The MLB GM Meetings kicked off in Las Vegas on Tuesday with Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns speaking to reporters about the team's offseason so far and its plans going forward.
One of the main topics for New York heading into the 2026 season surrounds the starting rotation and how it can be improved after a disappointing 2025. Injuries and poor performance were the main issues last year, something Stearns acknowledged, especially with how the replacements after injuries did not perform well.
Kodai Senga, who missed nearly the entire 2024 season due to injury, was third on the team in starts with 22, behind only Clay Holmes (31) and David Peterson (30). He looked like an ace and his 2023 self during the first half of the season, but after suffering a hamstring injury in June, he never got back to form and found himself in the minor leagues in September.
The right-hander's future in Queens is a bit murky and his name has been mentioned in trade rumors, but Stearns still sees him as part of the rotation and not the bullpen.
"I think right now we view Senga as part of our rotation," Stearns said. "He's proven at the major league level that he can have really good years. Clearly, the last two years, at times, have been struggles for him.
"The talent is there, the desire is certainly there to have a bounce-back year. We're going to give him every opportunity to do that."
On paper, the Mets' current starting rotation would then consist of Peterson, Holmes, Senga, Sean Manaea, and Nolan McLean. Of course, Stearns will also have to consider Jonah Tong and Brandon Sproat in that mix as well, barring any major trades.
David Stearns on if Kodai Senga could pitch in the bullpen next season:
"Right now we view Senga as part of our rotation. The talent is there, the desire is certainly there to have a bounce-back year. We're going to give him every opportunity to do that" pic.twitter.com/ho9JkCLmN4
Stearns was later asked about the team's "commitment to finding" a No. 1 starter this offseason, whether that be through a trade or free agency signing. The Tigers' Tarik Skubal and Marlins' Sandy Alcantara are among names being floated around as potential trade targets, while Stearns made it clear they will do all they can to find a top-of-the-line pitcher, including developing one within the organization.
"You'd always love to find a No. 1 type starter," Stearns said. "I don't know how many true No. 1 starters are out there right now. I don't know how many are actually going to be traded, I don't know how many are truly available in free agency. You'd always like to find that top of the rotation guy, certainly makes building out the rest of the rotation, rest of the pitching staff a lot easier. If one of those guys happens to be available, we'll be right there with them.
"I will also go back to what I've said many times, the way to ultimately have a true ace on your staff is to develop the ace on your staff. I think we're on our way to doing that. I think we will do that. We're going to continue to try to supplement that in any way we can."
McLean showed he has what it takes to become the No. 1 starter Stearns is referring to after an impressive eight starts at the end of the season. Although other young players could be moved to land a top pitcher, something Stearns made clear the Mets are willing to do.
"I think we have numbers in the starting pitching staff," Stearns said. "I remain very optimistic about the younger starters that we have, about the guys we have coming even behind the group we saw get its feet wet at the major league level.
"We're also certainly not going to turn away from any opportunities that we think makes ourselves better at the major league level. We'll be looking at starting pitching in both free agency and trades. Very early for me to predict how active or what discussions are actually going to take place, but we're certainly going to be involved in that market."
Stearns reiterated that the Mets will have their hat in the ring for any top starting pitcher this offseason, and believes they've built up the farm system to properly execute a big trade.
"I think if a front-line pitcher, top-of-the-rotation pitcher is available, we're going to be involved in those discussions. There are limits to what we would do, as there would be for any player. But we do have the depth and quality of farm system at this point that we can both have those players impact our major league team in a real way and potentially trade some of them to get some really near-term help if that's available."
The Blue Jays' Davis Schneider is out at second as the Dodgers' Tommy Edman turns a double play during Game 5 of the World Series. Edman will have ankle surgery next week, general manager Brandon Gomes said Tuesday. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Almost everyone in baseball, it seems, is waiting to see how aggressive the Dodgers will be this offseason.
As the club’s front office arrived at The Cosmopolitan Hotel for MLB’s annual general managers' meetings this week, the team’s plans for this winter remained in a formative stage.
The Dodgers should have plenty of financial flexibility to play with in the coming months, with more than $60 million in salary from last season set to come off the books (resulting from Clayton Kershaw’s retirement, the expiration of contracts for Michael Conforto, Kirby Yates, Michael Kopech and others, and the team’s decision to designate Tony Gonsolin for assignment last week).
They could also use upgrades at some of the deepest positions in this year’s free agent class, namely a corner outfielder (where Kyle Tucker beckons as the biggest name available) and another top relief arm at the back end of the bullpen (where Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams, Robert Suarez and Pete Fairbanks will all be on the open market).
Add in a farm system that MLB Pipeline ranked as the best in the majors this year — giving the Dodgers plenty of chips to use in a potential trade as well — and the team could be poised for another splashy offseason of big-name acquisitions.
Or … they could stand relatively pat.
After all, there is no blockbuster move the Dodgers feel like they need to make this winter. Having virtually all of their star-studded core intact means, even compared to last winter, their urgency for another offseason of star additions could very well be less pressing now.
That was the tone general manager Brandon Gomes struck on Tuesday while discussing the team’s winter plans — acknowledging the outfield and bullpen as areas the Dodgers will explore this winter, but stopping short of describing either as outright “needs.”
“By being aggressive over the last couple offseasons, we do have a very, very good core in place,” Gomes said. “So it’s continuing to fine-tune and look at what the weaknesses on the roster are and try to address those … It’s being very targeted in who we go out and look to acquire. I think that holds true across the board, without many glaring holes.”
As a reminder, here’s where the Dodgers’ 2026 roster stands.
The starting rotation? Stacked, with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Emmet Sheehan and a host of other young pitchers all slated to be back (including Gavin Stone and River Ryan, breakout rookies in 2024 expected to have normal offseasons after missing last year with surgeries).
The lineup? Relatively unchanged, with Kiké Hernández and Miguel Rojas representing the only out-of-contract players who played important roles in the postseason (and they, of course, remain options to be re-signed, too).
The bullpen? That group could certainly use some more help, after Tanner Scott struggled in the closer role last year. But even there, the Dodgers still possess plenty of depth in Alex Vesia, Anthony Banda, Jack Dreyer, Blake Treinen, Ben Casparius, Justin Wrobleski, Brock Stewart, Edgardo Henriquez and a number of other young pitchers who could step into big-league roles (plus the returns of Brusdar Graterol and Evan Phillips from injury).
And on the whole, Gomes described the Dodgers’ expected 2026 pitching staff as being “as good as we’ve ever had.”
That’s why, at least at this juncture, the Dodgers’ aggressiveness this winter remains unclear.
They are in their preferred place as an organization — able to see how the market develops, without facing an overwhelming need at any one spot.
