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In true Chris Getz fashion, the White Sox are once again in a position that warrants more questions than answers. On a cold and random late January night, the Sox dealt Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets for prospects Luisangel Acuña and Truman Pauley. This trade is anything but straightforward, so let’s dive into it.

Financials

The Sox set themselves up for plenty of economic flexibility. With New York footing the bill for Robert’s $20 million option exercised in November, Chicago won’t risk overpaying a player who slashed .223/.288/.372 in 210 games over the last two seasons. In most circumstances, this financial relief would be welcome. But the Sox aren’t like most teams. 

Although Getz hinted that the Sox will spend their freed-up $20 million on players, fans know better than to set their expectations too high. Realistically, rather than pursuing qualified free agents, Jerry Reinsdorf will put roughly $17 million toward Munetaka Murakami’s contract this year — one that required a hard sell from Getz and Brooks Boyer — and likely spend the remaining $3 million on a pair of one-year relievers.

While dealing Robert makes economic sense, money shouldn’t be the sole driver of trades.

Return

Acuña headlines a lackluster trade package that doesn’t immediately remedy the South Siders’ needs. Acuña, MLB’s No. 66 overall prospect in 2024, is best known for his glove and quickness on the base paths. He paired 60-grade speed with impact defense, generating four baserunning runs in 2025 and posting a +2 fielding run value and three Outs Above Average in 2024. For him to stay in The Show, Chicago must help Acuña improve the quality of his contact, which dropped significantly last season to under 5% for solid and barrel events. Though he didn’t blow anyone out of the water in 2025 with his production (.234/.293/.274 in 95 games), Acuña has proven he can be a faster version of Brooks Baldwin. 

Pauley has more unknowns but leaves fans with plenty of wishful thinking. His stats shouldn’t be heavily weighed in his evaluation, as he has tallied fewer than 50 games between two years of summer and college ball, plus half a season in Single-A. However, the 20 inches of vertical break on his fastball puts the pitch’s dominance in the conversation with hurlers like Chris Sale and Logan Webb, which may be a strong sign of future success if he can keep it in the zone.

Acuña and Pauley both bring plenty of unlocked potential to a team that still needs to prove it can successfully develop players.

Short-Term

It’s hard to see how the Sox took a strong step in their rebuild with this trade. Although no one expected them to get an All-Star after Robert’s career-low production, they also didn’t acquire a dependable player that can slot in right field for over 100 games. Another concern with bringing in an inexperienced utility player like Acuña is that it will be hard to guarantee him enough playing time to justify trading away a starter. While Robert’s various injuries sidelined him for 62 games, it will be much harder to carve out a spot for Acuña with several other qualified bench players chomping at the bit for a starting job. In terms of immediate impact, Acuña and Pauley won’t increase the win total dramatically if at all.

Long-Term

The best way to spin this trade is that the Sox are preparing to be in their prime by 2028, which is earlier than many expected. Chicago added depth to a team whose shallow end of the pool is overcrowded, but they’re starting to push their young guys closer to the deep end with every at-bat. With a surplus of prospects and an abundance of infielders, the Sox can quickly make a few trades to propel them from a fringe playoff contender to a dominant division threat in the next two years, especially if the Chicago takes Roch Cholowsky 1/1 in the 2026 draft.

Overall

For the first time in nearly a decade, the White Sox are straddling the immediate and long-term future rather than past and present. While this is refreshing, patience is still key for a team whose payroll always sits in the bottom third of the league. 

Grade: B

26. Cole Messina (86 points, 14 ballots)

Cole Messina is the only catcher we’ve got on this Purple Row Prospects list, so it’s a good thing the Rockies have All-Star Hunter Goodman manning the position right now. As a prospect, Messina combines decent plate discipline with good power potential and leadership qualities behind the dish.

