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The World Series hit pause on Sunday, yet tonight (Monday) will feature the Tampa Bay Rays playing host to the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 down by the bay. Yet while the big league Cincinnati Reds sit idle as their peers determine who gets to claim the title of World Champs, several of the top prospects in their farm system have been plying their trades all over the place in preparation for a (hopefully) big step forward in 2027.

Over in the Arizona Fall League, outfielder Yerlin Confidan is fresh off a week to remember with the Peoria Javelinas. The toolsy 23 year old hit .255/.332/.405 in 527 PA split between High-A Dayton and AA Chattanooga during the regular season in 2026, the 15 homers he socked in total perhaps an understatement of the overall top-tier power he possesses in his long, left-handed swing. That power has been playing up in-game in AFL play, though, and last week alone he went 7 for 12 with 4 runs, a pair of doubles, a triple, and a dinger, with MLB Pipeline noting that he hit a trio of balls in play in excess of 110 mph off the bat. Overall he owns a 1.097 OPS across 42 PA to start AFL play in what’s becoming a bit of a breakout party for him.

Confidan is in the lineup for Peoria today playing LF and batting cleanup.

Down in the Venezuelan Winter League, 20 year old stud catching prospect Alfredo Duno is holding his own quite well. As Doug Gray noted over at Redleg Nation, Duno became the youngest player in the league to homer so far this campaign when he swatted a homer on Friday night – and one of only two 20 years olds who’ve homered in that league in the last two years. There’s video of said blast, too.

Over in the Dominican Winter League, Noelvi Marte has seemingly found his groove again with the Gigantes del Cibao. After finally, mercifully being optioned back to AAA Louisville mid-August after a long run of poor form, said poor form dogged him at the minor league level, too. He hit just .273/.291/.374 in 103 PA from that point through the end of the AAA season, logging just a lone dinger in the process. However, this October has seen him turn 25 years old and go right back to mashing, and as of Monday morning he’s the owner of a .400/.424/.567 line across 33 PA to begin DOWL play. That includes this mammoth blast over the tall wall in CF from yesterday:

The Gigantes sport a roster full of recognizable names, including the likes of Marcell Ozuna, Nomar Mazara, Agustin Ramirez, and old friend Aristides Aquino. Also on the roster is promising Reds rookie Carlos Jorge, though he’s off to a bit slower start than Noelvi. He’s gone just 2 for 18 with a pair of walks and 9 K through his first 8 games played, but one of those hits was a 2-run blast over that same tall wall in CF last week:

As the World Series shifts to Florida for Game 3, all eyes will be on the pivotal pitching matchup and the energy in Tropicana Field. The Milwaukee Brewers, up 2-0 on the Tampa Bay Rays, will send rookie Robert Gasser to the mound on Monday, facing former Brewer and current Rays ace Freddy Peralta.

In the latest episode of Yahoo Sports’ "Bar-B-Cast," podcast hosts Jordan Shusterman and Jake Mintz highlighted the contrasting approaches: Peralta's experience and emotional stakes for the Rays vs. the Brewers' confident reliance on another rookie arm in a high-pressure situation.

“I have watched Freddy already a couple times in this postseason … and he’s just looked incredible,” Shusterman said. “He was not as sharp in his final start in [ALCS] Game 6 … but the velocity was still there. He was still pumping 99.”

When he takes the mound for Game 3, Peralta is not only pitching against his former team but also weeks away from free agency — he ranks No. 2 on Yahoo Sports’ list of this winter’s top free agents — making him a major storyline regardless of the series outcome. Shusterman notes Peralta's impressive velocity and dominance in this postseason, emphasizing that he has thrived indoors and the added intrigue of him facing the Brewers.

“We are going to continue to be talking about Freddy Peralta from now until first pitch, during the game, after the game and then for weeks to come,” Shusterman said.

Mintz focused on Gasser, aka “Bobby Diesel,” who pitched five shutout innings in the NLCS at Dodger Stadium. Mintz noted how Gasser is another example of the Brewers' organizational philosophy: They trade away high-profile pitchers such as Peralta because they trust their pipeline, illustrated by Gasser's rapid rise.

