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Spring training is almost here! Despite a winter that moved at a glacial pace, we’ve somehow already arrived at pitchers and catchers reporting to camp, the Yankees contingent arriving in Tampa on Wednesday. But before the warmer weather arrives, we ought to take one final look back at the business conducted by the Yankees during a frigid offseason and the man pulling the strings behind those decisions, general manager Brian Cashman.
The Yankees’ offseason began just over four months ago with their unceremonious dumping out of the ALDS at the hands of the Blue Jays. From that point forward, focus turned to 2026 and the calculus it would require to get the Yankees back to the playoffs. The team could boast a solid foundation of players — one which produced the best offense in baseball — and the question became whether to run in back and hope for better results vs. taking a more proactive approach to improving the roster.
Four months later, we know the answer to that question. Despite his public protests to the contrary, Cashman held firm to a policy of rolling the dice with largely the same group of players that fell well short of the ultimate prize in 2025, hoping that better luck might bring improved results. Let’s review the decisions he made before I hand the floor over to you to voice your opinions on the course charted by the front office.
Upon the conclusion of the World Series, eight players became free agents — Trent Grisham, Paul Goldschmidt, Devin Williams, Luke Weaver, Amed Rosario, Austin Slater, Ryan Yarbrough, and Paul Blackburn — with Cody Bellinger joining them a day later when he declined his player option for 2026. You’d be forgiven if you missed the Yankees’ opening moves of the offseason, the team picking up their club option on Tim Hill while declining the option on Jonathan Loáisiga. In a similar vein, their first free agent signing was Yarbrough, retained on a one-year, $2.5 million deal to reprise his swingman role from 2025. The focus remained on the margins of the bullpen in the early weeks of November, the front office trimming the fat by non-tendering Mark Leiter Jr., Ian Hamilton, Jake Cousins, and Scott Effross.
Then came the Rule 5 Draft, the Yankees selecting righty pitcher Cade Winquest from the Cardinals while adding Spencer Jones, Elmer Rodríguez, and Chase Hampton to the 40-man roster to protect them from departing. “Operation: Run it Back” kicked into another gear as the Yankees focused on returning even the fringe role players from 2025, both Rosario and Blackburn re-signed on one-year pacts. Shortly thereafter, the Yankees came to agreements with all of their remaining arbitration-eligible players — Clarke Schmidt, Oswaldo Cabrera, Jazz Chisholm Jr., David Bednar, Anthony Volpe, Fernando Cruz, Camilo Doval, Luis Gil, José Caballero, and Jake Bird. (The final piece of the ”Run it Back” puzzle fell into place this past week with the reunion with Paul Goldschmidt for one year and $4 million.)
The first real contentious decision of the offseason actually occurred a few weeks prior to the arb calls, when the Yankees extended the $22.025 million qualifying offer to Trent Grisham. The 29-year-old center fielder accepted it pretty quickly. Focusing solely on the player, one could make the argument that it’s a high-reward, low-risk move — he either repeats his career year from 2025 and plays for a relative bargain, or he regresses in which case he’s only on the books for one season. However, in the broader context of the offseason’s overall budget, many fans worried that his salary would dissuade ownership from authorizing spending on a potential foundational piece for the future.
The majority of the Yankees’ rumors were dominated by the dance between Bellinger and the front office — Cashman adamant in his desire to keep Bellinger in the Bronx, and Bellinger and Scott Boras holding out for an unattainable jackpot before returning to reality when a seven-year offer failed to materialize. The two sides reunited on a five-year, $162.5 million contract with Bellinger possessing opt-outs after each of the first two seasons. Because of how much money is front-loaded in the terms, Bellinger will be the Yankees’ most expensive player in 2026 and 2027 carrying a luxury tax hit of $44.75 million — almost $5 million more than the AAV of Aaron Judge’s contract and roughly $6 million less than Juan Soto’s AAV with the Mets.
While not an identical roster to 2025, the Yankees’ external additions could still be construed as lateral moves at best. They traded for lefty starter Ryan Weathers from the Marlins, but he’s effectively replacing Schmidt in the rotation as the latter recovers from Tommy John surgery. They lost two of their highest leverage relievers in Williams and Weaver, but filled their vacancies with a Rule 5 dice roll (Winquest) and the worst qualified reliever in baseball in 2025 (no matter how tantalizing the stuff might be) in Angel Chivilli. And of course, true to form, Cashman likened Gerrit Cole’s return from Tommy John rehab to a big-ticket acquisition despite the now-35-year-old starter having pitched just 95 innings since the end of 2023. Cashman also cited the 2025 Trade Deadline additions as 2026 pickups as well, given that the likes of Bednar and Doval will now have full seasons in the Bronx.
Obviously, all of these decisions have to be viewed in the context of the needs of the roster and the players they declined to pursue to upgrade it. Cashman somewhat oddly labeled Kyle Tucker as the backup plan to re-signing Bellinger despite the former being the younger, more superior player and settling for a short-term (albeit a record-high-AAV) deal with the Dodgers. They were vaguely linked to Bo Bichette before he signed his own short-term, high-AAV deal with the Mets, but seemingly felt that the defensives upside and cheaper cost offered by Ryan McMahon and Anthony Volpe justified passing on Bichette’s superior offensive profile.
The same goes on the pitching side. They were never players in the markets for the top-end names like Dylan Cease, Framber Valdez, and Ranger Suárez. They passed on Tatsuya Imai, who joined Astros for a surprisingly cheap three years and $54 million. They had varying levels of interest in trading for Freddy Peralta, MacKenzie Gore, and Edward Cabrera, but opted for the less expensive option in Weathers, despite the expectation that Cole, Schmidt, and Carlos Rodón will miss the start of the season as they rehab from their respective elbow surgeries. For whatever it’s worth, at the end of the day, both FanGraphs and Baseball Prospectus project the Yankees as the 2026 AL East winners, though both also project the Mariners and Dodgers for better records and World Series odds.
So now I would like to turn it over to you. Do you approve of the job Yankees GM Brian Cashman has done this winter in filling out the roster? Additionally, we are asking that you assign a letter grade to the Yankees’ offseason, giving us a slightly more concrete understanding of how the fanbase is feeling heading into spring training. Vote in our poll below:
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 12: Juan Soto #22 of the New York Mets celebrates his two-run home run with Francisco Lindor #12 of the New York Mets in the fourth inning against the Kansas City Royals at Kauffman Stadium on July 12, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Baseball Prospectus has released its PECOTA projections for 2026. PECOTA projects the 2026 Mets to win 88.4 games and come in second place in the National League East, and it puts the Mets’ chances of making the playoffs at 78.3% with a 28.5% chance of winning the division and a 49.8% chance of finishing with an NL Wild Card berth.
As for the rest of the NL East, PECOTA taps the Braves as the likeliest division winners, projecting Atlanta for 92.2 wins and over 90% playoff odds. The top three teams in the NL East are once again tightly packed with the Phillies projected for 85.1 wins with 58.9% playoff odds. Not surprisingly, there is a large gap between those top three teams and the Miami Marlins and Washington Nationals, who are projected for 75.2 and 65.6 wins, respectively.
