Oneil Cruz takes a seat against lefty starter

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.

Harvey, a catcher drafted in the fifth round out of a Florida high school in 2025, is just 9-for-44 with no homers for Peoria, but he’s a remarkable 12-for-12 stealing bases. He was also 9-for-10 there in 57 minor league games this year. He’s yet to play above Low-A ball in the minors, so he’s a long way from the majors. There’s the chance he could wind up as a backup to Ethan Salas someday.

Shelton, a 2025 sixth-round pick out of the University of Florida, is hitting .277/.379/.511 with three homers in 15 games in Arizona. He came in at .244/.338/.488 with 24 homers and 14 steals between High-A and Double-A last season. The White Sox are grooming him as a utilityman, and he could prove to be a solid one in time.

Taira will be one of the winter’s most fascinating acquisitions. A dominant reliever, he was given a second chance to start games in 2026 and went 12-5 with an NPB-best 1.36 ERA and a 141/46 K/BB in 146 innings for Seibu last season. His stuff is plenty good enough to stick in an MLB rotation, but there will be concerns about how his 5-foot-8 frame will hold up as a starter. But, then, if he does run into injury issues, he could always return to the pen later on. He should command a pretty hefty contract from an MLB team.

The deal won’t be made official until the Tigers clear the requisite room on their 40-man roster which could take a day or two. Cheng, 25, appeared in 14 games with the Red Sox in 2026, slashing .256/.318/.282 with zero homers and five RBI in 44 plate appearances. He’ll add infield depth for the Tigers.

Once the move is made official, the club will have five days to trade him or to put him through waivers. Stubbs, 33, played in 35 games for the Phillies during the 2026 campaign, slashing .153/.215/.153 with zero homers, three RBI and a 15/3 K/BB ratio over 65 plate appearances.

Instead, he’ll receive a $500,000 buyout and will look for a lucrative multi-year deal on the open market. The 29-year-old righty made 31 starts between the Cardinals and Brewers in 2026, posting a 4.70 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and a 144/50 K/BB ratio across 145 2/3 innings during the regular season. He then logged 11 innings in five appearances out of the Brewers’ bullpen as they marched to their first World Series title in franchise history. May shouldn’t have any trouble finding a landing spot in free agency.