Category: MLB

Among the Dodgers non-roster players invited to big league camp in spring training is a mix of veterans on minor league deals plus top prospects Josue De Paula, Zyhir Hope, Jackson Ferris, and others.

Last season, nine of the 27 non-roster invitees in big league camp eventually played for the Dodgers during the regular season, including Roki Sasaki, Dalton Rushing, and Justin Dean, who also played in the postseason.

Among the 32 initial non-roster invitees to Dodgers camp are 17 pitchers, five catchers, and 10 other position players. Here’s a little more on each player. We’ll update this list throughout spring training as other players are signed and roster cuts are made.

Pitchers (18)

RHP — Yency Almonte
2025 spring training: Cubs
2025 highest level: Injured list
2026 age: 31
How acquired: minor league contract, February 19, 2026

Almonte hasn’t pitched in the majors since shoulder surgery in July 2024. He returns to the Dodgers after pitching for them in 2022 and 2023.

RHP — Chris Campos (No. 62)
2025 spring training: Dodgers (minors)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 25
How acquired: 2022 draft, 7th round

Campos in a full year at Double-A Tulsa in 2025 had a 4.19 ERA with 111 strikeouts and 32 walks in 126 2/3 innings. He got engaged in December.

RHP — Patrick Copen (85)
2025 spring training: Dodgers (minors)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 24
How acquired: 2023 draft, 7th round

After taking a line drive off his face and losing vision in his right eye to end his 2024 season, the tall right-hander had a very nice bounce-back season in 2025, posting a 3.59 ERA in 26 starts and 117 2/3 innings between Great Lakes and Tulsa, and led all Dodgers minor league pitchers with 152 strikeouts.

RHP — Carlos Durán (82)
2025 spring training: Dodgers (NRI)
2025 highest level: MLB
2026 age: 24
How acquired: minor league deal, December 12, 2025

Originally signed by the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic in 2018, Durán last April was traded to the A’s for outfielder Esteury Ruiz. The right-hander made his major league debut with the A’s in May, but allowed three runs and recorded one out in his only major league appearance to date. Sent outright off the A’s 40-man roster in June, Durán had a 5.74 ERA in 62 2/3 Triple-A innings with nearly as many walks (55) as strikeouts (67) before reaching minor league free agency at the conclusion of the season.

LHP — Jackson Ferris (93)
2025 spring training: Dodgers (NRI)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 22
How acquired: trade with Cubs, January 11, 2024

Named to several top-100 prospect lists prior to the 2025 season, after winning the Branch Rickey Award as the Dodgers minor league pitcher of the year in 2024, Ferris took a bit of a step back in his full season in Tulsa, with a 3.86 ERA in 126 innings, with a slightly lower strikeout rate (24.2 percent after 27.4 percent) and slightly higher walk rate (10.8 percent to 11.8 percent) than the season before. But he improved down the stretch for Tulsa in 2025 — after a 6.58 ERA and 4.45 FIP in his first 12 outings, Ferris had a 2.19 ERA the rest of the way, with only three home runs allowed over his final 14 starts.

LHP — Luke Fox (89)
2025 spring training: Dodgers (minors)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 24
How acquired: 2023 draft, 17th round

Fox split time between High-A Great Lakes and Double-A Tulsa, combining for a 2.85 ERA in 22 games, including 21 starts, with 110 strikeouts and 53 walks in 98 innings.

RHP — Nick Frasso (79)
2025 spring training: Dodgers
2025 highest level: Triple-A
2026 age: 27
How acquired: minor league deal, December 16, 2025

Frasso was acquired from the Blue Jays in the Mitch White trade in August 2022, and spent the last two seasons on the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, though he hasn’t yet pitched in the majors. After shoulder and hip surgeries wiped out his 2024 season, Frasso had a 5.49 ERA in 43 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City in 2025, with 68 strikeouts and 42 walks in 77 innings, before getting non-tendered in November.

RHP — Carson Hobbs (71)
2025 spring training: Dodgers (minors)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 24
How acquired: 2023 draft, 11th round

Hobbs pitched in the back end of the bullpen for both Great Lakes and Tulsa, putting up a 2.04 ERA in 42 games, with 63 strikeouts and 21 walks in 53 innings. His 20.9-percent strikeout-minus walk rate was third-best in the Dodgers minors with a minimum of 50 innings.

LHP — Cole Irvin (38)
2025 spring training: Doosan (Korea)
2025 highest level: Korean Baseball Organization
2026 age: 32
How acquired: minor league deal, February 3, 2026

The veteran starter pitched six seasons in the majors for the Phillies, A’s, Orioles, and Twins before heading over to the KBO in 2025. Irvin put up a 4.48 ERA in 28 starts for Doosan last year, with 128 strikeouts and 79 walks in 144 2/3 innings.

LHP — Antoine Kelly (75)
2025 spring training: Rockies (minors)
2025 highest level: Triple-A
2026 age: 26
How acquired: minor league deal, November 14, 2025

A second-round pick of the Brewers in 2019, Kelly has pitched six seasons in the minors in the Brewers, Rangers, and Rockies systems. He had a 5.63 ERA in 34 relief appearances in 2025 for Triple-A Albuquerque, with 41 strikeouts and 27 walks in 38 1/3 innings. On the road last year, away from pitching on the moon, Kelly had a 3.43 ERA, 25 strikeouts, and 13 walks in 21 innings, plus zero home runs and a .345 slugging percentage allowed.

LHP — Garrett McDaniels (57)
2025 spring training: Angels
2025 highest level: MLB (Angels)
2026 age: 26
How acquired: returned from Rule 5 Draft, June 14, 2025

McDaniels struggled in his brief time in the majors in Anaheim, but once he returned to the Dodgers put up a 3.30 ERA in 25 games for Triple-A Oklahoma City, with 36 strikeouts and 17 walks in 30 innings.

RHP — Wyatt Mills (58)
2025 spring training: Red Sox (NRI)
2025 highest level: Triple-A
2026 age: 31
How acquired: minor league free agent, August 16, 2025

After pitching parts of two-seasons for the Mariners and Royals, Mills had Tommy John surgery that wiped out his 2023-24 seasons. Last year in Triple-A Worcester, Mills put up a 3.12 ERA in 52 innings, with 49 strikeouts and 30 walks.

