Category: Baseball

MLB Rumors: Framber Valdez and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to terms on a three year, $115 million deal, per reports. The deal includes a $20 million signing bonus, deferrals, and an opt out after year two.

Valdez, 32, was the last big time free agent who was still unsigned. There had been rumors in the last day or so that the Pittsburgh Pirates were in on him, though it was speculated that there was the possibility that the Pirates’ interest was being used to squeeze another suitor.

Since the start of 2020, Valdez has a 3.23 ERA, 3.36 FIP and 128 ERA+ in 973 innings. The addition of Valdez gives the Tigers a quality #2 starter to slot behind Tarik Skubal, who is in his final year of arbitration-eligibility after winning the Cy Young Award the past two seasons. Skubal and Valdez are both lefties, which would present a particular challenge in a postseason series for a team with a lefty-heavy lineup.

Who is he and where did he come from?

He’s Isiah Kiner-Falefa. The former Ranger also spent time with the Yankees before signing a 2-year, $15 million deal with the Blue Jays in 2024, who then traded him to the Pirates at that year’s trade deadline, only to take him back a year later after he was cut by Pittsburgh. He’s best known as the man who failed to take a secondary lead and got picked off at the plate as a pinch runner in the World Series. If this all sounds familiar, it’s because I conditionally passed on him on a smash or pass piece back in November. In that article, I pleaded for Craig Breslow to get the Alex Bregman deal done to avoid having to resort to players like IKF. No such deal came to fruition, and, now, after months of questions about who will be playing second base this season, Kiner-Falefa, who turns 31 in March, joins the Red Sox as a right-handed bat to balance a lefty-heavy lineup and add some defensive versatility.

Is he any good?

Kiner-Falefa is a serviceable player in this league, depending what you’re looking for. He committed just nine errors in 2025 and is versatile in the field, playing second, third and short. He was a Gold Glover in 2020, even though many may say that season doesn’t really count, does it?

What IKF brings to the club in defense, though, he lacks profoundly at the plate, which is discouraging given that he’s being pencilled into an infield that held one (or, really, two) All-Star caliber players twelve months ago. Kiner-Falefa was in the lowest tenth percentile in slugging percentage, exit velocity, barrel rate and walk rate last year. When he does hit the ball, there’s not much thump to it, as he had an isolated power of .072 in 2025. He also doesn’t walk much, being in the lowest second percentile there. He’s slashed.262/.311/.349 for his career.

Tl;dr, just give me his 2025 stats.

138 G, 9 E, .262/.297/.334, 2 HR, 77 K, 17 BB

Show me a cool highlight.

Kiner-Falefa is quick in the field and can get to the ball, such as when he made this play at third to prevent a surefire hit.

What’s he doing in his picture up there?

Maybe he just sacrificed a guy over? He likely wasn’t celebrating after hitting an extra base hit, that’s for sure.

What’s his role on the 2026 Red Sox?

It’s hard not to be upset at a scenario wherein the Red Sox lineup, already near the bottom half of baseball in power at the plate, loses both Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman while gaining a guy who has hit only 36 home runs in about a thousand career games. And that’s even with the addition of Willson Contreras to compete with Triston Casas, who’s far from a sure thing. But Kiner-Falefa can be used at three positions and is defensively sound at all of them, which gives the team some added lineup flexibility. Errors have been a liability for this team for a long time, and IKF will undeniably help there. Depending on how he’s used (i.e., not that much), this could be a good depth move, but it feels like a half-measure right now.

Framber Valdez, the two-time All-Star and World Series-winning left-hander and the last elite arm on the free agent market, agreed to a startling three-year, $115 million contract with the Detroit Tigers, ESPN reported Feb. 4, creating a potent punch atop the rotation for the 2026 season.

Valdez will team with two-time reigning Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in Motown for, likely, one season only. Skubal becomes a free agent after this season and spent his Wednesday in an arbitration hearing with the Tigers; he's seeking $32 million while the Tigers countered at $19 million, with a decision due later this week.

In the meantime, Detroit was hammering out an agreement with, potentially, Skubal's less-decorated successor. And Valdez ended up signing for the highest average annual value − $38.3 million − given to a left-handed free agent.

Valdez, 32, has been among the more durable pitchers in the major leagues since seizing a full-time spot in the Houston Astros’ rotation in 2021. His best campaign came in 2022, when he pitched a career-best 201⅓ innings with a 2.82 ERA and three complete games, and posted three dominant playoff outings in winning Game 2 starts in both the ALCS and World Series, and the decisive Game 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies to nail down the Astros’ championship.

Just when it looked like the offseason might be over, Scott Harris and Jeff Greenberg came through with a huge move that vastly upgrades the Detroit Tigers’ pitching staff, and gives them a strong second starter who can help lead the rotation beyond 2026.

