It’s Friday as soon as once more, and it’s time for the primary abbreviated Matrix Reloaded in fairly some time — there wasn’t even a commerce this week! That sound you hear is Meg respiratory a sigh of aid. As soon as we’ve run out of significant transactions and I declare that the Offseason is Formally Over, I’ll run by some enjoyable abstract statistics, however within the meantime, you possibly can view these on the backside of the Matrix.
Free Agent Signings
As a result of the market has whittled all the way down to so few free brokers, I’ll simply run by the previous week’s signings in a single massive part, after which I’ll dive into who’s left within the very restricted pool down on the backside.
Diamondbacks Signal Zac Gallen for One Yr, $22.025 Million ($14.025 Million Deferred)
The Diamondbacks’ rotation definitely seemed full, if nonetheless skinny, earlier than Gallen’s Eleventh-hour return to Phoenix. Michael Soroka signed a one-year contract on the Winter Conferences and Merrill Kelly returned quickly after, giving the Snakes a quintet of Kelly, Soroka, Eduardo Rodriguez, Brandon Pfaadt, and Ryne Nelson, with Corbin Burnes on observe to probably return someday across the All-Star break.
However because the offseason wore on and Gallen languished in the marketplace, two issues turned clear: the Diamondbacks have been nonetheless curious about understanding a approach to carry him again, and the qualifying provide affected him excess of every other free agent who obtained one. Gallen’s 2024-25 efficiency was that of somebody for whom a pillow contract could be sensical, however why would a workforce hand over a draft choose for only one yr of him? And why would Gallen signal for greater than a yr if the common annual worth of the deal was unacceptable?
If all six of the membership’s starters enter the season wholesome, the Diamondbacks can both roll with a six-man rotation or transfer Soroka to the bullpen, the place he’s bought expertise as not too long ago as final season. His incentives are structured such that they’re accessible even when he results in the bullpen the entire yr; he’d max out at $2 million if he makes 50 aid appearances or 25 begins.
You Aren’t a FanGraphs Member
It appears such as you aren’t but a FanGraphs Member (or aren’t logged in). We aren’t mad, simply dissatisfied.
We get it. You wish to learn this text. However earlier than we allow you to get again to it, we might prefer to level out a couple of of the nice the explanation why it is best to develop into a Member.
1. Advert Free viewing! We cannot bug you with this advert, or every other.
2. Limitless articles! Non-Members solely get to learn 10 free articles a month. Members by no means get reduce off.
3. Darkish mode and Basic mode!
4. Customized participant web page dashboards! Select the participant playing cards you need, within the order you need them.
5. One-click knowledge exports! Export our projections and leaderboards in your private tasks.
6. Take away the photographs on the house web page! (Truthfully, this does not sound so nice to us, however some individuals needed it, and we like to offer our Members what they need.)
7. Much more Steamer projections! We have now handedness, percentile, and context impartial projections out there for Members solely.
8. Get FanGraphs Stroll-Off, a personalized yr finish assessment! Discover out precisely the way you used FanGraphs this yr, and the way that compares to different Members. Do not be a sufferer of FOMO.
9. A weekly mailbag column, solely for Members.
10. Assist help FanGraphs and our complete employees! Our Members present us with important assets to enhance the location and ship new options!
We hope you may contemplate a Membership right now, for your self or as a present! And we notice this has been an awfully lengthy gross sales pitch, so we have additionally eliminated all the opposite advertisements on this article. We did not wish to overdo it.
Padres Signal Griffin Canning ($2.5 Million) and Germán Márquez ($1.75 Million) to One-Yr Offers
With these two arms and Walker Buehler, who signed a minor league contract the day after Márquez and Canning agreed to phrases, the competitors for the again finish of the Padres rotation can be fascinating to say the very least. Canning ought to have a job locked in as soon as he’s again from his torn Achilles’ tendon; he’s anticipated to return after the beginning of the season. That leaves Márquez, Buehler, Randy Vásquez, Matt Waldron, JP Sears, and Kyle Hart for 2 spots that would shrink to 1. Complicating issues is that Vásquez and Waldron are out of choices, although both or each might discover a spot within the bullpen.
Brewers Signal Luis Rengifo for One Yr, $3.5 Million
Nicely, right here’s the counter transfer to buying and selling Caleb Durbin away. Rengifo’s 2025 was his fullest as a giant leaguer, with 147 video games and 541 plate appearances cut up between six positions, with most of his time coming at third and second base. It was additionally certainly one of his worst showings: His wRC+ was 73, and he struggled defensively on the scorching nook, the place he’s anticipated to fill for the Brewers. However he’s nonetheless younger (he turns 29 on February 26), he switch-hits, and he was 11% above-average with the bat from 2022-24. The Brewers’ beginning infield is now re-settled with Durbin gone; it’ll be Rengifo, Joey Ortiz, Brice Turang, and Andrew Vaughn from left to proper.
Cubs Signal Shelby Miller for Two Years, $2.5 Million
Miller’s reinvented himself as a really stable reliever, with a 3.29 ERA and three.75 FIP in 150.2 innings between the Giants, Dodgers, Tigers, Diamondbacks, and Brewers since 2022. That run ended with a torn UCL on the very finish of final season, which is predicted to maintain him out for the whole thing of 2026. For Chicago, this can be a long-term play to have Miller locked in at an inexpensive wage for 2027; the Cubs rebuilt their bullpen this offseason with a bunch of one-year leases, so it’s good to have a reinforcement already beneath contract together with Daniel Palencia and Phil Maton.
Padres Signal Nick Castellanos for One Yr, $780,000
I don’t assume Castellanos is assured of a roster spot come Opening Day, and he shouldn’t be. He was horrid final yr, and it’s not as if the Padres have any monetary motivation to maintain him, as they solely owe him the league minimal wage. Greater than that, he might find yourself redundant on a roster that already has Miguel Andujar as a poor-fielding righty nook bat and that added first baseman Ty France on a minor league deal coming off a pleasant season. It’s not completely out of the query that every one three find yourself on the roster; there are most likely two spots for Castellanos, France, and the out-of-options Bryce Johnson.
Giants Signal Rowan Wick for One Yr ($ TBA)
Wick was fabulous for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars within the KBO final yr, with a microscopic 0.84 ERA and 1.39 FIP in 42.2 innings. Sadly, that season ended with an elbow damage, and Wick went beneath the knife in November. He’ll miss the whole thing of 2026 as he recovers from UCL reconstruction, however the Giants maintain a membership choice for 2027 and appear certain to train it assuming his rehab doesn’t have hiccups.
Finest Remaining Free Brokers
There are only a few affect gamers left to be signed, and solely two — Lucas Giolito and Zack Littell — seem sure to get massive league offers earlier than Opening Day. Right here’s an inventory of the notable names remaining, grouped by place:
- Beginning Pitchers: Giolito, Littell, Max Scherzer, Patrick Corbin, Tyler Anderson
- Reduction Pitchers: Justin Wilson, Danny Coulombe, Michael Kopech, Jalen Beeks, Tommy Kahnle, José Leclerc
- Catchers: Christian Vázquez
- Infielders: Rhys Hoskins, Ramón Urías, Luis Urías, Thairo Estrada, DJ LeMahieu, Justin Turner
- Outfielders: Starling Marte, Tommy Pham, Andrew McCutchen, Randal Grichuk, Michael Conforto