Rays Acquire Ken Waldichuk, Brett Wisely
The Rays have acquired left-hander Ken Waldichuk and infielder Brett Wisely from the Braves, according to announcements from both clubs. Atlanta receives cash considerations or a player to be named later in return. Tampa designated right-hander Osvaldo Bido and infielder Tsung-Che Cheng for assignment to open 40-man spots for their new acquisitions.
All four players involved here have been riding the DFA carousel in recent months, to varying extents. Wisely was put on waivers by the Giants in September. Atlanta claimed him at that time but designated him for assignment last week when they claimed right-hander George Soriano. Waldichuk was DFA’d by the Athletics when they acquired Jeff McNeil and then claimed by Atlanta, then DFA’d again recently when Atlanta re-signed Tyler Kinley. Now Atlanta will convert those two players, who were already off the roster, into some cash or perhaps another player down the line.
The Rays will take advantage of Atlanta’s roster crunch to upgrade their pitching staff and infield. They are losing some cash, or maybe a PTBNL, as well as potentially losing Bido and Cheng. However, those two players were only recently acquired. The A’s put Bido on waivers in December, with Atlanta claiming him at that time, but he went to Tampa a couple of weeks later on another waiver claim. Cheng was claimed off waivers from the Pirates last month.
Waldichuk, 28, is coming off some recent struggles but was once a notable prospect with the Yankees. They traded him to the A’s as part of the 2022 deadline deal which saw them acquire Frankie Montas and Lou Trivino. Waldichuk made his major league debut with the A’s in 2022 and showed a bit of promise. His 4.93 earned run average was a bit on the high side but his 22.6% strikeout rate was around average and his 6.8% walk rate was strong.
But in 2023, he posted a 5.36 ERA in 141 frames. Tommy John surgery in May of 2024 put him out of action for a long time. He got back on the mound in 2025 but was optioned to the minors. He walked 15.9% of batters he faced on the farm last year, which led to an ugly 8.17 ERA. He qualified for arbitration as a Super Two player. He and the A’s avoided arbitration by agreeing to a salary of $825K for 2026, a bit above the $780K league minimum.
His poor 2025 season and slight salary bump haven’t dissuaded teams from being interested. Tampa could use some cheap rotation help. They always have some budgetary concerns and have subtracted some notable starting pitchers in the past year. They sent Taj Bradley to the Twins at last year’s deadline and Shane Baz to the Orioles this offseason. They currently project to have Drew Rasmussen, Ryan Pepiot, Shane McClanahan, Steven Matz, Joe Boyle and Yoendrys Gómez in the season-opening rotation mix, health permitting.
Waldichuk still has options, so the Rays could send him to Triple-A and try to get him back on track. If it works out, there would be a long-term payoff. He can still be retained via arbitration for another four seasons. It’s also possible they try to pass him through waivers later in the offseason, which would allow him to stick around without taking up a roster spot.
Wisely should help in the middle infield, a clear area of weakness for the Rays. They traded second baseman Brandon Lowe to the Pirates this winter, which led to Cheng losing his roster spot in Pittsburgh. The Rays also moved on from Ha-Seong Kim last year.
Tampa has Taylor Walls, Carson Williams and Richie Palacios in their middle infield mix, though that group doesn’t provide much certainty. Walls has some chops with the glove but has been a poor hitter in his career. Williams was and is a notable prospect but he struck out in 41.5% of his plate appearances in his first taste of the big leagues last year. Palacios has been on the injured list for much of the past two years.
Claiming Cheng gave the Rays some optionable middle infield depth. Wisely is out of options but has a bit more big league experience. While Cheng has only appeared in three big league contests, Wisely has 168 games under his belt, with solid defense at all four infield spots and some experience in the outfield as well. He has only hit .214/.265/.319 in his big league career but has a more impressive .276/.375/.436 line at Triple-A over the past three seasons.
Wisely jumps into Tampa’s infield group for now but it’s also possible they put him back on waivers between now and the start of the season in an attempt to retain him as non-roster depth, depending on what other moves they have in store. If he holds onto his roster spot, he comes with five full seasons of club control.
Cheng, 24, has shown some abilities as a low-power, high-contact hitter who has a solid floor in terms of speed and defense. In 2023, between High-A and Double-A, he stole 26 bases with a 9.7% walk rate and 18.7% strikeout rate. He slashed .278/.352/.456 for a 116 wRC+. That got him a 40-man roster spot with Pittsburgh going into the 2024 season but his offense tailed off in the past two seasons. He slashed just .217/.319/.312 in the minors in that time.