The Tigers inked long-time Houston Astros left-hander Framber Valdez to a three-year deal worth $115 million. The 32-year-old was looking for a longer term deal, but instead will make $38.3 million a season on a shorter deal. Per Ken Rosenthal, some of that money is deferred, but we don’t have the specifics yet. That’s the highest yearly salary the Tigers have ever paid a player. He has an opt-out after his second year, so he can test free agency in 2028 after the new CBA is agreed. For now, he finds himself in a very good spot pitching for A.J. Hinch again after Hinch managed him for his first two major league seasons in 2018-2019. He also will work with a excellent group of pitching coaches and gets a catching upgrade with Dillon Dingler and Jake Rogers behind the dish.

Well no one really saw this coming. We begged for it a bit back in November in this piece, hoping that the Hinch-Valdez connection might help lure him to Detroit. Still, after a somewhat quiet offseason, the Tigers swooped in to land the best free agent on the market, and arguably the best pitcher available this offseason depending on how you feel about Dylan Cease.

The Tigers will surrender their Competitive Balance Round B selection in the 2026 draft, as the Astros did give Valdez a qualifying offer back in November. It was a good offseason for a big signing, as at least they weren’t giving up an A round pick right after the regular first round. The pick they’re giving up is 69th overall, so that’s nice.

Valdez has been averaging 4 fWAR seasons for four straight years now with remarkable consistency. He made 31 starts in three of those four years, and 28 in the other, so he’s also been very durable. That gives the Tigers confidence that they’re going to get their money’s worth here.

Chris McCosky of the Detroit News posted on X that the Tigers still don’t know Tarik Skubal’s arbitration result, so this was an independent decision, apparently.

Valdez is one of the great groundball artists in the game, racking up quick outs with his 94 mph sinker, while mixing in a nasty curveball and changeup combination. He strikes out an average amount of hitters, but he prevents home runs and generally is a precision strike thrower who won’t give out many free passes. Over the past four seasons he’s compiled a 3.21 ERA across 767 2/3 innings of work with a 23.9 percent strikeout rate, 7.9 percent walk rate, and a HR/9 of just 0.70.

We’ll have a deeper dive tomorrow morning, but this is a huge move from a Tigers team derided for its lack of aggression over the past two offseasons. Valdez gives them arguably the best rotation in baseball alongside ace Tarik Skubal and makes them a much more series contender in 2026.

Now people can start wildly speculating that Skubal is getting traded and Valdez is his replacement. Ah the pageantry of a baseball offseason.

The top remaining free agent pitcher has a new home.

Framber Valdez has agreed to a three-year, $115 million contract with the Tigers, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.

The deal includes an opt-out after year two.

The deal has the highest average annual value ($38.3 million) for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.

The Blue Jays were among several teams interested in Valdez as recently as Tuesday, The Post reported.

But it’s the Tigers, who already have two-time defending Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal in the rotation, who land Valdez.

The 32-year-old Valdez has been a reliable workhorse for the Astros over the last eight years, but really stepped up his game in 2021. That season, he started a five-year stretch of reaching at least 134 innings, hitting the 190-inning threshold three times. He was twice named an All-Star and helped the Astros win the 2022 World Series over the Phillies.

In 2025, Valdez went 13-11 with a 3.66 ERA over 192 frames.

Instead of overpowering velocity, Valdez primarily wields a sinker-curveball combination. With that arsenal, his ground-ball rate ranked in the 97th percentile in baseball last season.

Valdez now slots into the Tigers’ starting rotation, presumably as the No. 2 hurler behind Skubal and ahead of righties Casey Mize and Jack Flaherty.

Skubal, notably, is waiting for an arbitration decision — which is expected Thursday — after he filed at $32 million and the Tigers at $19 million. The $13 million gap is an MLB record.

Detroit, despite a horrific final stretch in October that saw the division title slip away, still made the playoffs as a wild-card entrant and beat the American League Central-winning Guardians in the first round before getting eliminated by the Mariners in the ALDS.

Now armed with one of the deeper pitching staffs in the AL, the Tigers should firmly be in the mix as one of the contenders in the junior circuit.

The Los Angeles Dodgers will attend a White House ceremony in their honor this year, the Trump administration confirmed Wednesday, amid calls for the team to scrap the traditional visit.

A White House official exclusively told The Post that the team has been in touch with the administration and plans to attend, but a date has yet to be set.

The Dodgers declined to comment.

When asked this weekend about the visit, team President Stan Kasten said, “I don’t have any news for you on that,” according to the Los Angeles Times.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told the Times: “I’m going to go to the White House… I am going to continue to try to do what tradition says and not try to make political statements, because I am not a politician.”

While a date for this year’s visit has yet to be confirmed, the team’s only trip to Washington will be during their first road series of the season, when they play three games against the Nationals during the weekend of April 3-5.

The team has gone to the White House after each of their two recent World Series championships, visiting with President Biden in 2021 and President Trump last April.