“I think the mindset is still to approach the offseason and not have to go out and make big splashy trades at the deadline,” Gomes said. “But what that all looks like? Thankfully, we haven’t had a ton of time to dive in, but we’re gonna look to do that here over this week and the coming weeks.”
The team’s pursuit of Tucker could provide the first big tell of the offseason.
As far back as the summer, the Dodgers were seen around the industry as a likely front-runner for the four-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger. As a left-handed bat who would fit perfectly into the middle of their lineup, and someone who will be only 29 by the start of next year, Tucker represented the kind of still-in-his-prime, star-caliber player whom the Dodgers always want to be in position to go after when available.
However, Tucker will not come cheaply. He is likely to field offers of 10-plus years. He could drive a bidding war upwards of $400 million to $500 million.
For all the Dodgers’ short-term financial flexibility, it is fair to wonder how many more lucrative, long-term deals they want to add to what is already an aging core.
Thus, the higher the price for Tucker becomes, the less likely it could be he winds up in Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, Gomes spent more of his time touting the internal outfield options the Dodgers already boast — from deadline addition Alex Call, to utilitymen Hyeseong Kim and Tommy Edman (who will undergo surgery next week on his nagging ankle injury, but is hoped to be ready for spring training), to triple-A MVP Ryan Ward, who was added to the 40-man roster last week and is expected to “get a bunch of opportunities at some point this year,” Gomes said. The door also remains open to backup catcher Dalton Rushing potentially getting some time in the outfield again, after he struggled with limited playing time behind Will Smith.
Gomes was similarly complimentary of the Dodgers’ current relief corps, even maintaining belief in Scott to “come back and have a great year for us next year, and be right there in the mix to pitch at the back end of games.”
It would still be a surprise if the Dodgers don’t swing some notable addition to the bullpen. The depth of options on the free-agent market (especially in players such as Williams and Fairbanks, who have been trade targets of the team the past couple years) should make finding an acquisition there a more likely endeavor.
Yet, Gomes insisted that a top reliever is less of a need and more of a “nice-to-have.”
Really, that figures to be the theme of the Dodgers’ entire offseason: Searching for upgrades on terms they like, without feeling pressured to make another wave of top-dollar acquisitions.
Just like a year ago, Pete Alonso's free agency is the talk of the Mets offseason.
The franchise leader in home runs and Edwin Diaz declined their player options to explore free agency ahead of the 2026 season. Both players are the biggest names potentially leaving the organization and president of baseball operations David Stearns was asked about both when he met with the media on Tuesday night at the MLB GM Meetings in Las Vegas.
"We love both Pete and Edwin. They've been great representatives of the organization," Stearns said. "We'd love to have them both back. At this stage of the offseason, it’s really tough to predict any outcomes, but certainly, we would love to have both those guys back."
For Alonso in particular, he and the Mets did this dance before, when it took until the end of February for both sides to agree on a new deal ahead of the 2025 season. The Mets made minor moves, like the re-signing of Jesse Winker, to get their offseason moves started as negotiations between the first baseman and the team continued.
Stearns is in a similar position after a disappointing 2025. There are holes to fill on the roster and, for now, first base is one of them. But Stearns says patience is needed during this time.
"You’d always love clarity early in the process. Sometimes that’s not realistic," Stearns said of his timeline. "Offseasons are really long and can be tough at times in November when we’re all really excited to get going and standing here in the GM Meetings….but a lot of signings occur in January, February, and March. Offseasons now go into spring training and we have to recognize that, be patient and let the offseason play out."
At his end-of-season presser, Stearns emphasized run prevention and defense as areas the Mets needed to improve on. He was asked if Alonso's defense would be a part of his evaluation of the slugger.
"All parts of player contribution inform how we view the player," he said. "For a position player, that’s certainly going to include offense and what they do in the box and what they do defensively. It also includes what they mean to us off the field, what they meant to us in the clubhouse and in the community. All that gets factored in with every player and Pete's no different."
Stearns said all of the returning Mets players need to improve defensively and that it will be an emphasis in the offseason, spring training and as the season rolls on.
"The brand of baseball, the brand of defense that we played over the last two months of the season, was not close to good enough," Stearns said. "It has to get better."
Stearns was asked if he believes Alonso can improve his defense at first, and the second-year Met executive said he does because Alonso has shown it in the past and that he's a "motivated, dedicated player."
But what if Alono doesn't return? What will be Stearns and the Mets' plan for first base?
Stearns was confident that the Mets would be able to pivot, but reiterated how early in the offseason it is.
"We have internal options. We have younger players who deserve some more opportunity," Stearns said. "We have players that we can move around positionally and also explore outside [the organization] there, but all that is premature. We’ll see how the offseason progresses and go from there."
As the Mets enter a pivotal offseason heading into 2026, the team has plenty of questions to answer when it comes to the roster.
Two of the positions that will be in focus for David Stearns and company are center field and third base, and speaking at the GM Meetings in Las Vegas on Monday, the Mets’ president of baseball operations gave some insight into those two spots.
Asked specifically about the team’s options for center field, Stearns said that while veteran Tyrone Taylor has played well defensively, prospect Carson Benge has a legitimate chance of making the team out of spring training.
“Carson Benge is going to come into spring training with a chance to make our team, and we’ll see where the offseason takes us beyond that,” Stearns said.
“When you have good players at the upper levels of the minor leagues, we have to find space for those players to play. Carson is among them. He’s not the only one, but he’s among them. So, as we build out our team, we have to ensure that as we move forward, there is room for our young players to get to the major leagues when they deserve to get there, and have a chance to really contribute to our major league team.”
Benge, ranked as Joe DeMayo’s No. 3 prospect in the Mets’ system, started last season with High-A Brooklyn but ended up playing 24 games for Triple-A Syracuse before the season came to a close.
While Benge struggled a bit at the Triple-A level (.583 OPS), it was still a strong year overall for the former first-round pick, as he posted an .857 OPS with 15 home runs and 73 RBI across all three levels.
Third base, meanwhile, features a pair of internal candidates in Brett Baty and Mark Vientos, both of whom were formerly top prospects.
According to Stearns, while it’s early in the offseason to make any kind of sweeping proclamations about the 2026 roster, he does foresee “significant” playing time at third for Baty.
"I think Brett had a really good year, took some real steps forward in his development," Stearns said. "I think going into the offseason, he's probably someone we would pencil in for significant third base time next year.
“Probably premature in mid-November for me to outline exactly how playing time is going to be allocated, but Brett did a really nice job. He earned more and more opportunities as the year went on, I think he's going to continue to get that."
Baty posted a .748 OPS with 18 home runs and 50 RBI while playing both third base and second base last season.