The Rays will have five days to either trade him or put him on waivers. He does still have an option remaining, which could appeal to clubs in need of infield depth. If he goes unclaimed on waivers, Tampa could keep him around.
Bido, 30, showed a bit of promise with the A’s in 2024. He posted a 3.41 ERA in 63 1/3 innings. His 10% walk rate was a bit high but he struck out 24.3% of batters faced. He regressed last year, finishing the season with a 5.87 ERA, 18.7% strikeout rate and 9.6% walk rate.
He’s now out of options, which is making it tougher for him to cling to a roster spot. He has five years of club control, so there’s still enough interest for him to have been claimed off waivers twice this winter. Like Cheng, he’ll have to be back on the wire or be traded in the next five days.
Photo courtesy of Kiyoshi Mio, Imagn Images.
Yankees Have Shown Interest In Nico Hoerner, Luis Robert Jr.
At the start of the offseason, it felt inevitable that the Yankees and Cody Bellinger would reunite. That may still happen but it seems up in the air at the moment. Talks between the two sides have seemingly stalled out. Jon Heyman of The New York Post reports today that both sides have been exploring alternatives lately. Bellinger has interest from other clubs. Meanwhile, the Yankees have been touching base with free agents Bo Bichette and Kyle Tucker, who they have been connected to previously. They’ve also checked in on trade candidates Luis Robert Jr. of the White Sox and Nico Hoerner of the Cubs. The Yanks’ interest in Hoerner was first reported by Pat Ragazzo of SI.
Bellinger spent 2025 in the Bronx and it seemed to go well. He hit 29 home runs and slashed .27/.334/.480 for a wRC+ 125. He stole 13 bases and played all three outfield slots as well as first base. He appeared to be especially comfortable in Yankee Stadium, slashing .302/.365/.544 there. He opted out of the final season of his contract, taking a $5MM buyout and leaving a $25MM salary on the table. At the start of the offseason, MLBTR predicted Bellinger to have enough juice for a five-year, $140MM deal.
It was reported on New Year’s Day that the Yanks had made an offer to Bellinger. A few days later came reports of a second offer. No details of either offer were initially revealed but further reporting indicated the sides weren’t close to a deal. Subsequent reporting has put the Yankee offer at five years and over $30MM annually, putting the guarantee somewhere in the vicinity of $155MM. That hasn’t been enough to get a deal done with Bellinger hoping to get to seven years.
It seems the two sides have taken a break from the staredown to look elsewhere. Heyman says they continued talking over the weekend but each party is considering alternatives. Heyman mentions the Dodgers, Giants and Mets as clubs believed to have interest in Bellinger. Those clubs have all been tied to Bellinger via rumors earlier this winter but are imperfect fits. All three could use outfield help to varying degrees but they also appear to be trying to avoid long-term commitments at the moment.
Since the hold-up between the Yankees and Bellinger appears to be the length of their offer, it’s hard to envision any of these clubs outbidding the Yankees. Any of the three could perhaps change their stance to take advantage of this opportunity but it also could be more likely that those clubs would prefer to get Bellinger via another short-term, opt-out laden deal. It’s unclear if he would want to do that after going down that road a couple of years ago, but it presumably depends on where things go in the next few weeks.
The Blue Jays have also been connected to Bellinger this winter but it seems they are more focused on Bichette and Tucker with Bellinger perhaps a backup plan. The Cubs were also connected to their old friend Bellinger this winter but signing Alex Bregman is presumably their big splash of the winter.
For the Yankees, they could perhaps increase their offer but are also seeing what else is on the menu. With Hoerner, it’s unclear if the Cubs have any interest in trading him but he has been in rumors and it’s arguable they should consider it. Hoerner is a good player but is a free agent after 2026. With the Cubs recently signing Bregman, their infield is now a bit cluttered. Putting Bregman at third bumps Matt Shaw to the bench.
If they wanted to, the Cubs could trade Hoerner and then move Shaw to second base. That would declutter things a bit and also should bring back something of note. Hoerner’s $12MM salary this year is very affordable considering his production. He doesn’t hit a ton of home runs but rarely strikes out, relying on his contact, speed and defense to provide value. It’s a combination that works, as FanGraphs has credited him with 3.9 wins above replacement or more in each of the past four years.
It could also give the Cubs a bit more breathing room in terms of the competitive balance tax. The Cubs went narrowly above the CBT in 2024 but have otherwise stayed under the line in each season from 2021 to the present.
RosterResource currently estimates them for a CBT number of just over $243MM, putting them less than a million from this year’s line. A team’s CBT number isn’t calculated until the end of the year, so in-season moves can move a club up or down. If the Cubs want to avoid the tax in 2026, creating some space now could be something they consider to give them more ability to make moves at the deadline.
