Why the Orioles could still pursue Kyle Tucker and more MLB offseason notes – The Athletic
Even after acquiring Taylor Ward in a stunning trade on Tuesday night, the Baltimore Orioles are not necessarily set in their outfield. They still could upgrade in center over Colton Cowser and Leody Taveras. And though Ward will play left, with Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Beavers potentially alternating in right, club officials are not ruling out a pursuit of right fielder Kyle Tucker, the top hitter on the free-agent market.
Pitching, both starting and relief, remains Baltimore’s top priority, according to sources briefed on the club’s plans. If the Orioles landed Tucker, they possibly could package Cowser or Beavers with prospects to satisfy some of their pitching needs. Or, they could pursue other avenues. Their thinking would be: Make Tucker the anchor of a still-mostly youthful lineup, then figure out the rest.
The trade of right-hander Grayson Rodriguez to the Los Angeles Angels for Ward does not alter the Orioles’ pitching equation — they were not counting on Rodriguez for much, at least in 2026. They still want to acquire a starter to complement Trevor Rogers and Kyle Bradish at the top of their rotation, a closer to replace Félix Bautista, who underwent shoulder surgery last August, and additional bullpen help.
Rodriguez, 26, is coming off a debridement surgery on his right elbow, among other injuries, and has not pitched in a game since July 31, 2024. Still, he is under club control for four more seasons, Ward for only one. One rival executive said the trade was an indication of how badly president of baseball operations Mike Elias wants to reverse the team’s fortunes, perhaps out of concern for his job security.
“It would not shock me if he was the first one to sign a free-agent starter. I actually almost expect it,” the executive said. “This is not a man sitting on his hands saying, ‘Hey, let’s let the market develop.’ They’re going to be extremely active.”
Executives often maintain a fondness for players they signed as amateurs. Elias was the Houston Astros’ scouting director who chose free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman second and Tucker fifth in the first round of the 2015 draft. Another current free agent, Dominican left-hander Framber Valdez, was in the Astros’ international class that same year.
Stocked with infielders, the Orioles are not expected to pursue Bregman. Tucker and Valdez are more logical targets. The challenge for Elias will be outbidding teams from larger markets for top-end talent, whether it’s those players or others on the open market. But some of those teams aren’t thrilled with the quality of this free-agent class, perhaps giving Elias an opening.
He could use one.
The Orioles, after back-to-back postseason appearances, finished last in the AL East last season and went through two managers, Brandon Hyde and Tony Mansolino. Elias settled on Craig Albernaz as the team’s new field leader in October, then got busy with player acquisitions.
Before landing Ward, who produced career highs with 36 homers and 103 RBIs last season despite batting .228, Elias re-acquired reliever Andrew Kittredge from the Chicago Cubs, exercised his $9 million club option and signed Taveras to a one-year, $2.1 million free-agent contract.
Those moves were only the start. The Orioles intend to do much more.
Trade a potential boon for Angels
The flip side of Elias’ history with Tucker is his lack of attachment to Rodriguez, who was the last first-round pick of the Orioles’ previous head of baseball operations, Dan Duquette.
The Angels became the beneficiary of the fallout from Rodriguez’s numerous injuries, which left him and the Orioles frustrated. A change of scenery ultimately might have been best, according to people familiar with the relationship.
Rodriguez underwent surgery to remove bone spurs in his elbow last August, ending his season. He will start throwing bullpens in January and be ready for spring training, Angels general manager Perry Minasian told reporters Tuesday. But like the Orioles, the Angels expect his workload during the season to be limited because of all the time he missed.
“I’m pretty sure that’s kind of what was causing some of the lat injuries,” Rodriguez said of the bone spurs while talking to reporters on Wednesday. “So just being able to get those out of there. My arm feels great right now throwing. There’s really no question for me to be ready for spring training.”
For the Angels, then, the trade could turn out to be win-win.
Ward, 32, is projected to earn $13.7 million in arbitration by MLB Trade Rumors, money the Angels can now spend on their other areas of need — pitching, center field and third base. Rodriguez, meanwhile, is a potential top-of-the-rotation starter, if not this season, then perhaps at some point in his remaining years of club control. Assuming he ever gets healthy.
The Angels’ rotation could set up nicely, with Yusei Kikuchi under club control for two more seasons, Reid Detmers and José Soriano for three and Rodriguez for four. The team’s top three prospects according to MLB Pipeline — right-handers Tyler Bremner, Ryan Johnson and George Klassen — also could surface soon, considering how quickly the Angels push their young players.
Braves caught short at short?
Mauricio Dubón is no Ha-Seong Kim, but the Atlanta Braves probably can reach the postseason without a top shortstop.
Five playoff teams from last season — the Seattle Mariners, New York Yankees, Milwaukee Brewers, Cleveland Guardians and Detroit Tigers — ranked in the bottom 10 in fWAR at short. A sixth, the Toronto Blue Jays, turned in September to one of the game’s worst offensive players in the regular season, Andres Giménez, and nearly won the World Series.
