Pirates Trade Justin Lawrence To Twins
The Twins announced they’ve acquired reliever Justin Lawrence from the Pirates for cash. Pittsburgh designated the right-hander for assignment last week. Minnesota already had an opening on the 40-man roster and doesn’t need to make a corresponding move tonight.
Lawrence is out of minor league options, so the Twins will need to add him to the MLB roster. They’ll need to demote a pitcher once he reports to the team. Taylor Rogers, Anthony Banda and Yoendrys Gómez are Minnesota’s three in-house relievers who can’t be optioned.
It’s the latest dart throw for a patchwork Minnesota bullpen. Twins relievers are 25th in ERA and 29th in strikeout rate (above only the Nationals). They also had one of the highest walk rates in May. That was expected given the personnel, as the Twins have done very little to replace the various relievers they shipped out at last year’s deadline.
Lawrence is a 31-year-old sinkerballer who carries a 5.32 earned run average across 22 innings this season. He has a league average 23.6% strikeout rate against an elevated 11.3% walk percentage. Lawrence sits in the mid-90s with his fastball and has a swing-and-miss breaking ball. He has been held back by below-average command and missed the bulk of the 2025 season due to elbow inflammation.
Minnesota assumes the approximate $800K remaining on Lawrence’s $1.225MM arbitration salary. He’d be under club control for another two seasons if he pitches well enough to hold his roster spot.
Pirates Reinstate Carmen Mlodzinski From Restricted List
June 1: Pittsburgh reinstated Mlodzinski from the restricted list during Monday’s off day, reports Jason Mackey of MLB.com. The right-hander tells Mackey he did not consider a trade request and will be available to pitch out of the bullpen for tomorrow’s series opener in Houston.
“I want to do what’s best to help us win baseball games,” Mlodzinski told MLB.com. “Being around these guys, this team, it’s a pretty cool group to be a part of. Of course I want to start and will always want that, but winning games takes precedence.”
May 31: In an unexpected move, the Pirates placed right-hander Carmen Mlodzinski on the team’s restricted list today. Righty Cam Sanders was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis to take Mlodzinski’s spot on the active roster, and Pittsburgh now has an open spot on its 40-man roster.
As a reminder, players aren’t paid for any time spent on the restricted list, nor do they receive any MLB service time. Clubs usually use the restricted list for players who are suspended, or are dealing with a personal issue that keeps them away from the team for an undetermined period of time. Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Mlodzinski is expected to be available on Tuesday, so it will be just a short absence for the righty.
The reasons for the placement were revealed today by Pirates GM Ben Cherington, who told Beazley and other reporters that Mlodzinski “wasn’t ready to” pitch on Sunday. “Going into the weekend, we understood and communicated with Carmen that at some point this weekend we were going to need him to be ready or we’d have to replace him on the team in fairness to the team, so that’s what happened today.”
The issue seems to stem from the Pirates’ decision to remove Mlodzinski from the rotation when Jared Jones made his return from the 60-day injured list on Friday. Jones joins Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft, Mitch Keller, and Bubba Chandler in the starting five, leaving Mlodzinski as the odd man out. As Beazley noted, Mlodzinski was open about his disappointment while speaking with the media on Thursday, and Mlodzinski has been vocal in the past about preferring to work as a starting pitcher.
Mlodzinski said Thursday that he is “still communicating with the organization and the people in my corner, whether that’s my family or my agency, about what is next,” but Cherington said today that the right-hander hadn’t requested a trade. The Pirates control Mlodzinski through the 2029 season, as the right-hander won’t reach arbitration eligibility until the coming offseason.
Over 55 innings this season, Mlodzinski has posted a 3.76 ERA in 11 games — nine proper starts and two bulk-pitcher outings working behind an opener. Mlodzinski’s 8.4% walk rate is around league average but he isn’t missing many bats and he is allowing a ton of hard contact. The right-hander’s 50.9% hard-hit ball rate sits only in the second percentile of all pitchers. Still, Mlodzinski’s SIERA is only 4.21, as he has done a good job of limiting the damage of all that hard contact by allowing only three home runs.