While last year’s visit was polarizing among some factions of the fan base, there was full attendance from the team, with owner Mark Walter and now-retired pitcher Clayton Kershaw giving addresses to the crowd at the East Room reception.

“The White House is an incredible honor to get to go see, regardless of who’s in office,” Kershaw said after last year’s visit. “We went in 2021. We went this time. I know there’s been a lot of stuff about, should the Dodgers go? All this stuff. But at the end of the day, getting to go to the White House, getting to see the Oval Office, getting to meet the President of the United States, that’s stuff that you can’t lose sight of no matter what you believe. I was super honored to get to go today. It was an incredible opportunity. I’m glad we got to be part of it.”

Mookie Betts was the only player last year who openly voiced initial uncertainty about going. He skipped a White House trip with his former team, the Boston Red Sox, after their 2018 title during Trump’s first term, ultimately decided to join the Dodgers in 2025.

“No matter what I say or what I do, people are gonna take it as political,” Betts said at the time. “But that’s definitely not what it is. This is about what the Dodgers were able to accomplish last year.”

San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. came into the media interview room during the 2025 and 2026 Padres FanFest talking about how good he felt and how he was going into the most productive years of his career. In 2025, he said that when he was healthy and his head was in the right place that he was the best player in baseball.

In 2026, during his media availability, Tatis talked about the mechanical issues that plagued his 2025 season. He said that those issues are behind him and they were all swing mechanics that he couldn’t discuss but that would not bother him going forward. During the player forum Q&A, Tatis said his goal was to reward the fanbase with an MVP season. He said he owed it to fans to improve his performance and deliver on his promises.

As Padres fans know, Tatis has been plagued since his PED suspension with accusations that his previous success as a player (2020 and 2021) were steroid related and he will never be able to equal those performances without cheating. There is no secret regarding the issues that have affected Tatis during his time as a major league player. His shoulder injury in 2021 that affected his swing until it was repaired in September of 2022. The wrist injury that required two surgeries and is probably responsible for his steroid use (despite the claims of ringworm treatment that he used to explain it).

In 2023, after returning from his steroid suspension and wrist surgeries, Tatis had diminished bat speed and exit velocity. Only Tatis knows if that was due to recovering from two wrist surgeries or was PED related. But his numbers since then seem to indicate that the pre-PED numbers are not far off from what he has accomplished in 2024 and 2025, except for a key stat.

According to Baseball Savant, Tatis had an average exit velocity of 93.5 in 2024 (97th percentile) versus an exit velocity of 95.9 (100th percentile) during his 2020 season. His hard hit percentage in 2024 was 99th percentile compared to 100th percentile in 2020. His bat speed in 2024 was 86th percentile but that was not measured in 2020.

In 2025, his exit velocity was 93.3 and 95th percentile. His hard hit percentage was 93rd percentile and his bat speed was 77th percentile. The strange and unexplainable stat that stands out from last season was his sweet spot percentage. Although never a high number for Tatis, his previous average was in the 40-45 percent when he was hitting well. For 2025 it dropped to four percent, the lowest of his career by far.

As a result, his power was down, his slugging percentage was down by 42 points and he made almost constant adjustments to his swing throughout the season. He had the best K-rate of his career, improving for three seasons in a row. His walk rate was the best of his career and he had his lowest chase rate of his career.

So what does all this indicate? Other than his launch angle, which has fluctuated significantly throughout his career, the biggest issue with his swing last season was his inability to hit the baseball on the sweet spot of the bat. All his other numbers indicate that he is very similar to the guy who broke into the Padres line up in 2019 and had an amazing 2020.

Is that a mechanical issue and can it be fixed? Tatis seemed to indicate in his media statements that he has addressed his issues and expects this season to begin the most successful stretch of his career.

The only way Tatis can dismiss the steroid discussion is to meet and/or exceed what he had accomplished prior to his suspension. If he can approach the success he had his first full season in MLB, and then hold onto some of that success while being regularly tested for PEDs, it becomes a possibility for him to outperform the allegations.

There is no doubt that Tatis Jr. wants to be that guy. His obvious affection for and devotion to his team and the fans is admirable. He wants to reward the team and the fans with a performance that lives up to his potential. Tatis wears his emotions on his sleeve and that can be a blessing or a curse. Last season, it was obvious he wasn’t happy. This season will hopefully provide the Padres and their fans a look at the real Tatis.

Good evening, y’all. Here’s a random clip for you:

Carlos Jorge finally saw his name on the board as the #15 prospect in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings. Suddenly I don’t know what to do with myself since I’ve been voting for him since he first joined the ballot, but I suppose I’ll begin figuring out that process right now.

Per usual, you can find the link to the Google Form for voting right here, yet it’s also embedded at the bottom if you want to read through first and not have to embark upon the painstaking process of scrolling all the way back up here. Both link and embed will be removed once voting closes so you can’t stuff the ballot post facto, however, so be advised that this paragraph will make zero sense if you stumble back across it a year from now.

