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

Major League Baseball proposed a hard salary cap Thursday for the first time since 1994, which resulted in a players’ strike that cancelled the World Series, in their first proposal to the MLB Players' Association in New York.

MLB proposed a $245.3 million salary cap, including benefits, which is lower than eight current MLB clubs’ payroll, requiring a total reduction in payroll of $578 million.

In return, MLB proposed a $171.2 million salary floor, which would require 12 teams to increase their payroll by a combined $617 million.

In the last collective bargaining talks in 2021, MLB offered a four-tier luxury tax system beginning at $180 million, with also a salary floor at $100 million. It was flatly rejected by the union, and MLB implemented a lockout that lasted 99 days.

In this proposal, MLB said that players would immediately receive 50% of baseball revenue and in future years. MLB revenue has increased by 247% since 2003, according to MLB calculations, while player payroll has increased by 149%.

The salary cap, MLB insists, would increase competitive balance in the sport.

“Ultimately the game is about hope and competition and too many fans in too many markets have too little hope their team has a fair chance to win," MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “Fans overwhelmingly support a salary cap and floor like in the other leagues because they don't believe a $446 million spending gap from top to bottom is a fair fight.

"Our salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 as we grow the game together. Further, by sharing media revenue equally as part of our proposal, we can address another top fan concern of local TV blackouts. We look forward to working with the MLBPA during the bargaining process to continue improving the game for the fans.”

The Tigers headed into their afternoon game with the opportunity to actually win a series for the first time in a long time. They had Jack Flaherty on the mound to pitch, up against Grayson Rodriguez for the Angels. It could be anyone’s game.

In the top of the first, Mike Trout got a one-out double, but two outs followed to leave him stranded. Colt Keith got a leadoff walk for the Tigers in the first. Then, with two outs, Riley Greene singled to put two men on, but the Tigers weren’t able to bring either runner home.

Flaherty got into a zone (specifically finding the zone pretty nicely), and got the Angels out in order. In the home half, with two outs, Wenceel Perez homered, putting the Tigers on the board first. It was the only run they’d get for the inning, but first run is always nice.

The Angels managed only a single baserunner in the third with a one-out single by Donovan Walton, but otherwise Flaherty kept the side in check. The Tigers went 1-2-3 in the home half.

The fourth inning was likewise uneventful as both teams were three-up, three-down.

By the fifth, Flaherty’s command was starting to look a little less precise, giving up a leadoff double to Jo Adell. A wild pitch by Flaherty advanced Adell to third, then Sebastian Rivero singled into left, scoring the first Angels run. Walton then singled. Zach Neto then doubled, bringing in another run, and I choose to believe this is all Tom Selleck’s fault for eating a plain hot dog during the broadcast. Mike Trout was intentionally walked to load the bases and the wheels were pretty much off of Flaherty at this point. Vaughn Grissom hit a sac fly, bringing in another run. At the halfway mark of the inning the Angels were up 3-1. The Tigers did little to claw their way back in the home half, getting only a two-out walk from Jake Rogers and no runs.

For some reason, Flaherty was still in the game in the sixth. He made it through the first two outs before being pulled. His final line for the game was 5.2 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 1 BB, 9 K on 91 pitches. He started strong and had some really good innings, but I think this game makes a perfect example of why Flaherty would be better suited to a 2-3 innings bullpen role instead of a traditional starter. We’ve seen similar performances from him this season. Drew Sommers came out of the pen to get the final out of the inning. In the bottom of the inning the Angels made a pitching change as well, bringing in Drew Pomeranz. He got the Tigers out in order.

Brenan Hanifee was the new Tigers pitcher for the seventh. There was an on-field pause as Rivero appeared to call for an ABS challenge, reconsidered in the middle of tapping his head, and tried to play it off like he didn’t tap his helmet, which resulted in a big discussion amongst the umpiring crew. The decision seemed to be that he didn’t challenge, which is silly, because he clearly did challenge (and would have won the challenge, too). Anyway, silliness. He struck out. With two outs, Neto singled. Neto then stole second and was called safe, but the Tigers challenged and the call was overturned to end the inning. José Fermin came in for the bottom of the inning. Zach McKinstry got a one-out walk, but a double play then ended the inning.

Ricky Vanasco came in for the eighth and gave up a leadoff walk to Trout. Grissom then doubled, bringing Trout home. Jorge Soler singled, scoring Grissom. Wade Meckler grounded into a force out, and was then swapped for a pinch-runner in Jose Siri. Siri got tagged out trying to steal second, and the Tigers were able to get the final out after that to keep the inning from getting too far out of hand. Sam Bachman was the newest Angels pitcher out of the pen and he gave up a leadoff double to Perez. With one out, Keith walked. A Kevin McGonigle groundout advanced the baserunners, then Dingler walked to load the bases. Greene struck out though, and the Tigers’ best opportunity for a comeback turned into a pot of LOBsters.

With two outs in the ninth, Walton singled. Neto walked. Trout doubled, scoring two more runs. The Tigers were down to their last chance in the bottom of the ninth and they’d do it against Ryan Zeferjahn. McKinstry got a one-out walk. One more out later, Perez walked (have a day, Wenceel). It didn’t matter, though, the Tigers weren’t able to right the ship, and they dropped the series. At least they got a win out of it yesterday to avoid the sweep.

Final: Angels, 7, Tigers 1

A Tigers fan was in desperate need of a towel following Wenceel Perez’s home run on Thursday morning.

As the Detroit outfielder planted a Grayson Rodriguez fastball over the right field wall during the second inning of the Tigers’ tilt with the Angels at Comerica Park, a fan spectacularly spilled his drink all over himself as he made an attempt to snag the souvenir.

Broadcast footage from the matchup in Michigan showed the guy reached up for the ball with both of his hands, this despite one being completely occupied by a full beverage.