RHP — José Rodríguez (97)
2025 spring training: Dodgers (NRI)
2025 highest level: Triple-A
2026 age: 24
How acquired: international free agent, 2019

Signed out of Mexico seven years ago, Rodríguez went unselected in December’s Rule 5 Draft, allowing him to remain with the Dodgers. The right-hander had a 5.50 ERA in 54 innings between Double-A Tulsa and Triple-A Oklahoma City last season, with a high strikeout rate (34.1 percent) and high walk rate (14.2 percent). Rodríguez was ranked the Dodgers’ No. 29 prospect this preseason by Baseball America, and rated 30th in the system by FanGraphs.

RHP — Jerming Rosario (81)
2025 spring training: Dodgers (minors)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 24
How acquired: international free agent, July 2, 2018

Rosario repeated with Double-A Tulsa last season and switched from starting to relief pitching, putting up a 4.67 ERA with 87 strikeouts and 51 walks in 79 innings.

RHP — Ryder Ryan (40)
2025 spring training: Pirates (NRI)
2025 highest level: Triple-A
2026 age: 31
How acquired: minor league free agent, January 28, 2026

The older brother of Dodgers pitcher River Ryan, Ryder pitched in parts of 2023-24 in the majors with the Mariners and Pirates. Last year in the Pirates system, Ryder Ryan had a 4.73 ERA in 42 games, with 61 strikeouts and 38 walks in 72 1/3 innings in Triple-A Indianapolis.

LHP — Adam Serwinowski (73)
2025 spring training: Reds (minors)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 22
How acquired: 3-team trade, July 31, 2025

Serwinowski ended his season with one start for Tulsa, after dominating in six starts for High-A Great Lakes, with 44 strikeouts and 14 strikeouts to go with his 1.83 ERA that earned him Midwest League pitcher of the month honors for August.

RHP — Jordan Weems (45)
2025 spring training: Braves (NRI)
2025 highest level: MLB (Astros)
2026 age: 33
How acquired: minor league free agent, February 9, 2026

Weems pitched in the majors in each of the last six seasons, including allowing seven runs in 4 1/3 innings for Houston in 2025. Between Gwinnett and Sugar Land in Triple-A, the right-hander had a 4.44 ERA in 39 games, with 49 strikeouts and 23 walks in 46 2/3 innings.

RHP — Lucas Wepf (90)
2025 spring training: Dodgers (minors)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 24
How acquired: non-drafted free agent, 2022

Wepf had a 2.79 ERA in 23 games for Tulsa last season with 36 strikeouts, 16 walks, and no home runs allowed in 29 innings. But his season ended in June, missing the final two and a half months on the injured list.

Catchers (5)

C — Eliézer Alfonzo (64)
Bats both, throws right
2025 spring training: Tigers (NRI)
2025 highest level: Triple-A
2026 age: 26
How acquired: minor league free agent, November 17, 2025

Alfonzo spent the last nine years in the Detroit Tigers’ minor league system. He hit .247/.297/.322 with 14 doubles in 65 games last season, including eight games with Triple-A Toledo in his first time at that level. His father, also named Eliézer Alfonzo, played six seasons in the majors and was a non-roster invitee in Dodgers camp in 2013.

C — Griffin Lockwood-Powell (92)
Bats right, throws right
2025 spring training: Dodgers (NRI)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 28
How acquired: non-drafted free agent, 2021

Hit .226/.350/.326 in 81 games last year while repeating in Double-A Tulsa. Started five games at first base and five more at designated hitter in addition to his team-leading 69 starts behind the plate in 2025.

C — Nelson Quiroz (87)
Bats left, throws right
2025 spring training: Dodgers (minors)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 24
How acquired: international free agent, April 1, 2019

Quiroz split time between Great Lakes and Tulsa last season, and hit .333/.393/.441 with 13 doubles and a 139 wRC+ in 55 games between both levels.

C — Chuckie Robinson (52)
Bats right, throws right
2025 spring training: Angels
2025 highest level: MLB (Dodgers)
2026 age: 31
How acquired: minor league deal, December 18, 2025

Robinson spent time on the 40-man rosters of the Angels, Dodgers, and Braves in 2025, but only played in the majors in one game, with Los Angeles in September. After ending the season in the minors with Atlanta, the veteran backstop signed a minor league deal with Dodgers in December.

C — Seby Zavala (33)
Bats right, throws right
2025 spring training: Red Sox (NRI)
2025 highest level: Triple-A
2026 age: 32
How acquired: minor league free agent, February 5, 2026

Zavala played parts of five seasons in the majors. Last year he his .165/.274/.340 with eight home runs in 67 games for Triple-A Worcester.

Position players (12)

OF — Josue De Paula (95)
Bats left, throws left
2025 spring training: Dodgers (NRI)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 21
How acquired: international free agent, 2022

De Paula is the highest-rated Dodgers prospect by average ranking entering 2026, ranked between 14th and 24th in baseball by Baseball Prospectus, MLB Pipeline, The Athletic, ESPN, and Baseball America. This came after a .250/.391/.400 season with a 132 wRC+ and 32 steals, mostly for Great Lakes before getting promoted to Tulsa for the final week of the season. De Paula also homered in the 2025 MLB Futures Game in Atlanta to win game MVP honors.

OF — Zach Ehrhard (99)
Bats right, throws right
2025 spring training: Red Sox (minors)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 23
How acquired: trade with Boston, July 31, 2025

A fourth-round pick of the Red Sox in 2024, Ehrhard came to the Dodgers in the Dustin May trade along with fellow NRI James Tibbs III. Ehrhard hit .282/.391/.466 with a 143 wRC+ and 13 extra-base hits in 35 games with Double-A Tulsa.

2B/3B/SS — Santiago Espinal
Bats right, throws right
2025 spring training: Reds
2025 highest level: MLB
2026 age: 31
How acquired: minor league free agent, February 17, 2026

Veteran infielder played in the majors in each of the previous six seasons with the Blue Jays and Reds. Espinal has a career 107 wRC+ against left-handed pitching and has played third base, second base, and shortstop extensively.

IF/OF — Ryan Fitzgerald (46)
Bats left, throws right
2025 spring training: Twins (minors)
2025 highest level: MLB (Twins)
2026 age: 32
How acquired: waiver claim, January 9, 2026

The utility man made his major league debut with the Twins at age 31 last season, splitting his time almost evenly between shortstop, second base, and third base. In his minor league career, Fitzgerald has started at all three outfield spots and all four infield positions. Fitzgerald was designated for assignment when the Dodgers signed Andy Ibáñez on January 13, then a week later after clearing waivers was sent outright to the minors.

