Author: MLB Baseball News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games

It would be fair to call 2026 a lost season for Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller. The 22-year-old shortstop starting suffering problems with his back in spring training and the injury kept him out of action practically all season, as Miller did not make his season debut in the Phillies minor leagues until late August. He underwent a procedure in June that was only partially effective, as he still had trouble dealing with the pain in his back that kept him from baseball activities. However, Miller recently revealed that a routine developed in conjunction with Tom Brady’s TB12 method has allowed him to remain pain free. It’s allowed him to thrust himself back into the picture for the Phillies and possibly reclaim his spot in the organization as a top prospect knocking on the door of the majors that he was in before the injury.

In the time Miller has been on the field in 2026, he has been extremely productive. Miller was 4-14 with three doubles and a stolen base in his abbreviated four games combined stint with Clearwater and Reading this year. He continued to play after the season ended in the Arizona Fall League, and so far, he has made up for lost time and then some. Through 12 games and 62 plate appearances in the AFL, Miller is hitting .359 with an 1.154 OPS. Six of his 14 hits have been for extra bases, and he has six stolen bases on seven attempts. The most important part though is that Miller claims he has been totally pain-free on the field.

There is still a long way to go before the possibility of Miller taking the field at Citizens Bank Park becomes closer to reality. Of course, there’s the issue of the impending lockout that threatens the start of the season, throwing the timeline for everything out of flux. Even if we assume Miller has recovered his status back to the point he was before 2026, it’s hard to envision that the Phillies would hand him a job on the MLB roster without at least seeing him with an extended look in spring training games. The clearest path to the majors for Miller is third base, as the Phillies currently do not employ an MLB third baseman with both Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa set to enter free agency. Bryson Stott is a possibility there again as he played the position post trade deadline this year, but the infield as a whole is in a state of flux. Trea Turner’s position at shortstop, Miller’s primary position, is tenuous at best as well. There’s also a scenario where Turner moves to second at some point in 2027, thus freeing up shortstop for Miller. In any case, Miller would be one of the top choices to take one of the potential open spots, but it would also behoove the Phillies to have a strong backup plan in the event Miller needs more time at Triple-A or has his back problems flare up again.

The status of much of the Phillies roster is still up in the air, as the team once again faces questions surrounding their roster construction. Miller is a part of that, and until we receive more clarity, it’s hard to definitively say what part he will play in the 2027 season, once again assuming the 2027 season happens at some point. So, what is the best-case scenario for Aidan Miller in 2027? Do you think he will be on the opening day roster?

Here’s hoping the Hot Stove season is blazing early on, because things sure will get chilly in baseball when the current CBA expires at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1, triggering a likely lockout that plunges the game into a quagmire. 

Until then, though, there’s the potential for offseason excitement. Your favorite team getting better! Big free agent signings! Savvy trades! Could be great. Could be all we have to console us through a long winter. 

So let’s get started with nine bold predictions for the Hot Stove. You will certainly love them. You will certainly hate them. 

Paredes parade?

He’s not the biggest name on the winter market, but Isaac Paredes could be one of the most intriguing, at least in New York. The Astros slugger fits either Gotham squad, so we love the idea of the Mets and Yankees competing to come up with the best trade package for him.

Paredes, a right-handed hitter who turns 28 in February, batted .262 with 25 home runs and 94 RBI for the Astros in 2026, enjoying the benefits of the Crawford Boxes in Houston. The Astros hold a $13.35 million option on Paredes or he goes to arbitration. Seems pretty clear they trigger it. He’s a free agent after 2027.

He played mostly third base for the Astros, so he could supplant Ryan McMahon, a disappointment there in the Bronx and help balance out that lefty-heavy lineup. In Queens, maybe Paredes slides over to first base (he’s got reps there) and provides punch.

Which team’s system could get a deal done?

Laborious

This isn’t so much a bold prediction as a sobering one – the labor situation seems likely to lead to missed games this time, something that hasn’t happened since the strike of 1994-95. Back then, two seasons lost games and there was no 1994 postseason. During the offseason between 2021 and 2022, there was a lockout and some early games were going to be canceled, but they were put back on a revamped schedule that started late.

Now, the start of spring training and Opening Day seem like natural deadlines that could spur movement in the talks.

But The Athletic has reported that MLB’s national broadcast contracts would extend a year to 2029 if the sport misses 60 games from each team’s slate. Considering MLB would probably want to negotiate new, presumably more lucrative, national TV deals and have them go into effect as soon as possible, the 60-game mark might offer another deadline of sorts. Maybe the real one.

Welcome back?

The Yanks parted with advisor Omar Minaya last week, which perhaps opens the way for the Mets to bring back their former GM, who led their front office from 2004-10. He was instrumental in adding stars to the Mets team that went to the NLCS in 2006.

Minaya, with a scouting background and a knack for bold moves, could be a nice complement to the front office in Queens. 

We have contact!

Every year, you can count on Yankees fans bemoaning their favorite team’s lack of a diversified offense in the playoffs. It’s as regular as the fall reappearance of pumpkin spice lattes at your fave coffee spot. 

Allow us to suggest a potential solution: Sign Luis Arraez, a terrific bat-to-ball hitter who does not strike out. He’s not perfect, but there really aren’t any perfect baseball moves, are there? 

Stop fretting over what he supposedly can’t do – play defense, run the bases expertly, etc. (Hey, he’s a better second baseman now after working with infield guru Ron Washington in San Francisco). Start dreaming on what Arraez does – put the ball in play and bat .300-plus. Maybe he’s the guy who slaps a few RBI singles that get the Yanks out of the ALDS muck.

S’all Goodman

It will take some creative maneuvering to change the current pinstriped mojo, right? Time to be, ahem, bold, Brian Cashman. Years ago, the Yankees enjoyed big offense from their catching. Time to bring that back in a trade for 27-year-old Hunter Goodman of the Rockies, who slammed 41 homers this past season and isn’t a free agent until 2030.

Goodman is a righty hitter, which the Yanks need, and they’ve been good at developing catcher’s defensive skills. Goodman is powerful, young, and under control, so he won’t be cheap. And he’s no Coors Field creation, either – he hit 25 homers on the road this year, the most in MLB.

The Yankees could put their current catcher, Austin Wells, into a package of players – Wells is the same age as Goodman – and spruce up the deal with Will Warren or prospects such as Dax Kilby, Elmer Rodriguez, and Carlos LaGrange. Heck, let the Rockies pick a prospect – they were wise enough to get TJ Rumfield from the Yanks last year in a deal for reliever Angel Chivilli. Rumfield led the NL with a .390 OBP in 2026. 

