Category: MLB

Winter Meetings buzz: Eugenio Suarez, Isaac Paredes on Red Sox' radar originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Boston Red Sox fans are still yearning for the club’s first blockbuster move of the offseason as we wrap up Day 3 of the 2025 MLB Winter Meetings.

If reports out of Orlando are accurate, they may not have to wait much longer. MLB insiders Jon Heyman and Jon Morosi named Boston as one of the “most aggressive” teams at the Winter Meetings. Pete Alonso and Ketel Marte are among the most intriguing names that have been linked to the Red Sox over the last few days.

Where does Boston stand with some of the top free agents and trade targets? Who else have they shown interest in recently? Here’s a roundup of the latest Red Sox-related Winter Meetings intel:

Kyle Schwarber off the board

There will be no Kyle Schwarber reunion in Boston. The prized free-agent slugger is staying with the Philadelphia Phillies on a five-year, $150 million contract.

It appears the Red Sox never made a competitive offer for Schwarber despite needing a middle-of-the-order bat. The Baltimore Orioles and Cincinnati Reds made comparable offers to Philadelphia’s, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

The latest on Pete Alonso and Ketel Marte

USA TODAY Sports

With Schwarber no longer available, signing Pete Alonso or trading for Ketel Marte are two of the most compelling options for adding a big bat to the lineup. Both players have been linked to the Red Sox extensively over the last few days.

Starting with Alonso, the Red Sox recently met with the slugger on Zoom and are trying to schedule an in-person sit-down in Orlando, according to MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow spoke on Monday about prioritizing a power bat, and Alonso is undoubtedly the most obvious fit for Boston. Heyman called the Red Sox a “real threat” to land “The Polar Bear.”

As for Marte, Morosi named the Red Sox as the team to watch for a potential trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks. It has been reported that Arizona is seeking young, big-league-ready pitching in return, so left-handers Connelly Early and Payton Tolle could be part of the package heading to the D’backs in such a deal.

Eugenio Suarez and Isaac Paredes enter the equation

While re-signing Alex Bregman reportedly remains a priority, the Red Sox appear to have fallback options if the veteran third baseman signs elsewhere.

In addition to Bo Bichette, sluggers Eugenio Suarez and Isaac Paredes have reportedly drawn Boston’s interest. The club has had internal discussions about Suarez and had talks with Suarez’s camp, according to Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. Rosenthal mentioned Paredes as a candidate to replace Bregman at third or play first base if Bregman returns.

Suarez, a 34-year-old free agent, belted 49 home runs last season but struck out 196 times in 159 games. His production dipped after being traded from Arizona to Seattle at the deadline.

Paredes, 26, notched 20 homers and a .809 OPS over 102 games with Houston last season. He’s under team control through 2027 and is capable of playing all over the infield. Rosenthal named Early and Tolle as pitchers the Astros are eyeing in trade discussions.

Coming into the offseason, the Dodgers signaled that they would be conservative when it came to pursuing help in the bullpen.

Turned out, they were quietly plotting one of the most surprising — and impactful — signings of the winter.

In a blockbuster move on Tuesday, the team agreed to a three-year, $69-million deal with top free-agent closer Edwin Díaz, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly, snatching the three-time All-Star and three-time Reliever of the Year award winner in a move that will transform their previously shaky bullpen.

Díaz, 31, was the consensus best relief pitcher in this year’s free-agent class. Over his nine-year career, he has a 2.82 ERA and 253 saves. In that time, no other MLB reliever tops him in strikeouts (839), while only Kenley Jansen has recorded more saves (334). This past season with the New York Mets — his second since returning from a knee surgery that sidelined him for all of 2023 — Díaz had one of his best career campaigns, posting a 1.63 ERA with 28 saves in 31 opportunities and 98 strikeouts in 66 ⅓ innings. 

Read more:Shaikin: Dodgers signing of Edwin Díaz shows they aren't going to worry about a potential salary cap

That track record positioned Díaz to be the highest-paid reliever on this year’s market, with most projections pegging him for a four- or five-year deal upward of $20 million per season. Because of that, the Dodgers appeared to be long shots to sign him, with the club believed to prefer a shorter-term contract after watching their big relief signings last offseason (namely Tanner Scott) struggle in a bullpen that ranked just 21st in ERA.