OF — Kendall George (0)
Bats left, throws left
2025 spring training: Dodgers (NRI)
2025 highest level: High-A
2026 age: 21
How acquired: 2023 draft, first round

The speedy center fielder stole an eye-popping 100 bases for Great Lakes, just the fourth player in Dodgers organizational history to do so. He got there with a strong second-half kick that improved his seasonal line to .295/.409/.370 with a 131 wRC+.

1B/OF — Matt Gorski (56)
Bats right, throws right
2025 spring training: Pirates (NRI)
2025 highest level: MLB
2026 age: 28
How acquired: minor league free agent, July 23, 2025

Gorski made his major league debut last April with the Pirates, got hurt in Triple-A Indianapolis in May, and was released in July. The Dodgers signed him to a minor league deal last July, but he spent the rest of the season on the injured list and has not yet played in the organization.

1B/2B/LF — Keston Kiura (9)
Bats right, throws right
2025 spring training: Rockies (NRI)
2025 highest level: MLB
2026 age: 29
How acquired: minor league free agent, February 12, 2026

Hiura has played parts of six seasons in the majors with the Brewers, Angels, and Rockies, though only 18 of those games came in the last three seasons. The former UC Irvine Anteater hit .272/.369/.507 with a 107 wRC+ and 21 home runs in 100 games with Triple-A Albquerque in 2025.

OF — Zyhir Hope (94)
Bats left, throws left
2025 spring training: Dodgers (NRI)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 21
How acquired: trade with Cubs, January 11, 2024

Hope hit .266/.376/.428 with a 131 wRC+ mostly for Great Lakes, and was promoted with De Paula to Tulsa for the final week of the season. Hope’s average rank of the five national outlets so far is the 37th-best prospect in baseball heading into 2026, topping out at No. 18 at Baseball Prospectus.

SS — Noah Miller (88)
Bats both, throws right
2025 spring training: Dodgers (minors)
2025 highest level: Triple-A
2026 age: 23
How acquired: trade with Twins, February 27, 2024

Acquired for Manuel Margot before the 2024 season, Miller struggled at the plate in his first taste of Triple-A, hitting .238/.269/.344 in 59 games for Oklahoma City. But strong defense his his calling card. Baseball America rated Miller the Dodgers’ 23rd-best prospect in the system and said, “Miller is the Dodgers’ best infield defender and has the skills to lock down any position on the dirt. He is quick, agile and fearless and has a strong, accurate throwing arm as well. Those skills alone should get him to the big leagues and keep him there for a long time.”

OF — Chris Newell (00)
Bats left, throws left
2025 spring training: Dodgers (minors)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 25
How acquired: 2022 draft, 13th round

Newell hit .241/.346/.428 with a 118 wRC+ for Tulsa last season with 20 home runs and 24 stolen bases. Coupled with his 25 home runs and 31 steals in 2024, Newell is the only Dodgers minor leaguer with a 20-homer, 20-steal season (let alone two) in the last four years.

IF/OF — Nick Senzel (15)
Bats right, throws right
2025 spring training: Mexican League (independent)
2025 highest level: Triple-A
2026 age: 31
How acquired: minor league free agent, May 1, 2025

Senzel played parts of six seasons in the majors (2019-24) with the Reds, Nationals, and White Sox before joining the Dodgers last season. In 2025 with Oklahoma City, Senzel started games at third base, left field, right field, shortstop, second base, and center field.

OF — James Tibbs III (98)
Bats left, throws left
2025 spring training: Giants (minors)
2025 highest level: Double-A
2026 age: 23
How acquired: trade with Boston, July 31, 2025

A first-round pick of the Giants in 2024, Tibbs was traded for Rafael Devers in June, then dealt with Ehrhard for Dustin May in July. With Tulsa, Ehrhard hit .269/.407/.493 with a 155 wRC+ and seven home runs in 36 games after the latter trade. Tibbs was rated the Dodgers’ ninth-best prospect heading into this season by FanGraphs.

While we’re a SABER based site that tries to keep a cool head, every baseball fan has their favorites. Whether due to personality, background, or skill set, some players just naturally appeal to you. In other cases, team needs push additional hope onto a player of still questionable ability. All these factors can play a role in rooting interest.

So who, perhaps even despite your better judgement, are you really pulling for in spring camp? Maybe there’s a reliever that caught your eye, or a minor leaguer you’ve believed in is finally getting a chance to show their stuff in major league camp. Perhaps you’re just particularly worried about a position like shortstop or center field, and hoping someone can really show out and lend some confidence at that spot headed into the season.

Personally, I can’t help riding with Colt Keith this season. It feels like most of the fanbase has already moved on from the former top prospect. Still only 24 years old, Keith has handled himself pretty well and been a productive hitter overall through two seasons. However, he hasn’t gotten to the power production we saw in the minor leagues, and has had stretches of looking a bit overwhelmed. It doesn’t help that the Tigers have had him preparing for a different position every offseason, without any kind of consistency to help him settle into the roster. That’s just a function of need, but I can’t help feeling like Colt is going to break through as a more impactful hitter through his mid-20’s, so he’ll be someone I’m paying extra attention to this spring.

I can’t help having a soft spot for Keider Montero as well. On at least 10 teams around the league, the right-hander would be a lock for a starting rotation job with the chance to grow in that role. Instead, he’s handled a lot of mixed use pretty well, and really came through for the Tigers in the ALDS last October too. He’s still flawed, but he does have the stuff to succeed and I’m hoping he’ll put it together more in 2026.

How about you?

The Dodgers open spring training this week, with pitchers and catchers scheduled to report on Thursday, February 12.

Here’s an inside look at where the team stands as camp begins:

Best position battle

If the Dodgers get through spring with a fully healthy roster, most positions should take care of themselves. However, Tommy Edman is uncertain for opening day as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery. So too is Blake Snell, after slow-playing his winter throwing program while treating a lingering shoulder injury.

If Edman starts the year on the IL, it will create at least a temporary opening at second base. Miguel Rojas would figure to get plenty of the at-bats, but there could also be a runway for either Hyeseong Kim or Alex Freeland to carve out an opening day role.

In the rotation, a potential Snell absence could open a spot for one of the Dodgers’ younger arms, such as River Ryan or Gavin Stone, among others, to earn an opening-day spot.

Most intriguing minor leaguer

There has been growing excitement around the organization in Ryan, who debuted as a top prospect in 2024 and posted a 1.33 ERA in four starts before going down with Tommy John surgery. Since then, the right-hander has bulked up by roughly 30 pounds, added life to his upper-90s mph fastball, and impressed club officials in his throwing program this winter. 