The 22-year-old 6’0”, 230-pound righty, who signed for a slot bonus of just over $1 million after getting picked 77th overall in 2024, came to the Rockies after two-straight successful years in the toughest conference in NCAA baseball at South Carolina. He wasn’t the only Messina selected in the 2024 draft — his brother Carson, a pitcher, was picked in the 12th round by the Toronto Blue Jays.

After barely playing as a freshman in 2022, Messina was impressive in the college wood bat Northwoods summer league (.893 OPS). He came back to Columbia his sophomore year and took hold of the starting catcher job. In 2023 he had 17 HR among his 36 XBH in 285 PA with a .307/.428/.615 line for the Gamecocks to earn first team All-SEC honors. Though he had to settle for second team All-SEC in 2024, Messina’s .326/.465/.701 line with 21 HR in 286 PA was an improvement across the board offensively.

The Rockies assigned Messina to High-A Spokane, where he was 1.5 years younger than league average. There he formed a battery with Colorado’s 2023 third rounder (and HM PuRP) Jack Mahoney, who was also drafted from South Carolina. Messina had a mess of a debut season offensively, hitting just .140/.232/.220 with a homer and a double in 56 plate appearances, which is an anemic 33 wRC+.

In 2025, Messina was sent back to Spokane as a league average aged player. He had more success offensively a second time around, hitting .259/.358/.382 with seven homers among his 31 extra-base hits in 374 plate appearances while walking in 12% of PA, good for a near league average 96 wRC+. He caught 83 games, committing 11 errors with 12 passed balls while throwing out 39% of would-be base thieves. In the final week of the year, Messina moved up to Double-A Hartford for a three game cameo, adding two singles in ten plate appearances.

There isn’t a whole lot of recent video on Messina out there, so enjoy this game-tying ninth-inning homer in the 2024 NCAA regionals:

MLB.com ranks Messina 25th in the system as a 40 FV prospect (he was 100th overall on their draft board):

Messina is a strong right-handed hitter who put up those good power numbers despite struggling with his approach during his junior season. There was a lot more swing-and-miss overall compared to his 2023 campaign, with higher whiff rates against fastballs than previously, and he’s always had a hard time with softer stuff. There’s plenty of power for him to tap into, especially to the pull side, and he may always have a power-over-hit approach with some walks thrown in.

With a take-charge attitude behind the plate, Messina has the right mentality to catch at the next level. He’s a solid receiver with an average arm and shows enough agility to block well even though he’s not fleet afoot.

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Messina 19th in the system last February:

Colorado’s third-round pick in 2024 has plus power and a big body already, so catching is going to require some body maintenance going forward. I don’t love the setup at the plate, as his hands are high and his bat is behind his body, so his path to the ball is longer and uses up too much time; he could benefit from dropping his hands the way Condon and Thomas did in their draft years. His defense behind the plate is already fringy, and if he gets any bigger he’ll have to move to first.

Baseball Prospectus listed Messina as a “person of interest” last January:

A bat-first college catcher who mashed for the Gamecocks the last two seasons, Messina made some defensive improvements last season, but the setup and swing is very reminiscent of Kevin Parada’s and Messina has struggled against non-fastballs at times. His poor post-draft showing in the Northwest League didn’t assuage the offensive concerns, but as third-round college catchers go, he was a reasonable pick.

Messina was listed as a prospect of note by Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs last January:

Messina got a shade over $1 million as Colorado’s third rounder in 2024. He has above-average power, but I was bearish on his hit tool and defensive fit prior to the draft, and Messina didn’t do anything in pro ball to dissuade me from that notion.

First of all, if this isn’t Messina’s MLB walk-up song, I’m going to be disappointed. Messina has a path to a big league role ahead of him given the dearth of catching prospects in the upper minors for the Rockies (though I prefer Bryant Betancourt).

Messina could be a strong offensive player given his plate discipline and power potential, though because he hasn’t gotten that power into games it won’t work as a profile if Messina can’t stay behind the plate. The scouts seem to think the work ethic is there to do it though and the other intangibles are lauded as well. I’m not yet a believer and he wasn’t particularly close to making my list as a 35 FV player. If Messina can hit well against Double-A pitching in 2026, I’ll re-evaluate.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Hello folks! It’s been a busy few days in the baseball world. Let’s recap all of the latest happenings as you get your day started.