However, in recent weeks, the Dodgers' approach had begun to subtly shift.

The team had strong interest in Devin Williams before he signed a three-year deal with Díaz’s old team, the Mets — staying in the running late into Williams’ bidding even as it reached the level of multi-year offers.

They were in talks this week with Robert Suarez, another high-powered arm likely to sign a multiyear contract.

And on Tuesday morning, they emerged as a surprise finalist for Díaz, reportedly along with the incumbent Mets and Toronto Blue Jays.

Still, in an offseason that had seen the Dodgers repeatedly downplay their need for a big splash, Díaz seemed to be out of their comfort zone, especially after turning down a qualifying offer from the Mets at the start of the offseason that would cost whatever club signed him a pick in next year’s draft.

In past years, such factors might have swayed the Dodgers to explore a more conservative path to bolster their bullpen.

But now, coming off back-to-back World Series championships and bathing in pools of cash thanks to a Shohei Ohtani-driven revenue boost, the club has demonstrated a different line of thinking.

For top talent, they have few financial reservations — especially on shorter-term, higher annual average value deals like the one Díaz signed, which will set an AAV record (at $23 million per year) for free-agent relief pitchers.

Díaz’s arrival, which was first reported by the Athletic, instantly changes the outlook on the Dodgers’ bullpen for next year.

Now, they have perhaps their most clear-cut closer option since Jansen’s departure at the end of 2021. Now, they will be less reliant on returning veterans such as Scott (who had a 4.74 ERA and 10 blown saves last season — the first of his four-year, $72 million contract) — and Blake Treinen (who struggled with injuries en route to a 5.40 ERA after re-signing with the team last winter) to help shoulder a previously undetermined ninth-inning role.

And most of all, they have now alleviated what was the biggest weakness in their run to back-to-back titles last year, when they had to lean heavily on starting pitchers — even in spot-duty relief appearances — to navigate the postseason.

Díaz’s success is predicated on a heavy fastball that averages 97 mph and netted just a .133 batting average against last season, plus a swing-and-miss slider that helped him rank fourth among big-league relievers in overall whiff rate in 2025.

His aura at the end of games has been amplified during his Mets career, too, thanks to his iconic trumpet entrance out of the bullpen at Citi Field.

Díaz had already signed one record-breaking contract in his career, when as a first-time free agent he inked a five-year, $102-million deal in 2022 — the first nine-figure contract ever for a reliever — to re-sign with the Mets, who originally acquired him in a trade from Seattle after a breakout 2018 campaign in which he led the majors with 57 saves.

Read more:Dodgers downplay Teoscar Hernández rumors, continue assessing bullpen options

That deal, however, came with an opt-out after this past season. And though Díaz missed all of 2023 with a torn patellar tendon in his knee, and regressed to a 3.52 ERA in his return to the mound in 2024, his 2025 performance was so good that he decided to re-test the market this winter and forgo the remaining two years and $38 million guaranteed left on that contract.

Díaz might not have received another five-year pact like he was projected for this winter — likely thanks in part to the Mets’ earlier pivot to Williams, leading them to reportedly only make Díaz a three-year offer themselves.

But his new Dodgers deal still guarantees him an extra season and $31 million. It gives him the opportunity to aid the club’s quest for a World Series three-peat. And it serves as a reminder to the rest of the baseball world: that even when they don’t necessarily need to, these big-spending Dodgers are never afraid to flex their financial might.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Kyle Schwarber and the Philadelphia Phillies are finalizing a five-year, $150m contract, sources told ESPN on Tuesday. The deal would keep the National League home run leader in Philadelphia after a prolific 2025 season.

Schwarber, 32, drew interest from several clubs, including the Mets, Red Sox, Orioles and Pirates, ESPN reported. Philadelphia moved late to retain him after falling in the division series to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The designated hitter hit 56 home runs and drove in 132 runs last season, finishing second in MVP voting. He has hit at least 38 home runs in each of his four years with the Phillies.

Schwarber is also regarded as a key clubhouse figure and has produced consistently in the postseason, with 14 home runs in 38 playoff games for Philadelphia.

The Phillies made re-signing Schwarber an offseason priority as they look to remain contenders in the National League. His agreement could help spur movement in a free-agent market that has been slow to develop.

