Steven Kwan To Get Center Field Reps In Spring Training
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt told reporters today that Steven Kwan will get some center field reps during spring training as the club tries to find its best outfield alignment for the upcoming season. Zack Meisel of The Athletic was among those to pass the word along.
Kwan, 28, has logged 4,873 2/3 innings in the outfield in his career. The vast majority of those, 4,689 2/3 innings, have been spent in left field. His center field experience consists of just 31 frames. 30 of those were back in 2022, his debut season, with one frame at that spot last year.
His work in left has been superlative, with the numbers putting him head and shoulders above the rest of the league. Dating back to his 2022 debut, he has been credited with 68 Defensive Runs Saved and 25 Outs Above Average in left. The DRS tally is more than double anyone else at that spot, with Ian Happ coming in second on that leaderboard with a tally of 33. Even though he’s primarily a center fielder, Daulton Varsho is second on the OAA leaderboard for left fielders over the past four years, with his 11 coming nowhere near Kwan. In his four seasons, Kwan has four Gold Gloves and three Fielding Bible awards.
Despite his excellent work in left, the Guards haven’t tried him at the more-demanding center field position. Myles Straw, an excellent defender in his own right, was in center for most of 2022 and 2023. Straw’s poor offense spurred the Guards to move on eventually. He spent most of 2024 in the minors and was traded to the Blue Jays last winter.
The center field job in Cleveland has been fairly open the past two years but the Guards haven’t tried moving Kwan over. That could be because he was comfortable in left and no one was pushing him for the job. The Guards have barely spent any money on free agents in recent years and have also struggled with finishing the development on some of their outfield prospects.
That has left them to cycle through a hodgepodge of guys in center, including Ángel Martínez, Tyler Freeman, Lane Thomas, Daniel Schneemann, Nolan Jones and others. No one has really taken hold of the spot and the Guards are going into 2026 with some outfield uncertainty, a common position for them in recent years.
Kwan will be locked into a spot somewhere. The top options for the other two slots could be George Valera and Chase DeLauter, who both received promotions late in 2025. Valera appeared in 16 regular season games and three postseason contests, splitting his time between right field and designated hitter. DeLauter hasn’t even appeared in a regular season game, as he was promoted to make his big league debut in the Wild Card round of last year’s playoffs.
Valera doesn’t appear to be an option up the middle. He has some minor league experience there but his last regular action at that spot was in 2023. He only logged nine Triple-A innings in center in 2024 and was kept in the corners last year. DeLauter did play some center for the Guards in the postseason last year but that seemed to be a sort of emergency plan to get his bat into the lineup. He actually didn’t play any center in the minors last year. His most recent regular run there was 86 1/3 innings of Double-A ball in 2024.
The Guards seemed like a good fit for a center field addition this winter but didn’t land one. They’ve had an extremely quiet winter, with their most notable signing being a $5.5MM deal for reliever Shawn Armstrong, followed by $1.5MM for reliever Colin Holderman. That lack of spending comes in spite of José Ramírez deferring some of his guarantee as part of his new extension. The Guards are also unlikely to pay Emmanuel Clase due to his gambling investigation.
With the lack of offseason activity, the Guards go into the season with Kwan, Valera and DeLauter as their three most exciting outfielders but someone will have to play center. The designated hitter spot could be used for extra flexibility but first basemen Kyle Manzardo and C.J. Kayfus could be sharing that spot.
If Kwan can handle center, it could help the Guards add some thump to a lineup that has been lacking in recent years. They won the American League Central last year mostly due to pitching and defense, as the team as a whole hit .226/.296/.373 for an 87 wRC+, better than just the Pirates and Rockies. Kwan has a .281/.351/.390 line and 112 wRC+ in his career. Valera hit .255/.346/.457 for a 114 wRC+ in Triple-A last year while DeLauter slashed .278/.383/.476 at that level for a 130 wRC+.
