Bob O’Farrell with the Cubs in 1922 | | Getty Images
Bob O’Farrell is one of the earliest examples of a Cubs player who was very good for the team — posting seasons of 6.0 and 4.7 bWAR in 1922 and 1923 at ages 25 and 26 — and then was traded away because the Cubs had a catcher they thought was going to do much better.
In this case, they were right. Gabby Hartnett was that new catcher and yes, he had a much better career than O’Farrell, eventually ending up in the Hall of Fame.
But the Cubs didn’t get much for O’Farrell when they traded him to the Cardinals May 23, 1925. The players in return: Howard Freigau and Mike González. Freigau was a decent player for a couple years, but by the time the Cubs won their next pennant in 1929, he was gone. González backed up Hartnett and was capable, but… if they’d kept O’Farrell, they’d have had an almost unbeatable catching tandem.
O’Farrell, a Chicago-area native (Waukegan), played 12 years for the Cubs, though as a teenager he played in only six games for the team in his first three seasons. He posted 14.5 bWAR as a Cub, and his best year was that 6.0 bWAR sason in 1922, when he batted .324/.439/.441 in 126 games. The next year he hit 12 home runs while batting .319/.408/.471 in 131 games. An injury helped the Cubs want to move on to Hartnett, as described in O’Farrell’s SABR biography:
In a game on July 22, 1924, an injury to O’Farrell knocked him out of the Cubs lineup for three weeks. Essentially, it cost him his starting job. In the first inning of the first game of a doubleheader, a foul tip off the bat of Stuffy McInnis struck O’Farrell’s catcher’s mask. The impact caused the steel support rods to jam right into O’Farrell’s forehead far enough that he suffered a concussion. He was rushed to the hospital where he would remain for two to three weeks.
“It was my own fault,” O’Farrell said to [author Lawrence] Ritter. “It was an old mask and I knew I shouldn’t have worn it. You know, a lot of times a catcher’s mask gets so much banging around it gets dented here and there. If you try to bend it back the way it’s supposed to be, it weakens it. Well, I got on an old mask that day and asked the clubhouse boy to go get me my regular one. Before he could get back with it, the ball had spun off the bat, smashed through the mask, and knocked me unconscious.”
O’Farrell was NL MVP in 1926 with the Cardinals, batting .293/.371/.433 in a career-high 147 games and throwing out 51 percent of runners trying to steal. That’s something he was really good at, and O’Farrell was the catcher who threw out Babe Ruth trying to steal second in the ninth inning of Game 7 of the 1926 World Series, winning that Series for St. Louis.
O’Farrell played in MLB through 1935, even returning briefly to the Cubs in 1934. After his career he returned to Waukegan, where he ran a bowling alley/billiards center. He died Feb. 20, 1988 in Waukegan, aged 91.
DENVER, CO - AUGUST 4: Relief pitcher Nick Frasso #41 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch in the 11th inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Coors Field on August 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. Frasso is making his Major League debut. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
Nick Frasso brings velo and a weird arm angle. Positions on third base side of rubber so ball looks like it’s coming from SS. Delivery compared to longtime big leaguer Jered Weaver. Should be in big leagues soon. He is out of options. #Rockies more comfortable with that than… https://t.co/nNituCyKD2
Until that point, Frasso had spent the previous six seasons in the Toronto Blue Jays and Dodgers minor league systems after having been drafted in the fourth round in 2020. Originally thought of as a potential starting pitcher, Frasso reached as high as the number 68 overall prospect in baseball per MLB Pipeline in 2023. From that prospect ranking high, however, Frasso went on to miss the entire 2024 season recovering from shoulder surgery.
Having never managed to amass more than 93 innings in a season previously, he was quickly moved to the bullpen upon his return to action in 2025.
Frasso came to the Rockies having put up great strikeout numbers (14.59 K/9) for the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate in 2026 paired with abysmal walk totals (6.20 BB/9). That lack of command had prevented Frasso from being able to break into the Dodgers stacked Major League roster. As a 27 year old, Frasso was running out of time to translate his raw stuff and 91st percentile extension into the sort of finished product that would lead to a notable MLB career.
After entering the Rockies organization, however, Frasso did not need to wait long before being given a shot in the big leagues. Just a week after being traded, with only five (admittedly impressive) appearances for the Albuquerque Isotopes on his résumé, Frasso was called up to the Rockies to make his Major League debut.
For his first assignment, Frasso took the ball in the 11th inning of a tie game against the Tampa Bay Rays in what manager Warren Schaeffer would later characterize as “Probably the most difficult position you can be in (for) your Major League debut.”
His first opponent, Taylor Walls, moved the extra-innings automatic-runner from second to third on a sacrifice bunt attempt. The next batter he faced was the ever-intimidating Yandy Diaz, against whom he bounced a ball in the dirt allowing the go-ahead run to score.
With what would ultimately be the winning run already scored, Frasso finished the inning after allowing another run on a couple of hits. While his first taste of the big leagues may not have gone exactly as he would have liked, Frasso managed to muddle through a full inning and look to the future.
Frasso remained on the Major League roster for the remainder of the 2026 season. His results throughout his 20 appearances for the Rockies were a mixed bag.
The chase percentage that he saw as a prospect was still present during his first stint against Major League hitters, but he was not able to translate that into the sort of strikeout numbers he had become accustomed to.
His two best stretches, encompassing a total of ten scoreless innings over nine outings, was interrupted by a brutal four game streak in early September in which he allowed nine runs in just 3.2 innings. If not for that brief swoon, Frasso’s overall line in his rookie season would look sparkling and it’s notable that he was able to course correct and throw four scoreless outings to finish off his season.
The most encouraging aspect of his final line is that his walk rate, which had been his largest problem area throughout his minor-league career, dropped from 9.4% in his debut month of August all the way down to 4.3% in September. With his combination of stuff and extension, a walk rate like he showed in September would allow him to become a high-leverage reliever for years to come.
Clay Holmes (Photo by Isaac Wasserman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Inspiration.
Every offseason, the AZ Snake Pit has player reviews for every player who played for the Diamondbacks Major League Team. Those reviews will happen later in this offseason.
If things had happened differently (in a parallel universe), there are several players who played for the Diamondbacks – but it did not happen in this universe. In this universe, they will not have formal player reviews.
Let’s look at some of those players and do mini-reviews.
Last season, in a parallel universe, who might have played for the Diamondbacks?
AJ Puk. If he had avoided injury, he would have added to a bullpen which was better than it had been in years.
Kristian Robinson. If his batting broke out to the extent that he could not be ignored, he might have been called up to be a designated hitter.
Ty France. Having children takes many years for some couples. If the birth of his children had not happened near the beginning of last season, he might have been open to playing for the Diamondbacks instead of the Padres. In February, the Padres offered him a minor league contract, and his MLB contract was small with an incentive clause. I’m confident that the Diamondbacks would have matched or bettered it because the Diamondbacks needed a first baseman.
Marcelo Mayer. Last offseason, the Diamondbacks discussed trading away Ketel Marte to the Red Sox. The Red Sox refused to trade away Marcello Mayer and a reworked trade did not happen (per Gabe Speier of the Boston Globe). What if the Red Sox had agreed to trade him to the Diamondbacks?
Clay Holmes. Pending medical checks, the Mets had agreed to trade Clay Holmes to the Diamondbacks in return for a prospect. The Mets did not like the medical records of the prospect, and an alternate was not found. What if the prospect had been acceptable to the Mets?
2026 Parallel Universe Player # 1 : AJ Puk
2025 Stats: 8 Games in relief, 3.38 ERA, 4.51 FIP, 12 SO, 2 BB.
Due to injury, in 2026 he played 2 games in AAA, plus 3 games in the rookie league.
Date of Birth: 4/25/1995.
2026 Earnings: $3.1 Million.
2027 Status: Free Agent.
2026 Review.
Due to injury, he did not play for the Diamondbacks Major League Team. In 2025, his strength was a fastball velocity of 96.4 MPH, which was at the 83rd percentile. His 34.3% K was awesome. His 2.84 xERA was better than his actual ERA. In the parallel universe, he significantly improved the Diamondbacks bullpen. He pitched 30 games and added 1.3 bWAR.
In the parallel universe, his performance was about the same as his 2025 season.