A case can be made that Mlodzinski could’ve or should’ve retained a rotation spot over Bubba Chandler, as Chandler has struggled badly with his control while posting a 4.85 ERA across 52 innings. Since Mlodzinski has more experience as a swingman or long reliever, however, the Pirates opted to use that flexibility by moving him into a relief role, with the knowledge that Mlodzinski would likely have an easier time than Chandler in shifting back to a starting gig down the road.
It is understandable why Mlodzinski isn’t happy with the move, but his impending return on Tuesday probably means there aren’t too many hard feelings. Without much leverage in trade demands, Mlodzinski may simply have to move forward as a reliever for the time being, though obviously any number of circumstances (injuries, more struggles from Chandler, etc.) could open up a rotation spot in the future. Having a de facto sixth starter on the roster is also a good way for the Pirates to help keep the entire rotation fresh for what the team hopes will be a push towards a playoff spot.
Joe La Sorsa To Exercise Upward Mobility Clause In Pirates Contract
For the second time this year, Joe La Sorsa will trigger an upward mobility clause in his minor league deal with the Pirates. 7 News’ Ari Alexander reports that La Sorsa will exercise the clause tomorrow, and the Pirates will then have to offer the left-hander to the other 29 big league clubs.
If any other team is willing to give La Sorsa a roster spot, the Pirates are required to trade La Sorsa to an interested team, or add them to their own active roster. If none of the 29 teams are interested, La Sorsa will remain in Pittsburgh’s minor league system.
The two sides already went through this process at the end of Spring Training, when La Sorsa exercised his clause and went unclaimed. The Bucs haven’t felt compelled to select La Sorsa’s contract over the last two months, though he has a respectable 3.60 ERA, 5.9% walk rate, and 46.4% grounder rate rate over 25 innings with Triple-A Indianapolis.
La Sorsa has only a 20.8% strikeout rate, which about matches his moderate swing-and-miss ability over his pro career. After breaking into the majors with Tampa Bay in 2023, La Sorsa has a 5.21 ERA, 17.5K%, and 6.3BB% over 57 career innings with the Rays, Nationals, and Reds. The Mets inked La Sorsa to a minors deal last September that didn’t result in any big league playing time, and La Sorsa became a minor league free agent at season’s end before joining the Pirates.
Between closer Gregory Soto, Mason Montgomery, and Evan Sisk, Pittsburgh has been getting good results from the left-handed complement of its relief corps. Most teams generally don’t have more than three southpaws in the bullpen, so La Sorsa might not have a path to the Pirates’ roster. That said, the Bucs do have an open spot on the 40-man roster and even on their 26-man, as Cam Sanders was optioned back to Triple-A following a one-game cup of coffee in today’s 9-3 win over the Twins.
Another club with more of a pressing need for left-handed depth could have interest in La Sorsa. He has a minor league option remaining, so he has value for teams looking for bullpen arms that can be shuffled back and forth (up to five times) from Triple-A.
Pirates Place Konnor Griffin On 10-Day IL, Activate Ryan O’Hearn
The Pirates are placing shortstop Konnor Griffin on the 10-day injured list, according to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Per Jason Mackey of MLB.com, Griffin has a flexor tendon strain and he’s expected to miss only a short time. Ryan O’Hearn is being activated off the injured list in his place.
Griffin was a Top-100 prospect entering 2026 and signed a nine-year, $140MM extension with Pittsburgh just a few days after making his debut. The 20-year-old’s numbers don’t leap off the page, but Griffin has more than held his own against big league pitching. In 208 plate appearances, he’s batted .270/.327/.402 with 14 stolen bases and a 104 wRC+. The latter figure is middle-of-the-pack among qualified shortstops, although there’s room for Griffin to cut back on his 26.9% strikeout rate.
Early reviews on Griffin’s defense have been mixed. On the one hand, he’s been worth 3 Defensive Runs Saved and boasts 78th percentile arm strength according to Statcast. At the same time, Griffin’s been worth -4 Outs Above Average and is in the 15th percentile of Statcast’s Fielding Run Value metric. Defensive metrics are always tricky, and obviously there’s room to improve when the player in question is as young as Griffin. For now, the team can be happy that he is finding his footing in the Majors.
While Griffin is on the shelf, the Pirates will need a temporary replacement at shortstop. Jared Triolo is the next man up, but he’s struggled badly in 83 plate appearances as a backup infielder. Since the start of 2024, Triolo has a 76 wRC+ in just over 900 plate appearances. He also doesn’t fare well defensively at shortstop, with -6 DRS and -3 OAA in over 500 innings there. Triolo is a better fit at third base or second, where has 14 and 10 career DRS, respectively.