Shop Senga

Sure was fun when the Mets, out of ideas on what to do with a flailing Kodai Senga, slipped him into a high-leverage bullpen role for the final two months of 2026. He converted eight of nine save chances and gave off closer vibes with his heater and ghost fork. 

The Mets need bullpen arms for 2027, but the better move here might be to find a closer-needy team and swap Senga for other help. Or a club looking for a reclamation project for their rotation – Senga still wants to start, you know. 

Whatever the case, the Mets know how bad it can get with him – even with his reliever turn, he finished ‘26 with a 7.34 ERA.

The Mets sign Tarik Skubal

The Mets give the No. 1 free agent in an otherwise-iffy market the No. 1 pitching contract in baseball history, eclipsing the Yoshinobu Yamamoto-Dodgers deal (12 years, $325 million) from before the 2024 season. Excellent starting pitching is the No. 1 Met need and this only costs money (yes, we know it’s a lot of moola).

You’ve probably heard many Mets fans clamoring for Skubal and plenty of folks who talk about baseball for a living saying the Mets should go big here (guilty!). So how is this a bold prediction? Here’s how: This would give the Mets the biggest position player deal (Juan Soto) and pitcher deal ever. There’s always injury risk and Skubal’s had those woes. And their baseball ops majordomo, David Stearns, doesn’t profile as a guy who likes to give out mega pitching contracts.

It’s time, though. The Mets have won the World Series exactly twice. Sustained success is a cozy concept, but every single contract can’t be solely about "value" and avoiding down seasons at the back end of the deal.

Dealin’ Dodgers

Skubal to the Mets is a seismic shakeup at the top of the pitching market and elicits a response from the team Skubal leaves, the Dodgers. They get their rotation replacement by flexing their mighty farm system – what, you thought we were going to say wallet? – and making a trade for one of the best pitchers in baseball:

Drew Rasmussen.

The Rays triggered their $20 million option for Rasmussen, who had a 2.67 ERA in the regular season and added a 2.20 ERA in the postseason. The Rays, according to MLB Trade Rumors, have never paid a player $20 million for one season. With one season of control, he’s exactly the kind of player the Rays use to restock, and he brings a haul from a lush Los Angeles minor league system, which was ranked first by MLB Pipeline even after the Dodgers dealt for Skubal.

Angels in the market

The Angels have not had a winning record since 2015. They have a new owner, Stan Kroenke of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, who has been wildly successful in sports ownership, winning championships in the NFL, NBA, NHL and the English Premier League, among others.

They must add talent to Mike Trout and a 62-100 team, so they shop vigorously and splurge on the free agent market. They sign Jazz Chisholm Jr. to a short-term deal where he can build up his value after a disappointing platform year, delivering on his star potential.

They ink Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato to hit tanks and play third base. The Angels have had Japanese stars before, you might recall. And they add Freddy Peralta to a starting rotation topped by Reid Detmers and Walbert Ureña.

The AL West is winnable, even for a bad team in need of a refresh.

Elly De La Cruz, CJ Abrams among 10 potential Red Sox trade targets originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox enter the offseason with two glaring needs: a slugger and a Sonny Gray replacement.

We’ve covered the hitters and pitchers they should target in free agency, but it might make more sense for chief baseball officer Craig Breslow and Co. to improve the roster via the trade market.

So, who are the biggest names expected to be on the block this winter? Below are 10 potential trade candidates who would be great fits for Boston:

Elly De La Cruz, SS, Cincinnati Reds

2026 stats: .283/.365/.515, 30 HR, 79 RBI, 30 SB, 175 SO, 72 BB (143 games)

De La Cruz should be at the top of Boston’s offseason wish list, but is he a realistic target?

The Reds would almost certainly want a haul of top prospects in return for the electrifying 24-year-old. It would have been much easier for the Red Sox to complete such a deal had they not sent four of their top 10 prospects — RHP Anthony Eyanson, RHP Kyson Witherspoon, OF Enddy Azocar, and OF Harold Rivas — to the Baltimore Orioles for Adley Rutschman before the trade deadline

It’s hard to picture a scenario in which the Reds accept a Red Sox offer for De La Cruz that excludes their No. 1 prospect, shortstop Franklin Arias. It would likely take Arias, one or two more top-ranked prospects (Justin Gonzales? Franklin Primera?) and an MLB player (Wilyer Abreu?) to get Cincinnati to even consider sending De La Cruz to Boston. Even then, it may not be enough.

CJ Abrams, SS, Washington Nationals

2026 stats: .261/.336/.497, 33 HR, 106 RBI, 34 SB, 158 SO, 57 BB (152 games)

Like De La Cruz, Abrams would be extremely costly, and trade discussions would likely begin with Arias.

Abrams is coming off a sensational All-Star season in D.C., during which he set career highs in every major offensive category. However, his defense at shortstop left plenty to be desired. He committed 20 errors and finished the 2026 campaign with -17 Outs Above Average.

If the Red Sox were to acquire Abrams, they could move him to second base and shift Curtis Mead (also a poor defender) to the primary designated hitter role. Arias or Trevor Story would begin the 2027 season as Boston’s starting shortstop.

Note: Jim Bowden of The Athletic reported on Tuesday that the Red Sox are expected to pursue De La Cruz and Abrams this offseason.

Jeremy Pena, SS, Houston Astros

2026 stats: .277/.325/.477, 22 HR, 56 RBI, 12 SB, 116 SO, 24 BB (112 games)

This could be the Astros’ last chance to capitalize on Pena’s value as one of the league’s premier shortstops, with the 29-year-old scheduled to hit free agency after the 2027 season.

Pena would give the Red Sox the right-handed pop they so desperately need. Injuries are a concern, as he missed time in each of the last two seasons, but the former World Series MVP is a stellar all-around player when healthy.

If Arias isn’t traded, he could move to second base while Pena takes over as Boston’s starting shortstop.

Zach Neto, SS, Los Angeles Angels

2026 stats: .239/.330/.436, 27 HR, 77 RBI, 24 SB, 215 SO, 70 BB (157 games)

Yet another slugging middle infielder for Boston to consider, Neto was heavily linked to the Red Sox before the trade deadline. In fact, the club’s reported interest in the 25-year-old dates back to last winter, when the Angels’ asking price was sky-high.

That price remained high before this year’s trade deadline, and the Angels held on to Neto despite being arguably the worst team in baseball. If L.A. is willing to lower that price this offseason, Boston should revisit trade discussions.

Neto can flat-out rake, and his power is exactly what the Red Sox need in the middle of their lineup. He isn’t a good defender, though, and his high strikeout rate (30.5 percent) is a red flag.

Bryce Harper, 1B/OF/DH, Philadelphia Phillies

2026 stats: .269/.380/.485, 29 HR, 87 RBI, 148 SO, 107 BB (162 games)

It’s unclear whether the Phillies would entertain trading Harper. Even if they would, Harper would then have to waive his full no-trade clause.