Performance Comparison 2025 actual (parallel universe) vs 2026 Diamondbacks. His 3.38 ERA was better than the 4.07 ERA of pitching in relief per FanGraphs. His 4.61 FIP was worse than the 4.01 FIP of pitching in relief. Overall, the Diamondbacks won one additional game in the parallel universe.
2027 Outlook.
He is a free agent. He could play for the Diamondbacks in both universes. He is projected to have an ERA between 3.42 and 3.86. He could make a positive contribution to the Diamondbacks bullpen, especially if his velocity and strikeouts are at 2025 levels.
2026 Parallel Universe Player # 2 : Kristian Robinson.
2026 Stats: 116 Games in AAA, .268/.373/.442 (BA/OBP/ SLG).
Date of Birth: 12/11/2000.
2026 Earnings: Minor League.
2027 Status: Free Agent.
2026 Review.
In AAA, his average exit velocity, hard hit percentage, and barrels per batted ball event were better than the Reno Aces averages (92.4 vs 91.7 MPH, 45.0% vs 38.2%, and 9.1 vs 7.4 B/BBE). However, they fell short of numbers that would have shouted to call him up to the Majors as a designated hitter (perhaps with some playing time in the outfield).
In the parallel universe, his RBIs per plate appearance in Reno was 50% higher (0.18 instead of 0.12). Mid-season he was called up and in the Majors his RBIs per PA was 0.14, which was better than the team’s second half average of 0.12. With 300 PAs, he added 6 runs (about 0.6 bWAR).
Performance Comparison 2026 parallel universe vs 2026 Diamondbacks. In the parallel universe, he increased the team RBIs by 6, which won the Diamondbacks one additional game.
2027 Outlook.
He is a free agent, and I would be surprised if he plays for the Diamondbacks.
2026 Earnings: $1.35 Million plus $0.65 Million incentive.
2027 Status: Free Agent.
2026 Review.
Playing first base for the Padres, his 139 OPS+ was a career best. His defense was outstanding: In 2025, he won a gold glove. In 2026, his 7 outs above average was the second best among first basemen, and his 15 defensive runs saved was best among first basemen.
Performance Comparison 2026 actual vs 2026 Diamondbacks. Comparing wins above average at first base, the Padres had positive 1.9 and the Diamondbacks had negative 2.3. In the parallel universe, the Diamondbacks signed him before the season started. The Diamondbacks won four additional games.
2027 Outlook.
He is a free agent. Because the Diamondbacks do not have a first baseman for next season, and because he is an outstanding first baseman, acquiring him would make a large positive impact.
2026 Parallel Universe Player # 4 : Marcelo Mayer.
In the parallel universe, the Diamondbacks traded away Ketel Marte for Marcelo Mayer. Ildemaro Vargas played more games as the second baseman to cover the loss of Marte, and Mayer stayed in the minors to continue his development until September.
Performance Comparison 2026 actual vs 2026 Diamondbacks. In the parallel universe, the Diamondbacks lost two additional games.
2027 Outlook.
Marcelo Mayer is on track to be an All-Star. At some point, his performance will reach that level, but maybe not in 2027.
Looking forward, the Diamondbacks will be ok that they kept Ketel Marte. Ketel Marte’s performance will likely bounce back, and his hitting fundamentals are among the best players on the Diamondbacks.
2026 Parallel Universe Player # 5 : Clay Holmes.
2026 Stats: 18 Games Started, 3.29 ERA, 3.63 FIP, 78 SO, 42 BB.
Date of Birth: 3/27/1993.
2026 Earnings: $13 Million.
2027 Status: Free Agent.
2026 Review.
He is a starting pitcher. He pitched exceptionally well (1.86 ERA) until the 15 May game, when a line drive hit his leg and broke a bone. What is extraordinary is that with a broken leg he finished the inning and in the next inning he got one batter out before leaving the game.
When he returned, his 4.25 ERA was good, but less than exceptional.
Performance Comparison 2026 actual (after 7 August) vs 2026 Diamondbacks (after 7 August). In the parallel universe, he was traded to the Diamondbacks at the beginning of August. From 8 August onward, his 4.25 ERA was slightly better than the Diamondbacks average of 4.43. However, he pitched 3 shutouts in the parallel universe. The Diamondbacks won three additional games.
2027 Outlook.
He is a free agent. His projected ERA is between 3.63 and 4.25. My view is that he will pitch much better than projected, albeit not reaching the rarified heights of an ERA of 2. He would be an excellent acquisition by the Diamondbacks.
The Major League Baseball season's characterization as a "marathon" is more appropriate than any other professional sport.
There are plenty of ebbs and flows over the course of the 162-game season. Performances can't be defined by a single month or stretch of time.
The extensive nature of the campaign is what made the National League race for Rookie of the Year one of the most contentious contests in the MLB Award season. Over the course of six months, five candidates rose to the top in the Reds' Sal Stewart, Mets' Carson Benge and Nolan McLean, Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt and Rockies' TJ Rumfield.
In the end, it was Stewart who was named the NL Rookie of the Year honor as the Baseball Writers Association of American announced the award on Monday night. Stewart took home the honor on the strength of his 32 home runs and 112 RBI, which led all NL rookies, along with 87 runs, a .787 OPS, 25 doubles and 15 stolen bases.
Stewart earned 20 of the 30 possible first-place votes. The Mets' Benge ended up as the runner-up with seven first-place votes, three second-place votes and 12 third-place designations.
One of those votes for Benge to receive the top honor was mine.
When the BBWAA assigned its award designations to the writers in early August, the Rookie of the Year race appeared to be a two-horse race between Stewart and Wetherholt. But over the the final two months of the season, Benge's kick provided further intrigue.
That's why the season is an endurance race. And by the completion of the 2026 season, I believe Benge had done enough in all facets of the game to warrant the top slot in the Rookie of the Year vote.
Stewart's explosive bat made him a top contender. The Reds first baseman had the second-most RBI and eighth-most home runs in the National League while he slashed .263/.330/.457. But defensively, he posted a -2 outs above average and a negative first-base receiving score.
Wetherholt, who finished third in the voting, proved he had one of the best gloves in all of baseball, boasting a +25 outs above average that trailed only Cubs MVP frontrunner Pete Crow-Armstrong for the best mark in baseball. While batting atop the Cardinals' lineup, the second baseman led all rookies with 89 runs, while adding 17 home runs, 51 RBI and 14 stolen bases but posting an unassuming .242/.339/.365 slash line in 139 games.
Benge provided the best of both worlds in terms of offense and defense despite a slow start through the opening two months, which hurt his case in the early going. Benge opened with a .189 batting average and .525 OPS through the month of April. He slashed .299/.363/.457 over the final five months.
The Mets right-fielder led all rookies with 168 hits — matching the Tigers' Kevin McGonigle in the American League — and was second among NL rookies in batting average (.282) and home runs (20) and third in RBI (65) and stolen bases (22). Benge is the only NL rookie to finish in the top three in each of those key offensive categories.
Benge's 118 OPS+ bested both Stewart and Wetherholt. He had a better batting average and on-base percentage than both. And his offensive spark only told half the story.
Benge was one of the three finalists for the NL Gold Glove in right field. His 10 outfield assists were the third-most among all NL outfielders while he boasted a 7 defensive runs saved. Benge's arm value was the best in baseball, along with the fifth-highest arm strength in MLB.
Stewart might have had the best offensive season among all rookies in baseball, while Wetherholt proved to be one of the best young defensive infielders.
Benge was at the top of his class in a multitude of different categories while flashing one of the best outfield gloves in all of the National League. The Mets also saw Nolan McLean finish in fourth place and A.J. Ewing receive a fifth-place vote.
Benge might not have earned the hardware on Monday night, but his first season, and those supplied by McLean and Ewing alongside him, us enough to have Mets fans yearning for more heading into a bright future.
Offer him a salary next year greater than Kyle Tucker’s last year.
Or even Shohei Ohtani’s.
If the uncertainty over potential future economic regulations give the Dodgers reservations about signing Skubal to a long-term contract, present him with a deal that would pay him more money than any player has ever made in a single season.
Eighty million dollars.
Ninety million.
One-hundred million.
Whatever necessary.
Tarik Skubal of the Los Angeles Dodgers reacts against the Milwaukee Brewers during Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. Getty Images
The Dodgers like to talk about the importance of reading and reacting to various situations, and that’s what their efforts to re-sign two-time Cy Young Award winner call for them to do.
