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Ron Washington To Stay On Medical Leave For Remainder Of Season

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The Angels announced today that manager Ron Washington will stay on medical leave for the remainder of the 2025 season. Ray Montgomery will continue to serve as the interim manager. Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times was among those to relay the info. Infield coach Ryan Goins will take up Montgomery’s previous bench coach role.

Reports emerged one week ago that Washington would be stepping out of the dugout for an indefinite amount of time due to an unspecified health concern. The issue still hasn’t been publicly specified but it is apparently serious enough that Wash won’t be resuming his managerial duties for the rest of the season.

Now 73 years old, Washington signed a two-year deal to manage the Halos ahead of the 2024 season. They went 63-99 last year but are faring much better so far this season. They are currently 40-40 and just one game back of a playoff spot. Shaikin reports that Washington’s contract has a club option for 2026.

Montgomery, 55, has been the bench coach for the Angels since 2022, which has allowed him to be a constant presence over multiple managerial tenures. Joe Maddon was the skipper at the start of 2022 but he was fired in June of that year. Phil Nevin replaced Maddon and held the role through the end of the 2023 season. After Nevin’s contract expired, Washington was hired for the 2024 campaign.

His managerial experience thus far is fairly limited. Nevin got a ten-game suspension in the wake of a brawl with the Mariners in 2022, with Montgomery stepping in to cover at that time. He’s been at the helm for the past week to replace Washington and will now seemingly get the job for the second half of the season as well.

Goins, 37, just retired from playing after the 2023 season. A month later, he was added to Washington’s staff as infield coach. He’ll now get a role change as the Angels adjust on the fly to cover for Washington’s absence.

Photo courtesy of Jason Parkhurst, Imagn Images

Guardians Reinstate Erik Sabrowski, Transfer Will Brennan To 60-Day IL

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The Guardians announced today that left-hander Erik Sabrowski has been reinstated from the 60-day injured list. Right-hander Zak Kent has been optioned to Triple-A Columbus as the corresponding active roster move. To open a 40-man spot, outfielder Will Brennan has been transferred to the 60-day IL. The 40-man roster remains full.

Sabrowski, 27, had a very promising big league debut. He was added to Cleveland’s roster at the end of August last year and tossed 12 2/3 scoreless innings down the stretch, striking out a massive 40.4% of batters faced in that small sample of work. The Guards carried him on the roster into the postseason, where he added 5 1/3 innings with just one earned run allowed.

He hasn’t yet been able to build on that here in 2025. He missed spring training due to some inflammation in his pitching elbow and landed on the IL to start the year. He was healthy enough to start a rehab assignment by the end of May and has since allowed four earned runs in nine minor league innings. He’ll give the Guards a third lefty in the bullpen alongside Tim Herrin and Kolby Allard.

Brennan, 27, underwent Tommy John surgery earlier this month. He’ll spend the rest of the season on the IL, collecting big league pay and service time. He should qualify for arbitration this winter as a Super Two player, though his mostly lost season will hamper his ability to earn a meaningful raise in that system.

Photo courtesy of Wendell Cruz, Imagn Images

Athletics Designate T.J. McFarland For Assignment

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The Athletics announced today that right-hander Elvis Alvarado has been recalled from Triple-A Las Vegas. Left-hander T.J. McFarland has been designated for assignment as the corresponding move. They also announced their release of Seth Brown, which MLBTR covered yesterday. The 40-man roster count drops to 38.

McFarland, 36, was also with the A’s last year. He posted a solid 3.81 earned run average in 2024, with his usual blend of low strikeout totals but high numbers of ground balls. The two sides reunited for 2025 on a one-year deal worth $1.8MM.

Unfortunately, things have been far less pleasant this year. The veteran lefty has made 27 appearances here in 2025 but has logged just 15 2/3 innings with a 6.89 ERA. It’s not quite as bad as that number would suggest. A .393 batting average on balls in play and 66.2% strand rate aren’t helping him, which is why his 4.61 FIP and 3.81 SIERA are far more pleasant numbers. However, his 9.5% strikeout rate is low, even for him. He has a 13.7% strikeout rate in his career and was at 16.6% just last year.

On the other hand, he is still getting those grounders. This year, opponents are pounding the ball into the dirt at a 61.3% clip. That’s right in line with his career rate of 61.7%. Major league average is usually around 42%, give or take, so that’s clearly a strong range to be in.

