The Mets have been well represented during the Arizona Fall League, and two of their prospects were selected to participate in this year's Fall Stars Game.
RHP's Ryan Lambert and Irving Cota have been to the NL Fall Stars squad.
Lambert has bounced back tremendously from his down season at the Triple-A level, as he’s still yet to allow a run or hit through his first six Fall League appearances.
The righty has also struck out 10 batters, while walking just four over that span.
Carrying this strong showing right into big-league camp could go a long way towards Lambert helping himself in the competition for a Mets bullpen spot.
As for Cota, the 22-year-old climbed up to Double-A with an exeptional start to the minor league season, but he ended up on the injured list and wouldn’t return to the mound until September.
Upon season’s end, the organization decided that it would be best to send him to pitch in the Fall League to continue building up his workload heading into next year.
Cota has allowed seven runs (six earned) through his first five appearances, but he’s also struck out 15 batters and has an impressive 0.86 WHIP over that span.
This year’s Fall Star game will take place Sunday on MLB Network.
KNOXVILLE, TN - SEPTEMBER 02: Austin Hendrick #11 of the Chattanooga Lookouts bats during the game between the Chattanooga Lookouts and the Knoxville Smokies at Covenant Health Park on Wednesday, September 2, 2026 in Knoxville, Tennessee. (Photo by Ryan Beatty/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
You may recall that calendar year 2020 featured a lot of unprecedented events through which we all got to live. Way, way down on that list of importance was the abbreviated 2020 Major League Baseball season, which ended up only being 60 games long and played in front of empty stadiums as the COVID pandemic raged across the world.
The pandemic impacted the 2020 MLB Draft, too. Though it was still managed to be pulled off during June per usual, it was agreed upon that the draft itself would be cut to just five rounds and instead of being held on-location in Omaha was held remotely.
Nailing your selections in the draft is hard enough under normal circumstances. Getting them correct in those circumstances, though, was probably a little bit tougher than we all could have even imagined.
The Detroit Tigers jumped for Arizona State 1B Spencer Torkelson with the #1 overall pick, and he’s carved out a big league career of some reasonable aplomb. The Baltimore Orioles selected Arkansas OF Heston Kjerstad with pick #2, and he officially reached free agency yesterday after being outrighted off their 40-man roster and clearing waivers with just -1.3 bWAR in 304 AB to his name.
There were a litany of ‘misses’ in this 1st round, and we can now officially chalk up the first selection by the Cincinnati Reds as one, too. With the #12 overall pick they took Austin Hendrick out of high school outside Pittsburgh, a ‘cold weather’ player who was already old for his class that sported plus power alongside a number of glaring red flags. Those red flags – notably his extreme swing and miss tendencies – dogged him through five minor league seasons with Cincinnati, and as Doug Gray of Redleg Nation noted this morning, Hendrick was one of 21 Reds minor leaguers who reached free agency when Cincinnati opted against adding them to their 40-man roster.
That cadre includes former big leaguers like Michael Chavis and Garrett Hampson, who’ve spent time in the big leagues off and on over various seasons. It also features Ivan Johnson, who spent time with the Reds towards the end of the 2026 regular season. More than anyone else, though, it’s closing the chapter on Hendrick that is the toughest pill to swallow in this particular wave.
What burns perhaps the most is that Hendrick, a lefty-swinging high school outfield bat, was the third of four such players that were selected in the 1st round in 2020. Both Robert Hassell and Zac Veen came off the board before Hendrick went at #12, and while neither has panned out so far in their own development, it was Pete Crow-Armstrong at pick #19 that was the fourth such lefty high school outfielder to be selected, and he is currently days away from winning the National League MVP Award on the back of a nearly 10 WAR season.
Hendrick’s Reds career, meanwhile, never actually happened. He reached AAA in 2026 after repeating multiple levels before it and posted just a .566 OPS in 58 games there despite the extreme offensive conditions at the time.
Ellis played for Mets manager Andy Green in 2018 with the Padres and also played for the Dodgers, Marlins and Phillies.
During his playing career, Ellis excelled at pitch-calling and while in Los Angeles, gained the trust of Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw.
The Mets made a change to their pitching program a year ago, when they let Jeremy Hefner go — he wound up in Atlanta — and brought in Justin Willard from the Red Sox as the new pitching coach.
That was part of a significant coaching overhaul that backfired, at least in part, as the change in the staff, as well as in the roster, resulted in one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history.
