#rotation

#rotation

Ketel Marte is officially off the market, but even if the Diamondbacks aren't swinging a big trade this winter they still have plenty of work to do. The team's biggest move of the offseason has been reuniting with Merrill Kelly in free agency. They've also signed right-hander Michael Soroka and catcher James McCann to one-year deals while shipping lefty Kyle Backhus and outfielder Jake McCarthy out in trades. Those relatively small moves aren't the end of the team's offseason maneuvers, as general manager Mike Hazen told reports (including Alex Weiner of Arizona Sports) that he would like to bolster the pitching staff and also add "a couple of bats" to the offense.

Taillon, who was born in Lakeland, Florida and went to school in Texas, holds Canadian citizenship thanks to his parents, who were both born in the Great White North. He also has numerous family ties from coast to coast and he repped Canada at the 2013 World Baseball Classic, the youngest player on the team at 21. Taillon has not represented the nation at the following tournaments since.

Manager Joe Espada said at Imai's press conference that the club is likely to lean on a six-man rotation frequently throughout the season (link via Chandler Rome of The Athletic). That could be the case from day one, as the skipper indicated they may begin the year with an extra starter. Espada pointed to the team's heavy early-season workload. The Astros only have two off days between Opening Day on March 26 and April 22.

Considering what Lauer did for the Blue jays in 2025, it only makes sense that he'll get a raise in 2026. But even if he is set to double his earnings, it still might end up as one of the best contracts the Blue Jays could have on their payroll in 2026. Lauer made $2.3 million last season in a swing role that saw him start 15 games for the Blue Jays and pitch 13 times out of the bullpen.

General manager Jeff Greenberg said at this week's GM Meetings that the Tigers "are going to prioritize pitching" in the months ahead, even after Jack Flaherty's decision to exercise his $20MM player option filled one rotation spot next season ( link via Evan Woodbery of MLive.com). Greenberg added that the Tigers are open to further rotation additions and "certainly" need to address their bullpen.

If training camp is any indicator, then the 10 man rotation is as follows: Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett, Brandon Ingram, Scottie Barnes & Jakob Poeltl as the starting 5; and they're flanked by Gradey Dick, Jamal Shead, Collin Murray-Boyles, Ochai Agbaji, Sandro Mamukelashvili. Now, it's my understanding that Coach Darko is planning to play deeper than 10 men on an average night.