The Dodgers made their first move of the GM Meetings in Las Vegas by grabbing a player who may not be a star name, but fits a clear need.
Los Angeles claimed infielder Christian Cairo off waivers Monday, giving the club a potential answer for the roster spot opened when Miguel Rojas said he planned to retire after the 2026 season and then confirmed it after the National League Championship Series ended. Cairo, 25, was designated for assignment by the Mets seven days earlier.
Cairo has not reached the majors yet, but the Dodgers had room for him on the 40-man roster. He spent most of the season in the Phillies’ Triple-A system before the Mets picked him up on Sept. 15, then used him in just two games at the end of the International League season with Syracuse.
A fourth-round pick by the Guardians out of high school in 2019, Cairo has bounced around the infield and outfield in the minors. In 2026, he played second base, shortstop, third base, center field and left field, which gives him a natural lane to the utility role left behind by Rojas and free agent Kiké Hernandez.
At Triple-A this year, Cairo hit .230/.381/.300 over 130 games and stole 25 bases in 37 tries. The bat hasn’t been his calling card, but his plate discipline stood out: he walked 92 times and struck out 76 times. He also appeared in 20 Grapefruit League games with the Phillies and hit .194/.293/.278 with one home run and two stolen bases.
The timing matters, too. The Dodgers usually churn the back end of the 40-man roster all winter, but this offseason could be different. A lockout is expected to begin Dec. 1, which would freeze major league roster movement until a new labor agreement is reached between MLB and the MLB Players Association.
That means Cairo could wind up as more than a temporary name on the roster. He may be a placeholder for a more established big leaguer, or he may end up holding that spot for a while, depending on how long the work stoppage lasts.
The 2027 spring training would be Cairo’s sixth.
In Other News...
Bryce Harper Just Opened A Phillies Question Fans Never Expected
With the Phillies already bracing for an offseason that could bring real roster turnover, Bryce Harper has added another layer to the conversation around the clubs future. The star first basemans comments about not expecting to play baseball in 2027 landed at a time when the sport is already talking about a possible lockout that could affect that season, and it immediately gave fans and commentators something they did not see coming.
For a team that still has to sort through the usual winter questions about departures, reinforcements and how aggressive it wants to be, Harpers outlook only sharpens the uncertainty. It also feeds into the broader speculation that always follows a club with a player of his stature, including the possibility of a trade, even if nothing about the Phillies immediate plans has changed. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Offseason Plans Just Got More Complicated Than Fans Expected
The qualifying offer deadline has already added another layer to the Phillies offseason, with eight players around the league now attached to draft-pick compensation if they leave in free agency. For a front office trying to balance immediate upgrades with long-term value, that matters. It can narrow the market, change the price of a target, and push a team toward a different kind of shopping list than the one it started with.
For Philadelphia, the ripple effect could show up in several spots. If the club wants to avoid surrendering draft picks, it may have to lean toward alternative names such as Ian Happ in the outfield, Jazz Chisholm Jr. at a different infield spot, or Alex Vesia as a left-handed setup option. None of those choices is as simple as chasing the most obvious fit, which is exactly why this part of the winter may end up being more complicated than fans first expected. [Read more 🡒]
Phillies Just Lost A Reliever The Rays May Unlock
Levi Stoudt is the kind of arm the Phillies have seen enough of to know there may still be something there. A former Phillies minor league reliever, he signed a minor league free agent deal with the Rays after the 2023 season and then spent last year working out of the bullpen, where the move seemed to suit him before an injury cut his season short.
For Philadelphia, the interest is less about what Stoudt already was than what Tampa Bay might help him become. The Rays have built a reputation for getting more out of pitchers who arrive with a bit of untapped upside, and Stoudt fits that mold well enough to make the signing worth watching from afar. If he gets back on track, it could be one of those low-profile moves that looks a lot bigger in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]