If Harper is available, he’d be a perfect fit for a Boston club that has lacked star power in recent years. The two-time MVP and nine-time All-Star’s track record speaks for itself, even as he enters his age-34 season. He’s still one of the league’s most feared sluggers.

Harper’s fit with the Red Sox would depend on what other moves are made in the offseason. For instance, Harper would take over in right field if Wilyer Abreu is moved, or at first base if Willson Contreras is dealt. He’d presumably spend time as the DH as well.

Ketel Marte, 2B, Arizona Diamondbacks

2026 stats: .249/.316/.432, 22 HR, 76 RBI, 86 SO, 51 BB (141 games)

The Red Sox reportedly declined to trade LHP Connelly Early (later sent to Nationals for Mead) and SS Marcelo Mayer (sent to Giants for Erik Miller) for Marte last offseason. In hindsight, that would have been a great deal for Boston.

Craig Breslow and Co. should get another shot to acquire Marte this offseason, especially after another bizarre year for the veteran infielder in Arizona. In August, Marte was an unexplained no-show for a game against Boston. He was placed on the restricted list and later the injured list with a knee issue.

At this point, Marte might just need a change of scenery. If that happens with Boston, he’d slot in as the starting second baseman and one of the most feared bats in the lineup. Mead would become the Sox’ primary DH.

Hunter Greene, SP, Cincinnati Reds

2026 stats: 2-2, 6.83 ERA, 1.373 WHIP, 33 SO, 9 BB, 27.2 IP (five starts)

Greene missed most of the 2026 season due to elbow injuries and underwent Tommy John surgery that will sideline him for all of 2027. He wouldn’t address Boston’s need for an immediate Sonny Gray replacement, but it’s an opportunity to buy low on one of the game’s most talented right-handed pitchers.

In 2025, Greene posted a 2.76 ERA and 0.938 WHIP with 132 strikeouts in 19 starts. In 2024, he earned his first All-Star nod and some Cy Young votes with a 2.75 ERA and 1.018 WHIP in 26 starts.

The hard-throwing 27-year-old would be an excellent addition to an already-strong Red Sox rotation once he’s healthy. While Boston should still look for a reliable arm to replace Gray in 2027, it can afford to wait a year for Greene’s return.

Joe Ryan, SP, Minnesota Twins

2026 stats: 7-10, 3.79 ERA, 1.161 WHIP, 159 SO, 31 BB, 144.2 IP (27 starts)

The Red Sox were reportedly willing to trade Arias and Payton Tolle to the Twins for Ryan before the 2025 deadline. Sometimes, the best moves are the ones you don’t make.

That said, Ryan would still be a welcome addition to the Red Sox rotation. Boston needs a right-hander to replace Gray, who’s a free agent after an outstanding season as Boston’s de facto ace. With Garrett Crochet returning from injury, Payton Tolle emerging as a legitimate front-end arm, and Ranger Suarez in the mix, Ryan shouldn’t have to be anything more than a solid mid-rotation starter.

Ryan is arbitration-eligible this offseason and is scheduled to become a free agent in 2028.

Jacob deGrom, SP, Texas Rangers

2026 stats: 11-11, 4.20 ERA, 1.137 WHIP, 201 SO, 46 BB, 162.2 IP (31 starts)

The Red Sox acquired a 36-year-old Sonny Gray from the Cardinals last offseason, and Gray went on to produce Cy Young-caliber numbers with Boston. If Breslow wants to make a similar move for a talented, aging veteran pitcher this winter, deGrom stands out as an intriguing option.

DeGrom, 38, notched a 4.20 ERA and 3.11 FIP with the Rangers last season. Gray (4.28 ERA, 3.39 FIP) put up similar numbers in his last season with St. Louis.

Although his days as a perennial Cy Young candidate are probably over, deGrom would be a fascinating addition to Boston’s rotation. The Red Sox are currently heavy on left-handers, so a proven righty like deGrom would be the perfect fit.

Ivan Herrera, DH/C, St. Louis Cardinals

2026 stats: .261/.336/.497, 33 HR, 106 RBI, 34 SB, 158 SO, 57 BB (152 games)

Herrera is coming off his first All-Star season. With a crowded catcher depth chart, the Cardinals could look to capitalize on the 26-year-old’s value this winter.

If Herrera is indeed made available in trade talks, he’d be one of the most attractive right-handed-hitting options. He’d almost certainly serve as the DH in Boston, with Adley Rutschman and Connor Wong behind the dish. Herrera has graded poorly as a defensive catcher since entering the league in 2022.

MLB Awards finalists were announced on Monday for the 2026 season. For the Braves, Chris Sale is a finalist for NL Cy Young and Walt Weiss is a finalist for Manager of the Year. Both are certainly deserving to be finalists, as both Sale and Weiss were major factors in the Braves returning to form in the 2026 season. In terms of chances to win, Weiss likely has a better chance than Sale. As November progresses, we will find out which Braves continued to get recognized for their 2026 performance.

Braves News

The Braves claimed left hander Mitchell Parker from the Nationals on Monday. Parker came up as a starting pitcher but was moved to the bullpen in 2026. The numbers were not encouraging for Parker, so it will be interesting to see if he lasts the offseason with the Braves.

Ted Turner was included as a finalist in the Contemporary Baseball era ballot for 2027.

MLB News

Eight players were recipients of qualifying offers for 2027.

The Cubs reportedly want to add Tarik Skubal in free agency.

Abraham Núñez
Center Fielder
6´2´´
175 pounds
Age: 21
2024 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking37
2025 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 52
2026 South Side Sox Top Prospect Ranking 83
2026 High Level Kannapolis (Low-A)
Age relative to high level -0.3 years
SSS rank among all center fielders in the system 9
Overall 2026 stats 63 games ⚾️ 5 HR ⚾️ 22 RBI ⚾️ .270/.356/.395 ⚾️ 29 BB ⚾️ 59 K ⚾️ 17-of-27 (63.0%) SB ⚾️ .975 FLD ⚾️ 1.0 WAR

Abraham Núñez was a Jan. 15, 2023 signing out of the Dominican Republic as a 17-year-old, and he hit the ground running in his first pro season.

The son of former Royal and Marlin Abraham Sr., Junior posted a .299/.427/.442 line in his DSL debut along with a .869 wOBA and a 136 wRC+. As that swollen on-base percentage suggests, his plate discipline numbers were also stout: Núñez walked in just fewer than 18% of his 185 PAs while striking out in just 12%. He did have a 70% contact rate and a SwStr% of 17%, so he didn’t go without whiffs, it just appears that Núñez was apt at putting the ball in play with two strikes. The lefty featured some pull-side pop as well with a line drive rate at 26%. Núñez also stole 12 bags and played 43 games in the outfield (32 in center field) without making an error.