Perhaps McFarland would fit better on a club with stronger defense. The A’s have a collective -20 Outs Above Average this year, tied with the Nationals for worst in the majors. Their -37 Defensive Runs Saved tally is ahead of only the Rockies. Perhaps that explains some of the poor batted ball luck and difficulties stranding runners.

But given his poor results and salary, he’s likely to end up a free agent shortly. Clubs will be reluctant to claim him off waivers, as doing so would mean absorbing what’s left of the contract. If he clears waivers, he has more than enough service time to reject an outright assignment while keeping that salary intact. It’s possible the A’s skip that formality and release him.

If he does end up a free agent, the A’s would be on the hook for his salary. Another club could then sign him and pay him the prorated league minimum for any time spent on the roster, with that amount subtracted from what the A’s pay. At that point, it’s possible a club takes a shot on a bounceback.

McFarland has 546 1/3 big league innings under his belt with a 4.18 ERA, thanks largely to that ability to keep the ball on the ground. It has been backfiring on him this year but, as mentioned, it could work out better somewhere else. With the trade deadline still a month away and bullpen upgrades difficult to come by at the moment, there may be clubs willing to take a cheap flier on the veteran to see how it plays out.

Photo courtesy of Darren Yamashita, Imagn Images

Giants Recall Carson Seymour For MLB Debut

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The Giants announced that right-hander Sean Hjelle has been optioned to Triple-A Sacramento, with fellow righty Carson Seymour recalled as the corresponding move. Seymour was already on the 40-man roster but will be making his major league debut as soon as he gets into a game.

Seymour, 26, was a sixth-round pick of the Mets in 2021. He went to the Giants as part of the 2022 deadline deal which sent Darin Ruf to the Mets and J.D. Davis to the Giants. He has continued climbing the minor league ladder with solid results.

The righty spent 2023 at the Double-A level, primarily as a starter. He logged 112 2/3 innings over 23 starts and five relief appearances, allowing 3.99 earned runs per nine. He struck out 24.5% of batters faced, gave out walks at a 9.2% clip and got grounders on 49.5% of balls in play. He moved up to Triple-A last year with those numbers holding fairly steady. He logged 134 1/3 innings with a 22.1% strikeout rate, 10.1% walk rate and 53.5% ground ball rate.

In November of last year, the Giants added Seymour to their 40-man roster, not wanting him to get plucked away in the Rule 5 draft. He has largely continued to produce in the same manner as previous years. He has thrown 74 innings over 15 starts so far this year with a 3.89 ERA, 25.6% strikeout rate, 11.4% walk rate and 53.6% ground ball rate.

Baseball America currently lists Seymour as the #18 prospect in the Giants’ system, noting that his two-seamer is good at getting grounders while his slider is his best swing-and-miss pitch. BA has some concern about his inconsistent changeup, which leads them to think he may end up as a middle reliever. FanGraphs is a bit more bullish, having given him the #6 spot in the system coming into the year, believing his sinker is an effective enough weapon against lefties to soften platoon concerns, thus giving him a bit more chance to stick as a starter.

For now, Seymour is likely coming up to give the Giants a fresh bullpen arm. They are three games into a stretch of playing 16 in a row. Hjelle pitched in each of the first three contests and may not have been available for the next few days. Seymour will get his roster spot, putting him in position to face major league hitters for the first time.

Photo courtesy of Joe Camporeale, Imagn Images

Mariners Looking For Corner Infield Bats; Ownership Willing To Bump Payroll

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The Mariners are currently 41-38 and in possession of the final American League Wild Card spot, putting them in position to add at the deadline. Daniel Kramer of MLB.com reports that the club is looking to add an impact bat at a corner infield spot, though he adds that they could also just get the best bat available and worry about the positioning later. An extra leverage arm for the bullpen is another reported target. Kramer also reports that “ownership will green light increased spending” at this year’s deadline.

The note about the payroll is quite relevant. Throughout the offseason, reporting indicated that the club had about $15MM of spending capacity for upgrading the roster. The M’s then spent a combined $11.25MM on signing Jorge Polanco and Donovan Solano. In early May, they claimed Leody Taveras off waivers from the Rangers, taking on the roughly $3.7MM he had left to be paid out on this year’s salary. The M’s later outrighted Taveras to Triple-A.

