Category: Sports News

The Kansas City Royals look to enter 2026 with a much-improved outfield over the, shall we say, less-than-stellar 2025 outfit. But they could still use another bat, preferably a right-handed hitter who could be a platoon guy as there’s a drive into deep left field by Castellanos.

Kauffman Stadium has been home to a few defining moments over recent memory that only tangentially related to the team. Miguel Cabrera hit his 3,000th career hit there. Remember Trevor Bauer losing his mind and yeeting a baseball over the fence rather than give it to Terry Francona? That was fun. It happened at Kauffman, too.

And yet Kauffman Stadium was also home to one of the weirdest and most fascinating baseball moments of the 21st century: Nick Castellanos hitting a home run off Greg Holland in the middle of Thom Brennaman apologizing for saying a slur on a hot mic earlier in the evening. In an empty stadium due to the pandemic, it is pure, hilarious performance art. And some see a connection between Castellanos home runs and other negative news incidents. I mean, how many other random home runs have a Wikipedia entry? This one does.

Castellanos had a bit of a down year in 2020 (I mean, who didn’t?) but otherwise was in the middle of a six-year stretch where he’d hit .286/.338/.515 and whack 142 home runs. That performance earned him a five-year, $100 million contract with the Philadelphia Phillies.

Well, time catches up with all of us, and Castellanos started to decline. He hit .250/.294/.400 with 17 home runs in 147 games last year, worth -0.8 rWAR. He hit just .230/.267/.367 away from Citizens Bank Ballpark. A few days ago, the Phillies released Castellanos from their service, swallowing their pride and $20 million to have the man who made it a habit of hitting home runs during somber broadcast monologues play for somewhere else.

The upshot of this all is that Castellanos can be had at the league minimum salary. As a right-handed outfield bat with some pop, it’s a low-risk move for a team like the Royals, who certainly need right-handed outfield bats with some pop. In Philadelphia, Castellanos averaged 20 homers a year and put up an even 100 OPS+. For $20 million a year? Not great. For 1/20th of that price? And considering what Kansas City had last year? Ehhhh?????

Unfortunately for Nick, he is also a Zamboni in the outfield grass. Over the last four years, Castellanos has been arguably the worst defender in Major League Baseball. In his right field home, he’s accrued -45 Statcast Fielding Run Value in right field and -41 defensive runs saved. It’s been an issue that has dogged him his whole career, but his defensive woes are accelerating as he decelerates due to age—he’ll be 34 in March. I’m 34 right now, I have certainly decelerated due to age, and the only thing I have to patrol is my basement looking for cat vomit. 

There’s also this:

In a goodbye letter to Philadelphia following his release, Nick Castellanos revealed he brought a beer into the Phillies’ dugout after being pulled for a defensive substitution against Miami.

He was then benched again the following game in June.

(via casty_8/IG) pic.twitter.com/qxSQqyOjqj

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) February 12, 2026

Ultimately, I think the Royals have improved their outfield enough that the addition of Castellanos, as fun as it would be to reminisce about that August evening in 2020 every time he plays, would not move the needle. Castellanos had an on-base percentage of .294 last year. He is, basically, Hunter Renfroe wearing one of those old-timey mustache disguises, and that’s no fun to watch for anyone. 

Max Muncy is one of the great success stories in Dodgers history. Signed to a minor league contract at age 26 after a pair of underwhelming seasons with the Oakland A’s, Muncy has been a productive member of a team that has won four pennants and three championships during his first eight years in Los Angeles.

The deal Muncy finalized Thursday keeps him under contract for two more seasons plus a club option for 2028 as well. That gives him a chance to add to his already prodigious totals with the Dodgers.

Muncy has two seasons with 36 home runs and two more with 35. The only other Dodger with that many seasons of at least 35 homers is Duke Snider, with five straight years of 40-plus. Muncy in June hit his 200th home run with the Dodgers, and ended the year with 209 home runs, good for seventh place in franchise history.