One year later, Núñez moved Stateside and held steady, albeit with a more muted performance. Núñez logged a similar speedy profile as ascendant star ACL teammate Javier Mogollón, but without any of Mogollón’s power. Núñez’s slugging percentage fell short of .400, and sat worse than his on-base. Concerning, but that’s what the weight room is for, right?

The 2025 season, Núñez’s first in full-season pro ball, continued some worrisome, downward trends. Again, his slugging was waifish and unbecoming even for a center-field speedster. And it’s not as if Núñez was some sort of dastardly demon on the basepaths: Swiping two-thirds of the bags he attempts is actually a poor showing.

Núñez repeated Kannapolis in 2026, and fared much better, recovering some gap power and running up a 270/.356/.395 slash that prevented him from slipping out of our Top 100 entirely. What is becoming a bigger concern than on-field performance is his tendency toward injury; 2026 represented the second straight year Núñez couldn’t even get into 70 games, as he started the year on the IL and later missed a month in the second half of the season.

Núñez will be moved up to Winston-Salem in 2027, as there is little point to placing any player in Low-A ball for more than two summers. With the Dash, Núñez will be age-appropriate for High-A, and the White Sox will give him plenty of run in Winston-Salem. If his offensive uptick was a mirage or the injury bug bites again, Núñez will move from an intriguing prospect to an expendable one.

Full 2027 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox ProspectsStorystream

Meet the Mets

Carson Benge was deservedly named a finalist for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.

Anthony DiComo explained why this is a crucial offseason for David Stearns, who is entering his fourth year as the team’s President of Baseball Operations.

The Mets made a series of minor moves that coincided with the beginning of free agency, including claiming Jack Anderson and Pierson Ohl from the Twins and Rockies, respectively.

New York also signed Christian Cairo to a one-year, major league contract.

Joe DeMayo shared his list of the club’s Top 30 prospects.

You can now vote for Nolan McLean for a Platinum Glove.

Sandy Alderson is on the Hall of Fame ballot for the Contemporary Baseball Era.

The Mets, who typically put single-game tickets on sale in December or January, have decided to move that up to November 12. Gee, I wonder why?

Around the National League East

Cristopher Sánchez and Chris Sale were named finalists for the NL Cy Young Award.

Don Mattingly and Walt Weiss were named finalists for the NL Manager of the Year Award.

Jhoan Duran was named a finalist for the NL Reliever of the Year Award.

The Braves have a few offseason needs, and Mark Bowman put those needs up to a vote to see what fans would do.

The Nationals designated José Tena for assignment.

The Marlins claimed Cameron Weston off waivers from the Mets.

Want to feel old? The Marlins signed Robinson Cano Jr. to a $1 million deal.

Around Major League Baseball

The finalists were announced for several major awards, including the Most Valuable Player Awards, the Cy Young Awards, the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Awards, the Manager of the Year Awards, and the Relief Pitcher of the Year Awards.

The ESPN staff discussed some of the offseason buzz ahead of free agency.

As part of that buzz, Jeff Passan is reporting that the Cubs badly want Tarik Skubal, and they may represent the Dodgers’ stiffest competition in the race.

The CBS Sports staff predicted where Skubal would land, with one of the three writers saying he would end up with the Mets.

Keith Law analyzed what he is calling the weakest free agent class in recent memory.

21 additional players hit free agency.

Eight players received qualifying offers, including a couple of players who could potentially be targeted by the Mets.

Noticeably absent from the list was Jazz Chisholm Jr., who did not receive a Qualifying Offer from the Yankees.

Ken Rosenthal wrote about the tight timeline for Japanese players who are being posted ahead of the MLB lockout.

The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee announced their candidates for Cooperstown.

Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were in a Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn yesterday as their trial began. They are facing four criminal counts related to pitch rigging. Sam Blum shared a guide to the trial.

The Diamondbacks have a lot of questions to answer this offseason, but the one that is at the forefront of everyone’s mind is: What will they do with Ketel Marte?

Former Met Watch: The Rangers added José Buttó via waiver claim from the Giants.

The Cubs signed Jacob Webb to a one-year deal with a team option for 2028.

The Orioles declined their option on Ryan Mountcastle, while Heston Kjerstad cleared waivers and was outrighted.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Brian Salvatore eulogized Jerry Koosman.

Lukas Vlahos argued that the Mets should not sign Tarik Skubal.

Steve Sypa reviewed Week Four of the Arizona Fall League.

This Date in Mets History

After winning World Series MVP honors, Ray Knight appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated on this date in 1986.

Something had to give with Brayan Bello in the early days of summer.

After a handful of bad starts throughout the first few months of the year were interspersed with a few strong bulk appearances out of the bullpen, the right-handed pitcher absolutely imploded during a rubber game on Thursday, June 4, at Fenway Park. The Baltimore Orioles immediately jumped on him for a six pack of earned runs in the first inning. Bello eventually coughed up another pair of runs—both earned—to end with a line of seven hits and three walks surrendered across five frames. He hit one guy with a pitch, too, in case you needed any extra convincing as to how bad of a game it was for number 66.

It was the straw (or, I suppose group of eight straws?) that broke the camel’s back. Bello’s ERA on the year had ballooned to 6.34 across 61 innings following that loss to the O’s, which was actually the second instance in the first half where Baltimore charged him for eight earned. He wasn’t working deep enough into games, and he had made his frustrations with that fact clear on at least one public occasion. He was adamant that his struggles as a starter (and his relative successes as a reliever) were not indicative of any trends, per The Athletic.

“First of all, just stop talking about bullpen and starting games. I’ve always been a starter, and when I’ve been successful as a starter, no one asks your question (about) whether I have to be in the bullpen or starting games. So, just starting from there, just stop that talk, because I’m just having a bad season…I know that I can turn it around.”

Not exactly the type of stuff you want to see or hear from the guy who figured to be playing an important role in your pennant aspirations, as evidenced by the eight-figure deal that he was given a few years ago.

CBO Craig Breslow must’ve agreed, because he made a drastic decision soon after the most recent Bello blowup: the 27-year-old was being sent back down to the minors. As he explained via MassLive…

“But one of the things that we messaged to him was, when I first got here, he was a guy who had this big personality. He always had a smile on his face, interacting with his teammates and you could tell loved to compete and loved to pitch. And I think we’ve lost that a little bit where he was putting a ton of pressure on himself go out and perform. So one of the things we asked him to do was to fall in love with baseball all over again—to go down, to compete. But to kind of remember why he loved playing this game.”

