Listed here are three issues we’ll be maintaining a tally of across the baseball world in the present day:
1. Skubal, Tigers head to arbitration:
As famous by The Athletic’s Cody Stavenhagen, an arbitration listening to is scheduled for in the present day between the Tigers and back-to-back AL Cy Younger Award winner Tarik Skubal. That makes in the present day the final day for the perimeters to achieve an settlement to keep away from a listening to, although that appears extraordinarily unlikely. Not solely is there an enormous $13MM hole between Skubal’s $32MM submitting determine and the staff’s $19MM determine, however the Tigers sometimes refuse to barter on one-year offers following the submitting deadline. Assuming the case does go to a listening to in entrance of an arbitration panel, a choice received’t be anticipated in the present day. When that call does get handed down, nonetheless, it has the potential for notable penalties. If Skubal wins, his $32MM wage for this yr would elevate the bar considerably for future ace pitchers after a long time of arms falling in need of even $20MM in wage arbitration. If the Tigers win, they may have considerably extra assets accessible to additional bolster the membership.
2. The Valdez market:
Framber Valdez is the highest title left in the marketplace, with the Orioles standing as the one staff aggressively linked to him on the rumor mill. Baltimore has some competitors, nonetheless, as their AL East rivals in Toronto have been additionally related to Valdez yesterday. If the Jays choose up their curiosity, that might put some stress on the Orioles to get a deal accomplished, and after a busy offseason the place the Jays missed out on each Kyle Tucker and Bo Bichette the staff efficiently luring Valdez to Canada can’t be dominated out. With fewer and fewer avenues left to enhance, groups who have been centered on different targets may begin to circle again to Valdez within the days forward.
3. Two DFA resolutions anticipated:
Left-hander Konnor Pilkington of the Nationals and Rockies outfielder Yanquiel Fernandez have been each designated for task one week in the past in the present day, which means they’ve been positioned on waivers and a decision needs to be anticipated in the present day. If both participant clears, they determine to move to Triple-A as non-roster depth for his or her present membership by way of outright task. A waiver declare from a rival membership would ship them off to a brand new group with their maintain on a 40-man roster spot intact. Pilkington made his MLB debut in 2022 as a member of the Guardians and sports activities a profession 3.97 ERA throughout 88 1/3 innings of labor, albeit with lackluster peripheral numbers. Fernandez, in the meantime, made his MLB debut in 2025 and hit simply .225/.265/.348 in 147 plate appearances, however he’s solely 23 years previous, isn’t far faraway from top-100 prospect standing, and likewise has a minor league possibility remaining.
