TCU Baseball Is Losing Key Pieces as the Transfer Portal Opens

Why This Offseason Matters for TCU Baseball

TCU baseball’s offseason has officially begun, and the transfer portal is now open. It is never too early to begin preparing for next season.

The Horned Frogs enter the offseason earlier than they wanted, as they missed postseason play after a very disappointing close to the season. It was an up-and-down year in which TCU caught the injury bug before the season even began, and it continued throughout the year. The Horned Frogs made plenty of mistakes and were fairly inconsistent throughout the season, which ultimately resulted in them missing the tournament.

Now, head coach Kirk Sarloos and TCU face a very important offseason. The transfer portal might be the most important focus for TCU right now, as the program will be losing quite a bit of talent. The Frogs have already undergone a few coaching changes, so Sarloos' squad will be starting pretty much from scratch.

He and his new staff will have the extremely important task of finding the right additions necessary to be successful and get TCU back to where it should be and where the program was just a few years ago.

Since the portal opened, seven Horned Frog players have entered the transfer portal.

Welcome to this year's TCU On SI baseball transfer portal tracker. We will provide live updates on everything from additions to departures. Let's take a look at the ongoing movement so far.

Frogs Departing Through the Transfer Portal

Nolan Traeger, Catcher

This one hurts. He has been a major piece of TCU's team over the last two years and one of the program's most productive players during that span.

Nolan Traeger will be a big hole to fill — Nolan Traeger celebrates with teammates after his game-sealing 3-run homerun in the 8th inning. | Brian McLean/ TCUonSI

Traeger didn't quite replicate the success of his freshman campaign this season, but he still made a significant impact. In his two seasons as a Horned Frog, he hit .307 across 93 games while recording seven home runs and 51 RBIs.

The Texas native brought home an impressive list of accolades as a freshman. He was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, earned Second-Team All-Big 12 honors, and was recognized as a Second-Team Perfect Game Freshman All-American. He was also invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in 2025.

Traeger will depart the Horned Frogs with two years of eligibility remaining.

Brady Dallimore, Catcher

This one is a bit head-scratching, as he would have started with Traeger leaving, but I guess he is looking for a fresh start. Brady Dallimore had quite an impressive freshman campaign, hitting .270 with eight homers in 38 games. He earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors. He started 33 games for the Frogs and will be a major piece leaving the Frogs, as they now have no catchers on the roster.

Tyler Phenow, RHP

The 6-foot-6, 210 lb. sophomore will be departing TCU after two years. He had his ups and downs and showed promising development, but has not yet reached his full potential. Phenow made 13 appearances this season, posting an 11.70 ERA with six strikeouts and seven walks over 10 innings. He also made one appearance during his freshman season, throwing a scoreless inning with one strikeout. He was ranked as one of the top high schoolers in Minnesota before committing to TCU. He’ll depart with two years of eligibility remaining.

CJ Mascaro, OF

Mascaro never had his chance to shine with the Horned Frogs, as he struggled with an injury all season long. The freshman will be searching for a new home to start over. he will have four years of eligibility remaining.

Jack Bell, INF

Jack Bell homerun — Jack Bell jogs around 3rd base after a 2-run moonshot over the right field fence. | TCU Baseball X/Twitter

This one arguably hurts the most. Jack Bell has shown continuous improvement over the past two years and has been a major piece of this program. The Swiss Army knife is a great defensive gem, and his bat continues to improve. He hit .303 for TCU this season and had a .942 OPS, with nine doubles and six homers in 50 games. He will head back to Texas A&M after a two-year hiatus. Bell will be missed and will be a hard spot to fill.

Trever Baumler, RHP

Baumler has been a very important piece of this program these past two seasons. He has served in many capacities, such as outings as a starter and reliever. Baumler made 15 starts and 29 appearances over his two seasons with the Horned Frogs. He would have been slated for an even bigger role this upcoming season, but he is choosing to get a fresh start elsewhere.

As a freshman, he had a 2-4 record and a 6.39 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 10 walks over 38 innings pitched. Then this past season, he went 2-3 with a 6.46 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 2026. Baumler walked 17 and pitched 46 innings in 2026, making 16 appearances with seven starts. He will have two years of eligibility left.

New Faces Joining the Horned Frogs

Ryan Bradford, UT

Bradford was a freshman this past season and is coming to TCU from Johnson County Community College, where he earned the nickname of the JUCO Home Run King. He appeared in 69 games and held a .437 batting average with 114 hits, 42 home runs, which is both the school and JUCO single-season record, 113 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases.

These stats don't even seem real, but Bradford was nearly unstoppable. There is a strong chance that he goes in the draft, but if he doesn't, TCU would sure benefit from having him in their lineup. He is the real deal.

Yusei Uzawa, IF/OF

Yusei Uzawa will be coming to TCU from Butler Community College, where he is a current sophomore. The Japanese native is extremely impressive and has very high potential. This season, he appeared in 55 games and held a .382 batting average with 63 hits, 50 walks, eight home runs, and 36 RBIs.

Uzawa is a utility player, is extremely patient at the plate, and will be a solid addition to the Frogs.

Benjamin Schroeder, RHP

Schroeder will be coming to TCU from the College of Southern Nevada, where he was a solid relief pitcher. He is a current redshirt freshman and will be an incoming sophomore next season. He made 27 appearances with 36 innings of work last season and was pretty efficient. He recorded 34 strikeouts while holding a 1.25 ERA on the season. If he can translate that success to a Power Four conference, TCU will have itself a guy.

Positions TCU Must Still Address

TCU Baseball — Kirk Saarloos has some work to do, but TCU is a special place and players know that. | X: @TCU_Baseball

While TCU has already landed several intriguing additions, significant work remains. Catcher immediately comes to mind as the program's biggest need after multiple departures at the position. Pitching depth, particularly experienced starters, will also be a priority as Kirk Saarloos and his staff continue building the roster for the next season. With the portal window still active, more movement should be expected in the weeks ahead.

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