Matrix Reloaded: January 23, 2026

After a valiant enhancing effort from Matt Martell final week, I’m again with a Matrix Reloaded of a way more regular size! The Vital Signings part won’t be crucial for an excessive amount of longer this offseason, however I’ll proceed to begin there so long as gamers are signing for $10 million or extra.

As at all times, the Offseason Matrices doc will be discovered right here.

Vital Signings

Yankees Signal Cody Bellinger for 5 Years, $162.5 Million

Impact on the Yankees

The overarching theme of the Yankees’ offseason has been to get the band again collectively, with Bellinger the cherry on high of a really acquainted sundae. Ryan Weathers is the group’s one main acquisition from one other membership, with Bellinger the fifth Yankees free agent re-signed, after Trent Grisham, Ryan Yarbrough, Amed Rosario, and Paul Blackburn.

With Bellinger again within the fold for not less than two years (he can choose out after 2027 or 2028), the beginning squad for the 2026 Yankees will look a lot the identical because it did to finish 2025. The outfield will as soon as once more encompass Bellinger, Grisham, and Aaron Decide, with Giancarlo Stanton DHing. The infield will characteristic a Ryan McMahon/Rosario platoon at third, José Caballero beginning at brief till Anthony Volpe’s return from shoulder surgical procedure, Jazz Chisholm Jr. at second, and Ben Rice at first. Austin Wells will begin at catcher, with Rice doubtlessly seeing a while behind the dish once more too.

The aftershock right here is essentially the most uncomfortable for Jasson Domínguez, whose taking part in time waned as soon as Stanton returned from harm and Rice continued his breakout. Domínguez was barely common on the plate and was horrid within the area; his most important contribution final season was on the bases. He could possibly be a helpful late-game pinch-runner, however a 103 wRC+ and blooper-reel-quality left area protection isn’t what the Yankees signed up for. With Grisham set to hit free company after the season, it’s doable that the Yankees will likely be high-quality sending Domínguez to the bench or Triple-A and reconsidering his match come 2027, but it surely’s clear that he doesn’t have a lot of 1 because it stands in 2026.

Impact on Different Groups

The Yankees had been far and away the group talked about most frequently when Bellinger’s title got here up, so I don’t suppose there’s anybody scrambling for a pivot transfer right here. Even after signing Bo Bichette, the Mets had been linked with outfielder a bit, however they crammed the would-be Bellinger spot by buying and selling for Luis Robert Jr. (way more on him later). That made Bellinger returning to the Bronx seem to be much more of a fait accompli than it already had.

Impact on Comparable Gamers

There’s no one of Bellinger’s caliber left in the marketplace, however him reaching a deal must get issues shifting for the remaining free agent outfielders. The most important names there are Harrison Bader, Austin Hays, Starling Marte, and Michael Conforto.

White Sox Signal Seranthony Domínguez for Two Years, $20 Million

Impact on the White Sox

Save $20 million on Luis Robert Jr., spend $20 million on the most effective remaining free agent reliever. Chicago’s beginning pitching group is fairly… let’s say “ragtag,” projecting as the third worst within the majors. With Domínguez within the fold, nevertheless, the bullpen might sneakily be a place of power for the Pale Hose, not less than within the last few innings.

Domínguez is predicted to deal with the ninth inning for the White Sox. He hasn’t held a more in-depth job over a full season, however he did decide up 10 saves for the Orioles down the stretch in 2024 after being acquired from the Phillies. Seranthony’s high setup man will likely be flamethrower Grant Taylor, who was fabulous final yr in a 36.2-inning massive league debut should you can look previous his ERA (and you actually ought to). Domínguez’s signing frees Taylor up for extra multi-inning fireman outings, a task he was typically utilized in final yr.

The Sox even have a basic one-inning fastball/slider man in Jordan Leasure, one other multi-inning righty in Mike Vasil, lefties Tyler Gilbert and Brandon Eisert, and a few Rule 5 picks in Alexander Alberto and Jedixson Paez of their projected bullpen.

Impact on Different Groups
Groups in want of a high-leverage arm are in bother with Seranthony signed, not less than so far as the free agent market is anxious. Michael Kopech has as a lot expertise as any pitcher on the planet, however he can’t cease getting damage; Evan Phillips will likely be out till midseason after present process Tommy John surgical procedure in June; and the likes of Danny Coulombe, Justin Wilson, Scott Barlow, Brent Suter, and Tommy Kahnle are extra “good to have within the sixth or seventh inning” arms than “I belief this man to shut for me” pitchers.