"But the reason that the Brewers trade Freddy Peralta, they trade the Freddy Peraltas of the world, is because one day they will have the Robert Gassers of the world. Right?" Mintz said. "Robert Gasser, whom they got in the Josh Hader trade, right? Like, it is the perfect balance here."

Shusterman and Mintz are also curious about the crowd dynamic for Game 3. With the Brewers' passionate fan base traveling well — Mintz mentioned a “Let’s go, Brewers!” chant breaking out on his flight — the atmosphere at the Trop will be a story in itself.

"I think they're going to be well represented at Tropicana Field," Shusterman said of Brewers fans. "I'm looking on our beloved GameTime app right now. And there are many tickets that I imagine are much more affordable than they would have been for Games 1 and 2 [in Milwaukee]. And it would not surprise me if the cost to go in Milwaukee is pretty similar to the cost it would take to fly to … St. Pete's and see the game at the Trop."

That said, Shusterman noted the electric atmosphere at the Trop for ALCS Game 6 after the Rays took the lead in that series before returning to Florida.

“When they come back up 3-2, it was packed,” he said. “It was awesome. It was 98% Rays fans. It was terrific.”

However the crowd breaks down, Game 3 presents a crossroads: Can Peralta pitch the Rays back into this series, or will the Brewers' unflappable offense and shutdown bullpen put them on the doorstep of a title?

🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube

Check out all episodes of Baseball Bar-B-Cast and the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at yahoosports.tv.

The D-backs and the Rays both entered the major leagues in 1998. Arizona has the only World Series win, but Tampa Bay have been more successful in reaching the post-season, with ten playoff appearances to the D-backs’ seven. Overall, the win percentages of the teams are very similar. The D-backs are two points higher, at .495 against the Rays’ .493. But of late, our East coast siblings have definitely had the edge. In the past eight seasons, they have six trips to the post-season, to Arizona’s one. Over the same time-span, since the start of 2019, they have averaged 92 wins, a whopping fourteen victories per season more than the Diamondbacks.

That’s despite Tampa Bay having significantly less resources. From 2019-26 (and excluding 2020, for obvious reasons), Arizona had an average end of year payroll, per Spotrac, of $138 million. Tampa Bay’s mean salary bill was just $93 million. Here’s how the two teams have compared, year-by-year, in terms of salary, where that ranks in the majors, and their W-L record.

The Rays have spent one season outside the bottom quartile (25%) of team payrolls. The D-backs have been outside that six of the eight season, including a payroll in the top half, the past three years. Now, in 2024 and 2025, this did lead to the team winning nine and three more games than their siblings. But that run ended this year, with a vengeance. The Rays are in the World Series, while the Diamondbacks fell short of making the playoffs. Admittedly, had Arizona been in the American League, their 86 wins would have got them into the third wild-card. But that’s still a dozen games fewer than Tampa Bay.

So, what can the D-backs learn from the Rays? To try and get some idea, I want to start of by looking at the 26-man World Series roster for the Rays, and see how the team came to acquire each player. Below is the information on that, along with how valuable the player was for the Rays this year.

Pitchers

• Bryan Baker (2.9 bWAR) – Traded by the Orioles for pick #37 in the 2025 draft.
• Cam Booser (1.1) – Signed as a Free Agent.
• Garrett Cleavinger (-0.3) – Traded by the Dodgers for German Tapia.
• Griffin Jax (0.7) – Traded by the Twins for Taj Bradley.
• Kevin Kelly (1.9) – Purchased from the Rockies.
• Nick Martinez (3.9) – Signed as a Free Agent.
• Steven Matz (-0.7) – Signed as a Free Agent.
• Freddy Peralta (1.2) – Traded by the Mets for Gary Gill Hill, Émilien Pitre and Aidan Smith.
• Drew Rasmussen (4.7) – Traded by the Brewers with J.P. Feyereisen for Willy Adames and Trevor Richards.
• Ian Seymour (0.7) – Picked in the 2nd round of the 2020 draft.
• Cole Sulser (-0.3) – Purchased from the Mets.
• Tyler Wells (0.9) – Traded by the Orioles for Michael Forret.

