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While the main theme of the Tiger farm system is the group of top shelf prospects leading the way, the other big story in the system is a pretty disastrous run of pitcher injuries over the last two years. They’ve invested pretty heavily in prep pitching over the last three drafts, and right now they don’t necessarily have much to show for it. It’s going to be a major problem if the organization isn’t able to produce a whole lot of major league caliber pitching in a few years. Left-hander Ethan Schiefelbein got a big bonus as their competitive balance round B (72nd overall) pick in 2024, and like the other big prep signings in 2023 and 2024, he was barely on the mound at all in 2025.

The Tigers have always had a penchant for power right-handers, though that’s not unusual, so Schiefelbein was a fairly anomalous selection for the organization. An advanced high school lefty with four solid offerings and good control for his age, but without the high velocity fastball that often gets prep pitchers big bonuses, was a bet more on physical projection than anything else. His mechanics and stable, easy delivery spoke to a high likelihood of developing into a plus command guy in time.

At his best, the California native out of Corona High School looked like his just needed to grow into major league caliber stuff without requiring the huge development in command and pitch shapes that most pitchers, especially prep pitchers, need to make to reach the major leagues. His upside wasn’t necessarily on the level of harder throwing prep picks with similar big bonuses like Owen Hall and Paul Wilson, but for a prep pitcher Schiefelbein had a distinctly high floor as well. That was augmented by the fact that he only turned 18 in April of his draft year, whereas many prep players in the draft are already 19 or close to it on draft day.

Now 19 years old, Schiefelbein suffered the same fate as most of the Tigers’ young pitchers in 2025. After extended spring camp, he made three short appearances in the Complex League, looking little changed from draft day, and then missed the rest of the season with an injury that was reportedly a shoulder strain that didn’t require surgery, but did take the rest of the summer to rehab. In Schiefelbein’s case, this isn’t too concerning, at least compared to the other major injuries plaguing the Tigers’ pitching ranks. Rather than pushing him back on the mound at Single-A ball late in the year, the young left-hander just spent his time building up his body and trying to add overall strength before embarking on what will hopefully be a successful full season debut in 2026.

Point being, while 2023 second rounder Paul Wilson won’t likely be on the mound until late this season and will turn 22 years old next December, and the Tigers other top 2024 prep picks, Owen Hall and Zach Swanson most notably, aren’t going to throw a full season until they’re 21 in 2027, Schiefelbein is still on track to get on the mound and pitch his way through the Complex and Single-A levels this season as a 20-year-old. The Tigers will be hoping it plays out that way as their prep pitcher heavy strategy in the draft is looking pretty rough at the moment.

Schiefelbein is a pretty prototypical lefty with a balanced delivery throwing from a high three-quarters arm slot. He was well known to scouts as a high school senior after pitching for Team USA, and he was pretty much unhittable in his final year of school posting a 0.27 ERA with 83 strikeouts to just 11 walks over 52 innings of work. He used a twoseam fastball, slider, knuckle curveball, circle changeup mix as of the last time we saw him on a mound and showed the ability to locate all four pitches pretty effectively. His fastball typically sat 90-91 mph though he touched 94-95 mph on multiple occasions in high school.

He looks like more of a supinator than a guy who is going to turn over nasty, horizontally breaking sinkers and changeups, so I would guess the Tigers will have him moving more to the fourseamer and perhaps try and develop a cutter as he moves through pro ball. His curve was the best secondary pitch for him as a senior, and he has good though not crazy spin rates on the breaking stuff. The slider and changeup were more crude, but he wasn’t afraid to throw them in the zone, and already spotted them well for his age.

Unfortunately, there just isn’t much more to add to his scouting report yet. Guys like Hall, Wilson, and Swanson are expected to get back on the mound this year, but only Hall is on track to start his 2026 season on time. Schiefelbein will have the stage to himself to a degree early on, and while the Tigers won’t be pushing him beyond 100 innings this early in his career, he should be ready to throw a full season by now, assuming no further injury trouble emerges.

Prep pitchers take time. Even Jackson Jobe, widely regarded as one of the most advanced and talented prep pitchers of the past decade, struggled through most of his first two seasons and dealt with a host of minor injuries before suddenly breaking out in a big way two years out from his draft day. Schiefelbein is going to be a longer term project, so this season we’ll just be looking for more muscle on his slender 6’2” frame, and for him to stay healthy and start refining his craft. That would be very welcome progress in his age 20 season. The upside here is something like Cole Hamels as the absolute best case scenario, but the more realistic hope is that Schiefelbein stays healthy as he builds himself up over the next few seasons, and hits his likeliest positive outcome as a solid 3-4 level starting pitcher.

Shortly after I wrote about the potential of a CJ Abrams trade, a report came out that the Giants seriously pursued the Nats shortstop, but were unable to reach a deal. The fact that this leaked out right after the Gore trade is very interesting and makes me wonder about the timing. It also makes me wonder about whether the Nats will make a late offseason deal.