Catcher A.J. Ellis #17 of the Dodgers throws to first after fielding a bunt by Irving Falu of the San Diego Padres in the sixth inning at Dodger Stadium on July 12, 2014 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images
After the season, the Mets also let go of director of major league hitting Jeff Albert. They have since also promoted Mariano Duncan to the major league staff.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 22: Ryan Fitzgerald #46 of the Los Angeles Dodgers gets ready to make a play against the San Diego Padres during a spring training game at Peoria Stadium on February 22, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Thirteen Dodgers were reached minor league free agency. Not to be confused with outfielder Alek Thomas and catcher Ben Rortvedt, who, as players with at least three years of major league service time who were sent outright to the minors, elected free agency in September and October, respectively.
Of this baker’s dozen of Dodgers minor league free agents, three spent time on the 40-man roster at some point in 2026, two played in the majors, and five more were non-roster invitees during spring training. Here is a little bit on all 13 players who are now free agents.
Spent time on 40-man roster
We’ll go deeper into these players with their major league season reviews, starting in November.
Cole Irvin: Veteran left-hander returned stateside after a season in Korea and the 32-year-old led the Pacific Coast League in ERA (3.33) and wins (12) in his 28 starts, with his 137 2/3 innings two outs shy of the league lead. Pitched once for the Dodgers in a bullpen-reset performance, allowing six runs in six innings.
Yency Almonte: Signed to a minor league deal in February, the veteran right-hander pitched once in spring training and allowed three runs. He spent the entire season on the injured list in Triple-A.
Nick Robertson: Signed to a minor league contract in January, the right-hander started in Double-A and didn’t allow a run in any of his first 18 games and 25 1/3 innings. Promoted to Triple-A in June, Robertson put up a 1.13 ERA in 46 games with 68 strikeouts (a 31.8-percent strikeout rate) and 18 walks in 55 2/3 innings.
Other non-roster invitees
Jerming Rosario: Signed as an amateur out of the Dominican Republic in July 2018, the right-hander was a longtime starter before switching to relief in 2025 in Double-A. This year with Triple-A Oklahoma City, Rosario had a 3.17 ERA with four saves, 80 strikeouts (a 27.7-percent strikeout rate), and 36 walks in 65 1/3 innings.
Nelson Quiroz: The Dodgers signed Quiroz out of Mexico in 2019. He played only nine games for Double-A Tulsa, matching his rehab output in the Arizona Complex League. Quiroz missed over three months on one injured-list stint, then another few weeks beginning in late August to close out his season.
Ryder Ryan: Pitched for five months with his brother before River was shipped off to Detroit in the Tarik Skubal deal. The 31-year-old had a swingman role with Oklahoma City, with 11 starts and 15 relief appearances. He put up a 5.19 ERA in 76 1/3 innings with 58 strikeouts and 33 walks.
Matt Gorski: Picked up on a minor league deal by the Dodgers in 2025, he spent the rest of that season on the injured list, then missed the first three months of this season on the IL before joining Oklahoma City in July. The first baseman hit .223/.308/.388 with five home runs in 41 games for the Comets, and turns 29 in December.
Battery mates
Christian Suárez: Signed out of Venezuela in 2018, the left-hander put up a 4.67 ERA in 50 games in his third year with Double-A Tulsa, with 80 strikeouts and 34 walks in 69 1/3 innings. Turns 26 on November 25.
Yeiner Fernández: Signed out of Venezuela in 2019, Fernández combined infield play at second and third base along with his catching duties. Only played in seven games this year for Tulsa in April before landing on the injured list, where he stayed the rest of the season.
Chadwick Tromp: Amid various catching injuries and maneuvering, the Dodgers signed veteran Chadwick Tromp to a minor league deal in August, and he finished out the season in Triple-A, hitting .220/.400/.341 in 18 games for Oklahoma City.
One more position player
José Meza: Signed out of Venezuela in 2019, the right-hander hit .245/.345/.366 with 10 home runs, 12 doubles, 13 stolen bases, and a 90 wRC for High-A Great Lakes this season, while playing first base, right field, left field, plus 37 starts as designated hitter. He turns 24 in April.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - MAY 25: Welinton Herrera #59 of the Colorado Rockies heads to his dugout after making his major league debut in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium on May 25, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images)
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking theRockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for theRockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 28, Welinton Herrera (0.1 rWAR)
Welinton Herrera entered the season ranked No. 17 in Purple Row’s Prospect Rankings.
Ranking the Rockies, 2026: No. 28, Welinton HerreraRanking the Rockies, 2026: No. 28, Welinton Herrera
When he made his MLB debut on May 25, and in his two other relief appearances at the end of that month, it looked like the 22-year-old lefty out of the Dominican Republic was living up to the billing.