Whether or not he starts the season in the majors, he’ll almost certainly have a role to play at some point. And if his brief debut a couple years ago was any indication, he could be primed for a breakout campaign.

Story to watch develop

The Dodgers have been open about their need to manage the starting rotation’s workload this year, coming off the heavy burden they shoulder in the 2025 playoffs. It’s why the team is already preaching patience with Snell. And it will be a subplot to follow as other veteran arms ramp up for the year.

Outside of Snell, the Dodgers’ other starters have reported feeling OK so far with the quick turnaround from last season. But as intensity heightens in the spring, so too will the threat of lingering after-effects being felt. By the time they get to opening day, the Dodgers should have a better idea of how their pitching staff rebounded from last October.

Manager’s toughest challenge

The Dodgers will have one of the oldest lineups in the majors this year. And manager Dave Roberts has already acknowledged the need to find his veterans more regular rest.

It won’t be easy. Freddie Freeman and Mookie Betts, for example, have been loath to off days in recent years. Thus, Roberts will have to find the right balance between keeping his older bats fresh, and keeping them happy and in-rhythm as they continue to age. It will be an ongoing challenge for the 10th-year skipper.

Most intriguing newcomer

It’s been five years since Kenley Jansen left the Dodgers. Since then, they’ve struggled to find a defined, consistent closer, having not had one reliever with a 25-save season.

That should change now, with the arrival of Edwin Díaz and his 253 career saves. The Dodgers invested $69 million in him to anchor the relief corps. And as long as he clicks, a weak Dodgers bullpen from last season should be a strength in their three-peat bid.

Most notable absence

For two decades, Clayton Kershaw has been the face of the Dodgers franchise. For the first time since 2006, he won’t be at camp for spring training.

The Dodgers, of course, have plenty of options to replace the retired left-hander in the rotation. But his clubhouse presence will leave a void, creating a Hall of Fame-sized hole that will be felt this spring.

Don’t be surprised if it becomes an issue

Injuries, and not just to the rotation. Freeman will be 36 this year, Max Muncy 35, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernandez both 33, and Will Smith, Shohei Ohtani and Edman all 31. While the Dodgers have battled injuries in recent years, they’ve largely had their entire lineup healthy come the playoffs. Accomplishing that again will only get harder as time goes on. 

Pitching absences are already expected. The Dodgers have to hope position player losses don’t become a problem either.

Biggest comeback

Ohtani completed his two-way comeback last year. But now, he will enter a season without any health restrictions for the first time since 2023, when he had arguably his most complete career year.

Ohtani will begin this campaign as the frontrunner for his fifth MVP. He could very well wind up in the Cy Young conversation, too. The Dodgers have already seen historic feats from their $700 million star. Now, they’ll get their first look at a full season of Ohtani playing both ways full-time.

Remember back in December when I wrote about about “tractability?”

This was a concept discussed in Pedro Moura’s 2022 book How to beat a broken game: The rise of the Dodgers in a league on the brink. The term essentially refers to a player’s willingness to accept instruction.

In this column, I want to look at a second concept Moura discusses, “optionality.”

Here, he explains how Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman approaches decision-making:

Every decision he made was governed by the guiding principle of optionality [emphasis added], a term co-opted from Wall Street, where he had his professional start. The idea is to render no decision absolutely necessary, to preserve as many possible choices as long as possible. It manifests in many ways, most notably in the Dodgers’ relative lack of desperation. Desperate teams make decisions they will regret. Because of Friedman’s patience and ownership’s resources, the Dodgers stand perpetually ready to seize on opportunities created by another team’s desperation.

So, for Friedman’s Dodgers, maintaining flexibility for as long as possible was key. We watched the 2025 Rockies play from a place of desperation — that’s why players were promoted before they were MLB ready — and we saw the results. The Dodgers would have never allowed themselves to get into that position.

But let’s return to the idea of optionality. The poster child for this concept is Mookie Betts. Here’s Moura:

Betts is the human embodiment of optionality, always available to boost the team in one facet or another. He could connect on a home run. He could beat out an infield single. He could unleash an unreasonably accurate throw. He could make a leaping, or diving, catch. He could steal second base, or he could score from first on a single, as he did to finish his final game with the Red Sox. He could demand his teammates establish a new, higher standard of effort, as he did before his first game with the Dodgers.

Look, the Dodgers moved Betts from the outfield to shortstop with very little effort. That’s how versatile he is. He gets hits; he’s athletic; he makes plays; and he does whatever is asked of him. It’s why he’s such a valuable player.

Finally, let me cite one more passage from Moura, this one on Max Muncy:

In 2019, Max Muncy became the fifth major leaguer to appear at least sixty times at both first base and second base. This flexibility, or optionality, is essential to how the Dodgers operate. It frees them to pursue off-season and midseason improvements at more positions than their peers, because somebody can always slide somewhere to accommodate a newcomer. It liberates Roberts to use the best available pinch-hitter in any game situation and not burn another reserve to defend, because, again, somebody on the field can always slide somewhere. And it insulates the team against the impact of injury. No matter where the hurt player played, the team’s best reserve can move from the bench into the lineup, because, of course, somebody—or somebodies—can always slide somewhere.

The ideas in this passage are key to the Rockies’ rebuild. It’s less about having “specialists” — though every team needs a few, say Will Smith at catcher and Freddie Freeman at first — than having highly athletic players who are willing to learn and, to quote a favorite Josh Byrnes phrase, “max out” and play a number of positions with ease.

(I’ll have more to say about “maxing out” in a separate column. I asked Byrnes about it, and his answer was interesting. I also have some ideas about the Rockies’ possible Mookie Betts, but they’re too undercooked to share right now.)

Here’s my working theory as we head into the 2026 season: Whenever you wonder what are president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta and general manager Josh Byrnes doing, ask yourself, “What would the Dodgers do?”

That’s probably influencing their thinking.

Okay, hold that thought, and let me return to the spring training and non-roster invitees list we got last week.

Let’s leave pitchers out of this and just talk about position players.

Look at all those utility players. The Rockies have listed seven utility players. (I know: Kris Bryant? I just work with the list I was given.) Tyler Freeman is no longer just an outfielder; they view him as a utility player. And Troy Johnston, generally seen as a first baseman, is also a utility player. Willi Castro was signed because of his versatility.

Here’s perhaps the most interesting point. As Cory Ryan Knowles pointed out last week on the Purple Row board, “The thing I am most intrigued by is that they designated Condon as a utility player. That says to me that the current front office may not be locked in to him being a 1B exclusively going forward.”