Tyler Callihan is the other backup infielder, but he’s barely played in the Majors and has played exactly zero professional innings at shortstop. Nick Gonzales has 254 innings of experience at short, but he currently occupies the hot corner, so moving him to short would create another problem. Nick Yorke and Jack Brannigan are on the 40-man roster. Yorke has a 64 wRC+ in the Majors, while Brannigan is only at Double-A and is striking out 37.5% of the time.
Given those options, the likeliest outcome is that the Pirates roll with Triolo at short for now and simply hope for a minimal absence for Griffin. The team’s 106 wRC+ is tied for seventh in the Majors. Brandon Lowe, Spencer Horwitz, and Bryan Reynolds all have a wRC+ over 140, and Oneil Cruz is no slouch at 120. Griffin and Gonzales are both hovering around league average.
O’Hearn belongs in the first group as a key contributor to the Pirates’ success on offense. The 32-year-old, who signed a two-year, $29MM pact over the offseason, returns after a two-week absence for a right quad muscle strain. In 182 plate appearances prior to his injury, O’Hearn was batting .289/.368/.459 with a 132 wRC+. The latter mark is fourth-best among Pirates hitters with at least 150 plate appearances, while O’Hearn’s overall output nearly matches last year, when he was worth 3.0 fWAR between the Orioles and Padres. Although a few weeks of Triolo as the starting shortstop won’t be ideal, O’Hearn’s return and the abundance of talented hitters leave the Pirates in a good position while Griffin is out.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Which Impending Free Agent Bats Are Actually Improving Their Stock?
In case you weren't aware, the upcoming offseason's free agent class is ... well, it's... not exactly the stronge-- ok, it's not good. It's a weak class. Despite being headlined by a two-time Cy Young winner, that was always expected to be the case. The fact that said Cy Young winner, Tarik Skubal, is currently out following surgery to remove loose bodies from his elbow only further dampens the group's overall earning power.
We're due for an update on our Free Agent Power Rankings. That'll likely be published at some point next week. Our power rankings are always based on total earning power rather than individual impact. If you're a 38-year-old ace, you probably won't rank as highly as a 28-year-old regular at third base, because that 28-year-old is going to have access to a much longer (and thus more lucrative overall) contract than said 38-year-old. Sorry Chris Sale, them's the breaks.
That said, it's been a brutal year for most of the names at the top of an already underwhelming free agent class -- pitchers and hitters alike. Skubal, as mentioned, had elbow surgery. He'll be back -- sooner than originally anticipated, by all accounts -- but he's not going to take home a third straight Cy Young Award. Bo Bichette can opt out of his Mets contract ... but he's hitting .225/.273/.317. Trevor Rogers missed time on the injured list and has a nearly 7.00 ERA through nine starts. Jazz Chisholm Jr. has been terrific in May, but that only offsets an awful April. Tatsuya Imai came to MLB with plenty of hype and an opt-out-laden contract that potentially set him up to reenter free agency and cash in on a mega-deal next winter -- at least until he posted a 6.17 ERA through his first six MLB starts.
Any and all of these players have time to turn things around, and while the headline of this particular post is admittedly a bit hyperbolic, it's also true that most of the market's top bats aren't doing much to elevate their case. A big four months would make Chisholm's April a distant memory, but we're not there yet. Daulton Varsho has been better than average at the plate but hasn't shown the same power he did last year. Bichette's start has been dismal. Taylor Ward has followed up his 36-homer 2025 season by hitting two round-trippers through the first third of the 2026 season.
We'll cover a lot of the bigger names on the forthcoming update to our Power Rankings, but here's a look at some bats who probably won't make the list but are nonetheless trending in a positive direction. (Note that I'll be excluding some smaller-sample breakouts/resurgences for this list; Jorge Mateo's .324/.370/.471 slash looks great, but it's 73 plate appearances being propped up by a silly .455 BABIP and combined with a 30% strikeout rate. Let's not get too carried away.)
