Yankees Sign Paul DeJong To Minor League Deal
The Yankees and Paul DeJong are in agreement on a minor league deal, according to a report from Jon Heyman of the New York Post. DeJong will receive an invite to big league Spring Training next month as part of the deal. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that DeJong will receive a $1MM salary if he makes the team.
DeJong, 32, was a fourth-round pick by the Cardinals back in 2015. A fast riser through the minors, he made his MLB debut in 2017 and slugged 25 homers in 108 games en route to a second place finish in NL Rookie of the Year voting that season. That led St. Louis to lock DeJong up long-term, signing him to a six-year extension that ran through the 2023 campaign and included club options for 2024 and ’25. Unfortunately for the Cardinals, regression almost immediately began to take hold for DeJong. After a few years as a league average hitter who still managed to offer solid power and good defense at shortstop, his offensive numbers began to fall off starting in the shortened 2020 season. After hitting just .196/.280/.351 over the 2020-22 seasons, DeJong bounced back to a roughly league-average level in 2023 across 81 games for the Cardinals.
That was enough to make him a trade asset for the rebuilding Cards, and he was swapped to the Blue Jays in a minor trade just before the trade deadline as protection against injury for shortstop Bo Bichette. Unfortunately, DeJong went an atrocious 12-for-93 over the final two months of the season while playing in Toronto and San Francisco. That .129/.128/.183 slash line in a nearly 100 plate appearance sample tanked whatever value he might have recouped prior to free agency, and DeJong wound up signing with the White Sox on a $1.75MM guarantee. DeJong managed to put together a decent season for Chicago (and Kansas City) in 2024, with 24 homers and a 96 wRC+ across 139 games that saw him split time between third base and shortstop.
While DeJong’s numbers improved, his prospects in free agency did not. Last offseason he was once again relegated to signing with a rebuilding club, and his $1MM guarantee from the Nationals clocked in even lower than the one he received from the White Sox the previous year. This time, however, DeJong’s season was derailed by an errant pitch that struck him in the face, fracturing his nose and causing him to miss ten weeks. He returned to the Nats’ bench mix in July but did not turn in especially inspiring results. The veteran ended 2025 with a 76 wRC+ in 208 trips to the plate and returned to free agency looking for a chance to bounce back.
Now that he’s with the Yankees, DeJong figures to compete for a spot in what could be a crowded bench mix for the Yankees. Amed Rosario and backup catcher J.C. Escarra figure to fill two of the four spots on the club’s bench, meaning DeJong will compete with Oswaldo Cabrera, Jorbit Vivas, and Braden Shewmake for those last two spots on the bench. The Yankees’ bench figures to get squeezed even more with time. After all, if the team winds up re-signing Cody Bellinger or otherwise adding an outfielder to the roster, that would push Jasson Dominguez to the bench. Likewise, the eventual return of Anthony Volpe to the roster when he completes his shoulder rehab figures to push Jose Caballero into a bench role. That leaves a relatively narrow window for DeJong to make the Yankees’ roster, though injuries and trades could theoretically create space for DeJong to find a role.
Looking At The Yankees’ Internal Bullpen Options
The Yankees’ bullpen has seen a lot of turnover this offseason. Devin Williams and Luke Weaver departed in free agency, both later signing with the Mets. The club non-tendered Jake Cousins, Scott Effross, Mark Leiter Jr., and Ian Hamilton. Jonathan Loaisiga saw his club option declined, while Allan Winans was released to pursue an opportunity in Japan.
The club did pick up their option on lefty Tim Hill and re-sign Ryan Yarbrough and Paul Blackburn as depth pieces. Still, the bullpen looks thinner than last year behind Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval, and closer David Bednar. What options do the Yankees have in the system at present? Let’s take a look at the possibilities.
Along with Bednar and Doval, Bird was one of three key bullpen acquisitions that the Yankees made at the 2025 trade deadline. Unfortunately, he was the least productive of the three. Bird made three appearances in early August, allowing six earned runs on four hits, two home runs, and two unintentional walks in just two innings. On August 5, New York optioned him to Triple-A, where he stayed for the remainder of the season.