It’s also possible that Kwan doesn’t take to center and ends up back in left where he’s comfortable. The Guards could try DeLauter or Valera there but, as mentioned, neither has played a lot of center in recent years. If all three end up as corner guys, that would leave center to guys like Martínez and Schneemann while DeLauter and/or Valera could be battling Kayfus for at-bats in the DH slot. Martínez has a .226/.277/.353 line and 77 wRC+ in his career with Schneemann at .210/.290/.358 and an 84 wRC+.
Guys like Kahlil Watson and Petey Halpin could also get some playing time but are probably behind Valera and DeLauter on the depth chart. Watson is a converted infielder who has only been playing the outfield for a couple of years, though he is considered to be making good progress on the grass. Halpin’s offensive prowess is considered a bit behind the rest of the guys in this group.
Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images
A’s Hire Bob Melvin For Baseball Operations Role
The A’s are bringing longtime manager Bob Melvin back to the organization, albeit in a new role. The team announced Thursday that Melvin is returning as a special assistant in the baseball operations department. Details regarding these types of roles are typically vague but often include working with young players in camp and serving as an in-season resource for both the front office and coaching staff.
Melvin, 64, managed the Athletics from 2011-21, leading the then-Oakland club to the postseason on six occasions. Despite perennially working with one of the lowest payrolls in the league — oftentimes the lowest — Melvin led the A’s to an 853-764 record during his 11 seasons at the helm (.528 winning percentage). He was voted the American League Manager of the Year in both 2012 and 2018, and he also won NL Manager of the Year honors with Arizona back in 2007.
The 2026 season will be the first year since 2010 — and just the second year since 2003 — that Melvin has not been a big league manager. Despite Melvin still being under contract in Oakland, the A’s allowed him to interview with the Padres and take the managing job in San Diego following the 2021 season. That was a largely financial decision by the A’s. Melvin was reportedly earning around $4MM per season, and the A’s were aggressively cutting payroll as they both rebuilt the farm system and prepped for a potential relocation.
Melvin spent two years in San Diego, taking the Padres to the NLCS in 2022 before missing the playoffs entirely in 2023. Melvin and Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller reportedly clashed at various points, however, and the tension between the two grew to the point that Melvin was granted permission to interview with the division-rival Giants despite being under contract through 2024. The Giants hired Melvin, while the Padres replaced him with former Cardinals skipper Mike Shildt.
As was the case in San Diego, Melvin stayed two years but departed while still under contract for an additional season. Farhan Zaidi was San Francisco’s president of baseball operations when Melvin was hired, but as is often the case, a new front office regime eventually gave way to new dugout leadership.
Giants ownership fired Zaidi following the 2024 campaign and installed franchise icon (and board member) Buster Posey as the new baseball operations leader. Posey exercised a 2026 club option on Melvin back in July, but less than three months later Posey announced that Melvin had been fired. The Giants went outside the box and hired University of Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello to replace Melvin.
It’s been a tumultuous few years for Melvin, but he’ll now return to the organization that provided him stability for more than a decade. He’ll be an experienced voice with plenty of perspective for general manager David Forst to consult and can also offer various insights to the Athletics’ young core and a coaching staff that’s now run by fifth-year skipper Mark Kotsay.
Dodgers, Yency Almonte Agree To Minor League Deal
The Dodgers are bringing right-handed reliever Yency Almonte back on a minor league contract, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya reports. The Wasserman client will presumably be in big league camp.
It’s the second stint with the Dodgers for the 31-year-old Almonte. He was with Los Angeles in 2022-23, combining for 83 1/3 innings with a 3.35 ERA, 23.9% strikeout rate and 11.9% walk rate out of manager Dave Roberts’ bullpen. That production came in quite uneven fashion, however; Almonte delivered 35 1/3 innings of immaculate 1.02 ERA ball in 2022 but was roughed up for a 5.06 mark in 48 innings in 2023. The Dodgers traded Almonte to the Cubs alongside Michael Busch in a 2024 swap that brought prospects Zyhir Hope and Jackson Ferris back to Los Angeles. (Neither has made his MLB debut yet, but Hope currently sits No. 63 on Baseball America’s Top 100 list.)