As we all know by now, that trip to and from Worcester must’ve ironed something out in Bello’s game. He came back with a vengeance about a month after his early June disaster. After surrendering eight earned runs in five innings on June 4 prior to his demotion, Bello gave up a total of eight earned runs in 33.2 innings across nine appearances between July 12 and August 29 (and half of those eight runs came in that August 29 game against the Yankees). As OTM’s very own Jacob Roy (probably the smartest guy you could read on here—certainly smarter than me, that’s for sure) pointed out a few months back, Bello was able to tweak his pitch mix and deliver with more velocity—which is especially interesting since he’s never been a notable velo guy—en route to cutting his walk rate down and notching his strikeout rate up. It was complete night and day stuff, and it came not a moment too soon.

It’s gotta be easier to fall back in love with the game once you’re cookin’ again, right? It’s an unfair game at times, baseball, but it’s got to be like a drug once you find your groove again. Bello’s a guy who can wear his heart on his sleeve, so it was a pleasure to see him back in his element. Distance makes the heart grow fonder; I wonder if that stint with the WooSox helped Bello appreciate the big moments where he was able to deliver for the big club even more.

After a terrible start to the season, Bello was able to get his ERA down to 4.33 and his ERA+ up to 94. Those aren’t impressive numbers at face value, sure, but they’re more indicative of the strides he was able to make after his stint in AAA. He deserves a ton of credit for bouncing back in the manner that he did; I’m proud that he was able to do that for us. How Bello can build on this rebound in 2027 and beyond remains to be seen, but he was able to salvage something from 2026 at the very least. His attitude changed alongside his performance, too.

I thought it while it happened, and it’s worth repeating now: Maybe that option down to Worcester was the best thing that could’ve happened to Brayan Bello this year.

R1: Walter Johnson

In the biggest landslide since Ronald Reagan in 1980, Walter Johnson was voted the greatest Washington Senator of all time. Had this been a poll for “greatest pitcher of all time”, he’d still have gotten votes. Truly one of the all-time greats.

Up next: Another fleet-footed, defensive-whiz gamer.

Round 2

• Sam Rice (1915-1933): 2,889 H, 479 2B, 183 3B, 346 SB, .323 BA, .804 OPS, 113 OPS+, 54.1 bWAR. An outfielder who hit left-handed but threw right-handed, Rice was the ultimate speed-and-contact player for the Senators. After a stint in the U.S. Navy and a stop with the Petersburg Goobers of the Virginia League, he twice led the league in hits, once in stolen bases, and once in three-baggers. His career hit total—2,987—remains the closest to 3k of any retired player without reaching that milestone, a fact that may have kept him out of the HOF until the Veteran’s Committee voted him aboard in 1963. Perhaps best known for a controversial catch in the 1925 World Series.

• Goose Goslin (1921-1930, 1933, 1938): 1,659 H, 289 2B, 125 3B, 127 HR, 932 RBI, 117 SB, .323 BA, .888 OPS, 131 OPS+, 43.4 bWAR. A farm kid from New Jersey introduced to the sport via town ball, Leon Allen Goslin was given the nickname “Goose” when his penchant for waving his arms while tracking spheres in LF looked waterfowl-ish. Goose ultimately had the last laugh, winning an AL batting crown in 1928 and taking home the RBI distinction in 1924. His game was a mix of powerful contact and a little speed—twice leading the circuit in dashes to 3B. Four times he finished top-10 in AL MVP voting, and his six consecutive hits in the 1924 World Series helped the Senators nab their first title. The HOF Veteran’s Committee inducted him in 1968. A year later, severe abdominal burns from falling asleep on his couch while smoking a cigar led to Goslin’s larynx being removed and his death in 1971.

• Joe Judge (1915-1932): 2,291 H, 421 2B, 157 3B, 210 SB, .299 BA, .802 OPS, 115 OPS+, 48.3 bWAR. As a batsman, Judge was functional and fleet. But in an era known for shoddy defense with bad baseballs and awkward hand-wear, Judge was a consummate glove-man at the first sack. At retirement, he led the American League in fielding percentage, putouts, assists, total chances, & double plays. The kid from Brooklyn—discovered by his block’s postal worker, who gave young Joe his first glove—preserved Walter Johnson’s only MLB no-hitter with a fantastic snare for the final out in 1920. Ironically, he effectively ended the Big Train’s career in 1927 when he smashed a BP bottle-rocket into the hurler’s shin and broke his ankle. Judge died at the age of 68 in 1963 while shoveling snow outside of his D.C. home.

• Buddy Myer (1925-1927, 1929-1941): 1,828 H, 305 2B, 113 3B, 118 SB, .303 BA, .801 OPS, 109 OPS+, 42.3 bWAR. A college baseball star at Mississippi State, Myer was the Nick Punto of his era—bouncing around multiple infield positions as a proto-utility player. At the plate he was known for a keen eye, with OBPs routinely at .370+ (including five .400+ OBP years). Buddy’s 1935 season was his apex, seeing him take home a batting title (.349), score & drive in 100 runs, and finish 4th in MVP voting to slugger Hank Greenberg. Never one to back down from a challenge, the diminutive (5’10”) Myer once brawled with Ben Chapman (surprise, surprise) when Chapman spiked Myer and hurled antisemitic insults at him—leading to fans charging the field and multiple disorderly conduct arrests.

• Clyde Milan (1907-1922): 2,100 H, 1,004 R, 495 SB, .285 BA, .706 OPS, 109 OPS+, 40.8 bWAR. Before Ty Cobb re-wrote the record books for speed on the base paths, Clyde “Deerfoot” Milan was the gold standard of stolen bases. Twice leading the American League in bags swiped (88 in 1912; 75 in 1913), Milan averaged 40 steals per season over his 16-year MLB career. What Clyde lacked in Dead Ball Era power numbers (17 career round-trippers) he made up for by choking up on the lumber and compiling a .353 career on-base percentage. In 1911-1913 he garnered three consecutive top-9 AL MVP finishes. Milan could man all three OF stations and often led the league in assists, double plays & Range Factor. A high error total speaks as much to Clyde’s ability to even have a chance at suppressing more flying spheres than his contemporaries.

Good morning, Purple Row!

Here’s what’s going on with the Colorado Rockies and the rest of Major League Baseball.

Rockies news & links

Rockies new pitching coach Ethan Katz faces tall task in reviving Colorado’s struggling arms | Denver Post ($)

As we reported yesterday afternoon, the Rockies announced that Ethan Katz will be their new pitching coach. In his article, Newman reviews Katz’s history and notes the challenges he will face in coaching for the Rockies given the team’s history, lack of rotational depth, and challenging environment.