But as the ball came crashing down, it bounced off the guy’s cup and created a mess.

Liquid spilled everywhere — including all down the man’s Tigers shirt. And, to add insult to injury, the ball ended up in another fan’s hands.

The man didn’t seem totally broken up about it, perhaps because the play did result in the Tigers getting a 1-0 lead.

It’s the second time this series that there’s been a viral moment at the Detroit ballpark. During Wednesday’s game, the internet couldn’t stop talking about how Los Angeles designated hitter Jorge Soler was caught giving little-to-no-effort on a routine ground ball play.

The series will conclude following Thursday’ action, but with a few outs still left in the game, there somehow might be even more fodder for X users on the way.

So, we have now been able to see an opening proposal from the MLBPA and from the MLB owners. Let us know your thoughts on these proposals below.

Jeff Passan on Twitter summarized MLBPA’s first proposal yesterday as such:

“An increase in base CBT threshold from $244M to $300M, A “competitive-integrity tax” for any team that does not spend $150M, Increasing minimum salary from $780,000 to $1.5M, Changes to the revenue-sharing system that would distribute more money from local television revenue but decrease the amount distributed from in-stadium revenue — to incentivize teams that win and draw larger crowds, Free agency for players who are 30 at 5+ years of service, Teams that receive revenue sharing forfeit portions of their checks depending on payroll levels. Recipients that win receive more money, Pre-arb bonus pool increases from $50M to $180M – $3M minimum tender in arbitration, Arbitration super 2s jump from 22% of players to 44%”

Jesse Rogers broke down the proposal for ESPN here.

Jorge Castillo broke down the league’s proposal from today for ESPN here. Jesse Rogers of ESPN summarized the highlights below on Twitter:

MLB proposed a hard salary cap to union officials today as part of the next CBA, sources tell ESPN. The salary floor for teams beginning in 2027 would be set at $171.2 million which includes player benefits with the ceiling at $245.3 million. The league’s proposal includes a 50/50 split of revenues with players as well as all revenue from local media centralized and then shared equally. As revenues go up, so too does the cap. Side note: If the union agrees to the concept of a cap, the league would be open to negotiating a host of things incuding phasing it in, a Larry Bird-esque rule and changes to free agency/arbitration etc, etc. Early stages here.

Let us know your thoughts on these proposals as baseball begins negotiations to see if a lengthy lockout/missed games in the 2027 season can be avoided.

The labor negotiations between MLB and the MLBPA began on May 12, with each side making opening presentations. On May 27, the MLBPA released the first substantive policy proposals for the upcoming Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).

As expected, the MLBPA seeks to modify the current CBA system rather than pursue a dramatic overhaul. The major policy proposals include, per Jeff Passan:

• A “competitive-integrity tax” for any team that does not spend $150M
• An increase in the minimum salary from $780,000 to $1.5M
• An increase in the base Competitive Balance Tax threshold from $244M to $300M
• Changes to the revenue-sharing system that would distribute more money from local television revenue, but decrease the amount distributed from in-stadium revenue, to incentivize teams that win and draw larger crowds
• Free agency for players who are 30 at 5+ years of service
• Teams that receive revenue sharing forfeit portions of their checks depending on payroll levels. Recipients who win receive more money
• Pre-arbibration bonus pool increases from $50M to $180M
• $3M minimum tender in arbitration
• Arbitration super 2s jump from 22% of players to 44%

Evan Drellich of The Athleticalso listed some additional union proposals that Jeff Passan did not mention on Twitter:

• The minimum salary would later climb to $1.65 million in 2028, $1.825 million in 2029, $2 million in 2030, and $2.2 million in 2031.
• The first tier of the luxury tax would be set at $315 million in 2028, $330 million in 2029, $345 million in 2030, and $360 million in 2031.
• The pre-arbitration bonus pool was a flat $50 million throughout the 2022-26 collective bargaining agreement. In addition to the initial $130 million increase, the union wants it to rise by $15 million each season.
• There was no proposal to create an international draft, though players and owners made some conceptual progress in the last round of talks.

Under the MLBPA’s proposal, based on current payrolls, only the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers would be above the CBT threshold, compared to the six teams currently over the $244 million threshold. Moreover, 13 teams would be subject to the Competitive Integrity Tax for having payrolls under $150 million.

Bob Nightengale reported on the league’s response to the union’s opening gambit on Twitter:

“We appreciate the union making a set of proposals and we look forward to continuing the bargaining process and working towards solving the competitive balance problem our fans are telling us needs to be addressed. We understand their proposals are designed to benefit players. Unfortunately, they do not address and in fact exacerbate the competitive balance problem our fans are telling us we must address. The MLBPA’s proposal would reduce the amount transferred to lower-revenue Clubs, weaken the Competitive Balance Tax, and lead to even more payroll disparity than exists today. For example, under the Union’s proposal, the Dodgers would pay less in luxury tax payments, giving them an additional $70 million to spend on payroll.”

(Emphasis added.)

As expected, the league will continue to use the Dodgers as a shiny object to push for a hard salary cap.

Never mind that four of the six current division leaders (Milwaukee Brewers, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians, and Seattle Mariners) are revenue-sharing recipients. Never mind that, per Fangraphs, the teams with the second- (New York Mets), fourth- (Toronto Blue Jays), seventh- (Houston Astros), tenth- (Detroit Tigers), eleventh- (San Francisco Giants), twelfth-(Boston Red Sox), and fifteenth-highest (Anaheim Angels) payrolls are either below .500 and/or essentially running out the clock until it’s time to go to Cancun.

Why acknowledge both the record sale of the San Diego Padres and the ongoing clown show in Queens instantly counter the league’s arguments for a hard cap?