The report came from Andrew Baggarly, the Giants beat reporter for the Athletic. This makes me think the leak came from the Giants side. It is clearly a strategic leak and has me wondering if this deal is dead yet. The piece reads like the Giants are telling their fanbase that we tried, but the Nats asking price was just too much.

The thing that stood out the most to me was the reporting that the Giants were willing to offer Josuar Gonzalez. Despite being 18 and never having appeared in a stateside game, Gonzalez is a top 50 prospect in baseball. In their new top 100, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 44th best prospect, while Baseball America had him at number 30. 

Gonzalez was the top player in his IFA class, and had a strong showing in the DSL. He is a potential five tool player, who stands out for his elite defensive ability at shortstop. However, the bat is also very advanced. Pipeline said he has the ceiling of a .280 hitter with 25+ homer pop. If that is the case, he could be the closest thing we have seen to Francisco Lindor. 

The biggest drawback to Gonzalez is obviously his age and lack of experience. He has never played above the DSL level, so there is some serious volatility. However, he has a truly massive ceiling. The fact the Giants were open to offering Gonzalez in a deal, and Toboni turned it down says a lot.

The report also stated that prospects Bo Davidson, Jhonny Level, Carson Whisenhunt and Jacob Bresnahan were discussed. These are all prospects with big upside. Davidson and Level are top 100 guys according to Baseball America. This report fired up Giants fans, who seemed stunned at these names all being discussed.

There is one line that intrigued me though. The report said that even if the Giants offered all five players, it would be unclear if the Nats would have accepted. That feels like spin to me. If Toboni was offered all five, he would be a fool to turn it down.

While the report mentioned plenty of names that were being discussed, there was no leaked offer. If Gonzalez was in the deal, I would imagine the secondary pieces were not very strong. The fact there is no actual deal leaked tells me the Giants are trying to make the price sound higher than it actually was.

However, I do have no doubt that Toboni was asking for a lot. There is less incentive to move Abrams now than there was with Gore. Abrams has three years of team control compared to Gore’s two and is also not represented by infamous super agent Scott Boras. 

Toboni also seems excited to get his hands on Abrams from a development standpoint. On 106.7, he talked about how Abrams is one of the most athletic players in the league, but has not fully been able to translate that athleticism to production. While Abrams has been a quality player the last few years, Toboni sees more upside.

That upside could lead to Abrams being a long term piece, or it could lead to enhanced trade value. If Abrams has a hot start to the season, he would be a very hot commodity at the Trade Deadline. Another thing Abrams could do to boost his stock is prove that he is a true shortstop. I think Toboni was mostly referring to Abrams’ defense when he was talking about his athleticism not translating into production.

The Nats shortstop has all of the twitch and movement skills to be a quality shortstop, but has not put it together yet. Toboni seems like he is on a mission to change that. Right now, most teams looking to trade for Abrams see him as more of a second baseman. The Giants certainly see it that way, with Willy Adames firmly entrenched at shortstop.

All of this leads me to believe a deal is more likely to happen at the deadline, but this leak raised my eyebrows. This could be interpreted as the Giants saying we are done with this or a challenge to Toboni to come back to the table. Either way, the Giants let this get out for a reason.

Over the next few months, I have a feeling that we will be talking about CJ Abrams trade rumors some more. He is a very exciting player, but given the Nats timeline and their glut of young infield talent, a trade seems like a possibility.

When a standout player who has been with your organization his entire career wants to stay with you, you listen. That’s what Yankees general manager Brian Cashman did when Jorge Posada became a free agent after the 2007 campaign.

A five-time All-Star and switch-hitting Silver Slugger, Posada would’ve been a boon for any team on the market. He still stands as one of the best-hitting catchers of the past 50 years, and his bat was elite in 2007. The Yankees had been able to extend him during the 2001-02 offseason for five years and $51 million with club option, but despite expressing interest in staying with the team he had been with his whole career, there was also major interest from the crosstown New York Mets — making the chase for the decorated, switch-hitting backstop all the more interesting.

The Yankees ended up making the deal, paying Posada the most average annual salary for a catcher at the time—$13.1 million—and thus stopped a rival team from compelling him to remain in the City, in a different borough. Although the final result being a positive one for the Yankees, it certainly wasn’t without its fireworks.

Jorge Posada
Signing Date: November 13, 2007
Contract: Four years, $52.4 million

Posada was already an established star by this the fall of 2007, and it had been a remarkable ascent from near-complete anonymity during the early part of the 1990s. We chronicled his history in greater detail during our Top 100 Yankees series, but we’ll present a shorter version. The Santurce, Puerto Rico native starred in high school and was able to cut his teeth some more at Calhoun Community College in Decatur, AL. He landed on the Yankees’ radar, and after a couple draft attempts, they signed him out of the 24th round in the 1990 edition — two rounds behind the Yanks’ selection of a young high school lefty from Texas named Andy Pettitte.