Bird has pitched 232 1/3 big-league innings with a 4.76 ERA since debuting in 2022. He owns a career 21.1% strikeout rate and a 9.8% walk rate, although he upped his strikeout rate to an above-average 26.6% in 55 1/3 innings in 2025. In addition to the strikeouts, he has a 70th-percentile groundball rate that could play up with strong infield defense from Ryan McMahon, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Anthony Volpe (if he regains his Gold Glove-caliber defense following shoulder surgery). Bird also has a plus sweeper and curveball according to Statcast, though he’ll need to improve his sinker (-6 run value) if he plans to compete for middle- and high-leverage innings.
The Yankees claimed Headrick off waivers from the Twins in February 2025. He was shuffled between Triple-A and the majors, pitching 23 big-league innings in 17 appearances before ending the year on the injured list with a left forearm contusion. The results were serviceable. Headrick posted a 3.13 ERA with similar peripherals and struck out 32.6% of hitters against a 7.6% walk rate. That said, despite being a left-handed pitcher, he showed pretty drastic reverse platoon splits in 2025, allowing a .922 OPS with four home runs to lefty batters compared to a .484 OPS against righties.
Headrick is primarily a fastball-slider pitcher. His fastball has slightly-below-average velocity, and he allowed a 50.0% hard-hit rate against the pitch in 2025. His slider could be a useful pitch, as he struck out 44.4% of hitters on the pitch in a limited sample this year. At present, with Yarbrough figuring to start the year in the rotation, Headrick is the only lefty in the bullpen aside from Hill. That said, he may be best utilized as a depth arm given his hard-hit rates and struggles against same-handed pitching.
The Yankees selected Winquest from the Cardinals’ system in the Rule 5 Draft last month. The 25-year-old righty was an eighth-round pick in 2022 and split the 2025 season between High-A and Double-A. In 106 innings across both levels, Winquest posted a 3.99 ERA with a 23.9% strikeout rate and an 8.5% walk rate. He lowered his ERA from 4.52 in 63 2/3 High-A innings to 3.19 in 42 1/3 innings at Double-A. He also displayed improved control by lowering his walk rate, although his groundball rate declined sharply from 55.6% to 36.7%. As with any Rule 5 pick, it would be a surprise to see Winquest last the entire year on the major-league roster. He would be best used in low-leverage spots.
De los Santos was shuffled between Triple-A and the majors for most of the year, making 25 big-league appearances with a 3.28 ERA in 35 2/3 innings. On the plus side, he got groundballs at a well-above-average rate of 55.4% and allowed just 0.25 HR/9. He used his mid-90s sinker 54.6% of the time to great effect, with a run value of six according to Statcast. On the down side, his strikeout and walk rates were worse than average. His breaking pitches both had negative run values, making it easier for hitters to time up the sinker. De los Santos has one option year remaining, so he’ll continue to function as a depth piece.
Elmer Rodriguez / Chase Hampton
Rodriguez and Hampton were added to the 40-man roster in November for Rule 5 protection. They are the team’s No. 3 and No. 8 prospects according to MLB.com. Hampton missed the entire 2025 season due to Tommy John surgery and only pitched 18 2/3 innings in 2024. He looks like the longer shot to contribute in the big-league bullpen, though his plus fastball and slider combo may earn him looks later in the summer. Rodriguez has the higher upside of the two. He reached Triple-A in 2025 and pitched 150 innings in total across three levels, posting a 2.58 ERA with a 29.0% strikeout rate. Like Hampton, Rodriguez’s fastball and slider both grade as plus pitches. He will be in the mix but will need to work on his control if he is to stick in the majors.
______________________
As things currently stand, the Yankees’ bullpen has a mix of youth and depth options. Of the six players mentioned here, Bird has the most big-league experience, though he’ll need to re-establish himself after a rough introduction to New York over the summer. Rodriguez also has potential given his minor-league track record and high strikeout rate. That said, the other four profile as depth arms or have injury (Hampton) or durability concerns (Winquest). That leaves Bednar and Cruz as the high-leverage options, with Doval having a closer pedigree but coming off his own uneven debut in New York. Overall, the bullpen looks top-heavy and needs at least one or two reinforcements.
In the years since the Aroldis Chapman and Zack Britton deals, the team has been reluctant to sign high-leverage relievers to long-term contracts. They could opt to raise the bullpen’s floor by adding affordable middle relievers with big-league experience, as well as another proven lefty to complement Hill. Andrew Chafin fits the mold and is currently available in free agency. Although he missed time with injuries, he continued to dominate left-handed hitters in 2025, allowing just a .454 OPS against them. If the Yankees want to focus on high-leverage arms, they could look to the trade market instead, perhaps by re-engaging the Cardinals on JoJo Romero.