Most home runs, Dodgers history

1. Duke Snider 389
2. Gil Hodges 361
3. Eric Karros 270
4. Roy Campanella 242
5. Ron Cey 228
6. Steve Garvey 211
7. Max Muncy 209
8. Matt Kemp 203
9. Carl Furillo 192
10. Mike Piazza 177

Injuries have interrupted Muncy’s last two seasons, with 15 home runs in roughly half a season in 2024 and 19 home runs in 100 games in 2025. If Muncy hits another 19 home runs in 2026, he’ll tie Ron Cey for fifth place on the Dodgers list. At least 33 home runs gets Muncy into fourth place.

Today’s question is how many home runs will Max Muncy hit this season for the Dodgers? Give us your guesses in the comments below.

Upon the departure of Mitch Garver, the Mariners entered this winter with a hole in their catching corps.

Wait, what?

I don’t need to get into how magnificent Cal Raleigh’s historic 2025 was here. You know it. I know it. The girl reading this knows it. What may have fallen through in his charge to sixty (sixty! still boggles the mind) homers last year was the workload behind the plate that he’s shouldered; since 2022, his 499 games at catcher lead all of baseball, with his 4149 innings and 457 starts in that span trailing only J.T. Realmuto. Throw in 38 games as Seattle’s DH last year, and Cal crossed the 700 plate appearance threshold – nigh-unheard of for a backstop.

Catching is famously tough on the human body, and many teams in the modern era opt for a more balanced job share rather than the traditional starter/backup model to keep both players healthy. But when your MVP runner-up and newfound face of the franchise crouches behind the plate nearly every day? Whoever plays second fiddle isn’t exactly a top priority.

Andrew Knizner is no stranger to being the irreplaceable’s replacement. Drafted in the 7th round in 2016 by the St. Louis Cardinals out of North Carolina State, he broke into the bigs in 2019, making his debut in early June after franchise legend and Yadier Molina hit the injured list due to a thumb strain. He was sent back down after just two games, but came back up after Yadi again hit the IL with a thumb injury, getting into eleven games – and hitting his first big league homer – before heading back to Triple-A Memphis, returning after September roster expansion.

Buried behind an established – if aging – duo of Molina and Matt Wieters, Knizner struggled to find consistent playing time in MLB, stepping to the plate just 75 times over 26 games in 2019-20. After Wieters retired following the 2020 season, though, backup catcher was wide open for the Cards, and Knizner seized his chance, spending all of 2021 on a Major League roster while playing in 63 games and collecting 185 plate appearances. The results weren’t exactly pretty, as he turned in a paltry 48 wRC+ and subpar defensive marks, but a double-digit walk rate and a deflated BABIP of .223 suggested that more could be unlocked from his bat.

With Molina entering his final season in 2022 – and missing about six weeks with knee inflammation – Knizner faced the unenviable scenario of both suddenly becoming important at work and stepping in for a franchise legend. Starting 78 games behind the plate, enough to be listed as St. Louis’s primary catcher per Baseball-Reference, his 77 wRC+ doesn’t jump off the page, but it represented a jump of nearly 30 points. He continued to receive not-great marks for his framing and pop time, but graded out well as a blocker, and St. Louis opted to keep him on after signing Willson Contreras as Yadi’s long-term successor.

Knizner enjoyed his best season in 2023, finally finding some game power in popping ten homers en route to a 92 wRC+ over 241 plate appearances. While the power was great to see, the tradeoff was a downward trend in both his strikeout and walk rates, with each of them moving about four points in the wrong direction. It wasn’t enough for the Cardinals, and they non-tendered Knizner that winter. He quickly found a new home with the Rangers, acting as Jonah Heim’s backup, but if you thought his 2021 was rough? Don’t look at his 2024 numbers. Texas DFA’d him in August after bringing aboard Carson Kelly, and he finished off the year in the Diamondbacks’ org before signing a minor league deal with the Nationals that winter.

His time with the Nats was short-lived. Despite a fiery start in Triple-A Rochester, he was released in mid-May, but was quickly scooped up by the Giants, who promoted him to the big league roster in early June and kept him there for the rest of the season. Behind all-world defender Patrick Bailey, Knizner only got into 33 games with San Francisco, and his triple slash of .221/.299/.299 and 73 wRC+ were in line with his career numbers, but something had changed in his process at the plate. Through 2024, Knizner struck out at a clip of 23%; not terrible in this day and age, but higher than you’d like for a hitter without much thump. In 2025, though, he cut that in half, going down on strikes at a rate of just 11.4%, and the walks stayed at around his career marks. He also had his share of clutch moments, racking up a cumulative +.163 WPA, and none was bigger than an eighth-inning go-ahead triple against his former club on September 27th.