For the Yankees, Hoerner wouldn’t help replace Bellinger in the outfield but he should make the team better. Though he has largely been a second baseman for the Cubs, he is considered good enough to be a shortstop. He has just been on the other side of the bag in deference to Dansby Swanson.
The Yanks have an uncertain shortstop situation at present, hence their previous connection to Bichette. Anthony Volpe is coming off a down year and may not be ready for Opening Day 2026 as he recovers from shoulder surgery. José Caballero currently projects as the top shortstop for the early season, though he has mostly been a utility guy in his career. If the Yanks add a shortstop, then he could return to that role.
The thinking with signing Bichette had a couple of attractions. He could upgrade the shortstop position now, then second base in the future. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is currently the club’s second baseman but he is slated for free agency after the upcoming season. With the Yanks having shortstop prospect George Lombard Jr. waiting in the wings, Bichette could cover short for a year and then slide to the other side of the bag with either Lombard or a resurgent Volpe at short.
Hoener wouldn’t be quite the same acquisition, barring an extension, as he is only signed through 2026. Still, that would likely have appeal for the Yankees in a different way. They could upgrade the middle infield for now without making a huge commitment. After 2026, depending on how things go with Lombard, Volpe, Hoerner and Chisholm, they could then decide about how to invest in the middle infield for the long term.
They would, however, have to give the Cubs something of value in return. As mentioned, it’s unclear if the Cubs have any interest at all in flipping Hoerner. Even if they do, they would presumably be looking for some kind of win-now upgrade, likely on the pitching staff. With the Yanks looking for pitching help themselves, it may be challenging to line up a deal that makes sense for both sides.
As for Robert, he is surely available but also tricky to value. He has shown borderline MVP upside but is coming off two years marred by injuries and underperformance. In 2023, he hit 38 home runs and stole 20 bases, slashed .264/.315/.542 and got strong grades for his center field defense. But since then, he has made a number of trips to the injured list while slashing .223/.288/.372 for a wRC+ of 84.
The White Sox are rebuilding and will surely trade Robert but are seemingly hoping to trade him at peak value. He wasn’t moved in 2025 even though it was the final guaranteed year of his contract. They picked up a $20MM option for 2026. Teams like the Yankees and others might want to buy low but the Sox are likely motivated to wait. After his down year, it would make sense to hold him until the deadline, with the hope of him getting back in form and therefore increasing his trade value.
The Yankee outfield currently projects to include Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham in two spots. If the season started today, Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones would battle for a third. Domínguez is coming off a rough year in 2025, with an average bat and poor defense. Jones hit 35 home runs in the minors last year but also struck out 35.4% of the time, creating some doubt about how viable his bat will be in the majors.
Acquiring Hoerner wouldn’t do much to change that picture but perhaps the Yanks would be more comfortable with the uncertainty of the Domínguez/Jones combo with a stronger infield. Bringing back Bellinger, signing Tucker or acquiring Robert would strengthen the outfield group, bumping Domínguez to more of a part-time role and keeping Jones in Triple-A.
There are many moving pieces here as the offseason moves into the final weeks before pitchers and catchers report to spring training. Tucker, Bichette and Bellinger are the top position players still out there, with a lot of overlapping interest. The Jays are seemingly in on all three, considered by some to be the favorites for Tucker but a Bichette reunion also makes sense. Like Bellinger, Bichette is considering other options. He is meeting with the Phillies today, although that is a bit complicated, as Philadelphia would seemingly have to move on from both J.T. Realmuto and Alec Bohm to fit Bichette onto the roster and into the budget. The Red Sox just missed on Bregman and could turn to Bichette but they don’t seem too keen on big long-term investments. The Dodgers, Giants and Mets may be looking to get opportunistic if a nice short-term opportunity becomes possible.
It’s a bit of a game of musical chairs with the Yankees and Bellinger some of the key participants. Bregman just found a seat in Chicago but others will have to sit soon. Pitchers and catchers report to spring training in about a month, so the music is slowing down.
Photo courtesy of Sergio Estrada, Imagn Images
Twins Have Shown Interest In Seranthony Domínguez
The Twins have shown interest in free agent right-hander Seranthony Domínguez, reports Darren Wolfson of KSTP. However, Wolfson also notes that this was last month and brief. Domínguez remains unsigned, so it’s possible the Twins circle back to him as the offseason progresses.
Minnesota certainly has to do something about its bullpen. The 2025 club fell back in the standings in the summer, which prompted the front office to get into seller mode. They leaned hard into selling from the relief corps. Controllable arms Jhoan Duran, Griffin Jax, Louis Varland and Brock Stewart were all sent packing, alongside rental arm Danny Coulombe.