Given that the M’s had seemingly spent their budget, it would have been fair to wonder about their ability to make deadline additions. While it’s unclear exactly how much increased spending ownership is willing to approve, any extra pocket money should help the front office pursue external additions.

As for the specific targets, they are not surprising, as the M’s have question marks at both infield corners. Ben Williamson has received the lion’s share of playing time at third base this year and has been solid with the glove, but has hit just .255/.291/.311 for a 77 wRC+. At first base, Rowdy Tellez was the regular there before his subpar bat got him bumped off the roster. He was designated for assignment last week and put on release waivers today.

Solano is now getting most of the playing time at first. He’s not having a great season overall but has been heating up after a dreadful start. He was hitting .131/.156/.148 through May 17th but has a massive .420/.463/.640 line since then. That latter line is a small sample of just 54 plate appearances and inflated by an unsustainable .474 batting average on balls in play but there’s no harm in riding the hot hand in the short term. He also slashed .294/.353/.413 for a 112 wRC+ from 2019 to 2024, so he has a track record of strong offense.

Considering that he’s 37 years old and slumped early in the year, it’s understandable that the M’s may not want to be totally reliant on him. A lot of his damage has also come against lefties in recent years, so they could consider a platoon, though he has reverse splits in this year’s small sample of work.

As for specific targets, Kramer relays that the Mariners have considered a reunion with old friend Eugenio Suárez, currently of the Diamondbacks. Suárez played for Seattle in 2022 and 2023, hitting a bunch of home runs but also striking out a lot. The M’s made a concerted effort to reimagine their offense with fewer punchouts and traded him to Arizona ahead of the 2024 season.

With the Snakes, Suárez got out to a rough start but has been one of the best hitters in baseball for about the past year. He had a .216/.302/.366 line and 87 wRC+ in the first half of 2024 but then exploded for a .307/.341/.602 showing and 153 wRC+ in the second half. Here in 2025, he already has 25 home runs, a .251/.323/.569 line and a 141 wRC+. He’s also been striking out less in the process. He struck out more than 30% of the time as a Mariner but dropped that rate to 27.5% last year and is down to 25.7% so far this year.

His defense isn’t as strong as Williamson’s but he would obviously provide a huge boost to the lineup from the third base spot. Suárez is making a notable salary of $15MM this year, which would leave about $5MM left to be paid out as of the deadline. As mentioned, it’s unknown how much wiggle room the M’s will have to take on money.

It’s possible the Diamondbacks would be willing to eat some of the money but it’s also not entirely clear if they want to make Suárez available at all. Despite a rash of injuries, they are currently 41-39 and just three games out of a playoff spot in the National League. If they fall back in the next few weeks, the possibility of a Suárez trade should increase.

There’s also an argument for Arizona to trade Suárez even in a win-now move. They have lost several arms to injury and could flip him for help on the pitching staff, with Jordan Lawlar then taking over at third. However, there is risk in that path. Lawlar is a top prospect and keeps hitting in the minors but hasn’t yet taken advantage of his major league chances.

Kramer also mentions Arizona first baseman Josh Naylor, noting that he had been linked to the M’s prior to being traded from Cleveland to Arizona in the offseason. Naylor, like Suárez, is an impending free agent. He is making $10.9MM this year while slashing .307/.363/.479 for a 132 wRC+.

Kramer also mentions some other players as possible fits, including Jarren Duran of the Red Sox as well as Ryan O’Hearn, Cedric Mullins and Félix Bautista of the Orioles, though those appear to be more speculative suggestions. He also throws out Isiah Kiner-Falefa of the Pirates and Jesús Sánchez of the Marlins as other possibilities.

Duran and Mullins are outfielders but, as mentioned, the Mariners might just grab the best bat they can and figure out the defense later. Luke Raley is currently spending most of his time in the outfield corners but could perhaps spend more time at first base if the M’s added an outfielder.

O’Hearn and Mullins are both impending free agents on a struggling Baltimore club, so they seem likely to be moved. O’Hearn is having a terrific year, with a .301/.384/.485 line and 149 wRC+. His $8MM salary is not nothing but it’s barely half of what Suárez is making. Mullins was hot to start the year but has gone cold lately. He had a .278/.412/.515 line and 168 wRC+ at the end of April but has since put up a line of .167/.201/.348 for a wRC+ of 50. He is making $8.725MM this year.