Brandon Lowe, 2B, Pirates
Pittsburgh's acquisition of Lowe in the three-team trade that sent Mike Burrows to Houston and Jacob Melton to Tampa Bay looks like one of the best moves of the offseason. The 31-year-old (32 in July) is in the midst of arguably the best season of his career. Lowe has belted 14 home runs in only 51 games. His 11.2% walk rate is the second-highest of his career, while his 23.7% strikeout rate is the second-lowest.
Not only are those excellent marks both relative to his career levels and the rest of the league, they both put a halt to some worrying trends. Lowe has always struck out a fair bit, but his 2022 mark of 22.9% looked like it might be a step in the right direction. Instead, it climbed to 27% from 2023-25 and did so while his walk rate plummeted to a career-worst 6.9% last year. Lowe still chases a bit too much, but he's made big gains on his in-zone contact rate and done so without sacrificing much in the way of hard-hit balls.
Durability will be key for Lowe, who played in only 415 of 648 possible games from 2022-25 (64%). However, he's currently on pace to match his career-high 39 home runs, set back in 2021, and he's doing so with the best strikeout-to-walk profile of his career.
If Lowe actually stays healthy and flirts with 40 homers, it's hard to imagine a scenario where he's not in the top 10 on our list. But even if his power output cools down, he's done a nice job improving his stock thus far.
The open market in modern baseball rarely rewards pure second basemen, which is what Lowe is at this point. He's played exactly three innings of outfield since the 2021 season wrapped, and he has all of 155 career innings at first base. It also rarely compensates 32-year-olds on long-term deals. Lowe has an uphill battle based on position and age, but he's still angling for a nice multi-year deal.
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Pirates Designate Justin Lawrence For Assignment
The Pirates announced that right-hander Justin Lawrence has been designated for assignment. That opens active and 40-man roster space for righty Jared Jones. It was reported yesterday that Jones would be activated from the 60-day injured list to start tonight’s game.
Lawrence, 31, is having a poor season. He has thrown 22 innings for the Bucs, allowing 5.32 earned runs per nine. His 23.6% strikeout rate and 43.1% walk rate are decent but his 11.3% walk rate is quite high and he has allowed four home runs.
The Pirates were surely expecting much better. Lawrence had spent 2021 to 2024 with the Rockies, posting a 5.43 ERA. The Bucs claimed him off waivers ahead of the 2025 season, perhaps hoping that getting Lawrence away from Coors Field would help him out. That worked last year, in a sense. Lawrence missed a few months due to elbow inflammation and only made 17 appearances, but the results were great. He had a 0.51 ERA in that time. His 11.6% walk rate was too high but he struck out a third of batters faced and induced grounders on 47.2% of balls in play.
Pittsburgh tendered Lawrence a contract for 2026 and he is making $1.225MM this year but that investment has not worked out so far. Lawrence is out of options and has been bumped into DFA limbo. That can last as long as a week but the waiver process takes 48 hours, so the club could take as long as five days to explore trade interest.
Though Lawrence isn’t having his best season, it’s possible there’s some interest. The salary is barely over this year’s $780K league minimum. His four-seamer and sinker average in the upper-90s. His control has never been good, with a 12.3% walk rate in his career, but he has always induced grounders and has occasionally flashed big strikeout potential as well. This year’s struggles are partially due to a drop in strikeouts but also to a home run spike, leading to an unfortunate 55.6% strand rate. His 3.79 SIERA suggests he could have fared better with a slight change in luck.
If Lawrence were to pass through waivers unclaimed, he would have the right to elect free agency but likely wouldn’t do so. Players with three years of service time have the right to elect free agency but need five years of service to exercise that right while keeping their salary commitments in place. Lawrence is in between those three- and five-year lines and he is still owed about $800K on his contract. Presumably, he wouldn’t want to walk away from that money and would accept an assignment to the minors.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Jared Jones To Start For Pirates On Friday
Pirates manager Don Kelly told members of the media, including Jason Mackey of MLB.com, that right-hander Jared Jones will start for the Pirates on Friday. Carmen Mlodzinski will move to the bullpen. Jones is on the 60-day injured list, so the Bucs will have to add him to both the 40-man and active rosters.
Jones will be making his first big league start since the 2024 season. He experienced some elbow discomfort during spring training in 2025. He didn’t initially require surgery but ultimately went under the knife on May 21st, requiring an internal brace procedure. The Bucs announced his return timeline as 10 to 12 months and he will now rejoin the club after an absence just a bit longer than the initial window.