His big league debut came against Los Angeles at Dodger Stadium and Herrera posted a scoreless, hitless inning. He got Teoscar Hernandez and Hyeseong Kim to ground out and Will Smith to fly out in a 1-2-3 inning.
He held the Dodgers scoreless in another inning the next day. Despite giving up a single to Andy Pages, Herrera struck out Will Smith and Freddie Freeman before ending his outing by getting Mookie Betts to fly out.
His next appearance was ruined by a bad elbow as Herrera got one out but gave up a single and walk before exiting a game against the San Francisco Giants on May 29. By May 30, he was placed on the 15-day injured list with left elbow inflammation. An MRI revealed a UCL tear, and the 15-day IL became 60 on June 1, and he had surgery not too long after. Depending on his recovery timeline, Herrera, who Colorado nabbed as an international signing in 2021, will be back sometime in the 2027 season.
Featuring a low arm slot and a fastball that averages in the mid-90s, but can hit the higher 90s, Herrera has a lot of potential. Unfortunately, his injury dropped him to No. 27 in the PuRP mid-season rankings.
In 16 appearances in Triple-A Albuquerque, including one start, Herrera went 3-1 with a 5.16 ERA, 14 walks and 34 strikeouts in 22.2 innings. Herrera has climbed quickly through the Colorado farm system, going from Low-A Fresno in 2024 to High-A Spokane later in the season. After dominating with the Indians to start 2025, Herrera then went to Double-A Hartford and posted a 3.50 ERA in 37 starts to earn a ticket to the Futures Game and the Arizona Fall League.
On Nov. 2, Herrera was one of five Rockies to end their tenure on the 60-day IL.
The Rockies announced today that they have reinstated the following players from the 60-day injured list: RHP McCade Brown, INF/OF Kris Bryant, RHP Chase Dollander, LHP Welinton Herrera and RHP RJ Petit.
As Colorado continues to try to improve its pitching staff for the future, the Rockies could use an arm out of the bullpen like Herrera’s. After his injury, it will take time for him to recover, build his arm back up, and see if he can be the pitcher the Rockies hope he can be.
Members of the 2016 World Series Champion Chicago Cubs unveil the Champions Gate at Wrigley Field on July 18 | | Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images
This year, as you know, is the 150th anniversary of the Chicago Cubs as a National League franchise. The team celebrated this anniversary throughout the year, and unveiled Champions Gate at Gallagher Way in July to celebrate the team’s three World Series titles.
To help honor those who have made the Cubs franchise what it is, I have put together a list of the Top 100 Cubs of all time. There’s no subjectivity to this list — I am doing it simply ranking the Top 100 by bWAR. A note: The bWAR figures in this list are only the WAR these players accumulated while they were Cubs.
Also, the articles in this series aren’t intended to be full biographies. Instead, I’m going to focus on each player’s key contributions to the Cubs, perhaps some memorable games, and hopefully some video for more recent players.
It would be too easy to post the entire list now, because my intention is to post an article on each of the 100 players, one each day for the next 100 days (with some days skipped for weekends and upcoming holidays). This will get us to, well, what will be the beginning of 2027 Spring Training — if it starts as scheduled, which, as you know, it might not.
I’ll give you some hints as to what you will see in this countdown. There will be 19th Century players you might not be familiar with. They’re still part of the grand sweep of 150 years of team history. There are 20 Hall of Famers — that is, the one in Cooperstown. There are 46 members of the Cubs Hall of Fame on this Top 100 list, and some who will eventually join them there who are not yet eligible.
There are also several players on this Top 100 list who were active players with the Cubs in 2026.
That’s all the hints you get. The countdown starts tomorrow with No. 100.
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 07: Spencer Jones #78 of the New York Yankees scores a run in the third inning during Game Three of the American League Division Series presented by Booking.com between the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, October 7, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The baseball postseason makes space for the unpredictable, but sometimes, it also brings to light what was clear all along. The Milwaukee Brewers won the World Series and deserved every bit of it. They were seen as the most likely squad to derail the Dodgers’ hopes of a threepeat, and ultimately they ran roughshod over the National League and beat the Rays to win it all. They did what they were expected to do based on a full season of excellence, and in fact, despite how MLB’s playoffs traffic in tiny samples, this postseason mostly served to highlight the obvious flaws in many would-be contenders, particularly in the American League, which only really produced a couple teams that impressed in 2026.
First off, let’s start with an easy one regarding the Houston Astros, who in no way, shape, or form had a rotation that even remotely belonged in a playoff setting. Two games are just that, but the White Sox piling up 13 runs to sweep Houston in the AL Wild Card round felt justified given how poor Houston’s pitching was all year. In the series that followed, which pitted Chicago against Cleveland, there was no rhyme or reason to the AL Central race this season. It was a continuous cycle of mediocrity with no team capable of capitalizing on a weak field, and fittingly, the Guardians and White Sox delivered a back-and-forth series in the most bizarre way possible, with the road team winning the first four games before Cleveland completed comeback from down 2-0 with a win in Game 5.
