a lot of additions on the waiver wire lately, but this one is more intriguing than some of the others. Waldichuk has a pretty high ceiling and has more pedigree than your average waiver claim.
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Tarik Skubal won his salary arbitration hearing with the Detroit Tigers on Thursday, and the two-time Cy Young Award winner will be paid a record $32 million this year instead of the team’s $19 million offer.
Jeanne Charles, Walt De Treux and Allen Ponak made the decision one day after listening to arguments.
Toronto first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had held the record for the highest salary in an arbitration case decided by a panel, winning at $19.9 million in 2024 in a case decided by Charles, De Treux and Scott Buchheit.
A two-time All-Star, Skubal will be eligible for free agency after the World Series. The 29-year-old left-hander is 54-37 with a 3.08 ERA in six major league seasons.
Skubal was 13-6 with an AL-best 2.21 ERA in 31 starts last year, striking out 241 and walking 33 in 195 1/3 innings while earning $10.5 million. His 0.891 WHIP topped qualified pitchers.
Players have won the first three decisions this offseason. Right-hander Kyle Bradish was awarded $3.55 million instead of the Baltimore Orioles’ offer of $2,875,000, and catcher Yainer Diaz received $4.5 million instead of the Houston Astros’ $3 million proposal.