Elsewhere, three-time All-Star reliever Edwin Díaz agreed to a three-year, $69m contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, multiple media outlets reported.

The reported move allowed the defending World Series champion Dodgers to reel in the top closer on the free agent market.

Díaz, 31, opted out of the remaining two years and $38m of his five- year contract he signed with the New York Mets in 2022. The Mets tendered a $22.025m qualifying offer which the right-hander declined last month.

Given that Díaz reportedly signed with a new team, New York will receive a compensatory draft pick after the fourth round.

New York signed right-hander Devin Williams to a three-year, $51m deal on 1 December as insurance with Díaz.

One of the Mets’ most popular players, Díaz finished 6-3 with 28 saves and a 1.63 ERA in 62 relief appearances during the 2025 season.

Díaz is 28-36 with a 2.82 ERA and 253 saves in 520 games (no starts) with the Seattle Mariners (2016-18) and Mets (2019-22, 2024-25).

What are Phillies' priorities following Schwarber reunion? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

There has been a lot of talk about “dominos” lately and on Thursday, the first one fell in the position player market.

With the Phillies bringing back slugger Kyle Schwarber on a five-year, $150 million deal, clubs around the league now have a clearer picture of the free agent landscape.

That begs the question: for Dave Dombrowski and the Phils, what do they prioritize next? What are the biggest remaining needs?

Building up the middle

Building up the middle still matters most. Trea Turner and Bryson Stott are the likely middle-infield duo heading into 2026, but catcher and center field carry real questions.

J.T. Realmuto – who donned the red pinstripes for seven seasons – is the most likely answer behind the plate. The 34-year-old is reportedly seeking a two-year deal and will be worth the investment based on his familiarity with the Phillies’ staff.

An annual value in the $16–18 million range seems realistic, which would amount to roughly a $5 million increase on the payroll from last season between him and Schwarber.

A reunion with Realmuto is the likeliest outcome, but a pivot would create an interesting scenario. Whether it’s former Rangers catcher Jonah Heim in free agency or a trade target, there isn’t another available catcher who impacts the Phils the way Realmuto does.

“We want J.T. back,” Phillies skipper Rob Thomson told MLB Network Radio on Thursday.

Realmuto is clearly the next major priority.

Center field is a different question. While Dombrowski has expressed confidence in Justin Crawford’s ability to handle the position, the organization still has Brandon Marsh and Johan Rojas as options. That depth gives them flexibility.

If and when the Phillies move on from Nick Castellanos, and if they prefer Crawford and Marsh in the corners, that would open the door for bringing back Harrison Bader – who would serve multiple purposes: a right-handed bat who plays Gold Glove-caliber defense. His market is one of the tougher ones to read this offseason.

The 31-year-old is coming off a career year in 2025, slashing .277/.347/.449 and posting an .824 OPS with the Phillies after the trade.

Right-handed hitting outfielders are tough to come by this winter, which points toward a buy-high scenario with Bader. Since his official rookie season in 2018, he has finished with an OPS under .700 in four of his eight seasons and has topped 110 games just four times in that span — excluding 2020.

It would be understandable if the Phillies hesitate to commit more than two years based on his track record and the number of in-house options they have.

Protecting Bryce

For much of the early offseason, Bryce Harper’s lineup protection has been a central talking point. Right-handed hitting was made a clear priority for the Phillies from the jump.

So after adding Schwarber’s left-handed power, where could they turn for a right-handed, middle-of-the-order bat?

Alec Bohm at third base is a steady option, but his profile may not be exactly what they need as he enters his final year of arbitration. In 2025, the 28-year-old hit just 11 homers in 120 games.

His .331 on-base percentage, paired with a .287 batting average, created a lopsided line. His run-producing numbers dipped as well: 59 RBIs after back-to-back 97-RBI seasons.

Kazuma Okamoto – who carries an .856 career OPS in NPB – and Eugenio Suárez – who slugged 49 homers this past season – are two third-base free agent options who would slot cleanly into the middle of the lineup. Switch-hitting Jorge Polanco is another name who would bring similar value at either second or third.

Signing a third baseman and trading Bohm could also be a direct path to adding a reliever — a recently reported priority.