As the baseball industry gathered Monday on the Las Vegas Strip for the general managers meetings this week, teams didn’t know the rules under which they would be playing next season, whether there will be a salary cap or some other form of cost control designed to increase franchise valuations.
The prospect of a salary cap or some other form of cost control in the next collective-bargaining agreement could make the Dodgers reluctant to sign Skubal to the kind of eight- to 10-year contract he figures to command on the open market.
As it is, the Dodgers already have a number of long-term commitments on their books. Yoshinobu Yamamoto is under contract through 2035, Ohtani and Will Smith through 2033, Mookie Betts through 2032, Tucker and Blake Snell through 2029.
While the pitch was quickly rejected by the players, it confirmed that even if extreme changes are introduced, teams will likely be granted time to make their rosters salary-cap compliant.
The Dodgers have to take advantage of that grace period.
Andrew Friedman, President of baseball operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, speaks to the media at American Family Field in Milwaukee, Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026. Getty Images
They will have to offer Skubal enough money to forfeit the security of a longer deal.
What about $100 million to pitch for them next year? Perhaps a player option or two after that?
If nine figures for one season of baseball sounds expensive, consider the cost of not retaining Skubal.
They have an older roster, but that doesn’t mean this iteration of their team is finished. They could have another championship run in them.
The Dodgers won 100 games this year – and that was with Ohtani injured for the half of the season.
They destroyed the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS – and that was with Ohtani hitting on one leg.
Manage Ohtani better, re-sign Skubal, inject the right amount of youth into their roster, and who’s to say the Dodgers can’t win the World Series next year?
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal throws against the Milwaukee Brewers during Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday, Oct. 11, 2026, in Milwaukee. Getty Images
Acquired by the Dodgers at the trade deadline, Skubal quickly became a central figure in their locker room and was entrusted with being their No. 1 starter in the postseason.
“The way he was able to seamlessly transition, not just in terms of on the field, but in the clubhouse, I can’t say enough good things about the impact he made in such a short period of time,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said.
Offering Skubal a short but lucrative deal doesn’t mean he will accept it, of course.
Skubal’s market is “robust,” according to his agent, Scott Boras.
“Pitchers like him deliver what every owner covets, and that’s championships,” Boras said.
The Dodgers owe it to themselves to at least make an attempt to re-sign Skubal, however.
They have a small opening to retain a player they want without compromising their long-term stability.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 03: Adrian Morejon #50 of the San Diego Padres pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning in game one of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 03, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chasing starting pitching on the free agent market is often a fool’s errand. The combination of injury risk and performance variance at the position removes any ability to add certainty to your rotation. Guys with top-end potential cost an absurd amount and typically come with high risk. Seemingly safe options to fill out the back of your rotation fall apart just about as frequently, and you should be able to create that sort of arm internally anyway. To the Mets’ credit, they seem able to do this. Your best move is typically not to play.
Converting relievers into starters has emerged—or re-emerged, depending on your historical perspective—as a viable alternative path to adding starting pitch depth in the last half decade. Reynaldo Lopez, Michael King, Seth Lugo, and of course Clay Holmes have all been notable success stories in recent years. This has expanded from a niche dice roll to a league-wide trend, to the point where a pitcher like Adrián Morejón seemed likely to be one of the most sought after pitchers on this year’s market—at least until he indicated a preference for remaining a reliever.
When analyzing the Clay Holmes signing two years ago, we took a pass at defining what sort of reliever is a good conversion candidate. With Holmes now gone and the Mets seemingly gearing up for another dip into the free agent starter market, now is a good time to update that analysis and see if there are any under-the-radar finds worth pursuing.
So back to the core question: What are the actual differences between starters and relievers? After contemplating this question deeply and discussing with several well-respected baseball minds, I’d define four key dimensions that define the difference:
Arsenal Depth: Starting pitchers, even in an era where they see fewer batters and pitch fewer innings than ever before, typically face batters multiple times. They also, in general, cannot sustain max-effort, top of the line stuff quality over their full outings. This necessitates a broader, more varied pitch mix, typically featuring options with both armside and gloveside movement. Without getting into the nitty gritty of pitch-interactions, we can quantify this with a metric I call pitch mix entropy (PME)—see below for an explanation.
Arsenal Quality: Relievers typically have better raw stuff. In part this is because they’re airing it out for an inning at a time and don’t have to conserve energy. In part it’s a selection bias, because you can survive with one or two really good pitches as a reliever but not as a starter. Stuff quality also drops when going from the bullpen to the rotation for the aforementioned reasons. Conversion candidates, therefore, will likely have good enough stuff to sustain their arsenal even when accounting for the conversion penalty.
Location: Though less critical than the previous two factors, throwing strikes is more important to surviving as a starter than a reliever, due both to the underlying role / responsibilities (you need to throw more pitches and more innings) and the previously mentioned stuff penalty (you can get away with fewer strikes if you’re throwing nastier stuff).
Physical Capability: This is the hardest criteria to quantify but is nonetheless critical. Some guys simply can’t hold up to a starter’s workload, or have too checkered an injury past to make the conversion worth it. I am a firm member of the “predicting health outcomes is impossible” camp, particularly with only public information, but we can leverage some common sense to rule out select pitchers as we work through the data.
Pitch Mix Entropy was defined as the Shannon Entropy of a single player’s pitches, a metric that ranges from 0-1. As a simple example, a pitcher with a more varied arsenal like Seth Lugo will have a higher value, while someone like Kenley Jansen who throws a limited arsenal will have a lower value.A better metric would incorporate the diversity of movement profiles as well, something Baseball Prospectus’s Surprise Factor metric does in a slightly different way.
Putting aside the Physical Capability aspect of things, we can quantify the differences between starters and relievers across these three metrics:
*One-tailed T-test between 2026 qualified players
Arsenal Depth and Arsenal Quality both match our expectations; starters have deeper arsenals, relievers have nastier stuff. Location, as quantified by Zone%, is a bit trickier. The surface level difference is minimal and the statistical difference is not significant. A confounding factor here is that pitchers can succeed in different ways – a low control, high stuff profile can work as either a starter or a reliever. Other metrics such as Location+ show similar results. Maybe you fall in the “control is fake” camp, and this evidence perhaps supports that. In either case, there is certainly a limit to how bad your control can be before you run into problems (we all remember later career Óliver Pérez).
If you’re more a visual person, here’s what this looks like for starters…
…and for relievers:
Highlighted circles represent those players at least two standard deviations away from the mean Stuff+ and PME in any direction. Names omitted from some highlighted relievers for readability purposes.
Unsurprisingly, there are a lot more arms up and to the left in relief, guys who throw one or maybe two nasty pitches and nothing else. By contrast, there are a fair number more starters on the right hand side of the plot, those who survive on varied arsenals despite pedestrian stuff. Command, as previously discussed, is a bit all over the place, but does offer some useful context; guys with terrible command and weak stuff (i.e., Austin Voth) are bad. Those with nasty stuff and terrible command (i.e., Josh Hader) can be good, but may also struggle (i.e., Jefry Yan).
So we have a theoretical framework to parse the differences between starters and relievers, now let’s apply it. The best conversion candidates are likely those that:
Have sufficiently differentiated arsenals in some direction – perhaps not as stringent as our plots above, but something noticeable
Have above average stuff to survive the conversion penalty – at least one standard deviation better than mean Stuff+
Have viable arsenal depth – at worst one standard deviation worse than mean starter PME
Have viable command – at worst one standard deviation worse than starter Zone%
Some of these players are clearly too old (e.g., Aroldis Chapman) or too injury prone (e.g., Mason Montgomery) to give this a go. But there are some hits as well. There’s Adrián Morejón at the top of the list. AJ Smith-Shawver, who has at times looked like a potentially decent starter, also appears. Ditto Chase Dollander. The Rays already traded for Casey Legumina and deployed him as a starter a couple times as well.
Then there are some new names. Justin Martinez just signed an extension with the Diamondbacks and looks like the closer of the future, but he’s young enough and started recently enough that he seems ripe for conversion. Louis Varland was a failed starter in Minnesota before figuring it out in the bullpen in Toronto, and I have to wonder if it would work as a starter. Jhoan Duran hasn’t started a game since 2021 and has been so good in relief that you probably don’t mess with it, but theoretically he’s an interesting option.