Impact on Comparable Gamers

If the above record didn’t make it clear sufficient, there’s no one akin to Domínguez nonetheless holding out for a job on the free agent market. It’s likelier than not that he’s the final reliever to signal a multi-year deal this offseason.

Speedy-Hearth One-12 months Offers

Angels Signal Yoán Moncada for $4 Million

Moncada returns to Anaheim, the place he had his greatest large-sample wRC+ since 2021, although he nonetheless obtained into simply 84 video games as he battled a thumb sprain and knee irritation. The switch-hitting third baseman was virtually fully shielded from lefty pitching, and as such figures to as soon as once more be a strong-side platoon bat on the scorching nook. Righties Vaughn Grissom and Christian Moore will likely be competing for each third base time in opposition to lefty pitching and the wide-open on a regular basis job at second base. The Angels infield will proceed to be anchored by shortstop Zach Neto, with Nolan Schanuel holding down the fort at first.

Rangers Signal Jakob Junis for $4 Million

Junis pitched effectively on a $4.5 million contract for the Guardians in 2025, posting a 2.97 ERA and three.45 FIP in 66.2 innings largely in lower-leverage conditions as a bridge to the again finish of the bullpen. He needed to accept somewhat bit much less this time round, however he might have a higher-leverage function with Texas than he did in Cleveland. The Rangers have remade their bullpen for the second consecutive offseason, shedding Phil Maton, Shawn Armstrong, and Jacob Webb in free company (Danny Coulombe remains to be a free agent, too). Junis joins Tyler Alexander and Alexis Díaz because the newcomers to the reduction corps, and Chris Martin was introduced again in free company.

Twins Signal Taylor Rogers for $2 Million

Rogers returns to the place his profession started, having racked up 50 saves in six seasons with the Twins earlier than stints with the Padres, Brewers, Giants, Reds, and Cubs. Now 35 and again in Minnesota for the primary time since 2021, he could possibly be the frontrunner for saves below new supervisor Derek Shelton. Justin Topa, Kody Funderburk, and Cole Sands might additionally nonetheless be within the combine.

Mets Signal Luis García for $1.75 Million

In between the massive trades with the White Sox and Brewers (way more on these beneath), the Mets got here to a modest settlement with García, who was nonetheless chucking upper-90s sinkers in his age-38 season, his greatest by ERA and FIP since 2022. The Mets will likely be García’s ninth main league group, and he joins Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Brooks Raley, and A.J. Minter (who could also be a bit behind after present process lat surgical procedure) as locks for the membership’s Opening Day bullpen.

Braves Signal Jorge Mateo for $1 Million

The versatile and speedy Mateo will fill Mauricio Dubón’s superutility function, whereas Dubón in flip fills in for the injured Kim at brief till the tip of April on the very earliest. When Kim returns, Mateo’s roster spot could possibly be in jeopardy assuming the remainder of the roster is wholesome.

Trades

Mets Purchase Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers from Brewers for Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams

Impact on the Mets

Peralta was in all probability the only hottest potential commerce candidate this offseason, even because it was by no means a on condition that he’d be on the transfer for his last season earlier than free company. The Mets, for his or her half, at all times made logical sense as a vacation spot for the right-hander. Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns acquired a then-19-year-old Peralta from the Mariners when he was the Brewers’ entrance workplace honcho and signed him to his (extraordinarily low cost) extension in February 2020 (what an harmless time that was…). And whereas the Mets have lots of pitching depth, they had been brief on massive league-level front-of-the-rotation pedigree. Enter Peralta, who’s struck out 200 batters in three straight seasons.

Nicknamed Fastball Freddy when he first got here up, that’s now one thing of a misnomer. Lately, the previously heater-heavy Dominican throws the pitch simply over half the time, buttressing his repertoire with a changeup, curve, and slider. His bag of tips isn’t as massive as that of potential co-ace Nolan McLean, who burst onto the scene with a incredible first octet of massive league begins on the power of a complicated six-pitch combine. The rest of the rotation will likely be some mixture of David Peterson, Clay Holmes, Kodai Senga, Sean Manaea, Jonah Tong, and Myers. Whether or not the Mets will as soon as once more go to a six-man rotation to accommodate Senga is unclear, and it’s additionally doable that Peterson (in his final season earlier than free company) or Senga is traded away from what’s now a place of sturdy depth for New York.