As for Vientos, who had a down 2025 after a 2024 breakout season that saw him smash 27 home runs, Stearns said the objective is for him to come into spring training ready to play, no matter what happens with the rest of the roster over the next few months.
“I think Mark had a disappointing year last year. I think he’s very motivated to prove that last year was the outlier and he’s much closer to the player that we saw in ’24,” Stearns said. “The one thing that’s apparent is no matter how our roster shapes out, there is going to be opportunity. Through performance or injuries, there are always opportunities, there are always plate appearances, there is always playing time for players who are performing.
“So what we’re encouraging Mark to do is put himself in a spot where he comes to spring training ready to perform, regardless of what our offseason looks like.”
Here's the latest Yankees free agency and trade buzz during the 2025-26 MLB offseason...
Nov. 13, 11:09 a.m.
The Red Sox are among the teams with interest in Devin Williams, reports Will Sammon of The Athletic, who also lists the Dodgers and Reds among teams that have expressed interest.
Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic also reported on Los Angeles and Williams, saying there appears to be mutual interest.
Los Angeles was one of the teams exploring the possibility of dealing for Williams last offseason before he was traded to the Yankees.
Williams, 31, struggled last season for the Yanks, posting a 4.79 ERA and 1.12 WHIP in 62.0 innings.
While Williams was not his regular elite self, his stuff still played up as he had a strikeout rate of 13.1 per nine.
In addition to Williams, Luke Weaver is also a free agent, leaving the back end of New York's bullpen in an uncertain spot.
After signing with the Yanks last spring, Yarbrough ended up being a valuable and versatile piece for Aaron Boone's pitching staff. He started eight games and appeared in 19 games in total, pitching to a 4.36 ERA while holding opposing lefties to a .198 batting average.
Yarbrough did miss a significant chunk of the season, though, as an oblique injury kept him out from mid-June to early September. As a result, he was left off the Yankees' postseason roster.
Nov. 11, 3:45 p.m.
Historically, the Yankees have been among the highest-spending teams in baseball, but owner Hal Steinbrenner and GM Brian Cashman have reiterated multiple times over the past couple of years that having a payroll over $300 million is "simply not sustainable for us, financially," as Cashman put it.
"It wouldn’t be sustainable for the vast majority of ownership [groups], given the luxury tax we have to pay," Cashman said last May. "I’ve been a broken record [on this topic]: I don’t believe I should have a $300 million payroll to win a championship."
So how does that line of thinking impact what the Yankees will do this offseason?
Appearing on "Pinstripe Post," Joel Sherman of the New York Post laid out how he believes the Yankees can thread the needle to retain a key free agent like Cody Bellinger, whom he referred to as "the key to their offseason," while lowering their payroll beneath the $300 million number.
"I think the goal this offseason is to try to get under $300 million, luxury tax money. I think within that they’d like to re-sign Cody Bellinger, add another reliever who can pitch in the final six outs of the game… I think they’d like to find a complementary starting pitcher to help them through some injuries early in the season. I think they’d love to flip J.C. Escarra for a righty version of J.C. Escarra… and I think they’d like to find a complementary right-handed bat, and maybe plus Amed Rosario, who they liked a lot and tried in previous years to get.
"That all told, I think the Yankees would feel, if they got the versions of the players they wanted to, they would feel that’s a 90+ win team, and they’d have a shot to line it up, and that they could do that in the high ($200 millions)."
The Yankees ended last season with a payroll of $323.7 million, for luxury tax purposes. Factoring in projections for arbitration eligible players and other players in their pre-arbitration years who are still under team control, the Yankees currently have a payroll of roughly $244 million.
Can the Yankees fit in a player like Bellinger, who is projected to make somewhere around $27 million per season, and still make other needed moves while staying under the $304 million luxury tax threshold?
If that is indeed the goal, while it does appear possible, there doesn't seem to be a lot of wiggle room.
One of the most exciting World Series ever played only concluded a week and a half ago, but the MLB offseason officially kicked into gear this week with the GM meetings taking place in Las Vegas.
While the GM meetings don’t lead to as much direct action as the winter meetings later in the offseason (Dec. 7 in Orlando this year), they are an obvious opportunity for executives and agents to begin the work that will shape rosters for the 2026 season and beyond.
And whenever people start talking, rumors are sure to follow.
With that, here’s what’s come out regarding the Red Sox this week out of Vegas.
Joe Ryan still makes sense as a trade target
This one’s not a rumor so much as it’s some informed speculation from ESPN’s Jeff Passan, who noted that the Red Sox “believed they were close to landing” Twins starting pitcher Joe Ryan at the deadline this year. As such, Passan tabbed Ryan as the perfect offseason move for the Red Sox to make.
“As long as Red Sox ownership keeps the financial clamps on chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, he’ll need to get creative in improving a Red Sox team that’s already quite good,” Passan wrote. “Revisiting what he missed at the deadline is the simplest way to do so.”
While nobody in Boston wants to hear about “financial clamps” being placed on Breslow, Ryan would be a wise addition for any team, whether they were on a spending spree or trying to be frugal.
A bit of a late bloomer, Ryan made his first All-Star team last season, finishing the year with a 3.42 ERA and 1.035 WHIP in 30 starts. He posted a 0.985 WHIP in 135 innings in 2024.
With two seasons left under team control, Ryan is the perfect candidate to receive a pre-free agency contract extension, much like how the Red Sox handled Garrett Crochet after acquiring him via trade last season.
Certainly, the prospect of having Crochet (signed through 2031), Brayan Bello (signed through 2029 with a 2030 option) and Ryan at the top of the rotation for years to come makes such an acquisition awfully enticing for the Boston front office.
According to The Athletic’s Jen McCaffrey, the Red Sox were unwilling to part with either Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu at the deadline when they talked with Minnesota about Ryan. With four starting-caliber outfielders on the current roster (Duran, Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony), there should be no such hold-up this time when engaging the Twins in trade talks for Ryan.
Red Sox an ‘interesting fit’ to trade for Freddy Peralta
The Milwaukee Brewers are coming off their best regular season ever, winning 97 games and a division crown in 2025. So they might not be supremely motivated to offload talent.
However … MLB Network’s Jon Morosi noted that the Brewers did trade away pitchers Corbin Burnes and Devin Williams when they were a year away from free agency, noting that listening to offers on free-agents-to-be is “in their DNA.”
With that in mind, Morosi singled out the Red Sox as a team that may come calling for Freddy Peralta.
Freddy Peralta ➡️ Boston?@jonmorosi mentions the Red Sox as an interesting fit for the 2x All-Star if he is moved this offseason.