Originally a second baseman, Posada was convinced to give catching a try in 1991, when he made 11 appearances behind the plate for short-season Oneonta. By the next year, he was a full-time backstop, and over the next couple seasons, he shot up through the minor leagues, playing 92 games with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers in 1994 and officially debuting with the Yankees in September of ’95. Blocked at the big-league level across ’95 and ’96 by Mike Stanley, Jim Leyritz, and Joe Girardi, Posada played just nine games in The Show during that span, and only traveled with the team as they won it all in October 1996. But even though he would never be confused for a defensive stalwart at catcher, his time would soon come.

Prior to the start of ’97, the Yankees traded Leyritz to the Angels despite his World Series heroics. They wanted to open the door for Posada to get big-league reps as Girardi’s backup and were confident that the up-and-comer could earn his keep. Following a 101 OPS+ in 60 games of action in ’97 though, the Yankees did float Posada as a possible trade option with the Montreal Expos for Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez. That obviously did not work out, as Pedro was traded to the rival Boston Red Sox, and the next handful of years would live in infamy between those two teams (and the two players in particular).

Posada finally started over 100 games in the record-breaking ’98 season for the Yankees, slashing .268/.350/.475 with 17 homers for an OPS+ of 115, and his numbers only continued to climb from there. He was eventually trusted with the everyday job as Girardi aged out of the role and departed in December of ’99. The 2000 campaign was the first where Posada really shined, making his first All-Star team and hitting .287/.417/.527 with 28 homers and a 139 OPS+, earning his first Silver Slugger as well.

It was an important time for Posada to make his mark, as other members of the Yankees’ core like Paul O’Neill and Tino Martinez were nearing the ends of their days in pinstripes. And thanks in part to Posada’s tenacious at-bat against a dominant Al Leiter with two outs in the ninth inning of 2000 World Series Game 5, the Yankees rallied to secure the three-peat, Posada scoring the go-ahead run on Luis Sojo’s single.

Although it would be a few years before the Yankees again won it all, Posada was an essential part of the contending operation alongside pal Derek Jeter (the best man in his wedding). Posada earned four consecutive All-Star nods and Silver Sluggers from 2000-03, and he really shined in the last of those years. He became the first Yankees catcher to hit 30 homers in a season since no less than Yogi Berra, and thanks in part to a 144 OPS+ and 5.9 rWAR in 142 games, he finished third for AL MVP, trailing only Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Delgado. And while his 2004-06 seasons weren’t as decorated, he still played a vital role, remaining a pillar of health with 422 games started out of the possible 486, notching a 121 OPS+.

Entering 2007, Posada had one year left on his deal before he would hit free agency, and in spring training, the Yankees were uninterested in opening up talks on a second extension. He timed his best campaign since ’03 quite well, and his bat would’ve received even more attention had A-Rod not turned in an MVP season for the ages. Posada finished sixth in the voting with career-highs in all the rate stats, batting .338/.426/.543 with a 153 OPS+ and 5.4 rWAR to claim his fifth All-Star selection and Silver Slugger. That made him a valuable commodity for teams, despite approaching his late thirties at the most physically demanding position in the sport.

The Yankees fell to Cleveland in the ALDS that October, and a decision was on the horizon for Posada. He really wanted a four-year deal in wake of that superb season. The Yankees weren’t particularly enthused about handing that long a commitment to a catcher who had just turned 37 that August; they were hoping to get Posada on a three-year contract for around $40 million.

So Posada was willing to hear out some of his other options, especially since A-Rod had opted out and longtime manager Torre was on his way to the Dodgers. Most notably, the folks across town were very interested. The 2007 season had ended in disaster for the Mets, and catcher Paul Lo Duca took a serious dip after leading the NL East champs in 2006. He was a free agent as well, but GM Omar Minaya had his eyes on Posada, as did his former third-base coach, Mets manager Willie Randolph.

As such, it was easy for Posada to not-so-subtly get the Yankees’ full attention by meeting with the Mets the day before other clubs could officially submut offers, per the New York Times:

Posada and his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, had lunch Monday with Minaya and [Mets] vice president Tony Bernazard. The Yankees initially offered the 36-year-old Posada a three-year contract but upped their proposal to four years on Monday evening.

While Posada briefly played hard to get for the Yankees, his intentions were clear from the start. He felt it would be easier to stay with the team that he had been with since his mid-twenties, and that’s exactly what happened. The Yankees acquiesced to his request and ultimately signed him to a four-year, $52.4 million deal.

In those final four seasons, Posada played in 397 games and slashed .258/.349/.454 for an above-average OPS+ of 110. A shoulder injury curtailed both his and the Yankees’ hopes for 2008 success under his old teammate-turned-skipper Girardi, but in 2009, it all came together. Posada hit 22 homers in 438 PA, good for an .885 OPS and 125 OPS+, and he had a productive October as well. Jeter might’ve been the captain, but Posada unofficially led the clubhouse and was willing to be the guy who held teammates accountable when necessary.

The Bombers won it all, and Posada had his fifth ring. It would be the last one.

