Cardinals Claim Chase Hampton
The Cardinals announced Monday that they’ve claimed right-hander Chase Hampton off waivers from the Nationals. Their 40-man roster now has 39 players. Washington designated Hampton for assignment Saturday, just two weeks after claiming him off waivers from the Yankees.
Hampton just turned 25 last month. The 2022 sixth-rounder out of Texas Tech was Baseball America’s No. 72 overall prospect in the 2023-24 offseason, but he’s battled numerous injuries in the years since, including a Tommy John procedure in Feb. 2025 that wiped out his entire ’25 campaign and limited him to just 55 innings this season. The 2026 season wasn’t a pretty one for the 6’2″, 225-pound righty. Hampton was rocked for an 8.18 ERA across three levels, including a 9.59 mark (38 runs in 35 2/3 innings) at the Double-A level.
Prior to his Tommy John surgery, Hampton had missed the majority of the 2024 campaign due to a flexor strain. His last full, healthy season came back in 2023. It was a strong one which saw a then-21-year-old Hampton pitch 106 2/3 innings with a 3.63 ERA against older and more advanced competition in High-A and Double-A. Beyond his solid earned run average, Hampton punched out a whopping 33.1% of his opponents against a quality 8.4% walk rate.
The Yankees designated Hampton for assignment earlier this month to open a 40-man roster spot when Aaron Judge was returning from the injured list. The Nats claimed him but booted him from their own roster this past weekend when reinstating southpaw Connelly Early from the 60-day injured list.
It’s fairly common for players who are claimed this time of year to be passed around the league as the offseason progresses. Hampton, after all, only recently turned 25 and isn’t all that far removed from being a top-100 prospect. He clearly hasn’t pitched well this season but still has two minor league option years remaining. A rebuilding/retooling club like the ones in D.C. and St. Louis makes for a sensible landing spot. Whether Hampton sticks on the Cardinals’ roster remains to be seen, but he’s already been claimed twice and has barely made it through one-third of the league on waivers. The Nats and Cards both finished 77-85, tied for 10th-worst in the game, and offseason waiver priority is determined based on the reverse order of the preceding season’s standings.
Nationals Designate Chase Hampton For Assignment
The Nationals announced that right-hander Chase Hampton has been designated for assignment, and right-hander Luis Perales was optioned to Triple-A Rochester. The two roster moves clear the way for Connelly Early’s activation from the 60-day injured list, and Early’s impending Nats debut was covered in greater detail yesterday.
Hampton has only been in the Nationals organization for a couple of weeks, and his time with Washington may come and go without any in-game appearances at the major or minor league levels. Hampton’s 2026 resume consists of an 8.18 ERA over 55 innings at three different levels of the Yankees’ farm system, and after New York DFA’ed Hampton earlier this month, the Nats made a waiver claim.
Considered one of the top 100 prospects in baseball prior to the 2024 season, injuries limited Hampton to just 18 2/3 minor league innings that season, and a Tommy John surgery in February 2025 shelved him for over a full year. He returned to action last May with the Yankees’ A-level affiliate, but the results just weren’t there for Hampton in A-ball, high-A ball, or at Double-A. The righty’s garish ERA was fueled by 13 homers allowed in his 55 innings, and he also had a 12.9% walk rate against a 21.3% strikeout rate.
Hampton has never been outrighted, so the Nationals would retain their control if he cleared waivers. Chances are that Hampton will be let go into minor league free agency, as the 25-year-old will seek out the next chapter of his career with a new club.
Nationals Claim Chase Hampton
The Nationals announced that right-hander Chase Hampton has been claimed off the Yankees’ waiver wire, and optioned to Double-A. To create a 40-man roster spot, Washington moved right-hander Matt Waldron from the 15-day injured list to the 60-day IL, so Waldron’s 2026 season is officially over.
New York designated Hampton for assignment earlier this week, and the claim brings a former top-100 prospect into Washington’s system. Hampton was viewed as one of baseball’s more interesting top pitching prospects heading into the 2024 campaign, before injuries (including a Tommy John surgery) put him on the shelf for almost all of the next two seasons.