“I think [they're] one starting pitcher away from making a real run at this…” pic.twitter.com/G51iJcIuMY
“The Red Sox, when you think about Garrett Crochet, and you consider what they’ve been able to build there with the Red Sox being able to get back to the playoffs in 2025, they’re — I think — one starting pitcher away from making a real run at this,” Morosi said. “And we know they’ve got an excellent farm system. They even have some position players they could move from the major league club if they had to with Duran and Abreu. So I think that’s an interesting fit to watch going forward.”
Peralta, 29, is the same age as Joe Ryan (they were born one day apart) and is also coming off an All-Star season in 2025, when he went 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA and 1.075 WHIP, striking out 204 batters in 176.2 innings. Peralta previously made an All-Star team in 2021, when he posted a 2.81 ERA and 0.970 WHIP in a breakout season for Milwaukee.
If Breslow does have “the financial clamps” limiting him this offseason, Peralta may make the most sense as a Plan B for Boston. With one fewer year of team control and significantly more MLB experience, Peralta will be due a bigger payday than Ryan.
On the other hand, a lesser package could potentially land Peralta, which would at the very least provide a major boost to the rotation in the short term.
Breslow wants an impactful middle-of-the-lineup bat
Here’s a quote that might inspire some baseball fans in Boston to pull out their hair, smash their face off a table, and/or chew on a handful of broken glass (per The Boston Globe’s Tim Healey):
“There is just something about a bat in the middle of the lineup that forces another team to game plan against it that has a compounding effect on the rest of the roster. So we didn’t slug nearly as much as I think we can, or we will, and we’ll pursue opportunities to improve that.”
Using so many words to say “it’s helpful to have a power hitter in the middle of the lineup” is certainly verbose, but this isn’t a rant on Craig Breslow’s diction.
It is, however, a note that the Boston Red Sox did indeed have one of the best power bats in all of baseball in Rafael Devers but butchered their relationship with him so badly that they felt the need to trade him away last June. The Red Sox received a 20-year-old pitcher, an outfield prospect (subsequently traded), a bad relief pitcher and a potential back-of-the-rotation starter in return.
Unsurprisingly, the team didn’t slug nearly as much as Breslow thought they could.
As for who could fill that need?
Pete Alonso fits the bill, and could help fill the first base black hole that’s plagued the Red Sox since Mitch Moreland left following the 2019 season.
Kyle Schwarber was a fan favorite in Boston during his brief 2021 stint, but locking in on a designated hitter at top dollar for a roster that already has an extra outfielder and a DH that cannot play the field doesn’t seem like the likeliest path.
Free-agent shortstop Bo Bichette primarily batted leadoff for the AL-champion Blue Jays, but he did mash in his 40 starts in the cleanup spot, batting .372 with a 1.008 OPS. Even though Trevor Story opted in to his deal, he has already spent a year at second base with Boston and could do so again if the Red Sox opted to pursue Bichette.
But speaking of that Red Sox infield …
All quiet on the Alex Bregman front
If you’re looking for an update on Alex Bregman’s status, you’re out of luck.
After he opted out of his deal last week, not much at all has percolated in terms of teams that may pursue him in free agency. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel projected Bregman to land a five-year, $160 million deal, despite the fact that he’ll be 32 on Opening Day and missed significant time last year with a quad injury that never truly healed. (Bregman opted out of two years at $40 million per season.)
Much like last year, it would seem as though Bregman’s market may take a while to crystallize. And as he proved last spring, he’s willing to wait until the last minute to make up his mind.
Considering Breslow’s comment about the need for impactful middle-of-the-order bats, the Red Sox would seemingly be very interested in keeping Bregman in the fold. He batted .299 with a .938 OPS in 51 games before suffering the injury, hitting 17 doubles and 11 home runs with 35 RBIs. That dropped to a .250 average and .724 OPS in 63 games after returning from the injury.
Assuming the quad heals in the offseason, Bregman could be part of Boston’s solution in the middle of the order. The price, though, will likely have to drop significantly for that relationship to continue.
Morosi also offered up this potential wrinkle: Teams have expressed interest in moving Bichette to third.
Early in free agency, the majority of interest in Bo Bichette is at shortstop.
Other teams with incumbent shortstops have expressed interest in him at second base or third base.@MLBNetwork
If Bichette is open to a position change (the Red Sox learned last season that some players are not), and if Bichette actually wants to leave Toronto, the Red Sox could “replace” Bregman with the younger Bichette at a similar cost. For now, that looks like it would go in the “surprise” category of any potential offseason moves.
Royals eyeing Red Sox outfielders
The Royals have one of the best all-around players in baseball in Bobby Witt Jr. They also have an elite, young third baseman in Maikel Garcia.
After that, though, the lineup is lacking, so the team is reportedly looking to add to its outfield via trade. (Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger are free agents but are likely too expensive for Kansas City.) And according to Morosi — who’s full of all of the early-offseason information — the Red Sox are a potential partner.
Sources: Royals are evaluating the trade market for outfielders during this week's GM Meetings.
The Angels and Red Sox are among the possible trade partners. @MLBNetwork
While the Red Sox do have an abundance of outfielders, they also can only really afford to trade one of them away. As such, they’ll be selective when it comes to maximizing the return out of whoever it is they opt to send away. (The guess here: Jarren Duran.)
Morosi didn’t detail which players the Royals might be willing to part with, but the Red Sox’ priority in trading away an outfielder would most likely be in landing a frontline starter like Joe Ryan. Any potential Royals deal would likely be placed on the backburner for now.
Red Sox believe Jarren Duran needs ‘a fresh start’
Perhaps the most concrete evidence that Jarren Duran will be the odd man out of the outfield picture came from USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, who wrote that Duran is indeed on the trade block.
“The Red Sox believe that they need an upgrade over Duran, and that he needs a fresh start,” Nightengale wrote. “It would a huge surprise if he’s in Fort Myers, Fla., come spring training.”
Duran was an All-Star in 2024, leading the league in doubles (48) and triples (14) while posting an .834 OPS. He was named MVP of the All-Star Game and finished eighth in AL MVP voting. He understandably took a step backward in 2025, though was still a productive player with a .774 OPS and an AL-leading 13 triples.
At 29 years old, he’s still in his prime, thus making him an appealing addition for a team in need of a corner outfielder and a lefty bat. Yet with Rafaela (25 years old), Abreu (26) and Anthony (21) in Boston’s outfield, the team is fairly set for the future in the outfield without Duran.
LAS VEGAS — As Buster Posey settled into a corner of a conference room at The Cosmopolitan on Tuesday afternoon, a large crowd gathered a few feet away for Paul DePodesta, who was named Colorado Rockies president of baseball operations last week after a decade in the NFL. It was a reminder that for all the heavy lifting ahead for Posey and the Giants, there are other organizations with bigger holes to fill.
