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Free Agents
• Keith Law analyzed Michael King while mentioning a different slider King threw late in the season.
The change happened after the All-Star break with a bump of 1 mph and 100 rpm’s. He didn’t start throwing it more until September when he increased his usage to 15%. The pitch’s botOvr increased from 53 to 56 and its Pitching+ from 102 to 107. Read the rest of this entry »
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Free Agents
• Here is a solid article on the players possibly signing from Japan, including a thin crop of ex-major leaguers.
It’s a “really light” group, one major-league official said, outside of left-handed relievers Taylor Hearn and Darwinzon Hernández. Hearn, 32, accumulated most of his major-league service time as a swingman with the Rangers, posting a 5.11 ERA over parts of five seasons between 2019 and 2023. Hernández, who will turn 30 next month, was once trusted enough to make a 2021 American League Championship Series roster for the Boston Red Sox. These types of pitchers don’t really move the needle, but they could find new opportunities out of the bullpen.
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• MLB.com posted an article highlighting a prospect from each team who could win Rookie of the Year next year. Lots of these guys deserve mention, but so I definitely recommend checking this one out. Here is the blurb on Boston’s Franklin Arias
Red Sox: Franklin Arias, SS (No. 1/MLB No. 2)
Trevor Story may have another year remaining on his $140 million contract, but Arias is a better offensive and defensive option right now. He won the Double-A Eastern League MVP and top prospect awards, climbed to Triple-A at age 20 and batted .323/.400/.557 with 25 homers in 117 games between the two levels. And to think that when he signed for $525,000 out of Venezuela in 2023, his glove was more valued than his bat.
Athletics
• Outfield prospect Devin Taylor is “on the radar” for the major league team.
Taylor is certainly on the radar of the big league staff. During an end-of-year conference shortly after the regular season, A’s manager Mark Kotsay singled out Taylor as a player who could make an impact in 2027, even on a roster with a crowded outfield picture that currently includes notable names such as Tyler Soderstrom, Henry Bolte, Lawrence Butler, Carlos Cortes and Denzel Clarke, along with part-time outfielder/designated hitter Brent Rooker.
“Devin Taylor’s a kid that obviously had an accelerated path and got to Triple-A,” Kotsay said. “I would have liked to see him go out to the [Arizona] Fall League and get my eyes on him. I would have went out and watched him play. Unfortunately, he felt like he had [played] a ton of baseball this year, which he had. Your first full pro season is challenging in itself.
“But I thought the success he had with the bat obviously put him on our radar probably quicker than anticipated. There’s still a lot of work for him. I think the biggest thing for Devin is the speed/agility issue. The athleticism in the outfield. What kind of defender he can be. … As we talk about our depth in the outfield, he’s another outfielder who could be on our radar for next season.”
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Note: I’m still catching up on news after my time off. Some of the information is from articles just after the season ended.
Blue Jays
• Instead of continuing to wear contacts, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. got laser vision correction.
“Vladimir Guerrero Jr. is doing great at his post-op visit after laser vision correction with Dr. Gabriel Lazcano,” the Laser Eye Center of Miami wrote on Instagram. “Looking forward to an MVP year and lots of home runs with his new vision.”
Guerrero has long worn contacts on the field and eyeglasses when he wasn’t playing.
When I first saw the headline, I thought Vlad had vision issues that might have been impacting his performance, but he’s just using a different method to correct his eyesight. Read the rest of this entry »
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Orioles
• According to “chatter”, Coby Mayo could move to the outfield.
There’s been chatter about Mayo playing the outfield before and his late-season power could convince the team to try him there in spring training. But if there’s a shortened spring because of an expected lockout, that could dampen the team’s enthusiasm for a switch.
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Note: I took some time off when the season ended. I’m catching up on the news with some of it being a week or two old.
Astros
• Joey Loperfido had hip surgery.
Astros outfielder Joey Loperfido underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right hip last week to address a labral injury and hip impingement that were identified shortly after the season ended, the team announced Monday. He won’t be ready for the start of the Spring Training.
• Shoki Oda is meeting with teams.
A Japanese report says the Dodgers may hold an early advantage in the pursuit of Shoki Oda, although approximately 10 Major League teams are expected to meet with the 18-year-old right-hander.
Chunichi Sports MLB reporter Taro Abe views the Dodgers as the favorites for Oda, citing the organization’s longstanding interest, Oda’s admiration for Yoshinobu Yamamoto and the possibility that he recently made contact with Dodgers officials during a trip to the United States.
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Oda reportedly traveled quietly to the United States after negotiations were permitted to begin on Oct. 7 and before meeting with teams from Nippon Professional Baseball. He attended Division Series baseball during the visit and may have had contact with Dodgers officials, according to the report.…
Meetings with MLB organizations are expected to begin this week, with the Dodgers, New York Yankees, St. Louis Cardinals and Pittsburgh Pirates specifically identified among the interested clubs. One source told the Japanese outlet that Oda will likely meet with approximately 10 teams.
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There are quite a injury blurbs from MLB.com. I went through their injury report and included any report that I found interesting.
Free Agents
• Kaima Taira and Teruaki Sato are two players who could be coming over from Japan this year.
There’s also a high-velocity option from the NPB in 26-year-old Kaima Taira of the Seibu Lions. Taira is an interesting prospect, standing 5-foot-8 and checking in at 220 pounds. That bulldog frame generates a 97mph fastball that’s topped out at 100, and he reportedly has seven(!) secondary pitches to go with his heater. Taira went back to the Seibu Lions starting rotation this season after recording 31 saves with a 1.71 ERA as their closer in 2025. Meanwhile, this season as a starter, he’s gone 12-5 in 23 starts with a 1.36 ERA and 141 strikeouts in 146 innings pitched.
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While we’re talking NPB, let us not forget the Cubs’ scouting of 27-year-old slugger Teruaki Sato. After catching the attention of MLB teams with a 40-home-run season in 2025, Sato followed it up with a 39-home-run season in 2026. He also added more than 30 points to his batting average and 40 points to his on-base percentage this season, slashing .314/.391/.625. A 26-percent strikeout rate ticked up a percent from last season, but I doubt we see that crater his market if he is posted this offseason.
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• Lance Brozdowski discussing eight breakouts. Twenty-four minutes well spent.