Duran is still controllable for three years after this one but the Sox have a crowded long-term outfield mix that also includes Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Masataka Yoshida and Jhostynxon Garcia. Perhaps the Sox would consider making Duran available as a way to preemptively clear out that logjam while simultaneously adding talent somewhere else. They are currently 40-42 and 2.5 games back of a Wild Card spot.

As for the bullpen, all contenders generally look for upgrades at the deadline. Bautista should be highly attractive if the O’s are willing to make him available but it’s unclear if they would. Unlike Mullins and O’Hearn, he can be retained for two more seasons beyond this one. But given the general volatility of relievers, Baltimore might think about cashing him in during a down year for the club overall.

After missing the 2024 due to Tommy John surgery recovery, Bautista’s control has been a problem, with a 15% walk rate. But he’s still been effective overall, with a 2.60 earned run average and 33.6% strikeout rate. It’s possible he is reining in his command as the season goes along as he has dropped that walk rate to 9.4% in June.

Kiner-Falefa is a glove-first utility guy, hitting .273/.319/.346 this year for the Bucs, which translates to a wRC+ of 85. He is making $7.5MM this season but the Blue Jays are on the hook for part of that as part of the trade that sent him to Pittsburgh at last year’s deadline. Sánchez has generally been a league average hitter for the Marlins. He is in his sixth big league season and has a .240/.309/.425 line and 99 wRC+. He is making $4.5MM this year and can be controlled for two more seasons via arbitration.

There are many possibilities for Seattle, which should make for a very interesting deadline. President of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has a reputation as being one of the most trade-happy executives in the sport and the Mariners have one of the best farm systems. Reportedly, they wanted to deal prospects for big leaguers during the offseason but found few clubs willing to make that kind of pact since so many teams came into the year hoping to contend. As the season goes along and some clubs fall back in the standings, they might be more willing to take some of those prospects off the Mariners’ hands.

Photo courtesy of Joe Nicholson, Imagn Images.

Pirates Sign Génesis Cabrera, Designate Hunter Stratton For Assignment

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The Pirates announced that they have signed left-hander Génesis Cabrera to a major league contract. In corresponding moves, they have optioned right-hander Michael Darrell-Hicks and designated righty Hunter Stratton for assignment.

Cabrera, 28, has some major league success on his track record but has been inconsistent. Since he can’t be optioned to the minors, he has bounced around the league this year. He started the year with the Mets on a minor league deal. That club called him up and put him into six games before designating him for assignment. He cleared waivers, elected free agency and then signed with the Cubs. He made nine appearances for Chicago before the process repeated, with the southpaw again getting designated for assignment and electing free agency in recent days.

Between those two clubs, he has a 6.35 earned run average in 17 innings on the year. His 21.1% strikeout rate and 8.5% walk rate are both close to average but the home run has been a problem. He’s already allowed five, halfway to his personal high, a rate of 19.2% per fly ball.

Ultimately, it’s a small sample of work. As mentioned, he had good seasons in the past. In 2021, he tossed 70 innings for the Cardinals with a 3.73 ERA. His 12.2% walk rate was high but he struck out 26% of batters faced. In the years to come, his walk rate would stay a bit on the high side but the punchouts would oscillate. He only struck out 16.5% of batters faced in 2022, got that back up to 24.3% in 2023, but it dipped again to 18.5% last year.

The Pirates have lost two lefty relievers to the injured list, with Ryan Borucki and Tim Mayza both currently on the shelf. Cabrera can slot in alongside Caleb Ferguson and give the Bucs a second southpaw in the relief corps.

Stratton, 28, started the year with the Bucs on a minor league deal but cracked the Opening Day roster. He has since been shuttled to Triple-A and back a few times. He’s only been put into three big league games, allowing seven earned runs in 2 2/3 innings for an unsightly 23.63 ERA.

His Triple-A work has been far better, with a 3.65 ERA in 24 2/3 innings this year. He struck out 23.8% of batters faced at that level, walked 7.9% and generated grounders on 50% of balls in play. That’s more in line with his previous big league work. With the Bucs over 2023 and 2024, he tossed 49 2/3 innings with a 3.26 ERA, 21% strikeout rate, 4.9% walk rate and 41% ground ball rate.