Now, we move on to the more important narratives in the AL East that were confirmed in the playoffs. Through 162 games, the Yankees survived Aaron Judge’s absence in large part thanks to Ben Rice’s glorious campaign and a dynamite pitching staff. Still, the offense was an issue for most the season, and it was let down by the likes of Trent Grisham and Jazz Chisholm Jr., who had in the past done enough for us to expect more from them but crashed and burned at the plate in 2026.
Who knew that in a playoff setting against their toughest divisional adversary, the support around Rice wouldn’t be enough against a Tampa offense that would deliver a professional at-bat after a professional at-bat against the Yankees’ outstanding rotation? The fear heading into the ALDS for the Yankees was that their pitching staff would need to be perfect, and anything short would result in failure, and that’s exactly what happened. The Rays averaged 3.3 runs per game in three wins against the Yankees in the ALDS, doing just enough to damage the Yankees’ pitching while their offense floundered. Rice did his part and then some, but one hitter can only accomplish so much if no one around is getting on base.
If we take a step back, the Wild Card series against the Red Sox outlined similar but more egregious faults with the Red Sox offense. Their Ben Rice was Willson Contreras, who, granted, has upped his hitting game significantly since moving full-time to first but is not in the same class, and Boston’s lineup didn’t have the depth that even the Yankees had, ultimately putting up just two runs in two playoff games. It’s actually amusing in a tragicomic way that one of the more disappointing stretches of contending playoff baseball for the Yankees has involved battering the Red Sox in October twice.
Lastly and perhaps most importantly, at least in the grand scheme of things, the inferior product of the American League was exposed in the World Series with the Brewers beating the Rays in five. Sure, things could have gone differently in a short series, with the Brewers eeking out one-run wins in the first two games. But Milwaukee was the better team all year, was the consensus favorite heading into the World Series, and was in total control for almost the entire series. The championship felt emblematic of the year that was in MLB, with the NL leaving the AL in the dust all year. The postseason as a whole felt representative. Though they aren’t every year, at least in 2026, the playoffs shined a light on what every team was this season.
ARLINGTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 22: Ezequiel Duran #20 of the Texas Rangers looks to the dugout during a game against the New York Mets at Globe Life Field on September 22, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The D/FW chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America has announced their selections for the various team awards for 2026.
Ezequiel Duran, who started the season with his roster spot in question, has been named the 2026 Player of the Year for the Texas Rangers. Duran appeared in 153 games and had 597 plate appearances, slashing .260/.320/.419 while playing every position except catcher and pitcher. He led the team in bWAR, at 4.2, and won the American League Gold Glove for the utility position.
Jacob Latz, who started the season vying for a spot in the rotation and ended the year as the team’s closer, has been named the 2026 Pitcher of the Year for the Texas Rangers. Latz put up a 2.13 ERA in 72 innings over 58 games, logging 30 saves and being named to the All Star team this past summer.
Peyton Gray has been named the team’s Rookie of the Year for 2026. Gray put up a 3.86 ERA in 49 appearances over 56 games as a middle reliever.
Justin Foscue was the winner of the Richard Durrett Hardest Working Ranger Award. Brandon Nimmo received the Harold McKinney Good Guy Award. Jake Burger received the Jim Sundberg Community Achievement Award. Elvis Andrus received the Mark Holtz Alumni Award.
Seven years ago, Cam Castro was a minor league pitching coach in the Milwaukee Brewers' system. Now, the Athletics want him to fix the one thing their rebuild has never been able to grow.
Castro's specialty is pitching. The A's need it badly.
They went 64-98 in 2026, their second season in a Triple-A ballpark in West Sacramento. Their pitchers gave up a franchise-record 247 home runs and walked 637 batters.
The A's have one more season there and then they move to Las Vegas in 2028.
Who is Cam Castro?
Castro never played in the majors. His resumes run through small-college dugouts.
He earned a legal studies degree from Lake Erie College, a Division II school in Painesville, Ohio, in 2012. From there he coached pitchers at Defiance College, where he also earned an MBA in sports management. He spent two summers coaching in the Northwoods League, a college summer circuit, and coached at Augustana University in South Dakota.
He also worked as a trainer at Driveline Baseball, the Seattle pitching lab best known for adding velocity.