In Mariners news…

• David Adler outlined what makes Gabe Speier such an important piece of the Team USA roster.

Around the league…

• The Mets made their second major move in a 24-hour span, acquiring right-hander Freddy Peralta from the Brewers for infielder Jett Williams and righties Brandon Sproat and Tobias Myers.
• Cody Bellinger re-signed with the Yankees on a five-year, $162.5M deal that includes a pair of opt-outs.
• The Angels re-upped with third baseman Yoán Moncada on a one-year, $4M deal.
• In a minor swap, the Twins acquired infielder Tristan Gray from the Red Sox for catching prospect Nate Baez.
• The Cardinals hired franchise legend Yadier Molina as a special assistant to the president of baseball operations.
• Giants outfielder Jung Hoo Lee was held in (and released from) detainment at Los Angeles International Airport due to an immigration issue.
• Baseball America unveiled its ranking of the top 100 prospects in the sport heading into the 2026 season. ($)
• Zach Crizer gave his very measured take on the state of labor in baseball right now with a lockout looming next winter.

Morning everyone!

Recently we’ve been hearing more and more whispers about the A’s looking to add some more certainty to the lineup. First we got the news that the front office was kicking the tires on a potential Miguel Andujar reunion, followed by a scuttled trade for future Hall of Famer Nolan Arenado. After being left at the altar by Nolan, the team was a speculative candidate to dip their toes back into the free agent pool of remaining third basemen. The two specific names mentioned in Ken Rosenthal’s report were former Mariner Eugenio Suarez and former Angel YoanMoncada. Both fit the A’s need at third base and with the season creeping closer both teams and players will soon need to make decisions.

Well you can cross one of those speculative fits off the board. Moncada yesterday evening re-upped with the Angels, agreeing to a modest one year, $4 million contract for the upcoming campaign:

That’s a contract that the A’s easily could have outbid if they really wanted Moncada, especially after the Arenado report indicated the Athletics were prepared to take on a substantial amount of money in the scuttled deal. That can really only mean three things:

1. The A’s believe that Moncada, who has been repeatedly injured throughout his career, is simply not worth that “large” of an investment. The front office truly believes that their in-house options (Max Muncy, DarellHernaiz, Brett Harris) will perform as well or better than Moncada at a fraction of the rate.
2. There could perhaps be other negotiations going on right now that we aren’t aware of, and Moncada simply took the offer in hand. That could mean either trade talks or contract negotiations for the A’s but they waited around too long for him.
3. Moncada just didn’t want to come here, no matter what we offered and playing time be damned.

Any of those could be true, but I’d lean towards Option 2. The A’s are still looking for upgrades if the Arenado deal was indeed about to happen. Adding him wouldn’t have changed the heart of the batting order, but it certainly would have elevated the floor of the production coming out of the hot corner. Add in the positive influence a guy like him could have had on Jacob Wilson and Nick Kurtz, and the appeal is obvious.

Moncada never really felt like the type of player that really changes the outlook at third base though. While he could have another fine season at the plate his overall production probably won’t be the difference between the A’s and a chance at the playoffs. The most likely outcome is that he’s a solid batter when healthy, but just can’t stay healthy. If the A’s do end up running out of options for an upgrade over the guys here, then they might as well roll the dice and see if a Muncy or Hernaiz or Harris can break out. It’s not worth blocking that chance for a minimal upgrade in Moncada.

This could all be sour grapes but he was truly at the bottom of the list in terms of potential additions. The team is running out of legitimate upgrade options though and the past few days have made it much more likely our starter at third base on Opening Day is already on the roster. The trade market seems like the only path now for an upgrade at third base.

Have another great day everyone. And don’t forget to vote in today’s Round 2 of our CPL!