Echoes of 1994

Regardless, the league was expected to announce its opening gambit in negotiations the following day, much faster than in the last CBA negotiations, when the league waited until August to make its initial proposal. On May 28, the league obliged, proposing a hard salary cap for the first time since the infamous 1994-95 strike, leading to the first canceled World Series in 90 years.

Per Ronald Blum of The Associated Press:

[MLB’s] proposal would cap spending in 2027 at $245.3 million, with a salary floor of $171.2 million.

“Our salary cap and floor proposal levels the playing field while sharing baseball revenue with the players 50/50 as we grow the game together,” MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. “Further, by sharing media revenue equally as part of our proposal, we can address another top fan concern of local TV blackouts.”

Management gave the union its latest plan during a bargaining session at the commissioner’s office, one day after the union made its economic proposal. Owners say a cap is needed to improve competitive balance and restrain the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and other wealthy teams from assembling starrier rosters than their smaller-market brethren.

(Emphasis added.)

Under MLB’s proposal, using current payrolls, only nine teams would be in compliance using the proposed hard cap and floor: Houston Astros ($237 million), Chicago Cubs ($232 million), San Diego Padres ($209 million), Detroit Tigers ($207 million), San Francisco Giants ($201 million), Boston Red Sox ($196 million), Arizona Diamondbacks ($195 million), Texas Rangers ($187 million), and Anaheim Angels ($184 million).

Six teams would be above the hard cap, and 13 teams would be below the floor.

Update: Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Timesreported that the player benefits are included in MLB’s calculation, making the proposed hard cap $222 million.

In case you were wondering whether it was a coincidence that MLB singled out the Dodgers on May 27, one need only refer to the graphics included in their counter the following day, per ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez.

Lastly, MLBPA interim Executive Director Bruce Meyer responded to MLB’s opening gambit, displayed in part below:

Caps don’t lower ticket prices for fans, eliminate tanking or ensure teams are run with equal competence. They suffocate competition by offering owners an all-purpose excuse for inaction and mediocrity.

Baseball is experiencing unprecedented momentum and owners are enjoying record viewership, revenues and franchise values.  Billionaire owners are not seeking to cap their profits or asset values, only player salaries. This isn’t out of generosity or a desire to protect the game’s well-being. It’s a play to control costs, increase profits and maximize franchise values – all at the expense of players past, present and future.

Also, per the AP, MLB’s last salary cap proposal in 1994 offered players a 50-50 split of revenue in a system that would have forced teams to maintain payrolls of 84-110% of the average. Salary arbitration would have been eliminated, and the threshold for free agency would have been lowered from six years’ major league service to four, with the provision that a player’s former club could match any offer until he had six years.

MLB’s offer came on June 14, 1994; players struck on August 12, 1994, and on September 14, 1994, the ‘94 World Series was canceled. Ultimately, MLB withdrew the cap proposal on February 6, 1995, after pressure from the National Labor Relations Board.

The strike ended on March 31, 1995, after then-U.S. District Judge Sonia Sotomayor (yes, that Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor) issued an injunction restoring the work rules of the expired labor contract.

Two days later, the owners accepted the union’s offer to return to work without an agreement, and a deal wasn’t reached until 1997, causing reputational damage to the sport that arguably lasted until the steroid boom, punctuated by Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa’s 1998 duel to break Roger Maris’ then-record of 61 home runs in a single season.

“Welcome to the party, pal!”

Mr. Drellich also posted an article in The Athletic on May 27 that made many of the same surface-level observations about private equity in baseball that our own “The Vulture of Private Equity” made and more, six weeks earlier. Ken Rosenthal made similar points, referencing Mr. Drellich’s work on Foul Territory.

Rather than repeat previously published work, which can speak for itself, for the convenience of either reporter or reader, all five revival “It’s Not My Money(ball)” articles are collated below. This collective body of work, all 13,764 words of it, covers an assortment of relevant topics likely to arise during the new CBA negotiations, in one form or another.

This process will undoubtedly be a slow one over the next six months, largely occurring in the background. In conclusion to this brief update, it is worth repeating that there is no reason for a lockout to occur. But as with most things, some lessons need to be relearned, even when there is no value to the lesson.

As shown during the aftermath of the 1994-95 strike, the parties could choose to keep the current system in place while a new CBA is negotiated and ratified — if the goal was stability. If the goal was disruption and chaos disguised to grow balance sheets that the public will never see, then locking out the players at the earliest opportunity would seem to be the only move in the league’s pocket, apart from turning the public against the players.

The quickest way to do that gargantuan task is to keep using the Dodgers as a foil to why your team is doomed to be bad; never mind the moronic decisions arising from front offices ranging from San Francisco to Queens and points in between.

Want to get more Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account here.

The Houston Astros and the Texas Rangers wrap up an eventful four-game series tonight with an intriguing pitching matchup, as Spencer Arrighetti takes on Nathan Eovaldi.

The Rangers are -122 moneyline favorites, and my Astros vs. Rangers predictions and MLB picks for Thursday, May 28 see value in that line.

Who will win Astros vs Rangers today: Rangers moneyline (-133)

Spencer Arrighetti's sensational start to 2026 is mostly smoke-and-mirrors, creating value in the Texas Rangers moneyline. I'd play it to -145.

The Houston Astros hurler's 1.32 ERA is belied by his 4.78 xERA,which ranks in the 26th percentile. He's not inducing enough batters to chase (29th percentile), leading to his eighth percentile walk rate.

Once Arrighetti exits, an Astros bullpen ranked 29th in xFIP over the last two weeks (4.99) will take over.

The Rangers are not an offensive dynamo (.687 OPS), but they're at least on the improve over the last two weeks with a .702 OPS.

COVERS INTEL: Eovalidi is in the 84th percentile in ground-ball rate, and the Astros hit them at an above-average clip (43.2% vs. 42.8%).