The narrative would have you believe that the Rays’ success is due to strong drafting and a good farm system. But the above suggests otherwise – at least, directly (we’ll get into that eventually). Only one of the dozen pitchers on Tampa Bay’s roster for the World Series was drafted by them. Six were trades, with another two purchased, and three signed with the Rays as a free agent. But looking at the trades, it’s startling how little they generally had to give up. Willy Adames is easily the biggest name, and he was good for Milwaukee, putting up 14 bWAR over four seasons. But you think the Brewers wouldn’t rather have Drew Rasmussen, right now?

The Sulser thing is worth noting, because it was the third time the Rays had acquired him. He’s like their version of Ildemaro Vargas. They first did so in 2018, as part of a three-team trade which netted them Yandy Diaz. But they lost him on waivers the following October. Sulser was actually a Diamondback for a while, having been picked off waivers from the Marlins in November 2022. He played four games with Arizona, but was DFA’d in August 2023 and went back to Tampa, because we needed the roster spot for… Jace Peterson. Yeah. About that. Sulser hit free agency that winter, signed with the Mets but returned again to Tampa Bay the next July.

Catchers

• Nick Fortes (0.8) – Traded by the Marlins for Matthew Etzel
• Liam Hicks (0.7) – Traded by the Marlins for Jacob Kisting, Adrian Santana and Brayden Taylor.

I think it’s interesting that both Rays’ catchers came intrastate, by trades from their Florida neighbors. Fortes arrived at the trade deadline last year, and Hicks at the same point this season. Obviously, it’s impossible to judge these trades yet, since none of the four players sent to Miami have yet appeared in the majors. However, none of them were ranked higher than #16 in the Rays’ farm system at the time of the trade.

Infielders

• Jonathan Aranda (2.2) – Signed as an international Free Agent
• Junior Caminero (5.7) – Traded by the Indians for Tobias Myers.
• Yandy Díaz (2.4) – Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Indians with Cole Sulser to the Rays. The Indians sent Edwin Encarnación and a 2019 competitive balance pick to the Mariners. The Mariners sent Carlos Santana and cash to the Indians. Rays sent cash to the Mariners and Jake Bauers to the Indians.
• Jorge Mateo (-1.0) – Signed as a Free Agent.
• Richie Palacios (1.8) – Traded by the Cardinals for Andrew Kittredge.
• Taylor Walls (3.5) – Picked in the 3rd round of the 2017 draft
• Ben Williamson (0.8) – Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Mariners to the Rays. The Mariners sent Jurrangelo Cijntje, Tai Peete and a draft pick to the Cardinals. The Cardinals sent Brendan Donovan to the Mariners. The Rays sent Colton Ledbetter and a draft pick to the Cardinals.

We see the same pattern as with pitchers. Only one of the seven was formally drafted by the Rays. You could perhaps stretch to include Aranda, who was signed out of Mexico as a 17-year-old, and has never played with any other organization. But here, I note the lack of money spent on the free-agent market. Mateo was the only one in that category, and he was signed for a pittance after being cut by the Braves. He’s also basically a pinch-runner who didn’t get a PA in the first two playoff rounds. The only player earning more than seven figures on the Rays this year is Yandy Diaz, at a very reasonable $12 million. The Dodgers have twelve players there, if you include Ohtani. And you should.

The Caminero trade is likely going to go down as one of the greatest thefts in recent history. Caminero has been worth 10 bWAR for the Rays in 2025-26. Myers never appeared for the Ind…er, Guardians, and was last seen as a bad reliever in the Mets bullpen. The Diaz and Williamson deals, meanwhile, are both among those “How the heck did they work that out?“ situations. Bauers never amounted to much in Cleveland, before blossoming this year with Milwaukee, and will face his old team in the World Series. Again, Ledbetter was a prospect outside the top twenty in the Rays organization at the time of his trade.