Here’s how the list has materialized so far:

1. Sal Stewart
2. Alfredo Duno
3. Rhett Lowder
4. Hector Rodriguez
5. Edwin Arroyo
6. Cam Collier
7. Steele Hall
8. Tyson Lewis
9. Chase Petty
10. Arnaldo Lantigua
11. Jose Franco
12. Zach Maxwell
13. Leo Balcazar
14. Adolfo Sanchez
15. Carlos Jorge

A large list of talented names exists below for spot #16. Have at it with the votes!

Aaron Watson, RHP (19 years old)

2025 at a glance: Drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 2nd round of the 2025 MLB Draft out of Trinity Christian Academy (FL); signed overslot $2.7 million bonus to forego commitment to the University of Florida

Pros: 6’5” frame; potential 60-grade slider; fastball that runs up to 96 mph from a three-quarter arm slot and already has a solid three-pitch mix with his change rotated in

Cons: Did not pitch professionally after being drafted, so he’s a complete unknown

One glimpse of Watson on the mound and you immediately think yep, I bet that guy can turn into a pretty dang good pitcher. He’s got an ideal frame to produce downhill offerings, and his fastball/slider mix is already something on which he can hang his hat.

However, command of all three of his pitches – specifically a very developmental changeup – will be what he needs to work on to begin to move quickly through the ranks. He possesses a good ‘feel’ at the moment in terms of what pitches to throw, which part of the zone to attack vs. which hitters, etc., but how well he can build in more deception with his offerings will be vital.

Liberts Aponte, SS (18 years old)

2025 at a glance: .247/.368/.461 with 7 HR, 9 SB in 193 PA for DSL Rojos (Dominican Summer League)

Pros: 29/35 K/BB showed greatly improving strike zone awareness; already a plus defender at short where he projects to be excellent both with range and arm long-term

Cons: Still not viewed as a potential plus with the bat, though early returns are already better than original scouting reports; has a long way to go in terms of physically maturing

The Reds doled out $1.9 million to sign Aponte last January, and that marked the single largest contract they doled out in that particular international signing window. MLB Pipeline ranked him as the #18 player overall in that class, noting he was ‘one of the most skilled defenders in his class’ and ‘offers solid wheels’ with ‘magic in his hands’ while doling out a 65 grade on his fielding ability.

The rest, we knew, would take time, as he was just liked at 6’0” and 160 lbs, and that even felt like a slight exaggeration. To his credit, though, he mashed 7 homers as a 17 year old in DSL play while showing more power than anticipated, and if that aspect of his game grows to match what’s already known the Reds have found themselves a gem.

It will be interesting to see if the Reds push him up to Arizona Complex League play at all in 2026 or give him another year in the DSL seeing as he just turned 18 years old in November.

Luke Holman, RHP (23 years old)

2025 at a glance: ER, 2 H, 10 K, 4 BB in 9.0 IP with Daytona Tortugas (Class-A Florida State League

Pros: Two plus breaking pitches (slider, curve)

Cons: Not a ton of velocity on his fastball, which sits 91-94 mph

Luke Holman threw 109 pitches for LSU in a 6-2 loss to North Carolina on June 1st, 2024, a game in which he yielded 4 ER in 6.2 IP with 7 H, 11 K, and a lone walk. Since then, he’s thrown just 9.0 IP on a mound, total.

Holman, Cincinnati’s 2nd round pick in 2024, sat out the remainder of 2024 after being drafted, finishing his calendar year with 91.2 IP of 2.75 ERA ball that included a wonderful 0.98 WHIP and 127/33 K/BB. When his 2025 began in Daytona, all signs looked promising in his first pair of starts only for an elbow issue to subsequently sit him down and require Tommy John surgery, and we’ve not seen him since.

He sat 91-94 with his fastball (and touched 96) before, and has a pair of wicked breaking balls that he uses as his out pitches. If he returns to form in 2026 the way he ways before (or even better!), he still profiles as a back-end starter who should move quickly through Cincinnati’s system after dominating SEC play in stints first with Alabama and later with LSU.

Mason Morris, RHP (22 years old)

2025 at a glance: 9.00 ERA, 7/1 K/BB in 4.0 IP with Class-A Daytona Tortugas; 3.29 ERA, 78/31 K/BB in 54.2 IP with University of Mississippi

Pros: Fastball that can touch 100 mph; four-pitch mix

Cons: Lack of experience

Mason Morris landed with Ole Miss in 2023 primarily as a corner infielder, and the now 6’4” 225 lb righty only recently became a full-time pitcher prior to the Reds selecting him with their 3rd round pick in 2025. He’s got projection through the roof, though, with a 100 mph heater, plus cutter, and a pair of other breaking balls that look like they’ve also got the juice.

The question, though, is how Cincinnati plans to use him.