Prior to that injury absence, Jones put together an exciting debut season. Paul Skenes got a lot of the attention in 2024 but Jones was also putting up good numbers as a rookie, just not to the same degree. Jones made 22 starts that year and logged 121 2/3 innings with a 4.14 earned run average, 26.2% strikeout rate and 7.7% walk rate. He has made five rehab starts this year with a 2.89 ERA, 32.9% strikeout rate and 8.2% walk rate.
While Jones has been gone, other young arms have stepped in, with Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler debuting in 2025. Ashcraft has an excellent 2.73 ERA through his first 138 1/3 innings. Chandler hasn’t been as effective but his 4.54 ERA through 83 1/3 innings is serviceable.
If Jones can pick up where he left off, it’s an exciting rotation core. Skenes and Jones are under club control through 2029. Ashcraft and Chandler are controlled for another two years after that. Mitch Keller is signed through 2028. Prospects like Hunter Barco, Thomas Harrington and Antwone Kelly are lurking in the upper minors. Seth Hernandez, the club’s first-round pick in last year’s draft, isn’t even 20 years old yet but he just got promoted to High-A and could be a fast riser.
The long-term rotation picture seemed to motivate the Pirates to add more offense this winter. They felt good enough about the depth to send out Mike Burrows and Johan Oviedo, bringing back Jhostynxon García, Brandon Lowe, Jake Mangum and a couple of other pitchers. They also signed free agents Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna.
So far, the team is hanging in a tough National League playoff race. All five clubs in the Central are above .500, leaving the Bucs technically in last place despite a solid 29-27 record, but they are just one game back of a playoff spot at the moment. Jones will jump into the rotation next to Skenes, Ashcraft, Keller and Chandler, hopefully strengthening the staff for the coming months and into future seasons.
Mlodzinski has been holding down a rotation spot in the meantime. He has made 11 appearances this year, only nine of which were officially starts, but the other two were effectively starts behind an opener. Overall, he has 55 innings on the year with a solid 3.76 ERA. His 19.3% strikeout rate is subpar but his 8.4% walk rate and 43.5% ground ball rate are both a bit better than average.
He also has plenty of relief experience, so he should be able to return to that role fairly easily. Officially, he has a 4.40 ERA as a starter and a 2.63 ERA as a reliever in his career, though that split is thrown off a bit since he has occasionally worked as an opener and as a bulk guy behind an opener.
Photo courtesy of Charles LeClaire, Imagn Images
Pirates Promote Esmerlyn Valdez
May 22nd: The Bucs have made it official, announcing they have realled Valdez and optioned Cook.
May 21st: The Pirates are going to promote first base/outfield prospect Esmerlyn Valdez, reports Francys Romero of BeisbolFR. Fellow outfielder Billy Cook will be optioned as the corresponding active roster move, per DK Pittsburgh Sports. Valdez, who will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game, is already on the 40-man roster.
Valdez was an international signing out of the Dominican Republic, securing a $130K bonus. He has since been climbing the minor league ladder with a pretty heavy three-true-outcomes approach. He can draw walks and hit the ball over the fence but can also be vulnerable to strikeouts, though he has shown improvement in terms of the punchouts.
Last year, Valdez split his time between High-A and Double-A, hitting 26 home runs in 529 plate appearances. He drew free passes in 10.6% of those trips to the plate. His 24.6% strikeout rate was a bit high but a notable decrease from the 30.6% rate he posted in Single-A the year prior. He finished 2025 with a combined .286/.376/.520 line and 155 wRC+. He got some help from a .344 batting average on balls in play but it was a strong showing regardless.
The Pirates added him to their 40-man roster in November to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. Baseball America ranked him the #11 prospect in the system coming into this year, noting that he’s not a strong runner or defender. Here in 2026, he’s been in Triple-A and has been posting really strong results. In 194 plate appearances, he has a huge 17% walk rate and a 21.1% strikeout rate. He has already hit ten home runs. His .253/.381/.506 line leads to a 131 wRC+. BA recently bumped him to #5 in the system.