He now heads into DFA limbo, which can last as long as a week. The waiver process takes 48 hours, so the Pirates could take as long as five days to talk explore trade talks. He has a full slate of options and his numbers have generally been good, so he could appeal to a club looking for extra relief depth. He has less than three years of service time and has not been previously outrighted in his career, so he would not have the right to elect free agency if he passes through outright waivers unclaimed in the next week.

Photo courtesy of Kamil Krzaczynski, Imagn Images

Wander Franco Found Guilty Of Sexual Abuse

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Wander Franco has been found guilty of sexual abuse of a minor in the Dominican Republic, according to reporting from Juan Arturo Recio and Jeff Passan of ESPN. He has received a two-year suspended sentence and will have to serve the sentence if he doesn’t meet certain conditions. The primary condition is that he does not approach minors with sexual intentions.

In August of 2023, investigators in the D.R. began looking into accusations that the Rays shortstop had engaged in a sexual relationship with a 14-year-old girl while he was 21. The age of consent in that country is 18. In July of 2024, Franco was formally charged with sexual abuse and sexual exploitation against a minor, as well as human trafficking. In September of last year, it was reported that the case would proceed to trial.

Major League Baseball placed Franco on administrative leave in August last year when the accusations first emerged, standard procedure for players who are being investigated under the joint domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy. He was reinstated for the offseason in a procedural move but placed back on administrative leave when the 2024 campaign began. He was moved to the restricted list in July of 2024, at which point he was no longer receiving big league pay or service time.

Throughout the proceedings, accusations had also emerged against the girl’s mother, that she received payments from Franco worth thousands of dollars to remain silent about her daughter’s abuse. Per Recio and Passan, she has been found guilty of trafficking her daughter and sentenced to ten years in prison.

Major League Baseball released a statement on the verdict today, relayed by Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times. “Major League Baseball is proud to have a collectively bargained Joint Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Policy that reflects our commitment to these issues. We are aware of today’s verdict in the Wander Franco trial and will conclude our investigation at the appropriate time.” Per that policy, the league can impose discipline even in the absence of legal charges.

Back in 2021, Franco and the Rays signed an 11-year, $182MM extension which was set to run through 2032. In the wake of his conviction, it’s unclear if he’ll be able to get the work visa necessary for him to return to the United States.

Photo courtesy of Brad Penner, Imagn Images.

Alex Bregman Open To Extension Talks With Red Sox

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Alex Bregman has an upcoming opt-out in his contract but he is willing to talk with the Red Sox about sticking around longer. “I always tell the team — and Alex directs me to tell them — we’re always open to any conversation,” Bregman’s agent Scott Boras said to Tim Healey of The Boston Globe. “Any player who plays well somewhere, it’s something that’s important for the team and important for the player. It’s an additive.” Boras also mentioned that Bregman and his family have been happy with their time being in Boston so far.

It’s not especially surprising that Bregman and Boras would be open to a long-term offer. While Boras clients have a reputation for being averse to extensions, that’s normally for early-career players who don’t want to give up future earning power by delaying their path to free agency. In Bregman’s case, he already reached free agency after last season. He didn’t quite get the long-term deal he was looking for, so he pivoted to a short-term pact. He and the Sox signed a three-year deal with a $120MM guaranteed, though with notable deferrals that knocked the net present value closer to $90MM, with opt-out chances after each season.

The goal in signing a contract of that nature is to bank some high earnings on an annual basis while still maintaining the ability to get a larger guarantee down the line. The Bregman situation has a lot of parallels with that of Matt Chapman, another Boras client. Chapman also found the offers lacking in his first foray to free agency, settling for a three-year, $54MM deal with the Giants. His first season in San Francisco was going well enough that they didn’t want him to return to free agency, so they signed him to a six-year, $151MM deal in September of last year.

Bregman would presumably be happy with a similar sequence of events playing out for him and he has mostly done his part so far. By all accounts, he has been a positive force in taking on a clubhouse leader role on a roster with plenty of young players. He has also hit .299 /.385/.553 for a 158 wRC+ this season, his best offensive showing in years. He’s been out of action for about a month due to a quad strain but should be back in the not-too-distant future. Manager Álex Cora recently said Bregman would likely stay on the IL through the All-Star break, per Healey.