Outfielders

• Jonny DeLuca (1.7) – Traded by the Dodgers with Ryan Pepiot to the Rays for Tyler Glasnow, Manuel Margot and cash.
• Victor Mesa Jr. (2.9) – Traded by the Marlins to the Rays for Angel Brachi.
• Cedric Mullins (1.0) – Signed as a Free Agent.
• Chandler Simpson (2.5) – Picked by the Rays in the 2nd round of the 2022 draft.
• Ryan Vilade (0.8) – Purchased from the Cincinnati Reds.

The trade which brought DeLuca to the Rays is an example of Tampa Bay selling high. Glasnow has been a bit of glass cannon for LA since: a 120 ERA+, but averaging fewer than 18 appearances per season. Pepiot was almost as good as Glasnow in 2024-25 – certainly more durable – and considerably cheaper. But he missed all of this season with a hip issue. Brachi was unranked by MLB Pipeline when he was dealt: I’m beginning to detect a theme here. But again, we see a limited number of players who were actually drafted by Tampa Bay. They seem keen on, and adept at, plucking players they need away from other teams.

Summary

• Trades: 14 players
• Signed as a free agent: 5 players
• Purchased: 3 players
• Draft pick: 3 players
• International free agent: 1 player

This certainly demonstrates where the strength of the Rays lies. As mentioned, it’s not directly in the draft, with barely ten percent of their World Series roster having been acquired that way. It’s in smart trades, purchases and low-cost free-agent signings – or what’s often derided when Mike Hazen does it, as “dumpster diving.” Of course, that’s the kind of thing that’s easier said than done, though the Arizona bullpen this season shows that it is something Hazen can figure out on occasion. It’s an interesting contrast to the Brewers, who have a much more internal approach to their roster: seven draftees and three international free agents.

But we shouldn’t write off the Tampa Bay farm system entirely. Next time, we’ll take a look at that and see if we can figure out how it plays into the team’s strategy.

The Mets need starting pitching. They've needed it for several years now. 

In 2025, their depth evaporated down the stretch, so they missed the playoffs. In 2026, their depth imploded early, so they never recovered. To make the playoffs in 2027, they will need more of it.

Exactly what they have, and therefore what they need, is in the eye of the beholder. But a few things are indisputable: Nolan McLean looks like a No. 1. Christian Scott and Zac Thornton look like promising middle-of-the-rotation options whose second full seasons should test their stamina and ability to adjust more than their first. The best versions of all three combine to make a promising young core.

Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga are veterans on expensive, though expiring, contracts, meaning jettisoning either will be easier this season should either underperform again. Senga wants to start but could prove more valuable to the 2027 pitching staff out of the bullpen. Andy Green made clear that Manaea cannot lose his velocity again and be an effective member of their rotation going forward. The best versions of both are competitive starting options.

As for depth beyond that, the best version of Tobias Myers could offer starting depth. Tylor Megill is expected to be back from Tommy John surgery and training as a starter entering spring training. He has a 4.46 ERA in 88 career appearances.

Green said Jonah Tong must pitch his way into the rotation next year but did not rule out the possibility that he could do so. Jonathan Santucci will be one step away from his debut. If Jack Wenninger can overcome his tendency to walk batters, he will likely be an emergency start candidate, as well.

Exactly how President of Baseball Operations David Stearns views that depth is a different question. Stearns traded for Freddy Peralta last year when his rotation already included Clay Holmes and McLean as top-end options. He does not seem likely to be satisfied with McLean at the top and his fingers crossed that Scott, Thornton, Manaea or others can lock down the spots behind him. But exactly how many acquisitions they need to make remains unclear.

“I do think it is necessary for us to add to our starting rotation. We can do that in a variety of different ways,” Stearns said at his end-of-season news conference. “You’d always love to add to the top of their rotation. Any team would love to do that. Over the long term, we need to develop pitchers for the top of our rotation and I think we are proving we can do that and will continue to do that. 

"We also need to make sure we have more options, and we need to make sure we have the flexibility that allows us to go and get those options when they’re needed. And we’ll be focused on that aspect of rotation building as well.”

If the Mets decide they need a proven ace (or two) to take the weight off McLean’s shoulders and insulate against injury, they have plenty of options.

Tarik Skubal is a possibility. Unlike other contenders who might chase him, the Mets have plenty of big contracts and financial outlays coming off their ledger after 2027, meaning any salary limitations that result from a new collective bargaining agreement would not necessarily hold them back from making the move.