At the annual General Managers meetings, Posey said the front office and new manager Tony Vitello are closing in on finalizing contracts with several coaches, but announcements were not imminent Tuesday afternoon. There are some, however, who know they will be back.
Assistant hitting coach Oscar Bernard, quality control coach Taira Uematsu and bullpen catcher Eliezer Zambrano all have been informed they’ll be back, Posey said. There will be new leadership atop the hitting and pitching groups, and possibly new base coaches. Matt Williams was told early in the offseason that he wouldn’t return, and the status of first base coach Mark Hallberg is to be determined.
“He’s one of those that we’d love to have back, but he has been kind of a popular guy with some other teams, as well,” Posey said of his former Florida State teammate. “We’re working through that.”
Catching coach Alex Burg is in a similar spot, balancing external interest with the Giants’ offer. Posey also said that Ron Wotus will be back in a similar role to the last few seasons, working with the front office, big leaguers and visiting minor league affiliates. Hitting coach Pat Burrell will remain with the organization but will not be on Vitello’s staff, and assistant hitting coach Damon Minor also has been let go.
While it’s not yet official, Vitello’s first addition was former San Diego Padres manager Jayce Tingler. It would seem like an obvious fit to make Tingler the bench coach or associate manager, but Posey said the front office isn’t ready to announce his exact role.
The Giants are believed to be closer to hiring a hitting coach than a pitching coach. J.P. Martinez, the incumbent on the pitching side, had hoped to remain, but he ended up taking a job as the bullpen coach for the Atlanta Braves. Bullpen coach Garvin Alston also hoped to return, but he was let go, too.
“With nothing being a guarantee [in San Francisco] for J.P., I think he took the bird in hand,” Posey said. “We were still going through the process with him. We hadn’t told him that he was not going to be returning. I’m a J.P. fan and had a good talk with him when he took the [Braves] job. I told him I think he’s going to be successful and maybe we’ll see him down the road.”
While Ryan Vogelsong has been rumored as a potential replacement for Martinez, he is not in the mix, per sources. Another former Posey teammate does have an increased role, though. Former Giants reliever Javier Lopez has been added to the front office in an advisory role.
There are a lot of holes to fill, and all of Vitello’s picks will get a bit of extra scrutiny given the manager’s lack of MLB experience. But Posey said the group is trying to avoid feeling rushed. There’s plenty of offseason left and the interviews will continue this week, with Posey and Vitello leading the way. General manager Zack Minasian, assistant GM Jeremy Shelley and VP of analytics Paul Bien also have been part of the process.
Posey let Bob Melvin handle his own staff, but has been much more involved in helping Vitello fill out his first big league coaching staff. He said the process has been “a collaboration.”
“I think you’re going to be most productive in that way,” he said. “I don’t think it would be fair for me to come in and say I’m going to choose every single person. That’s just not the way I think is best, or vice versa, for [Vitello] to operate that way, as well.”
SAN DIEGO — Moments after Craig Stammen was introduced as manager of the San Diego Padres, general manager A.J. Preller turned to the former reliever and light-heartedly said, “How’d we get here?”
That’s something Padres fans and many people around baseball have wondered, as the Padres made the surprising announcement that Stammen replaced Mike Shildt. Citing burnout, Shildt retired on Oct. 13 after just two seasons on the job, less than two weeks after the Padres were eliminated in the wild card round by the Chicago Cubs.
The 41-year-old Stammen, just three seasons removed from throwing his last big league pitch, has been with the Padres organization since 2017. Preller felt he had enough good qualities and knowledge of the team to make him skipper despite having no previous coaching or managing experience at any level.
Stammen went from helping interview candidates for the job to becoming a candidate to getting the job. He’ll lead a team that’s made four playoff appearances in six seasons and is led by stars Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado.
He retired in August 2023 after it became clear he wouldn’t bounce back from a shoulder injury sustained during spring training. He became an assistant to the major league coaching staff and the baseball operations department, and he said Preller often asked if he wanted more responsibilities in the organization while understanding Stammen was balancing his job with his home life with his wife, Audrey, and their four young children back in Ohio.
“He was very coy about it at the beginning.” Stammen said. “We kind of got through the interview process, the beginning of it, and then he put the sales kibosh on me and said, ’I really want you to be a part of the process; I want you to think about being the manager of the Padres.’”
Stammen wasn’t sure about moving his family to California. He had numerous conversations with his wife and others and cited Preller’s continued belief in him, without which “I probably would have not gone down the path as strongly as we did.
“Eventually it got to the point where it was a yes for us. We made some family decisions to make that happen. Once we made that decision there was a peace and a joy that came with it and an opportunity that there’s no way I could say no to. That’s where we said yes and luckily enough and thankful enough, I was offered the job and here we are today, ready to make something happen.”
This is the third time Preller has hired a manager with little or no previous managerial experience. Stammen is the Padres’ sixth manager since 2015, not counting interim skippers.
Preller harkened back to what he’s seen of Stammen since his first season with the Padres in 2017, when he was coming off an arm injury and had joined San Diego as a free agent.
“He’s an elite competitor, incredibly hard worker, very prepared and a natural leader and somebody that as a pitcher was able to touch different elements of our clubhouse and be able to bond and connect with different players in that clubhouse over the course of a seven- or eight-year period here in San Diego.” Preller said.
“Craig has a unique seat, a unique lens. He was part of those building teams and then he’s been able to see it through to the playoff teams and the teams that have won 90-plus games here the last two years. He’s part of some really high highs … Craig starting a playoff game, which is definitely a career highlight, and he also had a front-row seat to some of the disappointments of the last few years, and I think he’s going to carry those experiences with him here in this chair.”
Stammen is best known for starting the deciding Game 3 of the 2020 Wild Card Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, who at the time were managed by Shildt. He pitched 1 2/3 innings as the first of nine pitchers the Padres used in the 4-0 win, which clinched their first postseason series victory since 1998.
Stammen said it will be a “challenge for sure. I’ve got a big learning curve ahead of me.” But he said he has a great relationship with pitching coach Ruben Niebla — was interviewed for the manager’s job — as well as with many of the players who were once his teammates.
“One of the advantages of being a relief pitcher and viewing the game from that lens is you’re always monitoring when the pitching changes are coming,” Stammen said. “Especially in the role I had, I had to be ready from pitch one until the end of the game.”
He said he and Niebla will “be a lethal combo” in making pitching decisions.
There have been no splashy free agent signings in the early days of MLB’s Hot Stove season, but that doesn’t stop media speculation on potential fits for different teams.