The obvious caveat here is that we’re talking about just 88 trips to the plate, and his chase rate was largely unchanged, but any time someone bucks a trend like Knizner did last year, it’s worth keeping an eye on. His defensive marks showed improvement, too, particularly in the framing department, though with the ABS challenge system on the horizon, it remains to be seen how impactful those gains will be.

The M’s signed Knizner to a one-year, $1 million deal in mid-December; just barely over league minimum. Although Seattle claimed a third catcher in Jhonny Pereda on the in late January, Knizner’s lack of options and more substantial big league track record of 323 games all but ascertain he’ll be breaking camp as the Big Dumper’s backup. Expectations for him both at and behind the plate will be tempered; most expectations for second-string backstops are. If he can show that his contact gains were for real, though, he should once again settle in nicely as a replacement for the irreplaceable – and give Cal Raleigh’s knees some more well-earned rest.

The college baseball season gets underway today, or I should say is already underway with a 9:30 AM game kicking things off, and some high school seasons have already gotten underway. That means we are officially in MLB Draft season. This is an especially big draft for the Atlanta Braves, thanks to Drake Baldwin. As of today the Braves are sitting on a pair of first round picks, coming in at both No. 9 and No. 26 – though that second pick, the pick from Baldwin winning Rookie of the Year, could still be forfeited should the Braves sign a qualifying offer free agent such as Zac Gallen.

We have already gone over some of the names of the players the Braves could be taking a look at with their top pick, but now is a chance for us to focus on some of the guys they could be looking at when the No. 26 pick gets on the clock. I have picked 10 guys who as of today could be options for the Braves – though there is still an entire spring for these guys to move themselves up or down, or even other prospects to emerge.

Brady Ballinger, 1B/OF, Kansas

One of the biggest bats in this draft after a massive first year on campus, following his transfer from a JUCO. Ballinger is a middle of the order slugger with excellent data and numbers who could potentially hit for both average and power. He pretty much hits everything against everyone, though will need to show better against elite velocity this spring in order to go this high in the draft. Although he is listed as “1B/OF”, he is pretty much a first base-only prospect thanks to his 20-grade speed and struggled in the outfield during the fall.

Top exit velocities from fall & spring scrimmages💥

5. @brady_ballinger (108.8 MPH)
4. @JordanBach4 (109.1 MPH)
3. @DarielOsoria_23 (109.5 MPH)
2. @brady_ballinger (110.4 MPH)
1. @Owens4Tyson (110.5 MPH)#RockChalk 📈 pic.twitter.com/OIa7K3vrYt

— Kansas Baseball Data (@KUBaseballData) February 11, 2026

Blake Bowen, OF, California HS

Bowen is an athletic multi-sport athlete who really saw himself rise late in the summer into the fall, and has emerged as a serious first round candidate. He’s got a bunch of plus tools in the power, speed, and arm, and could be a plus defender in right – though he has a chance to stick in center as well. The hit tool is the biggest question about his profile, though he showed growth there last year. The thing to watch with him this spring will be whether the hit tool growth continues to progress this spring, which could push him up even higher into the first round.

Blake Bowen (2026) continues to show the all field strength. Goes to the oppo gap for a three bagger. 2025 PG All American committed to @BeaverBaseball#PGHS@PG_Scoutingpic.twitter.com/OOFOtDLCGd

— Perfect Game California (@California_PG) February 3, 2026

James Clark, SS, California HS

Although not quite the same prospect, James Clark reminds me a bit of Kayson Cunningham from last year’s draft. A high school shortstop with a very strong hit tool, plus speed, enough power, and also some questions on whether he sticks at shortstop longterm. While he has a strong hit tool, I don’t think it’s quite as good as Cunningham’s – though he could end up growing into slightly more power than Cunningham. Signability could come into play a bit here, as he is committed to Princeton along with his twin brother.