Taking a deeper dive into what PECOTA likes and doesn’t like about the 2026 Mets, the short answer is that the lineup is headlined by two very good players in Juan Soto (156 DRC+, 5.7 WARP projection—behind only Shohei Ohtani for all hitters) and Francisco Lindor (121 DRC+, 3.7 WARP projection). Going further down the depth chart, PECOTA predicts a bounce back season from Marcus Semien offensively (101 DRC+) and projects above average offensive production from all of Bo Bichette, Francisco Alvarez, Jorge Polanco, and even Mark Vientos. PECOTA also notably thinks Luis Robert Jr. will have a fully healthy season, penciling him in for 535 plate appearances of roughly average output with the bat, which would put him at 2 WARP and would represent a huge upgrade over what the Mets got out of the center field position last year.
On the other hand, PECOTA projects only 14.8 WARP from the Mets’ pitching staff—ten wins less than what it projects from their position players. Though it is quite bullish on the Mets’ bullpen and thinks Devin Williams projects similarly to Edwin Díaz in 2026, PECOTA is not enamored with Nolan McLean, despite his prospect ranking and big league success last year. McLean is projected to throw just 150 innings and put up a 100 DRA- and less than 2 WARP—pretty pedestrian numbers for what the Mets are hoping is a top of the rotation starter. McLean is probably the most obvious candidate to overperform his PECOTA projections. PECOTA does think Freddy Peralta (91 DRA-, 2.8 WARP projection) will have a very Freddy Peralta season—the exact boon to the rotation the Mets hoped for when they traded for him. And it is also intriguingly optimistic about Sean Manaea (90 DRA-, 1.3 WARP projection), but has him down for only 80 innings. PECOTA is less optimistic about the rest of the Mets’ rotation, which it projects as below average outside of Jonah Tong, who PECOTA thinks will make 11 starts with a 91 DRA-.
Both the Mets and the Atlanta Braves had disappointing finishes in 2025. The Mets turned over a significant chunk of their roster in response while the Braves are trusting their core and more or less running it back in 2026—an approach the other major competitor in the division in the Philadelphia Phillies is also taking this season. PECOTA projects a bounce back for both the Mets and the Braves, but a much more significant one for Atlanta, whose position player core outside of the shortstop position PECOTA likes quite a bit, expecting a regression to the mean for many of the Braves’ key players.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, a former Yankee in his own right, said on Tuesday that the Toronto Blue Jays were "a lot happier" to face the Yankees instead of the Boston Red Sox in their 2025 American League Division series matchup.
“I don’t know if people were expecting Boston to get in last year. But I know in Toronto we were happy they lost because we weren’t ready for (Garrett) Crochet and all those guys,” said Kiner-Falefa, via Lauren Campbell of MassLive.com.
“One-hundred percent,” he answered when asked if that was truly a topic in the Jays clubhouse. “We thought it was a better matchup for us the other way. We were watching Crochet just dice up. ... We definitely felt like it was a tougher matchup for us. So, once we saw the other team (win), we were a lot happier. It was definitely a topic.”
Now a member of the Red Sox, the 30-year-old Kiner-Falefa played two seasons in the Bronx from 2022-23, slashing .253/.311/.333 with 10 home runs, 85 RBI, and 105 runs scored. He was the starting shortstop in 2022 before serving in more of a super-utility role in 2023, when Anthony Volpe won the starting job out of spring training.
IKF played with Toronto in 2024 and ended up back with the Blue Jays late in 2025, as Toronto went on to beat the Yankees in the ALDS in four games before eventually having its dreams crushed in Game 7 of the World Series by the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Kiner-Falefa went 0-for-6 with a strikeout against the Yankees in the ALDS.
The Yankees, of course, defeated the Red Sox in the Wild Card Round, despite losing to Crochet and the Red Sox in Game 1.
Pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training is no longer the only early sign that baseball is around the corner. Now, the year might as well officially begin with fans figuring out what subscriptions they need to stream MLB games.
In 2026, the answers are more complicated. Starting Tuesday, ESPN manages MLB’s out-of-market streaming package for the first time, as MLB.TV went on sale for $150/season or $30/month. However, as the local sports TV industry crumbles, the league is handling in-market rights for more than a dozen teams, leading to a split of viewing—and purchase—opportunities across MLB and ESPN apps. Add in the transition of numerous bundle and discount offers, and at least some confusion is nothing to be ashamed about.
Here are the most common questions fans might have and what we know for now…
I’m an existing MLB.TV subscriber. What changes this year?
Potentially nothing. MLB will continue handling billing for fans whose accounts are set to renew normally. This year, viewers can still watch games in the MLB app, or they can authenticate their subscription to watch in ESPN’s app as well.
“The proposition here for this year and moving forward, we believe, is pretty simple,” ESPN direct to consumer SVP John Lasker said. “We’re creating more flexibility, more accessibility and enhancing the entire experience for baseball fans.”
Do I need ESPN Unlimited to access MLB.TV?
No, despite what you may have read. Again, existing subscribers won’t need to do anything to continue accessing MLB.TV. And for a service that’s been around for two decades, that’s likely most viewers.
Those existing MLB.TV subscribers who auto-renew their accounts through MLB platforms will also receive the option to sign up for a one-month free trial offer for ESPN Unlimited.
New MLB.TV subscribers or those who didn’t auto-renew, meanwhile, will be signed up for an ESPN Unlimited account, including a free month to start, before purchasing MLB.TV. People can immediately cancel their Unlimited subscription before being billed, without impacting their MLB.TV access, though they can’t opt-out of being enrolled in the first place, much to the chagrin of a few online posters.
Ifnew MLB.TV users already have ESPN Unlimited, which is included in many cable packages or costs $30/month, they can get a 10% discount on MLB.TV ($135/year). That means if you have a cable subscription and are an annual MLB.TV buyer, it’s worth looking into turning off that auto-renewal so you can get the discount via ESPN.
Those currently paying for Unlimited need to end their membership and wait for their current pay term to end if they want to get a free month of ESPN’s all-in-one product along with MLB.TV.
(I warned you this might get complicated!)
ESPN has also promised to continue offering discounted MLB.TV subscriptions beginning mid-season. In those cases, fans will similarly be enrolled for ESPN Unlimited, with a free month to start, as part of the checkout process. As for future years, ESPN has not yet announced whether the free Unlimited month promotion will carry over into 2027, or whether fans would need to have ESPN Unlimited at that point to either renew or sign up for MLB.TV.
What about T-Mobile’s free MLB.TV promotion?
Still around! After activating T-Mobile’s offer, fans can watch in the MLB or ESPN app. As in the past, that deal does not include MLB Network access, which otherwise comes with the MLB.TV all-team product. MLB will still allow fans to buy standalone MLB Network access. MLB.TV won’t be available on other platforms, such as Amazon Prime Video.