Astros vs Rangers Over/Under pick: Under 7.5 (-115)

There's a low total on the board here, and it's easy to see why.

Countering Arrighetti is Nathan Eovaldi, who has been elite in several metrics this year, including whiff rate (90th percentile) and walk rate (91st percentile). Backing him is a Texas bullpen ranked 10th in xFIP over the last two weeks (3.90).

The Astros' offense is in a funk right now, ranking 28th in batting average since May 14 (.208). 

The Rangers, who were no-hit just two days ago, do not have the firepower to carry the Over by themselves.

I'm comfortable with Under 7.5 at -125, as well as Under 7 at +100.

Astros vs Rangers odds

• Moneyline: Astros +117 | Rangers -122
• Run line: Astros +1.5 | Rangers -1.5
• Over/Under: Over 7.5 | Under 7.5

Astros vs Rangers trend

The Rangers have hit the Under in 28 of their last 50 games (+8.50 Units / 16% ROI). Find more MLB betting trends for Astros vs. Rangers.

How to watch Astros vs Rangers and game info

Astros vs Rangers latest injuries

Astros vs Rangers weather

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Cincinnati awaits, but first let’s win a series!

ICYMI

Pitching preview

Lineups

Let’s not be overdramatic since it’s only the end of May, but I believe this weekend’s St. Louis Cardinals versus Chicago Cubs clash at Busch Stadium is more important than we probably think all because of one word – trajectory.

As a lifelong St. Louis Cardinals fan I have somehow obtained an alarming number of Chicago Cubs fans in my friend group. Please don’t hold that against me or them. From an intel standpoint, it’s enabled me to find out what our arch enemy fanbase is thinking and right now there’s big concern which translates into a great opportunity for the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Chicago Cubs began the 2026 season on a tear with one of the best offenses in baseball

If you look at just the first 30 games of the 2026 campaign, the Chicago Cubs were raking. They were top 5 in nearly all of the offensive categories with a .354 OBP during the first month averaging around 5.5 runs per game. Everyone in the NL Central were looking up at them with a 20-13 record at one point, but then May arrived and the Cubs…flatlined. The torrid bats went silent with Chicago ranking 14th in MLB with a .242 average in May and an on-base percentage of only .333, but on-base plus slugging wasn’t awful at .720. Overall, the Chicago Cubs have a win-loss record of 10-16 in May losing 10 of the last 11 games. My Cubs friends see this as troubling. I see this as a Cardinals opportunity.

The St. Louis Cardinals have their own concerns since May 1

In Cardinals nation, we know that our young St. Louis team has overachieved what most thought possible in 2026. May has not been kind to St. Louis, though. As of today, the Cardinals have a win-loss record of 11-12 since May 1. If I had to pinpoint one game that was a turning point (in the wrong direction), it was the May 10 game when the Cardinals were one strike away from beating the San Diego Padres then Riley O’Brien proved himself vulnerable. The other heartbreaker was the second game of the doubleheader on May 23 when Cincinnati beat St. Louis 7-6 in extras. After this week’s sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers, the Cardinals have lost 4 games in a row heading into the weekend series versus Chicago.

If you look at the month of May so far, the St. Louis Cardinals offense has become the very definition of “meh”. Team batting average for May is a meager .238 which ranks 16th in MLB. The bottom of the St. Louis Cardinals batting order has become an even bigger liability this month and the team barely mustered any RISP opportunities versus Milwaukee at all.

My point is that both the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs have an opportunity to change their trajectory this weekend at Busch Stadium. A dominant weekend by either team could make all the difference as we get into the summer months. What’s the St. Louis Cardinals pitching plans for the Cubs series? As of today, it looks like St. Louis will start Kyle Leahy Friday night, Andre Pallante Saturday night and Matthew Liberatore Sunday night. I haven’t seen any official Chicago Cubs lineups yet, but I think Friday night’s pitcher is Shota Imanaga while Ben Brown will start for the tiny bears Saturday night and Jordan Wicks Sunday night.

This might defy my goal of not being overdramatic, but this weekend’s St. Louis Cardinals vs Chicago Cubs series reminds me of the end of Rocky II where both Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed have fallen to the canvas and the winner is the one who gets up first. No, the Cardinals and Cubs are not playing for a world championship this weekend, but symbolically the team that gets up off of the mat first this weekend might just be the one who remains competitive into the summer. Will the St. Louis Cardinals be Balboa or Creed? Let’s hope our “tarps off” crowd gets that Rocky chant (and our bats) going this weekend.

It is hard to imagine, but the 2026 MLB season is heading into June. Clubs will begin evaluating their rosters and identifying their weaknesses. Then, decide which players from other teams to target at the trade deadline.

Of course, the media has the Padres linked to several players in trade rumors. Let’s break down why each player is the perfect addition to the roster.

Padres linked to Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman 

The Friars’ offense has struggled to produce all season. If you cannot put runs on the scoreboard, you need to keep the score close on most nights. It is wise to build the best bullpen in baseball by adding another quality arm.

Dennis Lin of The Athletic (paid subscription required) was the first to report that the Padres have identified Boston Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman as a possible trade deadline acquisition. 

He has been a bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season in Boston. Chapman has posted a 0.51 ERA with 12 saves in 18 appearances. His addition to the ‘pen gives the Friars a lefty-righty combo that has the experience to close out games.

The “Cuban Missile” has a mutual option for the 2027 season; it is unlikely to be exercised by both sides. The asking price from Boston will not come cheap, as their front office will need to scout the Friars minor league system. 

If your team has trouble scoring runs, acquiring Chapman lowers the odds of opponents mounting a comeback late in games.

Could the Padres participate in Skubal sweepstakes?

To the surprise of no one, Detroit Tigers Tarik Skubal has been the subject of trade rumors. The two-time Cy Young Award winner will become a free agent at the conclusion of this season. The Tigers are languishing at the bottom of the American League Central. They trail the Cleveland Guardians by 10 ½ games in the standings. 