Almonte’s two years in Chicago didn’t go as either he or the team hoped. He posted a 3.45 ERA in 2024 but was limited to just 15 2/3 innings due to a shoulder strain that wiped out the bulk of his season. The Cubs passed Almonte through outright waivers in November 2024. He subsequently elected free agency but returned on a minor league contract. Injuries again derailed his season, as he pitched just 19 1/3 frames in Chicago’s minor league ranks in 2025.
In 223 major league innings, Almonte carries a 4.44 ERA, 22.5% strikeout rate, 9.9% walk rate and 43.5% ground-ball rate. He struggled with the Rockies earlier in his career (5.30 ERA in four seasons) but carries a more encouraging 3.36 mark in 99 innings since moving away from Coors Field. Almonte sat at or just shy of 96 mph with both his four-seamer and sinker during his time with the Dodgers but was down about two miles per hour on each pitch with the Cubs prior to hitting the injured list with that shoulder strain.
The Dodgers don’t have a clear need for another arm in a deep bullpen that’s headlined by Edwin Diaz, Tanner Scott, Blake Treinen and Alex Vesia, but Almonte could fight for a job in camp and, failing that, provide some experienced depth with their Triple-A club in Oklahoma City.
Jordan Westburg Undergoes Imaging For Potential Elbow Injury
Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg has been slowed by an oblique injury in camp and was already expected to miss the first few games of exhibition play as a result. However, it appears there’s greater concern than just a mild oblique strain. Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner reports that Westburg was sent for imaging on his elbow. The results have not yet been disclosed. O’s podcaster Brooks Rothschild suggested yesterday that Westburg could miss significant time due to an elbow issue.
Asked today whether Westburg was dealing with an elbow issue in addition to that oblique injury, manager Craig Albernaz told reporters (via MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko): “Right now, he’s physically unable to participate. So he’s getting evaluated by a medical team and also outside people to make sure we have a plan in place and see what’s going on with Jordan and get him going.”
Baltimore’s infield is already banged up. Second baseman Jackson Holliday suffered a hamate fracture recently and is expected to open the season on the injured list. Westburg has typically been Baltimore’s third baseman but has plenty of experience at second base and could have filled in for Holliday while Coby Mayo, Blaze Alexander or Jeremiah Jackson handled the hot corner. Now, it seems there’s a chance Westburg will instead join Holliday on the injured list.
Since his 2023 MLB debut, the now-27-year-old Westburg has been a consistently productive, well-rounded player when healthy. The “when healthy” caveat has proven critical, however. Westburg has never topped 107 games or 447 plate appearances in the majors. Since his initial call to the big leagues, he’s seen IL time for a broken hand, a pair of hamstring strains and an ankle sprain. Westburg carries a .264/.312/.456 batting line in 1027 major league plate appearances, but he’s played in only 341 games (majors and minors combined) across the past three seasons.
Baltimore has been giving former top prospect Coby Mayo plenty of reps at third base during spring training and will presumably continue to do so. Mayo has said that the focus of his early spring work is his defense at the hot corner. He was drafted as a third baseman, but scouts have long questioned whether he can handle the position, and the O’s have given him the majority of his major league work at first base. However, between the Pete Alonso signing and injuries elsewhere in the infield, it’s only logical to get Mayo some more work at third base to see if he can help out there on at least a semi-regular basis.
Mayo’s name was bandied about the rumor mill throughout the winter. Even as recently as this weekend, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic suggested that Baltimore has continued to discuss the 24-year-old in potential trade scenarios. If there’s now concern surrounding Westburg’s availability, one would imagine that will lessen any such talks (unless, speculatively speaking, Mayo is shipped out for a more established veteran infielder).