Let’s additionally not overlook about Myers, who was fabulous as a rookie in 2024 earlier than taking a step again and spending vital time within the minors in 2025. Sixteen of his 22 massive league appearances final yr had been in reduction, a task during which he had a 1.91 ERA in 28.1 innings, strolling simply three batters (though he additionally struck out simply 20). If the rotation is simply too impenetrable, not less than proper now, Myers might nonetheless be very helpful for the Mets as a multi-inning reliever. Whereas Peralta is at the moment set to be a free agent on the conclusion of the approaching season, Myers gained’t be one till the tip of the 2030 World Collection.

Impact on the Brewers

For the second time in three offseasons, the Brewers have turned one yr of their greatest beginning pitcher into 12 mixed years of two highly-regarded prospects. After all, trades aren’t measured in years of management out and in the door, however the fixed extension of their rivalry window is how the Brewers function. These strikes don’t at all times work — Joey Ortiz and DL Corridor, the 2 gamers acquired from the Orioles for Corbin Burnes, haven’t panned out notably effectively as of but — however the mixture of the wheeling and dealing, a well-stocked farm system, and under-the-radar acquisitions has allowed the Brewers to amass depth to some extent the place buying and selling Peralta was one thing they had been snug with, simply as they had been with Burnes.

To wit, simply have a look at the rotation even with out Peralta and Myers. Brandon Woodruff, Jacob Misiorowski, and Quinn Priester needs to be set as the highest three starters. After that, Milwaukee has an array of arms from which to decide on for the final two spots: Chad Patrick, Logan Henderson, Robert Gasser, Coleman Crow, Carlos Rodriguez, and Sproat. Even present relievers Corridor, Aaron Ashby, and Angel Zerpa have been introduced up as choices to be stretched out.

If Sproat is unable to say one of many open rotation spots popping out of spring coaching, he’ll seemingly head again to Triple-A, a stage the place he obtained loads of seasoning earlier than a pleasant displaying in his first 4 massive league begins. Williams is but to make his main league debut and had a 156 wRC+ in 96 Double-A contests earlier than incomes a promotion to Triple-A, the place he stumbled to an 81 wRC+ in 43 video games. His small stature (he’s listed at 5-foot-7 and 175 kilos), stolen base acumen, and skill to play each shortstop and heart area makes him extraordinarily “Brewers-y” irrespective of the place he finally ends up on the sphere.

Rangers Purchase MacKenzie Gore from Nationals for 5 Prospects

Impact on the Rangers

Earlier than Thursday’s information broke, the Rangers’ offseason was outlined by roughly lateral strikes: buying and selling three years of a higher-AAV Marcus Semien for 5 seasons of a cheaper-per-year Brandon Nimmo; non-tendering former lineup stalwarts Adolis García and Jonah Heim earlier than changing Heim with Danny Jansen; and reshaping a cheaply-constructed 2025 bullpen with extra low cost aisle reduction arms. The acquisition of Gore is the primary that unequivocally makes the membership higher.

The Rangers missed the playoffs final yr, but it surely wasn’t the fault of the pitching. The membership was the most effective by ERA and the fifth greatest by FIP and WAR, and the rotation will proceed to be fronted by the two-headed monster of Jacob deGrom and Nathan Eovaldi whereas additionally returning Jack Leiter and swingman Jacob Latz.

Gore might effectively have the most effective stuff of all of them, with a cool supply serving to his already great-looking pitches seem that rather more imposing. He seemed as if he was lastly breaking out within the first half of 2025, beginning with an Opening Day efficiency (six shutout innings with one hit allowed and 13 strikeouts) taht was among the best we noticed within the majors final season. An ERA of three.02 and a strikeout fee above 30% by the early a part of July keyed his first All-Star choice, however he light arduous in a second half interrupted by shoulder irritation, with 49.1 innings of 6.75-ERA ball and a Okay-BB% below 8%.

The oscillation between nice and something however has been a theme of Gore’s profession courting again to his time within the minors, when he struggled with borderline yips-y command for stretches. That this pattern repeated itself in 2025 has one thing of a perverse profit for the Rangers: it allowed them to amass a pitcher with ace-level flashes for one thing beneath an ace-level package deal. The query is: how can the Rangers make these flashes shine longer? They’ve two years earlier than Gore hits free company to attempt to clear up the puzzle.

Impact on the Nationals

New president of baseball operations Paul Toboni has wasted no time leaving his mark on the Nationals group in his first offseason on the helm. Already, he has traded for his or her catcher of the longer term in Harry Ford, employed the youngest full-time supervisor the majors has had because the Nineteen Seventies in Blake Butera, and made sweeping entrance workplace adjustments, together with hiring Anirudh Kilambi away from the Phillies to function his basic supervisor. However he gained’t be judged for any of these strikes practically as a lot because the Gore commerce, which will likely be litigated and re-litigated for years to return.