Absolutely.

Under the former front office, it was just assumed Charlie Condon (No. 2 mid-season PuRP) would become a first-base specialist in the tradition of Todd Helton.

Not so fast.

DePodesta et al are more interested in seeing what Condon — and a lot of other players — can do.

At Rockies Fest, DePodesta made an off-hand comment that has stayed with me: Fans should expect to see players at spring training playing positions that they perhaps hadn’t expected to see those players playing.

I’ve called this an “inventory” year for the Rockies as the new front office tries to figure out what they have — and I think that’s still true — but part of that inventory involves determining who’s tractable (or teachable) and comfortable with optionality.

A comment on the Purple Row board last week was that the Rockies had replaced their worst players with less-worse players. I agree. But they’ve also been replaced with more athletic and versatile players. It’s like a table reading for the first season of a television drama as the show runner figures out who they have and what they’ll need.

Clearly, not all the non-roster invitees will make the roster, but I expect a number of those players to break camp with the Rockies. Most fans are not going to be excited about an Opening Day roster with Blaine Crim and Troy Johnston platooning at first; Edourard Julien at second; Ezequiel Tovar at short; and Willi Castro at third with, say, Tyler Freeman, Chad Stevens, and Vimael Machín as depth pieces.

But it may happen.

The Rockies are going to delay decision making and give themselves options, both in terms of their roster and in-game decision-making. This approach will also give their prospects time to develop more fully in Albuquerque or Hartford. (How DePodesta will approach Albuquerque is another interesting question.)

And DePodesta et al are going to be implementing a system not just for players but also for the coaching staff. Manager Warren Schaeffer will need to change his approach to in-game management. I’m not worried about that because Schaeffer has shown he’s as eager to learn as any player on the roster, but that’s going to take some practice.

My sense right now is that fans are not going to get the Opening Day roster they think they want.

The payoff will come later in the season.

Who will break camp with Rox? Let’s take an early guess | MLB.com

Thomas Harding breaks out his crystal ball to predict the Rockies’ Opening Day roster.

FanGraphs weekly mailbag: February 7, 2026 | FanGraphs

SDS asked, “Would you please ask Dan to give us a projection for just how much worse that lineup would be than the weakest MLB team’s starting nine?” Dan Szymborski’s answer does not disappointment as he explores how the Colorado Rockies would fare in this scenario.

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Good morning, baseball fans!!

Today is the day! The most exciting day of the baseball year! The day in which nothing meaningful really happens, but no one cares because PITCHERS AND CATCHERS REPORT TODAY!

That’s right, friends, we’ve made it through the long winter. And the San Francisco Giants pitchers and catchers will be reporting for duty in Scottsdale, AZ today.

We’re gonna get pictures, we’re gonna get interviews, we’re going to get PEAK “best shape of his life” content and I’m ready for it.

So go get your coffee, hit play on the video below, enjoy the vibes and let me know how you plan to celebrate down in the comments!

With spring training starting soon, Anne Rogers gives her Opening Day roster prediction.

Outfielders (4): Isaac Collins, Kyle Isbel, Jac Caglianone, Lane Thomas
The Royals will have a ton of outfielders in camp this spring, but it’s pretty clear that Collins will play left and Isbel will play center. Thomas will be on the team, it’ll just depend on the day as to where he’s playing. Caglianone is competing for the job in right field, but likely has the leg up given that he needs to get reps at the Major League level. Other competitors include Kameron Misner, Drew Waters, Dairon Blanco and John Rave.

Now that the NFL season is done, Craig Brown is ready for baseball and talks about WBC rosters.

I had assumed that Lugo would not be on Team Puerto Rico, due to the injury that kept him sidelined for most of the second half of 2025 and the fact that several of their key players had difficulty securing insurance, but you know what they say when you assume…

Also, I did not anticipate Michael Wacha being on Team USA. The presence of 2/5ths of the Royals starting rotation out of camp doesn’t exactly excite me. The same goes to a degree for Cerantola, a reliever who is on the 40-man roster yet is ticketed to open the year returning for an encore in Omaha. Hopefully, team federations have learned from the past how to keep pitchers in this tournament on their preseason routines so those involved can do their duty for country and then get back into action with their club.

MLB writers pick one storyline for each team heading into Spring Training.

Royals: What does the lineup look like around the core?
We know Bobby Witt Jr., Vinnie Pasquantino, Salvador Perez and Maikel Garcia will hit somewhere between 1-4 or 2-5. Where Isaac Collins hits remains to be seen. The rest of the lineup will include some combination of second baseman Jonathan India, catcher/DH Carter Jensen and outfielders Kyle Isbel, Lane Thomas and Jac Caglianone. Nick Loftin, Tyler Tolbert, John Rave, Drew Waters and more are all competing for bench spots. How the Royals maximize their roster for better offense in 2026 will be a focus all spring.

Meg Rowley and Ben Lindbergh preview the Royals on their Effectively Wild podcast with Anne Rogers.

It would appear the Royals can’t afford hot dogs anymore.

The beloved Dollar Dog Night, where guests can enjoy $1 hot dogs at concession stands all around Kauffman Stadium, was hosted every Tuesday home game in 2025. New in 2026, the event is only available for the first Tuesday home game of each month during the regular season.

The promotion is only available for six home games this year: April 21, May 5, June 9, July 21, Aug. 4 and Sept. 1. It’s half of the Dollar Dog Nights offered in 2025, when there were two times fans could indulge on the Ball Park Brand hot dogs each month.

Caleb Moody at Kings of Kauffman talks about the decision to retain India.

The Red Sox traded for Brewers infielder Caleb Durbin.

The Rays are signing Nick Martinez to a 1/$13M deal.

The Pirates are signing Marcell Ozuna to a 1/$12M deal.

In college basketball, KU beat previously-undefeated Arizona 82-78 last night.

Team USA mixed curling, the C(K)oreys, advances to the gold medal match.

US Figure Skater Amber Glenn is in a little hot water for her music choice.

Medals at the Olympics are breaking off their ribbons.

The OKC Thunder are being investigated for sitting 10 players against the Spurs in a nationally televised game. I watched some of this game, and the Thunder’s third-stringers nearly took down Wemby and the Spurs. I’m not sure the Thunder are the problem here.

Off Topic: The ads for the Super Bowl sucked. The AI ones especially, but all of them in general.

Your song of the day is Mammoth with The End.