Morris only got a pair of outings as a pro after being drafted, and it appears the Reds have intentions on seeing if he can develop into a starting pitcher. That’s something he’s never really done before, however, and he’ll turn 23 years old in August of 2026. So, we’ll see how long of a leash the Reds give him with that avenue, since if they want to simply keep him in the bullpen there’s very little reason why he shouldn’t rocket through the minors and give them a legit relief arm at the big league level in short order.

Julian Aguiar, RHP (25 years old)

2025 at a glance: Did not pitch

Pros: Four-seam fastball that flirts with 100 mph; five-pitch pitcher with a pair of breaking balls and potentially plus change-up

Cons: Missed all of 2025 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery; roughed up in 31.2 IP in MLB debut in 2024 (22 ER, 8 HR)

Julian Aguiar has risen quietly through the ranks of the Reds after being a 12th round pick out of Cypress College back in 2021, and his 2024 season saw him rocket from AA Chattanooga all the way through AAA and then to the Reds. Unfortunately, his short stint there ended with him requiring Tommy John surgery, and he missed all of 2025 while recovering.

He’s got plus potential with at least three pitches, and has another two that are still passable to keep hitters off-keel. His 360/93 career K/BB in 346.1 IP across the minors shows he’s got good strikeout stuff and a passable ability to keep hitters from free passes, and if his command returns as quickly as his velocity does post-surgery he should be in the mix to get big league batters out in some role as early as Opening Day. My best guess, though, is that he’ll be slated for AAA Louisville’s rotation to re-establish himself as a starter first, and he won’t actually turn 25 until June.

Mason Neville, OF (22 years old)

2025 at a glance: .247/.333/.442 with 1 HR, 2 SB in 90 PA with Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League); .290/.429/.724 with 26 HR, 9 SB in 280 PA with University of Oregon

Pros: 60-grade power with potential plus arm and plus speed & baserunning; chance to stick in CF, though still profiles as a solid RF if moved to the corner; led Division I with 26 HR in final season at Oregon

Cons: Lots of swing and miss in his game, at times, including a 34.4% rate in his short sample with Daytona

The Reds clearly love Neville, as they drafted him in the 18th round out of high school 2022 only to watch him initially attend the University of Arkansas. After transferring to Oregon and swatting more dingers than anyone else in 2025, the Reds went back to him in the 4th round of the most recent draft.

Neville is incredibly toolsy, his left-handed swing producing significant power when he makes contact. He’s good at working walks despite his swing-and-miss proclivities, and posesses the kind of athleticism and speed to be a legitimate CF.

His tiny sample with Daytona has some red flags with the Ks, but it’s such a small sample that it’s hard to take it with too much certainty. For instance, he hit .298/.365/.526 through his first 17 games there only to go 2 for 20 with 9 Ks across his final 6 games – that could, and likely is, all small-sample noise.

Big tools, that Neville. He could well be the steal of the 2025 draft.

Sheng-En Lin, RHP (20 years old)

2025 at a glance: 3.06 ERA, 0.94 WHIP, 61/15 K/BB in 47.0 IP split between ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League) and Class-A Daytona Tortugas (Florida State League); .172/.348/.310 with 2 HR in 113 PA with ACL Reds (Arizona Complex League)

Pros: Former two-way player has tons of athleticism; fastball that runs to 97 mph with three-pitch mix including curve and change; excellent command

Cons: Still building up innings; dropping hitting to focus on being a pitcher

Lin was signed for $1.2 million during the 2023 international signing period, and the Taiwan native spent the last trio of seasons in Arizona attempting to do both hitting and pitching. The hit tool stalled, though, as his K-rate spiked and power never arrived, and on pitching he’ll now focus after making a late-season cameo with Daytona after being promoted to full-season ball for the first time.

In very, very small samples, his work on the mound has been excellent. He’s the owner of an impressive 4.07 K/BB rate for his short career, and that’s with an impressive 11.7 K/9 that shows just how much of a strikeout pitcher he can be. His secondary pitches both flash plus grades, at times, and more consistency there with a fastball that hits 97 mph already (with perhaps more velocity coming as he focuses solely on the mound) could see him rocket up these rankings in short order…if he hits the ground running in April.

Ricky Cabrera, 3B (21 years old)

2025 at a glance: .187/.276/.240 with 0 HR, 0 SB in 89 PA with High-A Dayton Dragons (Midwest League)

Pros: Above-average power, speed, and hit tool, with an arm that’s good enough to play at 3B (if he can find his accuracy)

Cons: An absolutely lost 2025 season that included a season-ending knee injury

The optimist in you sees that Cabrera only just turned 21 years old in October, and in 2024 posted a 110 wRC+ with 11 HR and 19 SB in the pitcher-friendly confines of the Florida State League with Daytona (with said wRC+, along with his OPS, both ranking among that league’s top 10). That same optimist probably would point out that 2025 saw the Venezuela native play in the cold April weather of the Midwest League with Dayton for the first time, and he struggled mightily in those new conditions before a knee injury rendered his 2025 completely lost.