If Westburg is sidelined for any significant period of time, there are possibilities outside the organization. Old friends Ramón Urías, Jose Iglesias and Emmanuel Rivera remain unsigned, as do veteran utilitymen Jon Berti and Luis Urías (Ramón’s younger brother). None of those players could be reasonably expected to match the offense of a healthy Westburg, but any of the three would deepen the infield mix and — specifically for Urias and Berti — provide a fair bit of defensive versatility. Myriad trade possibilities abound, even beyond the obvious names still on the market. The aforementioned Alexander certainly wasn’t a frequently discussed trade candidate when the O’s sent Kade Strowd and a pair of prospects to Arizona to pry him loose.
That swap looked a bit surprising at the time but will now pay considerable dividends. Alexander can handle either second base or third base. He hit .230/.323/.383 in 74 games last year but closed out the season on a more impressive .239/.338/.415 stretch following the D-backs’ trade of Eugenio Suárez, at which point Alexander took over as the primary third baseman.
The Opener: Astros, Rays, Twins
Here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world today:
1. Astros still looking for outfield help:
The Astros have been looking for left-handed outfield help throughout the offseason in an effort to balance out a heavily right-handed lineup. One might think that the team’s recent acquisition of Joey Loperfido helped to solve that issue, but it was more of a net-neutral move given that Loperfido was brought in as the return for lefty-swinging outfielder Jesus Sanchez. Yesterday’s report that Houston has some interest in veteran outfielder Michael Conforto suggests they’re still open to a lower end move in free agency, and a trade of Isaac Paredes or Christian Walker could still theoretically yield the left-handed hitter the team has sought. Other lefties still available in free agency include Jesse Winker and Alex Verdugo.
2. Will the Rays be able to extend another young star?
The Rays have long been known to get aggressive with extensions for their players, dating back to early-career deals for Evan Longoria and Matt Moore. In more recent years, Yandy Diaz, Brandon Lowe, Drew Rasmussen, Jeffrey Springs, Pete Fairbanks, and Tyler Glasnow are among the players they’ve extended prior to or early in arbitration, even if many of those players were ultimately traded before those extensions ran their course.
Budding superstar Junior Caminero has voiced an openness to an extension this week. The question is whether or not the Rays have interest in putting together the sort of offer it would take to lock up a 22-year-old who just hit 45 homers in his first full MLB season. It would surely require the Rays leaving their typical comfort zone, though Tampa Bay did give Wander Franco a $182MM deal before his career came to an abrupt halt over off-the-field improprieties and legal issues. That was under Stu Sternberg’s ownership, and it’s unclear what appetite the team’s new ownership group would have for a big-time extension of that sort.
3. Will the Twins add to their rotation?
Yesterday’s news that Twins ace Pablo López suffered a UCL tear that will likely end his season was a gut punch for a Minnesota club that opted not to follow up on last summer’s deadline sell-off and instead make some modest additions to the roster. The rotation, led by López and Joe Ryan, had the makings of a solid group. Bailey Ober is looking to bounce back from a hip injury, while Simeon Woods Richardson pitched well down the stretch. Young arms like Taj Bradley, Mick Abel, David Festa, Zebby Matthews and Connor Prielipp give the Twins plenty of options to round out the staff.
However, the Twins made a late run at Framber Valdez, with new executive chair Tom Pohlad publicly confirming the team’s interest. That was before López suffered his elbow injury. There’s no one akin to Valdez left in free agency, but the Twins clearly have at least some room for additional spending, and free agency offers names like Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell.
MLB Mailbag: Red Sox, Brewers, Phillies, Braves
This week's mailbag gets into the Red Sox and their offense, Masataka Yoshida's trade value, how far Jacob deGrom is from Hall of Fame consideration, the Brewers and Christian Yelich's contract, the Phillies' and Braves' rotations, and how revenue sharing money is spent. Now that Bruce Meyer has been named executive director of the MLBPA, I've added thoughts on that news at the bottom of this article.
