Nick Kurtz takes over as AL starter at first base

Mendoza, 26, was terrific for Double-A Springfield in 2025 (.275/.390/.452) and for Triple-A Memphis (.291/.380/.437) last season, but it hasn’t gotten him any prospect hype or a trip to the majors. He’s decided to stick around with the Cardinals anyway, and there’s the chance he could see some time at third base in St. Louis if things break right next year.

The Cubs still haven’t announced the decision, even though it was supposed to be made Monday. However, it doesn’t alter their roster at all. Assad made $1.8 million last season in his first year of arbitration, and he should make $2.5 million to $3 million next year after posting a 3.63 ERA in 11 starts and 17 relief appearances in 2026. He can also now say goodbye to Iowa for good, since he’s out of options. The Cubs sent him down four times last season.

There’s no reason to think the MLBPA will be any more amenable to a cap that starts in 2028 than one that starts in 2027, but this definitely clears the way for a busy November ahead of the expected December lockout. It appears that 2027 will be played under essentially 2026 conditions, assuming that it gets played at all. MLB has also agreed to a number of other changes, as long as the MLBPA does go along with their cap/floor system. Among them are a higher minimum salary, the elimination of the qualifying offer, earlier free agency for players over 30 with five years of service time, reducing the number of times a player can be option in a year from five to four and creating the ability to option to the minors players picked in the Rule 5 draft (they’re normally required to stay on the major league roster).

It sounds like Bell, who used to manage the Reds, might want to return to an on-field role. Bell had been involved in player development and oversaw the Jays’ mental performance department.

Uceta, who had a 3.79 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 76 innings out of the Rays pen in 2025, was supposed to be a closer candidate last season. Instead, he missed the entire year after coming down with a sore shoulder in spring training, and now it sounds like he’s out until at least June next year.

The 6-foot-8 Petit, who had a 2.44 ERA in 66 1/3 innings between Double- and Triple-A in 2025, was the first pick in last year’s Rule 5 draft, but he tore his UCL in March and required Tommy John surgery. The Rockies have decided against putting him back on their 40-man and he cleared waivers, so now he’s back with the Tigers. Assuming they decline to add him to their 40-man later this month, he’ll again be Rule 5 eligible.

Rivera was designated for assignment on Monday so the Red Sox could get down to their 40-man roster limit. It makes some sense that the Cardinals would want him, since Chaim Bloom used to be the chief baseball officer in Boston and still has connections to personnel there. Rivera is a 23-year-old with a big fastball, but he will now be on his third organization and has yet to establish consistent production. It’s not a bad gamble for the Cardinals to take. Garcia is an 18-year-old right-hander who pitched to a 4.40 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, and 39/10 K/BB ratio in 43 innings in the Dominican Summer League this year.

Kanzler has spent the past three seasons as the Cubs’ director of player development. The 36-year-old was a 20th-round pick of the Minnesota Twins in the 2013 MLB Draft and played three seasons in the minors, primarily as a center fielder. Kanzler is the 22nd manager in Mariners’ franchise history and will be the second-youngest manager in the Majors behind 34-year-old Nationals manager Blake Butera, who was 33 at the time he was hired.

Roby missed the second half of 2025 and all of 2026 after having Tommy John surgery, so the Cardinals made a plan for him to make three starts in the Arizona Fall League. In those starts, he allowed no runs on six hits (all singles) in 9 2/3 innings while striking out 13 and walking one. “I was very pleased with the results, and also my own evaluations...That’s what this was about, pitching against hitters with a pitch clock rolling and guys on base. I was really happy I got to pitch with some traffic,” Roby said. He’s unlikely to begin 2027 in the Cardinals’ rotation given how much time he missed, but he could be an option soon after if he begins the season well at Triple-A.

This is the upper range of the deal and would also include the $19.125 million that the MLB team that signs Sato needs to send to the Hansin Tigers. McDaniel acknowledges that Schwarber is a proven player, while Sato is now, but Schwarber also signed that contract at 33 years old, while Sato is 28 years old and also won an NPB Gold Glove in 2025, so there is some defensive potential with his elite raw power. He figures to attract a lot of attention from MLB teams, but he has significant swing-and-miss potential too.