Yankees Have Reportedly Made Offer To Cody Bellinger
The Yankees made a formal contract offer to Cody Bellinger this week, reports Jon Heyman of The New York Post. Specifics of the proposal aren’t known.
General manager Brian Cashman has made no secret of the team’s desire to keep Bellinger. The former MVP’s first year in the Bronx was excellent. He hit .272/.334/.480 with 29 home runs, his most in a season since 2019. Bellinger’s bat played very well at Yankee Stadium, where he put up a .302/.365/.544 line with 18 longballs.
New York acquired Bellinger from the Cubs last winter in what amounted to a salary dump. They parted with journeyman righty Cody Poteet while assuming all but $5MM of the remaining two years and $52.5MM on Bellinger’s contract. As he ended up opting out, the Yankees paid $27.5MM for that excellent year. It might require a five- or six-year commitment to bring him back as he enters his age-30 season.
The Yankees have had a quiet first couple months of the offseason. Their only move of significance was issuing the qualifying offer to Trent Grisham. He surprisingly accepted and is back in center field on a one-year deal at $22.025MM. Bellinger was ineligible to receive the QO after getting one from the Cubs over the 2023-24 offseason.
Grisham’s salary accounts for the majority of the $29.025MM they’ve spent in free agency so far. The remaining $7MM has been divided among a trio of one-year deals to bring back Paul Blackburn, Amed Rosario and Ryan Yarbrough. Their only MLB acquisition from outside the organization has been Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest.
That certainly won’t be the Yankees’ entire offseason. They presumably expected Bellinger’s free agency to carry well into the winter. The top two free agent hitters, Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette, each make sense on paper if Bellinger heads elsewhere. Signing one of Tucker or Bellinger would allow them to rotate their outfielders through the designated hitter spot if Giancarlo Stanton spends any time on the injured list. Bellinger could spell Ben Rice at first base and/or take playing time in left field from Jasson Domínguez, who still has a pair of options remaining.
An outfielder isn’t an absolute necessity, but it’s probably the cleanest path to adding an impact position player. Shortstop would be the primary alternative. Bichette is the only real solution there and faces questions about his defensive fit. He could be an option to handle shortstop for a season and move over to second base once Jazz Chisholm Jr. hits free agency a year from now. The Yankees have reportedly made Chisholm available in trade conversations, but that’d swap out one of their better all-around position players in the process.
The other option would be to make a rotation splash with Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón and Clarke Schmidt opening the season on the injured list. Framber Valdez, Ranger Suárez and Zac Gallen are the best remaining free agent starters now that NPB righty Tatsuya Imai is off the board on a three-year deal with Houston. The Yankees were one of the teams linked to Imai when he was a free agent, but both Heyman and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com wrote after the signing that the Yanks were not seriously involved in the bidding.
RosterResource projects the Yankees for a $286MM luxury tax number. Owner Hal Steinbrenner has spoken generally about a desire to stay below the $300MM mark in the past, though Cashman suggested in November that’s not a firm limit this offseason. The Yankees had a $320MM luxury tax payroll at the end of the 2025 season.
Yankees, Cubs, Dodgers Have Checked In On Bo Bichette
Interest in free agent infielder Bo Bichette has mostly been limited to a pair of AL East teams this offseason. Toronto is known to be open to a reunion, while Boston has met with the two-time All-Star over Zoom. Three teams are now joining the Blue Jays and Red Sox in the race for Bichette’s services, as Jon Heyman of the New York Post reports that the Cubs, Yankees, and Dodgers have checked in on him.
New York is one of the few contenders without a concrete plan at shortstop. Anthony Volpe is coming off a brutal season and will miss the beginning of the 2026 campaign following labrum surgery. Utilityman José Caballero will likely cover shortstop until Volpe returns. The Yankees also re-signed Amed Rosario, who has plenty of experience playing up the middle.
Top prospect George Lombard Jr. is a candidate to handle the position in the future, but stepping in as soon as this season would be a tall task for the 20-year-old. Adding Bichette would obviously be a long-term commitment, though he could move to second or third base once Lombard is ready.