Christopher asks:
Do the Red Sox have enough offense to make the playoffs?
David asks:
It's two weeks before the trade deadline and the Red Sox are in contention but it's painfully obvious they didn't solve their problem with needing a power hitter. I appreciate it's only February but look into your crystal ball. Who are their likely targets?
Dave asks:
Given the fact Luis Arraez recently signed for $12M year contract, do you still feel there is no value for some team picking up Yoshida? Both have bad marks defensively and Arraez has a higher batting average but Yoshida provides more power, so that may balance out. Worse case someone should take Yoshida for at least $8M.
Lloyd asks:
Boston has an OF glut and Duran is mentioned as the one to most likely be traded. Detroit has an INF glut and Torres is tradeable after June 15. Is there a match here, assuming both players are healthy and productive? Would Boston move Duran for Anderson or Lee, Tiger Top-10 prospects who rank in the lower end of the top 110 MLB prospects? Detroit could use an OF bat for the big push. Assuming salary/contract considerations offer no stumbling block, is this something that would work?
The Red Sox continue to have room for a major addition at second or third base, given that recent addition Caleb Durbin can play either spot. Such a pickup would bump Durbin or Marcelo Mayer to the bench, which already has a pair of infielders in Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Romy Gonzalez. (Or Mayer could return to Triple-A, where he's only played 43 games).
It's worth keeping in mind that the most accurate projection system, The Bat X, has Durbin posting an 85 wRC+ this year, Mayer at 86, and Kiner-Falefa at 69. Gonzalez is at 102, but he's done almost all his damage against left-handed pitching. Even veteran shortstop Trevor Story is only at 97 in that projection system. Throw in catcher Carlos Narvaez at 83 and Ceddanne Rafaela at 88, and there's a pretty good chance five of nine Red Sox lineup spots feature subpar offense.
Certainly, there is room for a Mayer breakout or a Kristian Campbell bounceback (Campbell is outfield-focused). Durbin and Narvaez could sustain more of last year's success. Story may hit like he did from June onward last year. Rafaela flashed brilliance at the plate for a couple months.
But that's quite a few "ifs," and the club is reliant on good health from 33-34-year-olds Story and Willson Contreras.
Offense isn't everything, which is why FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a healthy 60.1 shot at the playoffs this year. The club projects to get a lot of value out of its outfield and DH spots; they're fifth in baseball in total WAR for those four spots. The opposite is true of Boston's infield, which rates 26th. And that does account for the club's likely improved infield defense.
The Red Sox rank first in all of baseball for projected starting pitcher WAR. About 72% of that value is coming from the trio at the top: Garrett Crochet, Sonny Gray, and Ranger Suarez. While the Sox do have a wealth of solid depth options behind them, it's fair to say a major injury to Crochet, Gray, Suarez, Roman Anthony, or Rafaela could knock them out of the playoff picture. I'm sure you could say that about the top five players of any team, but three of these are pitchers. Crochet and Suarez have lengthy injury histories, and Gray is 36.
Unlock Subscriber-Exclusive Articles Like This One With a Trade Rumors Front Office Subscription
- Access weekly subscriber-only articles by Tim Dierkes, Steve Adams, and Anthony Franco.
- Join exclusive weekly live chats with Anthony.
- Remove ads and support our writers.
- Access GM-caliber tools like our MLB Contract Tracker
Bruce Meyer Elected MLBPA Executive Director
The Major League Baseball Players Association has announced that Bruce Meyer has been unanimously elected the interim executive director of the union. Previously the deputy director, Meyer will take over for Tony Clark, who surprisingly resigned yesterday as news emerged that he had an “inappropriate” relationship with his sister-in-law, who was working for the MLBPA. Matt Nussbaum is now the interim deputy director. Jeff Passan of ESPN reported Meyer’s election prior to the official announcement.