That left the Twins with a hodgepodge bullpen for the stretch run, consisting of waiver claimees and veteran journeymen. Minnesota’s relievers had a collective 4.93 earned run average over August and September, which was better than just three other clubs in the majors.
Coming into the offseason, it was expected that Minnesota would continue as sellers, perhaps trading big leaguers like Joe Ryan or maybe even Byron Buxton. Instead, the club is planning to hold those guys and will attempt to return to contention this year.
That’s admirable but there’s work to be done to improve a club that finished 70-92 last year. Internal improvements would go a long way but external additions will also be necessary. The bullpen is largely unchanged from the end of 2025. Their most notable pick-up of the offseason so far has been to acquire Eric Orze, who has just 43 1/3 innings of big league experience, from the Rays.
Domínguez, 31, has had a fairly quiet offseason in terms of public rumors. The only other club connected to him so far is the Red Sox, who reportedly had interest in him over a month ago. It’s possible that his market picks up soon. Pitchers and catchers will be reporting to spring training in less than a month in some cases, depending on the team and if players are participating in the World Baseball Classic.
Also, many of the top relievers have come off the board. Edwin Díaz, Devin Williams, Robert Suarez, Ryan Helsley, Phil Maton, Tyler Rogers, Brad Keller, Pete Fairbanks, Kyle Finnegan, Kenley Jansen and many others have been signed. Domínguez is one of the better arms still out there, alongside David Robertson, Liam Hendriks, Justin Wilson, Michael Kopech and others.
Domínguez has been able to get decent amounts of strikeouts and grounders in his career but also with some control issues. He averages in the upper 90s with his four-seamer and sinker while also throwing a slider, sweeper and changeup. He added a splitter and a curveball last year and threw the split 16.6% of the time, scrapping the change and the slider, according to Statcast.
He divided 2025 between the Orioles and Blue Jays, logging 62 2/3 innings with a 3.16 ERA. He struck out 30.3% of batters faced and kept the ball on the ground at a 43.1% pace but also gave out free passes to 13.8% of opponents. He then made 12 appearances for the Jays in the postseason with a 3.18 ERA, though with more walks than strikeouts.
The Twins are dropping the payroll a bit relative to 2025 but seem to have some powder dry, thanks to the money they saved by trading those aforementioned relievers as well as Carlos Correa at the deadline. RosterResource estimates the Twins for a payroll just north of $100MM this year, well below last year’s $142MM Opening Day figure, per Cot’s Baseball Contracts.
Some reporting has suggested the Twins could look to end up in the $115MM range by the end of this offseason. That would likely leave enough to sign Domínguez in a vacuum but they presumably will want to add multiple relievers, while the righty should have interest from other clubs.
Photo courtesy of Nick Turchiaro, Imagn Images
Max Kepler Receives 80-Game PED Suspension
Major League Baseball announced today that free agent outfielder Max Kepler has received an 80-game suspension after testing positive for Epitrenbolone, a performance-enhancing substance, in violation of Major League Baseball’s Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program.
Kepler and MLB negotiated a settlement that allows him to serve the suspension even if he’s not on an MLB roster to begin the season, reports Alden González of ESPN. If he remains a free agent, last year’s playing time with Philadelphia would count as a credit towards the suspension. He remains ineligible for the 2026 playoffs.
Kepler, 33 in February, just wrapped up his first season away from the Twins. After years in Minnesota, Kepler became a free agent after the 2024 campaign and signed a one-year, $10MM deal with the Phillies.
His year in Philadelphia wasn’t especially pleasant. He hit 18 home runs but slashed .216/.300/.391 for a wRC+ of 90. Along the way, he expressed some frustration at being shielded from lefties, saying that he thought he had been signed to be an everyday player.
Returning to free agency this winter, he wasn’t going to have a huge amount of earning potential after that down year. On the other hand, the outfield market is fairly weak, apart from Kyle Tucker and Cody Bellinger being the top guys. Beyond those two, Kepler was one of the better options alongside Harrison Bader and Mike Yastrzemski, the latter of whom signed with Atlanta.
This development obviously changes that. Kepler is now not only a 33-year-old coming off a down year, but also one who won’t even be available for the first half of the season. Even if he latches on somewhere, serves his suspension and plays well in the second half, he wouldn’t be eligible for the 2026 postseason.
That’s obviously going to cut into Kepler’s earning power. For clubs looking for outfield help, especially those who won’t pay for guys like Tucker or Bellinger, it could perhaps increase their desire to push for someone like Bader, Miguel Andujar, Austin Hays, Mike Tauchman or other available outfielders.