Hampton returned from his TJ rehab this past May, but he has posted an 8.18 ERA, 21.3% strikeout rate, and 12.9% walk rate over 55 innings across three levels of the Yankees’ farm system. Between the lack of control and the inability to keep the ball in the park (Hampton allowed 13 homers in his 55 frames), the Yankees felt keeping Hampton was no longer worth a 40-man roster spot, so the righty was the odd man out when Aaron Judge was activated from the 60-day injured list last Monday.
Hampton just turned 25 last month, and he has a full slate of minor league options since he has never been added to a 40-man roster. These factors and his last top-100 pedigree made him an interesting add for the rebuilding Nationals, who are looking to obtain as much pitching as possible. While Hampton could potentially be a DFA candidate again depending on Washington’s roster needs this winter, there’s no risk for the Nats in taking a flier to see if Hampton could be a late bloomer.
Waldron was himself claimed off the Blue Jays’ waiver wire just a few weeks ago, and he tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings over three appearances for the Nationals. Chest inflammation then sent Waldron to the 15-day IL on September 5, and now that his season is over, Waldron finishes 2026 with a 6.54 ERA over 42 2/3 innings with the Padres, Jays, and Nats. The knuckleballer is out of minor league options, and twice changed teams via waiver claims after being DFA’ed.
In another Nats move from earlier today, the club activated left-hander Richard Lovelady from the the 60-day IL. Lovelady has a 3.91 ERA, 18.4% strikeout rate, and 14.9% walk rate over 23 innings since D.C. acquired him in a cash deal with the Mets in April. A left triceps strain has kept Lovelady sidelined since late June, but he’ll get a chance to log some more games before the season is over.
Yankees Activate Aaron Judge From 60-Day Injured List
After over three months on the injured list, Aaron Judge is back in action. The Yankees announced that Judge has been reinstated from the 60-day IL, in advance of New York’s game with the Rockies on Tuesday. Right-hander Elmer Rodriguez was optioned to Triple-A yesterday, and right-hander Chase Hampton was designated to create room for Judge on the 40-man roster.
The right rib stress fracture that led to Judge’s long absence is thought to have been caused on April 26, as Judge said he was hurt after trying to make a diving catch in right field. He continued to play through the discomfort for over a month, which likely explains the underwhelming .528 OPS Judge posted in the 57 plate appearances before his IL placement. Judge’s last game was on May 31, and New York placed him on the 15-day IL three days later.
Initially projected for an absence of 4-6 weeks, Judge ended up missing over half the season due to lingering soreness that delayed his ability to begin full baseball activities. The move to the 60-day IL on July 18 ensured that Judge wouldn’t be back until at least the start of August, yet it was still another month before the slugger was given the green light to return to the lineup.
The apparent final step came today, when Judge took part in a live batting-practice session at Yankee Stadium. Judge has long downplayed the need for a minor league rehab assignment, so despite the extended layoff, he’ll head right into game action on Tuesday.
Some ease-in element is still in play, as manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner) over the weekend that Judge will likely not immediately be used in a full everyday capacity. “Maybe it’s playing a game, having an off day. Maybe it is playing 5, 6, 7 innings in a game and get him out. Those things are on the table,” Boone said.
Ben Rice has been getting the majority of DH duty, with Luis Garcia Jr. playing first base exclusively all year with the Yankees and Nationals. Since Garcia struggles against left-handed pitching, he could be benched when a southpaw is starting, which would allow Judge to be the DH and Rice the first baseman. For games when a righty is on the mound, the Yankees could use Rice, Garcia, and Judge all in the same lineup, with Judge in his usual spot in right field.
With Trent Grisham on the injured list, New York’s first-choice outfield alignment is Judge in right field, Spencer Jones in center, and Cody Bellinger in left. Jasson Dominguez, Heliot Ramos, and utilitymen Jose Caballero and Amed Rosario provide further outfield depth. Since Giancarlo Stanton’s season could be over, the Yankees have some flexibility with the DH spot, though the Garcia/Rice combination has largely filled that hole.