The Yankees have been primarily connected to pitchers and outfielders in free agency, but a notable internal development could adjust that approach. Reports emerged in mid-December that the team was listening to offers on infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. With the front office potentially less than enthused about extending Chisholm, who will be a free agent in 2027, flipping him now could make sense. Chisholm’s departure would open up a spot at second base, a position Bichette has said he’d be willing to play.
The case for the Cubs is similar. Chicago doesn’t have an obvious need up the middle, with Dansby Swanson and Nico Hoerner locked in at shortstop and second base, respectively. However, Hoerner is drawing trade interest. The speedy infielder is entering the final season of the three-year, $35MM extension he signed in 2024. Just like with the Yankees and Chisholm, if the Cubs aren’t planning to bring Hoerner back, moving him for other assets would be a sensible path. Hoerner is coming off a strong season in which he hit .297 with 29 stolen bases.
There’s also the third base option. The hot corner has been vaguely mentioned as a defensive landing spot for Bichette, who’s seen his metrics fall off considerably at shortstop. In a separate post mentioning several free agents, including Bichette, Heyman reported that he’s drawing interest at second base, shortstop, and third base. Bichette could be a fallback option of sorts if Chicago comes up short in its pursuit of Alex Bregman.
Bichette had only played shortstop at the MLB level until a brief cameo at second base this past postseason. In his return from a September knee injury, Bichette appeared in five games at the keystone in the World Series. He played 30 games at second base in the minors. Bichette has never appeared at third base as a professional. His subpar arm strength wouldn’t be ideal at the position, but it could be a better spot for his declining range. Bichette ranked in the first percentile in Outs Above Average last season. At third base, he’d have the foul line as a bumper on one side, with the rangy Andres Gimenez supporting him on the other side.
The Dodgers have Mookie Betts locked in at shortstop, but second base is a short-term hole, and third base could be a long-term need. Deficiencies are relative when it comes to the back-to-back champs, of course. The second base mix currently includes KBO import Hyeseong Kim, prospect Alex Freeland, and the recently re-signed Miguel Rojas. Tommy Edman could also factor in when he’s not playing the outfield. Even if there isn’t a clear standout in the group, there are probably enough options for LA to adequately cover the position without a major addition like Bichette.
Once again, third base is a more interesting discussion. The Dodgers reupped with Max Muncy via a $10MM club option. He’s only signed through 2026, though. Muncy will turn 36 before the end of next season. Injuries have cost him significant time in each of the past two years. His tenure with the Dodgers is likely coming to an end at some point in the near future. If the club views Bichette as a viable fit at third base, he could spend a year at second base and then transition to the hot corner for the rest of what is likely to be a lengthy contract.
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski, Imagn Images
Yankees Re-Sign Amed Rosario
Dec. 30: The team has now formally announced Rosario’s new contract.
Dec. 13: The Yankees are re-signing infielder Amed Rosario to a one-year contract. The deal pays Rosario $2.5MM in salary, plus another $225K is available in incentive bonuses. Rosario is represented by Octagon.
Acquired from the Nationals at the trade deadline, Rosario hit .303/.303/.485 over 33 plate appearances and 16 games for New York, and his playing time was further limited by a 10-day injured list stint due to a left SC joint sprain. Still, Rosario lived up to expectations by chipping in at second base, third base, and in right field, while providing the Yankees with a productive right-handed hitting bat.
That righty-swinging balance is a plus within a New York lineup that is heavy in left-handed batters, and having Rosario back will give the Yankees some platoon flexibility with either Ryan McMahon at third base or even Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second base. McMahon is a superb defender but a much lesser hitter than Chisholm, so Rosario will probably get most of his playing time spelling McMahon at least against southpaws.
Once regarded as one of baseball’s top prospects during his time in the Mets’ farm system, Rosario posted some okay offensive numbers as a regular with the Mets and Guardians. His overall effectiveness was limited by a lack of walks, struggles against right-handed pitching, and subpar defending at the shortstop position.
Though he is only entering his age-30 season, Rosario now looks to have settled into a role as a part-time player who can fill in at multiple positions, though he doesn’t provide much defensive value anywhere. His biggest plus is his ability to hit southpaws, as Rosario has a career .298/.336/.464 slash line in 1196 PA against left-handed pitching.
The Yankees clearly liked what they saw in Rosario last year, and after bouncing around to six different teams since the start of the 2023 season, Rosario probably appreciates some stability in returning to the Bronx for a full season in the pinstripes. He receives a slight raise over the $2MM deal he received from Washington last winter.