The rotation

It might be a stretch to label the rotation a “priority,” but there are enough variables to keep it on the radar: whether the Phillies re-sign Ranger Suárez, Zack Wheeler’s availability early in the year, Taijuan Walker’s future and Andrew Painter’s progression after a down 2025.

The volume of starting pitchers available who profile as back-end options sets up a possible wait-and-see approach.

This would resemble a tactic the Phils took two offseasons ago. In 2024, the club signed Spencer Turnbull to a one-year, $2 million deal in mid-February. At that point, he owned a 4.55 ERA through 60 career starts. He was effective for the Phillies before an injury, posting a 2.65 ERA as a swingman between the rotation and bullpen.

A similar type of deal — at a higher salary — could make sense for Walker Buehler or veteran lefties Jordan Montgomery or Martín Pérez.

For a team coming off a 96-win season and a second straight division title, bringing Schwarber back is the first step toward putting another championship contender on the field. Their corresponding moves will dictate how high that ceiling goes.

The Mets had their eyes on slugger Kyle Schwarber, but the veteran is returning to the Philadelphia Phillies, per multiple reports.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Schwarber is signing a five-year, $150 million deal to stay in Philadelphia.

Since making his major league debut in 2015, Schwarber has belted 340 home runs, second most in all of baseball behind only Aaron Judge (368 homers). 

In the past four seasons alone, Schwarber has mashed 131 home runs (an average of 43.7 per season), including a new career best of 56 big flies in 2025, when he finished runner-up to Shohei Ohtani as National League MVP. 

With Schwarber returning to Philadelphia, it may increase the chances of Pete Alonso re-signing with the Mets, as it takes another potential power option off the board.

The Mets are losing their closer to Los Angeles, with Edwin Diaz agreeing to sign a three-year deal with the Dodgers worth $69 million, per multiple reports.

New York's offer to Diaz was for three years and $66 million, with some deferrals, with the team expressing to Diaz that there was wiggle room to go higher. 

After signing Devin Williams to a three-year deal earlier this offseason, the Mets remained interested in retaining Diaz, with reports indicating that they were hoping to keep the length of a potential deal to three years.

With Diaz gone, the Mets could conceivably turn to Robert Suarez or Pete Fairbanks as a late-inning option to pair with Williams. 

Diaz, who is entering his age-32 season in 2026, had stated numerous times that he wanted to return.

"Yeah, of course," he said after the season. "I love this organization. They treat me really, really good. My family, everything. If I decide to opt out I would love to come back."

Diaz is coming off a phenomenal season where he showed no real signs of slowing down, posting a 1.63 ERA (2.28 FIP) and 0.87 WHIP with 98 strikeouts in 66.1 innings. 

The stuff (while the fastball velo was a bit down from its peak) remained filthy.

Diaz ranked in the 99th percentile this past season when it came to xERA, xBA, whiff percentage, and strikeout percentage. He was in the 89th percentile or better in fastball velocity, barrel percentage, and extension. His ground ball rate, chase percentage, and the average exit velocity against him all graded out well above average.

Batters hit .133 with a .200 slugging percentage against Diaz's fastball in 2025, while hitting .179 with a .269 slugging percentage against his slider.  

During his six-year Mets career, Diaz posted a 2.93 ERA (2.56 FIP) and 1.04 WHIP while striking out 538 batters in 328.1 innings -- a rate of 14.7 strikeouts per nine. 

In addition to what Diaz brought on the mound in New York (and he had been incredibly reliable, making 54 or more appearances each of the last four seasons), there were the intangibles.

Diaz had not only embraced New York, but had proven that he could thrive here.

Now he's on the back-to-back World Series winners.

Giants' first-round pick makes a huge jump in the 2026 MLB Draft Lottery originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

ORLANDO — Randy Winn had not even fully gotten off the podium in a dark conference room at the Signia By Hilton Hotel when Michael Holmes ran up with a fist bump. The look on the face of the Giants’ director of amateur scouting said it all.

“He’s very excited about that,” Winn said, smiling. 

Winn just finished his first year as the organization’s VP of player development, and on Tuesday night, he and the Giants got a huge, well, win. 