A’s Coverage:

• A’s 2026 Community Prospect List: Here We Go!
• A’s prospect Mason Barnett has an atypical arm angle and an old school approach
• A’s spend weekend embracing Sacramento supporters
• Former A’s great Eric Chavez says Dodgers “might be the best team ever constructed”
• A’s had deal in place for Nolan Arenado prior to D-Backs trade
• Happy 104th, Betty White!
• Polarizing Prospects: #2, Junior Perez
• A’s land 3 of MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 international prospects
• Athletics hire former Rockies GM Bill Schmidt as Special Assistant
• Party Like It’s 1981! Why A “Split Season” Is The Way To Go
• A’s excited by lefty prospect Lin, a ‘Taiwanese Snellzilla”

MLB News and Interest:

• Mets acquire starting pitcher Freddy Peralta in trade with Brewers
• Yankees, Cody Bellinger agree to five year, $162.5 million contract
• Mets trade for White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
• Angels re-sign third baseman Yoan Moncada
• Mets add to bullpen depth, sign Luis Garcia to one-year deal
• Is MLB parity possible without a salary cap?
• Today in baseball history

Best of X:

Three top-100’s!

Considering how deep shortstop is right now, #4 ain’t too bad, Leo:

Amazing how far we’ve come…

#2 prospect in the system?

Tough to see but more progress is being made on the new stadium:

The Yankees teams of the 1980s were a relative wasteland in the context of the franchise’s history. They made the playoffs just twice right at the beginning of the decade before falling into an extended stretch of inconsequentiality (though they did have a tough 97-win situation in 1985 that was only good for second). However, those opening years of the decade offered a glimmer of hope with a promising crop of prospects emerging on the farm, one of whom was Brian Dayett.

Brian Kelly Dayett
Born: January 22, 1957 (New London, CT)
Died: September 7, 2025 (Winchester, TN)
Yankees Tenure: 1983-84

Dayett was born in January 1957 in New London, CT, and grew up in nearby Deep River. Despite his underwhelming size in high school, Dayett was an accomplished multi-sport athlete, but it was clear that baseball was his future. In the span of two weeks in 1975, Dayett hit for the cycle before tossing a 16-strikeout no-hitter. Following his graduation, he went to play third base for coach Norm Kaye at St. Leo University in Florida. A year later, the Yankees selected him in the 16th round of that June’s 1978 MLB Draft.

He was assigned to the Oneonta Yankees of the short-season New York-Penn League, where he batted .309 with 11 home runs and 22 stolen bases in 68 games in 1978. That year, Dayett played third, first, and even caught 26 games as the organization initially had trouble finding a spot for him defensively. He was called up to the Double-A Nashville Sounds in 1980 where he joined an exciting core of prospects that included Don Mattingly, Steve Balboni, Buck Showalter, Willie McGee, Max Winters, Otis Nixon and Rex Hudler, all playing under the management of Stump Merrill.

Willie McGee was so quick and had such a strong arm. Otis Nixon was a speedster. You knew his speed was going to get him to the big leagues. Mattingly was a self-made player who got himself stronger and a better hitter. He worked very hard everyday with a great work ethic.

In 1981, Dayett was the starting third baseman for Nashville, but found that his hitting was suffering. At the suggestion of coach Ed Napoleon, Dayett began to learn left field, and by 1982 he was a full-time left fielder for Nashville. That season, Dayett earned the Southern League MVP after tying with Balboni for the most home runs in the league with 34, and won the Southern League championship with a two-out, 13th-inning walk-off home run with Showalter on base. The following season, he was called up to Triple-A Columbus, where he again won the league’s MVP after smashing an International League-leading 35 home runs. Because of the surprising power generated from his smaller frame, Dayett earned the nickname “Bam-Bam” around this time.

That September when rosters expanded, Dayett got his first call-up to the big leagues. He made his MLB debut on September 11, 1983, pinch-hitting for Omar Moreno against the Orioles, and got a hit in his first big league AB.