With Rosario back in the fold, the Yankees have brought some experienced depth back into the infield mix. Anthony Volpe will miss the start of the season recovering from shoulder surgery, so if Jose Caballero ends up getting a lot of the shortstop time in Volpe’s absence, Rosario’s presence helps fill the utility void on New York’s bench. Brendan Donovan is another versatile player known to be on the Yankees’ trade radar, plus the club has also been more loosely linked to All-Star Bo Bichette, in what would be an even more seismic shake-up of the Bronx infield.
Jack Curry of YES Network was the first to report that Rosario was re-signing with the Yankees on a one-year deal. Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Rosario’s $2.5MM salary, and ESPN’s Jorge Castillo added the news about the incentive bonuses.
Yankees, Royals Interested In Austin Hays
The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports this morning that the Royals “remain interested” in signing Austin Hays, despite having recently acquired outfielders Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas. This lines up with previous reporting suggesting that president of baseball operations J.J. Picollo is still searching for upgrades after his outfielders finished last in MLB in runs scored, RBI, on-base percentage, OPS, wRC+, and FanGraphs WAR in 2025. Heyman first connected Hays and the Royals earlier this month.
Heyman also notes that the Yankees have “checked in” on Hays, although they might only be interested in adding him if they can’t re-sign Cody Bellinger, whom the New York Post reporter describes as their top target. In contrast to the Royals, the Yankees led the majors in most offensive categories from the outfield this past year, including runs scored, home runs, RBI, all three triple-slash metrics, wRC+, and fWAR. Bellinger was a key contributor to that effort, and it’s no surprise the Bronx Bombers would love to team him up with Aaron Judge and Trent Grisham once again. Their interest in retaining Bellinger is hardly breaking news.
This is, however, the first time the Yankees have been linked to Hays. Heyman reported a month ago that Kyle Tucker could be their “backup plan” if they missed out on Bellinger, and needless to say, Hays would not be the same kind of outfield upgrade. In fact, it’s less clear if Hays would be an upgrade at all. The young switch-hitter Jasson Domínguez certainly has a higher ceiling, while Amed Rosario, though limited in his outfield experience, is already on the roster to fill a righty-batting utility role. Whether the Yankees’ reported interest in Hays suggests a lack of faith in Domínguez to become an everyday player, a lack of faith in Rosario to play the outfield, or simply GM Brian Cashman doing his due diligence remains to be seen.
Yesterday, Heyman reported that the Mets’ front office had engaged in conversations about signing Hays. Considering the Mets lost several outfielders to free agency this winter and traded away two more, they could certainly find playing time for the veteran in 2026. Of course, he might be more of a plan B in Queens as well, with the Mets having also expressed interest in signing Bellinger and trading for White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr.
Hays, 30, is coming off a solid season for Cincinnati. In 103 games and 416 PA, he slashed .266/.315/.453 with 15 home runs and a 105 wRC+. He also went 7-for-7 on the bases while playing capably in left field. As usual, he was particularly effective against left-handed pitching (.949 OPS, 155 wRC+). While Hays is unlikely to be an everyday player, at least not on a contending team, he has proven he can be a valuable role player over his eight MLB seasons with the Orioles, Phillies, and Reds.
Mets Sign Luke Weaver
December 22nd: The Mets announced Weaver’s signing. They opened a 40-man roster spot by trading McNeil to the Athletics earlier today.
December 17th: The Mets are working to finalize a two-year, $22MM deal with free agent reliever Luke Weaver, reports Joel Sherman of the New York Post. The two sides have an agreement in place, per Will Sammon of The Athletic. The deal is pending a physical. Weaver is repped by Excel Sports Management. The Mets have a full 40-man roster and will need a corresponding move to make this deal official.
The two-year, $22MM terms are the exact same ones as the just-agreed-upon deal between the division-rival Phillies and righty Brad Keller. Like Keller, Weaver is a starter-turned-reliever who’s found notable success pitching near the back of a big-market contender’s bullpen.
Weaver, 32, has spent the past two-plus seasons as a key late-inning arm over in the Bronx. A rocky finish to the 2025 season inflated his earned run average to 3.62 but since signing with the Yankees late in the 2023 campaign, Weaver touts a 3.22 ERA, 29.4% strikeout rate and 7.5% walk rate in 162 innings of relief. He saved a dozen games and picked up 43 holds along the way, blowing only four other opportunities in that time. It’s presumably just coincidence, but the Mets now employ Weaver, Devin Williams and Clay Holmes (who’s moved into the rotation) — the Yankees’ three highest-leverage arms for the bulk of the 2024-25 seasons.
