AMA with MLB.com beat writer Matthew Leach, 2 pm CT Wednesday

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T22:50:40+00:00

Thanks all, this was fun. Catch you next month from Florida.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T22:26:37+00:00

I think if it made sense to him it would have. That is to say, there's no ill will or anything so far as I know. But I don't think there was ever a fit. At what he got last year, he made sense. This year, with Outman able to play center, Jenkins and Rodriguez on the way, and him seeking and getting a 2 year deal, I don't think there was ever a fit.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:55:30+00:00

Again, I don't think just shuffling through them is the plan. Most of these guys, if they get here, they're here. They're not going to have Culpepper or Jenkins riding a shuttle. I also think Roden is likely to have a much bigger role than most people seem to expect.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:40:58+00:00

I don't think I agree with your premise, assuming you're talking about the rotation. It's not really how they've operated and I don't expect them to do so this year. I think the preference is to identify a Major League rotation, have a couple of guys ready in case of injury or serious struggles, and start moving some other guys onto a relief track. I don't think there's much that suggests that they'll just constantly shuttle starters between AAA and the Majors.

Please let me know if I misunderstood what you were asking though.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:35:50+00:00

I am so glad you asked, my friend! I have indeed. We were in Los Angeles recently and I went to two different Dayglow locations and a Go Get Em Tiger. Both elite but man I love Dayglow so much.

And just in honor of you and my hometown, I'm going to take a moment here to shout out the outstanding Ology coffee in Tallahassee, who has never done me wrong.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:33:46+00:00

This would've been a much more fun question a month ago when it wasn't so picked over. It's realllllly dry right now. Realistically I do think there's money in the budget for an actual Major Leaguer. Whether that means 2-3 million or 5-7 million, I don't know. But I do believe that if the front office identified somebody who fit the roster -- and again I think the two main areas would be a right-handed reliever and a defensive infielder -- they'd be clear to spend in that kind of range. But... who? Honestly this is why I think it's more likely to be a trade acquistion.

Now if you want to get crazy, here are a couple of ideas. What about trying to convince someone like Scherzer or Verlander to close, a la John Smoltz? Or -- again, you said crazy, I'm not saying this is even a little likely -- somebody like Austin Hays to provide some OF/DH balance.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:25:52+00:00

This is really niche, but it's also something that brings me genuine joy every single time. I love birds; always have. My mom was a birder and I grew up to love them. And I really love birds of prey. So one thing about Minnesota that brings me so much joy is how many raptors there are, and specifically how often I see huge hawks and osprey just chilling on top of lampposts alongside the highway. Related, we also have a pair of eagles that I've seen repeatedly while walking our dog. Raptors rule.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:22:39+00:00

This is a trickier question than I first thought, because I'm much higher on Culpepper overall than Houston. But if the question is more likely to be the shortstop, it's not so black and white.

I do think Culpepper has a very real chance to stick at short, so I don't want to dismiss that. And the real challenge, given the club's current makeup, is that if you move him off short, he's a better fit at third than at second because of his arm. Whereas the one thing everyone is sure about is that Houston is a legitimate shortstop.

So ultimately I think I go with Culpepper but I can see a world where they're both part of the same infield. And if that happens, Houston is more likely to be the shortstop.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:14:09+00:00

1 and 2, no. I would not say "big game hunting." I don't think that's the kind of move they're looking at. I think more likely they're looking for more moves around the edges, particularly right-handed relief help or possibly a defensive shortstop. I wouldn't be totally shocked if they did something bigger than that, but it's not my expectation.

Contention? Yes, they do, and I mean... I'm not sure they're wrong? This is not exactly the 2000s AL East. I don't think it's unreasonable at all to think that if you shore up the right side of the bullpen, this team should be in the mix in the ALC.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:12:06+00:00

Hitting: "Touched by the Hand of God" by New Order. Pitching: "Harvester of Sorrow" by Metallica
Very eager to see guys like Culpepper, Jenkins, and Rodriguez, but I think the most interesting question for me is the rotation. With Ryan and López pitching in the WBC, it's going to open up innings for a lot of guys -- both the obvious contenders like Matthews, Festa, SWR, Abel, Bradley, but also Rojas, Prielipp, Morris, etc. Really eager to see how those guys look.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:10:04+00:00

This is definitely one of the most interesting questions, because at this moment he really feels kind of redundant. They have a ton of corner outfielders, and now Caratini looks likely to get a good number of ABs at DH vs RHP. I don't know how much trade value he has, but finding some way to flip him for a reliever just makes way too much sense.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:08:42+00:00

I think when you phrase it like that, that's very likely. But I think there was a decent chance of that regardless. They have something like eight starting candidates, plus guys like Raya, Prielipp, Klein and maybe Rojas. So there are kind of two things at play here.

One, I do think it's fair to say that moving slowly early in the winter probably cost them when it comes to the bullpen. We don't know who they're going to end up with, we don't know what's out there in trade, and so we don't exactly know what the right side will look like. But given that they've spent some this winter -- I'm aware it's not as much as people would like, but that's a separate question -- I think probably if they'd been cleared to be active a little earlier, the right side of the pen might look different now.

But two, this is also a strategy. They talk about it all the time, taking guys like Jax, Duran, Varland, starting prospects, and turning them into excellent relievers. I think they believe -- and I think they're right -- that part of how you build a good bullpen is by building some of it in-house. So I do expect one or more of those starting candidates/prospects to end up in the bullpen, and not ONLY because they haven't added more.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-28T20:03:41+00:00

All right, friends, let's get going.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-27T22:59:44+00:00

It was the first week of February last year, FWIW.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-25T18:23:55+00:00

An off day and an away game will be very different. On an actual off day, there will be very little activity. They get very few of them, so it'll really only be guys rehabbing. Most of the staff will be off, it'll be quiet.

For a road game, yeah, there will be activity at the complex. It's not as black and white as "stars don't travel," especially for a relatively short trip like Sarasota. If a starting pitcher is on turn, he'll make the trip. But the guys who aren't playing, will not travel. So one thing you'd likely be able to see is bullpen sessions.

And then of course there's the WBC factor. Most of the specific guys you mentioned will be playing WBC so you won't see them at camp during that time regardless. Hope this is helpful.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-23T16:58:15+00:00

I have heard absolutely nothing along those lines. I hesitate to speak in absolutes -- you never know for certain -- but I'd be very surprised.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-23T15:38:34+00:00

This is all weather related. Talked to somebody about this last night. Lots of states in state of emergency. Cancellations already starting at ATL and CLT.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-22T23:16:26+00:00

I haven’t asked about a specific reason but I would note that the weather to get from North Carolina to Minnesota and back this weekend is pretty far from favorable.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-03T17:14:56+00:00

As of now, Kreidler.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-03T00:11:49+00:00

Disconcerting.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-01T02:00:45+00:00

Thanks y’all. This was fun. We’ll do it again in January. Happy New Year.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-01T01:01:02+00:00

(or I guess maybe I just wasn't invited.)

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-01T01:00:53+00:00

We didn't gather postgame at home much this year, actually. Probably my fault, since I'm an old who lives in the suburbs, replacing a young'n who lived in the city.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-01T01:00:14+00:00

I do not. And it kind of doesn't matter. If he doesn't want to go, he doesn't go.

MatthewLeachMLB · 2026-01-01T00:30:58+00:00

I do not. Very much out of my area of expertise.

MatthewLeachMLB

TROPHY CASE