The Yankees are four games behind the Rays for the AL East lead, with four more head-to-head games still remaining. While the division title is still a possibility, New York is also trying to stay ahead of the Red Sox for the top AL wild card slot (and thus homefield advantage in the Wild Card Series). Though the Yankees’ exact spot in the playoff bracket is still up in the air, New York is all but guaranteed a postseason berth, so the team’s priority in regards to Judge is simply making sure that the three-time AL MVP is fully healthy for October.
New York had a 36-23 record when Judge went on the injured list, and the team has gone 45-39 without its best player. Much of the credit for this continued success goes to the Yankees’ excellent rotation and bullpen, as the team’s offense has almost vanished in the last three-plus months. Since June 1, the Yankees have hit a collective .227/.295/.385, and only the Angels have a worse team wRC+ than the Yankees’ 90 wRC+ in that stretch.
While such notable bats as Stanton and Grisham remain on the IL, getting Judge back is far and away the most critical factor in New York’s ability to launch a serious World Series run. The Yankees’ pitching has been so good that it’s not out of the question that the team could squeak out a lot of low-scoring games en route to a championship, but obviously having Judge in the lineup elevates the entire roster.
Hampton was a sixth-round pick for the Yankees in the 2022 draft, and he drew some notice on top-100 prospect lists prior to the 2024 season. Injuries limited him to 18 2/3 minor league innings in 2024, and a Tommy John surgery in February 2025 then put Hampton’s career entirely on hold for an entire season.
Returning to game action back in May, Hampton has struggled to regain any of his old form. The right-hander has an 8.18 ERA over 55 combined innings at three different minor league levels, with 13 home runs allowed in that small sample size (plus a 12.9% walk rate and 21.3% strikeout rate). He also spent much of August on the temporarily inactive list before returning to make two more starts for Double-A Somerset.
Hampton can’t reject an outright assignment if he clears waivers, but the DFA could indicate that the Yankees are simply ready to move on from the 25-year-old. Whether Hampton becomes a free agent after his DFA period or at season’s end, it seems likely that the right-hander will land with another team on another minors deal as he looks for a fresh start to his career.
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.
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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 Select Spencer Jones, Elmer Rodriguez, Chase Hampton
The Yankees on Tuesday selected the contracts of outfielder Spencer Jones and righties Elmer Rodriguez and Chase Hampton, per a team announcement. They’re now on the 40-man roster and ineligible to be selected by another club in December’s Rule 5 Draft.
There are no surprises in this trio of additions. Hampton, Rodriguez and Jones rank among the Yankees’ top prospects and were sure to be protected. Jones is the most recognizable of the bunch thanks to a prodigious power display this summer. The 24-year-old popped 35 home runs between Double-A and Triple-A combined and turned plenty of heads when he swatted 13 round-trippers in his first 19 games after moving up to the higher of those two levels.
Jones is immensely strikeout prone, however, and fell into a deep slump after that jaw-dropping hot streak. Over his final 48 games and 183 plate appearances, Jones hit just .219/.289/.383 with a 42% strikeout rate. He could get a look at some point in 2026, but he’ll need to radically cut down on his strikeouts if he’s to become a productive big leaguer. Jones’ huge raw power and hulking 6’7″ stature have led to plenty of Aaron Judge comparisons, but even the strikeout-prone Judge punched out in just 23.9% of his plate appearances during his final Triple-A season. Jones was at 33.7% in Double-A and 36.6% in Triple-A.
Rodriguez, 22, came to the Yankees in a rare trade with their archrival Red Sox, sending catcher Carlos Narvaez the other direction. It has serious win-win potential. Narvaez became a prominent part of Boston’s catching corps in 2025, while Rodriguez climbed to Triple-A and posted a 2.58 ERA with a 29% strikeout rate and 9.4% walk rate in 150 minor league frames.