Posada’s bat remained strong in 2010 but his oft-uneven defense had made him a liability behind the plate, and he was a concussion risk as well. The Yankees found a bargain in the more well-balanced Russell Martin that offseason, so they signed him and planned to have Posada DH in 2011. The 40-year-old was unhappy in the role and dipped to a below-average showing at the plate, too. Although it was an awkward swan song for Posada, the hard feelings faded in time (and he was actually one of the few consistent bats during their five-game ALDS loss to Detroit). He retired in January 2012 and the Yankees retired his No. 20 in August 2015, honoring him with a plaque in Monument Park.

So yes, the Yankees had reason to be uneasy about that fourth year. But the overall contract still led to a 2009 World Series crown and the Yankees were able to pivot to a new catcher anyway during that last season. Losing Posada to the Mets would’ve been a true shame; thankfully, they didn’t let it happen.

See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.

As Phillies fans hope that the team has another big move left in them (Don’t hold your breath!), I decided to take a look at recent offseasons to see how many big moves they’ve made closer to the start of camp. Then, as one does, I decided to make the exercise into an interactive March Madness-style tournament.

From 2010 to 2025, I identified the last free agent the team signed before the season began. To qualify for the list, the player:

• Had to be an outside signing. Re-signings like J.T. Realmuto in 2021 do not count, but former Phillies who were on a different team in between (Cliff Lee) do qualify.
• The player had to appear in at least one game the season he was signed.

Here’s the field, seeded by WAR in their first season with the team:

1. Cliff Lee 2011
2. Bryce Harper 2019
3. Jake Arrieta 2018
4. Jeff Hoffman 2023
5. Jose Contreras 2010
6. Brad Miller 2021
7. Luis Garcia 2013
8. Joe Ross 2025
9. Nick Castellanos 2022
10. David Lough 2016
11. Neil Walker 2020
12. Ronny Cedeño 2014
13. Chad Qualls 2012
14. Ricardo Pinto 2024
15. Dustin McGowan 2015
16. Michael Saunders 2017

Some of those names you’ll recognize (even if you wish you didn’t), and some you’ll probably need a refresher on.

Twice a week, I’ll present a matchup, and the readers will get to vote for which player should advance. You can choose to vote for the player who had the best initial season, the player who has had the best Phillies career, a player you have a soft spot for (Where my Qualls-heads at?), or simply vote for chaos and let Nick Castellanos win it all as a farewell(?) present.

We’ll start things off with our 8-9 matchup. Here’s a quick summary:

8. Joe Ross, 2025

Stats with the Phillies: 37 games, 51 IP, 2-1, 5.12 ERA, 39 K, 18 BB, 0.0 WAR

After a solid season as a swingman for the Brewers in 2024, the Phillies signed Joe Ross hoping he could provide both rotation depth as well as solid middle relief. As it turned out, Taijuan Walker filled the rotation depth role, so Ross was kept in the bullpen all year. However, he wasn’t very good there, putting up an ERA over 5, and he was eventually released in August.

9. Nick Castellanos 2022

Stats with the Phillies: 602 games, .260/.306/.426, 82 HR, 326 RBI, 1.3 WAR

After the lockout ended in 2022, it appeared that Kyle Schwarber was going to be the Phillies’ big free agent signing of the year. But with Nick Castellanos lingering on the free agent market, the Phillies decided to splurge and add him to their outfield.

Coming off a career best year, Castellanos struggled mightily in his first season for the Phillies. Things improved after that, but not nearly enough to justify his contract. While there were some highlights during his tenure, it’s been a mostly disappointing four years, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s released by the team.

MLB Pipeline on Friday evening revealed its top 100 prospects heading into the 2026 season, including five Dodgers. Outfielders are the strength of the top of the Dodgers system, including their top four prospects at MLB Pipeline plus shortstop Emil Morales.

Josue De Paula is the top-ranked Dodgers prospect at MLB Pipeline, rated 15th overall, and either the third or fourth-ranked outfield prospect in baseball on the list. Konnor Griffin of the Pirates is the No. 1 prospect overall and has played both shortstop and center field, with more time at the former. Other outfield prospects ranked ahead of De Paula are Max Clark of the Tigers at 10th overall and Walter Jenkins of the Twins at No. 14.

De Paula last season hit .250/.391/.400 with a 132 wRC+, 12 home runs, and 32 stolen bases in 102 games, 98 of them with High-A Great Lakes before getting promoted to Double-A Tulsa in the final week of the season. He also won Futures Game MVP in July in Atlanta.

De Paula was ranked the 40th-best prospect by MLB Pipeline at the beginning of last season, and shot up to 12th overall in their August update.

Zyhir Hope was also promoted to Double-A in the final week of 2025, and like his fellow outfield teammate is heading into his age-21 season. Hope was ranked the No. 27 prospect by MLB Pipeline, up from 75th at the beginning of last season.