Meyer will continue to act as the MLBPA’s chief negotiator through the upcoming collective bargaining agreement talks, with the current CBA set to expire December 1st. Another lockout is widely expected and the last one dragged into March, so it seems Meyer is positioned to potentially lead the union for a year or more, despite the interim tag.
Ever since the Clark scandal emerged yesterday, it seemed likely that the union would pivot to Meyer. He has been the MLBPA’s clear #2 and top negotiator for years. With the season about to begin and the big CBA deadline less than a year away, maintaining stability seemed like an easier path than undergoing a lengthy search for a replacement. Left-hander Brent Suter, a member of the union’s eight-player executive subcommittee, framed it that way yesterday. “We’re going to have an interim [director] and keep everything as stable as we can this year,” Suter said.
Clark took over the job in December of 2013 after the death of Michael Weiner. Clark was the first former player to hold the job, as the previous executive directors had been career union officials or attorneys.
The 2017-2021 CBA, the first under Clark, was generally viewed as poor for the players. The base threshold of the competitive balance tax barely moved, going from $189MM in 2016 to $195MM in 2017. That number would creep up over the course of the CBA but two extra tiers of increased taxation were added at $20MM increments above the base threshold. The 2016 minimum salary of $507.5K nudged up to $535K in 2017.
Meyer was hired in 2018 to serve as the union’s lead negotiator, with Clark staying on as executive director. At that time, Meyer had three decades of experience working with the player unions of the NBA, NHL and NFL. The next round of MLB CBA negotiations proved to be more contentious. The league instituted a lockout in December of 2021, the first work stoppage since the 1994-95 strike. That lockout lasted 99 days and was resolved in March, just in time to still play a 162-game schedule in 2022.
That CBA was viewed by some as better than the previous agreement. The base CBT threshold jumped from $210MM in 2021 to $230MM in 2022, though a fourth tier of the tax was added, another $20MM over the previous high. The minimum salary went from $555K in 2021 to $700K in 2022, with $20K increases in each year. It also added a new feature, a $50MM bonus pool paid for by all teams and to be distributed annually to pre-arbitration players based upon a version of wins above replacement agreed upon by both MLB and the MLBPA.
The agreement didn’t lead to perfect harmony within the union, however. In March of 2024, an attempt was made to replace Meyer, an event often referred to as an attempted coup. Some players tried to pressure Clark to replace Meyer with Harry Marino. The latter was previously the head of Advocates For Minor Leaguers and helped unionize minor leaguers under the MLBPA umbrella. A minor league CBA was negotiated with the league in 2023. Meyer and Marino both worked for the MLBPA at that time and reportedly had a strained relationship.
The attempted coup eventually flamed out, with Clark and Meyer staying in their positions. The players reportedly connected to the coup were voted off the executive subcommittee in December of 2024.
More trouble emerged this year with Clark coming under the microscope of federal investigations that alleged he had given himself equity in organizations funded by MLBPA licensing money. The union hired a law firm to conduct an internal investigation in response to those allegations. That internal probe reportedly uncovered messages between Clark and his sister-in-law, which led the union to seek his resignation.
Meyer will now take the reins and try to keep the players united at a significant time. Financial imbalances in the game have led to owners and many fans calling for the league to implement a salary cap. The union has long been opposed to such a measure, with Clark and Meyer both frequently speaking out against it. As mentioned, the CBA expires December 1st and another lockout is likely. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred spoke positively about the effect of lockouts about this time last year.
With the interim tag on Meyer, it’s unknown how things will proceed after the upcoming CBA negotiations. Presumably, his interest in staying in the job more permanently will depend upon how things develop in the coming year, as would the players’ interest in keeping him in the gig.
Nussbaum has worked for the MLBPA since 2011. He was promoted to deputy general counsel in 2017 and then general counsel in 2023. Prior to joining the MLBPA, he had worked for the NHLPA.