Given his contributions on and off the field, the Sox are naturally happy with Bregman as well. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow recently discussed the matter with The Greg Hill Show on WEEI. Breslow declined to get into specifics on the contract negotiations but heaped praise on Bregman and expressed an openness to having future talks. “What I’m very comfortable saying is Alex has been everything we could have asked for both on the field,” Breslow said, “but also in the clubhouse from a leadership standpoint. Not just in the way he’s helped younger players and our staff but in the ways that he’s helped me and many of us in the front office. And so right now while we’re focused on doing everything we can to get him back on the field as quickly as possible, when the right time comes to have those conversations, very, very confident that we will.”

When Bregman first signed, it was fair to wonder if it was going to be a short-term arrangement. The Sox had Rafael Devers at third, signed for years to come. Bregman could have played second base for a year, opted out and signed elsewhere.

Much has changed since then, of course. The Sox moved Devers to a designated hitter role and put Bregman at his natural third base position. That appeared to sour the relationship between Devers and the club, which eventually led to him getting flipped to the Giants earlier this month.

That trade blew a big hole in the Boston lineup but it also freed up a lot of spending capacity, with Devers still owed about $250MM at the time of the swap. The Sox also took on Jordan Hicks and the roughly $30MM remaining in his deal but they nonetheless opened up a lot of money that was previously tied to Devers.

In the wake of that swap, the baseball world immediately began speculating if the Sox pivot to locking up Bregman with that money. That seems to be a distinct possibility, though the two sides will have to agree on a price point.

In the winter, Bregman apparently got long-term offers of $156MM from the Astros and around $170MM from the Tigers, though the latter would have come with some amount of deferred money. Bregman was reportedly looking for something around $200MM but couldn’t quite get there, which is why he accepted the short-term deal with the Sox.

Getting offers in that range again may be enough to get it done. If Bregman were offered something around $160MM on a new deal, he and Boras could argue that he hit the $200MM target, when factoring in this year’s $40MM salary. That doesn’t account for the deferrals lowering the net present value of that salary, but that’s generally the point of deferrals, to mask the true value of a contract.

Perhaps the two sides will start talking again as Bregman’s potential opt-out looms. If the Sox want Bregman locked up for the long term, they might want to get it done while he’s under contract, like the Giants did with Chapman. The Sox could always re-sign him in the offseason but then they would face competition from other clubs. In the meantime, Bregman will focus on getting healthy for a second half push.

Marcelo Mayer has largely been covering third base in Bregman’s absence but he has also started dabbling at second base, as Nate Eaton has played third, with Kristian Campbell having been recently optioned to the minors. Campbell has been playing some first base on the farm and could be a candidate to slide over there if Bregman is the long-term third baseman, though Triston Casas will be back from his injury next year. The DH spot is now open with the Devers trade though the Sox also have a crowded bunch of outfielders spilling into that spot.

Photo courtesy of Eric Canha, Imagn Images

MLBTR Podcast: The Braves Say They Won’t Sell, Jeimer Candelario DFA’d, And Injured D-Backs

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The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

  • Matthew Boyd has already surpassed his highest innings total since 2019. How far do the Cubs push him over the remainder of the season? (32:05)
  • The Padres and Royals have pitching they could trade but should they? (38:20)
  • The Reds don’t have long-term answers at first base, third base, left field, right field or designated hitter. Is there a path to bring in players from outside the organization? (45:40)

Check out our past episodes!

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff.  Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Robert Edwards, Imagn Images

Extension Talks Between Astros, Jeremy Peña Put On Hold

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The Astros and Jeremy Peña were apparently making some recent progress on extension talks, per reports from Jon Heyman of The New York Post and Ari Alexander of KPRC 2. Heyman described the talks as “serious” while Alexander said the two sides were “deep” in discussions. Alexander adds that the deal in question would have exceeded $105MM over five years. However, Heyman notes that these talks took place before Peña switched his representation to the Boras Corporation. Earlier this week, Chandler Rome of The Athletic reported that Peña had hired Boras to represent him.