I am not at all unhappy to see Caleb Durbin heading to Boston. The guy is a pain in the ass at the plate. Plus it means that Matt Shaw/Nico Hoerner are even more likely to stay put.

The Super Bowl is over. It’s time for baseball.

“We’re taking the afternoon off”

*means autoplay on, (directions to remove for Firefox and Chrome). {$} means paywall. {$} means limited views. Italics are often used on this page as sarcasm font. The powers that be have enabled real sarcasm font in the comments.

• Mike Mazzeo (Sports Business Journal*): MLB teams stay top of mind by investing in fan fests during the winter. “This year, more than 8,200 fans packed the Sheraton Grand Chicago from Jan. 16-18 for Cubs Convention.”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Chicago Cubs spring training preview: Players feel primed to contend after banner offseason. “We’re a better ballclub,” Cubs pitcher Matthew Boyd said. “With the moves that were made, I think it’s obvious.”
• MLB.com*: One intriguing prospect from each team who can make a run at an Opening Day spot. “Cubs: Kevin Alcántara, OF”
• Jordan Bastian (MLB.com*): Early look at a potential Cubs Opening Day roster. “Winning the division is the next task.“
• Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation*): Nico Hoerner, creating value, and the many ways to win. “… there are more than just a couple ways to be a valuable hitter at the plate…”
• Patrick Mooney (The Athletic {$}): Five Cubs players in the spotlight with spring training about to start. “… the Chicago Cubs will gather at their Arizona complex this week for the start of spring training.“

Food For Thought:

Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series. We will not wittingly publish A. I. – driven articles or clickbait, and insist on unimpeachable sources.

This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.

What are your favorite and least favorite things about spring training?

Who is he and where did he come from?

Caleb Durbin is an infielder who played college baseball at D-3 Washington University (in St. Louis) and was drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 14th round of the 2021 draft. He was traded from Atlanta to the Yankees after the 2022 season for Lucas Luetge, and then again to Milwaukee after the 2024 season as part of a package that landed Devin Williams. A year later, Durbin comes to the Red Sox from the Brewers, along with fellow infielders Anthony Siegler and Andruw Monesterio and the 67th draft pick (Comp B), in return for pitchers Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan, and infielder David Hamilton.

Is he any good?

It depends on where you’re setting your expectations. If you’re looking for the middle-of-the-order power bat that Craig Breslow stressed was a top need on multiple occasions, you’re not going to find that with the 5’7”, 183 lb. Durbin. 

What you will find is someone with an average-to-plus hit tool, who can make the plays defensively at multiple positions, with a lot of speed on the bases. Durbin slashed .256/.334/.387 in his rookie season, with 11 home runs and 18 stolen bases, which led to third place in Rookie of the Year voting. 

The ball is usually put into play when Durbin is at the plate. He was one of only five qualified hitters in all of MLB who had less than a 10% strikeout rate (9.9%), but also had just a 21st percentile walk rate (5.9%). On Monday, Breslow noted Durbin’s Air Pull%, which is well above average at 20.4%. For a right-handed hitter at Fenway, that’s never a bad thing, both for home runs and for doubles. 

Defensively, Durbin started 119 games at third base, but just three games at second base for the Brewers in 2025. He was a +5 in Defensive Runs Saved at 3B, but was exactly in the middle of the range with a “0” in Outs Above Average on Statcast. He can also play shortstop in a pinch. With an emphasis on a staff filled with groundball pitchers, Durbin should be part of an improvement on the defensive side in 2026. 

TL;DR, just give me his 2025 stats. 

136 G, 506 PA, .256/.334/.387, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 60 R, 18-for-24 SB, 5.9 BB%, 9.9 K%, 105 wRC+, 2.6 fWAR

Show me a cool highlight. 

Here’s a walk-off homer by Durbin against the Padres on June 7th of last year. And, really, what’s better than a walk-off homer?

What’s he doing in his picture up there?

He’s getting hit by a pitch, something that Durbin can do with the best of them. He led the National League with 24 HBPs a season ago. While that may seem like a flukey stat, there is an art to getting hit by a pitch. If you have ever had a teammate who got hit by a ton of pitches and always found a way to make it look like an accident, you know what I’m talking about. Durbin had double-digit HBPs in each of his three minor league seasons, in significantly fewer plate appearances. 

In fact, the Red Sox have brought the top two in HBP over from the NL, as new first basemen Willson Contreras was hit by 23 pitches a year ago. Is it possible that this was intentional?

In Durbin’s case, as mentioned earlier, his 5.9 BB% was in the bottom quarter of the league. But what if you include his 4.7 HBP%? A “walk rate” of 10.6% doesn’t sound so bad, and it’s a higher rate than Durbin strikes out at. In general, hit batsmen happened on 1.1% of the plate appearances in MLB in 2025, and Durbin was drilled at more than 4X that rate. 

What’s his role on the 2026 Red Sox?

There were no definitive answers on day one from Red Sox executives, nor Alex Cora. It seems like Durbin would slot in at either second or third base, with Marcelo Mayer playing at the other spot. Upon prospect graduation, the 6’3”, 188 lb. Mayer had a 60-grade arm on Baseball America, where Durbin had a 50-grade arm. My best guess is that Mayer, with more size and a bigger arm, will play third base with Durbin starting at second, a position that he played the majority of the time coming up through the minor leagues. When left-handers are on the mound, Mayer may take a seat in favor of second baseman Romy Gonzalez, which may slide Durbin over to third base on those days. Roster Resource currently projects Durbin to hit seventh in the lineup behind Carlos Narvaez and ahead of Mayer, at least against RHP.

Last year, the Guardians completed the largest comeback in MLB history to win the AL Central.

This year, the entire roster is set to return, with several top prospects knocking on the door to debut.

However, the team has slashed payroll by almost $30 million and failed to find a proven centerfielder or a proven right-handed lefty masher for the middle of their order. They also will be without elite closer Emmanuel Clase and up-and-coming young starter, Luis Ortiz, who are likely to be out of baseball entirely after allegedly gambling on the game. Meanwhile, the Tigers have signed Guardians’ nemesis Framber Valdez to pair with Tarik Skubal.

Are you more excited for 2026 than you were for 2025? Why or why not?

We’re back with another daily question, and today’s is a look at yesterday’s deal between the Brewers and the Red Sox.

In a deal just about nobody saw coming, the Crew sent three infielders (Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, and Anthony Seigler) and a draft pick (No. 67 overall) to the Red Sox for a pair of pitchers (Kyle Harrison and Shane Drohan) and another utility infielder (David Hamilton).