Photos courtesy of Kyle Ross, Brad Rempel, Imagn Images
Orioles Outright Will Robertson
The Orioles announced that outfielder Will Robertson has cleared waivers and been assigned outright to Triple-A Norfolk. He was designated for assignment December 28th when the O’s signed Zach Eflin. DFA limbo is normally capped at a week but the rules are looser around the holidays, which led to Robertson hanging out there for almost two weeks.
Robertson, 28, has never played for the Orioles. He was claimed off waivers from the Pirates in December. The Orioles love to claim players and them put them back on waivers later, hoping to keep the player in a non-roster capacity. The upside of this scenario was recently demonstrated by Ryan O’Hearn. The O’s acquired him from the Royals in January of 2023. He was designated for assignment two days later and then passed through waivers. He earned his way back onto the roster and spent over two years as a key contributor for Baltimore.
Since this is Robertson’s first career outright and he has less than three years of big league service time, he doesn’t have the right to elect free agency. He’ll stay with the O’s and try to earn his way back onto the roster.
He was drafted by the Blue Jays in 2019 and didn’t have a lot of prospect hype as he climbed the minor league ladder. He showed flashes of a breakout in 2025, however, which got him up to the majors with the Jays. He eventually lost his roster spot and went to the White Sox in July. In the offseason, he went to the Pirates and then the Orioles.
During his brief major league action, he put up a dismal .129/.173/.143 line, but in a tiny sample of 75 plate appearances. His 354 Triple-A plate appearances were much more impressive. His 24.9% strikeout rate was above average but an improvement for him personally, as he was at 31.3% the year previously. His 13.6% walk rate at Triple-A last year was quite strong and he also hit 20 home runs in those 354 trips to the plate. That led to a .289/.387/.571 line and 148 wRC+ at that level.
Since Robertson cleared waivers, it seems major league clubs were a bit skeptical of that production. His .342 batting average on balls in play was a bit on the high side. He was a 27-year-old repeating the Triple-A level, with serious strikeout concerns in previous seasons. He’s also mostly a corner outfield guy, with very limited center field experience.
If his 2025 was a legitimate late-bloomer breakout, the O’s could benefit down the line if he earns his way back onto the roster. He doesn’t have an easy path, as Baltimore’s current outfield mix consists of Colton Cowser, Taylor Ward, Dylan Beavers, Tyler O’Neill, Jeremiah Jackson, Leody Taveras, Reed Trimble, Heston Kjerstad and Marco Luciano, though Luciano and others could eventually follow Robertson to the waiver wire.
Photo courtesy of Rick Osentoski, Imagn Images
Rangers Claim Zak Kent
The Rangers announced that they have claimed right-hander Zak Kent off waivers from the Cardinals. St. Louis had designated the righty for assignment earlier this week. Texas had a 40-man vacancy and doesn’t need to make a corresponding move.
Kent, 28 in February, returns to his original organization. The Rangers drafted him back in 2019. He got a 40-man roster spot in November of 2022, to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft. In March of 2024, he was traded to the Guardians for international bonus pool space.
He made his major league debut with Cleveland in 2025, allowing nine earned runs in 17 2/3 innings. He averaged around 93 miles per hour with both his four-seamer and sinker, while also throwing a slider and a curveball. In the minors, he flashed big strikeout numbers but also a lack of control. He tossed 38 Triple-A innings last year with a 2.84 ERA. He gave out free passes at a huge 13.2% clip but also struck out 31.4% of batters faced and got grounders on 54% of balls in play.
The Guards nudged him off their roster. The Cardinals claimed him off waivers in early December. St. Louis designated Kent for assignment this week when they acquired Justin Bruihl from Cleveland.
Kent still has an option, so the Rangers don’t need to keep him on the big league roster. He gives them an extra arm in their bullpen mix with some roster flexibility. He has just 37 days of big league service time, so he can be retained well into the future if he hangs onto his 40-man spot and has a good season.
Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images
Pirates Sign Ryan O’Hearn
January 9th, 2026: O’Hearn will make $14MM this year and $15MM next year, per Jon Heyman of The New York Post. There are also some other incentives based on awards voting and All-Star appearances.
January 8th, 2026: The Bucs officially announced the O’Hearn signing today but still haven’t announced a corresponding move.
December 23rd, 2025: The Pirates and first baseman/outfielder Ryan O’Hearn have reportedly agreed to a two-year deal with a $29MM guarantee. The ACES client can also earn an extra $500K each year via incentives: $100K for 450 plate appearances, another $100K for 475, then $150K for 500 and 525 plate appearances. Pittsburgh has a full 40-man roster and will need to make a corresponding move for this to become official.