The two most interesting guys to me here are Drew Sommers and Yoendrys Gómez. Sommers was awesome last year for the Tigers and has never started before, but he seems like someone where this could work. Gómez wasn’t quite as good in relief but has started more recently. I’d be kicking the tires on both of them via trade this offseason if I’m the Mets.
But what if you think stuff is control is fake? We can remove that threshold to open the aperture a bit, and some more names come through:
This doesn’t add a ton of names but does unveil Aaron Ashby, perhaps the best candidate for this beyond Morejon. Coming off his insane postseason run, Ashby still seems intent on starting, and frankly the Brewers should probably let him. Will the control hold up in the rotation? Great question, but the breadth and quality of the stuff are good enough to be worth finding out.
Edgardo Henriquez is another fascinating name here, but not one that I think will be relevant for us; the Dodgers have too many starters to make experimenting with a shut down reliever worth it, and he’s not likely to be available via trade. William Kempner is an interesting one that might be attainable. There’s nasty stuff and he started in his senior year at Gonzaga back in 2022. He’s worth checking in with the Marlins on.
There is one caveat to our analysis that we’ve left out; pitchers can add to their arsenal when moving to the rotation. Clay Holmes himself is a prime example of this. In 2024 with the the Yankees he had well below average PME, throwing two pitches (sinker and slider) exclusively. One year later with the Mets, Holmes was throwing five pitches and running an above average PME.
So it may be worth looking at arms who don’t have presently broad arsenals. We’ll still have a threshold—three standard deviations below mean PME—to ween out the extreme narrow arsenal guys, but that leaves a number of additional candidates. Note that previously highlighted players are omitted for readability:
Parsing this is harder than our previous two views. Unless you’re an actual professional coach, determining which of these relievers can add a pitch—and which pitches they should add—is likely beyond your capabilities. A decent proxy would be looking at recent starters such as Dax Fulton who seems like a prime candidate to step back into the Marlins’ rotation next season. Alex McFarlane is another NL East name who the Phillies could leverage as a starter in 2027. All of Blade Tidwell, Seth Johnson, Antwone Kelly, and Erik Tolman had some degree of recognition as prospects and started in the minors, but have struggled significantly with health or effectiveness.
There are two free agent names in Alex Vesia and Evan Phillips that pop up towards the extremes of this cluster. Both are interesting in a vacuum, but neither has a track record of starting, both are over 30, and in Phillips’ case his arm is held together by duct tape and glue. I would chalk these up as plausible but unlikely conversion candidates.
For completeness, what about those arms that don’t necessarily have high-end stuff but zone the ball well and have a broad arsenal. Here you’re mostly getting former and/or failed starters who have not narrowed their arsenal to function in the bullpen. This is not a group worth digging into, but is a decent sanity check on the analysis:
This is an imperfect framework for a number of reasons. Public facing stuff metrics are poor. Zone% is a rudimentary at best measure of control. A more sophisticated view of pitch mix diversity would be informative. And of course we’re missing the all important ability to determine physical capability of starting.
Nevertheless, we can pick out a number of candidates for whom a conversion might make sense. Most (Sommers, Kempner, Gómez, Fulton, McFarlane) would have to be acquired via trade, and the majority of the free agents that stick out (Phillips, Vesia) are likely not viable options.
Morejón, however, really does stand out as much as the free agent hype suggests. His current arsenal—buffed by pitching in releif—is most similar to Jacob Misiorowski among starters. Hitting him with a nerf similar to other players who have made the conversion puts him in the range of Payton Tolle and Eury Perez. He’s only 27, as well, meaning whoever signs him gets his physical prime. Presuming his medicals hold up, he really does seem like the best conversion candidate yet and someone the Mets should seriously pursue.
All data and filtration results can be found here.
The good news is that thanks to new rules in the game meant to disincentivize service-time manipulation the Reds get an additional draft pick between the first and second rounds.
The not-so-good news: The price just went up on the inevitable extension talks with the hard-hitting, 22-year-old All-Star.
Four months after the Reds inked Stewart’s pal, Reds ace Chase Burns, to a $105 million, seven-year extension, the Reds and Stewart still had not engaged in talks about an extension for the 32-homer rookie slugger, sources said.
And the meter continues to run after Stewart became the franchise’s ninth player to win the National League Rookie of the Year award, with Stewart also a finalist for a prestigious Silver Slugger award. Those winners are announced next week.
The tangible upside for the team — beyond possibly earning a few more ticket sales in marketing the “award-winning” Sal — is the Prospect Promotion Incentive draft pick that figures to be a top-40 overall pick between their first- and second-round picks.
That’s because of a 2022 rule that rewards teams for promoting prospects closer to the beginning of a season rather than wait long enough with their better prospects to assure an additional year of club control before free agency.
That delay of less than two weeks led to players such as Kris Bryant and Maikel Franco to file union grievances a decade ago against their teams for service-time manipulation that delayed their free agency. Bryant won a Rookie of the Year award in 2015 after being kept in the minors the first eight games of that season, which meant an additional six years before he was eligible for free agency.
How potentially valuable are the additional supplemental picks?
Stewart was selected 32nd overall in 2022 – as an additional compensation pick for the Reds for losing Nick Castellanos as a free agent.
LAS VEGAS — The Giants put out a surprising press release on July 31 to announce that they were suspending payment to center fielder Harrison Bader. For the next three months, they had no comment on Bader’s status — citing the fact that an investigation was ongoing — but a resolution finally has been reached.
At the annual GM Meetings in Las Vegas, president of baseball operations Buster Posey said the Giants and Major League Baseball will have an update soon. It is expected at some point in the next few weeks, and while Posey didn’t have any firm details to share, he did say that it will result in Bader remaining in the organization, at least initially.
Buster Posey said there will be an official update from MLB and Giants on the Harrison Bader situation soon. Posey said he’ll still be in the organization (he has one more year on his contract).
Bader signed a two-year, $20.5 million deal last offseason, but the first year was a disaster. He played just 30 games because of injuries and hit .170 with a .557 OPS. Bader was on the IL with plantar fasciitis and set to fly to Indianapolis to see a specialist when he had a scooter accident in the Marina District that further damaged his foot.
The Giants took a rare step later that month, suspending payment on his contract. The upcoming announcement likely will deal with how much of the roughly $1.5 million that was left on his 2026 contract he actually will lose, as well as potential losses if he is not able to return to the field in 2027.
At the moment, at least, the Giants are somewhat optimistic about Bader’s health. He is going through a running progression, and the belief is that he will be physically ready whenever spring training begins.
That does not, however, mean that it’s a lock Bader will play that second year in San Francisco.
Suspending payment was an extraordinary step, and it’s unclear how Bader feels about it because he has not spoken to reporters since before the accident. The Giants were frustrated over the summer, but there was no upside in hinting at future moves on Tuesday.
Releasing Bader would leave them on the hook for the full $10 million he is owed next season, which may not even end up being 162 games. There remains a possibility that they could find a trade for the veteran outfielder if they heavily pay down the contract.
The most telling part of Posey’s answers Tuesday might have come when he was asked where Bader fits in. In his absence, young outfielders Drew Gilbert and Jonah Cox stepped up, and they seem like a strong fit as platoon partners in center field next season.
“The way I’d say he fits in is he’s going to have to go out and play, and play well to get playing time,” Posey said.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - SEPTEMBER 10: Taylor Ward #27 of the Seattle Mariners draws a walk during the eighth inning against the Texas Rangers at T-Mobile Park on September 10, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Jack Compton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Royals have a left field problem. In 2026, their left fielders collectively hit .211/.316/.316, a wRC+ of 80 that was fourth-worst in the league. The year before that they ranked last in the league in production from the left field position. Even when they made the playoffs, it was despite some poor hitting from their left fielders, who finished with the fourth-worst wRC+.
The team could use an upgrade from Isaac Collins, who significantly regressed from a solid rookie performance in Milwaukee. The Royals have a lefty-heavy lineup, so a right-handed bat would fit well. But the league has a shortage of quality right-handed bats. Veteran Taylor Ward is a right-handed hitting outfielder who has shown an ability to get on base, with some solid power. Could he be a potential free agent target for the Royals?