Hampton, 24, missed the entire season due to Tommy John surgery. He pitched only 18 2/3 innings in 2024 as well. That said, he’s a former sixth-round pick and touted prospect who tossed 106 2/3 frames with a 3.63 ERA while climbing to Double-A as a 21-year-old back in 2022. Scouting reports tout his plus curveball and slider. If he’s back to full health in ’26, he’ll begin the year in Double-A or Triple-A and could pitch his way into consideration for a big league look late in the summer — though he might be a more realistic 2027 rotation candidate.
Chase Hampton Undergoes Tommy John Surgery
Yankees pitching prospect Chase Hampton underwent Tommy John surgery this morning, reports Greg Joyce of The New York Post. He’ll miss the entire 2025 season and part of the 2026 campaign as well.
The news doesn’t come out of nowhere. A few days ago, manager Aaron Boone relayed that Hampton had a right flexor strain and “something going on in the UCL.” He was sent to New York for more testing. It appears that further examination of his ulnar collateral ligament revealed the necessity for surgery. It’s obviously an unfortunate development for Hampton, who will now miss at least a year of development time. For the Yankees, it’s more of a long-term concern than a short-term one.
The Yanks have a loaded rotation right now. Marcus Stroman is reportedly on the trade block because the five starting spots are taken by Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. The club also has depth options like JT Brubaker, Will Warren and Yoendrys Gómez on the roster.
Hampton, 23, was selected with a sixth-round pick in 2022. He made 20 minor league starts in 2023, logging 106 2/3 innings with a 3.63 earned run average. He struck out 33.1% of batters faced against an 8.4% walk rate. Going into 2024, Baseball America ranked him the #6 prospect in the club’s system. Last year was a bit of a struggle for him. Various injuries, including a flexor strain, limited him to 18 2/3 innings.
The righty will hopefully be healthy by the end of 2026, but by that point, he will have thrown very few innings over the 2024-26 period. He will be eligible for the Rule 5 draft in December of 2025, so the Yanks will have to make a decision at that point about whether to give him a roster spot or leave him exposed.
Geoff Pontes of Baseball America reports that Thatcher Hurd, another Yankee pitching prospect, will also require Tommy John surgery. Hurd, 22, was selected with a third-round pick in 2024 and has yet to make his professional debut. BA had Hurd listed as the club’s #12 prospect going into the season. Like Hampton, he will miss the 2025 season and part of 2026 as well.
Yankees Notes: Hampton, Schmidt, Pereira
Right-hander Chase Hampton was in camp with the Yankees as a non-roster invitee but isn’t present at the moment. Manager Aaron Boone tells members of the media, including Bryan Hoch of MLB.com, that Hampton has a right flexor strain and “something going on in the UCL,” which has led the club to send him to New York for further testing.
It’s an ominous bit of news for the young righty, as the ulnar collateral ligament is the one repaired in Tommy John surgery. If it is determined that he will require some surgical work on his elbow, he’ll be looking at missing the 2025 season and part of 2026 as well.
Hampton, 23, isn’t likely to factor into the club’s short-term plans regardless. The Yankees have a crowded rotation as it is, with Marcus Stroman reportedly on the trade block as the club has Gerrit Cole, Max Fried, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt. The club also has JT Brubaker, Will Warren and others on the roster as depth. Hampton isn’t yet on the 40-man and hasn’t reached Triple-A yet, so he has a steep hill to climb to get to the majors.
Still, it wouldn’t be ideal for him to face a lengthy absence. One of the club’s top pitching prospects, injuries were also a big part of his 2024. Various ailments, including a flexor strain, limited him to 18 2/3 innings in the minors last year. That means a lengthy surgical recovery could lead to him pitching very little over the 2024-2026 seasons, a massive dent in what ideally would have been key development time.
Turning back to the big league rotation, Schmidt has an issue of his own, though it seems far more minor. Per Greg Joyce of The New York Post, Boone said that Schmidt has a “cranky back” but it seemingly won’t be a significant drag on him. He threw from flat ground today and will do so again on Friday. It’s a situation to monitor but doesn’t seem to be a big concern unless there’s a setback.