Mike Flanagan of the Orioles had an 0-2 count on me. I battled back and got a hit up the middle past Cal Ripken, Jr.

He would go 6-for-29 in 11 games in that cup of coffee. Dayett was poised to break camp with the big-league squad in 1984 but suffered a hip-flexor injury at the start of the campaign. Lou Piniella was supposed to retire around that time, but he stuck around for a few months in 1984 until Dayett returned from injury. Piniella was then able to retire and became the Yankees’ hitting coach with Dayett crediting him as a mentor.

Dayett found opportunities hard to come by that season given the outfield logjam of Dave Winfield, Omar Moreno, Steve Kemp, Ken Griffey, Don Baylor and Oscar Gamble. However, he did manage to appear in 64 games and hit his first big league home run on June 22, 1984, again off of Orioles pitcher Mike Flanagan. He finished the year batting .244/.295/.402 with four home runs and 23 RBIs.

During that December’s winter meetings, Dayett and pitcher Ray Fontenot were traded to the Cubs for for Henry Cotto, Ron Hassey, Rich Bordi, and Porfi Altamirano. Injuries again hampered the start of his season, bone spurs in both ankles limiting him to a bench role for the first three months. He hit a pinch-hit grand slam off 20-game winner Tom Browning in May of 1985. He was slated to take over as the Cubs’ starting left fielder in 1987, but they then signed Andre Dawson in free agency, and Dayett was relegated to splitting time with Rafael Palmeiro, Jerry Mumphrey, Bob Dernier and Dave Martinez. All the same, he appeared in a career-high 97 games, slashing .277/.348/.452 with five home runs, three of which came off of Astros pitcher Bob Knepper.

That winter, the Cubs sold Dayett’s contract to the Nippon Ham Fighters of NPB, where he signed a four-year, $3.75 million contract. He knew the general manager of the team, Tak Kojima, from their shared time with the Yankees. Injuries cropped up again in Japan, causing Kojima to lose his job as Dayett was his second American signing to get injured.

Dayett retired from professional baseball following the 1991 season and took several management jobs in Independent baseball. Between 2002 and 2014, he served as a minor-league hitting coach in the Astros’ and Rangers’ systems, before Parkinson’s disease forced him to retire. He passed away from the disease at the age of 68 in Winchester, TN, just before the beginning of autumn last year on September 7, 2025.

Dayett was a promising minor league player whose power tantalized. However, a string of unfortunate injuries in combination with competition for playing time prevented him from ever putting together a consistent stretch of starts, and you wonder if he could have reached his full potential with some better luck.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

When discussion about a Freddy Peralta trade came up during the offseason, there was one consistent message sent with any rumor: If the Brewers decide to trade Peralta, they were not just looking at prospects. They wanted MLB-ready talent that would be under team control for several years. In their trade with the Mets for Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat, they got what they wanted (even if it meant trading Tobias Myers as well). Both players are top talents who are ready to impact the major-league team immediately.

Let’s start with Williams. His natural position is shortstop, but because he was behind Francisco Lindor in the Mets organizational depth chart, he likely wasn’t going to break into the majors there. As a result, he had been splitting time between second base, shortstop, and center field in the minors. In Milwaukee, he will have a better chance to grab the shortstop job competing against Joey Ortiz. The problem is that there’s also competition behind Williams. In the Brewers’ list of MLB Pipeline prospects for 2025 (which now includes Williams), the top four prospects (Jesús Made, Luis Peña, Williams, and Cooper Pratt) all can play shortstop. Even if Williams grabs the shortstop job in 2026, he could quickly lose it as soon as Made is ready to come to the majors. Not only that, but Brice Turang has a solid grip on second base, taking a potential spot away there as well.