Any other changes to be aware of?
One downside of the new agreement is that MLB.TV apparently no longer offers a free game each day. Instead, ESPN Unlimited subscribers will be able to watch one game each day, even without an MLB.TV subscription. The same is true for Peacock subs.
Several cable replacement services, such as YouTube TV, are integrating ESPN Unlimited content into their platforms. All of MLB.TV likely won’t be available within those interfaces, though the daily free game could potentially flow through, alongside traditional TV channels.
MLB.TV handles my team’s local streaming rights. How’s that going to work?
With Main Street Sports on the brink of collapse—again—MLB now handles the in-market broadcast and streaming rights for 14 teams and counting. Local fans can subscribe to watch those games online for $20/month or $100/season within the MLB app. That will still be the case this year, though ESPN hopes to offer those local packages starting next year. If and when ESPN sells the full suite of local and out-of-market packages, it’s unclear what will become of the league’s own app offering.
For now, MLB will also directly sell bundled packages of local and national streaming rights. For example, fans in San Diego can watch every MLB game, including Padres contests (but still excluding blacked out nationally televised games), for $200 via MLB.
ESPN VP of programming and acquisitions Ashley O’Connor said ESPN is not actively involved in conversations with local teams such as the Atlanta Braves that are currently determining their local media futures. However, the company’s deal with MLB accounts for any new teams whose rights might fall under league control.
Why is ESPN/MLB doing this?
ESPN’s takeover of MLB.TV emerged from rights talks last year after the company opted out of its Sunday Night Baseball deal, leading to new agreements between MLB and ESPN, NBC and Netflix.
Lasker said ESPN’s goal is to both extend the distribution of MLB.TV to more fans—links to watch games are already live on ESPN’s baseball schedule and scores pages—while also generating additional engagement with the six-month-old ESPN Unlimited product.
“Our streaming ambitions are to make sure that ESPN is serving sports fans in the best possible way with the most valuable and comprehensive offerings,” Lasker said.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - AUGUST 16: Andre Granillo #65 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees at Busch Stadium on August 16, 2025 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With one day before pitchers and catchers report to camp, Paul Toboni made a move. He traded the recently DFA’d George Soriano for Cardinals reliever Andre Granillo. This is just an exchange of two players on the fringes of 40 man rosters, but it is one the Nats did well in. Granillo has some interesting traits as a slider heavy reliever.
This is an interesting trade because the Cardinals could have waited to claim Soriano, but wanted to jump the line. They probably gave Toboni the choice of a few players on the edge of the 40 man roster and gave him a choice. Granillo might have been the one the Cardinals DFA’d if they decided to just claim Soriano.
Granillo is a 25 year old reliever who has some intriguing qualities. His primary pitch is his slider, which he just spams. In the MLB, he threw the pitch 65% of the time in his 14 outings. At the AAA level, he threw it 55% of the time. Despite the heavy usage, the pitch was still dominant.
MLB hitters only batted .245 against the pitch with an expected batting average of .188. Granillo also got whiffs at nearly a 35% clip. The slider was even more dominant in the minors with a .139 expected batting average and a 47.5% whiff rate. Here is a look at the pitch.
While Granillo is very slider heavy, his fastball has enough life for hitters to respect it. He averaged 94.6 MPH on the pitch, but his fastball shape is not very good. It can be used as a pitch to keep hitters off guard though.
Granillo had a 4.71 ERA in 14 outings at the MLB level, but he showed some promising flashes. He only struck out 19.8% of hitters, but his whiff rate was excellent at 31.5%. Granillo also limited hard contact well with an average exit velocity of 86.7 MPH and a hard hit rate of just 27.7%. These are some things for the 25 year old to build on.
While the results in the MLB were mixed, he was dominant in AAA. He posted a 1.29 ERA in 42 innings with 58 strikeouts. Getting a pitcher that is that productive, who is still pretty young is a major win for Toboni.
Andre Granillo at Triple A in 2025 -42 IP, all in relief -1.29 ERA -2.42 FIP -27.3 K-BB% -91st percentile xwOBA -92nd percentile whiff rate -94th percentile strikeout rate Acquired for a guy picked up off waivers a few days ago? That’ll play. https://t.co/ds8S6QgLXY
I am also interested to see what Toboni can do with Granillo. He might try to diversify Granillo’s pitch mix. There is an intriguing changeup that Granillo threw that could be used as a third pitch more frequently. He also experimented with a sinker, which could be a good idea given his lack of ground balls and sub-optimal fastball shape.
It feels like Toboni may have fleeced his former boss Chaim Bloom here. Granillo is not likely to ever be a closer, but he looks like a solid medium leverage option who is young and has options.
The corresponding move to this was sending Trevor Williams to the 60-day IL. This is unsurprising given that Williams is coming back from elbow surgery. It also underscores the Nats need for starting pitching.
The Nats will be able to open up at least one more 40-man spot with DJ Herz likely to start the year on the 60-day IL. Hopefully that spot can go to a starting pitcher. Picking up Granillo is a nice move, but the Nats still need more pitching.
PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. (AP) — New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor is being evaluated for a stress reaction in his left hand.
Lindor experienced some soreness in the area around his left hand and wrist over the past couple days. David Stearns, the president of baseball operations for New York, said Lindor is going to visit a hand specialist on Wednesday to check his hamate bone.
“It is possible this will result in hamate surgery. If it does, that's a six-week recovery, which puts us right at opening day,” Stearns said. “So at this point, even if it does require surgery, we would remain optimistic that Francisco would be back for opening day.”
Lindor, 32, hit .267 with 31 homers, 86 RBIs and 31 steals in 160 games with New York last year. The five-time All-Star was left off Puerto Rico's roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic over insurance coverage.
Stearns also announced that Juan Soto is going to shift from right to left field. The change was finalized after discussions between the slugger and manager Carlos Mendoza.
Soto also is going to play left for the Dominican Republic in the WBC.
“Over the last month or so, as Mendy and Juan were talking about the season, Juan was working out in left field because he's going to play left field for the D.R. in the WBC,” Stearns said. "As they had their conversations, he felt really comfortable there.
“It made sense for us from a roster perspective, so we're going to go forward with it and everyone's on board with it.”
New York's pitchers and catchers are scheduled to have their first spring training workout Wednesday. The team’s first full-squad workout is Monday.
Soto, 27, agreed to a record $765 million, 15-year contract with New York in December 2024. The four-time All-Star batted .263 with 43 homers, 105 RBIs and 38 steals in his first season with the Mets.
Soto also played left field at the beginning of his career with the Washington Nationals. Mendoza said the conversations about moving to left started in late December.
“I just asked him, ‘How would you feel to play left field for us?’” Mendoza said Tuesday. “And he was like ‘I’m willing to do whatever, you know. If you want me to pitch, Mendy, I’ll pitch.’ Kind of like with that smile, right? And then I was like, ‘Now seriously speaking here, is that something you will consider, if it makes sense for both?’ He's like, 'Absolutely.'"