In the position player mix, outfielder Everson Pereira will be limited to designated hitter duties until the middle of March, per Hoch. The young outfielder underwent UCL surgery on his elbow in June. Position players can return from such procedures faster than pitchers but it seems he’s still going to be limited for the next few weeks.
One of the club’s top position player prospects in recent years, Pereira is “very much in the mix” for a roster spot, according to Boone. Pereira has only hit .151/.233/.194 in the majors so far, but in a small sample of 103 plate appearances. He has a much stronger line of .287/.365/.530 in his Triple-A career while playing all three outfield spots.
The Yankees project to have an outfield of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Jasson Domínguez, with Trent Grisham on the bench. They will also need another bench spot for a backup catcher. The three-man competition for third base involving DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza and Oswaldo Cabrera could lead to two of those guys also taking up bench spots. That might squeeze out Pereira, especially since he’s reportedly eligible for a fourth option this year, but there are no guarantees that everyone will stay healthy over the next few weeks.
NL West Notes: Padres, Yankees, Soto, Montgomery, Treinen, Bryant
As one might expect, December’s blockbuster Juan Soto trade between the Padres and Yankees took on several different permutations before the two sides finally agreed on the seven players involved. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman reports that the Padres had interest in 17 different Yankees players before finally agreeing on a package of four pitchers (Michael King, Randy Vasquez, Jhony Brito, Drew Thorpe) and catcher Kyle Higashioka in exchange for Soto and Trent Grisham. Clarke Schmidt and Chase Hampton were two of the other pitchers known to be considered when reports began to surface about the trade negotiations, and Heyman adds that the Yankees agreeing to include Thorpe instead of Hampton was one of the turning points in getting the deal done.
Though San Diego ended up taking a pitching-heavy mix of players, Heyman writes that the Friars also asked about such noteworthy position-player prospects as Spencer Jones, Roderick Arias, and George Lombard Jr. Jones is a top-100 prospect and the 25th overall pick of the 2022 draft, and he has already drawn lots of trade buzz early in his pro career. The Yankees have thus far balked at moving Jones, even in past talks with the Brewers and White Sox about Corbin Burnes and Dylan Cease, respectively.
More from around the NL West…
- Jordan Montgomery will likely make his Diamondbacks debut on April 18, manager Torey Lovullo told reporters (including Alex Weiner of KTAR 92.3 radio). Because he didn’t sign until just prior to Opening Day and therefore missed Spring Training, Montgomery started his D’Backs tenure in the minors in order to get some ramp-up work under his belt. Montgomery got up to 71 pitches over 3 2/3 innings in a Triple-A start yesterday, and though he was tagged for seven unearned runs, Lovullo said Montgomery was just working out his fastball rather than worrying about on-field results. It remains to be seen if Tommy Henry or Ryne Nelson will be removed from the rotation to make way for Montgomery, though if Montgomery is eased back into action, one of Henry or Nelson could speculatively be paired with the southpaw in something of a piggyback capacity for a turn or two through the rotation.
- Blake Treinen threw to live hitters today, in the latest step of his recovery process after suffered a bruised lung over a month ago. Treinen was hit in the chest by a line drive during a Spring Training game, and he told reporters (including Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times) that a later MRI revealed two fractured ribs in addition to the bruised lung, though the reliever is now feeling pain-free. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said that the plan is to have Treinen face live hitters twice more over the next week, and then begin a minor league rehab assignment during the week of April 22.
- Kris Bryant wasn’t in the Rockies‘ lineup today after making an early exit from Saturday’s game due to back stiffness. Bryant collided with the right field wall while catching a Vladimir Guerrero Jr. fly ball in the first inning Saturday, and remained in the game until being replaced in the bottom of the fourth. Bryant is considered day-to-day and manager Bud Black said he was available to pinch-hit today if necessary, though given Bryant’s lengthy injury history, any sort of health issue will naturally cause some extra concern.