The Friars could join the chase for his services, but Skubal must officially hit the trade block first. That final decision by the Tigers could come closer to the deadline. First, their front office must determine the state of the roster before engaging in trade talks.

The Tigers have battled through numerous injuries to their starting rotation, but the organization is hoping the team will get on a roll and move up in the standings. If there are any signs of life, Skubal is staying in Detroit for the remainder of the season.

The left-hander has been out of the rotation since May 4, as he underwent surgery to remove a loose body from his throwing elbow. Skubal has begun rehabbing and could rejoin the Tigers’ starting rotation next month.

The Padres will need to see him pitch in actual games before any trade discussions take place.

Are the Rockies a perfect trade partner

If the Friars fail to acquire Chapman, they will turn their attention to Colorado Rockies reliever Antonio Senzatela. Another trade option that upgrades an already elite bullpen. 

The right-hander converted to the ‘pen out of necessity because his arm could not handle the workload as a starting pitcher. Senzatela cemented his role as a dominant setup reliever, posting a 1.13 ERA over 32 innings this season. It is the perfect opportunity for the Rockies to move him and replenish their minor league system.

Mason Miller is clearly the best closer in baseball, and the addition of Senzatela to the mix makes the bullpen more balanced from the sixth inning on. Also, the Friars increase their chances of clinching a postseason berth. 

Padres president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller is constantly on the phone looking for a potential trade partner. He is always open to making a move if it helps the team win. So, no one should be surprised that the Friars are linked to several players as the trade market heats up.

Adding any of these pitching options would be a step in the right direction. 

With Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón back in the Yankees’ rotation, a staff that began the year in flux (and excelled despite it) is beginning to settle in. Still, with Max Fried a ways off from returning, the odds that the team will need to dip into its depth at Triple-A, either for a spot start or to replace an injured starter, remain high. Let’s take a look at who’s available down at Triple-A should additional reinforcements be needed. Note that Luis Gil has been on the minor-league IL with shoulder inflammation since May 8th, so he’s not in the discussion.

Elmer Rodríguez

In three starts with the Yankees this season, Rodríguez has clearly not been at his best. Baseball America’s 59th-ranked prospect entering the year has struck out six against nine walks; at Triple-A, his K:BB ratio is a much more tenable 34:15. Still, despite this underwhelming demonstration of his stuff and the fact that he didn’t make it through five innings in any of the outings, Rodríguez kept the Yankees in all three games, showing a tenacity and focus that belie his years and raise his floor.

Given his prospect pedigree and promising showing in limited MLB action, the 22-year-old remains the Yankees’ best option, whether for a single start or for a few turns through the rotation. One cause for alarm in the event Rodríguez gets another shot soon is his 6.03 expected ERA, a number which dwarfs his actual 4.15 mark.

Brendan Beck

When Ryan Weathers was ill on May 7th, Brendan Beck’s life was forever changed. He got the call to fill in, pitching behind opener Paul Blackburn and allowing two runs in three innings of work. It was a fine-if-unremarkable debut, the largest takeaway from which may have been that it forced the Yankees to add him to their 40-man roster.

Beck’s 4.42 ERA in 10 starts with Scranton doesn’t jump out and, at 27 with an injury history, the Stanford product has never been a top prospect (MLB Pipeline has 12 Yankees pitchers ahead of him in their rankings). Still, if another spot start is in order, the fact that the 2021 second-round pick can easily be called up without having to make room on the 40-man is appealing, particularly if the timing doesn’t line up with Rodríguez’s turn in the rotation. The right-hander has thrown at least 80 pitches each of his last three starts and should be able to give length if called upon.

Carlos Lagrange

Lagrange, he of the 103-mph fastball, may be the most tantalizing hurler in wait at Triple-A. There’s little question he has the raw stuff to pitch in the bigs. But, in 10 starts, he’s gone 0-2 with a 4.78 ERA and a 4.98 BB/9. That’s hardly enough to jump Rodríguez and Beck, both of whom are on the 40-man. There’s been talk that his repertoire could make him a more viable weapon out of the bullpen, and that could eventually come to pass in the second half of 2026. For now, the Yankees have insisted on keeping him stretched out. The coming months will be an important opportunity for the 23-year-old to show he can stick in a rotation, but he’ll need to show more before he’s in serious play for a start in the Show.

Ryan Yarbrough & Paul Blackburn

As always, in the event a spot start is called for, a bullpen game will be in play. Both Yarbrough and Blackburn have performed reasonably well in long relief roles and have extensive starting experience, making them options to pitch multiple innings either as openers or bulk arms.

After making three solid fill-in starts, Elmer Rodríguez remains the clear next man up, effectively serving as the Yankees’ shadow sixth starter. Brendan Beck is a useful depth option should Rodríguez be unavailable, with a bullpen game another avenue the team could take in a pinch.

Copy to a new draft

The Cubs finally snapped their 10-game losing streak Wednesday night in Pittsburgh and you could almost feel the sigh of relief on the North Side of Chicago. They posted 10 runs against the Pirates while holding the Buccos to just four. Under ordinary circumstances I’d just want to savor this win and not worry about problems that can be dealt with some other day. However, these aren’t ordinary times. The losing skid has the Cubs in third place in the NL Central, 4.5 games behind the Brewers. The Cubs need to make up ground and the Jameson Taillon home run issue is a bit too big to push to his next start.

All of the runs the Cubs gave up yesterday came on the 18th and 19th home runs Taillon has given up in 2026. Taillon has given up 20 or more home runs in each of the last six seasons. That’s a bit on the high side for season long home runs, but not terribly so. Basically a manageable issue, prior to 2026. You can see some of Taillon’s stats since 2021 below:

The next home run Jameson Taillon gives up in 2026 will be his 20th home run of the season. You read that right. To put this in perspective, in approximately half to a third of the innings he’s pitched this season, Taillon has already given up 19 home runs. He gave up 24 in 129.2 innings last season and just 21 in 165.1 innings the season before.

