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Tennessee baseball has started dipping into the transfer portal but still has plenty of work to do.
The Vols picked up their first transfer commitment of this cycle on June 6 from Mercer two-way player Braydon Kersey, a rising junior who was first-team All-SoCon as a designated hitter. He hit .325 with 21 home runs while also throwing 20 innings and will provide plenty of versatility.
But Kersey is only one piece of the puzzle. Fourteen Vols have already decided to transfer, including one starter and many depth pieces. Other impact players will leave because they exhausted their eligibility or are entering the MLB draft.
Coach Josh Elander has a talented freshman class arriving that will help alleviate some of those losses but can’t fill every gap. With the transfer portal having been open for one week, there are a bevy of potential impact players available. Elander will need to bring some aboard to fill out his 2027 roster.
Here’s what Tennessee baseball needs in the transfer portal:
Tennessee has two of its three likely weekend starters coming back in Landon Mack, returning for his junior year after making 12 starts as a sophomore, and Cam Appenzeller, stepping into a larger role as a sophomore with Tegan Kuhns and Evan Blanco gone.
There are no other obvious returners for that third role in the rotation, though, so adding an additional starter through the transfer portal seems likely. A year ago, the Vols added Mack and Blanco when two starters departed. High-quality starting pitchers are among the most expensive portal additions, but for good reason.
The Vols are retooling their bullpen after a rocky season, and it'll be under the purview of new pitching coach Austin Knight. With Appenzeller moving out of the bullpen and Brandon Arvidson and Bo Rhudy both eligible for the draft, the back end will be fresh.
Top returning relievers include Will Haas, Nic Abraham and Chandler Day, plus Kersey could pitch after earning six saves. Freshmen will also figure into the bullpen plans.
Even so, some experienced additions would provide a significant boost for a group looking for reliability in high-leverage situations.
With starting shortstop Manny Marin entering the transfer portal and no clear option on the roster to replace him, the Vols will need to add another infielder with experience in addition to their four incoming freshman infielders.
Third baseman Henry Ford is also likely to enter the MLB draft, which would mean Tennessee would need to replace the entire left side of its infield. If Blake Grimmer returns he could slide that way to third, where he’s played before, but he too could enter the draft.
That leaves, at a minimum, one open spot for an experienced player to step in and make an immediate impact.
Tennessee’s starting outfield is very uncertain heading into next season. Right fielder Reese Chapman is gone at a minimum, and Garrett Wright will have the option to enter the draft as a potential pick in the top five rounds. That would leave just left fielder Blaine Brown.
With Wright often hitting leadoff and Chapman in the middle of the order, a priority will be finding outfielders that can provide a spark in the lineup, optimally with power.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball transfer portal wish list for 2027 roster after Braydon Kersey
Continue reading...
The Vols picked up their first transfer commitment of this cycle on June 6 from Mercer two-way player Braydon Kersey, a rising junior who was first-team All-SoCon as a designated hitter. He hit .325 with 21 home runs while also throwing 20 innings and will provide plenty of versatility.
But Kersey is only one piece of the puzzle. Fourteen Vols have already decided to transfer, including one starter and many depth pieces. Other impact players will leave because they exhausted their eligibility or are entering the MLB draft.
Coach Josh Elander has a talented freshman class arriving that will help alleviate some of those losses but can’t fill every gap. With the transfer portal having been open for one week, there are a bevy of potential impact players available. Elander will need to bring some aboard to fill out his 2027 roster.
Here’s what Tennessee baseball needs in the transfer portal:
Another starting pitcher
Tennessee has two of its three likely weekend starters coming back in Landon Mack, returning for his junior year after making 12 starts as a sophomore, and Cam Appenzeller, stepping into a larger role as a sophomore with Tegan Kuhns and Evan Blanco gone.
There are no other obvious returners for that third role in the rotation, though, so adding an additional starter through the transfer portal seems likely. A year ago, the Vols added Mack and Blanco when two starters departed. High-quality starting pitchers are among the most expensive portal additions, but for good reason.
Experienced relievers
The Vols are retooling their bullpen after a rocky season, and it'll be under the purview of new pitching coach Austin Knight. With Appenzeller moving out of the bullpen and Brandon Arvidson and Bo Rhudy both eligible for the draft, the back end will be fresh.
Top returning relievers include Will Haas, Nic Abraham and Chandler Day, plus Kersey could pitch after earning six saves. Freshmen will also figure into the bullpen plans.
Even so, some experienced additions would provide a significant boost for a group looking for reliability in high-leverage situations.
Left side of the infield
With starting shortstop Manny Marin entering the transfer portal and no clear option on the roster to replace him, the Vols will need to add another infielder with experience in addition to their four incoming freshman infielders.
Third baseman Henry Ford is also likely to enter the MLB draft, which would mean Tennessee would need to replace the entire left side of its infield. If Blake Grimmer returns he could slide that way to third, where he’s played before, but he too could enter the draft.
That leaves, at a minimum, one open spot for an experienced player to step in and make an immediate impact.
Impact outfield bat
Tennessee’s starting outfield is very uncertain heading into next season. Right fielder Reese Chapman is gone at a minimum, and Garrett Wright will have the option to enter the draft as a potential pick in the top five rounds. That would leave just left fielder Blaine Brown.
With Wright often hitting leadoff and Chapman in the middle of the order, a priority will be finding outfielders that can provide a spark in the lineup, optimally with power.
Emmett Siegel covers Tennessee baseball for Knox News. Email: [email protected]; X: @EmmettSiegel_
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee baseball transfer portal wish list for 2027 roster after Braydon Kersey
Continue reading...