They moved way up in the MLB Draft lottery and will pick fourth next summer. By record, they should have had the 15th pick, and they entered the night with the 12th-best odds of picking first overall in MLB’s calculations, which punish some teams for repeatedly being in the lottery. 

But as other teams got named, Winn realized that something cool was happening. He couldn’t fully focus on that, though. 

“My phone was buzzing from former teammates of mine heckling me while I was up there,” Winn said. “I could name a few. It was actually a few of my Tampa teammates sending me text messages saying ‘don’t screw it up’ and some other very nice things. ‘You look terrible up there.’ Those sort of things. Who needs enemies when you have friends like that.”

The reception was surely much different when he returned to the organization’s suite at the hotel here. 

This will be the Giants’ first time picking inside the top five since 2018, when they chose Joey Bart second overall. It’s just the fifth time, period, that they’ll pick inside the top five. Three of those previous picks turned into Will Clark, Matt Williams and Buster Posey. 

Winn said it was an “exciting time” for the player development staff, and this could be a huge boost to a farm system that is on the rise. They also are poised to sign the top international position player prospect for a second straight year, with Venezuelan shortstop Luis Hernandez likely to sign with the organization in the middle of January. Throw Hernandez in with a top-four pick and last year’s top addition, Josuar Gonzalez, and the Giants will have a needed injection of young talent. 

The Giants entered the lottery with a one percent chance of getting the top pick. For a moment, Winn started to dream, but the Chicago White Sox ended up winning the lottery. 

“I didn’t want to get too far ahead of myself but I did know that based on how things worked, if we weren’t called by 15 that we would be inside the top six. Once we weren’t six and then once we weren’t five, I was like, well, maybe,” he said. “Drafting is hard, but we’re definitely excited to be picking so early in the draft. It’s been a while since I believe we’ve drafted this high. We’ve got some time and we’ve got some work to do ahead of us.”

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Red Sox trade Vaughn Grissom to Angels for outfield prospect originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox are moving on from Vaughn Grissom.

On Tuesday, the club announced that Grissom was traded to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for outfield prospect Isaiah Jackson. Jackson was the No. 25 ranked prospect in the Angels’ system, according to MLB Pipeline.

The Red Sox acquired Grissom in the Dec. 2023 trade that sent left-hander Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves. At the time, the move made sense as Sale couldn’t overcome his injury woes. Although Grissom never lived up to his billing as a top prospect in Atlanta, there was hope that a change of scenery could help him develop into a solid middle infielder in Boston.

Instead, Sale revitalized his career with the Braves and won his first career Cy Young award, finishing his first season in Atlanta with an MLB-best 2.38 ERA in 29 starts. Grissom never found a path to consistent playing time with the Red Sox as he hit .190 with no homers and a .465 OPS over 31 big-league appearances, all in 2024.

Grissom spent the entire 2025 campaign at Triple-A Worcester. The 24-year-old slashed a respectable .270/.342/.441 with 13 homers and 48 RBI over 96 games for the WooSox, but he remained stuck behind Kristian Campbell, David Hamilton, Romy Gonzalez, Marcelo Mayer, Nick Sogard, Trevor Story, and Ceddanne Rafaela on the middle-infield depth chart.

As for Jackson, the 21-year-old was selected in the eighth round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Arizona State. He notched 18 homers with a 1.032 OPS over 60 games for the Sun Devils, then played in 10 games for the Angels’ Low-A affiliate.

🌟 The D1 Dozen: Top Plays of 2024 🌟

No. 12: Isaiah Jackson made this home run robbery look too easy 😮‍💨@Jackson_Isaiah6 x @ASU_Baseballpic.twitter.com/1aukdV7rov

— D1Baseball (@d1baseball) December 20, 2024

Parting ways with Grissom cleared a spot on the Red Sox’ 40-man roster.

White Sox win MLB Draft Lottery, will pick first overall in 2026 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Chicago White Sox will own the top pick in the 2026 MLB Draft after winning the draft lottery on Tuesday.

The White Sox finished the 2025 MLB season with the second-worst record in baseball, going 60-102 a year after setting an MLB record for most losses in a single season.

After the 2025 season the White Sox were ineligible to participate in the draft lottery because they had won a slot in the 2024 draft, but this time around they had the best odds of capturing the top pick, with a more than 27% chance of earning that selection.