Given the Cubs current pitching injury situation, this isn’t merely a problem, it’s a potentially unavoidable crisis. The next man up should Taillon be unable to start for any amount of time is probably Javier Assad. The Cubs already tried an alternative starter with Jordan Wicks making his 2026 season debut earlier this week. For reference, here’s the line Wicks put up in that start: 4.1 IP, 9 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 1 BB 5 K (plus a home run of his own).

To his credit, Taillon has acknowledged the problem. After a rough outing against the White Sox he stated that “at the end of the day homers are thrown, not hit.” His fly-ball heavy, working in the zone profile makes him naturally susceptible to this kind of damage.

Those comments are all well and good, but summer is coming. As the weather heats up Cubs pitchers, including Taillon, should be expected to give up more home runs, not fewer. It’s not exactly a comfortable thought to project out what Taillon’s home run totals could look like if he were to give up home runs at the same rate he’s given them up through March, April and May. It’s a potential catastrophe to imagine what they could look like if that rate gets even worse as the weather improves. Especially given the innings the Cubs need Taillon to cover over the rest of this season.

Dave Winfield’s time with the Yankees was memorable — for all the wrong reasons.

The Baseball Hall of Famer spent nine of his 22 big league seasons in The Bronx, racking up awards and honors as one of MLB’s best players from 1981-90, but often sparred with owner George Steinbrenner to the point that the man known as The Boss hired an investigator to dig up dirt on his slugger.

“Those nine-plus years that I was there, there wasn’t one day that I felt the organization was on my side trying to help me promote me, move me forward,” Winfield revealed on the “All The Smoke Baseball” podcast Wednesday. “You got to go to work every day, a toxic work environment.”

He added: “One of the best things that happened for my career is when I left New York.”

It started when he was signed by the Yankees to a historic 10-year, $23 million deal ahead of the 1981 season after leaving the last-place San Diego Padres.

Winfield alleges Steinbrenner made his intentions regarding the deal clear.

“He basically told me to my face that ‘I’m not going to give you all your money and if you don’t like it sue me’,” Winfield said. “Told me that a couple times.”

Fans were likely blissfully unaware of the the behind-the-scenes turmoil, as Winfield played some of his best baseball in New York.

He was an eight-time All-Star in pinstripes, adding five Gold Glove Awards and five Silver Slugger Awards.

Winfield slashed .290/.356/.495 for the Yankees, mashing 205 homers with 818 RBIs in 1,172 games.

But even with all that success, all that Windfield wanted to do was to get out out town. 

In 1990, he was granted that wish and was traded mid-season to the California Angels.

Winfield suited up for four different teams in his final six seasons, finally capturing the World Series that eluded him in New York with the Blue Jays in 1992.

He retired after the 1995 season, totaling 3,110 hits, 465 homers and 1,833 RBIs with a career slash line of .283/.353/.475 — more than enough for enshrinement in the Hall of Fame in 2001.

Winfield opted to enter wearing a Padres hat — a reminder of a time before his Yankees nightmare.

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Sterlin Thompson (No. 13 PuRP) is most famous among Colorado Rockies fans for being drafted with the compensatory draft pick they received from the departure of Trevor Story. Thompson was drafted 31st overall in 2022 and finally made it to the bigs nearly three years later. Thompson was recalled from Triple-A Albuquerque on May 15, and made his MLB debut later that night against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Coors Field.

Over the weekend in Phoenix, Thompson reflected on his first week in the big leagues.

It started with a call to his parents after receiving the news from Isotopes manager Pedro Lopez.

“I called my parents first,” Thompson said. “I called my mom and then she called my dad over, and I told them the news. And she started crying.”

Thompson got to Coors Field and wasn’t immediately in the starting lineup, which gave him some time to take it all in.

“I was just on the bench soaking it in and enjoying the experience,” Thompson said. 

But then he was called upon the eighth inning, so he quickly got ready to step up to the plate as a pinch hitter.

“And then I was in the cages and around the eighth inning, they told me I was up in the bottom of the eighth. I was the second one up. So that’s when I started to get my swings in, and then it was kind of quick from when I was told – it was like five minutes from when I was told to when I was in the box, so I had to get a few swings in. And I was the second one up that inning, and that’s how it was in the first debut.”

Thompson saw one pitch in his debut, grounding out to second and going 0-for-1 on the night.

But he had one thought going through his head.

“It’s just like, ‘Here we go. This is everything that you’ve worked for and everything that you’ve wanted,’” he said. “It was kind of everything I pictured – how the debut would be.”

And despite the result, Thompson got the chance to take in everything and reflect on the moments that brought him here.

“It’s a long time coming of just remembering all the years of sacrifice my family put into it – all the days, the long late nights, early mornings – that led into that,” he said. “Just all of those emotions all at once. That’s kind of what I was feeling. It’s a great feeling that I got to the Show. There’s only a select few people that made it, so that’s kind of how I was feeling.”

It took Thompson a few games to get into a groove, but he recorded his first hit in his third game — and it was a weird one! It was initially scored an error on Texas Rangers’ shortstop Ezequiel Duran, but then was changed to a hit by the official scorer.

Thompson played in three games before being sent down on Monday, but then he was called right back up on Friday when Mickey Moniak was placed on the injured list. 

“I got optioned on Monday and went to Vegas and played two games,” he said. “And on Friday I woke up with like 30 missed calls at 10:30. I had a flight at 1:00, and then got to Arizona around 4:00 pm and DH’d on that Friday night. So that’s been the whole process. It’s been a crazy week so far.”