New White Sox pitching coach Ethan Katz is in constant contact with his starters | The Athletic ($ — gift link)

Yesterday, sdcarp shared this in the comments, but I found it instructive even though this article was written in 2021. It provides a sense of how Katz works (or did then) as a coach. Also, he has an impressive list of players he’s coached.

And, FYI

Picking every MLB team’s MVP, Cy Young and Rookie of the Year in 2026 | Bleacher Report

Hunter Goodman, Tomoyuki Sugano, and TJ Rumfield, come on down!

As for me, I’ll have an article up later today on some technology the Rockies are using in addition to Catapult.

Accolades

TJ Rumfield may have been denied the Gold Glove or even playing in the NL Rookie of the Year voting, but let’s take a minute to appreciate the work of Ethan Hedges (No. 29 PuRP).

Around MLB

2026-27 top 50 free agents with predictions | MLB Trade Rumors

If there’s a page I return to (often) in the offseason, it’s this one: MLB Trade Rumors free-agent rankings. They are generally pretty good in their estimates, so this is a go-to resource.

BBWAA Awards finalists are announced | MLB.com

TJ Rumfield was robbed, but here are the finalists.

7 storylines to watch as the Hot Stove ignites | MLB.com

If anyone knows what’a happening with the hot stove, it’s Mark Feinsand. Here he says to watch for (among other things) what happens with Tarik Skubal, who gets a qualifying offer, and which Japanese player will emerge as the next Munetaka Murakami.

Top 10 free agent pitchers for the 2026-27 MLB offseason | Just Baseball

Probably, none of these players are signing with the Rockies, but here are the cream of this year’s pitching free-agent crop. First up? You guessed it, Tarik Skubal. He’s followed by Michael King and Freddy Peralta.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Hello BCBers, another substitute author for Cub Tracks, hoping you’ll bear with me for a handful of days this week! As you might imagine, the first days of November aren’t always flush with news stories, but we’ve got some Cub updates below (some that you might already know from visiting the site this week). Let’s just get right into it!

• Just as expected, Pete Crow-Armstrong is a finalist (and many would argue a frontrunner) for the NL MVP award.

• The Cubs have agreed to a one-year contract with right-handed pitcher Jacob Webb. Webb had a decent season with the Cubs in 2026, with a 3.36 ERA out of the bullpen, and appearing in 68 games.

They’ve also claimed pitcher Eric Orze off of waivers. Orze, who most recently pitched for the Minnesota Twins, is a bit more of a gamble. He had a 5.66 ERA in 2026 with 36 appearances. He only has three years of major league experience, so it should be interesting to see what he brings to the Cubs’ bullpen.

• Seiya Suzuki is one of eight major league players to receive a one-year qualifying offer worth $23.15 million. He joins prominent names like Randy Arozarena and Jake Bauers, but of course an offer is no guarantee of an acceptance. In fact, every year more qualifying offers are rejected than accepted. Last season, of the 13 offers extended, only four were accepted. And with only eight offers extended this season, it will be interesting to see if Seiya or the others accept. Typically, players want to try their luck on the free agent market, and the four offers accepted last season were actually an all-time high since 2012. Usually, very few, or none of the offers are accepted. Time will tell!
• According to Jeff Passan, the Cubs are one of four teams that are openly expressing interest in signing free agent pitching superstar Tarik Skubal. The Cubs badly need starting pitching, and who would be better to bolster their rotation than one of the best pitchers in the entire sport? Sadly, Passan elaborates, saying, “The Chicago Cubs badly want Skubal. They also are skeptical that they will be willing to compete at the sort of dollars Skubal is expected to get — well in excess of $300 million, potentially in the $400 million-plus range.” So don’t get your hopes too high on seeing Skubal in Chicago next season.

Food For Thought:

The end of October marks the end of one of my favorite online trends that has happened every year for the past (I believe) seven years. A content creator named Geo Rutherford, who started out on TikTok but has since branched out to multiple platforms, puts out her yearly “Spooky Lakes Month” video series. For each day of the month of October, she spotlights a different natural phenomenon based around water, or as she puts it, “haunted hydrology.” More than just lakes get the focus, as she teaches viewers about natural disasters, interesting places, and fascinating stories related to nature—or what happens when humans try to control nature.

Rutherford is also an artist and a writer, and has used her Spooky Lakes Month series to release two educational books: Spooky Lakes and Spooky Rivers, as well as coloring books and more. Her videos are fun and informative, and each one begins with her signature greeting of “Um, yes, hello.” It has become something her regular viewers and fans look forward to every year.

If you’ve never had a chance to enjoy Geo’s irreverent videos, I’ll include a couple here, and she has several years worth that can be revisited on her social media pages.

Grant Wolfram came to the Orioles in April 2025 in a minor trade with the Milwaukee Brewers. He made his Major League debut at that month at the age of 28. He ultimately appeared in 21 games for the Orioles over three separate stints. He ended the year with a 5.40 ERA and mostly seemed like the kind of pitcher we didn’t need to pay much attention to.

Then he made the 2026 Opening Day roster and somehow became a fixture in the team’s bullpen. He spent the entire season with the big league club and made 60 appearances, becoming a go-to lefty with the loss of Keegan Akin to injury. And while his overall numbers (4.30 ERA, 1.318 WHIP) were underwhelming, to say the least, he was a pitcher that had runs of effectiveness over the season.

The funny thing about Wolfram appearing in 60 games, which was the third-most on the team after Rico Garcia and Yennier Cano, is that he was pretty unmemorable. If you asked me to name the guys in the bullpen, I’d probably get to him after Garcia, Cano, Andrew Kittredge, and Albert Suárez. But he was really a big part of the team!

Wolfram made 16 appearances through the team’s first 37 games. His ERA in that span was an unsightly 4.85. It was only 13 innings, so just a blip. But not a good first impression for the season!

The 4.85 ERA wasn’t really fair to him, though, as his FIP was a minuscule 0.95. If you’re not as familiar with FIP, it’s a stat that tries to remove defense from the equation when measuring a pitcher’s effectiveness. As you may recall, the Orioles were really bad on defense this year. And if FIP is to be believed, Wolfram was a major victim in the first part of the season.

Across those 16 games with mismatched ERA and FIP, Wolfram pitched 13 innings, recording 20 strikeouts and just one walk. He gave up no homers, which is good, but nine extra-base hits, which is bad. His BABIP was .500(!) in that span, so he got very unlucky.

I’m singling out his first 16 games because after that, on May 6th, Wolfram went on the Injured List with a lower back strain. Luckily, he needed just the minimum stay to recover and after that was healthy for the rest of the season.