Peña, 27, has long been a solid shortstop of the glove-first variety but his bat has taken a step forward this year. From 2022 to 2024, he produced a combined .261/.307/.399 batting line. He hit 47 home runs but only drew walks in 4.9% of his plate appearances. His 100 wRC+ for that span indicates he was exactly league average at the plate. But thanks to his glovework and 44 stolen bases, he was able to produce 8.9 wins above replacement in the eyes of FanGraphs.

This year, he’s already up to 4.0 fWAR through 79 games thanks to a massive .326/.382/.495 line and 150 wRC+. That’s not entirely sustainable, as he’s currently riding a .365 batting average on balls in play. For context, this year’s league average is .291 and Peña personally had a .308 BABIP coming into the season. Still, there are some signs it’s not entirely luck. His 41.4% hard hit rate is a career high. He has 11 home runs, despite only hitting 15 last year and just 10 the year prior. His 5.9% walk rate is still low but an improvement for him. His strikeout rate is also down for a fourth straight year. He had a 24.2% rate in his rookie season in 2022, then 20.3% the year after, 17.1% last season and 15.9% this year.

Though there may be some regression coming, it seems fair to conclude Peña has increased his earning power with his bat this year. Perhaps he realized this as well and that’s why he made the pivot to Boras. The idea that Boras clients never sign extensions is incorrect, as shown in MLBTR’s Contract Tracker. Several big-name Boras clients have signed extensions, including Stephen Strasburg, Xander Bogaerts and Peña’s teammates Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr..

On the other hand, there is some truth to the fact that Boras clients generally lean towards trying out the free agent market. It’s possible there’s a bit of a chicken-and-egg thing happening. Do Boras clients look to maximize earnings because that’s the way the agency prefers to operate? Or do players looking to max out hire Boras because they have seen him play that game?

Whatever the reasoning, Peña has made the switch at a notable time. He came into this year with exactly three years of major league service time, meaning he’ll be at the four-year mark at the end of the year and on pace for free agency after 2027.

Peña is currently in his age-27 season, making a $4.1MM arbitration salary. A five-year deal starting in 2026 would buy out his final two arb years and three free agent years. Looking again to MLBTR’s Contract Tracker for players in the 4-5 service window who signed extensions, the group has two clear standouts. Garrett Crochet recently secured himself a six-year, $170MM guarantee. A few years prior, Matt Olson got $168MM over eight years.

There’s a clear gap between those deals and what the Astros were discussing with Peña, so perhaps that is what has led to this pause. Since Peña is currently in his age-27 season, he is on track to reach free agency after his age-29 campaign. A five-year extension would buy out his age-28 through age-32 seasons. If he can keep putting up solid numbers, he should have more earning power by going year to year and hitting the open market younger. Though that naturally comes with the risk that his performance dips or he suffers a significant injury between now and then.

Ultimately, it’s up to Peña and what his priorities are. As mentioned, he’s making $4.1MM this year. He has already set himself up for a nice raise next year. He should have some financial security and could bank on himself if he wants. If he’s comfortable with the Astros, perhaps he would be willing to take something below full market value to stay, but then maybe he wouldn’t have hired Boras if that were the case.

For the Astros, they have extended some players, as mentioned. However, they have also let guys like Carlos Correa, George Springer and others walk to sign elsewhere. They signed Alex Bregman to an early-career extension but eventually let him hit free agency and sign with the Red Sox. Framber Valdez seems likely to depart after the current season. Kyle Tucker seemed unlikely to sign an extension and was traded in the offseason.

Payroll wise, the Astros are right up against the competitive balance tax this year and are clearly trying to avoid it, though they have more wiggle room going forward. RosterResource has their 2026 CBT number pegged at $135MM, about $100MM lower than this year’s. Arbitration raises will increase that numbers but the club is going to see commitments to José Abreu, Ryan Pressly and Rafael Montero come off the books. Their most notable impending free agent is Valdez, though they may feel they can replace him internally with their many injured starters potentially getting healthier by next year.

Looking farther down the line, McCullers comes off the books after 2026, Christian Walker and Cristian Javier after 2027, then Yordan Alvarez and Josh Hader after 2028. Altuve is the only guy on the books by 2029 and they’re clear by 2030. It appears there should be room in there for Peña but he will have to agree on an acceptable price point.

Photo courtesy of Cary Edmondson, Imagn Images

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