Photo courtesy of Greg Lovett, Imagn Images
Cubs Hire Dixon Machado As Minor League Manager
The Cubs announced they’ve hired Dixon Machado to manage their Arizona Complex League affiliate. That seemingly brings an end to his playing career after 17 seasons in pro ball.
Machado spent the majority of that time in the minors. He played nearly 1300 minor league games, more than half of which came at the Triple-A level. The Venezuelan-born infielder had a four-year MLB run with the Tigers between 2015-18. He spent the ’19 campaign in the Cubs’ system before moving to Korea as a member of the Lotte Giants for two seasons. Machado came back to affiliated ball in 2022 and made a brief return to the big leagues that year, playing in five games as a member of the San Francisco Giants.
That would be Machado’s final MLB work, at least as a player. He has spent the last three years in Triple-A on minor league contracts with the Astros and Cubs. He appeared in 84 games for Chicago’s top affiliate in Iowa last season, hitting .221 with four home runs. Rather than continuing seeking minor league contracts, he’ll move into coaching as he nears his 34th birthday.
Machado appeared in 177 major league contests. He batted .226/.285/.292 with a pair of home runs and 107 hits. Machado was a .256 hitter in a little over 3000 Triple-A plate appearances and batted .279/.357/.392 over his two years in the KBO. The Cubs evidently valued him as an organizational mentor, as they signed him to a trio of minor league contracts despite never calling him up. They’ll keep him around in his first coaching opportunity, where he’ll manage a rookie ball team that’ll comprise mostly teenagers whom they’ve signed out of Latin America. Congratulations to Machado on a lengthy playing career and all the best in the next chapter of his career.
Yankees Infield Notes: McMahon, Volpe
The Yankees intend to get Ryan McMahon some work as a shortstop this spring, manager Aaron Boone tells Greg Joyce of The New York Post and other reporters. They’ll evaluate whether they feel comfortable using him as a potential backup option during the early part of the regular season. Anthony Volpe is beginning the season on the injured list after undergoing postseason labrum surgery. That draws utilityman José Caballero into the lineup at shortstop and leaves them without a clear backup at the position.
Amed Rosario has easily the most shortstop experience of any of their depth infielders. He was an everyday shortstop in Cleveland earlier in his career but struggled defensively and has mostly been pushed off the position. Rosario started 11 games there in 2024 and played all of two innings at the position last year. He’s more of a second/third baseman at this stage of his career, though his biggest appeal off the bench is his ability to hit left-handed pitching. Max Schuemann and Oswaldo Cabrera can cover shortstop but fit better at second or third base, while the out-of-options Jorbit Vivas has never started a professional game at short.
McMahon’s professional experience at shortstop consists of three innings for the 2020 Rockies. He didn’t play there at all in the minor leagues. Listed at 6’2″, 217 pounds and a below-average runner, he’s clearly better suited for third base work. McMahon is an excellent defender at the hot corner, ranking second at the position in Defensive Runs Saved (after Ke’Bryan Hayes) and third in Outs Above Average (behind Hayes and Maikel Garcia) over the last three seasons. His range would be stretched at shortstop, but he should have the hands and arm strength to make the routine plays.
That might be all the Yankees would need to consider him for a temporary backup role. He’d still see the vast majority of his time at third base. If they feel McMahon’s a better fill-in at shortstop than Rosario, they could lift Caballero for a pinch-hitter in key spots and would be better protected in the event of an injury.
That’d also help the roster flexibility. Cabrera and Schuemann still have options remaining. They have three bench jobs committed between Rosario, Paul Goldschmidt and a backup catcher (probably J.C. Escarra). Not needing to carry another shortstop would mean they could have Vivas break camp or consider keeping Jasson Domínguez up as a fourth outfielder. If they want a true shortstop off the bench, they’d probably need to select a non-roster invitee like Braden Shewmake, Zack Short or Paul DeJong onto the 40-man roster.
