The offseason’s first notable bullpen move is in the books, and Detroit made its choice at the back end. Emilio Pagan is headed to the Tigers after a strong run in Cincinnati, where he turned in a career-best 32 saves in 2025 and followed that up with another effective season before a severe hamstring injury cost him nearly two months. He declined his $10MM player option with the Reds to test free agency, then landed with Detroit on a deal that added an extra $1M.
The Tigers needed a new closer after Kenley Jansen reached free agency, and Pagan now steps into that opening.
Elsewhere, the awards came in for two managers who steered major turnarounds and sustained success. White Sox manager Will Venable was named AL Manager of the Year after beating out Kevin Cash of the Rays and Chad Tracy of the Red Sox.
Chicago had been buried under three straight 100-loss seasons, including Venable’s first year on the job, before surging to an 84-78 finish and an AL Wild Card spot. The White Sox then handled the Astros in the Wild Card round before falling just short against the Guardians in the ALDS.
In the National League, Brewers skipper Pat Murphy took home Manager of the Year for the third straight season, finishing ahead of Don Mattingly of the Phillies and Walt Weiss of the Braves. Milwaukee has won the NL Central every year under Murphy, and this season the Brewers owned the best record in the league at 103 wins. They carried that momentum through October and capped it by winning the franchise’s first World Series, taking four of five games from the Rays.
In Other News...
White Sox Fans Have Every Right To Be Furious Over Murakami
MLB handed out its 2026 Rookie of the Year awards, with Kevin McGonigle taking the American League honor and Sal Stewart winning in the National League, but the conversation around the vote had a familiar edge for White Sox followers. Munetaka Murakamis season was part of the debate because his traditional numbers stacked up well against the field, even as the voting process seemed to draw different lines in each league.
For White Sox fans, the frustration is less about the winners than the way Murakami was treated in the process. The first baseman put together a season that should have kept him squarely in the mix, yet he was left outside the finalist group, a result that only sharpened the sense that the standards were not applied evenly. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Prospect Watch Just Got More Complicated In Arizona
The Arizona Fall League has already become a useful checkpoint for the White Sox, with seven prospects assigned to the Glendale Desert Dogs as the organization takes another look at some of its better young talent against advanced competition. The mix has included both position players and pitchers, and the early returns have given the front office a little more to weigh as the fall schedule rolls on.
Roster movement has only added to the intrigue. Glendale has had to adjust because of injuries, and Tommy Vail is now in the mix after the club made a change on the pitching side. Meanwhile, some White Sox prospects have already wrapped up their fall work after productive stretches, while others are still getting innings and at-bats in recent games, leaving the picture in Arizona a little less settled than it looked at the start. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Could Cash In Prospect Depth At A Crucial Time
The White Sox are heading into an offseason where adding to the major league roster could mean parting with some of the prospect depth that has helped make the system more interesting. Chicago is expected to be active on the trade market, and with holes to fill and a farm system that includes more than one possible chip, the front office has some real decisions to make about how aggressively it wants to push now versus later.
Among the names drawing attention are shortstop Billy Carlson, right-hander Tanner McDougal and infielder William Bergolla Jr., all of whom could fit into trade discussions because of the teams depth and its need to improve in the big leagues. Carlson and McDougal in particular stand out as the kind of players other clubs would ask about, while Bergolla adds another layer to a group that gives Chicago options if it decides the right deal is worth moving on. [Read more 🡒]