Ward was a late bloomer who didn’t have his first full season as a regular in the big leagues until age 28 in 2022. He hit 23 home runs with a .360 on-base percentage and a career-high 3.5 rWAR that year. His numbers took a slight dip in 2023, and his season ended prematurely when he was hit in the face by a pitch in July, ending his season. He bounced back to hit 25 home runs the next year, then set career-highs in home runs (36) and walks (75) in 2025.
The Angels shipped Ward to the Orioles last offseason for pitcher Grayson Rodriguez, a seemingly steep price to pay for one year of the outfielder. His power mysteriously vanished, and he hit just seven home runs in 111 games with the Orioles. They traded him to Seattle, and his numbers fell off a cliff. He went 11-for-88 (.125) with just one extra-base hit. He finished with a very healthy on-base percentage of .359, and his plate discipline was better than ever. He posted a career-best 16.3 percent walk rate for the year, while cutting his strikeout rate to 21.3 percent. However, his .311 slugging percentage was the lowest of any qualified hitter, and his 102 wRC+ was his worst since he became a regular.
So where did his power go? He did hit for modestly more power on the road, hitting six of his seven home runs away with a .365 slugging percentage. He also suffered a hand bruise in April that may have lingered throughout the year. But his exit velocity dropped significantly this year, his hard-hit rate dropped, and his barrel rate dropped. His approach also seemed deliberate in trading power for contact.
Ward has had wide platoon splits, hammering lefties in the past, but he did not show much of a split this year. He is a slightly below average defender in left, certainly passable out there. He will turn 33 next month, so most likely he is looking at a short-term deal. I would guess he lands a one-year contract worth around $8-12 million with perhaps an option for 2028, but a team willing to bet on him could offer two years.
At the very least, Ward could provide the ability to get on base the Royals sorely need at the top of their lineup. But his lack of power with a changed approach should be a concern. Ward may actually be too patient at the plate, a problem that seemed to plague incumbent left fielder Isaac Collins.
Ward could be an intriguing buy-low candidate for a Royals team that needs more production from the left field position. His plate discipline and ability to get on base would be welcome additions, particularly from the right side. If his power outage was partly the result of his hand injury and an overcorrection in his approach, there could be some upside here. A one-year deal with an option would be a reasonable gamble, giving the Royals a chance to upgrade left field without making a major long-term commitment.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - AUGUST 02: Colt Emerson #4 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates after scoring during the sixth inning against the Minnesota Twins at T-Mobile Park on August 02, 2026 in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Olivia Vanni/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Though the Mariners have rarely used the Triple-A level as a hotbed for their top prospects under the Dipoto regime, the Rainiers serve as a fascinating ground for the grinders on the fringes of big league rosters. Whether you like it or not, many of the minor league signings that seem meaningless in February end up getting serious playing time for a variety of reasons (see: Connor Joe) and have a real impact on wins and losses over the course of the season. It may not be the flashiest selection of names, but Tacoma’s crew put together a respectable 2026 season and deserves some time in the spotlight as we approach the end of our 2026 minor league coverage.
Team Performance
First Half Record: 33-42 (+36 Run Differential)
Second Half Record: 39-36 (-19 Run Differential)
Final Record: 72-78
Team ERA: 4.87 (fourth in Pacific Coast League)
Team OPS: .795 (fifth in Pacific Coast League)
Stat to Know: Led the Pacific Coast League with 197 home runs and walks allowed with 567
Season Stars
Patrick Wisdom
Wisdom, in his first season back stateside since 2024, was far and away the most impressive hitter in this Rainiers lineup all season. For as paltry as his performance was for the big league squad, the veteran slugger posted some truly absurd power output for Tacoma and was a big reason why the club led the PCL in homers this past year. Launching 35 homers in 348 plate appearances, Wisdom smashed his way to a 1.039 OPS on the year and was one of the most formidable bats in the entire league. Given his age and defensive limitations, it’s unclear what Wisdom’s role will be with the Mariners moving forward, but his 2026 season was assuredly one to remember.
A site favorite here at LL, Rodden has been a reliable contributor in this system for years now and was rewarded with a major league debut late last season. Though he went through some adjustments in his limited time, the switch-hitting Rodden has the ability to play all over the diamond defensively and brings some sneaky pop to the plate offensively. His year in Tacoma (which was shortened due to injury) saw him pop 19 homers and 22 doubles, good for an OPS of .841 across ~400 plate appearances. Rodden will try his hand at stealing a base here and there, but he’s probably a faster base runner than he is a base stealer at this point in his career and doesn’t project to be a major threat on the basepaths. Though it’s no guarantee Rodden locks down the utility role for the M’s heading into 2027, he’s an outstanding piece to have on the 40 man roster as depth and seems like a near lock to get playing time at some point next season.
The boy wonder that appears to have a major league spot secured for next season, Colt Emerson’s 2026 was a rollercoaster on many different levels. Starting the year off with a massive 8 year, $95 million dollar contract extension before he’d even debuted in the big leagues, Emerson struggled through injury for much of the year and had multiple stints on the IL. Even when he was on the field, it sounds as though Emerson may have downplayed the severity of his injuries over the course of the season and likely explains a lot of his relatively mundane output at the plate. Despite these warts, Emerson still managed an OPS of .816 on the season and played immaculate defense at shortstop, showing the M’s enough to commit to him long term and crown him as the incumbent shortstop for the next decade. Hopefully a fully healthy Emerson can show off his talents with more consistency next year and give him a fresh start as a major leaguer.
Ken Griffey Jr. A-Rod Colt Emerson
MLB's No. 6 overall prospect joins exclusive company as the only @Mariners aged 20 or younger with a 4-hit game. And Emerson does it with 3 doubles! pic.twitter.com/h9scIdWYSo
It’s easy to forget just how good Brennen Davis was this past season. The oft-injured outfielder with immense talent posted an .887 OPS for the Rainiers when he was on the field, but unfortunately for both Davis and the Mariners, the outfielder found himself back on the injured list for most of the season and was unable to appear in a game after hitting the injured list on June 2nd. Despite his injuries, Davis is arguably the best right handed corner outfield option they presently have on the roster at this point in time, and though they can’t rely on him over the course of an entire season, to have him as a potential flyer towards the bottom of the roster could pay dividends come next season and makes him an interesting player to follow heading into 2027.
ATLANTA, GA - AUGUST 29: Didier Fuentes #72 of the Atlanta Braves pitches in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Truist Park on August 29, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
This pair of veteran arms stabilized the Atlanta rotation in 2026, though neither qualified as needle-movers when they were acquired. The Braves saw upside in both left-hander Martin Perez, who signed over the winter, and trade deadline acquisition Tyler Mahle, the right-hander who was simply incredible across nine regular season starts and two more in October.
To say both men outperformed reasonable expectations is an understatement.
Perez, 35, broke camp with Atlanta but was quickly designated for assignment after just three appearances. He ended up rejoining the Braves and enjoying a bounce-back season. He finished the year 9-9 with a 3.04 ERA in 142 innings and played a pivotal role in keeping the rotation on track throughout the dog days of summer.
The dictionary definition of a crafty left-hander, Perez eclipsed 20 starts for the ninth time in his 15-year career. Atlanta went 7-3 in his final 10 starts as Perez out-pitched his peripherals to the tune of a 2.26 ERA. During that same stretch, he owned a 4.09 FIP and a 25/33 K/BB ratio across 51.2 IP. Nevertheless, Perez routinely found a way to get the job done until a late-season back issue shelved him during the final week of the regular season.
Perez was praised not only for his work on the mound but his leadership and willingness to work with many of the younger pitchers on the staff. While on-field production is the primary selling point for free agents, the Braves also value the way a savvy veteran like Perez can help elevate a clubhouse. At the very least, Perez should be in line for another one-year, $3.5 million deal like the one he signed last winter. Whether or not Atlanta is the team to give it to him this time around remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, Mahle ended up being the most productive pitcher dealt at a trade deadline that had no shortage of starters changing teams. While the Braves were hoping to land former Cy Young Award winner Jacob deGrom in a deal with the Texas Rangers that may have involved Strider heading the other direction, it was Mahle who came over from the San Francisco Giants and upgraded the Atlanta starting five.