Pittsburgh opened the year with Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds in two outfield spots. With Spencer Horwitz at first base and Marcell Ozuna the designated hitter most days, Ryan O’Hearn was spending most of his time in an outfield corner. Jake Mangum and a few others also chipped in from time to time. O’Hearn hit the IL a few days ago due to a quad strain, which opened up some playing time. The Bucs already recalled Jhostynxon García and are now adding Valdez into the mix as well.
It’s unclear how the Bucs will divvy up the playing time now. Both García and Valdez are righties, so perhaps there will be some platoon situations at play. Cruz is a lefty and has notable platoon splits in his career but reverse splits in 2026. Reynolds and Mangum are switch hitters with fairly neutral career splits.
Horwitz is a lefty and is usually platooned, so perhaps Valdez will see most of his playing time at first base. The Bucs had been using O’Hearn at first base for a lot of the games starting by a left-handed opponent, with Mangum taking O’Hearn’s spot in the outfield in those instances. Perhaps García and Valdez will combine to pick up O’Hearn’s slack in that dual outfield/first base role. Infielder Jared Triolo, who hits right-handed, recently picked up a few outfield starts but that might be less necessary now.
Photo courtesy of Kim Klement Neitzel, Imagn Images
2026-27 Club Options: NL Central
In recent weeks, MLBTR has looked forward to next winter’s option classes. We’ll move now to the NL Central, where the Cubs have a number of low-cost options to weigh.
Previous: AL East, AL Central, AL West, NL East
Chicago Cubs
- Matthew Boyd, LHP: $15MM mutual option ($2MM buyout)
Mutual options are essentially never exercised, so Boyd will be paid the $2MM buyout and return to free agency next winter. That’ll conclude a two-year, $29MM free agent deal that worked out well. Boyd’s 3.21 ERA over 31 starts a year ago essentially paid for the contract on its own.
The second season isn’t going as planned. Boyd missed a couple weeks in April with a biceps strain and suffered a more significant meniscus injury in his left knee earlier this month. He underwent surgery that’ll keep him out into late June at the earliest. The Cubs probably aren’t keen on their end of the option.
- Hunter Harvey, RHP: $8MM mutual option ($1MM buyout)
Chicago added Harvey on a one-year, $6MM deal in December. The talented but oft-injured reliever only pitched four times before landing on the injured list with triceps inflammation. Further testing this month revealed a stress reaction that’ll keep him down for a while. This will be an easy pass for the team.
- Carson Kelly, C: $7.5MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Kelly has outperformed his two-year, $11.5MM deal signed in December 2024. Initially brought in as a veteran complement to Miguel Amaya, the 31-year-old Kelly has earned the majority of the playing time. He’s a .261/.344/.421 hitter with 19 homers over his season-plus in Chicago. He’s fourth among primary catchers this season with a .381 on-base percentage. Kelly has a strong case for another two-year contract at a better annual rate than the option price, so his camp should have an easy time passing.
- Colin Rea, RHP: $7.5MM club option ($1MM buyout)
Rea, a 35-year-old swingman, is in the second season of his second stint with the Cubs. He’s clearly a favorite of skipper Craig Counsell, who also managed him in Milwaukee in 2021 and ’23. Rea pitched pretty well last season, managing a sub-4.00 ERA while starting 27 of 32 games. The Cubs had a $6MM team option for 2026, but the sides agreed to a restructured extension that guaranteed Rea $6.5MM in exchange for the righty tacking on a similarly priced club option for 2027.
Injuries again quickly pushed Rea from long relief into a back-end rotation spot. He hasn’t performed as well as he did last season, allowing nearly five earned per nine across 47 frames. Rea had consecutive quality starts against the Phillies in mid-April but has surrendered a 7.04 ERA over his past five times out.
Rea’s strikeout, walk and home run rates are all virtually identical to last season’s. There haven’t been any meaningful changes to his pitch mix or velocity. He’s essentially the same pitcher, with this year’s ERA spike mostly due to a higher average on balls in play. That’s always a risk for a pitcher like Rea who pounds the strike zone but doesn’t have overpowering stuff.
The Cubs will presumably look for a rotation upgrade or two in July that can push him back into a relief role. A buyout seems likelier than them picking up the option, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if they try to bring him back a slightly lower price given his flexibility in usage.