O’Hearn, now 32, has been enjoying a late-career breakout over the past three seasons. He played parts of five seasons with the Royals from 2018 to 2022 with just a .219/.293/.390 line to show for it.
The Royals designated O’Hearn for assignment in December of 2022. The Orioles saw enough potential in him to acquire him by sending cash considerations to Kansas City. Baltimore designated him for assignment shortly thereafter and passed him through waivers.
If you’ve ever wondered why a team would acquire a player and put him on waivers a week or two later, O’Hearn provides the explanation. The O’s opened a roster spot for other moves while keeping O’Hearn in a non-roster capacity. He had a strong spring in 2023 but Baltimore still sent him to the minors to begin the season, maintaining depth.
By the middle of April 2023, O’Hearn was back in the big leagues and has been on an upward trajectory since then. He hit 14 homers for Baltimore that year and slashed .289/.322/.480 for a 118 wRC+. His 4.1% walk rate was quite poor and he benefited from a .340 batting average on balls in play but it was a fantastic upgrade over his previous work.
More improvements came in 2024. His .264/.334/.427 batting line again led to a 118 wRC+, an exact match for the year prior, but it felt more earned this time. His BABIP dropped to a below-average .282 while his walk rate more than doubled to 9.3%.
In 2025, a year he split between the O’s and Padres after a deadline trade, he increased his walk rate yet again to 10.7%. His 17 home runs were a career high. His batted-ball luck turned again, as he posted a .330 BABIP. That all led to a .281/.366/.437 line and 127 wRC+.
He also seemed to have less of a platoon split. Like many lefty hitters, he has often struggled against southpaws. But in 2025, he had a .278/.358/.474 line and 135 wRC+ against lefties. That was in just 109 plate appearances and he had a .358 BABIP in the split but it was an encouraging development nonetheless.
In addition to his work at the plate, O’Hearn provided some defensive versatility. He mostly played first base but also logged around 150 outfield innings in each of the past three seasons.
The entire package lined O’Hearn up for a nice payday, though he wasn’t quite at the level of guys like Kyle Schwarber, Pete Alonso or Josh Naylor. At the start of the offseason, MLBTR predicted O’Hearn to secure a two-year deal worth $26MM. He’s gone just a shade beyond that.
Few would have predicted the Pirates to be the club to pay O’Hearn. They have been one of the least active clubs in free agency in the past decade. They haven’t given any free agent a multi-year deal since Ivan Nova‘s three-year pact back in 2016. Their last multi-year deal for a free agent hitter was two years and $8MM for John Jaso in 2015. The largest free agent guarantee in franchise history is still the three-year, $39MM deal for Francisco Liriano from 2014.
But they have clearly come into this offseason determined to overhaul their lineup. The past few seasons have seen them develop a big stockpile of pitching talent but they have had far less success with developing their position player prospects.
The Bucs flirted with contention in 2023 and 2024 but without making the postseason. The 2025 club sputtered and never really felt in it. The offense was a big part of the disappointment this year. The club had a collective .231/.305/.350 line and 82 wRC+, with the Rockies the only club with less offensive production. Spencer Horwitz was the only individual on the team with a wRC+ greater than 101.
Before the 2025 campaign was even over, it seemed likely that they would focus on adding offense this winter. The general expectation was that they would do that by trading from their deep supply of starting pitchers, which they have done, but they have been surprisingly active in free agency as well.
They reportedly offered Naylor a contract somewhere in the range of $80MM, before he returned to the Mariners on a deal paying him $92.5MM. They offered Schwarber around $120-125MM before the Phils brought him back with a $150MM deal.
Being a runner-up for a free agent is only worth so much but it has been clear that the Pirates are now more willing to spend than in other offseasons. They have also been connected to Jorge Polanco, before he signed with the Mets, Kazuma Okamoto, who is still a free agent, and some other hitters.
O’Hearn isn’t quite as exciting as Schwarber would have been. It’s also true that the club still has the embarrassing record of having never given a free agent $40MM. Still, O’Hearn is their biggest free agent splash in years and becomes one of their best hitters.
As mentioned, the Bucs have also used their pitching surplus to add more offense. They acquired Jhostynxon García in the trade sending Johan Oviedo to Boston. They sent Mike Burrows to Houston in a three-team trade that brought back Brandon Lowe and Jake Mangum from the Rays, alongside lefty reliever Mason Montgomery.
Time will tell if there’s more to come before Opening Day. For now, O’Hearn jumps into a position player that group which could develop in a few different ways.
The Pirates don’t really have a full-time designated hitter, with Andrew McCutchen currently unsigned. He has repeatedly re-signed with Pittsburgh in recent years but there have been some hints that the two sides are a bit less likely to reunite for 2026.