There’s still a lot to like about Cabrera, even though he’s physically matured off shortstop at this juncture and likely profiles as a 3B, or potentially at 2B defensively – with his defense needing just as much improvement as his bat at the moment, too. If the batting cage stuff can begin to translate onto the field again post-injury, there’s still a ton to like about the former $2.7 million signee and Top 5 overall international prospect from the 2022 class.

I’m assuming there is no pessimist in you, for now.

We move on to the slew of right-handed pitchers present as NRIs to spring training this year. There are no fewer than fourteen, so this will take us a few installments! A lot of relief arms: all five in this edition are potential help for the bullpen, though perhaps not as soon as this season.

Isaiah Campbell (49)

Campbell is the first man born in Portugal to reach the majors in almost a hundred and fifty years, since the Madeira-born Frank Thompson in 1875. Isaiah was born when his father was serving there in the Air Force. He debuted in 2023 with the Mariners, and had a fine rookie campaign, posting a 2.83 ERA across 27 relief appearances. He has struggled since, missing much of 2024 with elbow inflammation. Last year, he pitched mostly for Triple-A Worcester, and had a 3.90 ERA for them, but couldn’t find success in the big leagues with the Red Sox. He’s not a terrible depth piece and, with just over a year’s service time, comes with a lot of team control.

Gerardo Carrillo (68)

A career minor-leaguer, Carrillo has bounced around since 2017, and only made two appearances above Double-A in that time. Now aged 27, he has seen time with the Dodgers, Nationals and Rangers organizations, before signing a minor-league deal for the D-backs. He actually appeared in the Arizona Fall League, back in 2019. Last year, he had a 3.59 ERA for Double-A El Paso, and over the winter had a 2.19 ERA for Jalisco in the Mexican League, though his K:BB ratio was an unimpressive 4:4 over 12.1 innings. He’s probably most famous for being part of the Max Scherzer + Trea Turner deal between Los Angeles and Washington in July 2021.

John Curtiss (46)

This name, however, should be familiar, because Curtiss – with the extra S – appeared thirty times out of the Arizona bullpen in 2025 (pictured, top). He didn’t do at all badly, getting a 3.93 ERA and 4.01 FIP. He got a decent 4.80 rating in our season review, but was outrighted off the 40-man roster at year end, and elected to become a free agent. However, he re-signed for the Diamondbacks on December 16, and the experience he picked up – Curtiss even notched a save – will stand him in good stead. He walked just five batters in 36.2 innings, and John should definitely be considered a contender for one of the open spots at the back of the 2026 bullpen.

Shawn Dubin (65)

Like Campbell, Dubin comes with major-league experience, having appeared 64 times for Baltimore and Houston, since making his MLB debut in June 2023. Last year, he started with the Astros, but was selected off waivers by the Orioles in August. All told, he had a 5.08 ERA over 33.2 innings, with a 28:11 K:BB. It’s possible health was an issue, as he was much better (1.33 ERA in 20.1 IP) before a forearm strain sent him to the IL for two months in June. Fun fact: Dubin originally intended to play soccer at college, and dropped out to work at Lowe’s. A friend convinced him to try out for the baseball team at Erie Community College… and here we are.

Hayden Durke (53)

A 13th-round pick in 2023, Durke rocketed through the system last year, with stops at three levels. He started at High-A Hillsboro, where a 13.2 inning scoreless streak with 22 strikeouts led to him moving up to Double-A Amarillo. Despite its well-known reputation as a launching pad, Durke held his own, with a 2.31 ERA and 18:6 K:BB across 11.2 frames. He was then sent to Reno and… [loud buzzing sounds of static] Yeah, it didn’t quite go as well there, his control evaporating to the tune of more than a walk per inning, and a 9.53 ERA in 17 games. Still, he’s only 23, so has time to figure it out.

Baseball Prospectus has published its annual list of the top 101 prospects in baseball ahead of the 2026 season, and seven Mets prospects are included on the list: Nolan McLean (4), Carson Benge (10), Jonah Tong (23), A.J. Ewing (38), Jacob Reimer (70), Ryan Clifford (86), and Will Watson (96). And both Jett Williams (41) and Brandon Sproat (76), who the Mets dealt to the Brewers for Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers, made the list, as well.

The inclusion of that many Mets prospects is a testament to the excellent state of the organization’s farm system, which is widely regarded as one of the best in the sport.

All seven of the Mets prospects who made the list were included in our top 25 here at Amazin’ Avenue, as our post-Brewers rankings would have them in the same order as they appear on the Baseball Prospectus list.

1. Nolan McLean
2. Carson Benge
3. Jonah Tong
4. A.J. Ewing
5. Jacob Reimer
6. Ryan Clifford
7. Will Watson

Many New York Rangers fans may look at the Artemi Panarin trade to the Los Angeles Kings and feel underwhelmed. 