But it was nothing compared to Tanner Gordon’s epic journey the previous week.

“I had a nice straight flight – non-stop – but I heard about TG’s flight experience,” he said. “But [mine] was quick because when I woke up, they said I was going up, and then I didn’t see anything with the flight right away, and then it came and it was at 1:30. And it was like 11:30 at the time, so I hauled to the airport real quick and then got here [to Arizona] and  did my little routine. It was crazy. And P-Lo wasn’t there – he was coaching third base – so Louie Lopez, who was the manager in Triple-A, called me. It was just cool to go and experience that and have ‘P-Lo’ at third base, too.”

Pedro Lopez coached third base for Warren Schaeffer on Thursday and Friday while everyday third base coach Andy González was at his daughter’s graduation. And the moment was not lost on either of them, as Lopez was the one who got to break the news to Thompson.

“When we told Sterlin that he was coming up, it was pretty cool,” Lopez said. “He actually made a baserunning mistake the day he got the call, so I brought him and we were talking about the baserunning, and I said ‘You can’t do that… if you do that and their manager wants to retaliate, you can get hit and you can get hurt.’ And then I told him, ‘And if you pull that tomorrow in the big leagues, I’m telling you right now you’re going to find yourself back in Albuquerque again.’

“And he kind of looked at me,” he continued. “But Sterlin and I go way back – I saw this kid from how he started playing last year in the first month and how much progress he’s made. I keep saying it to this day, I thought last year he was the most improved player out of all in Albuquerque. So just to see where he is now is incredible.”

And Thompson had high praise for his managers.

“It was great, with all the work we put in at Triple-A, to experience that firsthand at the big-league level together,” Thompson said. “And the time he was here, and had that moment in the top of the ninth, it was pretty cool. I think all the guys – the coaches and Schaeff – have all been welcoming since I’ve been here and have helped me settle in all the way.”

But the biggest piece of advice he’s gotten so far?

“Just go and play the game like you know how,” he said. “It’s the same game, so really just control what you need to control and the process of it, and go on doing the little things every day and be consistent at that. That’s something I’ve learned and just building each day at a time. [I’m] trying to get 1% better each day.”

And so far, Thompson has had some excellent moments. On Friday, he recorded his first extra-base hit — a double — and was driven in by Chad Stevens and waved home by Lopez.

“Here come the Isotopes!” indeed.

He also recorded his first career RBI the next night, driving in Troy Johnston on a 3-1 groundout.

Thompson hasn’t set the world on fire yet — going 4-for-24 with a double, two RBI, two walks and four strikeouts in nine games. However, he is showing what he can do and is working to get 1% better everyday like he set out to do.

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

The Milwaukee Brewers, fresh off another sweep of an NL Central foe in the Cardinals, are headed to Texas as they’ll take on the Houston Astros for three games beginning Friday night. The Brewers sit at 33-20 on the season, 4.5 games ahead of the second-place Cardinals heading into Thursday’s play. The Astros, at 25-32, sit in fourth place in the AL West, though they’re just three games back of the first-place Mariners (28-29). Houston wraps up their intrastate battle with the Rangers in Arlington tonight, as the Astros have won two of three entering the series finale.

The Brewers are currently without pitchers Logan Henderson (mid-June), Jared Koenig (early June), Brandon Woodruff (early June), Quinn Priester (TBD), and Rob Zastryzny (early June), as well as Angel Zerpa, who is out for the season. Outfielder Akil Baddoo was activated from the IL and sent to Triple-A Nashville, while fellow outfielder Brandon Lockridge is out until mid- to late June with a knee injury.

On the other side, Houston is without several of their big-name players. On the position player side, Jose Altuve (TBD), Yainer Diaz (June), Carlos Correa (out for season), and Joey Loperfido (could return this weekend) are all shelved. For the pitching staff, they’re without Cristian Javier (June), old friend Josh Hader (June), Hunter Brown (mid-June), Lance McCullers Jr. (TBD), fellow old friend Bennett Sousa (TBD), Ronel Blanco (second half of 2026), and Hayden Wesneski (second half of 2026), giving them a very depleted rotation.

Offensively, the Brewers are led by Brice Turang, Jake Bauers, William Contreras, Christian Yelich, and Jackson Chourio, Bauers leads the team with eight homers thus far, driving in 30 and scoring 29, while Turang has seven homers with 30 RBIs and a team-high 43 runs scored to go with nine steals. Gary Sánchez has struggled lately after jumping out to a hot start, but the return of Chourio and Andrew Vaughn has helped in a big way over the last few weeks. Sal Frelick, Garrett Mitchell, Joey Ortiz, David Hamilton, Luis Rengifo, and Blake Perkins round things out. As a team, the Brewers are hitting .246/.332/.364 (.696 OPS ranks 17th), with 37 homers (last), 259 runs (seventh), and 57 steals (second).

Yordan Alvarez and Christian Walker are powering the Astros, as Alvarez leads the way with 20 homers and Walker has 15 bombs. Alvarez is hitting .312/.422/.663, making him an early contender for AL MVP. Isaac Paredes and Cam Smith both had five homers, while Smith leads the team with seven steals. Christian Vázquez is the team’s primary catcher with Diaz out, while Brandon Shewmake and Jeremy Peña round out the infield. Jake Meyers starts in center, with Brice Matthews, Taylor Trammell, Zach Dezenzo, Nick Allen, and César Salazar serving as depth. As a team, the Astros are hitting .246/.322/.412 (.734 OPS ranks fifth), with 74 homers (tied for fourth), 253 runs (12th), and 20 steals (29th).

