(Refresh for updates throughout the day)
First off, it never gets old looking at that shiny trophy:
Word from the bossman:
Our contract/payroll situation:
Outside of Glasnow, 2027 is going to be the final year we're going to be able to keep the band together. Wander (whom I will see if I can extend of course), Brandon Marsh, Keston Hiura, Matt Manning, Jose Alvarado, and Jasseel De La Cruz will all become free agents after the season. Thanks to the payroll increase, I'll have at least $20M to play with. Alec Bohm gets non-tendered or traded so there's about $3M freed up and Mitchell White is a bit of a question mark, which would free up $6M. Right now the rotation is McClanahan/Manning/Anglin/Little/5th starter. Asa Lacy has the inside track but Jack Leiter is probably ready and Andy Aparicio is knocking on the door.
As for the 8 bullpen spots, De La Cruz, Alvarado, Hendriks, Casey, Ashby, Godwin have 6 of them nailed down. I like Hayden Johns as #7, leaving either an acquisition or someone from the Austin Vernon/Luke Little/DL Hall/Nick Frasso group. Might also try and re-sign Ben Bowden.
As the bats go, all the current starters (counting Casas at 1B) + Patrick Bailey + Nick Gonzales look set, so that's 12 spots. Jhon Diaz is ready but Bramdon Perez certainly has earned the right to the backup OF spot as well. There could be a trade in here somewhere.
November 9: Traded 26-year-old minor league reliever Jimmy Lewis to the Houston Astros, getting 23-year-old minor league closer Mike Hamlin in return.
Lewis was eligible to be a minor league free agent and didn't want to re-sign, so off to Houston he goes for 2025 draftee Hamlin who's an interesting guy, a heavy groundballer with great movement. If he get his control from his current 40 to his potential 50 he could be useful. I wouldn't be shocked to see Lewis in Houston's rotation next year, they had a terrible year this past season.
Some big news:
Mac joins Keibert Ruiz and Vidal Brujan as key pieces extended through 2029. It's only buying out one free agent year but I don't like giving contracts longer than 3 years to pitchers.
In the least-surprising news of the offseason:
What a way to go out as a Ray, winning the pitching triple crown, the Cy Young and his 3rd World Series. It's been a great ride, Tyler Glasnow, and best of luck to you with your new team (unless it's in the AL East).
November 29: Non-tendered P Mitchell White and 1B Alec Bohm; added P Jack Leiter and OF Julio Cedillo to the 40-man roster.
White was going to get $6M in arbitration, which is way too much to pay a long reliever. Bohm lost his job last year so no surprise there. Brandon Marsh showed no interest in a contract extension beyond this season, so Cedillo should be our CF of the future. He hit 348/404/466 as a 21-year-old at Durham last year and has more power than the 2 HR he hit. He'll make an ideal #9 hitter to slot in for Marsh and he's a 70 CF.
December 8:
Texas Rangers: Signed free agent RF Dylan Carlson to a 4-year contract worth a total of $93,200,000.
Milwaukee Brewers: Signed free agent 3B Nolan Arenado to a 3-year contract worth a total of $56,400,000.
The first two big free agents sign. I remember a few years ago the Cards offered me Carlson for Ronaldo Hernandez and I turned them down because Carlson was coming off a down year and he hadn't hit lefties well. Probably a mistake in retrospect but I did end up getting Jack Leiter as part of a Hernandez deal and could use the pitching more than another OF bat these days. I tried trading for Arenado near the deadline last year as a rental but he exercised his 10/5 rights, I was going to put him at 3B (and for once have great D there), move Tork to 1B and make Hiura the DH. Turned out we won the WS anyway so no regrets there.
December 9:
Well I really didn't want to see this:
Shades of David Price, although he was traded first. So we're going to face him up to 6 times next season, yipee! It'll be interesting to see how long he maintains this level given that he's already 33 and has a little bit of an injury history which is why I was never going to extend him long-term this time. At least he didn't go to Baltimore. And we do get a 1st round comp pick of course.
December 14: Traded LHP Luke Little to the Arizona Diamondbacks for LHP Mike Bayley; activated P Dean Christidis from the 60-day IL, designated P Austin Vernon for assignment and placed him on waivers.
Some moves around the fringes of the pitching staff but I'm excited to get Bayley, who pitched briefly for the D-backs last year and was the 14th overall pick in 2024. Here are his details, and he stands a very good chance of making the team next year:
Opted for Christidis over Vernon on the 40-man, especially considering how horrible Vernon was in his September callup.
December 15: Cubs sign Austin Hays to a 6/78 deal. Glad he's gone off Baltimore.
December 16: Kansas City claimed Auston Vernon on waivers. Good luck with him, they had brief success with claiming Drew Strotman a couple of years back before he fell off a cliff.