Just two conditional picks and one prospect (Liam Greentree) in exchange for a superstar talent the likes of Panarin? How does that make sense?

At the surface level, it is a severely underwhelming trade package, but given the circumstances, Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury was ultimately handcuffed into settling for less value than Panarin is truly worth. 

The Rangers seemingly lost leverage when it was announced on Jan. 16 that the team does not plan to re-sign Panarin beyond this season and will look to trade him to any team he wishes to join.

Panarin’s full no-move clause in his contract allowed him to dictate the exact destination that made the most sense for him. 

Leading up to the trade, it was clear that Panarin was seeking a contract extension from the team to which he would be traded, as his seven-year, $81.5 million contract is set to expire after the 2025-26 season. 

Upon being held out of the Rangers’ lineup starting on Jan. 28 due to roster management, Panarin and his agent, Paul Theofanous, were able to explore the market and determine which teams would be willing to give a contract extension that met their demands. 

According to Vincent Mercogliano of The Athletic, the 34-year-old forward talked to several teams in an effort to negotiate and decide where he wanted to go.

Multiple reports indicate that Panarin zeroed in on the Kings as his preferred destination, and the Rangers were only able to do business with them due to his no-move clause and unwillingness to be traded to any other organization outside of the Kings.

Artemi Panarin Traded To Kings Ahead Of Roster Freeze The New York Rangers have <a href="https://x.com/emilymkaplan/status/2019139491420836214">reportedly traded</a> Artemi Panarin to the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Liam Greentree and a conditional third-round pick.&nbsp;

It was Panarin’s desire for a contract extension that gave the Kings an advantage over the multiple reported teams originally in the mix for the Russian winger, including the Washington Capitals, Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, San Jose Sharks, and New York Islanders. 

Panarin and his camp always held the cards throughout this entire saga. 

There’s still plenty of blame to go around from Drury's end who, similar to the way in which he traded Chris Kreider, Jacob Trouba, Kaapo Kakko, and Ryan Lindgren, simply waited too long and let this situation with Panarin linger to the point where his value was diminished to what it ultimately could have been.

When it came down to it, the Rangers had no leverage, and this return for Panarin is just the harsh reality of the situation.

It has been three months since Miguel Rojas rescued the Dodgers’ 2025 season.

And still, the thank you’s from fans haven’t stopped coming.

“It’s been overwhelming,” Rojas said. “Like in Italy (during vacation this offseason), I’m walking around Rome and I’m seeing Dodgers fans over there saying, ‘Thank you for hitting that home run.’ It’s crazy.”

The Dodgers, of course, had many heroes emerge in their trek to a second consecutive World Series title last fall. There was the World Series-MVP effort of Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The two-way showcase put on by Shohei Ohtani. The four scoreless innings that little-known reliever Will Klein produced in a marathon Game 3 victory in the Fall Classic. The game-winning extra-inning home runs Freddie Freeman and Will Smith hit in Games 3 and 7, respectively. The list goes on.

No one, however, had a moment as unforgettable (or unexpected) as Rojas.

When he came to the plate in the ninth inning of Game 7 last year, the Dodgers were two outs from defeat, and on the cusp of a cruel ending to their repeat title dreams. At that point, Rojas himself wasn’t even 100% healthy, playing through a side injury that had nearly sidelined him for the winner-take-all occasion that night at Rogers Centre.

Yet, when Jeff Hoffman hung him a two-strike slider, the 12-year veteran didn’t miss it.

“I just felt like everything that happened, happened for a reason,” Rojas said three months later. “And I was ready for the opportunity.”

Indeed, Rojas not only saved the Dodgers with his game-tying home run –– which was so stunning, Fox broadcaster Joe Davis could only utter “No way!” as the typically light-hitting, glove-first infielder rounded the bases. But Rojas also etched his name into immortal October history, going from an often-overlooked veteran contributor on the Dodgers’ star-studded roster, to one of the most celebrated and recognizable faces of a team that would go on to lift the Commissioner’s Trophy and cement a modern-day dynasty.

“Now,” Rojas joked, “I just have to live with the consequences.”

Rojas felt all that love anew on Saturday, receiving some of the loudest crowd ovations during the Dodgers’ annual Fanfest event at Chavez Ravine. And ahead of what will be the final season of his MLB career, he has embraced his sudden celebrity with his own sentimental gratitude, appreciative of every encounter (at home and abroad) he’s had with Dodger fans over the course of what he described as a life-changing offseason.

“The most important part is that everybody continues to say that that’s one of the best moments that they’ve had in their life, and the best moment of sports that they watched,” he said. “That makes me feel really good, because we were part of something bigger than just a home run for ourselves.”

On Saturday, Rojas was quick to note that he’s “not done yet,” after re-signing with the Dodgers on a $5.5 million free-agent deal early in the offseason. Despite last fall’s heroics, “I have to continue to prove myself and prove to everybody that I can still play,” he said.