Mahle, who turned 32 in September, went 4-1 with a 1.99 ERA in nine regular season starts – with five of the 12 earned runs he allowed coming in his final outing. He saved some of his best outings for the playoffs, where he fired seven innings of one-run ball against the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card round and held the Los Angeles Dodgers to two runs across 6.1 IP in the Division Series.
Simply put, Tyler Mahle ended up being a masterstroke for Anthopoulos and there is a strong case to bring him back. Mahle made $10 million on the one-year pact he signed with the Giants and could very well double that AAV on a multi-year deal on this trip to free agency, where he figures to have no shortage of suitors.
The Upside Plays: Didier Fuentes, AJ Smith-Shawver
Among the in-house candidates with immense talent and capable of earning a spot in rotation this spring, two stand out – Didier Fuentes and AJ Smith-Shawver.
Fuentes, the seemingly unflappable 21-year-old, will come to camp with considerable buzz after pitching his way into a high-leverage role in the Braves bullpen last season. He started just one game in 2026 before settling into life as a major-league reliever. Fuentes allowed four runs in three innings during that one starting assignment but posted a 2.05 ERA across 70.1 IP in relief. His fastball, which touched triple digits, is complemented by a nasty slider and changeup (which plays like a split-finger) and helped him rack up 11.3 K/9 in his rookie season.
That outstanding work made his ill-fated 2025 debut a distant memory. Atlanta rushed him to the majors at just 20 years of age after all five members of the Braves’ starting rotation landed on the IL by mid-summer. Fuentes was knocked around for 20 earned runs in just 13 innings. All that adversity did was light a fire under the young hurler to come to camp having made adjustments and ready to prove himself.
While the Braves benefited from Fuentes’ incredible work as a reliever, they still plan to explore his future as a part of their rotation. Perhaps the biggest factor to consider is how he will respond to the increased workload. Signed out of Colombia as an international free agent in 2022, Fuentes never pitched more than 75.2 IP in the minors and the 80.1 IP he just logged between the regular and postseason represents his career-high.
“We view him as a starter long-term,” Anthopoulos said. “We’ve been consistent with that. We know he can be a great reliever. We just saw it. On the one hand, you have a bird in the hand that you know you’ve got a really impactful bullpen arm that we believe it’s real and that he can continue to do this, health-permitting, of course.”
Fuentes proved he can get outs in the majors last season. The fact that Atlanta can and will try him as a starter again may impact their winter pitching search, but it shouldn’t. If there is anything that the past few years and trips to the postseason have proven, it’s that a team can never have too many starting pitchers.
“Those are things we have to weigh,” Anthopoulos said. “We think there’s tremendous upside… The development of both the changeup and the slider are pretty encouraging. What we don’t know is the workload. Can he handle 25-plus starts, 150 innings? All those things, we’ll have to have those conversations. And then, can you do that in 2027? Are you going to go from 70-plus innings and jump to (a larger workload)? Those are all things that we’ll have to talk about.”
AJ Smith-Shawver is the other young arm who could immediately factor into the rotation in 2027.
If it feels like Smith-Shawver has been around forever, it’s probably because he’s already pitched in parts of four seasons in the big leagues prior to his 24th birthday later this month.
The stuff is electric and appears to be back to pre-surgery form. Smith-Shawver underwent Tommy John surgery in June of 2025 but made it back to the Braves roughly 13 months later. While his results may not look encouraging – 6.61 ERA with a 6.00 FIP, seven homers allowed and a 16/27 BB/K ratio in 31.2 IP – his four-seamer averaged 96.1 mph. That was up slightly from 95.5 mph prior to elbow surgery last season.
It typically takes a pitcher another year to really feel fully recovered from the ligament transplant surgery. If Smith-Shawver can turn his considerable arm talent into results, the Braves could feel confident enough in his abilities to break camp with him in their rotation.
The Field: JR Ritchie, Owen Murphy, Joey Wentz, Ray Kerr, Cam Caminiti and others
Atlanta has a host of other arms who could end up starting games, but none are locks to do so. To be fair, outside of JR Ritchie, it seems a longer shot for the rest of the candidates to log considerable innings if all goes according to plan this season.
Ritchie, 23, was impressive in flashes but finished the season with a 1-5 record and a 4.91 ERA in 17 appearances – 11 of those starts. A groundball pitcher who works with a deep repertoire of pitches, Ritchie struggled to miss bats consistently and his command would disappear at times. He was forced to pitch with a lot of traffic on the bases as a result of a 13.2 BB% and was punished by hard contact when he made mistakes in the zone.
All of that is to be expected from a young pitcher getting his first taste of the majors. What he does with that experience will be key. A high-aptitude hurler who has shown the ability to put everything together at the minor league level, Ritchie could be the first line of defense if an Atlanta starter is forced to miss time this season.
Among the rest of the arms who will come to camp with something to prove or a chance to contribute are veteran left-handers Joey Wentz and Ray Kerr. Atlanta originally drafted Wentz and traded him away only to re-acquire him in 2025. He lost last season to a torn ACL suffered in Spring Training but could help in either the bullpen or as a starter – again, if need be.
Kerr became an October hero with his exceptional playoff performances as an opener against both the Phillies and Dodgers. He missed the better part of two seasons while recovering from Tommy John but showed up and showed out for Atlanta upon returning in the second half. The opener assignment is likely the height of his starting duties in an ideal world, but the Braves know they can call on Kerr if needed.
There are also a handful of prospects who could eventually work their way up the ladder this year. Owen Murphy debuted in 2026 and figures to begin next season at Triple-A and remain on the ready. Atlanta’s top pitching prospect is lefty Cam Caminiti, the 2024 first-rounder who advanced to Double-A last season. Caminiti turned 20 in August, so it would likely take the stars aligning or a rash of injuries before the Braves call him up.
One other young arm to keep an eye on is Briggs McKenzie. Yet another left-handed prospect, he made just seven starts this season due to a nerve issue in his elbow. Atlanta sent him to the Arizona Fall League where he is racking up strikeouts but also testing his mettle against many older and more polished prospects. McKenzie, who turned 20 last month, seems earmarked for a return to High-A Rome and a promotion to Double-A Columbus next season. Since crazier things have happened, he seemed a worthy inclusion to this list.
Final Assessment: More is needed
Atlanta’s current starting rotation options are many. However, there is a clear need for more proven commodities in order to assemble a rotation capable of not only navigating the challenges of the regular season but also being equipped for its biggest test – surviving and even thriving in October.
With Sale fronting this group, it is already set up with one of the game’s greatest competitors and a pitcher who seems to be turning back time. Perhaps most impressive about Sale’s 2026 campaign was the fact he was throwing harder than ever at age 37. Whether or not he can do it again will be a major factor in Atlanta’s success next season.
Even though deGrom was unwilling to waive his no-trade clause and come to Atlanta at the deadline, it’s fair to wonder if the Braves and Rangers might revisit that deal. Texas’ reported interest in Strider could help the money line up, but there’s risk for both clubs as each pitcher has an extensive injury history. For Atlanta, it may be as simple as which rotation horse they’re willing to bet on and invest in staying healthy. That would make it a calculated risk.
The free-agent market behind Skubal will boast a lot of veterans, but many who come with performance and durability questions of their own. If the Braves are going to move the needle and elevate their rotation, the trade market may be the clearest route. Atlanta has restocked its farm system in recent years and should have the means to acquire a controllable starter if they’re willing to pay the prospect price one will likely command.
While there are plenty of clubs that would gladly trade places with Atlanta when it comes to pitching depth, the Braves don’t want to get caught in the familiar position of running out of pitching when it matters most. What they do this winter could go a long way toward solving that problem before it even presents itself.
The San Diego Padres president of baseball operations, A.J. Preller, will be in Las Vegas over the next several days with other baseball executives and player agents to plan the offseason following the 2026 season.
That job will be complicated this year by the looming labor unrest and lockout that will almost definitely begin late on Dec. 1. The only previous precedent for this was the 2021-2022 offseason, when the last Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) was set to expire. During that short window of 2021, teams spent $1.9 billion before the lockout began.
Although that free agent class was deeper, there are still over 180 free agents on the market looking for jobs before the next season begins. When the GM Meetings begin today there will be 22 days of free agency before the deadline for the expiration of the current CBA. Obviously, not all of those players will sign over that time, but a good portion should find homes for next season.