Upon his return, Wolfram continued to pitch well without always getting great results in the ERA column. In June he held opposing batters to a .182/.250/.212 hitting line. In July, it was .154/.303/.308. In July, he allowed his first home run of the season. But still, his ERA stayed above 4.00. In June and July combined, Wolfram had a 4.15 ERA. Nearly all of that came in a stretch of three games when Wolfram allowed six runs. Overall, he appeared in 22 games in June and July and allowed zero runs in 18 of those.

That’s how Wolfram’s season went for the most part. He’d look good for long stretches, then allow two or three runs in one outing to completely skew the stat line. He gave up runs in just 13 of his 60 games pitched, but nine of those were multi-run outings.

So where did Wolfram go right in 2026? He is a lefty pitcher who can dial up the radar gun to over 95 mph. Those sort of pitchers aren’t as rare as they used to be, but still a hot commodity. Especially when that velocity comes with a strikeout per nine of 10.5 and just one home run allowed all season.

Leading into 2026, Keegan Akin was a go-to lefty for the team despite how we all felt about him. He lost that position this year due to injury and became a free agent when the World Series ended. Another lefty who made the 2026 Opening Day roster was Dietrich Enns. Enns was pretty bad and spent most of the season at Triple-A. The Orioles had a team option on him for next year, which they unsurprisingly declined.

There is an entire off-season for things to change, but Wolfram isn’t going anywhere except maybe the minors. He’s got two options remaining. He’s cheap and will be for some time. He’s not young; he turns 30 in December. His main competition in the bullpen currently is Josh Walker.

If Wolfram is good next year, great! If he’s bad, it’s really no big whoop as long as the Orioles have enough depth to withstand the blow. That’s the nature of the bullpen. So good luck to Grant Wolfram! He was okay in 2026, maybe he’ll be okay in 2027.

Bobby Witt Jr was named a finalist for AL MVP.

Witt, 26, joins Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez as finalists. The AL MVP is voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America.

Witt finished second for the 2024 AL MVP. And in 2025, he was fourth behind eventual winner and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.

This season, Witt hit .281 with 157 hits, 33 doubles, 18 home runs and 54 RBIs. He also appeared in 143 games while posting a 6.7 WAR (wins above replacement).

Perla Paredes at MLB dot com gave an overview of Witt’s case.

At the plate, Witt led qualified AL shortstops with a .281 batting average, .441 slugging percentage and 33 doubles. He also finished with 18 home runs, 94 runs scored and 157 hits while posting a .359 on-base percentage and an .800 OPS.

Although his offensive numbers were more modest than in previous seasons, Witt showed greater patience at the plate, drawing a career-high 67 walks, surpassing his previous high of 57 in 2024.

While Alvarez and Caminero each showcased their power with 42 home runs this season, Witt strengthened his MVP case with his elite defense at shortstop.

Carson Roccaforte nabbed a minor league gold glove award.

Roccaforte made difficult plays look routine and had a nose for making the spectacular play. The Kansas City Royals’ 2023 Competitive Balance Round B selection logged 320 putouts in the field between two levels, with 13 outfield assists, while posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.

Roccaforte, 24, joins Nick Pratto as the only Naturals in club history to claim the honor. Pratto won the award in 2021 with a .998 fielding at first base. Other Naturals who were MiLB Gold Glovers before they reached Northwest Arkansas include INF Michael Massey (2021) and LHP Frank Mozzicato (2024), both of whom achieved the honor with High-A Quad Cities.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep had an AFL recap.

Here are the finalists for the other major MLB awards.

The rest of the minor league gold glove winners.

Here are all the players who received a qualifying offer, including NLCS hero Jake Bauers.

The Contemporary Baseball Era committee announced 8 finalists for the Hall of Fame (non-players).

From MLBTR, here are the top 50 free agents with contract predictions.

FanGraphs also has their top 50 free agents with contract predictions.

Japanese free agents must sign by December 1 or skip 2027.

The pitch-rigging trial of Emmanuel Clase has begun with jury selection.

World Series viewership was down compared to last year but way better than 2023’s DBacks-Rangers World Series (I honestly forgot those two teams played in a World Series this decade).

Andy Reid talked about the loss to the Broncos.

Why my guys Brighton are a Premier League title contender.

Which World Cup investments in Kansas City will pay off well beyond the cup ending?

Your song of the day is The Aquabats! with Look at Me (I’m a Winner)!

Good morning, baseball fans!

The 2026 San Francisco Giants season was not the greatest, but that doesn’t mean it was devoid of highlights.

As we begin to fully reflect on the season that was, let’s start today with a highlight montage put together by the team’s social media team showing every walk-off from the season. The video is…not very long. But still! Worth remembering that it wasn’t all doom and gloom in the 2026 season.

What was your favorite walk-off moment from this season?

Matt Blake was perhaps the Yankees’ highest-profile free agent this year. Consistently considered one of the best pitching coaches in baseball, his tenure since 2020 has seen the development of a star in Cam Schlittler, solid major-league starters like Will Warren and Clarke Schmidt, and perennially delivered a nails bullpen that is markedly cheaper than some of the big-money, volatile closers the club has featured since Mariano Rivera retired.

Blake is great and all reports are that he’s coming back on a new deal to continue his work on Aaron Boone’s staff. Boone himself will manage through the final year of his deal; indeed, as of now, the entire coaching staff* will be in the dugout for whatever the 2027 season looks like. And this makes me ponder.

*Contracts are up on bench coach Brad Ausmus and catching instructor Tanner Swanson, but there are no announcements yet on their departures, though Ausmus is interviewing for jobs in Houston.

I was taken aback by how sternly Hal Steinbrenner and Brian Cashman laid the season at the feet of the players in their offseason Zoom conference. Praise was passed down from Hal to Cashman and further to Boone, with the company line that the players were responsible for what ended up being a pretty disappointing campaign. Perhaps that conference more than any other single event best sums up Cashman’s iron rule over the organization — he and those he selects can do no wrong, and can only be failed by the mercenaries wearing pinstripes.

Don’t overlook Hal’s personal interests as an owner, headed into labor trouble. Steinbrenner confirmed how much of a priority a salary cap is for ownership in the very same presser, and any opportunity to blame players instead of The Yankee Organization is one more lock added to the vault that ownership is trying to put even more money into. Cashman is less directly incentivized to see a salary cap in the league but he’s very incentivized not to publicly cross the only man in the organization that can actually punish him.

There are actual good cases to let some of the coaching staff go though. The Yankees scored 739 runs last year, on the back of a 101 wRC+. That’s 110 runs and 17 points of wRC+ worse than in 2025, and while Aaron Judge only played in half the season, the absence of Judge alone doesn’t explain near teamwide regression:

There are logical answers for some of these — it was always unlikely, even without a broken rib, that Aaron Judge would have another 200 wRC+ season, and José Caballero is just not a 135 true talent. The top-to-bottom decimation of offense still has to be systemic, Ben Rice was the only hitter to take any kind of step forward and we spent all of 2025 screaming that his underlying metrics would yield a better 2026. Everyone else either stalled or got worse.