They need an ace, have Steve Cohen’s money, and can promise commitment to winning — if not the actual winning, so far. Skubal’s preferences will likely become clearer after the World Series, when his free agency officially begins. But as of the last week in October, the Mets should have as good a chance to sign him as anybody, provided Cohen and Stearns decide he is worth an exception to the latter’s rules against long-term deals for starters.

Holmes could also be a candidate for a return. As of this week, he is expected to opt out of his current deal, and people familiar with his thinking say he is open to a return to the Mets if the right deal is offered. He did, after all, thrive in Queens as a starter — so much so that he will likely receive a far bigger contract as a free agent than he probably would have if the Mets had not given him the chance to jump out of the bullpen.

Other veterans available in free agency include Michael King, who can opt out from his current deal with the Padres and has proven himself capable of pitching in New York, and Nick Martinez, who has looked strong this postseason and has a mutual option with the Tampa Bay Rays. Trevor Rogers turned his career around with the Baltimore Orioles, though his track record of starting success is shorter than most top-end free agent types. Casey Mize, Robbie Ray, and Tyler Mahle are all veteran types who could slide into the middle of the rotation and provide experience if young pitchers regress or stumble.

The trade market, too, could offer some high-end options: New front office staffer Derek Falvey’s connection to Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan could make him an enticing trade target, someone who could serve at the top of the Mets rotation and is under contract for $13 million next year before hitting free agency.

Should the Rays somehow decide playoff hero Drew Rasmussen’s $20 million option for next year is too expensive, the Mets could try to pull off a deal for him as well. Maybe the Miami Marlins would finally trade Sandy Alcantara ahead of his option year. Any of them would improve the Mets depth in the short term without handcuffing them financially long-term should a new CBA lead to the phasing in of salary limits.

The Seattle Mariners, who likely need a jolt after a disappointing season, have long seemed on the verge of trading one of their many starting pitchers. George Kirby (under contract through 2028) or Logan Gilbert (under contract through 2027) could help immediately without much long-term risk and could be attainable thanks to the prospect depth the Mets built at this year’s trade deadline.

But Stearns’ mention of “flexibility” suggests his view of pitching depth does not necessarily include more veteran starters on major league contracts who are either expensive to part with, impossible to option out of the rotation if they struggle, or both.

Part of the reason the Mets struggled to find their footing early in 2026, for example, was that both Senga and Manaea were struggling, but neither really fit in the bullpen or comfortably head to the minors. An injury to Senga helped the Mets clear his rotation spot without needing to cut him entirely, but acquiring a full array of veteran starters would leave their ability to make changes somewhat limited again.

As such, it seems Stearns and Co. might also be pursuing younger, more flexible starting options that could provide both major league rotation depth and multi-inning bullpen capabilities — like Myers was trying to last year — as well.

Myers is out of options this year. Megill, importantly, has one remaining. Pitchers who are optionable, can handle starting, but could potentially also serve in the bullpen are not easy to find; any team with young, flexible pitching depth is not exactly rushing to part with it.

So perhaps Stearns simply means the Mets will plan some reclamation projects with minor league free agents and hope they catch lightning in a bottle they can option when times get tough.

But perhaps teams in need of overhaul would be willing to trade players in need of a change of scenery. Could a new Houston Astros GM entertain a trade for Hunter Brown, for example? Could the Cleveland Guardians try to upgrade elsewhere by dealing from the back end of their young rotation depth? The Pittsburgh Pirates, Kansas City Royals, Cincinnati Reds and others have pitching depth from which to deal and payrolls they love to keep down — a promising combination when chasing pitchers who are on the early side of arbitration.

Regardless, that flexibility part of Stearns’ vision will be the most fascinating to watch — particularly in an offseason that could include a lot of free agent shuffling before the lockout and a lot of frenetic maneuvering after it. Stearns said it: The Mets need better starting pitching depth than they had in 2026. That rotation began with two more proven starters (Holmes and Peralta) than it currently has right now. The market will offer plenty of options. Now all they have to do is get it right.