A first-round pick by the Cardinals back in 2014, Weaver debuted in the St. Louis rotation in 2016 and showed some promise as a starter there in 2017-18. The Cards flipped him to the D-backs as part of the return for star first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, and Weaver looked to be on the cusp of a full-fledged breakout in 2019. He started a dozen games and pitched to a 2.94 ERA with plus strikeout and walk rates before a forearm strain ended his season. Subsequent shoulder and elbow injuries doomed the rest of Weaver’s D-backs tenure; from 2020-23, he pitched to a 5.95 ERA while bouncing between five clubs.
The last of those five stops, however, was in the Bronx. He made enough of an impression in three late-season starts to sign a $2.5MM big league deal in the offseason — one that contained a 2025 club option. It proved to be a raucous bargain for the team and a career-saving deal for Weaver, who rebuilt himself into a coveted bullpen arm and now lands the largest payday of his 12-year professional career. Despite that strong run in the Bronx and some reported interest in a reunion, the Yanks were not in the bidding for Weaver, per Sherman.
Back in September, Weaver expressed some openness to returning to a starting role if a team gave him a chance, but that doesn’t seem to be at play here. Anthony DiComo of MLB.com writes that Weaver will slot into the bullpen. It’s unclear if that’s sourced reporting or deduction but there hasn’t been anything to suggest the Mets plan on giving Weaver a rotation gig. The price of Weaver’s deal is right around expectations. At the beginning of the offseason, MLBTR predicted him for an $18MM guarantee over two years, an estimate that he has marginally beaten.
New York had a middling bullpen in 2025. Their collective 3.93 ERA was 15th in the majors. It was even worse later in the year as the season slipped away from the club. Over August and September, the relief corps had a collective 4.18 ERA. At season’s end, Edwin Díaz, Tyler Rogers, Gregory Soto, Ryan Helsley and others hit free agency, further thinning out the group. Those four have already signed with other clubs.
The Mets have signed Williams and now Weaver to fortify the group. They will slot in among incumbent arms like A.J. Minter, Brooks Raley, Huascar Brazobán and others. Presumably, there are still more bullpen moves to come.
RosterResource, assuming an equal distribution of Weaver’s guarantee over two years, now projects the Mets for a $305MM payroll and a $307MM competitive balance tax figure. Since they have paid the tax in at least three straight years, they face compounding taxation rates. The top tier of the tax in 2026 is $304MM, so this deal pushes them over. That means they will pay a 110% tax on any further spending, though that’s nothing new for them.
There are still several items on the to-do list for the Mets this winter. Sammon wrote earlier this week that the club is still looking for a front-of-rotation starter and an offensive upgrade. That could come via free agency but there have also been plenty of trade rumors surrounding Jeff McNeil, Kodai Senga, David Peterson, Mark Vientos, Ronny Mauricio and Luisangel Acuña. For now, Weaver upgrades the bullpen at market price.
Photo courtesy of Jeff Curry, Brad Penner, Imagn Images
Yankees Agree To Minor League Deals With Ali Sanchez, Zack Short
The Yankees have agreed to minor league contracts with catcher Ali Sánchez and infielder Zack Short, per the team’s transaction log at MLB.com. Both former big leaguers will presumably be in major league camp next spring.
Sanchez is a right-handed-hitting catcher with experience in parts of four major league seasons. He’ll turn 29 in a month. He split the 2025 campaign between the Mets, Blue Jays and Red Sox organizations, logging some major league time with the latter two. Sanchez has only 133 big league plate appearances under his belt and is a .183/.220/.233 hitter in that time. He’s a solid defender who has played in parts of five Triple-A seasons, including a 2025 campaign in which he slashed .274/.336/.411 (102 wRC+) in 57 games between the top affiliates for the Mets and Jays.
Short, 30, is another glove-first player who’s seen limited action in the majors. The former 17th-round pick has suited up for the Astros, Tigers, Mets, Red Sox and Braves in the majors, hitting a combined .172/.271/.296 with 15 home runs and 10 steals in 594 turns at the plate. He strikes out too often but also draws plenty of walks.