Francisco Lindor has a stress reaction in his left hamate bone, New York Mets president David Stearns said Feb. 10, and the All-Star shortstop is expected to miss six weeks, putting his status for Opening Day in doubt.
Lindor, 32, had already been ruled out of competing for Puerto Rico in the World Baseball Classic due to insurance concerns regarding past offseason surgeries, but Stearns said this injury emerged recently and wasn't part of the WBC decision. Lindor will see a hand specialist Feb. 11, says Stearns, which should determine whether Lindor requires surgery.
Hitters often have surgery to remove the hamate bone once it fractures, with recoveries ranging from a few weeks to a couple of months. Lindor is coming off his fifth All-Star season, and the fourth consecutive year he's finished in the National League's top 10 in MVP voting.
"Knowing Francisco, I’m optimistic, even if he has to go the surgery route," Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said on a video call with news reporters. "Found out a couple days ago and didn’t think much of it because this is a guy who’s played through a lot. For him to say something this early, I was like, hmm.
"But if he has to go that route, I’m optimistic he’ll play shortstop for us on Opening Day."
Meanwhile, Mendoza confirmed that Juan Soto will move from right to left field this year, a move that evolved from conversations they had about him playing left for the Dominican Republic in next month's WBC.
The Mets acquired Luis Robert to play center field, and Soto − in the second year of a 15-year, $765 million contract − might be better suited for left, anyway. Former center fielder Tyrone Taylor and rookie Carson Benge are, for now, expected to command most of the playing time in right field.
"I asked him, 'How would you feel playing left field for us?" Mendoza said. "He said, 'I'm willing to do whatever. If you want me to pitch, Mendy, I'll pitch.' I asked if it made sense for both.
"He said, 'Absolutely.'"
The Mets won 83 games but missed out on a playoff berth by one game last season.
If you are wholly unfamiliar with how Major League Baseball arbitration cases work, this headline could sound somewhat ominous. The reality, though, is that MLB’s arb system is something of a binary system if salaries for eligible players are not hammered out and finalized by a certain date, and an independent arbiter simply gets to pick which side – the player, or the team – has a number that is most deserved.
That’s precisely what went down today between Tyler Stephenson and the Cincinnati Reds. The team’s veteran catcher had submitted a $6.8 million request for the upcoming 2026 season, and the Reds had come in with a $6.55 million number, and despite those two being incredibly close (by baseball salary standards) it was up to an arbiter to decide between the two. And, as MLB.com’s Mark Sheldon relayed, they picked Stephenson’s $6.8 million mark.
The $250K is even less significant in the grand scheme given that the 2026 season will be Stephenson’s final year of team control before he reaches free agency. Since arb salaries become benchmarks on which future year salaries are built, a difference of even that amount in a first year of arbitration could end up escalating further in each of the subsequent trips through the process, but in Stephenson’s case, this is obviously the last time he’ll be doing that.
It remains to be seen whether this February will also be the final time he reports to Goodyear, Arizona as a catcher in a Reds uniform. The Reds went out and acquired Jose Trevino this time last winter to augment the catching mix and immediately signed him to a contract extension through at least 2027 (and potentially 2028), and top catching prospect Alfredo Duno has rocketed up the rankings after his monster 2025 in the minors. That means the writing may be on the wall for Cincinnati’s 1st round pick from back in 2015, but it could also be the right kind of fuel for him to do everything he can to have a monster platform season in 2026 before hitting free agency.
Regardless, one final, major piece of the roster puzzle for 2026 has been adjudicated.
With Soto shifting to left field, that leaves right field as Benge's spot to potentially win.
Benge has plenty of experience in right field, including 26 games last season. And he was primarily a right fielder during his college career with Oklahoma State.
"We've been consistent throughout the offseason that Carson's gonna come to camp with a chance to make our team -- that remains the same," Stearns said. "He's played a lot of right field during his time in the minor leagues. We're confident with him out there. We also think Brett (Baty) is gonna be able to adjust out there just fine. Tyrone Taylor we're confident is a very quality right fielder. So we feel like we've pretty good options to work through there. MJ Melendez, who may become official here shortly, could potentially be another option."
Benge was tremendous last season across three minor league levels, ending the year with Triple-A Syracuse.
Regarding how the Mets will determine whether Benge makes the team or not, Stearns said the decision will be layered.
"I think evaluations in spring are always a little bit fraught, and we know that," Stearns noted. "We want to see quality at-bats, we want to see him handle the outfield. It's also gonna depend on what some other guys do, right? It's not all going to be dependent on how Carson looks.
"We're not gonna get too preoccupied with surface line results one way or the other, and we'll make the best decision that we can on Opening Day -- recognizing that Opening Day is one day, and rosters can change pretty quickly."
Jul 10, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; New York Mets pitcher David Peterson (23) delivers during the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Mitch Stringer - Imagn Images
Will Mets use a six-man rotation?
As things currently stand, the Mets have six major league starting pitchers -- Freddy Peralta, Nolan McLean, Clay Holmes, Sean Manaea, David Peterson, and Kodai Senga.
To Stearns, that's a good "problem" to have.
"I think we'll cross that bridge if we get to it," Stearns explained about utilizing a potential six-man rotation. "We've got six healthy guys feeling really good right now. If we have six healthy guys feeling really good on Opening Day, I will gladly work through that challenge at that point.
"And we may decide at times to go with a six-man, or we may not. We'll figure that out. That's a really good problem to have if that's where we are on Opening Day."
New York's other rotation options include Tobias Myers (who is stretching out as a starter), Jonah Tong, and Christian Scott.
A.J. Minter's timeline
The expectation all winter has been that Minter, who is recovering from season-ending lat surgery, will not be ready for Opening Day.
Speaking on Tuesday, Stearns said a "realistic return" date for Minter is early May.
Minter is at camp, and was throwing on the field on Tuesday.
Brooks Raley is the only left-hander viewed as a lock to make the Opening Day bullpen.
The Mets added depth there earlier Tuesday, acquiring left-handed reliever Bryan Hudson from the White Sox in exchange for cash considerations.
Hudson, 28, had a 4.80 ERA (5.34 FIP) and 1.86 WHIP in 15.0 innings last season for the Brewers and White Sox.
He was tremendous in 2024 for Milwaukee, during what was his first full big league season. In 62.1 innings over 43 games, Hudson had a 1.73 ERA (3.60 FIP) and 0.72 WHIP while striking out 62.
Standing at 6'8", Hudson gets elite extension from a low-angle delivery (he was in the 99th percentile last season). He featured mainly a four-seam fastball and sweeper in 2025. In 2024, he also relied heavily on a cutter, which he threw 24 percent of the time (Hudson threw the cutter just three percent of the time last season).
Hudson is out of minor league options, which means the Mets cannot send him to the minors without exposing him to waivers.
Australia’s T20 World Cup campaign gets underway in Colombo on Wednesday, facing Ireland at R. Premadasa Stadium for the first of four group-stage matches.
