MLB GM Meetings Notebook: Blue Jays, Royals, Rangers, Rockies

LAS VEGAS — With Major League Baseball executives gathering in Sin City this week, a common theme has come out of the General Manager meetings: MLB teams won’t let any kind of potential work stoppage after next season keep them from business as usual this offseason.

I asked several baseball executives in Las Vegas during the MLB GM meetings if they would be hesitant to hand out a multi-year contract with MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire at the end of the 2026 season. It was clear that any potential work stoppage that would impact the 2027 campaign won’t keep executives from conducting business that will help them in 2026 and beyond.

“We’re not,” Texas Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young told me when I asked if any decisions this offseason would be hampered by the upcoming uncertainly. “We’re focused on 2026 and how we’re going to build a championship-caliber roster.”

“It’s not part of our daily conversation,” added Athletics general manager David Forst. “We’ll let other people sort out the labor situation. As far as contracts that go beyond 2026, I think we will act as if that [CBA] gets taken care of.”

Texas Rangers’ Catching Situation Is One That Bears Watching

I asked Young about if there were plans to improve the catcher spot in Texas. Last season, Rangers catchers combined for -0.3 Wins Above Average, ranking them 15th among MLB’s 30 teams. A factor in that middling showing was Jonah Heim, who struggled for the second consecutive year after shining during the World Series run for the Rangers in 2023.

The Rangers have Kyle Higashioka under contract this season while Heim is arbitration-eligible for one more campaign before becoming a free agent in 2027.

“Jonah’s year was a difficult one,” Young said of Heim’s .213/.271/.332 slash line and 77 OPS+. “He did not perform at the level we expected. We need to see improvement there, so we have to find ways to improve at that position. We have some decisions to make.”

It’s an area where the Rangers could potentially add to their roster this season if they believe they could find a long-term answer behind the plate. The 30-year-old Heim was thought to be that a couple of years ago, but it seems the view has changed.

Toronto Blue Jays GM Gushes on Shane Bieber

The Blue Jays made what many considered to be a risky move at last year’s MLB trade deadline by acquiring Shane Bieber from the Cleveland Guardians. After all, the former Cy Young winner was still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, and no one knew exactly how the 30-year-old right-hander would look once he made his way back to a big league mound.

Bieber was solid in his seven regular-season starts for the Jays, posting a 3.57 ERA over 40.1 innings and then making five appearances (four starts) in the postseason as Toronto advanced to the World Series. Those outings have Toronto excited to have him back for 2026 as he opted in on a $16 million deal that will keep him a big part of the Blue Jays’ rotation next year.

“That certainly made an impact,” Toronto general manager Ross Atkins said of Bieber’s decision to come back. “That was one less subtraction in that area.”

I asked Atkins if there was anything that surprised the Blue Jays about Bieber as he integrated himself into the team. Atkins’ face lit up as he talked about Bieber and what he meant to the team.

“Fortunately, I felt like we knew him well because we had a couple of former Cleveland employees working for us that had worked with Shane very closely,” Atkins said. “I obviously worked there for 20-plus years and had strong ties to the organization, so we knew him as an amateur as well. We liked him as an amateur, and I didn’t think that we could like him anymore, but somehow we did. He is as professional and as good of a human being. I know we throw around that language a little bit too often, but I didn’t think he could be better than his reputation and he was.”

How Kansas City Royals May Keep Salvador Perez Fresh in 2026

Entering his 15th MLB season, Salvador Perez is continuing to build his Hall of Fame resume. However, with a two-year contract in place that ensures he is with the Royals through the 2027 season, Royals general manager J.J. Piccolo is more concerned with how his team will get the most out of the veteran catcher rather than preparing his bust for Cooperstown.

“These are these types of discussions that have been going on for a couple years. You can see we’re cutting back on number of games that he would catch in the season. He was on pace to catch 75 to 80 games this year until the trade deadline,” Piccolo said, referring to the deal the Royals made with the San Diego Padres to send catcher Freddy Fermin to the West Coast.

“It will be fluid. Generally speaking, you’re looking like 80 games caught. You know that would be an ideal number,” Piccolo continued. “We can put the point to some very objective data, saying, ‘Here’s what happens when you catch a day game. Here’s what happens when you catch four games in a row.’ Ultimately, we’ll find the right sweet spot.”

Colorado Rockies May Use More MLB Veterans in 2026

Last season as the Rockies amassed an MLB-high 119 losses, Colorado had a franchise-record 13 players make their MLB debut in 2025. Some of that came from a deserving spot on the roster while other times it was a move out of necessity because of injuries or lack of depth.

With new president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta now overseeing Colorado’s front office, he made clear in Las Vegas that he wants to build up enough quality depth where players are earning their spot on the roster rather than having it handed to them simply because the move had to be done.

“I’ll say this, I’ve always valued experience on a team,” DePodesta said, looking back on his 20 years in MLB front offices spread over five different franchises. “I do think experience is important. I think young players need to be able to learn from others. They need to be able to shown a standard of what it should take to play at the big league level. And I really believe that that the best case scenario is that young players earn their spot on the big league team. They don’t just get it because that’s all you have, right?

“Sometimes that’s the reality. You don’t necessarily have veterans everywhere by any stretch, but I do think it would be important to have some of those voices in the clubhouse, for the culture and even for the development of the young players.”