Andrew Abbott goes seven strong vs. Braves

With Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ becoming free agents, the Cubs will have plenty of room for an out-of-options Alcántara to make an impact next year. Still, there hasn’t been anything to suggest that they have much faith in him, and there’s a decent chance he’ll be traded this winter. Alcántara hit .260/.350/.502 with 20 homers in 82 games for Triple-A Iowa last season. He’s been as productive as anyone in the Dominican Winter League so far, going 11-for-27 with three homers through eight games.

That’s quite a showing for his first ever winter league appearance. Malloy, who hit .209/.311/.346 in 123 games for the Tigers between 2024 and ’25, is coming off a pretty disastrous season in the Rays system in which he missed time due to injury and hit just .167/.309/.285 in 65 games for Triple-A Durham. He’s still technically with the Rays now, but he’s about to become a minor league free agent.

Profar is 5-for-11 in three games. He obviously really needs to get some at-bats after his half-season PED ban in 2025 and full-season suspension in 2026. It’s unclear if the Braves, who have him under contract for one more year, are going to give him another shot, but if he’s released, some other team will probably pick him up for the minimum and let him play.

Bericoto is hitting .417 with just one strikeout over 45 plate appearances in Venezuela. Injuries prevented him from getting as long of a look from the Giants as he might have received last season, and he didn’t excel in hitting .241/.267/.420 in 116 plate appearances. However, he still has a chance to help as at least a platoon starter against lefties.

Zuber recently underwent internal brace surgery that could keep him out for all of next year. Navarreto spent the final three-plus months of the season on the roster as a backup to Joe Mack, but he didn’t play much, hitting .135/.193/.250 in 61 plate appearances.

Alcantara will make $21 million, plus an extra $1 million if he’s traded at any point, in the final year of his deal with the Marlins. The 31-year-old went 13-11 with a 3.87 ERA while leading the majors with 214 innings pitched last season. On the other hand, both his 17 percent strikeout rate and his 42 percent groundball rate were career lows. His value in fantasy leagues next year will rather significantly hinge on whether the Marlins continue to give him chances to close games in between starts.

Like most mutual options, this wasn’t designed to be exercised. Martinez will get a $4 million buyout and return to free agency after a stellar 2026 that saw him go 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA and make his first All-Star team.

After a really nice finish for Double-A Rocket City, Nimmala has hit .300/.447/.533 with two homers and four steals in four tries in the Arizona Fall League. He’s yet to play anywhere other than shortstop in the minors, but that will probably change early next year if the Angels hold on to Zach Neto.

Walcott’s .300/.362/.460 line in Arizona isn’t much better than the league average, but it’s still encouraging from a 20-year-old who missed most of 2026. He also picked up his ninth steal in 10 tries Thursday.

The Guardians churn out a couple of intriguing infield prospects every year, and the switch-hitting Francisca is one of their new names to know. He has come in at .436/.492/.745 with three homers and a league-high 22 RBI through 12 games in Arizona. He’ll likely open 2027 as a 20-year-old in Double-A.