Welcome to Larissa’s Lessons, a weekly takeaways series in which some combination of Karen, True and Dylan will break down the biggest takeaways from the weekend’s games. We love an alliteration and puns around here, so be prepared for some word play.
Because the Tigers are playing a ridiculous number of games in a weekend and most of aren’t televised, this will be a look at more of a big picture of a bunch of games as opposed to a recap of each game. Once the home opener comes around in March, this will likely go in a different direction, but we’ll see!
It was a pure delight to hear the metallic ping of a ball hitting a bat or the sound of a fastball smacking into a catcher’s glove again. Softball is BACK, friends. Enjoy!
Mizzou Loves Liberty
Well, to beat down on Liberty, anyway. For the second year in a row, the Tigers doused the ranked Liberty Flames, this time by a score of 13-2 in six innings. We love to see it. The Tigers took an early lead in this one thanks to the bat of Abby Hay, who hit Mizzou’s first homer of the season. In the 3rd, they tacked on another run as freshman Sidney Forrester doubled, scoring fellow freshie Addy Waits. In the 4th, RBI doubles by Madison Uptegrove and Kayley Lenger made it 4-0, before yet another double, this time by Hay, made it 5-0. In the 6th, Stefania Abruscato’s bases loaded single made it 6-0, before Forrester’s bases-clearing double made it 9-0. Just for funsies, the Tigers tacked on three more after the other Abby (Carr) walked, Lenger was HBP — is Bruiser back?!? — and so was Waits. To top it off, Lenger then scored on a wild pitch to make it 13-0. The Flames would avoid the shutout with a two-run single in the bottom of the 6th, but those Flames were already extinguished. Love a fiery pun, y’all. I could do this all day.
Abby Carr: As Advertised
We knew she was going to be one to watch coming into the season, with all her high school accolades, but you never truly know how a freshman will adjust. Turns out, it was pretty darn well!
It’s been quite some time since Missouri has utilized a true two-way player, and as only a freshman, albeit one of her talent, it will be important to do a bit of load management, just as Shannon Welker has done with fellow freshman Kimarra Echols on the gymnastics mats.
“We’ve talked about her a lot, and we know what her potential is going to be, but I think the biggest challenge is, how do we manage the two-way player?” Anderson said. “How do we get her to so she’s able to get time in the bullpen to put her in game situations that she’s prepared for if she’s in the starting lineup?”
She continued. “But we got to manage her workload. That’s the biggest thing is being able to manage how much training she does and not burn her out mentally as a freshman, trying to be a two-way player.”
It will be hard not to go to her, however, as she’s a solid bat in the lineup and she’s the Tigers’ best pitcher through five games, posting a 1.35 ERA in 10.1 innings.
In the 13-2 Liberty win, Carr threw all six innings and had a no hitter heading into the final inning before allowing two hits and a couple runs.
Against South Alabama, she got in on the hitting AND pitching action, launching her first home run, and then also coming in in relief and pitching 4.1 innings of one-hit ball.
While hitting .200 in 10 at-bats, she’s got a .933 OPS (top 3 on team), a run scored, two hits, a double, the aforementioned home run, two walks, and four RBI. Not too shabby. Good enough that between the hitting and the pitching, the freshman was the lone Missouri Tiger named to the NFCA Leadoff Classic All-Tournament team.
Of her performance, Anderson was effusive in her praise. “It was great for her. I was so glad with her pitching outing out there, [showing] great composure in some really, really tough situations that she battled through and just really stayed true to who she was. She didn’t deviate from that, and then being able to get some offensive numbers out of her.”
What I hadn’t thought of is the creativity having someone like her available. Anderson, of course, noted this.
“What I absolutely love about it is my creativity that I can manage the game. I love being able to have her being in one through nine as the DP and put someone else in the flex position, and being more creative and making some double switches defensively. Then I’m able to have some stronger nine hitters in the lineup, and then being able to flip it to have nine different defensive players out there, it gives me a lot more creativity that I can get more people in the game and maximize how they’re going to contribute.”
Welcome Back, Abby Hay!
It’s great to see a healthy Abby Hay, eh?
There were flashes of it last season at times, but to see it in the season-opening weekend is quite exciting. Hay finished the weekend as Mizzou’s top hitter, leading in about every category. Hay opened Day 2 with the Tigers’ first home run of the season, a solo bomb in the second inning against Liberty. Then she added another one in the second inning of Mizzou’s matchup against BYU. Two home runs, two wins.
“You know, she’s simplified some things, and it’s great, because we obviously need her,” Anderson said.
Aside from the bombs, she also had two big RBI in extras against South Alabama. Obviously it didn’t end the way the Tigers would have liked, but, it wasn’t because of the Rock Bridge alum.
If Hay can stay consistent this season, it’d be HUGE for Missouri. There’s plenty of upside with younger players but Hay is a junior now, she’s only got a couple years left. It’s time for her to start showing why HCLA recruited her so early in high school.
“Being able to make the adjustments not only what pitch you’re looking for, but what pitch you’re trying to eliminate. I think Abby did that extremely well this weekend,” Anderson said.
Start ‘em Young
When HCLA said “The game doesn’t care what grade you’re in” during the preseason press conference. She wasn’t kidding.
It took 0 seconds for freshmen to make their debuts for the Tigers, and guess what? Neither of them were Carr. Yes, we all knew Abby Carr would be starting out of the gates — and she showed why on Day 2 — but I think everybody was pretty surprised when Addy Waits and Sidney Forrester were batting first and third, respectively, out of the gates. They also held these batting spots throughout the entire weekend.
The two players had quite different tales.
Forrester finished the weekend with the Tigers’ third highest batting average and tied for the second most RBI. Extremely impressive from a true freshman. Waits on the other hand has had some major struggles adjusting to collegiate ball. She is 1-for-14 with a lone RBI. The one upside is she has been walked five times so she has some plate discipline. I’d be surprised if HCLA doesn’t test out adjustments but we do know one thing for sure: She doesn’t think the game matters what grade you’re in.
The Donahue Experiment Continues
Maybe I’m being too harsh, y’all, as it is early, but I’m kinda over the Courtney Donahue experiment, sorry. In the season opener loss to Penn State, the former JuCo transfer entered after starter Cierra Harrison went five innings of three-run ball, and proceeded to give up three hits and four runs (two earned) in five innings of work, including the dagger that did ultimately did them in the 10th.
In the team’s final game against South Alabama, she actually got the start, lasting just three innings and allowing four hits, two earned runs, a walk and two wild pitches. After allowing back-to-back singles which plated two runs and allowed the Jaguars to take the lead, she was relieved by Abby Carr in the 4th, who was removed from the DP role and slotted into the circle, who went four innings.
Familiar Issues Remain
Remember when the Tigers were unable to close out games last year? Yeah, well, turns out that’s still a thing. Two times over the course of the team’s first five games, Mizzou went to extras, and two times, they just couldn’t get it done.