- Caleb Thielbar, LHP: $6MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
Chicago brought back Thilebar on a $4.5MM deal after he worked 58 innings of 2.64 ERA ball in 2025. The southpaw is making $4MM this year and will earn a $500K buyout at season’s end. He missed just under a month with a left hamstring strain and has been limited to 12 appearances. Thilebar has recorded 11 punchouts while allowing four runs (three earned) across 9 2/3 innings. The Cubs will probably pass on their end but could have interest in keeping Thielbar around for his age-40 season at slightly less money.
- Jacob Webb, RHP: $2.5MM club option (no buyout)
The Rangers surprisingly non-tendered Webb after he turned in 66 innings with an even 3.00 earned run average. Chicago signed him to a $1.5MM free agent deal that includes a $2.5MM team option for 2027. The righty has been a nice addition to Counsell’s middle relief corps, striking out a quarter of opponents with a 3.05 ERA over 20 2/3 innings. He’s getting swinging strikes and chases off the plate at career-best rates.
Webb has allowed right around three earned runs per nine in three straight seasons. His market has never really materialized, but a $2.5MM option is cheap enough that the Cubs would very likely bring him back if he keeps this pace all year.
The Cubs hold a $3.3MM club option on RHP Javier Assad. He’ll remain eligible for arbitration through at least 2028 even if the option is declined.
Cincinnati Reds
- Pierce Johnson, RHP: $8MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Cincinnati picked up Johnson on a one-year, $6.5MM deal after the Braves bought him out. The veteran righty has allowed eight runs over 19 1/3 innings with league average strikeout and walk numbers. His 9.3% swinging strike rate is a career low. Johnson is an MLB-caliber arm but more of a middle reliever than a setup man at age 35. An $8MM option price is too rich on the Reds’ end.
- Eugenio Suárez, DH/3B: $16MM mutual option
Cincinnati brought Suárez back on a one-year, $15MM deal late in the winter. It looked like a nice bargain pickup for a team that needed offense. Suárez’s age evidently tamped down long-term interest, but he hit 49 home runs a year ago. The return has started slowly, as he hit .231/.300/.363 through 100 plate appearances before sustaining a left oblique strain that sent him to the injured list. He began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Louisville yesterday.
The Reds will also pay a $3MM buyout to released infielder Jeimer Candelario.
Milwaukee Brewers
- Luis Rengifo, 3B: $10MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Milwaukee bought low on Rengifo with a $3.5MM deal in Spring Training. He’s making a $2MM salary and due a $1.5MM buyout on a $10MM mutual option. They haven’t gotten anything close to the desired bounce back. The switch-hitting utilityman carries a .199/.262/.257 line without a home run over 150 plate appearances. Third base feels like a priority for the Brewers at the deadline, at which point they could move on from Rengifo entirely.
- Gary Sánchez, C: Mutual option
The terms of Sánchez’s mutual option were never reported. He signed a $1.75MM guarantee to return to Milwaukee as a backup catcher/part-time DH. Although Sánchez is only hitting .198, he has walked 20 times and hit five home runs in 108 plate appearances. The Brewers will eventually want a look at prospect Jeferson Quero, but William Contreras will be an offseason trade candidate with free agency looming after 2027. They could look to keep Sánchez around as a cheap #2 catcher.
Milwaukee holds a $14.5MM club option on C William Contreras for his final season of arbitration. He’ll remain under team control if Milwaukee declines.
Pittsburgh Pirates
- Marcell Ozuna, DH: $16MM mutual option ($1.5MM buyout)
Pittsburgh added Ozuna late in the offseason on a $12MM deal. It didn’t make much sense at the time since it locked all of Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe and Spencer Horwitz into defensive spots without a fallback at designated hitter. Ozuna was also coming off a mediocre second half and playing in one of the toughest home parks for right-handed power.
Ozuna had an atrocious April. He’s at least drawing a lot of walks in May, but his season .179/.275/.305 line isn’t cutting it. It goes without saying that the Pirates aren’t exercising a $16MM option. The bigger question is whether they’ll keep Ozuna on the roster all year.
