Max Scherzer holds Phillies to two runs on Saturday

Perhaps the most alarming detail from Sharma’s report is that future surgery to address Brown’s lingering neck issue remains a possibility. The 27-year-old was in the midst of a breakthrough campaign before a stress reaction in his neck landed him on the injured list in mid-June. He appeared to be making progress toward a late-season return before a recurrence of symptoms ultimately ended those hopes. The fact that he still hasn’t been cleared to begin an offseason throwing program is another concerning development. Unfortunately, the impending lockout figures leave fantasy managers without any meaningful updates on his prognosis.

Stewart received 20 of 30 first-place votes to claim the award ahead of Carson Benge and JJ Wetherholt, who collected seven and three votes, respectively. The power-hitting 22-year-old first baseman put together an impressive campaign from a traditional numbers standpoint, slashing .263/.330/.457 with 32 homers, 112 RBI and 15 steals across 162 games. Benge made a serious late push to fortify his case for the hardware, hitting .282/.346/.430 with 20 homers and 22 steals over 156 contests to finish second in the balloting. He also held a considerable edge in WAR, finishing at 4.3 compared to Stewart’s 2.0 mark, though it wasn’t enough to sway the voters.

McGonigle received 28 of 30 first-place votes to claim the hardware, with Parker Messick collecting the other two to finish a distant second in the balloting. Payton Tolle placed third, narrowly ahead of Munetaka Murakami and Carter Jensen. The 22-year-old on-base machine set the tone with a four-hit performance on Opening Day and never looked back, finishing the season with a sublime .278/.376/.430 slash line, 97 runs scored, 18 homers, 72 RBI and 12 steals across 707 plate appearances over 156 games. He provided top-10 fantasy value at both shortstop and third base, cementing his status as an early-round selection in drafts for years to come.

What better way for a new ownership group to make an immediate splash than by signing the most accomplished starting pitcher to hit the open market in recent memory. Morosi previously reported that San Diego was among the most active teams this offseason in pursuing starting pitching upgrades. They have multiple spots to fill with Michael King, Casey Mize, Nick Pivetta, Robbie Ray and Walker Buehler all currently free agents. It’s worth noting that The New York Post’s Jon Heyman told MLB Network earlier on Monday that the Mets are “probably the favorite” to sign Skubal. All indications are that the 29-year-old two-time Cy Young Award winner will choose his next destination before the lockout commences on December 1.

The deal presumably includes an invitation to spring training, whenever that might be. The 29-year-old is a few years removed from a 15-homer, 17-steal rookie campaign, but didn’t end up appearing in the majors this past season. He’s merely emergency organizational depth at this stage of his career.

The Mets tried to make Cairo more expensive to poach off waivers, offering him a financial bump last week in hopes of keeping rival organizations at bay. The gambit didn’t work this time. The 25-year-old heads to Los Angeles as organizational infield depth after hitting .230/.381/.300 with four homers and 25 steals in 525 plate appearances over 130 games at the Triple-A level between the Mets and Phillies this past season.

Paris passed through waivers unclaimed after being claimed from the Angels last month. The 24-year-old former prospect figures to be in the mix for a bench spot with the Mets in spring training. He’ll function as organizational depth for New York heading into next year.

McAuley reports that the Braves have not ruled out the possibility that Schwellenbach pitches for them, but he also made it clear that the 26-year-old’s long-term future is very much in doubt. After battling through elbow pain throughout 2026 while rehabbing from 2025’s surgery, Schwellenbach was finally forced to have surgery to put a screw into his previously fractured elbow. As McAuley notes, “This is a procedure that very few pitchers have returned from. That places even longer odds that Schwellenbach can resume his promising career.”

Elder had surgery in September “to clean up some bone fragments that caused swelling in his right knee,” which meant that he was unable to start for the Braves in the postseason. However, the Braves don’t believe he will miss any time in 2027, which gives him a chance to compete for a rotation spot in the spring.

As Salisbury notes, Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski began the offseason by suggesting that shortstop Trea Turner had to improve his defense or move off the position. The only issue is that the Phillies don’t have a natural shortstop on the roster who would be a clear defensive upgrade. That’s where Kim would come in. The 31-year-old won a Gold Glove in 2023, but injuries have hurt his production and availability over the last two seasons. He is unlikely to command a large contract, so he could be an option on a one-year, prove-it deal in Philadelphia.