Eduardo Quintero is a year younger than De Paula and Hope, and was the top-ranked Dodgers prospect this week at Baseball America. Quintero checks in at 30th overall at MLB Pipeline after winning California League MVP last season before spending the last month and a half in High-A Great Lakes.

MLB Pipeline ranked outfielder Mike Sirota the 60th-best prospect in baseball, up from 66th last August.

Emil Morales is the only non-outfielder Dodgers prospect on this list, ranked 92nd overall by MLB Pipeline after hitting .314/.396/.515 with 14 home runs, 24 doubles, and a 141 wRC+ between rookie-level Arizona and Class-A Rancho Cucamonga before turning 19 in late September.

From MLB Pipeline’s scouting report this year of the Dodgers’ top international signing from 2024:

Morales moves well for his size — 6-foot-3 and at least 15 pounds stronger than his listed 191 — and is an aggressive runner with average speed. He’s not the rangiest shortstop but moves well and puts himself in position to make plays. His instincts, hands and arm help his chances of sticking at short, though he’ll wind up at third base if he loses any quickness as he continues to mature physically.

The second round was a much closer race this time around between left-handers Jamie Arnold and GageJump. Arnold came out on top though with roughly 60% of the vote, taking the second overall spot in this year’s Community Prospect List. The 11th overall pick in the draft just this past year, Arnold is further away compared to the team’s other top prospects but he could end up being the best of the bunch. The side-armer has drawn plenty of comparisons to another stud lefty in Chris Sale and the A’s would be ecstatic to see Arnold take that same career trajectory. The 21-year-old has yet to get his professional career officially started but that should be coming soon, likely at Single-A with a quick promotion on the table.

The next nominee to join the list will be left-hander Wei-En Lin. The Taiwanese lefty was previously ranked fairly moderately last year but has absolutely shot up the ranks of the A’s system thanks to a vast repertoire that looks like it could propel him into the starting pitching mix near the end of the year. Lin could be yet another left-hander that the A’s develop alongside Arnold and Jump, but will he be able to jump the line this coming year?

The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:

• Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
• In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
• If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.

Click on the link here to vote!

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A’s fans top prospects, ranked:

1. Leo De Vries
2. Jamie Arnold

The voting continues! Who will take third place? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.

Nominees on the current ballot:

Gage Jump, LHP

Expected level: Triple-A | Age 22

2025 stats (A+/AA): 3.28 ERA, 24 starts, 112 2/3 IP, 131 K, 34 BB, 7 HR, 2.96 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

Jump’s fastball is difficult for opposing hitters to pick up with an arm angle that creates some deception. The heater sits about 92-94 mph and can reach up to 97 with good carry up in the zone. His upper-70s curveball has significant downer break, and his low-80s slider has cutting action. His fading low-80s changeup is used far less than his other three offerings.

Listed at 6-foot, Jump lacks the size of a typical starter, though his growth since the surgery and ability to generate his stuff with arm speed helps his potential outlook as a long-term starter. The ceiling of a mid-rotation starter is there, though some scouts believe he might be better suited in a bullpen role. To start out, the A’s will develop him as a starter and look to see him maintain good health and strike-throwing ability.

Henry Bolte, OF

Expected level: Triple-A | Age 22

2025 stats (AA/AAA): 488 PA, .284/.385/.427, 20 doubles, 6 triples, 9 HR, 56 RBI, 57 BB, 141 K, 44 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 55 | Run: 65 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 45

Bolte is a tooled-up athlete who continues to fill out his big 6-foot-3 frame. His impressive raw power continues to show up in the Minors, though there is still a real concern over his swing-and-miss and high strikeout rate as he continues to struggle with offspeed stuff out of the zone. The A’s have worked with him to revamp his swing in order to improve his bat path and cover more of the zone, which has produced slight improvements in those areas, though there is still plenty of work to be done.

Another shining tool for Bolte is his near-elite speed, which was on display last season as he swiped 46 bags. That speed also comes in handy on defense, combining that with a strong arm that makes him a solid outfielder at all three spots. Further refining is required, but he remains an exciting talent with a very high ceiling who continues to steadily advance through the system.

Braden Nett, RHP

Expected level: Triple-A | Age 23

2025 stats (AA): 3.75 ERA, 24 starts, 105 2/3 IP, 116 K, 48 BB, 8 HR, 3.77 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Slider: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 55 | Overall: 55

While working around the injuries, Nett has continued to show stellar velocity, touching as high as 99 mph in the Minor Leagues last season. He typically sits 95-97 mph and gets swing-and-miss up in the zone thanks to ample carry. He also throws a tight 81-84 mph slider that ran a 38 percent whiff rate in ’24 and a sharper 90-92 mph cutter that can catch hitters off guard. He’ll mix in an upper-70s curveball with more vertical drop and he’s scrapped a low-80s splitter in favor of a much more effective 88 mph kick-change that really neutralizes lefties.

Nett has some effort in his delivery, and the 2025 season (pre-trade) was the first time he’d posted a walk rate below 13 percent at any Minor League stop. Combine that with the early injury concerns, and it’s easy to think he could be a reliever eventually. But his arsenal is deep enough, and his stuff is promising enough — when combined with strides taken this season — to keep landing him in a starting role in the upper Minors.