The top of the list, starting with starting pitcher Tarik Skubal, will pull down big deals with big-market teams but that might not happen right away. Selling to the highest bidder often takes time, and with nothing having happened yet, the window is closing for complex deals that require teams to match bids with one another.
Super agent Scott Boras, who has multiple players on the market, likes to shop his prizes around and often works out megadeals late in the game.
Padres need a lot of help
There is no hiding the fact that the Padres are in the market for starting pitching. After losing all but one starter to free agency, the Friars have an entire rotation needing pitchers. With the exception of Randy Vásquez, A.J. Preller has not only four spots to shore up but also depth to build.
Assuming that Joe Musgrove will pitch in 2027, there is no guarantee he will be a starter. His balky elbow, unwilling to bounce back quickly from the stress of pitching, has kept him from being a starter so far.
Yu Darvish has not given any definitive indication of his decision about pitching in the future. He was seen around the team and at Petco Park during his rehab last season but he has made no public statements about his contract next season.
LHP Luis Gutierrez was added to the 40-man roster to avoid losing the starter to free agency but remains unproven beyond the Double-A level. It is unlikely he would win a job out of spring camp.
RHP Kannon Kemp is probably the closest other minor league pitcher to reach the major leagues but is also probably not an option to start the year.
LHP JP Sears is a depth piece, at best. He has not come close to being able to contribute effectively to the Padres since his arrival in 2025.
RHP Jhony Brito is returning from Tommy John surgery but was unproven as a starter or a reliever prior to his injury. He will definitely get a test during the run-up to the 2027 season but his contributions is a question at this point.
Everyone else on the roster is a reliever. It seems to have been decided that trying to return Mason Miller to a starter role is not wise and the Padres don’t seem inclined to try it.
Based on the unwillingness of the organization to trust Vásquez in the playoffs last season, they don’t view him as anything other than a back-end starter. His inconsistency so far in his career has undermined any trust the organization might have developed in his ability. He should be viewed as a 4 or 5 guy in the rotation.
Preller has a lot of work to do
With all that, it seems obvious the Padres need to sign multiple pitchers and investigate the trade market as well. Not knowing the budget that Preller has to work with, we have to assume the team can’t splurge on any big contracts. What capital they have has to be spread out over multiple pitchers, not just one big investment.
Starting with the meetings in Las Vegas, the organization has to lay the groundwork for multiple deals and it wouldn’t hurt to sign or trade for some help quickly.
After declining the option for Nick Pivetta, the Padres signaled their unwillingness to risk significant money on an injured pitcher without any guarantees or protections. It remains possible Pivetta could return on an incentive-laden contract that provides protections to the organization. If that is the case, there is no way to depend on that player for anything going forward.
As a group, they ranked the players and listed projections for their 2027 contracts. Of the pitchers listed, here are some options that we could see in Padres brown and gold. The ages listed are for the 2027 season.
RHP Sonny Gray –the 37-year-old will probably get a two-year deal due to his age. He was still highly effective in 2026 with a 2.72 ERA in 169 innings. Their projection was for two years, $55 million.
RHP Freddy Peralta –the 31-year-old had an up-and-down 2026 but finished strong with the World Series-contending Tampa Bay Rays. He had a 4.44 ERA over 169 innings with the New York Mets and the Rays.
RHP Michael King – after opting out of his contract with the Padres, there is still a chance they re-sign King. He is projected to receive a three-year, $78 million deal. That would give him similar money to what the Padres already had him signed for but with another year added.
RHP Clay Holmes – the 34-year-old was once a reliever but his elite sinker helped him successfully convert to starting. His 2026 season was interrupted by injury and he was unable to return to his old form after recovery. He is best suited to a team with a strong infield defense due to his high ground ball rates. The projection is for three years, $57 million.
RHP Michael Soroka –the 29-year-old has had multiple injury issues since his arrival in the big leagues and his durability is in question. When healthy, he has been in the 80th percentile in chase rate, hard-hit rate and walk rate. He threw 116 innings in 2026 with a 3.41 ERA. His projection is for three years, $54 million.
LHP Shota Imanaga –the 33-year-old has been plagued by home run issues since his debut in 2024. He ranks as a middle rotation starter or better and pitched 174.1 innings last season with a 3.77 ERA. He is projected to get a two-year, $34 million deal.
RHP Nick Martinez – Since leaving the Padres, Martinez has turned himself into an All-Star. He was Tampa Bay’s No. 2 starter during their pennant-winning season. He isn’t a strikeout pitcher but is effective nonetheless. In 180 innings in 2026, Martinez had a 3.10 ERA. He is projected to receive a two-year, $38 million contract.
RHP Kaima Taira –the 27-year-old Japanese free agent enters the MLB class after throwing 146 innings for the Seibu Lions. He was a reliever for much of his career but converted to a starter this past season. He pitched to a 1.36 ERA with a big arsenal of pitches and a fastball that tops out at 100 mph. His diminutive size (5-foot-8) could be a concern, as well as his brief track record as a starter but it will be up to teams to decide what they are willing to risk.
RHP Hiromi Itoh –At29 years old, the Japanese free agent has been durable and consistent in his career so far. He threw 172.2 innings in 2026 with a 3.18 ERA for the Nippon-Ham Fighters.
There are other starters on the list but these seem the most suited for the Padres needs. Signing one or two should be the minimum goal before the onset of the lockout. Any trades made by the team will be dependant on how other organizations value their minor league talent as well as which roster players they are willing to deal. The trade market is much more of a question at this point with the limitations the team has with their farm system.
The next 22 days will be interesting to watch. And it might be the last fun baseball fans have for awhile.
LAS VEGAS – With a bulging payroll and a roster teeming with high-priced players on the north side of 30, the Phillies would love to fill one of their big needs with a low-salaried young player from their farm system.
With that, Aidan Miller will be given the chance to win a spot in the team’s 2027 infield, president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said at the general managers’ meetings Tuesday.
“He’s not being anointed a position, but I think he has a heck of a chance to make our club in the spring,” Dombrowski said. “I think he has the capabilities. And it’s not just me. Anybody that’s seen him, including people from other organizations, agree. You still have to earn the spot, and I’m hoping – I’m not giving it to him – but I’m hoping he does.”
Miller, 22, will finish up a strong showing in the Arizona Fall League this week. Through 16 games, he was hitting .327 (17 for 52) with four doubles and two triples. His on-base percentage was .557. He was 7 for 8 in stolen base attempts and he’d walked 25 times while striking out 16.
A shortstop by trade, Miller has been playing third base in Arizona. The Phillies have an opening there as Alec Bohm has moved on to free agency.
If Miller can hold down that position at the major-league minimum salary – it was $780,000 last year – the Phillies can use more of their budget on adding a right-handed hitting outfielder and bullpen help.
But the question exists: How big will the Phillies aim on the free-agent market? In recent years, they’ve signed Bryce Harper and Trea Turner to deals worth $300 million or more and given huge extensions to Zack Wheeler, Kyle Schwarber, Jesus Luzardo and Aaron Nola. Dombrowski said ownership has given him a generous budget this winter, but he would not say whether the payroll would equal last year’s mark of about $322 million. The Phillies’ 2027 payroll, with arbitration estimates, already projects to be in the neighborhood of $290 million. That might impact their ability to pursue top free-agent outfielders Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki, as well as Adrian Morejon, the top reliever on the market.
“I don’t know. I don’t know,” Dombrowski answered when asked if he anticipated doing business at the top of the market this winter. “I guess it just depends on what ends up happening with different things. And one of the things — we have a lot of high-end salary players. And they’re not young. They’re not old. But they’re in that age bracket where you have to make a decision. Maybe we have enough high-end players and we need to complement them with other players overall. That’s a decision we have to make. But I’m not necessarily looking for our club to continue to get older. So, you kind of factor all those things in and make a decision.”
All of this makes Miller extremely attractive for a 2027 roster spot.
“No question,” Dombrowski said. “I’ve said this before and I mean it: Aidan Miller would have played with us last year. And he’d have been a good player for us last year at some point. We didn’t get there. It’s just how life goes. I can’t control that. But he goes to Arizona and I bet if you check around, he was one of the best players in the Arizona Fall League. If not the best, then he’s right there.