That is exactly what happened during the MLB Draft Lottery at the winter meetings on Tuesday, meaning that the White Sox will have the chance to add an explosive player to their farm system.

The Tampa Bay Rays vaulted up to the second slot in the draft order, with the Minnesota Twins, San Francisco Giants and Pittsburgh Pirates rounding out the top-five.

The official 2026 #MLBDraft order 👏

(MLB x @Nike) pic.twitter.com/wqtWP8yBEE

— MLB (@MLB) December 9, 2025

The Kansas City Royals will pick six, meaning that three of the top-six picks are owned by American League Central clubs.

According to Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline, the 2026 draft class is loaded with college positional players, headlined by UCLA shortstop Roch Cholowsky, Alabama shortstop Justin Lebron, and Georgia Tech outfielder Drew Burress.

High school shortstops Grady Emerson and Jacob Lombard are also at the top of the projected draft list, along with LSU outfielder Derek Curiel.

The 2026 MLB Draft will take place July 12-13, 2026 in Philadelphia as part of the league’s All-Star weekend.

Here's what happened in Mets Land at the Winter Meetings on Monday, in case you missed it...

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• David Stearnsdiscussed the Mets' search for starting pitching and the expectations for the young internal starters
• With Edwin Diaz still a free agent, Stearns said the Mets' bullpen is not finished
• The Blue Jays are monitoring Diaz's market
• Pete Alonso, who is meeting with the Red Sox and Orioles on Tuesday, remains a priority for the Mets
• The Tigers are willing to listen to offers for Tarik Skubal
• The Mets are interested in trading for Freddy Peralta
• The Mets had a video meeting with free agent right-hander Michael King
• Carlos Mendoza discussed New York's early offseason additions
• Juan Soto is not expected to DH much in 2026
• Christian Scottwill be a full go for spring training after rehabbing from Tommy John surgery
• WATCH: The latest on Alonso
• WATCH: Are the Mets a serious suitor for Framber Valdez?
• WATCH: Stearns discusses the offseason plan
• WATCH: Mendoza is holding himself accountable for how the 2025 season ended

Former Mets closer Edwin Diaz joins Dodgers with record 3-year deal, $69M: Report originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The rich have gotten richer, again.

In what’s seemingly become an annual offseason tradition, the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed one of the top free agents on the market.

Former New York Mets closer Edwin Diaz reportedly agreed to a three-year, $69 million deal with the two-time defending World Series champions, The Athletic’s Will Sammon first reported and ESPN’s Jeff Passan confirmed Tuesday.

The average annual value of $23 million is a new record for MLB relievers, Passan added.

Diaz, 31, has been one of the game’s best closers since making his first All-Star appearance in 2018. The three-time Reliever of the Year (2018, 2022, 2025) has 253 career saves, which is tied for fourth among active players.

Bullpen was the Dodgers’ biggest weakness in 2025, but the issue was solved during the postseason — largely thanks to rookie Roki Sasaki. The Japanese sensation could move back to the starting rotation in 2026 with Diaz now able to handle closing duties.

As for the Mets, the team signed reliever Devin Williams away from the New York Yankees last week. The right-hander is now expected to fill Diaz’s role as the Mets’ closer in 2026.

Phillies, Schwarber agree to new deal as slugger stays put originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Kyle Schwarber is back in Philly.

The designated hitter is returning to the Phillies on a five-year, $150 million deal, according to a report from ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The 32-year-old slugger is coming off a season that ranks among the best in franchise history. He hit .240 with a league-leading 56 home runs and 132 RBIs in 2025, posting a .928 OPS. Since joining the Phillies in 2022, Schwarber has launched 187 homers, the most in the National League during that stretch.

President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski called re-signing Schwarber “a priority” at the club’s end-of-season press conference, noting, “We’d love to bring Kyle Schwarber back … He’s a huge part of what we do.”

Manager Rob Thomson echoed the sentiment, praising Schwarber’s leadership and professionalism: “He brings a lot — his calmness, his experience, how he talks to younger players when they’re scuffling. He’s a huge piece in that clubhouse.”

Beyond the numbers, Schwarber has become the heartbeat of the Phillies’ lineup. His power and steady presence have helped define the club’s four consecutive postseason runs.