What Cam Castro is credited with doing for the Milwaukee Brewers
The Brewers hired Castro in 2019 as a minor league pitching coach. He moved up to minor league pitching coordinator, then director of pitching development, then vice president in charge of player development.
Milwaukee has a reputation of fixing pitchers under Castro's leadership. The Brewers helped Kyle Harrison and Quinn Priester turn around their careers after acquiring them.
This fall, Castro was obviously part of the front office that produced Jacob Misiorowski and helped Milwaukee win its first World Series title in franchise history.
Why the A's think Castro is a good fit
The A's can hit. Nick Kurtz, Tyler Soderstrom, Jacob Wilson, Zack Gelof and Henry Bolte were all Athletics draft picks. Catcher Shea Langeliers came over from the Braves before he ever played in the majors.
But they have never been able to develop arms. The one exception is Mason Miller, who the A's traded to the San Diego Padres to continue to try and rebuild their prospect pool. MLB Trade Rumors reported that over the A's past 10 draft classes only Miller and reliever Hogan Harris have been worth even one win above replacement in the majors.
Who is Taylor Smith, Cam Castro's new boss?
Smith, 31, is the youngest head of baseball operations in the majors. The A's hired him Oct. 19. He had spent two seasons as an assistant GM with the Red Sox and seven years in the Rays' research and development department.
The search for a new president of baseball operations and GM began in August, when the A's and longtime GM David Forst agreed to part ways. Forst had been with the organization for 27 years, the last 11 as GM.
Smith and Castro now have one season to get the roster ready for Las Vegas. Manager Mark Kotsay made his wish list short.
Pitching "should be priority number one this offseason," Kotsay said after the season finale.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - OCTOBER 28: Brice Turang #2 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates with Cooper Pratt #12 after defeating the Tampa Bay Rays in the 2026 World Series at Tropicana Field on October 28, 2026 in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) | Getty Images
A little bit of a news dump this morning! Let’s start with some local awards for your favorite Brewers.
BBWAA Awards, Milwaukee Chapter
Today, the Milwaukee chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America announced the recipients of their end-of-season awards. A quick rundown below. How would you have voted?
Most Valuable Player: Brice Turang
No surprise here, as Turang was named a finalist for the NL MVP award earlier this week. The Brewer second baseman led the team in bWAR (7.3) and was second behind Jacob Misiorowski (more on him in a second) in fWAR (5.9). He was announced as the National League’s Gold Glove winner at second base on Sunday, and figures to at least be on the edge of the conversation for the Platinum Glove as well. Combine that with his well-rounded offensive game and good baserunning, and Turang was one of the best all-around players in baseball this season. This marks his second consecutive season as the team’s MVP.
Most Valuable Pitcher: Jacob Misiorowski
Once again, not surprising. Misiorowski is going to win the NL Cy Young, the only question is whether it will be unanimously or not. He led all pitchers with 6.6 fWAR, and was the major league leader in ERA (1.80), strikeouts (252), FIP (2.17), WHIP (0.802), strikeouts per nine (13.0), and with a mark of 4.9, had the lowest hits allowed per nine innings by a starting pitcher in the history of AL/NL baseball. While modern workloads suppressed his WAR numbers, it was, by rate statistics, one of the greatest seasons ever by a starting pitcher.
Most Valuable Newcomer: Cooper Pratt
The definition of “newcomer” here is, presumably, a player who had never played for the Brewers before this season, meaning that a player like Logan Henderson, who held rookie status but had pitched in the majors before this season, wouldn’t be eligible. Pratt, when considering his World Series run, seems the obvious answer here — he was basically exactly a league-average hitter during 74 regular season games, a massive win; the Brewers likely did not expect him to be a very good hitter in his first season. Then he went off during the World Series and made himself a legitimate candidate for World Series MVP. Pratt’s defense was a little shaky during the postseason run, but he played the position well in the regular season.
Other potential winners here include David Hamilton, who was solid if unspectacular during the regular season but then put together a monstrous postseason run of his own; Luis Lara, who struggled a bit at the plate but showed off his high ceiling as an outfielder and had a couple of very memorable hits; Kyle Harrison, who had a Jekyll-and-Hyde season but was outstanding in the first half; Shane Drohan, who struggled a bit down the stretch but ate a lot of important innings in a variety of roles for the Brewers this season; and JoJo Romero, who didn’t pitch a ton for the Brewers but became a reliable shutdown guy for the Brewers in the postseason.