On the surface, it seems like a bizarre trade.

Milwaukee now has no clear third basemen, as the trio of Durbin, Monasterio, and Seigler were ranked 1-2-3 on the team’s depth chart. At this point, it seems like Tyler Black, Jett Williams, Hamilton, and/or Sal Frelick are the frontrunners. However, Frelick is a star defensive outfielder, and Black and Williams are both below-average defensively, something the Brewers typically prioritize when aligning the squad. That makes it seem likely it’s Hamilton at this point, but most expect the Brewers to make another move to add to the infield.

On the return side, Harrison figures to fit into the rotation (or as a long-relief arm, a la Aaron Ashby and DL Hall), while Drohan could make it to the majors at some point this season. Hamilton doesn’t offer much offensively (he was an even worse hitter than Joey Ortiz last season, which says a lot), but he is a solid defensive player.

How would you grade the deal, and who do you think won the trade?

Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training. Have a question you’d like to ask in a future BCB Daily Question? Drop one in the comments, and we may use it later this month.

The St. Louis Cardinals claimed 3B Bryan Ramos off of waivers from the Baltimore Orioles, and his particular fit on the roster is one that feels like a strained one at best. Ramos primarily plays 3B but has played a little bit of 2nd base and left field as well. That situation feels like bringing in a low-risk-high-reward opportunity in spring to see if they can capture lightning in a bottle. Ramos is out of options, so if he doesn’t make the roster out of camp, he would likely find himself back on waivers, where the Cardinals would be more than happy to have him at AAA and remain Cardinal property. If he is claimed, however, it costs them nothing to bring him in and give him a chance, and they lose out on nothing if he isn’t able to show anything of substance in camp and another MLB team claims him afterwards.

Jeff Jones, writer for the Belleville News Democrat, who will be our guest on the podcast this coming week, tweeted after Ramos was claimed that Randal Grichuk was still a name that was on the table for the Cardinals. However, if Grichuk can find a last-minute opportunity with a contender, he would likely select that option over the Cardinals. Which would mean if St. Louis were to add their proposed right-handed bat, they might have to add it through the trade market.

So, I did some research and looked across the league to see if I could identify some targets that are potentially blocked at the big league level that would benefit from the opportunity that exists in the Cardinals outfield currently. So, here are 5 right-handed bats who would have a clear path to playing time in St. Louis:

5. TOR Davis Schneider INF/OF

Davis Schneider famously hit a lead-off home run off of Blake Snell in this past year’s World Series and is known for being a positive clubhouse presence and a capable option against LHP. The added flexibility of playing 2B/3B and LF/RF could also be useful as the Cardinals will likely want to rotate players to different positons to see who might stick long term.

Much to my surprise, Schneider is a menace against RHP and is still above league average against LHP. The Blue Jays have a glut of postion players at the big league level and ESPN wrote an article recently that the Blue Jays and Cardinals should come together on a trade that would send LHP JoJo Romero to Toronto in exchange for Davis Schneider. This exact framework is a deal I have been talking about for over a month since Bloom started publicly talking about the desire to add a RHB and the Jays, after missing out on several key free agent bullpen pieces could still benefit from a leverage reliever like Romero and could use their excess piece in Schneider to acomplish a need-for-need style trade.

4. CIN Rece Hinds OF

At 6’3 215 lbs Rece Hinds is built like a tank and in his limited opportunities has displayed some impressive raw power for the Cincinnati Reds. However, with Noelvi Marte, TJ Freidle, and JJ Bleday/Dane Meyers roaming the outfield and bringing in Eugenio Suarez to DH it appears Cincy doesnt have much room on their roster for Hinds.

Posting a .302/.359/.563 slash for a .922 OPS and 139 wRC+ last season not to mention the 24 HR and 83 RBI its hard to say that Hinds has anything left to prove at AAA and in a season centered around development it would be easy to justify a player like Hinds striking out 30% of the time if it meant 25+ HR production for a Cardinals offense that is starved for power production.

3. ATH Colby Thomas OF

Slightly undersized at 5’10 190 lbs Colby Thomas is a prototypical power/speed outfielder and is super athletic (no pun intended) who will likely find playing time hard to come by with an everyday outfield of Soderstrom, Clarke, and Butler for the “Sacramento” A’s. Thomas was one of their top prospects mid season last year before earning his big league call up. Thomas has the ability to play CF, which I know some of our readers who are more pessimistic on the future of Victor Scott II, would be something that would be of value to them, especially.

Big raw right handed power with some swing decision elements to clean up but for a young hitter this is something that is very common in todays game and with the advancements the Cardinals are making in their player development process at both the big league and minor league level then adding a talent like Thomas would make all the sense in the world who might have fringe All-Star 20/20 upside when its all said and done.

2. HOU Zach Dezenzo 1B/OF

At 6’5 220 lbs Dezenzo looks the part when he steps off the bus at the stadium. Featuring big time raw power from the right side highlighted by a max EV of 112.2 MPH in 2024. The Astros have a long list of veteran options at corner postions between Christian Walker at 1B, Carlos Correa and Isaac Parades at 3B, Jose Altuve and Cam Smith in the corner outfield spots and the return of Yordan Alvarez takes away the DH. Dezenzo would benefit from a change of scenery where his path to play time is much better in St. Louis.

Take the rate stats with a grain of salt as the sample size is very small but the ability to impact the baseball and produce loud contact is there along with the above average arm and not shown, but measured, is also above average sprint speed. Dezenzo could capable handle LF and would be a nice balance option to all the LHH on the roster.

1. SFG Luis Matos OF

At just 5’11 and 207 lbs Luis Matos has a very average size build but his ability to make consistent hard contact and avoid striking out are two things that seem to be growing in demand in MLB. Matos displays average sprint speed and isnt the greatest defender but has one of the strongest measured throwing arms from the outfield in baseball at 92.6 MPH putting him in the 95th percentile of players in baseball. Matos also doesn’t walk, much like Yohel Pozo but more athletic, with 593 MLB PA to his name Matos continues to struggle cracking everyday consistent AB’s for San Francisco and with Heliot Ramos, Harrison Bader, and Jung-Ho Lee blocking his path it might be best for the Giants to try and get something for him before he runs out of value.

Perhaps strattling that AAAA line a full season of “runway” (everyone drink) could give a more clear indication of whether or not Matos will every amount to anything more than such a role. The Cardinals could both benefit from and afford to give that opportunity to any of these players listed above, though with Matos, he more than most has had the most extensive opportunity to show what he can do at the big league level.

