In an ideal world, your favorite team’s Opening Day roster should more or less look how you envisioned it would when pitchers and catchers arrived in February. You should be grateful if your team avoided the dreaded spring injuries or a player losing his starting role — or even his place on the 26-man roster — with a poor showing in exhibition play. Still, there are always a few notable roster decisions that are poised to trigger some major ripples, both now and at the trade deadline.
Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The New York Yankees made a puzzling roster decision with an unproven reliever despite recent struggles in the bullpen.
- The Los Angeles Dodgers are evaluating a versatile infielder's role after strong spring training performances.
- Detroit's bold move to promote a young shortstop could reshape their infield dynamics this season.
For some teams, the bold decisions that they made now could have a profound impact on the season ahead. All it takes is one loss to keep a team from reaching the playoffs, and all it takes is one player to elevate a team to the pennant.
Honorable mention: Jurickson Profar, OF, Atlanta Braves
Technically, placing a player on the restricted list after he receives a suspension counts as a transaction. Profar will miss the entire 2026 season following his second positive PED test since the start of 2025, and his long-term future in Atlanta remains unclear. The former top prospect turned 33 in February and is set to become a free agent after next season.
Any hopes Atlanta had about Profar providing a reliable left-handed bat in the middle of the Braves’ lineup ended upon his latest ban. That, coupled with the team’s rash of pitching injuries, makes me wonder if the front office could pursue a blockbuster trade involving an outfielder and a starter this summer.
Still, Profar is only an honorable mention because the surprise itself didn’t come from the Braves, or even Major League Baseball. The surprise is that Profar seemingly learned nothing from the first positive test and cost himself his season, his salary, and possibly his big-league career in the process.
Cade Winquest, P, New York Yankees
Even the most knowledgeable Yankees fans still might be unfamiliar with Winquest, a Rule 5 pick from the Cardinals. Winquest, who turns 26 in April, posted a 7.20 ERA and allowed three home runs in 10 innings out of the bullpen, yet won a spot on the Opening Day roster.
Why?
I can forgive the Yankees opting to have Luis Gil open the season in the minors because of the various off days. I can also look past the insistence that offseason acquisition Ryan Weathers will become a solid starting pitcher. But to keep Winquest around tells me that Aaron Boone and Brian Cashman learned nothing from 2025, when their overreliance on struggling relievers like Devin Williams, Mark Leiter Jr., and Camilo Doval cost them the AL East. I don’t want to hear any complaints if Winquest records a 10.00 ERA and is returned to the Cardinals in mid-April.
Carson Benge, OF, New York Mets
I personally love when a team prioritizes winning over keeping a top prospect in the minors to get that extra year of service time. Benge, a 2024 first-round pick, will open this season as the Mets’ starting right fielder after hitting .366 with an .874 OPS this spring. With Juan Soto moving to left field, Benge earned a place in the starting lineup following Mike Tauchman’s left meniscus surgery.
“It’s going to be surreal,” Benge told reporters. “I’m going to try my best to take it in. But, stay calm and play my game.”
Benge hopes to become the seventh player in franchise history to win NL Rookie of the Year, and he’d join some impressive company in the process. Of those six winners, three — Tom Seaver, Darryl Strawberry, and Dwight Gooden — are in the Mets’ Hall of Fame, with Jacob deGrom and Pete Alonso likely to follow after they retire. Seaver, Strawberry, and Gooden have also had their numbers retired.
For now, though, we’re left with one key question: If Benge holds his own in the majors, what could that mean for Tauchman or Tyrone Taylor down the road?
Hyeseong Kim, 2B, Los Angeles Dodgers
Despite missing part of spring training while participating in the World Baseball Classic, Kim certainly showed flashes during Cactus League play. The South Korea-born Kim hit .408 with a home run, six RBIs, five stolen bases, and a .967 OPS over 30 plate appearances. However, he struck out eight times, and the home run was his only extra-base hit.
Kim turned 27 in January, and we’ll see whether the Dodgers are open to making him available via trade in the coming months. Considering that the organization has a successful history of going all-in, I certainly won’t be surprised if they flip Kim for a starting pitcher before the deadline.
Kevin McGonigle, SS, Detroit Tigers
Much like the Mets and Benge, the Tigers should be commended for taking the risk on McGonigle even if it could cost them a year of service time down the road. McGonigle, a 2023 first-round pick, hit .250 with two home runs, six RBIs, and an .888 OPS in 56 spring plate appearances.
Despite never playing above Double-A, McGonigle did enough to win a spot on the 26-man Opening Day roster. The left-handed hitting shortstop is expected to make his MLB debut on Thursday against the San Diego Padres and Nick Pivetta, a righty. What could that mean for veteran infielder Zach McKinstry, who is slated for a bench role? We also need to start asking whether the Tigers could finally part ways with Javier Báez this summer, as he has a 10-team no-trade clause and will become a free agent after next season.