One “perfect” transaction for the Giants would be to sign free-agent relief pitcher Devin Williams, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
“As many live arms as the Giants have in their bullpen, Randy Rodriguez’s Tommy John surgery leaves them thin enough at the back end that prioritizing a dependable ninth-inning option makes sense,” Passan wrote in a recent column. “And even if the best non-Díaz reliever in free agency struggled at times this past season, [Williams’] stuff did not tick backward, and the underlying numbers continue to say he’s elite.”
San Francisco’s bullpen looked elite early in the 2025 MLB season. But, with surgery knocking out the All-Star Rodriguez, trading away Camilo Doval and Ryan Walker struggling in the closer role, any back-end bullpen additions make sense for the Giants.
The Giants could prove to be a desirable location for free-agent pitchers.
“The Giants have plenty of options. They’ve got money to spend, and while their lineup is mostly set, their rotation and bullpen are in flux,” Passan wrote. “San Francisco is among the most attractive pitchers’ parks in baseball, which is the sort of thing that plays at the top and bottom of markets.”
As Passan noted, Williams did not have a statistically great 2025 season with the New York Yankees. In 67 appearances, the two-time MLB All Star posted a 4.79 ERA, a career high in his seven-year career.
Williams, however, boasts one of the league’s deadliest changeups. His knockout pitch helped him earn the closing role with the Milwaukee Brewers.
In his best season, Williams finished the 2023 campaign with 36 saves in 40 opportunities along with a 1.53 ERA.
“I can tell you this, he knows the game, man. He’s smart,” Bochy said. “He’s worn a lot of hats. He’s been a coach. He’s been a pitching coach. It wasn’t an easy road to get to being the head coach of Tennessee. I mean, he grinded his way up to where he got there, and he’s earned this, I think, when you look at the success that he’s had.”
Bochy said he recently met with Vitello in Nashville, Tennessee. Despite the two having just a few conversations, Bochy is thoroughly impressed with the Giants’ new skipper.
“And just to me, he’s got a great way about him,” Bochy explained. “You know, [he] speaks well. He’s got a great feel for people, and to me, that’s the most important job that he’ll have is managing his people, and he’s so good at that. And so, I really think he’s going to have a lot of success in the major leagues.”
Vitello’s interpersonal skills were a part of what stood about to president of baseball operations Buster Posey when conducting the search for the new Giants manager. Bochy seems to agree that Vitello has what it takes to lead the group.
Nevertheless, Vitello’s jump to MLB surely will provide its challenges. Bochy was asked what the biggest challenge will be in that jump from college baseball.
“I’d say more than anything, it’s just the number of games. You’re talking 162 games, and hopefully more,” Bochy said.
The former Giants manager was known for his bullpen management, leading San Francisco to three World Series titles. Bochy highlighted that as a large focus in the longer seasons.
“In college, I’m sure you got your horses out there and every game you’re doing all you can to win every game, similar to what the [MLB] postseason is once you get there,” Bochy noted. “But during a regular season, you got to remember, man, it’s a long season. It’s a grind. You got to watch your horses. You got to take care of them so they’re fresh down the stretch.”
With advisors such as Bochy on his side, Vitello is making the jump to MLB with an exceptional supporting cast.
The Giants are taking a risk with their historic hire of Tony Vitello as their next manager, and not everyone loves the move.
Specifically, former MLB manager Joe Maddon, who joined KNBR 680’s “Murph & Markus” on Tuesday and explained why he was insulted by San Francisco’s decision to hire a manager straight from the collegiate level.
“Quite frankly, I’m using the word ‘insulting’ only from the perspective that you don’t have to have any kind of experience on a professional level to do this job anymore,” Maddon said. “Because when I was coming up, you had to have all that, you had to go through the minor leagues, you had to ride your buses. I was a scout, I started in 1981, I finally get a managerial job in 2006. There was a rite of passage, a method to get to that point. So to think somebody can just do what you took 20-some years to be considered qualified to, it is kind of insulting.”
Maddon then proceeded to wish Vitello well while oddly comparing the new Giants manager’s lack of MLB experience to other high-profile jobs around the country that are being filled by candidates who might not have the traditional experience in their respective fields, including New York City mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.
“Now, having said that, the next part is, I wish him nothing but the best, because I watch videos of the guy and I can actually understand why it’s perceived that he’s ready to do something like this,” Maddon added. “I guess the overarching point is, in today’s world, prerequisites to get jobs of this caliber, even jobs like the Mayor job of New York City now, it doesn’t require the years of experience that you may have had to have gone through in the past.
“I think communication skills, perceived leadership skills, those are the kind of things that become more valid or important and not necessarily having kind of like, internal knowledge, working knowledge of the craft at hand, which would be Major League Baseball or running a city. It’s not just baseball, it permeates throughout the entire world right now.”
Maddon then was asked if Vitello’s hire is a good or bad thing for baseball moving forward.
“I don’t think it’s either, I just think it’s baseball,” Maddon explained. “It’s going to be a good thing for the Giants if it works out well, which honestly, I am rooting for him. I didn’t know of him until he was hired and then I started looking at videos and then I said ‘Oh, I get it. I understand why.'”
Does he?
It’s safe to assume neither Vitello nor the Giants care.
The easiest and cleanest way for the Mets to add a top-of-the-rotation starter to their staff this offseason is to turn to the free agent market, where the headliners are Framber Valdez, Dylan Cease, Michael King, and Ranger Suarez.
Ahead of his age-32 season, Valdez is the oldest of the available top starters. And he'll be seeking a huge deal.
King, who will be entering his age-31 season in 2026, was tremendous for the Padres in 2024 as he transitioned from relieving to starting. But he made just 15 starts in 2025 as he dealt with a nerve injury in his throwing shoulder and also lost time due to a knee injury.
Suarez, who turned 30 in August, might be the safest bet -- but he's also the least imposing. He has allowed 8.6 hits per nine during his eight-year career, is not a big strikeout guy, and has never thrown 158 innings or more in a season.
Then there's Cease, whose upside is sky high.
Entering his age-30 season, Cease has finished in the top-four in Cy Young voting two of the last four seasons. And he eats tons of innings. However, he's coming off a campaign where he had a 4.55 ERA, and has been maddeningly inconsistent.
And if so, should Brewers ace Freddy Peralta be near the top of New York's list?
Here are the pros and cons of dealing for Peralta...
Oct 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) pitches against the Chicago Cubs during the second inning of game one of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. / Michael McLoone - Imagn Images
PROS
Peralta is coming off a phenomenal 2025 season, where he had a career-best 2.70 ERA in 176.2 innings. He posted a 1.07 WHIP, allowed just 124 hits, and struck out 204 batters -- a rate of 10.4 per nine.