St. Louis Cardinals
- Dustin May, RHP: $20MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
May commanded a surprisingly strong $12.5MM guarantee despite coming off a 4.96 ERA season between the Dodgers and Red Sox. He’s making a $12MM salary and will collect a $500K buyout on the $20MM mutual option at season’s end. May has stayed healthy and taken all nine turns through the rotation, but he’ll take a 4.81 ERA into today’s start against the Pirates. His strikeout and whiff rates are well below average despite his 97 mph fastball. While May’s power stuff and early-career success have continued to intrigue teams, the recent performance has been that of a fifth starter. The Cardinals aren’t signing up for a $20MM option.
- Ryne Stanek, RHP: $6MM club option (no buyout)
St. Louis added the hard-throwing Stanek on a $3.5MM deal in January. They wanted an experienced leverage arm who could compete for the closing role and potentially be a midseason trade asset. Riley O’Brien seized the ninth inning, leaving Stanek alongside JoJo Romero and George Soriano in the setup group.
Stanek continues to sit around 98 mph and generate above-average strikeout and whiff rates. His already problematic control has pushed even further, though, and he’s walking nearly 18% of opposing hitters. It’s the third-highest mark among pitchers with at least 20 innings. The free passes have resulted in a 6.30 ERA over 23 appearances. Teams are inclined to bet on pitchers with this kind of stuff, but Stanek will need a better second half to convince the Cardinals (or a potential midseason trade partner) to bring him back for $6MM.
- Ramón Urías, 3B: $4MM mutual option ($500K buyout)
St. Louis added Urías on a $2MM free agent deal during Spring Training. He’s making $1.5MM in salary and will be paid a $500K buyout. Urías limped to a .158/.279/.316 start over 25 games before landing on the injured list with tennis elbow.
Pirates Getting Jared Triolo Work In Right Field
Pirates utilityman Jared Triolo is on the roster largely because of his defensive versatility and aptitude around the infield. He’s seen time at all four infield spots over the years and is generally regarded as a quality defender. The Bucs have recently began to expand that defensive portfolio even further. Triolo has logged time in right field in each of his past three games — two of them starts. He was out of the lineup tonight against the Cardinals.
Triolo had never started a major league game in the outfield prior to this past weekend. He made seven starts in center at the Double-A level in 2022 and logged six innings in right field (two in the majors, four in Triple-A) from 2024-25. That represented the entirety of his professional in-game experience in the outfield until Monday’s start on the grass, though Triolo says he’s been working with coaches Tony Beasley and Tarrik Brock on the side (link via Danny Demilio of Pittsburgh Baseball Now).
It’s always of some note when a player can expand his defensive versatility, and there’s reason to think Triolo can provide solid glovework in the outfield. Statcast places him in the 84th percentile of big leaguers in terms of sprint speed, so he certainly has the ability to cover ground. His average velocity on his throws across the diamond from the hot corner is below average but not egregiously so.
For the Bucs, if Triolo proves capable of playing the outfield on even an occasional basis, there’d be plenty of roster advantages. Many clubs use the DH spot to rotate players and maximize matchups, but Pittsburgh signed Marcell Ozuna to DH on an everyday basis, so it’s all the more important that their bench players have multiple positions in their skill set. Ozuna has struggled badly this year, but even if the Pirates move on and go with a more rotational approach, Triolo playing a decent corner would give them more flexibility with regard to how they round out their bench and even who they could target as the trade deadline approaches.
In the more immediate sense, Triolo’s outfield experiment gives skipper Don Kelly additional options to consider when navigating what’s expected to be a roughly monthlong absence for slugger Ryan O’Hearn, who’s spent the bulk of his time in right field this year. Prospect Jhostynxon Garcia is likely to get plenty of chances out there in O’Hearn’s absence, but Triolo makes a nice righty-swinging complement to Jake Mangum among the team’s reserve options; he hit .275/.339/.459 in 122 plate appearances against lefties last season.
It’d behoove Triolo to increase his overall productivity at the plate, however. He’s received sparse playing time in 2026 and slashed just .259/.310/.296 in 59 plate appearances. In parts of four seasons with the Pirates, he’s stepped into the batter’s box 1090 times and delivered a tepid .238/.320/.344 line (86 wRC+). But if there’s not much more in the tank, adding outfield to his skill set also benefits him as he approaches arbitration this winter and potentially exhausts his remaining option years. Triolo hasn’t been sent down in 2026 but has just one minor league option year remaining. If he’s sent down for 20 days at any point this season, he’ll need to stick on the roster in subsequent seasons or else be designated for assignment.