Johenssy Colome, SS

Scouting grades: Hit: 55| Power: 65 | Run: 50 | Arm: 60 | Field: 55 | Overall: 60

It’s not often that teenage prospects launch home runs. But Colome has a tendency to get to that jumpy pop with frequency, consistently leveraging his swing well – so well in fact, that one evaluator mentioned the most recent occasion on which he saw an international prospect continually get to their launch point in such a manner was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Colome is a right-handed hitter with explosive hands and a solid contact rate, although he has been known to be a tad aggressive in the box as a means of getting to said power.

Something of an athletic marvel at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds at age 16, Colome is an agile athlete who shows a lot of lateral quickness. The fluidity of his movements and strong arm led to a Manny Machado comparison being hung on him defensively. Much like the seven-time All-Star, Colome may move off short as his frame fills out, but he’s a tremendously dedicated worker and has the feet, soft hands and instincts to stick at the premium position.

Wei-En Lin, LHP

Expected level: Double-A | Age 20

2025 stats (A, A+, AA): 3.72 ERA, 13 starts (26 appearances), 87 IP, 117 K, 22 BB, 9 HR, 3.77 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 50| Curveball: 50 | Slider: 45: 50 | Changeup: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 40

A 6-foot-2 left-hander, Lin has a combination of feel for as many as five pitches and projection to his frame. Right now his fastball averages just 91 mph, but it tops out at 95, and it’s easy to see that his frame has tremendous room to add good strength, with more consistent velocity to come. It already had the makings of a quality heater, thrown from around a 5.9-feet release height and with more than 18 inches of carry to it, helping it to miss a good amount of bats. His changeup has been his best secondary offering to date, with huge whiff rates during his debut. His short curve is his go-to breaking ball thus far, though he has a harder, shorter slider. He’ll also employ a splitter for another offspeed possibility.

It’s been a small sample size so far in his first full season, but Lin looks like he has the makings of being an extreme strike-thrower, showing particularly good command of his fastball and curve. If the teenaged southpaw is able to fill out and throw harder, the A’s could have a very interesting left-handed starting pitcher prospect on their hands.

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Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay making your selections!

Neil Allen had a perfectly nice 11-year career as a major-league pitcher, mostly out of the bullpen. Parts of three of those seasons came with the Yankees, across two different stints. He was generally pretty solid, albeit on teams that fell short of the postseason, despite over-.500 records. After his playing career, he went into coaching, including for the Yankees, where we can give him credit for at least one notable thing.

Today also happens to be his 68th birthday. In honor of that, let’s look back at the career of Mr. Allen.

Neil Patrick Allen
Born: January 24, 1958 (Kansas City, MO)
Yankees Years: 1985, 1987-88

Born and raised in Kansas City, Neil Allen was a standout athlete in a couple sports growing up. He was planning on attending Kansas State University on a football scholarship, when scouts took notice of him when he was pitching opposite Terry Sutcliffe — brother of 1984 NL Cy Young Award winner Rick — in a high school baseball game. Initially wanting to stick with football, Allen was convinced into baseball by his father, who told him, “Neil, you’re not a rocket scientist and you don’t have the discipline to sit down and do the academic work. Plus, if you play football and get beat up and have your shoulder ruined, then you don’t have either.”

The Mets would select him in the 11th round of the 1976 draft, and Allen would sign with them.

Considering that he was drafted out of high school, Allen rocketed through the minor leagues and was called up to the majors in 1979, when he was just 21 years old. He made his debut on April 14th and threw six OK innings against the Phillies. However, he mainly struggled after that and then suffered an injury in late May. Upon his return to the majors, Mets’ manager Joe Torre decided to use Allen out of the bullpen. Allen excelled in that role, and from June 25th on, he put up a 2.07 ERA and a 2.67 FIP in 69.2 innings. By the end of the season, Torre had even moved Allen into the closer role, and he recorded eight saves.

After spending the next two seasons in the bullpen, Allen struggled to start the 1983 season, losing the closer role to Jesse Orosco. Allen returned to the rotation for a bit, where he showed some better signs, although he was beginning to deal with alcohol addiction issues behind the scenes. The Mets eventually did decide to trade him, sending him out to St. Louis alongside fellow righty Nick Ownbey at the then-June Trade Deadline in 1983 in exchange for first baseman Keith Hernandez. That deal worked out quite well for the Mets.

While he wasn’t awful, Allen could never quite find his footing in St. Louis, never mind when you factor in what Hernandez would go on to become for the Mets. Allen eventually returned to the bullpen. After struggling badly to start 1985, the Cardinals moved on from him, selling his contract to the Yankees. Under manager Billy Martin, Allen performed much better, posting a 2.76 ERA in 29.1 innings down the stretch for the ‘85 Yankees. The team just narrowly missed the postseason, finishing two games behind the AL East-winning Blue Jays.