So the Braves probably could make do with some combination of Dubón, Vidal Bruján and Brett Wisely at short if enough of their other regulars bounce back in 2026. Just two years ago, they ranked 27th in fWAR at short with Orlando Arcia starting 156 games at the position and made the playoffs before losing to San Diego in the wild-card round.
After acquiring Dubón from the Houston Astros for shortstop Nick Allen on Wednesday, the Braves still could pursue Kim. But Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos likes to strike quickly, as he showed again with his trade for Dubón and signing of free-agent closer Raisel Iglesias to a one-year, $16 million contract on the same night. Kim and his agent, Scott Boras, want to explore the market.
Dubón, the American League Gold Glove winner at the utility spot in two of the past three seasons, isn’t much of a hitter, but his .668 career OPS is better than Allen’s .536. He raises the Braves’ floor at shortstop, and his $5.8 million salary gives Anthopoulos the flexibility to spend heavily on pitching or possibly Kim. Braves chairman Terry McGuirk has said the team aspires to carry a top-five payroll.
The problem with finding a shortstop is that so few are available. The Braves claimed Kim on waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays on Aug. 31 with the idea of potentially signing him. Boras likely would consider any early offer for Kim to be a starting point and try to land a better deal elsewhere. Free agent Bo Bichette also does not appear to be a possibility for Atlanta. Many teams, knowing Bichette’s defensive metrics are among the league’s worst, no longer view him as a shortstop.
Corey Seager, owed $186 million over the next six years from a Texas club looking to reduce payroll, theoretically could have been an option. But according to major-league sources briefed on his contract, the Braves are one of eight teams on Seager’s no-trade list.
Would new Washington Nationals president of baseball operations Paul Toboni trade shortstop CJ Abrams and his three remaining years of control within the division? Would new Colorado Rockies boss Paul DePodesta give up one of his few quality players, shortstop Ezequiel Tovar, when he is highly affordable at $54 million over the next five seasons, plus a $2.5 million buyout on a $23 million option for 2031?
Dubón’s versatility allows the Braves to explore such options while also protecting them against injuries to Ozzie Albies at second and Austin Riley at third. Ideally, they will still land a top shortstop. But with Dubón, they’re at least better positioned to move forward without one.
Yankees talking Devin return
The Yankees and the camp for free agent late-inning reliever Devin Williams recently discussed the potential for a possible reunion, league sources said.
Williams is garnering widespread interest, but the Yankees have at least maintained contact with the right-hander after he spent an up-and-down 2025 season in the Bronx.
The Yankees’ bullpen appears solid, but there’s room to add another high-leverage option. The unit features right-hander David Bednar, who ended the season as the club’s closer, along with setup relievers Camilo Doval and Fernando Cruz. New York recently picked up lefty Tim Hill’s club option and re-signed swingman Ryan Yarbrough. However, Bednar is a year removed from a nightmarish season with the Pittsburgh Pirates, and Doval struggled upon joining the Yankees at the trade deadline (4.82 ERA).
It’s unclear how likely a reunion is with Williams, 31. In the closer market, Williams resides behind Edwin Díaz, likely in a tier with Robert Suarez. The Los Angeles Dodgers, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox and New York Mets are among the teams that have been connected to Williams so far this offseason.
“I kind of got the complete experience,” Williams recently said about playing in New York. “I started off bad. They’re booing me as I come out of the bullpen. So, obviously, I got the worst of it at the beginning. And then in the end, I think against Toronto, they gave me a standing ovation as I’m coming off the mound. I got the full experience.
“It’s a unique place to play. It’s a special place to play. They have a lot of history, a fan base that wants to win, and a fan base that is very passionate about their team. So it was really cool to experience something like that. To be able to say that I played for that team for at least a year will be something really cool to look back on.”
The path for the Mets to pursue a big name
The focus for the New York Mets is clear: Add to the rotation, remake the bullpen and fix the defense. Also, they hold interest in re-signing closer Edwin Díaz and retaining slugger Pete Alonso, even if that means asking him to DH more. Indeed, there is plenty to do.
However, could the Mets make more of a splash? It is possible. But before any serious pursuits of big names such as Tucker, Cody Bellinger and Bregman (listed here just as speculative examples), it’s likely that the Mets would first need to make other moves, namely trading some players off their roster, people familiar with the club’s thinking said. Otherwise, it would be difficult because of the club’s roster construction and its other long-term financial commitments.
Still, as long as Steve Cohen is the owner, the Mets should never be ruled out. Under Cohen, the Mets’ payroll annually ranks among the league’s biggest spenders. Even when they aren’t tied to big-name free agents, the Mets like to remain opportunistic.
-The Athletic’s Britt Ghiroli contributed to this story