And there is not a single question about James Rowson apparently coming back as hitting coach. Despite not having scored on the contact play since 1947, Luis Rojas will be back at third base. There has not been a murmur about any changes in coaching, and we’re getting too close to the expiry of the CBA to go through the normal hiring process.

The club was adamant that they were not “running it back” in 2026, despite more or less returning the same roster that saw two guys take steps forward and everyone else step back. It’s difficult to imagine, given the free agency market and labor uncertainty, the team making a big splash in the winter, so while they may not be “running it back” in 2027, we probably see a lot of the same faces on the roster. We’ll also see the same faces directing the action on the field.

1903
The drama surrounding the fate of future Hall of Fame shortstop George Davis finally appeared at an end, as the New York Giants left Davis off of their reserve list, essentially ceding the fight over his services to the White Sox.

The White Sox had convinced Davis to jump from his longtime New York environs for the 1902 season, in which Davis 5.9 WAR over 132 games. However, the battle between the National and American Leagues was still broiling, and the Giants coaxed Davis into breaking his Chicago contract and playing again for New York in 1904. The battle over the player became one of the hardest-fought of the early 1900s, with court injunctions limiting Davis to just four games in New York for the year.

After the season, Giants owner John Brush threw in the towel, and on this November 3 AL president Ban Johnson spoke out in assurance that Davis would play for the White Sox in 1905.

That turned out to be true, as Davis would finish his career with the White Sox, playing until 1909. His 1905 and 1906 seasons were good for 7.2 WAR apiece, the best of his career; in 1906, in fact, Davis led the AL in WAR with that mark.

The Veterans Committee made Davis a Hall-of-Famer in 1998.

1959
The White Sox sent first baseman Ron Jackson to the Boston Red Sox for southpaw swingman Frank Baumann. The southpaw swingman had a terrific, if uneven, White Sox career in the early 1960s, beginning by leading the American League with a 2.67 ERA in 1960. But that 3.4 WAR season was followed by Baumann leading the AL with 117 earned runs in 1961, ending in an astoundingly bad -2.1 WAR. But in 1962, Baumann bounced back with a solid 2.3 WAR season that saw him start (10) nearly as many games as he finished (12, with four saves). He was a more marginal pitcher for the Sox for two more seasons, before being traded to the Cubs in a rare Crosstown swap to finish up his career in 1965.

Jackson, a giant of the time at 6´7´´, 225, never really panned out as a major leaguer, toiling for six years on the South Side but seeing action in only 186 games. He’d see scant time in Boston (10 games) in 1960, ending his MLB career.

1983
Tony La Russa, who guided the White Sox to a 99-win season and their first playoff appearance in 24 years, was named the Manager of the Year by the Baseball Writers Association of America. It was the first year the BBWAA handed out that award. 

La Russa received 17 of a possible 28 votes to take the honor. He beat out Baltimore’s Joe Altobelli, who picked up seven first-place votes. La Russa would also take Manager of the Year honors from The Sporting News and the Associated Press.

1988
The White Sox named Jeff Torborg as the team’s new manager. The former major league catcher, and Cleveland manager, would go on to gain notable success with the White Sox.

His “team and family” philosophy took hold, and a young group of players stunned the baseball world by winning 94 games in 1990. Torborg was named Manager of the Year that season. He followed that up by winning 87 games in 1991 before being forced out by White Sox GM Ron Schueler, who wanted to hire his own man.

Torborg, by the way, is the only man in baseball history to have caught a perfect game from Sandy Koufax and a no-hitter from Nolan Ryan, as he played for the Dodgers and Angels from 1964-73. Torborg also caught a third no-hitter, courtesy of L.A.’s Bill Singer.

2003
Former White Sox All-Star shortstop Ozzie Guillén was named the team’s manager, replacing Jerry Manuel. Guillén was granted an interview late, intended as a courtesy from Ken Williams, as Guillén was busy coaching third base for the World Champion Florida Marlins; in fact, Williams had decided on Cito Gaston as his hire — at least until sitting down with Ozzie.

The “Wizard of Oz” immediately set about changing the fortunes of the franchise.

His “Ozzie-Ball” philosophy of pitching, smart/aggressive base-running, defense and doing the little things instead of just waiting for the home run would help lead to a World Series title in 2005, the season he would be named Manager of the Year.

He’d return to the playoffs with the club in 2008. 

Before being allowed to leave in late September 2011, Guillén appeared to be headed for a very long career on the South Side, but his relationship changed with GM Ken Williams, and after Guillén forced owner Jerry Reinsdorf to essentially choose between his two “kids,” a parting of the ways was best for all concerned. 

2020
Though the season was just 60 games due to the pandemic, the Glove was still made of Gold: Luis Robert Jr. was named the AL’s Gold Glove winner in center field.

First baseman Evan White joined Robert as Gold Glove winners who had never played a single MLB game before 2020.

2022
Royals coach Pedro Grifol was hired as manager to replace Tony La Russa, who officially retired in October due to health concerns.

Grifolplayed college baseball at Florida State and got as close to the majors as Triple-A, spent 10 years in the Royals organization and before that had a lengthy stay in the Mariners ranks. His hiring as an “outsider,” someone who had no connection to either Jerry Reinsdorf or the White Sox organization, marked the first time that had happened in the managerial search since Jerry Manuel got the position before the start of the 1998 season.

Through his first season, 2023, Grifol’s 61-101 record places him as the worst skipper in White Sox history among those who lasted at least one full season.

2023
The White Sox were willing to stand by Liam Hendriks through cancer but not Tommy John surgery, as the club released the closer and team leader rather than pay him to mentor a young pitching staff and possibly return in time to be a trade deadline asset.

Of course, by cutting Hendriks the White Sox saved an immediate $13.5 million, as rather than a full $15 million salary for 2024 the club would pay that figure out over 10 years, in $1.5 million installments.

The following February, Boston inked Hendriks to a two-year, $10 million deal worth up to $30 million over three years.

As imagined back in 2021 when Hendriks signed a four-year, $54 million deal, the contract did not pan out as a good value, especially considering the closer’s surgeries for lymphoma and TJS. His first two (healthy) seasons, Hendriks was an All-Star and earned an overall 4.3 WAR. However, even had that pace kept up in 2023-24, there’s almost no way for a closer to bring in necessary value.

Hendriks ended his White Sox career with impeccable numbers, including a 14-7 record, 2.76 ERA/2.59 FIP, 0.875 WHIP and 76 saves.