However, this is where his flexibility can help in the Brewers’ system. The Brewers’ outfield could use a boost as well. While Jackson Chourio and Sal Frelick are both locked in to starting jobs in the outfield, neither is a strong center fielder. Both can cover center well, but would benefit more from remaining in the corners. Blake Perkins and Garrett Mitchell are the current leaders to start in center. Perkins is an excellent defender but doesn’t offer much for offense. Meanwhile, Mitchell hasn’t shown that he can stay healthy for a full season yet. As for Christian Yelich, he’s basically a full-time designated hitter who might get a few corner outfield starts — and that’s not the ideal alignment. Jake Bauers will get more starts in the outfield than Yelich does. Outfield prospects for the Brewers are thinner, with their top two prospects being Braylon Payne and Luis Lara — both outside the Brewers’ top 10. If the Brewers need coverage in the outfield, Williams has a chance to earn playing time there.

Since Williams hasn’t debuted in the majors yet, a minor league start to the season is likely for him, if only for service-time manipulation. Once Williams debuts, his role will be dependent on what the Brewers need. If Ortiz is struggling at the plate, Williams could be a shortstop. If neither Perkins nor Mitchell step up in the outfield, he could spend time out there. Even in a worst-case scenario, we could see Williams take a role similar to Andruw Monasterio as a utility player for his first season. He could rotate between second, shortstop, and center field, racking up starts as other players get days off. The only concern in that scenario would be a backup for third base, since Williams has not spent any time there.

Meanwhile, Sproat will factor in to the Brewers’ rotation plans almost immediately. His service time is a little tougher to handle, since he recorded 22 days of major league service in 2025. That won’t matter much for the Brewers, though. Rotating through starters with options was a regular occurrence for them, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him on the shuttle between the majors and minors for at least part of the season. Where he starts will depend on what happens during spring training.

Following the departure of Peralta and Myers, here are the potential starters for the Brewers in 2026:

• Brandon Woodruff
• Jacob Misiorowski
• Quinn Priester
• Chad Patrick
• Logan Henderson
• Aaron Ashby
• DL Hall
• Brandon Sproat
• Robert Gasser
• Coleman Crow
• Carlos Rodriguez
• Angel Zerpa

Of those starters, only the top three are locked into starting rotation jobs in 2026. Patrick and Henderson have the early inside track for the other two but aren’t a lock yet. Ashby and Hall are wild cards who could stick to the long-relief role or get a chance to make the rotation. Sproat, Gasser, Crow, and Rodriguez all will fight for jobs, and one or more could force their way into the rotation. I also included Zerpa, who was mentioned as a potential starter when he was acquired.

Here’s one of the most interesting parts of that list. Other than Woodruff, every player on that list has at least one minor league option remaining. Misiorowski and Priester likely won’t be optioned and will be on the team. It’s likely the same with Ashby, who has established himself as a dependable reliever at a minimum. Hall, Rodriguez, and Zerpa each have just one option left. Gasser, Henderson, and Patrick each have two options. Sproat and Crow have a full three options available. If battles are close in camp, those options will play a factor. Players with one option may have a stronger chance to make the team to avoid burning that option right away. On the other side, players with a full three options have significantly more flexibility, and using the option would not hurt it in future seasons.

What that also means is the Brewers can rotate through starters with less concern during the season. Even though that’s a deep list, it may not stay that way. Coming out of camp in 2025, the Brewers’ rotation was decimated by early injuries. Ashby, Myers, and Woodruff all opened the season on the injured list. Aaron Civale joined them a few days into the season, and Nestor Cortes a few days after that. The injuries were so deep that they had to sign Jose Quintana late in camp and then trade for Priester just a week and a half into the season. In total, 18 different pitchers started at least one game for the Brewers in 2025 (including the playoffs). That number is inflated because some were openers — at least four regular relievers (Ashby, Hall, Trevor Megill, and Rob Zastryzny) made a start. Of those 18 pitchers, 10 of them made at least four starts, and that doesn’t include Cortes, who entered the season in the rotation but only made two starts before being traded. The opportunity will be there for Sproat in 2026. Whether he earns a job in camp or starts the season in the minors and comes up to provide midseason depth, he will have a chance to prove himself.