Unsung Hero: Abner Uribe
Uribe had great numbers this season: in 59 1/3 innings, he had a 1.97 ERA and 2.68 FIP and saved six games. This went a bit under the radar as he was the number two guy to Trevor Megill in the bullpen, and Aaron Ashby’s brilliant postseason run overshadowed good postseasons from both Megill and Uribe. But having that solid Robin to Megill’s Batman all season made managing the bullpen easy for Pat Murphy and his assistants. We also got this:
This was kind of a team full of unsung heroes: others I might have considered include Henderson, who only made 18 starts but put up incredible numbers when he was in there; Robert Gasser, who was fourth on the team in innings pitched and then made three huge starts during the postseason run; Jake Bauers, who got plenty of attention but was the offensive metronome for the team all season; and, perhaps counterintuitively, William Contreras, who had — by his standards — a “just OK” regular season at the plate but did a great job managing the pitching staff before he kicked it into high gear in the playoffs.
Good Guy Award: Christian Yelich
One of the things I like best about this team is that there aren’t really players who are difficult to cheer for. Most of the team feel like good dudes who wouldn’t be hard to get along with.
Yelich is pretty clearly the leader (or captain, if you will) in that regard. He is generous with his time and money and has good rapport with all of the fan-facing Brewers media members who we see him interact with. It’s hard to know anything about the famous people we revere as heroes, but I’m pretty comfortable with Yelich getting this award.
Cam Castro named GM of the Athletics, Matt Kleine turns down Astros
Cam Castro, who was the Brewers’ senior vice president of player development and performance for the past two seasons, has been hired by the Athletics as their new general manager. Castro has been with the Brewers since 2019, where he started as a minor league pitching coach and quickly rose up the ranks. Before starting with the Brewers, Castro worked for Driveline Baseball, the well-known training program.
It’s not a surprise that other teams are looking to Milwaukee’s front office as they try to figure out some of their secrets for their own ballclubs; about a week ago, it was reported that Brewers assistant GM Matt Kleine was a finalist, perhaps the finalist, for the Astros’ opening at general manager. According to Adam McCalvy, Kleine turned down that job, while there are some whispers that it was partially a concern about whether Astros owner Jim Crane would meddle too much. Kleine may still be a candidate in Los Angeles, where the Angels have an opening for their top baseball ops job, though for now it looks like he’s staying in Milwaukee.
More front office news: A source says Brewers assistant GM Matt Kleine was offered the Astros’ GM job but after much deliberation he declined, deciding to stay in Milwaukee to try and run it back with the Brewers.
We’re going to have to get used to this as long as the Brewers are as successful as they have been. Hopefully the team can hang on to its most important pieces.
ATLANTA, GA - JULY 19: Tate Southisene speaks during a press conference at Truist Park on July 19, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With the start of the MLB season in jeopardy, and litany of issues to deal with, we turn our focus to the good which is the outstanding performances by Braves prospects in this years’s Arizona Fall League. The trio of positional prospects (Southisene, Carey, Drake) have all played very well while the pitchers, led by Briggs McKenzie, have found their form and have performed quite well themselves.
Fresh off their fantastic appearances last night (4IP 3H 0R 2BB 6K), Briggs McKenzie along with Tate Southisene (3-for-4, 2 RBI, 2 R, BB), were chosen to represent the National League in the game this Sunday.
Tate Southisene is headed to the Fall Stars Game!
The @Braves No. 3 prospect is batting .341 across 13 games this Fall. Over those 13 games, Southisene has five stolen bases. Catch Tate and the rest of the Fall Stars in action THIS SUNDAY at 6PM pic.twitter.com/MxvdOfIUnI
Tate Southisene has appeared in 13 games in the AFL and has hit .341/.482/.432 – picking up exactly where he stopped after he broke his hand following his Double-A debut. He’s shown impressive average exit velocities of 92 MPH, with a hard hit rate of 49%.
The Fall Stars game itself is this Sunday (11/8), at 8:00 PM ET. You’ll be able to tune in on MLB Network, or via stream on MLB.com
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 24: Jack Suwinski #14 of the Oklahoma City Comets jogs around the bases after hitting a solo home run during the fifth inning against the Sacramento River Cats at Sutter Health Park on July 24, 2026 in Sacramento, California (Photo by Scott Marshall/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Tampa Bay Rays made a slew of moves on Monday, November 2nd, as they added RHP Alexander Alberto and OF Jack Suwinski to the 40-man roster. The Rays also activated Jacob Melton, Ryan Pepiot, and Edwin Uceta from the 60-day Injured List; Jonathan Heasley was outrighted off the 40-man roster. Evan Reifert would have became a minor league free agent but he was traded to the Houston Astros for cash considerations and instead added to their 40-man roster. The Rays also resigned RHP Kodi Whitley to a minor league deal.
All of the moving and shaking leaves the Rays with 39 players on the 40-man roster.