He’s also left an imprint off the field — his “Neighborhood Heroes” foundation continues to support first responders and military families across the Philadelphia region.

Originally signed to a four-year, $79 million contract before the 2022 season, Schwarber will remain the team’s primary designated hitter as the Phillies look to extend their playoff window into 2026 and beyond.

Will Casey Schmitt's surgery alter Giants' offseason second base plans? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

ORLANDO — Before a teamwide slump led to a trade deadline sale, the Giants were quietly looking at potentially adding help at second base. Months later, they announced that incumbent Casey Schmitt underwent left wrist surgery, but president of baseball operations Buster Posey doesn’t sound like he feels adding at that position is still necessary. 

The Giants anticipate Schmitt being only about a week to 10 days behind at the start of camp, and they also have plenty of faith in Christian Koss. Tyler Fitzgerald, who entered last season as the starter, also still is on the 40-man roster. 

“We feel really good about the strides that Casey made last year, and I think Koss, too, had some big moments for us and for me is a guy that’s just kind of an all-around baseball player and can impact the game in multiple ways,” Posey said. “We’re very optimistic with both of those guys having a solid year under their belt and we know that there’s room for growth. I’ll just leave it at that.”

There are multiple potential options on the trade market, including St. Louis’ Brendan Donovan and Tampa Bay’s Brandon Lowe. But the Giants also have more pressing needs, particularly in their rotation and at the back end of their bullpen. They also could use more help in the outfield. 

Schmitt entered last season in a utility role off the bench and even learned first base as a way to get on the field. He finished the year with 12 homers and a wRC+ of 98, putting him roughly at league-average as a hitter. At the end of the season, Schmitt said he planned to drop some weight this offseason to allow him to cover more ground at second base.

General manager Zack Minasian described the injury as a form of carpal tunnel that needed to be operated on, but there are no long-term concerns.

“We don’t think he’ll be slowed during spring training at all. He should be fine,” Minasian said on Tuesday’s “Giants Talk” podcast. “I thought Casey made a lot of positive strides last year: At-bat quality, learning a new position, there’s still some upside there, and I’m excited to see what he can do going forward.” 

The Marco Move

One player who won’t be involved in that outfield competition is Marco Luciano. The former top prospect was claimed off waivers by the Pittsburgh Pirates last week, with the Giants getting nothing in return for a 24-year-old who once looked like a future star in San Francisco, or at least the centerpiece of a blockbuster trade.

Internally, the Giants have in recent months revisited Luciano’s development path to see what they might have done differently. The main takeaway is not surprising: They know they should have moved him off of shortstop years ago, allowing him to play an easier position and focus on his development at the plate. 

“I don’t think it went how anyone would have hoped it would have gone,” Minasian said. “I think you replay some of what position he should have been at and things of that nature. For me, personally, I saw Luci as a 15-year-old in the Dominican, and as much as we talk about the position, there’s still a tremendous amount of bat upside there. 

“It’s tough to walk away from someone with that type of ability. It just hadn’t shown up to this point and we’re limited in our roster spots and unfortunately it was the route we had to go.”

For all of the attention that was paid to his defensive struggles, Luciano also had an OPS below .600 in his big-league appearances. In Triple-A last year, he hit 23 homers but struck out 170 times and posted a .749 OPS in a hitter-friendly league. 

Minasian said the timing of the move was “just to create roster space.” If the Giants do not sign someone or complete a trade by Wednesday, they’ll have an open roster spot heading into the Rule 5 Draft. 

Congrats, Chis! 

Giants VP of media relations Matt Chisholm received the Robert O. Fishel Award during a reception on Monday night in Orlando. The award honors excellence in public relations, and Chisholm became the second Giants employee to win it, joining his former boss, Staci Slaughter. 

Chisholm, a Northern California native who graduated from Sonoma State, first joined the Giants as an intern in 2004. He worked for the Colorado Rockies for three seasons before returning to his hometown team. Last season was his 18th overall with the organization.

The ceremony was attended by just about every Giants employee who made the trip to Orlando, including Posey, Minasian, manager Tony Vitello and Bruce Bochy, who worked closely with Chisholm during the title years. Posey gave a speech honoring Chisholm and presented him with a trophy. 

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