Since transitioning in 2021 from mainly a relief option to the starting rotation, Peralta has been one of the best pitchers in baseball.
In 139 starts over the last five years, Peralta has a 3.30 ERA and 1.09 WHIP and has fanned 895 batters in 738.1 innings while allowing just 536 hits. He has also been reliable when it comes to taking the ball, tossing 165.2 innings or more reach of the last three seasons..
His ability to miss bats and limit hits is elite, as is his stuff.
Peralta relies mainly on a four-seam fastball (which he threw 53 percent of the time this past season), a changeup, and a curve. He'll also mix in a slider.
In 2025, his pitching run value graded out in the 97th percentile, via Baseball Savant. And all of his individual pitches were tremendous -- the fastball was in the 84th percentile, the breaking balls were in the 88th percentile, and the changeup was in the 96th percentile.
Looking at Peralta's advanced metrics, he was near the top of the league in xERA, xBA, average exit velocity, whiff percentage, strikeout percentage, hard hit percentage, and extension.
Peralta is also almost unbelievably inexpensive, set to make just $8 million in 2026 in what is his final year before free agency.
Sep 4, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Freddy Peralta (51) reacts after striking out Philadelphia Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm (not pictured) with the bases loaded in the fourth inning at American Family Field. / Benny Sieu - Imagn Images
CONS
There is no guarantee the Brewers will trade Peralta, so the Mets hitching their wagon to that possibility could be fruitless.
But the Brewers have often dealt players who are entering their walk year, and in some cases have traded key players with more team control than that.
They traded pending free agent Corbin Burnes during the 2023-24 offseason and pending free agent Devin Williams last offseason. At the 2022 trade deadline, the Brewers dealt Josh Hader to the Padres when he still had a year and change of team control remaining.
If Milwaukee makes Peralta available, though, it could cost a ton to acquire him.
It's very rare to be able to get a pitcher of Peralta's caliber on such a team-friendly contract, meaning it will likely require the Mets parting with a package of players it would pain them to surrender.
There's also the risk of giving up a huge package for what could amount to just one year of Peralta's services.
Looking at Peralta the pitcher, there really aren't many red flags.
His walk rate is a tick high and he doesn't induce many ground balls. But that's pretty much it.
VERDICT
David Stearns is obviously very familiar with Peralta from his time with Milwaukee, which can't hurt.
And if the Mets are unable to pry Tarik Skubal from the Tigers, Peralta -- or Joe Ryan of the Twins, or Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins -- should be the fallback plan.
LAS VEGAS — The annual General Managers Meetings mostly are about laying the groundwork for moves that might happen later in the offseason, but the Giants made a minor trade Tuesday on the first full day of the event in Las Vegas.
San Francisco acquired right-handed pitching prospect Logan Martin from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for right-hander Mason Black, who had been designated for assignment last week after a couple of waiver claims. Black will get an opportunity to try and contribute in the American League, while the Giants get a 24-year-old who does not have to take up a spot on their 40-man roster and potentially can help down the line.
“We had to make a decision on Mason and we’re fortunate to get an arm-strength starter back in the system,” general manager Zack Minasian said Tuesday morning.
Martin, a 12th-rounder out of Kentucky in 2023, pitched in High-A last season, posting a 3.45 ERA across 22 starts. He has a 3.49 ERA in three minor-league seasons, although his strikeout rate has dipped in Single-A. Martin, who relies primarily on a mid-90s four-seamer and a cutter, currently is pitching in the Arizona Fall League.
The Giants have tried to add young pitching in every deal over the past year and plan to be aggressive in adding depth at all levels this offseason. At the same time as they DFA’d Black, who struggled in his big-league stints, they acquired lefty reliever Reiver Sanmartin from the Cincinnati Reds and outfielder Justin Dean from the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Those two waiver claims were the first for the organization since before the 2025 season. Minasian said the front office liked Sanmartin’s versatility and noted he has big-league experience. Dean joins a crowded outfield group on the 40-man roster, but the Giants consider him to be the best defender of the group and the fastest baserunner. Minasian said adding a lefty relief option and potential bench outfielder “felt like two things that fit the roster at this time.”
“We’re happy to have him on,” he said of Dean, who appeared in the World Series with the Dodgers. “We’ll see what he can do in Arizona (next spring).”
Angels star Mike Trout, right, speaks with Torii Hunter, center, and Jered Weaver, left, before the Angels' 2024 home opener against the Boston Red Sox. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press)
Trout National does not formally open until April. But, when you’re Mike Trout, you can invite your friends to play a couple rounds on the course that carries your name.
And so it was that Trout, the best player in Angels history, last week welcomed Torii Hunter, one of the most popular and respected players in Angels history. The course, designed by Tiger Woods and his team, is located in Trout’s hometown of Millville, N.J., and includes a refueling stop in “a concrete bunker tucked behind the 14th tee and styled like a classic baseball dugout.”
Said Hunter: “It’s a great course.”
Hunter could have managed his former teammate next season, had the Angels chosen him to replace Ron Washington. However, for the second time in three years, the Angels interviewed Hunter for their managerial vacancy and then hired someone else — this time, former Angels catcher Kurt Suzuki.
Hunter, speaking Monday at Pelican Hill Golf Club in Newport Coast before a fundraiser for Major League Baseball’s Urban Youth Academy in Compton, said he interviewed with Angels general manager Perry Minasian.
Hunter said he believed Suzuki would do well in the position and had no hard feelings about the process.
“It was a great interview,” Hunter said. “We had a good talk. It just didn’t work out.
“The opportunity presented itself. They were looking for a manager, and they decided to interview me for the job. They told me to.
“I still love the Angels. That’s why I did it. That's why I wanted to do it.”
He felt the same way about his original team, the Minnesota Twins. He said he “put my name in the hat” for the Twins’ managerial vacancy and had informal discussions with the team, but no formal interview.
Hunter declined to discuss details of his interview with Minasian.
The Angels have baseball’s longest playoff drought, now at 11 years, and have finished in last place in back-to-back seasons. Hunter said prospects need to get to Anaheim and start playing with the young players already there.
“I think those guys have got a couple of years under their belts,” he said. “It’s time to go out there and really compete.”
The Angels’ minor league system is widely regarded as one of baseball's thinnest. Hunter, who worked as a special assistant to Minasian last season, said he sees a fair amount of talent at the lower levels of the system.
“Maybe they don’t win the World Series next year,” Hunter said. “Maybe they don't go to the playoffs.
“A shift in the team dynamic depends on the pieces that they add. But, in the next two years, you’re going to see these guys, and they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.”
Hunter said he is unsure yet whether his business interests — he owns five restaurants and two coffee shops, in addition to commercial real estate investments — will allow him to continue as an Angels special assistant. He hopes to do so.