Aaron Ashby sits atop the Brewer bullpen with 25 appearances, also leading the league with nine wins and a perfect 9-0 record. He’s struck out 49 over 35 innings with a 2.06 ERA. Grant Anderson, DL Hall, Abner Uribe, and Trevor Megill are the other regulars for Milwaukee, with Shane Drohan, Jake Woodford, Chad Patrick, and Carlos Rodriguez serving as depth/long-relief arms. As a staff, the Brewers have a 3.14 team ERA (third), including a 3.05 starter ERA (third) and a 3.26 bullpen ERA (seventh). They’ve struck out 514 batters (fourth) over 472 1/3 innings.

The Astros’ bullpen — as you’ll see in the numbers below — is the worst in baseball through two months. Steven Okert leads the team with 26 appearances with a 3.86 ERA, while they’ve had plenty of arms going up and down from the minors and due to injuries. AJ Blubaugh (4.81 ERA over 33 2/3 innings) and Bryan Abreu (6.88 ERA over 17 innings) have both struggled, while Bryan King (3.04 ERA over 23 2/3 innings) leads the team with six saves in eight tries and Enyel De Los Santos (3.57 ERA over 22 2/3 innings) has four saves. Former Cub Nate Pearson, Logan VanWey, and Alimber Santa (who pitched the final two innings of a combined no-hitter in his MLB debut this week) round out the ‘pen. As a staff, the Astros have a 5.12 team ERA (29th), including a 4.84 starter ERA (29th) and a 5.46 bullpen ERA (last). They’ve struck out 469 batters (13th) over 499 1/3 innings.

Probable Pitchers

Friday, May 29 @ 7:10 p.m.: RHP Coleman Crow (0-0, 2.61 ERA, 2.29 FIP) vs. Kai-Wei Teng (3-3, 2.19 ERA, 3.55 FIP)

Crow, 25, has looked strong in his first two career starts against the Marlins and Twins. Across 10 1/3 innings, he’s allowed three runs on seven hits, a walk, and a hit batter to go with seven strikeouts. He took a no-decision in both appearances, though the Brewers won both of those games. Since that start against the Twins on May 15, he’s made one start with Triple-A Nashville, going 4 1/3 innings with three runs allowed on six hits, a walk, and a hit bitter with five strikeouts against the Durham Bulls on May 22. This marks his first career start against Houston.

Teng, 27, is in his third MLB season and first with Houston after spending the last two with the Giants. After starting the season in the bullpen, he’s made his last three appearances as a starter, totaling 37 innings over 17 appearances (four starts) with a 2.19 ERA, 3.55 FIP, and 36 strikeouts. Teng’s last start was his best yet, as he went six scoreless innings against the Cubs, allowing two hits and three walks while striking out six to pick up the win. This marks Teng’s first career appearance against Milwaukee.

Saturday, May 30 @ 3:10 p.m.: RHP Brandon Sproat (1-3, 5.84 ERA, 5.55 FIP) vs. Peter Lambert (3-4, 3.79 ERA, 3.37 FIP)

Sproat, 25, has picked up his strikeout numbers, but he still has difficulty making it through five innings — across eight starts this season, he’s made it through five-plus innings just three times. Perhaps unsurprisingly, that has translated to difficulties his second time through the order — while hitters are batting .220/.352/.390 against him the first time through, they’re hitting .254/.329/.508 the second time through, including five homers. Sproat went four-plus innings against the Dodgers in his last outing, allowing three runs on four hits, four walks, and a hit batter with seven strikeouts in a 5-1 loss. This marks his first career start against Houston.

Lambert, 29, is in his fifth MLB season and first with the Astros, as he spent parts of four seasons with the Rockies between 2019 and 2024. After coming into the majors as a starter (he made 19 starts for Colorado in 2019), he transitioned to a swingman role before returning to the rotation in Houston this year. Across seven starts this season, he has a 3.79 ERA, 3.37 FIP, and 40 strikeouts across 40 1/3 innings. The former second-round pick sent five innings against the Cubs his last time out, allowing three runs on five hits and four walks with five strikeouts in a victory. Lambert made two appearances against Milwaukee while with the Rockies, totaling eight innings with five runs allowed (5.63 ERA) and six strikeouts.

Sunday, May 31 @ 1:10 p.m.: RHP Jacob Misiorowski (5-2, 1.83 ERA, 1.88 FIP) vs. Tatsuya Imai (2-2, 6.17 ERA, 6.03 FIP)

Misiorowski, 24, has simply dominated this month. Through five starts, he’s allowed just one run across 31 1/3 innings (0.29 ERA) with 49 strikeouts to just 11 hits and six walks (0.543 WHIP). That makes for one of the more interesting NL Pitcher of the Month races we’ve ever seen, as the Phillies’ Cristopher Sánchez has gone 39 scoreless innings with 45 strikeouts to 25 hits and three walks (0.718 WHIP) across five starts this month. Given that Miz has allowed a run and Sánchez hasn’t, I’d guess Miz needs to go seven or eight scoreless frames with 10-plus strikeouts to have a real shot at winning the award. As is the case with Crow and Sproat, this is Miz’s first career start against Houston.

Imai, 28, signed with the Astros out of Japan during the offseason, agreeing to a three-year, $54 million deal. He reportedly struggled acclimating to American culture, which translated to struggles on the field, though he’s coming off his best start in the majors. After entering Monday night with an 8.31 ERA over his first five starts, he went six no-hit innings against the Rangers, allowing four walks with a pair of strikeouts, as a pair of relievers (Okert & Santa) closed out Houston’s fifth no-hitter in the last five years (including one in the 2022 World Series). This marks Imai’s first career start against Milwaukee.

How to Watch & Listen

Friday, May 29: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Saturday, May 30: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Sunday, May 31: Brewers TV; listen via radio on the Brewers Radio Network (620 WTMJ in Milwaukee)

Prediction

The Astros haven’t gotten off to a great start, and a long string of injuries hasn’t helped them. I’ll take the Brewers to win two of three against their former division rivals.