Against Penn State, there were four ties and the back-and-forth scoring was enough to give you whiplash. The Tigers struck first in the 2nd, taking a 1-0 lead before Penn State plated two in top of the 3rd. In the home-half, Mizzou tied it up on a bases-loaded Abby Hay walk, but the Nittany Lions regained the lead in the 5th on an RBI double. In the home-half, again Mizzou tied it up with a Madison Uptegrove RBI single. Would it last? NOPE. In extras, Penn State again re-took the lead in the 8th on a sac fly before a Kayley Lenger single tied it up once again 4-4. It wasn’t until the 10th that the Nittany Lions put down the death blow, scoring three runs an RBI double and a two-run shot. The Tigers had no answer for that offense this time.
Against South Alabama, the Tigers nabbed an early 1-0 lead on a homerun by Abby Carr, only to allow two unanswered and go cold until the 6th, when they tied it up. Both teams scored in extras in the 8th to knot it at 3-3, and again in the 10th to make it 4-4, before the Jags got the last laugh, scoring in the home-half of the 11th.
I’d also like to bring up the Oregon game, as even though they were facing AA pitcher Lyndsey Grein, they wasted a what ended up being a really nice complete game outing by Marissa McCann by being unable to get something — anything — going. They managed just two baserunners, both on walks, but that was IT. McCann held the Ducks at bay until the 6th inning, and then started to falter, breaking up the 0-0 tie on a sac fly, before allowing a two-run double in the 7th to seal the 3-0 victory. The team has to learn to take HELP their pitchers.
Talking with Anderson, however, she was happy they didn’t give in, which is a familiar trait of HCLA-coached teams, but definitely had some opportunities for improvement with the team.
“I would have liked to see two things. I would have liked to see us put up double or 12, two or three runs in those innings, rather than just one,” she said. “I don’t want to have to always sacrifice that runner to get to third base to try to get a fly ball.”
She continued. “I wanted to have better quality at bats. So that’s the first thing. And the second, I would like to see our pitchers get some more strikeouts in those situations. You know, we have the pitching staff that can get strikeouts. And if they’re getting the ball in play, like yesterday, for instance, McCann had a lot of balls put in play on the ground. She is not a ground ball pitcher, so if she’s creating ground balls, then the ball is not spinning the right way, so it’s making sure that her pitchers are spinning the ball the right way so she can get some strikeouts in those situations.”
Offensive & Pitching Leaders thru 5 games
Abby Hay: .375 BA | 1.287 OPS | 16 AB | 4 R | 6 H | 1 2B | 2 HR | 6 RBI | .813 SLG% | 3 BB | 5 K
Kayley Lenger: .333 BA | .941 OPS | 15 AB | 3 R | 5 H | 2 2B | 3 RBI | .467 SLG% | 1 BB | 3 HBP | 4 K
Sidney Forrester: .294 BA | .780 OPS | 17 AB | 5 H | 2 2B | 4 RBI | .412 SLG% | 2 BB | 3 K
Overall, the team is batting just .238 with a .753 OPS. They’ve scored 30 runs, had 35 hits, 11 doubles (that seems good!), and 3 homers (2x Hay, 1x Carr). They’re slugging just .374. They’ve walked 27 times but also struck out 41. Their on-base % is .379.
Abby Carr: 1.35 ERA | 1.06 WHIP | 10.1 IP | 5 H | 3 R | 2 ER | 6 BB | 8 K | 1 XBH | .143 Opp BA
Courtney Donahue: 3.50 ERA | 1.13 WHIP | 8 IP | 7 H | 6 R | 4 ER | 2 BB | 5 K | 2 XBH | .259 Opp BA
CC Harrison: 3.75 ERA | 1.50 WHIP | 9.1 IP | 12 H | 5 R | 5 ER | 2 BB | 11 K | 5 XBH | .300 Opp BA
Marissa McCann: 3.97 ERA | 1.22 WHIP | 12.1 IP | 13 H | 9 R | 7 ER | 2 BB | 4 XBH | .283 Opp BA
Overall, the team ERA is 3.15 through 5 games and 40 IP. They’ve allowed 37 hits, 23 runs (18 earned), 12 walks, 35 strikeouts, 6 doubles, 3 triples, and 3 home runs. Opponents are batting .250 against them.
What’s to Come
After facing UCF on Wednesday night, the Tigers will head back to St. Pete/Clearwater for the Shriners Children’s Clearwater Invitational. Here’s who they’re facing and how their seasons have started:
UCF (Feb 11 at 5pm on ESPN+): 5-1 at Black & Gold Classic (home) | W 13-0 (5 in.) v. Boston U | W 10-0 (5 in.) v. CSU Bakersfield | L 2-5 v. #16 Duke | W 15-7 (5 in.) & W 9-1 (5 in.) v. Maryland | W 12-2 (5 in.) v. Buffalo
In case you’re keeping track, the Knights played six games and run-ruled their opponent in FIVE of them. That’s crazy, crazy.
They’re hitting .360 with a 1.178 OPS. In six games, they’ve scored 61 runs, had 49 hits, 13 doubles, 2 triples, and 9 homeruns. They’re slugging .684.
Pitching-wise, the staff has a 2.41 ERA in 32 innings, and have allowed 21 hits, just 15 runs (11 earned). They’ve walked 23 batters but struck out 26, and allowed just 5 extra bases (3 home runs). Opponents are batting just .184.
NC State (Feb. 13 at 11:30am on ACCN): 2-3 at Tiger Classic in Baton Rouge | W 7-1 v. Lamar | L 3-11 (5in.) & L 5-7 v. #16/13 LSU | W 9-4 v. Illinois | L 0-1 v. Nevada
The Wolfpack is hitting .281 with a .809 OPS. They’ve scored just 24 runs, had 34 hits, 7 doubles and 3 home runs. They’re slugging just .413. They’ve walked 22 times while striking out 25.
On the pitching side, their team ERA is 4.79 in 30.2 IP. They’ve allowed 32 hits, 24 runs (21 earned), 23 walks with 21 strikeouts, and a lot of extra bases (8x doubles, 3x triples, 2x HR). Opponents are hitting .258 against them.
#7UCLA (Feb. 13 at 5pm on ESPN+): 5-0 at Stacy Winsberg Memorial Tournament (home) & Mark Campbell Invitational (Irvine) | W 18-1 (5 in.) v. UC-SB | W 10-1 (5 in.) v. Northern Colorado | W 12-4 (5in.) v. Oregon State | W 11-0 (5 in.) v. Utah | W 17-0 (5 in.) v. UC-Riverside
Like the other opponent that starts with UC (UCF, duh), the Bruins won 4 of their 5 games via run-rule. Neat!
As a team they are batting a whopping .487 with a gawdy 1.751 OPS. They scored 68 runes, added 58 hits, 9 doubles, a triple, and TWENTY-THREE HOME RUNS. No, that’s not a typo. They are slugging 1.160%. They’ve also walked 27 times and struck out JUST FIVE. Their OB% is .591…. I’m laughing so I don’t cry, you guys. I know it wasn’t against the best competition, but wow. Just wow. Against UC-Riverside, they had 8 HR from 5 different Bruins.