Dylan Cease Rumors: Dodgers, Busch, Orioles, Yankees
Considering the Dodgers’ need for pitching, it isn’t surprising that L.A. was linked to White Sox righty Dylan Cease in trade rumors on multiple occasions this winter. There hasn’t been much in the way of new reporting on the Dodgers’ interest in Cease for over a month, however, and The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal writes that a trade may be less likely because the Dodgers have since fortified their rotation with other arms.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto‘s twelve-year, $325MM contract was the big free agent strike, and Los Angeles swung a big trade with the Rays to land Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot. Yamamoto, Glasnow, and Walker Buehler now project as the top three starters in the L.A. rotation, with Bobby Miller as the fourth, and a collection of candidates (Ryan Yarbrough, Emmet Sheehan, Gavin Stone, Michael Grove) battling for the fifth starter job. Dustin May is expected to make a midseason return from elbow surgery, and a reunion with Clayton Kershaw remains a possibility even if Kershaw will also be sidelined until around the middle of the year as he recovers from shoulder surgery.
There’s still some room here for the Dodgers to further solidify things beyond a potential new contract with Kershaw, so a Cease trade can’t be entirely ruled out, even if may be less likely. It’s safe to assume that the Dodgers will continue to monitor the market for any bigger-name possibilities, yet Rosenthal writes that Los Angeles might now be “looking for future value” in any further trades, such as Thursday’s swap with the Cubs that saw the Dodgers acquire two teenage prospects in exchange for Michael Busch and Yency Almonte.
In one particularly novel scenario, Rosenthal reports that the Dodgers even considered acquiring Cease from the White Sox and then flipping him to a third team. The specifics of this arrangement aren’t clear, yet it would’ve been a fascinating way for both the Dodgers and White Sox to obtain some high-level young talent for Cease, in a mix-and-match of prospects each team might’ve had their eye on in the Dodgers’ organization or within the pipeline of whoever the third club involved might’ve been.
Busch was also part of some of the Dodgers’ offers for Cease, Rosenthal writes, so the young infielder might’ve found himself on the south side of Chicago rather than landing in Wrigleyville. Without knowing what the rest of this trade package to the White Sox might have included, it makes sense why the Sox might have not been too enthralled with Busch as a key piece. While Busch has been crushing minor league pitching, his defense is considered a weak point — if first base ends up being his ultimate position, the White Sox already have Andrew Vaughn in place.
It isn’t any secret that the White Sox have put a very high price tag on Cease, so while Busch is a top-100 type of prospect, the Sox might’ve viewed him as a secondary or even tertiary piece in an acceptable trade package. Several highly-regarded prospects have been reportedly on Chicago’s radar in trade talks, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale adds Yankees pitching prospect Chase Hampton and Orioles outfielders Heston Kjerstad and Colton Cowser to the list of young players drawing interest from the Southsiders.
Since the Yankees just signed Marcus Stroman this week, they could perhaps be out on Cease, since naturally New York isn’t keen on the idea of moving Hampton or slugger Spencer Jones, who is also reportedly of interest to the White Sox in a Cease trade. Considering how the Yankees already dealt a lot of their younger pitching depth to the Padres to obtain Juan Soto, moving Hampton in particular might be something of a non-starter.
Kjerstad (the second overall pick of the 2020 draft) and Cowser (fifth overall in 2021) are two of the many up-and-comers in Baltimore’s loaded farm system, and both players made their Major League debuts this past season, though with only 110 combined plate appearances. The duo might well be lined up as the Orioles’ corner outfielders of the future, and it wouldn’t be a shock to see pending free agent Anthony Santander dealt at some point this season if either Kjertsad or Cowser prove themselves capable of being MLB regulars right away.
Of course, it’s not out of the question that the O’s might deal from their deep minor league pipeline at some point this offseason, perhaps to obtain a front-of-the-rotation pitcher like Cease. Baltimore might be more willing to come closer to Chicago’s asking price due to the sheer number of quality prospects the O’s have on hand, yet considering how many of those youngsters have barely reached the majors or even Triple-A, the Orioles might want more time to evaluate their options before deciding on who might be trade bait.