The Brewers did what they wanted in the trade of Peralta and brought in young, MLB-ready talent. Both Williams and Sproat are already ranked high in the Brewers system and ready to play in the majors. We won’t have to wait long to see what they have to offer. They will be a part of the 2026 team, even if it doesn’t happen right away.

The San Diego Padres and catcher Luis Campusano may be in the final weeks and months of their relationship. It also could be extended into the season if Campusano can put together a solid showing in Spring Training that earns him a spot on the Padres’ roster. Freddy Fermin will handle the catching duties as the primary catcher in San Diego, but Thomas Conroy of Gaslamp Ball says president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller should look at adding another catcher to the mix to create some depth at the very least or perhaps solidify the backup role.

Padres News:

• A report from Ken Rosenthal in The Athletic earlier this week named pitchers Lucas Giolito, Nick Martinez and Justin Verlander as possible free agent targets for the Padres. Gaslamp Ball asked its readers which of the three right-handers they would add to the rotation in this week’s Padres Reacts Survey.
• Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune provides the list of player development and minor league coaching assignments that were announced by the organization, Wednesday. Sanders also set his sights on Joe Musgrove, who is returning from Tommy John surgery, for his ongoing review of the San Diego roster.
• Preller has spent the last couple seasons trading away much of his farm system. The depleted system is highlighted with the fact that catcher Ethan Salas is the only Padres prospect to make Baseball America’s top-100 list.
• Fernando Tatis Jr. was named the No. 15 player on MLB Network’s Top 100 Players Right Now list.

Baseball News:

• For the second time in as many days the New York Mets completed a headline trade. The Mets and Milwaukee Brewers agreed to a trade to send ace pitcher Freddy Peralta and pitcher Tobias Myers from Milwaukee to New York in exchange for infield/outfield prospect Jett Williams and pitching prospect Brandon Sproat. The Mets also made a free agent signing, adding reliever Luis Garcia on a one-year deal.
• Cody Bellinger and the New York Yankees finally reached common ground and the top remaining free agent position player agreed to a five-year, $162.5 million deal to bring him back to New York.
• Kyle Tucker, Bo Bichette and Ranger Suarez were introduced as new members of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Mets and Boston Red Sox, respectively, Wednesday.
• The Red Sox made a trade with the Minnesota Twins to add minor league catcher Nate Baez in exchange for infielder Tristan Gray.
• Free agent Yoan Moncado and the Los Angeles Angels agreed to a one-year deal that will bring him back to Los Angeles for the 2026 season.
• Game times for World Baseball Classic and Spring Breakout were released, Wednesday.

Prospect season continues and with it, Baseball Prospectus has published their list of the top 20 prospects in the Tampa Bay Rays system entering the 2026 season.

1. Carson Williams
2. Brody Hopkins
3. Theo Gillen
4. Ty Johnson
5. Daniel Pierce
6. Anderson Brito
7. Slater de Brun
8. T.J. Nichols
9. Michael Forret
10. Jose Urbina

There are some suprises on the list as Baseball Prospectus is much higher on Ty Johnson than other prospect sites (other than our own, which ranked Ty Johnson our No. 5 prospect last week), most notably Baseball America where he was ranked 22nd.

Some recently acquired prospects have provided some juice to the system: Slater de Brun cracks the top ten and is ranked the highest of any player the Rays acquired in the Shane Baz deal; Michael Forret, also acquired in that trade, is 9th. Anderson Brito, whom the Rays acquired on the same day in the Brandon Lowe swap, is ranked 6th.

Jose Urbina slots in at 10th after being ranked 19th by Baseball America. Sitting just outside the top ten is outfielder Jacob Melton, who is ranked 11th and highly regarded.

At the top of the list, sits Carson Williams, whom Baseball Prospectus still believes in despite his reputation for “walking a knife’s edge of offensive production.” Carson Williams had fallen from the top spot on the Rays list for several publications although he was recently considered one of the top shortstop prospects in baseball.