Ideally, that’ll all be a short-term arrangement. Volpe could return early in the season, pushing Caballero back to the super utility role for which he’s tailor-made. The 24-year-old discussed his rehab with Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, noting that he has begun a hitting progression but isn’t at a point where he can risk diving for ground-balls. Volpe indicated he’s not closing the door on making his season debut before April is out, though Hoch adds that GM Brian Cashman suggested a return in May is likelier.
Volpe has been a below-average hitter in each of his first three seasons in the big leagues. He has shown 20-20 potential but with a subpar batting average and on-base percentage. He was out to a better start last year before suffering the shoulder injury in early May. Even if the offensive regression may have been coming regardless, the injury seemed to take a toll on the other side of the ball. The 2023 Gold Glove winner had a surprisingly poor season defensively. Caballero was the better player down the stretch, but the Yankees are hoping Volpe will more forcefully reclaim the starting job once he’s healthy.
Mariners, Mitch Garver Agree To Minor League Deal
The Mariners and catcher Mitch Garver have agreed to a minor league deal, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The ISE Baseball client will arrive in camp tomorrow to undergo his physical and will be paid at a $2.25MM rate if he cracks the MLB roster, reports Daniel Kramer of MLB.com.
Garver, 35, returns to the club he has spent the past two years with. The Mariners signed him to a $24MM deal for the 2024 and 2025 seasons. At that time, Garver had the reputation of being injury prone but one of the league’s best offensive catchers when on the field. From 2018 to 2023, he only played 428 games over those six seasons but slashed .254/.343/.488 for a 126 wRC+. Among primary catchers with at least 40 plate appearances in that span, only Adley Rutschman and Will Smith barely outperformed him, with Rutschman having a 129 wRC+ and Smith 128.
The Mariners were hoping Garver could add a potent bat to the lineup via the designated hitter spot while also serving as Cal Raleigh‘s backup behind the plate. It didn’t really work out they had hoped. Over the past two years, Garver stepped to the plate 720 times for Seattle. He hit 24 home runs and drew walks at an 11.5% clip but struck out in 29.6% of his plate appearances, leading to a .187/.290/.341 batting line and 88 wRC+.
That production wasn’t disastrous, as catchers are usually about 10% below league average on the whole. For a backup catcher to be in that range isn’t too shabby in a vacuum but the Mariners don’t usually spend on free agent bats and were surely hoping for more, especially since his defense isn’t especially well rated. At the time of the Garver deal, that was actually the biggest guarantee given to a free agent hitter in the tenure of Jerry Dipoto, who started leading the front office in September of 2015. The recent signing of Josh Naylor has since broken that record.
Despite the underwhelming return on that investment, there’s little harm in trying again with this pact. Garver isn’t even guaranteed a roster spot at this point and presumably wouldn’t make a huge salary if he does eventually get a spot.
The M’s have Raleigh signed for years to come but the backup gig is somewhat open. The Mariners traded Harry Ford to the Nationals as part of the trade which brought reliever Jose A. Ferrer to Seattle. Andrew Knizner was signed to a one-year deal worth $1MM in December but doesn’t have the same ceiling as Garver. Jhonny Pereda is also on the 40-man roster but he has just 50 big league games under his belt and can still be optioned to the minors.
With Pereda likely ticketed for Triple-A, Garver will try to push Knizner for the backup job. If Garver doesn’t get it, the Mariners would presumably like him to head to Triple-A as non-roster depth, but he would have some say in the matter.
Garver is an Article XX(b) free agent, which means a player with six years of service time who finished the previous season on an MLB roster. Those players who sign minor league deals at least 10 days before Opening Day have a trio of opt-out dates under the collective bargaining agreement: five days before Opening Day, May 1, and June 1. If the M’s don’t commit to Garver as camp is winding down, he could look for better opportunities elsewhere.
Photo courtesy of Steven Bisig, Imagn Images