Oh, and their pitching is really good, too, with an ERA of just 1.68 and 0.92 WHIP in 25 innings. They allowed 16 hits and just 6 runs (all earned). They’ve walked just 7 while striking out 32, and have allowed 7 extra bases (3 HR). Opponents are batting just .182.
Jordan Woolery earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors after a team-high 10 hits — she was 10/15 at the plate — with 14 RBI and 5 HR. Read it (and weep) here.
Northwestern(Feb. 14 at 9am on ESPN+): 3-2 at Kajikawa Classic in Tempe, AZ | W 9-1 (5 in.) v. Toledo | L 3-4 & W 7-1 v. Texas State | L 0-8 (6 in.) v. AZ State | W 14-5 (5 in.) v. Memphis
The Wildcats are batting .333 with a 1.069 OPS. They’ve scored 33 runs and added 41 hits, including 9 doubles, 2 triples, and 9 homers. They’re slugging .659. They don’t walk much — just 12 BB, but do strike out a lot (29), with an OB% of .410.
The NW pitching staff has a sub-3.00 ERA (2.93) in 28.2 IP. They’ve allowed 30 hits and 19 runs (12 earned) to go with a 16 BB : 22 K ratio. They’ve allowed 8 extra bases (4 HR), and opponents are hitting .261.
FAU(Feb. 14 at 2pm on ESPN+): 5-0 at Paradise Classic (home) | W 8-0 v. Indiana | W 10-6 v. Ohio State | W 4-3 v. Wisconsin | W 10-0 v. Stonehill | W 4-2 v. Delaware
As a team, the Owls are batting .382 with a 1.064 OPS, to go with 36 runs scored and 42 hits, including 10 doubles and 5 homers. They’re slugging .609. They’ve walked 16 times to 19 strikeouts, and their OB% is .455.
On the pitching side, their ERA is a miniscule 2.03 in 31 IP. They’ve allowed 25 hits, but only 11 runs (9 earned). Their BB:K ratio is impressive, sitting at 13 : 34, and they’ve allowed just 5 extra base hits (3 HR). Opponents are hitting just .217 so far this season.
With their strong start, the Owls swept the American Conference weekly awards with Lily Holtjie named Player of the Week and Autumn Courtney as Pitcher of the Week. Holtjie had a .688 OB% this weekend, with 5 hits (4 for extra bases) and 6 walks. Her weekend average was .556. Courtney, the reigning unanimous American conference pitcher of the year, earned two wins in the Owls’ first three games and had a save. She led the team with a 1.40 ERA with a AC-best 16 punchouts. This included a complete game in the IU opener, with 8 strikeouts and just 2 hits.
#19Duke(Feb. 15 at 8am on ACCN): 4-1 at UCF Tournament | L 1-2 v. Boston U | W 5-2 v. UCF | W 3-1 v. Buffalo | W 13-4 (5 in.) & 9-0 (5 in.) v. CSU-B
The Blue Devils are batting .336 with a .943 OPS, to go along with 31 runs scored, 42 hits (16 for extra bases, including 4 HR), and a .552 SLG%. They’ve walked 11 times while striking out just 12, but have a pretty weak .391 OB%.
The pitching staff’s ERA is just 2.12 in 29.2 IP, allowing 21 hit but just 9 earned runs. They’ve allowed 12 walks but also whiffed 22 batters and allowed 7 extra base hits (4x 2B, 3 HR) for a .196 opponent batting average.
Per the Duke SB site: The Blue Devils also welcomed 10 newcomers, including transfers Layla Lamar (Florida), Larissa Jacquez (Incarnate Word), Tyrina Jones (Purdue) and Mallory Wheeler (Louisiana). The senior duo of Cassidy Curd and Aminah Vega were among the 53 players to earn a spot on the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year Watch List. Three Dukies earned Preseason All-ACC honors in Kairi Rodriguez, Jennings, and Vega.
OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 16: Catcher J.T. Realmuto #10 and pitcher Taijuan Walker #99 of the Philadelphia Phillies walk to the dugout before the game against the Oakland Athletics at RingCentral Coliseum on June 16, 2023 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I read a lot of baseball writing, either by book or some online article that happens to catch my eye. Sometimes the writing will say something that makes me perk up a bit, particularly when it involves the Phillies. So when I read this article from The Athletic ($), there was a note here that made me pause.
With respect to the Skubal-and-Valdez Tigers, depth matters. And the Phillies, Dodgers, Red Sox (the depthiest of the rotations, imo), Blue Jays and Reds (yes, the Reds) can all make a claim that their rotations, one through five (or in some cases, six) are the best in the game.
Huh. One through five as the best in the game.
It got me thinking about this rotation and whether that claim can be made any longer.
Of course, we need a full season’s worth of recent statistics to talk about it, but with the season not having started yet, it’s just conjecture. It’s one person’s opinion matched up against another’s. Last season can be used for teams that haven’t had a lot of turnover, but as it stands right now, the Phillies will likely have two, maybe three, different members of their initial five that are new compared to 2025.
So comparing the Phillies’ rotation as is to the others around the game before spring training happens seems foolhardy, but another question pops up when looking at that quote, at least to me.
Do the Phillies even have a deep rotation? That’s something that can be debated.
Right now, were the team to have their druthers, the rotation would look like this on Opening Day:
Cristopher Sanchez
Jesus Luzardo
Aaron Nola
Taijuan Walker
Andrew Painter
The top two that the team will trot out in the first series are as good as it gets around the league. Even with Sanchez’s 2nd place finish in the Cy Young voting, it still feels like he’s underrated around the game. Luzardo finally capitalized on his immense potential to have a great season in 2025 and will be pitching to hit it big in free agency following this season. It’s as good a start as any to filling out a rotation.
After that, things get murkier. We aren’t really sure what Aaron Nola we are going to get this coming season. One could believe in the even year Nola conspiracy theory, but until it is actually shown in action, one has to wonder if the toll of all the innings he has pitched over the years without missing starts has begun to affect Nola and his health. Walker’s role as end of the rotation pitcher/first choice to get bumped to the bullpen is well documented by this point. If he can give the team even league average production in 4 or 5 inning bursts each outing, that’s a win for the team. What Painter gives the team this year is one of its biggest question marks and one of the reasons for concern. What if Painter has a bad spring and shows he’s still not ready for the major league spotlight? That would obviously go against the team’s plans, but there have to be some contingencies in place in case this actually comes to fruition.
Which brings us back to the depth that this team has accrued. Is it actually enough? Wheeler’s injury has laid bare the fact that they have not backfilled as much as maybe they should have. Right now, there is Tucker Davidson and Bryse Wilson on the depth chart behind Painter, maybe even Jean Cabrera is you’re feeling generous. Alan Rangel and Yoniel Curet are technically options, but who are we kidding. Are those the kinds of guys the team is going to want to rely on if something were to befall one of their current rotation members?
