Blue Jays decline $8M option on Myles Straw

Lipcius, who majored in nuclear engineering at Tennessee, had alternatives, but he is going the coaching route as he wraps up his playing career at age 28. Lipcius played in 13 games for the Tigers in 2023, hitting .286 with a homer. He got off to an excellent start with the Dodgers’ Triple-A club in 2024 and went on to hit 25 homers, but he never got another chance in the majors.

Pilfering from the Guardians’ pitching development program seems like a smart way to go, and the 44-year-old Torres had been Cleveland’s assistant coach prior to today. Long before that, he was a first-round pick by the Angels in 2000, though he never reached the majors before retiring at age 30.

Players become eligible for minor league free agency after six seasons if they have not been added to a 40-man roster, so these five players, plus seven more, are no longer a part of the Royals organization. Alex Lange appeared in 59 games for the Royals in 2026, posting a 6.75 ERA, but he has a 4.45 ERA in 244 2/4 MLB innings. Alexander has a career 3.36 ERA in 349 big-league appearances over 11 seasons and Moore has a career 4.39 ERA in 483 big-league appearances. Toro hit .270/.351/.478 with 19 home runs in 123 games for Triple-A Omaha, and Velasquez has a 4.86 ERA in 193 career MLB appearances.

Nimmala is the Angels’ top prospect and the 87th-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline. He came over to the team from the Blue Jays at the trade deadline as part of a trade for Jose Soriano. The 21-year-old is fourth in the AFL in hits and is hitting .301/.446/.507 in 18 games with two triples, two home runs, 13 RBI, four steals, and a 17/21 K/BB ratio.

Kent was designated for assignment last week and went unclaimed on waivers. He will now be a free agent, able to sign with any team.

Bell has served in those roles for the last two seasons, but he said he decided to step away to “reassess where I can make the greatest impact, on and off the field.”

Mozeliak said he’s expecting Major League Baseball owners to vote on the transfer from Arte Moreno to Kroenke Sports & Entertainment sometime during the MLB owners meeting in New York the week of November 16th. KSE announced a deal to purchase the Angels in September, and there was a belief the transition would happen at the beginning of 2027. That process is being sped up, which is good for the Angels because the team has decided to hold off on hiring a general manager and a manager until ownership changes hands. This means the Angels would be able to potentially rush and hire somebody before the lockout likely begins on December 1st.

Pujols is currently in the fourth year of a 10-year contract he signed to be a consultant for the Angels; however, the 11-time All-Star and three-time MVP has made it clear since his retirement in 2022 that he wants to manage. Pujols managed Team Dominican Republic to a third-place finish during this year’s World Baseball Classic and also has managerial experience in Dominican winter ball. He interviewed for the San Diego Padres and Angels managerial openings last winter, and expressed an interest in this Mets job this June when Carlos Mendoza was let go. Pujols will be interviewed in Houston by a former Cardinals teammate after Randy Flores was hired as the team’s general manager this week. Texas Rangers bench coach Luis Urueta will also interview for the job this weekend.

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.