Eric’s piece is the place you’ll need to go for data on the prospects, none of whom apart from maybe first baseman Abimelec Ortiz appears prone to play for the Nationals this season. However whereas we would not know the way a lot fruit the commerce tree will bear — if any — for years, the repercussions of shifting on from Gore will likely be felt in 2026. Sans Gore, the Nationals rotation solely has two locks in former high prospect Cade Cavalli and NPB boomerang Foster Griffin, who up to now has been the one massive league signing of Toboni’s tenure. There’s a complete menu of different arms for Butera and the teaching workers to select from for the final three spots, even when the menu is extra McDonald’s than high-quality eating: Jake Irvin, Josiah Grey, Brad Lord, Mitchell Parker, Riley Corniello, Cade Cavalli, Andrew Alvarez, and Jake Eder are all on the 40-man. Extra engaging arms like high prospects Jarlin Susana, Travis Sykora, and Alejandro Rosario (a part of the Gore package deal) are all down with accidents, and solely Susana is predicted to pitch this yr. Regardless of all of the choices, the Nationals might search for a veteran innings-eater to assist out within the rotation, they usually even have a transparent want for a primary baseman to maintain the seat heat for Ortiz.

Mets Purchase Luis Robert Jr. from White Sox for Luisangel Acuña and Truman Pauley

Impact on the Mets

It’s not fairly as impactful as buying and selling for Peralta, however the Mets are certainly glad to have acquired one of many recreation’s premier up-the-middle skills — even when it hasn’t translated to outcomes recently — for as much as two years at a relative pittance.

Robert has performed in simply 210 video games since concluding his fabulous 2023 season, together with his 84 wRC+ decrease than his uniform quantity (88). However regardless of the tough stretch of well being (and in flip, outcomes), the instruments haven’t eroded utterly. He was price 7 FRV within the area final yr to go together with 92nd-percentile bat pace and Ninetieth-percentile dash pace, and he improved the speed at which he pulled the ball within the air from 2024 to 2025.

Whether or not the Mets can truly get Robert nearer to his 2023 self stays to be seen, however realizing that he’s simply A Man on the new-look Amazin’s quite than The Man (we at the moment have him projected to hit eighth within the lineup on RosterResource) affords them persistence to work out the kinks. Even with out Williams within the system after being shipped off to Milwaukee, the Mets nonetheless have depth to cowl for Robert within the occasion of additional harm. Tyrone Taylor is penciled in because the group’s fourth outfielder, high prospect Carson Benge has a transparent path to the Opening Day roster and can be able to patrolling heart, and speedy outfield prospects Nick Morabito and A.J. Ewing might debut this yr as effectively.

Impact on the White Sox

The need-they-won’t-they Robert commerce hypothesis goes again so far as the group’s disastrous 2024 season. In the end, the package deal basic supervisor Chris Getz obtained for the middle fielder feels pretty gentle when it comes to returning expertise, although it did clear Robert’s total $20 million wage for 2026 and $20 million membership choice for 2027.

Maybe that’s somewhat harsh on Acuña, who at one level was a well-regarded prospect; he graduated in 2025 as a forty five FV and peaked at no. 44 on our Prime 100 in 2023. However prospect shine solely goes to date, and Acuña’s star has light fairly dramatically within the time since he was acquired from the Rangers for Max Scherzer. His first micro-sample of massive league time in 2024 produced three homers in 14 video games, however he adopted that up with precisely zero dingers in 95 video games in 2025. He did turn out to be the primary participant ever to hit 4 homers in a Venezuelan Winter League Recreation simply a few weeks in the past, so there’s some pop in there, however finally he profiles as extra of a super-utilityman with sturdy protection at second, brief, and in heart. The White Sox have essentially the most obtainable taking part in time in Robert’s vacated heart area, and that’s the place we’ve obtained him projected to begin now. Acuña is out of choices and has a full six years of membership management earlier than free company, so he’ll get , lengthy look on the South Aspect.

Pauley was the Mets’ Twelfth-rounder out of Harvard final yr and made a three-game, 4.1-inning professional cameo. Per Eric Longenhagen, he initiatives as a multi-inning reliever, however one who improved over the course of 2025 and should but find yourself as a reliable beginning prospect.