A lot of this is of their own volition. There hasn’t been much of an effort to add these kinds of starters to their minor league stable, instead having the focus on making sure that the bullpen was full of viable options in case harmful events befall someone. That will mean a lot of breath holding each time one of those five takes their start this spring, be it in Florida or in the World Baseball Classic.
It’s easy to criticize them for not getting players to join them in free agency, but it’s also easy to forget it take two to tango. Players have to be willing to come to Philadelphia and usually, if a player is going to take a minor league (their likely best offer), they’re going to want to see a clear path to being able to pitch. That path isn’t exactly crystal clear with the Phillies. They have had a pretty remarkable string of being able to keep their starters on the field, which means free agents would probably look elsewhere. It is something of a curse, where the Phillies need starters to bide their time in the minor leagues in case of injury, but a lot of times, those injuries never come. So, convincing someone who has veteran status to join the team, likely on a minor league, is always going to be something of a challenge. If there is something to compare the Phillies to the Dodgers, it’s in this fashion. Both rotations are theoretically blocked with pitchers already that getting someone to join them is tough.
However, it would behoove the team to convince someone, be it a veteran or a pitcher with a checkered history, to take a minor league deal during spring training. They have avenues of doing so, financially speaking. Kolby Allard was given a decent chunk of change to spend his time in Lehigh Valley on a minor league deal before he was eventually called up for a few starts in 2024. Giving someone a larger than normal guaranteed amount of money to spend time in the minors is one way to flex that financial muscle we always hear about.
The top part of the starting rotation is good, something on which we can all agree, but there needs a bit more backfill at the end of it. Dombrowski would seem to agree as he acknowledged the team is still chasing down options to help create that depth. It’ll be something to follow as the team heads down to Florida to begin their preparations.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 24: Austin Slater #29 of the New York Yankees warms up before the game against the Chicago White Sox at Yankee Stadium on September 24, 2025 in New York, New York. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Things sure have gotten wild in Detroit over the past week. From Framber Valdez, to the Skubal arbitration battle, to adding Tigers legend Justin Verlander back to the roster, we haven’t seen a busier stretch in the Scott Harris era. Right after the Verlander deal was announced, another minor bit of news followed as the Tigers added veteran right-handed hitting outfielder, Austin Slater, on a minor league deal with an invite to camp. He’ll make $2 million should he play in the majors for them this year. There are also incentives attached up to $500,000.
Slater is a decent addition to the spring training roster, and provides some competition for both Matt Vierling and Jahmai Jones as the club’s other right-handed hitting outfielders. He has a long track record of hitting left-handed pitching, and he’s a solid defender in all three positions.
The now 33-year-old was drafted by the San Francisco Giants back in 2014. He had a few good seasons in a platoon role with them in his late 20’s. The past few seasons have seen him bouncing around the league, most recently as a depth outfielder for the Chicago White Sox and the New York Yankees both in 2025.
The Stanford grad has that in common with manager A.J. Hinch, as well as a reputation as a savvy veteran player who knows his role. Winning an Opening Day gig will be difficult, but he would make a fine Triple-A stash if they can keep him.
Slater is a career 119 wRC+ hitter against left-handed pitching. He really has never handled right-handed pitching well at all, so any role he carves out for himself will be quite limited. He hasn’t played center field in the major leagues at all since 2024, but he was worth +1 DRS and +1 Outs Above Average in left field last year, and neutral in right field. He only appeared in 65 total games.
He’s unlikely to have much impact on the Tigers, but as we discussed in an article earlier today, the outfield depth was a problem in 2025. While things already looked better headed into this season, adding Slater to compete in spring training is a nice little depth addition for insurance.
Here’s how the Premier League table looks before this match. Manchester United can overtake Aston Villa with a win; they’d be third or fourth depending on the result of Chelsea-Leeds. Meanwhile at the bottom West Ham have the chance to close the gap on Nottingham Forest, one way or another. They’d need an unlikely four-goal win tonight if they’re to overtake Sean Dyche’s strugglers.
What’s that heady aroma of cedarwood, leather, lavender, talcum powder and pomade? Why, you’ve just wandered into the Official Guardian Barbershop! “My Manchester United supporting friend is desperate for a win so that bloke can get a haircut and he can stop hearing about him,” sighs Jakob Mathiszig-Lee.
Aug 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor (12) wears a special players weekend glove during the third inning against the Miami Marlins at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
According to David Stearns in a pre-spring training media session in Port St. Lucie, Francisco Lindor is seeing a specialist about a stress reaction in the hamate bone on his left hand. Surgery is on the table, which would have an approximately six week recovery time. The Mets believe that, even if surgery is required, Lindor will be ready for Opening Day. He will be evaluated tomorrow.
Much like his teammate Francisco Alvarez, as well as Mets legends Jason Vargas and Tim Tebow, Lindor is the latest to deal with hamate issues, a bone whose name that I imagine that only osteopaths and baseball fans know. Lindor, a switch hitter, throws right-handed, and so this is a fracture on his glove hand. Lingering results from Alvarez’s injury were reported to be part of his ineffectiveness last season, though it is impossible to know to what degree.
Stearns named Vidal Bruján, Jackson Cluff, Grae Kessinger, Ronny Mauricio and Christian Arroyo as potential players to get reps at shortstop if Lindor has to begin the season on the Injuted List, but reiterated that the team believes that, even if surgery is needed, Lindor is expected to be ready for Opening Day.
Additionally, Stearns said that he does not know specifically why Lindor was not approved for insurance for the World Baseball Classic and thus could not suit up for Team Puerot Rico, saying that the insurance decision was “not dependent on the clubs.”
On the injury front, Stearns discussed A.J. Minter’s return after undergoing lat surgery last spring. Minter is expected to return in early May.
Stearns also revealed that Juan Soto would be moving to left field for the 2026 season, with Stearns saying that is where Soto “feels most comfortable.” Generally considered an easier defensive position because of the lack of arm strength needed, this should help the Mets’ overall outfield defense and may help Soto stick in the field for a little longer before his eventual migration to designated hitter. Stearns said the decision was made jointly between Soto and the club. “Juan was working out in LF…he felt really comfortable there. It made sense for us from a roster perspective. Not something we had contemplated, but as we’ve had conversations it made sense.” The expectation is that Carson Benge is the front runner for now-open right field, but Stearns mentioned Brett Baty as an option there as well.
As far as the rotation goes, Stearns said that they would discuss a six-man rotation “if they get to that point,” and mentioned that Tobias Myers will be working out as a starter in spring to give them the maximum amount of flexibility with his role.
Finally, Ryan Clifford, one of the prospects the Mets acquired at the 2023 trade deadline, will be starting the year at Triple-A Syracuse. Clifford, who has played first base, the corner outfield spots, and also got at-bats at DH, batted .237/.356/.470 with 29 home runs in 139 games across Double-A and Triple-A last season.