But, he does already know what his longer-term future holds, having also struck an agreement in his new contract to stay with the Dodgers organization in a player development role once he officially retires.

“I want to be a coach, but maybe I’m going to be good at something else,” he said. “That’s something that I want to realize about myself. Coach a little bit of everything. TV maybe. Work in the front office a little bit with Andrew and company. And definitely learn a little bit from more from Doc and what they value as a team, as a player.”

For now, however, he’s happy to keep basking in the glory of his momentous home run last year –– one that saved the Dodgers’ season, elevated his stature and came with plenty of thank you’s that won’t stop anytime soon.

“I waited 20 years in professional baseball to have that moment, and it happens to me at the end of my career,” he said. “I mean, my life changed a lot. Especially the way I’ve been seen on the streets and outside of baseball, it’s just something different (that has) happened to my career and my life. But I’m not gonna step away from it. It’s something that I always wanted … Definitely gonna share those moments forever.”

Dodgers shuffle roster

The Dodgers made a notable roster move this week, designating infielder Andy Ibáñez for assignment less than a month after signing him to a $1.2 million free-agent deal, and claiming outfielder Mike Siani off waivers just two weeks after DFA’ing him.

Ibáñez was expected to provide the Dodgers with infield depth, especially at the start of the season if Tommy Edman isn’t initially ready to return from offseason ankle surgery. He could still stick with the organization going forward, but will now have to clear waivers first.

Siani returns to the Dodgers after being DFA’d to make room for Kyle Tucker’s signing in mid-January. He had been claimed by the Yankees, but was quickly DFA’d again by New York this past week.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are still attempting to make a big splash in free agency after all.

After watching Kyle Schwarber, Eugenio Suarez, and others come off the board and sign with rival National League contenders, the Pirates may improve an already strong portion of the team: starting pitching.

In a surprising turn of events, the Pirates are reportedly an “aggressive” pursuer of the best pitcher remaining on the market.

The Pirates are interested in two-time All-Star lefty Framber Valdez, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, to join a young and promising rotation led by Paul Skenes. 

Valdez, 32, owns a career 3.36 ERA over eight seasons with the Houston Astros. 2025 marks his worst ERA performance since 2019, posting a 3.66 clip with a 1.245 WHIP and 187 strikeouts in 192 innings. 

He earned an MLB-best two complete games but an MLB-worst 12 wild pitches in 31 starts.

Valdez would immediately become the Pirates’ No. 2 starter and solidify the Pirates rotation as one of the best in baseball.

Teaming Valdez with Skenes, Bubba Chandler, Mitch Keller, and Braxton Ashcraft could make the Pirates legitimate playoff contenders this season.

Two things could be attentive to Valdez.

The Pirates hired former Astros pitching coach Brett Murphy for the same position in Pittsburgh. The spacious left field and left-center field at PNC Park plays well for lefties and could be an opportunity for Valdez to reset his market on a one-year contract.

Pittsburgh has struggled to land viable free agents over the years and shown the willingness to overspend. Rosenthal noted that the Pirates may be being used as “a stalking horse” once more. 

“However, the Pirates again might prove to be little more than a stalking horse for a more competitive team willing to offer Valdez the type of short-term deal with opt-outs he seems likely to command,” Rosenthal wrote.

Valdez is also drawing interest from the Blue Jays and Orioles to stay in the American League.

It’s possible that signing Valdez could open the door for the Pirates to trade Keller for a third baseman, adding a front-line starter to the rotation, making Keller expendable and a valuable trade chip to complete the lineup.

Rosenthal noted that the Pirates remain interested in slugger Marcell Ozuna, who is primarily a DH and would complicate the team’s defense, but adds a former All-Star who hit 21 home runs a season ago.

The Pirates still have time to add offense, or another impactful starting pitcher, before the heart of spring. 

Pitchers and catchers officially report to Bradenton, Florida on February 11.

The churn at the end of the Yankees’ 40-man roster continued Wednesday, with the club taking a flier on another outfielder.

The Yankees claimed Yanquiel Fernández off waivers from the Rockies while designating recently claimed right-hander Dom Hamel for assignment.

The lefty-hitting Fernández, 23, made his MLB debut in 2025, batting .225 with a .613 OPS in 52 games. The Cuba native has been more productive in his minor league career, batting .279 with a .813 OPS — including hitting .284 with a .849 OPS in 64 games at Triple-A last season.

Predominantly a right fielder, Fernández ranked in the 100th percentile for arm strength in the majors last season, per Baseball Savant, averaging 97.2 mph on his throws, which was second only to Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz.

Fernández has one minor league option remaining, allowing the Yankees to stash him as depth at Triple-A.

He became the latest waiver claim for the Yankees this offseason, along with outfielder Michael Siani (since designated for assignment and claimed by the Dodgers), utilityman Marco Luciano (since DFA’d and outrighted to Triple-A), reliever Kaleb Ort (since DFA’d and claimed by the Angels) and Hamel.