As of now, Lowe and Horwitz could be the regulars at second and first, respectively. Horwitz has a bit of second base experience but that was with the Blue Jays when the presence of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. made it hard for him to get playing time at first. The Bucs kept him at first base in 2025.
Lowe isn’t a great defender, so perhaps he could see regular time in the DH spot, or Horwitz and O’Hearn could share first base and DH.
There’s also room for O’Hearn in the outfield. Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds should have two spots spoken for. Guys like García, Mangum, Jack Suwinski and Billy Cook are in the mix for playing time but O’Hearn playing the outfield could leave the DH spot open for Lowe.
That would then leave more second base playing time for guys like Nick Yorke, Jared Triolo and Nick Gonzales. Triolo and Gonzales could also be factors at third base and shortstop but prospect Konnor Griffin might charge forward and become the shortstop before long, though he’s only 19 years old and hasn’t played the Triple-A level yet.
It’s possible the Bucs make even more moves in the coming months but a lot will be determined by the health and performance of the various moving parts on the roster.
RosterResource, assuming the O’Hearn deal has equal salaries in the two years, projects the Bucs for a $96MM payroll next year. That’s tiny compared to the other clubs in the league but high for them. According to Cot’s Baseball Contracts, they got to just under $100MM in 2016 but have been below $90MM since 2017.
The coming weeks and months will shed light on if there’s more to come. For now, the Bucs have made yet another move to upgrade the lineup in 2026. This wouldn’t be an especially noteworthy commitment for any other club but it’s the biggest deal for Pittsburgh in quite some time. For O’Hearn himself, it’s got to be an especially gratifying day for a guy who was passed through waivers about three years ago.
FanSided’s Robert Murray first reported the Pirates were signing O’Hearn to a two-year, $29MM with $500K in incentives. Colin Beazley of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported the incentive structure. Photos courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, John Jones, Imagn Images
Yankees Claim Kaleb Ort
The Yankees announced that they have claimed right-hander Kaleb Ort off waivers from the Astros. The move was reported by Yankees Never Win prior to the official announcement. Houston recently designated Ort for assignment when they signed Tatsuya Imai. The Yanks had multiple 40-man vacancies and don’t need to make a corresponding move.
Ort, 34 in February, has pitched for the Red Sox and Astros over the past five seasons. He has shown some intriguing stuff but without fully harnessing it for good results. He averages in the upper 90s with his four-seamer while also throwing a cutter, slider and changeup.
Through the end of the 2023 season, he had thrown 51 2/3 innings for the Red Sox with a 6.27 earned run average. Boston put him on waivers in October of 2023 and he bounced around the league that winter, going to the Mariners, Marlins, Phillies and Orioles via waivers or cash deals. Baltimore kept him on optional assignment early in 2024, exhausting Ort’s final option year in the process. They put him in waivers in May of that year, which is when the Astros grabbed him.
He had his best run of major league success with the Astros. After that claim, he gave Houston 22 innings with a 2.55 ERA, 28% strikeout rate and 4.3% walk rate. That impressed the Astros enough that Ort held a roster spot through 2025 despite being out of options, but he couldn’t keep the results at that level. He tossed 46 innings last year with a 4.89 ERA. His 25.3% strikeout rate was still good but he gave out free passes at a 13.9% clip. He spent most of September on the injured list due to right elbow inflammation.
For the Yankees, there’s no real harm in a waiver claim for now. As mentioned, they had multiple open roster spots. Ort still doesn’t have enough service time to have qualified for arbitration. They can bring him into camp to compete for a bullpen spot.
It’s also possible they put him back on waivers later, after they make more moves and fill out the roster. If he were to pass through waivers unclaimed, they could keep him in a non-roster capacity. Ort doesn’t have a previous career outright and is shy of three years of service time, meaning he doesn’t have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.
Photo courtesy of Thomas Shea, Imagn Images
Braves Claim George Soriano, Designate Brett Wisely For Assignment
The Braves have claimed right-hander George Soriano off waivers from the Orioles, according to announcements from both clubs. Baltimore designated him for assignment earlier this week. To open a 40-man spot, Atlanta designated infielder Brett Wisely for assignment.
Soriano, 27 in March, spent his entire career with the Marlins until recently. The Orioles claimed him off waivers in November. Baltimore loves to claim players from the wire and then put them back out there later, hoping the player clears waivers and can stay in the Orioles’ system. They recently designated Soriano for assignment when they claimed outfielder Jhonkensy Noel. They later designated Noel for assignment when they claimed Marco Luciano.