“So, he’d be a really important piece for us because he brings youthfulness, he brings athleticism, he walks. I mean, that’s in addition to his pure abilities for driving the ball, which he has. So, it would be great for us. I don’t want to say he’s definitely on the club, but the guys that are winning awards right now and nominated for them — he’s as good as those guys. He just didn’t stay healthy. He’s healthy now.”
Third base may be where the Phillies currently have a need, but there remains uncertainty at shortstop. Turner has to improve defensively to stay at the position. If the Phillies have to make a quick pivot to someone else next season, Miller could be an option, along with Bryson Stott and prospect Bryan Rincon.
“They’re all possibilities,” Dombrowski said. “Hopefully we don’t have to use any of them. Hopefully it works with (Trea), and, who knows, maybe there’s somebody else that we end up adding to the mix.”
The Phillies are looking for a utility infielder, someone to fill the role of Edmundo Sosa, who has become a free agent.
Dombrowski also acknowledged the need for an outfielder.
“We have to have an outfielder,” he said. “But is that more important than other things? I guess that depends on who the outfielder is.
“I can’t tell you what our No. 1 need is. We have a lot of core players, a lot of guys we like. It’s not starting pitching. It’s not a closer. But I think you look at all the different areas where you think you can improve upon — and, of course, you always can improve – but just areas you can get better, and then you weigh the finances that you have available and then you decide on which ones you’re going to address most prominently. That’s how I kind of line it up. It could go in a lot of different ways depending upon the cost of players, who’s available and how do we like this guy.
“We’re looking at addressing all of them, an outfielder, some right-handed hitting, utility infielder, a little bit in the bullpen. We like our right-handed relief, not that we can’t get better. Ideally, we need another left-hander. Starting pitching depth. Are we going to do it all? I don’t know. It might be hard because they all cost money, too.”
Dombrowski is trying to address these needs as the current labor agreement between owners and players is set to expire on December 1. At that point, the game will shut down and there will be a moratorium on all baseball business until there’s a new agreement.
For now, though, it’s business as usual for Dombrowski.
“We’re having conversations with other clubs and agents,” he said. “If there’s a move to be made that we think makes sense, we’ll do it. But I’m also not going to rush into things if we don’t think it’s a wise thing to do.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA - AUGUST 06: Bob Boone is introduced during an induction ceremony of former Phillies Ron Reed and Bake McBride into the Phillies Wall of Fame before a game against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on August 6, 2022 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Former Phillies catcher Bob Boone has died at the age of 78.
In addition to being a crucial member of the 1980 World Series Championship team, Boone’s accomplishments in a Phillies uniform include three All-Star appearances, two Gold Gloves, and induction into the Phillies Wall of Fame.
Boone played ten seasons with the Phillies, seven with the Angels, and two with the Royals before later managing for both the Royals and the Reds.
He was also a part of the very first three-generation family in baseball history. His father, Ray, played 13 seasons with the Detroit Tigers. His sons, Bret and Aaron, also played in the majors. Bret played for 14 years and Aaron played for 12. Aaron is currently the manager for the Yankees.
The Phillies are saddened to learn of the passing of former catcher and Wall of Famer Bob Boone yesterday. He was 78.
Bob was an incredible player, teammate and family man. He embodied everything we believe exemplary athletes should represent, both on and off the field. We were… pic.twitter.com/DxFd5TGf08
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 19: Andrés Giménez #0 of the Toronto Blue Jays swings his bat during the sixth inning against the Texas Rangers at Globe Life Field on September 19, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Jays traded for Andrés Giménez (along with Nick Sandlin) on December 10th, 2024, sending Spencer Horwitz and Nick Mitchell to the Guardians.
Mitchell played Double-A this year, hitting .261/.361/.362 split between the Guardians and Nationals systems. He was one of four players shipped to Washington for Foster Griffin, who made 9 starts for Cleveland, with a 5.19 ERA. He had a 3.48 ERA in 10.1 innings in the playoffs.
Horwitz was flipped to the Pirates. He’s hit .258/.348/.398 in 222 games for the Pirates, with a 1.4 bWAR. Not quite the numbers you want from a first baseman.
Sandlin pitched 16 innings for the Jays in 2025 and 8 for the Angels in 2026.
Giménez played 101 games for the Jays in 2025, hitting .210/.285/.313 (with occasional streaks of power) and playing terrific defense at second base. .
This year, he moved to shortstop after Bo Bichette left as a free agent.
Baseball Reference had him at a 1.1 WAR. FanGraphs liked him more, with a 2.8 WAR, giving him a value of $22.4 million to the Jays.
Andrés had a .286 wOBA and a 81 wRC+.
His walk rate was way down from last year, 3.3% (from 6.8). The strikeout rate was up 18.5% (from 17.9).
Giménez’s line-drive rate was down a bit (21.0% from 22.4). The ground ball rate was up (44.2% from 42.6). Fly balls was about the same (34.8% from 35.0). About the same percentage of his fly balls left the park (7.0% from 7.6).
Soft contact was up a bit (18.4% from 17.2), and hard contact was up (25.2% from 22.5).
Last year, Andrés hit right-handers much much better than left-handers. This year he was almost equal against both (RHP .249/.295 /.365, LHP .231/.280/.343).
He was about the same at home (.251/.300/.345) as on the road (.236/.281/.373). Last year he was much better at home.
He was about the same in the first half (.232/.277/.363) as the second half (.263/.313/.352).
Giménez by month:
April: .267/.291/.429 with 3 home runs, 4 walks, 16 strikeouts and 4 steals in 29 games.
May: .153/.223/.271 with 3 home runs, 4 walks, 19 strikeouts and 2 steals in 28 games.
June: .301/.342/.425 with 1 home run, 1 walk, 20 strikeouts and 4 steals in 25 games.
July: .200/.234/.250 with 0 home runs, 2 walks, 10 strikeout, and 2 steals in 22 games.
August: .278/.333/.367 with 1 home run, 3 walks, 17 strikeouts and 7 steals in 24 games.
September: 258 .319 .379 with 1 home run, 3 walks, 11 strikeouts and 1 steal in 20 games.
He was .259/.296/.357 with RISP.
Giménez much the same in high leverage spots (.236/.273/.382) as medium (.275/.325/.371) and a little worse in low leverage spots (.219/.269/.338).
Defensively?
He played 148 games at short with 7 errors for a league high .985 FA (league average .976). Fanraphs has him at a +19 Outs Above Average second in the league to Bobby Witt, Jr. at 24.
As a baserunner, he was a +0.7. He was a good percentage basestealer, so he must not have been a great baserunner the rest of the time.
Spot in the Batting Order:
5th: 1 start: .000/.000/.000.
6th: 15 starts: .254/.281/.407.
7th: 20 starts: .213/.263/.253.
8th: 62 starts: .238/.283/.371.
9th: 33 starts: .295/.344/420.
Last year he hit in every spot in the order.
Favourite team to face? He hit .455/.500/.727 with 1 home run in 6 games against the A’s.
Least Favourite? He hit .105/.100/.158 in 6 games against the Angels. Well, he was also 0 for 8 in 3 games against the Nationals.
Times facing a starter:
First: .265/.310/.427.
Second: .265/.288/.363.
Third: .308/.357/.462.
Swinging at the first pitch, he hit .412/.446/.627.
The Jays were 63/68in his starts.
His longest hitting streak was 7 games. Longest on base streak was 14 games. Longest without a homer 36 games. Longest hitless streak was 6 games.
After years of watching Bo Bichette at short, and I’m not trying to complain about his defense, watching Giménez play short was a bit like mental whiplash. Oh, that ball is going to be in the outfield….nope. You did have to reset your expectations.
But then, he was a different guy at the plate too.
We are paying him $23,571,429 for the next three seasons (well, one of them is $23,571,428, dollar discount year). And then there is an option year (where they will pay him $2.5 million not to play). The Jays traded for him thinking they could unlock the bat that hit .297/.371/.466 in 2022, but I’m fairly certain that player doesn’t exist anymore. When one season stands out so much, you have to figure it isn’t likely to happen again.
But then, he’s only 28 next season, right in his prime; maybe he has another year like that in him. No, I don’t think so either.
I guess we’ll have to enjoy his defence and maybe get up for a drink when he’s at bat. Or be happy with the occasional good at-bat and not expect too much. Thank goodness we are not watching him in the cleanup spot anymore.