This list would indicate there is plenty of upside to be had from teams who have players stuck behind another wave of talent currently entrenched for their respective teams. Can Chaim Bloom and the Front Office pry one of these high upside right handed bats away and give the Cardinals a little more balance as they march in 2026 with a lot of opportunity available all over the diamond? Time will tell and Chaim has accomplished everything he said he was going to this offseason. Perhaps he has one last impact move up his sleeve.

-Thanks for reading

Who’s on third? I don’t know. An Abbott & Costello sketch has turned into reality for the Milwaukee Brewers after Monday’s trade with the Boston Red Sox.

The Brewers had seven different players spend time at third base last season. The leading returner at the position is Sal Frelick, who played one inning in one game at the hot corner. Caleb Durbin, Anthony Siegler, Oliver Dunn, Vinny Capra, Andruw Monasterio, and Isaac Collins have all departed the organization. It’s a complete turnover at that position.

With the Crew’s top three options at the hot corner all being sent out in this trade, it leads to a major question for Brewers fans: Who in the world is going to play third base? Let’s take a look at the options

1. Jett Williams

Brewers PBO Matt Arnold told reporters on Monday that Williams will get reps at third base during spring training. That’s among his other reps he’ll get at shortstop, second base, and the outfield. He’s sure to be busy during camp. But third base might be the best path to playing time for Williams, who was acquired in the Freddy Peralta trade not long ago.

A shortstop by trade, Williams is not as highly regarded defensively as Joey Ortiz and defense is a priority for the Brewers. If the best defensive shortstop stays at that position, Williams won’t win it, but a move over to third base could be most logical. Williams has more power than you’d expect by his size and slugged 17 home runs last season in the minors.

Williams does have a good enough throwing arm to make it work at third base and he does profile as a regular in a starting lineup and not just a platoon/bench option masquerading as a starter. Given that he was acquired for a high profile player in Freddy Peralta, the Brewers likely want to give him every opportunity to make an impact right away and third base looks like that avenue.

2. David Hamilton

The lone infielder coming back to the Brewers in this trade, David Hamilton is also due to get reps at third base during spring training, according to Arnold. Hamilton is more of a utility type infielder, playing in 91 games last year with just 177 ABs. He got a little bit more run in 2024 with 294 ABs and had a lot more success at the plate that year.

Hamilton has spent most of his career up the middle at shortstop and second base. He got a tiny taste of the hot corner in Boston last year and I mean tiny. Just 1.1 IP of third base experience last year in one game. That’s it.

But there’s a potential path to regular playing time for Hamilton at third base so he’ll do his best to learn the position and try to get his offense back on track. Hamilton brings speed but not a ton of pop, so he’s not a prototypical corner infielder, but he’s the only non-1B infielder on the 40 man roster not named Turang or Ortiz.

3. Joey Ortiz

3. Joey Ortiz

In speaking with reporters, Matt Arnold did say that they are open to a variety of infield permutations. In my mind, that opens up the possibility of Joey Ortiz being moved back to third base. Ortiz was very good at the hot corner in 2024 and his offense was stronger that year as well. But a move there will put a lot more pressure on Ortiz’s bat to perform, not to mention opens up what the Brewers do at shortstop. Could Jett Williams overtake him? Does Turang slide to short and Williams or someone else goes to second base? There could be a lot of moving parts.

Ortiz prefers the middle infield, but given his previous experience there, he is a far likelier candidate to move to third base than Turang. Ortiz seems destined to be a regular in the starting lineup once again. What position he ends up at may change, but if you move him, it only switches the question from third base to shortstop.

Longshots

Eddys Leonard

The Brewers signed Leonard to a minor league deal with an invite to big league camp back in November. He has yet to make his MLB debut. He’s 25 years old and hit 20 home runs last season for Triple-A Gwinnett in the Braves system. Leonard has 700+ innings of experience at third base in the minor leagues, so that could benefit him. If his power shows up in spring training, he could launch a serious campaign for big league time at the spot.

Brock Wilken

Wilken is a non-roster invitee and a former first round pick. He was well on his way to a bounce-back season in 2025 until a freak knee injury derailed the second half of his season. He still has yet to see Triple-A ball so that makes it very difficult to imagine Wilken making the jump to the big leagues right away out of camp here.

Wilken likely starts the season in Triple-A and if that goes well, he could see a promotion mid-season. He could very well be the long-term answer at the hot corner and the Durbin trade may be about clearing room ultimately for Wilken, but it just seems too early for him to get there for Opening Day.

External Option

Isaac Paredes

This one almost makes too much sense for the Brewers not to be involved. The Houston Astros are desperately looking to trade from their infield glut and the Brewers suddenly have an opening at Paredes’ primary position. The Astros are seeking young, controllable pitching, which the Brewers suddenly have an even bigger abundance of. Paredes has one guaranteed year left on his contract at just over $9.3MM, which the Brewers could afford.

Paredes doesn’t grade well defensively, which could present a major issue for Milwaukee in terms of overall fit. But if the Brewers seek more power in their lineup, as many have begged them to do, then Paredes would present an obvious upgrade.

The free agent market is barren, most of the trade market is picked over by this point in the calendar, but Paredes is still out there and could present an ideal bridge to the arrival of the top infield prospects.

Can you smell that? Yeah, that’s baseball approaching.

Phillies News:

• Key Questions for the Phillies rolling into Spring Training
• Do we think the Phillies can unload Nick Castellanos and his contract onto the Rockies?
• Phillies bring back reliever Lou Trivino on a minor league deal
• Thank goodness, the Phillies truck containing spring training equipment arrived in Clearwater
• Former Phillies who have still not found a home as Spring Training looms

MLB News:

• Every team’s top storyline entering Spring Training
• Pirates get over the “trying” hump and sign Marcell Ozuna to a one-year deal
• Kershaw, Votto and Rizzo join NBC’s MLB Coverage this season
• Brewers seemingly trade all their third baseman depth in deal with Red Sox
• Here are the Top 100 prospects heading into big league camp

DRaysBay works best as a place for community and conversation. Accordingly, in the lead up to the new season, we are posting “Daily Questions” in the month of February. I look forward to seeing you in the comment section!

The Rays have penciled in many starters that aren’t going anywhere — Junior Caminero, Yandy Diaz, Jonathan Aranda, these are all locks.

Which role player or guy on the fringe of the 26-man roster could come out of nowhere and surprise us this year?