In this case, Baltimore’s attempt to get Soriano through waivers has not worked, with Atlanta scooping him up. Atlanta has surely gotten some decent looks at the righty, as he has been playing within their division. He logged 118 innings for the Marlins over the past three years, allowing 5.95 earned runs per nine. His 22% strikeout rate and 10.3% walk rate were both a bit worse than average.
Teams like Baltimore and Atlanta are likely intrigued by his minor league numbers. He tossed 42 2/3 innings in Triple-A last year with a 2.32 ERA. He struck out 28.8% of batters faced and also kept batted balls on the ground at a 55.7% rate. He also held his walk rate to a more reasonable 8.8% rate at that level.
Soriano exhausted his final option season in 2025, which has pushed him to a fringe roster area. He’s now twice been put on waivers but twice been claimed. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he loses his roster spot yet again before the winter is out. For now, he has a spot with Atlanta. He has a bit more than a year of big league service time. That means he can be controlled for five full seasons and is still two years away from qualifying for arbitration.
Wisely, 27 in May, is in a somewhat similar position. He’s an infielder and not a pitcher but he has exhausted his options, giving him a tenuous hold on a roster spot thanks to tepid big league results. The Giants designated him for assignment in September, which led to Atlanta claiming him off waivers.
In 466 big league plate appearances, he has a line of just .214/.265/.319. But over the past three years, he has a .276/.375/.436 line and 113 wRC+ at the Triple-A level. He has also racked up a bunch of stolen bases in the minors and provides defensive versatility. He has experience at all four infield spots and all three outfield slots as well.
Like Soriano, he can be affordably controlled for five more seasons if he latches on somewhere. Given his multi-positional abilities and speed, perhaps he will find interest from a club looking to deepen its bench. If he passes through waivers unclaimed, Atlanta can keep him in a non-roster capacity. He can be in DFA limbo for a week at most. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so Atlanta could take five days to field trade interest, but they could also place him on the wire quicker than that.
Photo courtesy of Jerome Miron, Imagn Images
Dodgers Claim Ryan Fitzgerald
The Dodgers announced that they have claimed infielder Ryan Fitzgerald off waivers from the Twins. Alden González of ESPN reported the claim prior to the official announcement. Minnesota designated him for assignment a week ago when they acquired Eric Wagaman from the Marlins. The Dodgers had an open 40-man spot due to trading outfielder Esteury Ruiz to the Marlins last month, which prompted the Fish to designate Wagaman for assignment.
Though the teams surely didn’t plan it this way, it works out to essentially be an accidental three-team trade over the span of a couple of weeks. The Dodgers flipped Ruiz to the Marlins in late December for minor league pitcher Adriano Marrero. Miami bumped Wagaman off their roster and then traded him to Minnesota for minor league pitcher Kade Bragg. That led to Fitzgerald getting bumped off the Minnesota roster and landing with Los Angeles.
Fitzgerald, 32 in June, just got to make his major league debut. After years grinding away in independent ball and the minor leagues, the Twins called him up to the show last year a bit before his 31st birthday. He stepped to the plate 53 times in 24 games and produced a .196/.302/.457 batting line while playing all four infield positions. He stole just one base but his sprint speed was ranked in the 79th percentile of big leaguers last year. He had a better batting line of .277/.367/.469 in Triple-A last year, though that was aided by a .349 batting average on balls in play.
The Dodgers are one of the best teams in baseball, having won the World Series in the past two seasons. They won’t need Fitzgerald to be an everyday player but his versatility is surely appealing for depth purposes, especially considering the veteran nature of their infield. Their shortstop is Mookie Betts, who is 33 years old and was an outfielder until recently. They have 35-year-old Max Muncy at third and 36-year-old Freddie Freeman at first.
Second base is fairly open, with Tommy Edman, Hyeseong Kim, Miguel Rojas and Alex Freeland in the mix there. Edman can also play the outfield and is also coming off ankle surgery. Kim can play multiple positions. Rojas is about to turn 37. Freeland is one of the club’s top prospects and has options, so perhaps he could end up getting regular playing time in the minors as opposed to holding a part-time role in the big leagues.
Since Fitzgerald can play all over and has a bit of speed, he could be an attractive bench piece. He could give the veterans the occasional day off or replace them mid-game in blowouts. His wheels could also allow him to pinch run on occasion.
Fitzgerald also has a couple of options remaining, so he could simply be stashed in the minors as depth to be on hand for when injuries arise throughout the year. He has just 65 days of big league service time, meaning he’s still being paid around the league minimum and is at least three years away from qualifying for arbitration.
Photo courtesy of Jesse Johnson, Imagn Images