Alberto, 25, has been in the Rays organization since signing as a teenager during the international signing period in 2019. Unfortunately, that meant that his professional debut was delayed due to the 2020 minor league season being cancelled for COVID. It took until 2021 for Alberto to make organizational debut in the DSL and the 6’8” hurler instantly showcased a plus arsenal but troubling command. Alberto’s command woes resulted him not reaching full season leagues until 2024.
Since then, his command has steadily improved while he dazzled with a fastball that touches triple digits. Last offseason, Alberto was eligible for the Rule 5 draft and the Chicago White Sox took a flyer but returned him back to the Rays before the end of camp. This past season, Alberto enjoyed the best year of his career as he dominated in Double-A and rose to Triple-A. However, the advanced hitters in Triple-A were able to signifcantly cut down Alberto’s K%. Overall, in 2026, Alberto had a 3.43 ERA | 3.80 FIP with a 28.6 K% & 9.9 BB% over 60.1 IP between Double-A and Triple-A. Alberto would have become a minor league free agent if the Rays didn’t add him to the 40-man roster.
Suwisnki, 28, has taken a very interesting route to the Rays 40-man roster this offseason. Originally drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 15th round of the 2016 draft, Suwisnki toiled away in the Friars system until being traded as one of three prospects to the Pittsburgh Pirates for infielder Adam Frazier at the 2021 deadline. Suwunski wasn’t the marquee prospect in the deal (that was Tucupita Marcano) but he quickly became the top player involved from either side.
The following year, Suwinski broke into the big leagues and accrued 1.1 fWAR over 106 games. In 2023, Suwinski had a career season as he belted 26 HR and hit .224/.339/.454, registering 112 wRC+ and accuring 2.6 fWAR. The wheels fell off in 2024, resulting in Suwinski losing his spot on the active roster. From 2024 through 2025, Suwinski hit .168/.271/.297 with 12 HR, registering a 58 wRC+ over 455 PA and accuring -1.8 fWAR. This past February, the Pirates designated Suwisnki for assignment and the Los Angeles Dodgers claimed him a week later.
Suwinski crushed the ball while in Triple-A for the Dodgers but never received a call to the big league roster, despite hitting .291/.386/.562 over 402 PA. Instead, the Tampa Bay Rays traded for him on August 3rd, in exchange for C Hunter Feduccia and promising pitching prospect Jacob Kmatz. During his time in Triple-A Durham, Suwisnki hit .231/.296/.300 over 143 PA.
Suwinski is eligible for arbitration so he’ll make more than the league minimum in 2027 if the Rays decide to tender him a contract; he is also out of options so he will have to make the Opening Day roster or be removed from the 40-man roster.
Next up for the Rays this offseason will be the November 17th deadline to add players to the 40-man roster from within the organization to protect them from the Rule-5 draft.
PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 13: Manager A.J. Ellis of the San Diego Padres during the Spring Breakout Game against the Athletics prospects at Peoria Sports Complex on March 13, 2025 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
According to Will Sammon at The Athletic, sources are reporting that the Mets are hiring A.J. Ellis as their major-league strategy coordinator. Ellis is coming from the San Diego Padres, where he had been a special assistant in the front office since 2019.
Ellis was a big-league catcher for eleven years, starting in 2008 with the Dodgers. He was Clayton Kershaw’s batterymate of choice for many years. He was traded to the Phillies in 2016, and played for the Marlins and Padres before retiring after the 2018 season. He was a part of the Padres team in 2018, while current Mets manager Andy Green was their manager. Even before retiring, Ellis was known for mentoring younger players, earning the moniker “Dad.”
In hiring Ellis and promoting Mariano Duncan, the Mets will have filled two coaching positions on the major-league team. They have yet to make an announcement about a replacement for director of hitting Jeff Albert.
The Boston Red Sox are stuck. If you’re the type of person who is content finishing third within the division and being bounced by your arch rivals in just a handful of games in back-to-back seasons, you might disagree. If you’re not an idiot, you know difficult decisions need to be made and that things need to change.
I’ve decided to task myself with analyzing which players can be part of the turnaround and which should be shown the door, all as a way to take the heat off chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. If you’re not down with that, I’ve got two words for ya: Problem or Solution?
The Red Sox undoubtedly went the cheap route by choosing not to extend themselves with Alex Bregman last offseason, which in turn forced them to get creative by shipping out Kyle Harrison, David Hamilton, and Shane Drohan for three infield options: wildly inconsistent utility man Andruw Monasterio, good-for-the-clubhouse-but-not-the-lineup utility man Anthony Seigler, and Gold Glove third baseman Caleb Durbin.