Short, fittingly, has spent the bulk of his time in the majors playing shortstop, but he’s also spent significant time at third base and second base (in addition to one-off cameos in center field and right field). He’s drawn better marks for his defense at second base than the other spots but still gives the Yankees some versatility to stash in Triple-A, where he’s a .216/.353/.380 hitter in parts of six seasons.
New York currently has Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra ticketed for big league catching work. Sanchez will provide some depth beyond that duo. Short is behind each of Anthony Volpe, Jazz Chisholm Jr., Ryan McMahon, Oswaldo Cabrera and Amed Rosario on the infield depth chart. Out-of-options infielders Jorbit Vivas and Braden Shewmake are both on the 40-man roster as well.
Details On Ketel Marte’s No-Trade Protection
The seven-year contract extension Ketel Marte signed with the Diamondbacks last April included a five-team no-trade clause, which adds an interesting wrinkle to the trade rumors that have swirled around the former NLCS MVP in recent weeks. As reported by The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Athletics, Cardinals, Giants, Pirates, and Yankees are the five teams included on Marte’s current list, which can be updated every offseason.
There are any number of reasons why a player may include a particular team on a no-trade list, and it is worth noting that Marte could still ultimately approve a deal to any of these clubs. There is no obvious geographic link between the five teams, and while the Yankees were the only member of the group to reach the 2025 playoffs, the Giants, Pirates, and even the A’s are all looking to compete in 2026. The Cardinals are in rebuild mode, so it is safe to say they weren’t in the running to acquire Marte anyway.
Interestingly, the Pirates and Giants have been linked to Marte’s trade market. Now that Pittsburgh has landed Brandon Lowe from the Rays in yesterday’s big three-team swap, the Bucs may feel their second base needs have been addressed, though there is a world where Lowe could be a primary DH and Marte could still be brought aboard. Still, there’s such a hefty amount of money remaining on Marte’s contract that a trade to the budget-conscious Pirates always seemed like an imperfect fit, and Marte’s no-trade list might well underline his own reservations about joining a team with just one winning season in the last decade.
San Francisco has also topped the .500 mark only once in the last nine seasons, but the Giants have been much more willing to spend in their bid to return to consistent contention. While ownership is wary about making another long-term financial commitment, Marte’s deal could be viewed as a relative bargain, since he would land way more than $102.5MM on a six-year deal if he was a free agent this winter.
Second base is a need position for the Giants, though perhaps not as pressing as the club’s need for more rotation help. Making a big splash in acquiring Marte might not be as big a priority, in that case, plus there are the added obstacles of Marte’s no-trade protection and the Diamondbacks’ probable reluctance to move the All-Star to a division rival. San Francisco is considered to be one of the favorites to pry Brendan Donovan away from the Cardinals, so that might end up being the Giants’ big move to address the keystone.
The Giants and Pirates each play in pitcher-friendly ballparks, which might factor into Marte’s reasoning for including the teams on his list. Sutter Health Park is extremely hitter-friendly, yet it is fair to wonder if Marte just doesn’t want to play in a minor league stadium for at least the next two seasons while the A’s await the construction of their new ballpark in Las Vegas.
The A’s have a big hole at second base, and acquiring Marte would add another top-tier bat to a lineup that already includes Nick Kurtz, Brent Rooker, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson, and Shea Langeliers. While the A’s have been a bit more willing to spend over the last year, Marte’s remaining salary would represent a new spending frontier for the traditionally low-payroll team. Hypothetically, Luis Severino could be included in a Marte trade as salary offset, but that assumes Arizona (who needs rotation help) has any interest in Severino in the wake of his uninspiring 2025 season.
The Yankees are the most interesting inclusion on Marte’s list, as one would think he would welcome a chance to join a perennial contender. Jazz Chisholm Jr. is already playing second base in the Bronx, but Chisholm is a free agent next winter, so Marte would represent a longer-term answer at the position. Purely speculatively, any kind of Diamondbacks/Yankees trade involving Marte could see Chisholm going the other way, to give Arizona a one-year stopgap at second or third base.
Re-signing Cody Bellinger is thought be the Yankees’ top offseason priority, though New York might pivot to other backup plans should Bellinger sign elsewhere. Landing Marte would certainly qualify as a substantial Plan B, yet his no-trade clause might make any potential trade a moot point.