Despite that, the Yankees then traded Allen to the White Sox that offseason. Chicago tried to move him back to the rotation, and while that went okay in 1985, he again really struggled in ‘86. The White Sox released him in August, and he returned to the Yankees for the rest of the season, putting up a 3.65 ERA in 24.2 innings. That led to the Yankees bringing him back for 1988, and he was again pretty decent. Working as a long reliever, he put up a 3.84 ERA (103 ERA+) in 117.1 innings.

However, Allen’s aforementioned addiction issues were beginning to take a toll. Rickey Henderson went public with a claim that he had to help Allen back to his hotel room after the pitcher had passed out while on a night out on the road, with Henderson saying the team’s drinking culture in general cost the team the pennant. This revelation actually helped Allen admit his problem, although he would continue to battle it off and on.

Allen played 1989 with Cleveland and spent 1990 in the Reds’ organization before retiring. He would get into coaching and returned to the Yankees’ organization in 2000. He spent a couple seasons as a pitching coach for various Yankees’ minor league affiliates and was the bullpen coach for their 2005 AL East champions. Per Sports Illustrated, Allen was credited with teaching Chien-Ming Wang the sinker, which became the future Yankees’ big leaguer’s best pitch when he broke through to the majors:

Fourteen starts into his professional career, Wang blew out his shoulder and sat out the entire 2001 season following surgery. He was told by the Yankees that he had to bag his out pitch, the slider, to ease the stress on his arm. In the summer of ’04 he learned the pitch that would change his career. During a bullpen session shortly after his promotion to Triple-A Columbus, Clippers pitching coach Neil Allen approached him with a suggestion. “Try this,” Allen said to Wang, holding the ball with his index and middle fingers along the seams that framed the ball’s sweet spot. “Push harder here,” he said, tapping his index finger against the ball.
Wang began throwing and, he recalls, “the ball started to drop.”

Allen eventually became the Twins’ big-league pitching coach from 2015-17. A DWI arrest in 2016 led to him attending an outpatient program at the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, and by all accounts, he’s stayed clean since.

For a guy who has a career ERA below average and no All-Star appearances or any other award votes or anything, Neil Allen has had quite the run in baseball. Here’s hoping that he has a happy 68th birthday.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

Here’s another photo sent to me by BCB reader Joe Coney. I sleuthed one of his scoreboard photos last weekend and this is another one.

So, what do we know about this photo? The Cubs are playing the Giants. Again, as in the last photo, it has to be between 1978 and 1981, because the Chicago Sting soccer clock is below the board. (The Sting played at Wrigley from 1978-84, but after 1981 Tribune Co. put a message board beneath the scoreboard.)

No. 34 is the starting pitcher for the Cubs. Ray Burris wore that number in 1978 and 1979 and Randy Martz had it in 1980 and 1981. The No. 35 relief pitcher is no help, as the Cubs had pitchers with that number in 1978 (Woodie Fryman) and 1979-81 (Doug Capilla).

So I methodically looked at Burris’ and Martz’ game logs for the years in question. Burris wasn’t a match.

Martz was, and therein lies a tale. This game was played Thursday, June 11, 1981. That’s a significant date, because the 1981 players’ strike began the next day.

The Cubs had been an absolutely terrible team to begin 1981. They started 1-13, then were 4-19, 5-26 and 10-36 before winning five of their last six before the strike. Just getting hot, right?

The Cubs scored four in the first inning of this game, with RBI hits from Steve Dillard, Mike Lum and Ken Reitz (read those names and you’ll understand why the Cubs were so bad that year). Later, Jody Davis and Hector Cruz homered. Martz allowed five hits and one run in seven innings and the Cubs won the game 6-1.

Specifically, what we are seeing here: There are two out in the top of the eighth and No. 31 is batting for the Giants. That’s Enos Cabell, who was in his only year with the Giants after several good seasons in Baltimore and Houston. He’s down 0-1 in the count and eventually grounded to short.

Here is the full photo:

The third-base umpire visible is Steve Fields and off in the distance, the Cubs center fielder is Jerry Morales. And as you can see, there wasn’t much of a crowd — just 5,017 paid to see that game.

Just another little slice of Cubs history.

In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy “Hokius” Greco take a comprehensive look at the Kansas City Royals’ infield and prospect pipeline as the offseason unfolds. The hosts break down infield rankings, examine what a “down year” really means for Bobby Witt Jr., and discuss why players like Maikel Garcia, Jonathan India, and Michael Massey have pivotal seasons ahead—especially as lineup depth and health come into sharper focus.

The conversation expands into a deep dive on the Royals’ prospect rankings, evaluating names like Peyton Wilson, Warren Calcagno, and Daniel Vazquez, while also placing Kansas City’s strategy in context with major MLB moves such as the Dodgers’ acquisition of Kyle Tucker and the Mets landing Bo Bichette. From player development and injury timelines to trade speculation and roster-building philosophy, this episode offers a clear-eyed look at where the Royals stand—and where they still need to go to compete.