“I love Kurt Suzuki,” Hunter said. “I played with him with the Twins in 2015, and I played against him forever. I love everything about him. I would love to be there to help him along the way if I can.”
Suzuki agreed to a one-year contract, which puts him in the uncomfortable position of being a lame duck before he manages his first game.
“I think he’ll be fine,” Hunter said. “You’ve got to give him time, and a chance to get to know the fellas. The guy is smart, he’s intelligent, he’s got great relationship skills. So, be patient.”
Running it back. Three words Phillies fans are tired of hearing.
The Phils have reached the postseason for four straight years, and for four straight years, they’ve come up short. They shocked everyone with a run to the 2022 World Series, only to fall to the Astros in six games. When a core stays together that long – and produces a similar ending each October – change becomes expected.
Yet 15 players on the 2025 Opening Day roster were also on the 2022 team. It’s a battle-tested group, but the results are stale.
Even after a 96-win season, urgency hangs over the franchise because of one unavoidable obstacle in the National League:
The Dodgers.
Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell – their star power feels endless, especially after winning back-to-back World Series titles.
In 2024, their rotation fell apart with injuries to Tyler Glasnow, Tony Gonsolin, Dustin May and Emmett Sheehan. It didn’t matter. They slugged their way to a championship.
In 2025, the script flipped. This time, the Dodgers were healthy but their bats went cold. Again, it didn’t matter. Yamamoto carried them. He made five postseason starts, threw two complete games – the first pitcher to do that since 2001 – and posted a 1.45 ERA. After throwing 96 pitches in Game 6, he still came out of the bullpen in the Game 7 finale and tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings. World Series MVP was an automatic for the second-year right-hander.
President of Baseball Operations Dave Dombrowski put it bluntly when asked about L.A. at the end-of-season presser:
“The Dodgers have a really good club … We battled them, and I think we’re in the same neighborhood – but we didn’t beat them and we have work to do in order to do that.”
Now, it’s clear. If the Phillies want to win a championship, the path runs directly through Los Angeles – the team that eliminated them in the NLDS this past season.
So how do they change their identity? It’s challenging to pinpoint, but there are a number of options the Phillies could pick from.
Starpower: Ketel Marte
Credit: Denis Poroy – Imagn Images
On Monday, Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported that the Diamondbacks are “motivated” to trade three-time All-Star Ketel Marte.
He’s coming off another elite year in Arizona, slashing .283/.376/.517 with 28 doubles and 28 homers in 126 games. It marked his third straight season with at least 25 home runs, 60 walks and 70 RBIs. The 32-year-old has cemented himself as the best at his position.
The switch-hitting Marte is the kind of hitter who changes a lineup overnight. In 2025, he posted an .891 OPS vs. lefties and .893 vs. righties, offering zero platoon vulnerability. His contract is just as appealing: six years left (player option in 2031), roughly $19 million AAV and only $28 million over the next two seasons.
Trading for him wouldn’t prevent the Phillies from spending elsewhere – including a potential Kyle Schwarber reunion.
He’s performed against the team that matters. Marte has a career .290 average and .804 OPS versus the Dodgers. And over the last two seasons, he’s slashed .321/.418/.560.
He’s also been a standout performer in October. In 21 postseason games, he’s hit .344 with a .974 OPS and 13 extra-base hits.
Acquiring Marte would take real capital. The deal starts with one of Aidan Miller or Andrew Painter plus infielder Bryson Stott, who is under control through 2027. It would be uncomfortable, but it’s a move that could change everything for the Phils.
Shuffle the pieces and add
Credit: Bill Streicher – Imagn Images
Bryce Harper has been at the center of conversation this offseason – both for production and for where he plays. Dombrowski made one thing clear after questioning Harper’s “elite” status during his media session: he views Harper as the first baseman going forward.
But if Harper moved back to right field, everything opens up. And if defense is the concern for a 33-year-old Harper in the outfield, the Phillies just played 33-year-old Nick Castellanos out there – who posted a league-low -12 outs above average.
Returning Harper to the outfield gives the Phillies the freedom to chase a middle-of-the-order bat at first base.
Pete Alonso should be the first call.
Alonso tallied 264 homers and 712 RBIs in seven seasons with the Mets. Drop that kind of production behind Harper and pitchers have no escape route. And if the Phillies brought back Schwarber too?
A top four of Trea Turner, Schwarber, Harper and Alonso truly gives you a solid chance against Los Angeles in a playoff series.
The championship window isn’t closed – but it’s not open forever. If the Phillies want to win with this core, adding another star or two to Harper and Turner is how you do it.
Lean into the youth
Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel – Imagn Images
Miller, Justin Crawford and Painter could push their way to the majors in 2026 and the Phillies might just open the door.
Dombrowski hinted that they could force their way onto the roster. “There will be some people we’re open-minded to being with our big-league club next year coming out of spring training,” he said. “Justin Crawford is one of them. Painter’s another one… I wouldn’t even preclude Aidan Miller from being that type of guy.”
Miller, 21, put together an .864 OPS with 43 extra-base hits and 59 steals in 2025. He’s only played shortstop in the minors, but if the Phillies view him as an option at second or third, it gives them flexibility to move either Stott or Alec Bohm – who enters his final year of arbitration.
Crawford brings contact and speed the Phillies haven’t had in their outfield. He hit .334 with 46 steals last season. The Crawford-Miller combination introduces something this core could use more of: true athleticism.
Painter remains the biggest wild card. After missing two full seasons recovering from Tommy John surgery, he returned in 2025 with command issues. But his stuff hasn’t gone anywhere. A fastball that touches triple digits with that size and extension isn’t common, and the Phillies know it.
There’s another arm quickly rising: Gage Wood. Their 2025 first-round pick threw a no-hitter in the College World Series and struck out 69 batters in 37 2/3 innings in his final year at Arkansas. He could make his way to the majors.
Leaning into youth could also mean acquiring young, controllable talent at a position of need – like catcher. That could include Baltimore’s All-Star Adley Rutschman, Seattle’s top catching prospect Harry Ford or prospects Carter Jensen and Blake Mitchell in Kansas City.
New blood doesn’t eliminate offseason splash moves. It complements them. And it could force evolution in Philadelphia.
Dombrowski summed it up best. “We have a good club with a lot of good players, but you don’t have unlimited [funds] … We will be open-minded to get better and make moves.”
The Dodgers aren’t slowing down and the Phillies can’t either.
Whether it’s starpower, restructuring the roster or giving the youth a chance to start, standing still isn’t an option — not when the team you’re chasing keeps hoisting the Commissioner’s Trophy.