It’s not quite as simple as we’re making it sound, though.
Durbin was genuinely horrific early on in 2026. And while the numbers certainly swung back in his direction, the monthly breakdown raises questions of whether he should be the full-time third baseman moving forward or just another stop-gap in the sudden revolving door at the position:
I’ve been on rollercoasters with less peaks and valleys than that, so what is real and what still needs to be learned?
WHAT WE KNOW Boston doesn’t really have any options if it does want to move on…
Durbin is under contract through 2031, having just wrapped up his second season while being scheduled to make extremely short money for the next few seasons — making him one of the better values on the roster considering money is still owed to the likes of Trevor Story (through 2027), Masataka Yoshida (through 2027), Kristian Campbell (through 2032).
Durbin has also produced back-to-back seasons with an OPS+ of 101 — technically making him a top-12 third basemen in Major League Baseball. Eugenio Suárez, Alec Bohm, and Yoán Moncada are the biggest names on the free agent market but didn’t come close to having the same level of two-way production (at that price) last season. Si-Hwan Roh and Teruaki Sato are international free agents, but adding them to the roster would come with the risk of getting more expensive without any proven production.
It’s probably easier to stick to what you know, you know?
WHAT WE DON’T KNOW Roh, 26, comes over with a similar power-first, high-strikeout, poor-defense approach to that of last season’s prized international free agent — Chicago White Sox third baseman Munetaka Murakami.
Sato, 28, is extremely interesting as he’s coming off an MVP season for the NPB’s Hanshin Tigers.
If those are the best bats available prior to the lockout, perhaps they could be added and some roster shuffling could take place. If those are risks that the organization is unwilling to take, perhaps they address other needs while kicking the can down the road.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO
The Red Sox are going to stick with our guy here, so the best-case scenario is that he continues to develop and finds some consistency in a season where he’s fully healthy.
WORST-CASE SCENARIO Durbin’s pinky explodes four more times and he’s just a warm body at the plate.
CONCLUSION I find myself genuinely excited about a fully healthy season out of Durbin.
The Phillies did not extend the one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer to Alec Bohm, allowing their longtime third baseman to enter the open market without draft-pick compensation attached.
Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline passed without Philadelphia making the offer. The free-agent market officially opened at the same time, allowing Bohm and the rest of the class to negotiate and sign with any club.
Had Bohm accepted the offer, he would have returned for 2027 at more than twice the $10.2 million salary he earned this season. Had he declined and signed elsewhere, the Phillies would have received a compensatory draft pick after the fourth round because they exceeded the competitive-balance tax threshold.
Now, Bohm can sign elsewhere without draft-pick compensation returning to Philadelphia or a penalty being assessed to his new team.
As outlined in our free-agent focus on Bohm, the former third overall pick entered the offseason as one of the Phillies’ most complicated decisions.
Bohm finished 2026 batting .249 with 15 home runs, 29 doubles, 88 RBIs and a .698 OPS over 155 games. Those totals followed the worst start of his career. He was hitting .159 with a .433 OPS when Don Mattingly gave him two days out of the lineup in early May.
From May 9 through the end of the regular season, Bohm hit .274 with 14 homers, 73 RBIs and a .773 OPS. Extended across 162 games, that production translates to approximately 19 home runs and 99 RBIs.
He remained one of baseball’s most effective hitters with runners in scoring position, batting .347 in those situations. He is also one of seven right-handed hitters to drive in at least 85 runs during three of the last four seasons.
“If Alec is not back with us, those 90 runs he drives in every year will be missed,” president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said at the Phillies’ end-of-season press conference. “You’ll have to pick it up in other ways.”
The Phillies must weigh that production against Bohm’s limited power and defensive value at third base. Bryce Harper will return as their primary first baseman, while Bryson Stott and top prospect Aidan Miller give the organization other possibilities at third.
The decision does not rule out Bohm’s return. The Phillies can continue negotiating with him on a multiyear contract or at a lower annual salary.
Bohm made his preference clear after the Wild Card Series.
“I have no idea what to expect, but I’d love to be back,” he said.
Elsewhere, the Phillies announced several moves affecting their 40-man roster Monday. The Giants claimed infielders Brett Harris and Shay Whitcomb off waivers, while catcher Garrett Stubbs elected free agency. Right-handers Brad Keller and Caleb Kilian, infielder/outfielder Felix Reyes and outfielder Johan Rojas were reinstated from the 60-day injured list.
For now, Bohm will test the market for the first time without a qualifying offer affecting it. The Phillies were unwilling to risk bringing him back at $23.15 million. Whether they are willing to retain him at a different price remains unanswered.