Email Jacob directly at: jm17971047@gmail.com

Need your Royals fix? Head to royalsreview.com for news, analysis, and to engage with Royals fans around the world! Follow us online:

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Good morning, LSB.

Shawn McFarland writes about Jacob Latz’s chances at the starting rotation, which got a little cloudier with the acquisition of MacKenzie Gore.

Sebastian Walcott is the 7th-ranked prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline’s updated rankings.

The Athletic grades the Gore trade.

And Nathan Eovaldi is the most recent guest on Evan Grant’s podcast.

That’s all for this morning. Have a safe, hopefully warm weekend. 🙂

The Cleveland Guardians are finalizing a seven-year, $175 million contract extension that will assure perennial All-Star third baseman José Ramirez remains with the organization through the duration of his career.

Ramirez, 33, the seven-time All-Star and six-time Silver Slugger winner, and the Guardians are restructuring his contract that add four years and $106 million to his existing deal, paying him through the age of 40, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.

The person, confirming Hector Gomez’s report early Saturday morning, spoke to USA TODAY Sports on on the condition of anonymity because the deal is not yet complete.

Ramirez, who’s on track for the Hall of Fame by finishing in the top six in MVP voting in seven of the last nine years, sacrificed a massive payday in free agency before the 2022 season when he signed a seven-year, $141 million contract extension. Yet, despite the criticism of signing such a team-friendly contract, he continues to profess his love for Cleveland.

“I really have a special place [in my heart] for Cleveland,’’ Ramirez told the Abriendo Sports podcast this winter. “They gave me the opportunity to play at just 16 years old and, even now, despite taking a pay cut, I'm comfortable in this city."

Ramirez, one of the greatest players in franchise history, certainly has been the gift that keeps on giving for Cleveland. He has a 51 WAR since 2017, ranked third-highest in baseball behind only Aaron Judge and Francisco Lindor, and is paid at a massive discount rate. His new restructured contract will pay him an average of $25 million a season compared to Judge’s $40 million AAV in his nine-year, $360 million deal with the Yankees.

Anne Rogers writes about position players that could get invited to spring training.

We’ll see Collins in left field the majority of the time, while Thomas will move among all three spots. The Royals touted Collins’ ability to play second base when they acquired him, giving them flexibility, so it’ll be interesting to see whether he gets reps there this spring.

How the Royals split time in center field between Isbel and Thomas remains to be seen, but Isbel is the best defender to have out there. The Royals have given Caglianone a path to earn the everyday spot in right field with his performance. Although he’s also committed to playing for Team Italy this spring, he should get plenty of reps to show off his offseason work and improvement.

Blanco, Misner, Rave and Waters are competing for an Opening Day roster spot. They’ve all played center field, but the Royals acquired Misner from the Rays back in November as center field depth.

Pete Grathoff writes about the reactions of Royals hitters to the fences at Kauffman Stadium being moved in.

Witt said the Royals hitters welcomed the change. And catcher Salvador Perez had a question. “Yeah, a lot of the hitters are very happy, and the team’s pitchers aren’t,” Witt said. “But they’re gonna do well, no matter what. But yeah, the hitters are great.

Salvy was just like, ‘What took it so long?’ But yeah, everyone is fired up. And so it’s gonna be fun.”

Carlos Beltrán would seem to prefer a Mets logo on his Hall of Fame plaque.

“There is no doubt my best years in baseball are with two teams — the Kansas City Royals and the New York Mets,” Beltrán said this week, per CBS Sports. “That’s a decision that I would love to sit down with my family, with (my wife) Jessica, with my kids and make a decision on that. I did really enjoy my time in New York. Now I work as an advisor for the Mets, so there’s a lot of weight in the New York cap.”

MLB Pipeline released their top 100 prospect list with Carter Jensen at #18 and Blake Mitchell at #75.

USA Today ranks farm systems, and puts the Royals #26.

The White Sox sign reliever Seranthony Dominguez to a two-year, $20 million deal.

The Twins sign reliever Taylor Rogers to a one-year, $2 million deal.

ESPN writers predict where the remaining top free agents will sign.

The Giants’ trade proposal for Nationals infielder CJ Abrams was rejected.

The Tigers are interested in free agent pitchers Nick Martinez and Jose Quintana.

Free agent Max Scherzer may sign with a team after Opening Day.

What’s next for the Yankees?

Why the Mackenzie Gore trade may be the biggest of the offseason.

Are the 2026 Mets better than last year’s disappointment?

DAZN is reportedly weighing a purchase of the FanDuel Sports Networks.

Bob Costas will host the Sunday Night Baseball pregame show on NBC.

Could high school players be ineligible for the MLB draft soon?

Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney slams Ole Miss for player tampering.

Philip Rivers will interview for the Buffalo Bills head coaching position.

Snow isn’t actually white.

A brief history of Star Trek sports.

A full list of Oscar nominations.

Your song of the day is The Smithereens with A Girl Like You.