Amidst all of the reports and speculation, it remains unclear if the Diamondbacks actually will trade away a star player who received such a lengthy contract extension less than a year ago. With Lowe now in Pittsburgh, however, one big second-base trade chip has been removed from the board, leaving other teams in need of keystone help perhaps more open to meeting Arizona’s demands for Marte. Beyond the Pirates and Giants, such teams as the Mariners, Rays, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Phillies, and Tigers have all reportedly shown some degree of interest in a Marte trade this winter.
Nine Teams Exceeded Luxury Tax Threshold In 2025
Major League Baseball has finalized its calculations of teams’ competitive balance tax payrolls for the 2025 season. As first reported by The Associated Press, nine teams surpassed the $241MM base threshold. In a separate post, The AP lists the finalized CBT numbers for all 30 teams.
The payments are as follows:
- Dodgers: $169.4MM
- Mets: $91.6MM
- Yankees: $61.8MM
- Phillies: $56.1MM
- Blue Jays: $13.6MM
- Padres: $7MM
- Astros: $1.5MM
- Red Sox: $1.5MM
- Rangers: $190K
Teams pay escalating penalties for exceeding the threshold in consecutive seasons. The Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies and Rangers have all paid the tax in at least three straight years — subjecting them to the highest escalator fees. The Astros went over the line for the second straight season. The Blue Jays, Padres and Red Sox had gotten below in 2024 and are categorized as first-time payors.
This is the second straight year in which nine teams paid the CBT. The Braves, Giants and Cubs had gone over the line in ’24 but dipped below this year, which resets their status going into 2026. Atlanta’s active offseason puts them in position to go back into tax territory next year, when the base threshold climbs to $244MM. San Francisco and Chicago each have projected CBT numbers more than $40MM below that right now.
While public estimates from RosterResource and Cot’s Baseball Contracts offer an excellent approximation of teams’ payroll commitments, the official numbers are not available during the season. It’s not uncommon for rounding errors in those calculations to vary by a few million dollars. That generally isn’t a big deal but can matter for teams that are hovering very close to the tax line. Each of the Red Sox ($249MM payroll), Astros ($246MM) and Rangers ($241.38MM) were believed to have gone narrowly beyond the $241MM cutoff, but that wasn’t 100% established until this evening — particularly in the case of Texas.
The Dodgers ($417MM), Mets ($347MM), Yankees ($320MM), Phillies ($314MM) and Blue Jays ($286MM) all had payrolls above $281MM. That was the third tier of penalization and marked the point at which a team’s top draft pick is dropped by 10 spots. The Mets were the only of those five that didn’t make the playoffs. Their top pick drops from 17th to 27th. The Yankees, Philadelphia, Toronto and L.A. all have their first-round pick dropped to between 35th and 40th.
Teams that paid the CBT are entitled to the lowest level of compensation for losing free agents who declined a qualifying offer. They receive a draft choice after the fourth round for each qualified free agent who walks. They’re charged the heaviest penalty — their second- and fifth-highest picks in 2026 and $1MM from their ’27 international bonus pool — for signing a qualified free agent from another team.
San Diego and the Mets receive a pick after the fourth round for losing Dylan Cease and Edwin Díaz, respectively. Toronto (Bo Bichette), Houston (Framber Valdez) and Philadelphia (Ranger Suárez) would receive the same if their free agents sign elsewhere. The Dodgers surrendered their second- and fifth-round selections for Díaz. Toronto is slated to do the same for Cease, but if Bichette walks, they’d give up that compensatory pick instead and get their fifth-rounder back.
The Dodgers’ combined payroll and tax bill for the 2025 season lands north of $586MM. The two-time defending champions’ tax hit alone is higher than the payrolls of the bottom 12 teams in the league. There were 14 clubs that had a CBT number above $200MM. The Braves, Cubs, Giants, Angels, Diamondbacks and Mariners were the other six teams above the median. All but Seattle spent more than $200MM.
On the other end, the Marlins ($87MM) and White Sox ($92MM) were the two teams with payrolls below $100MM. The Rays ($103MM), Pirates ($109MM) and Athletics ($118MM) rounded out the bottom five — followed by the Guardians, Nationals, Twins, Brewers and Reds.
Overall, the league will collect just under $403MM in taxes. Teams must make the payments by January 21. The first $3.5MM will be used to fund player benefits. Half the remaining money goes to players’ retirement accounts, while the other half is used for revenue sharing distribution from MLB to teams.