Dodgers bring up Charlie Barnes from Triple-A

Francisca leads all AFL hitters in batting average, RBI, and hits while also ranking second in OPS. He’s slashing .409/.467/.667 in 14 games with three home runs, 24 RBI, five steals, and a 14/8 K/BB ratio. He’ll likely open 2027 at Double-A and is emerging as a really interesting prospect.

Walcott is hitting .316/.369/.474 in 13 games with 20 RBI, nine steals, and a 14/6 K/BB ratio. The 20-year-old missed the majority of the minor league season after shoulder surgery but has looked good this fall. He should begin the 2027 season at Triple-A with a real chance to debut for the Rangers by mid-season.

The 6'6" right-hander has allowed 11 runs (eight earned) on 11 hits in 18 2/3 innings across six starts. He also leads all AFL pitchers with 26 strikeouts and is tied for fourth with 13 walks. Susana is coming off lat surgery and only pitched for one month in the minors this season, so it’s good to see him producing in the AFL. He has a chance to break into the Nationals’ rotaiton in the middle of the 2027 season.

The Miller’s second-ranked prospect played just four games in the 2026 season due to back issues. He’s been producing in 14 AFL games, hitting .333/.562/.500 with six steals and an impressive 24/16 K/BB ratio. Miller’s future position remains in question, but he should start the 2027 season at Triple-A with a chance to be promoted if he gets off to a good start.

Peete is the Cardinals’ 17th-ranked prospect, but was a first-round pick by the Mariners in 2023. The 21-year-old is hitting .328/.410/.612 in 16 AFL games and is tied for the second-most stolen bases and second-most triples. He’s making himself part of the Cardinals’ future plans.

O’Dowd currently leads the AFL with six home runs and is second with 21 RBI in 17 games. He’s also slashing .313/.343/.687 but does have an 18/2 K/BB ratio, which is something to keep an eye on. He’ll likely begin next season at Double-A, but he’s 25 years old, so the Rockies could be aggressive with promoting him if he continues to hit.

Ellis, who previously worked as a special assistant in the San Diego Padres’ front office, has some familiarity with manager Andy Green. Ellis was an MLB catcher for 11 seasons, so he’ll bring plenty of big league experience to the Mets’ coaching staff; although, his exact role remains in question.

Castro has spent the last four seasons in Milwaukee as the Brewers’ vice president, overseeing player development and performance. Before that, he was the organization’s minor league pitching coordinator and began in Milwaukee back in 2019 as a Single-A pitching coach. Castro will now work under Taylor Smith, who was hired as the new president of baseball earlier this offseason and, at 31 years old, is the youngest POBO in baseball.

The 35-year-old McKeithan was the White Sox’s assistant hitting coach for the last two seasons. Before that, he was Cincinnati’s hitting coach from 2023–24 and assistant hitting coach in 2022. He has also worked as a minor league hitting instructor for the Tigers and has previous experience as a coach at Driveline Baseball.

Because of Tampa Bay’s budget or lack thereof, there were immediate trade rumblings involving Rasmussen after the Rays exercised his $20 million club option for 2027. Topkin reports that the Rays intend to hang onto the 31-year-old as their ace for the upcoming season.