Joseph Contreras, RHP, Georgia HS

The son of Jose Contreras is a legitimate first round contender on his own. Already possessing a fastball that has touched 98 MPH with a plus forkball and both a slider and change that could become above average offerings, Contreras has the four-pitch mix with potentially average command that could make him a steal in the late part of the first round. Contreras already began his sign school season, and came out throwing fire this week.

You wanna see what a future plus-plus pitch looks like in HS?

2026 RHP Joseph Contreras with Exhibit A.

Not often you see an off-speed with this much feel at 17 years old. @PrepBaseballGA || @ShooterHunt#GAHS26pic.twitter.com/vWUNF0Alrb

— Ian Smith (@IanSmittyGA) February 10, 2026

Daniel Cuvet, 3B/1B, Miami

Cuvet is a proven college power bat with massive power. He’s got potentially double plus power to work with, but will also strike out quite a bit. Despite the strikeouts, he has shown enough ability with the hit tool to have what projects as a fringe average grade there, or enough to be able to tap into his power in games. The other real question mark is that the odds are very unlikely he sticks at third base, which likely pushes him to first and puts more pressure on his bat to produce. Still this is a potential first rounder, especially with a little growth as a hitter this spring.

South Florida built. Leads by example.

Daniel Cuvet is ready to put on a show in 2026 🙌 pic.twitter.com/73HXmWmsST

— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) February 6, 2026

Gabe Gaeckle, RHP, Arkansas

Gaeckle is an interesting case in this draft. On one hand he has the stuff to be an easy first round pick, a fastball up to 98 MPH, plus slider, solid change and curve, and potentially fringy command. On the other hand he has very little starting experience, and his time as a starter last year ended up seeing him demoted back into a bullpen role – though some of that is also on the Razorbacks being loaded with talent. This spring will go a long way to shaping his stock up or down, but based on stuff Gaeckle is a guy to watch closely. As for why he is listed here, the two guys that Pipeline compared his stuff to are current Brave Spencer Strider, and a guy the Braves were rumored to really like last year in Gage Wood.

Between plus stuff and bat-missing ability, @RazorbackBSB's Gabe Gaeckle has multiple pathways to success in pro ball 👀

More SEC pitchers generating buzz: https://t.co/U4FHupJrgBpic.twitter.com/XP1Wzr9ecA

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) February 10, 2026

Tegan Kuhns, RHP, Tennessee

Kuhns is a sophomore eligible pitcher who was highly touted out of high school, had a solid freshman season at Tennessee, and looked excellent for a very short time in the Cape last summer. The projectable right hander has the plus fastball and curve, though there are some concerns that he doesn’t really have a third pitch at the moment. Kuhns has used a slider, cutter, and change at times, and will need to improve at least one of them, as well as his command, but if he can do that he will put himself firmly in the mix for a first round selection.

RHP Tegan Kuhns (@Vol_Baseball) threw 4.1 scoreless of 1 hit ball & showed lot to like. Elevates riding FB at 93-95 from + arm speed. Good feel for 11-5 shaped CB, flashed solid upper-80s CT.

Fr./'26 elig. pic.twitter.com/NALqiLUDUb

— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) March 23, 2025

Tommy LaPour, RHP, TCU

Tommy LaPour is likely a bit more of a project than his 2025 stat line would indicate, but the big former multi sport athlete has a lot of potential. He’s got a huge fastball, up to 101 MPH, and the makings of a plus slider, though he will need work to improve his command of it. He also has shown a solid change and in general has solid command. The big key for him will be finding a way to command that slider better, and also to a lesser extent improving his ability to miss bats with the big fastball, as it presently plays down from what the velocity reads.

Tommy LaPour is a Big 12 arm to watch 👀

The TCU righthander's combination of stuff, command and durability positions him as a frontline starter heading into 2026.

Check out our Big 12 season preview: https://t.co/zLQ4YTvgPHpic.twitter.com/MQQwpuiuB5

— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) February 7, 2026

Aiden Ruiz, SS, New York HS

Ruiz is not only a sure thing to stick at short, but is one of the better fielding shortstops in the class. He’s a little undersized at 5’10, 168-pounds, but he’s an excellent hitter with a real feel for taking professional at bats as a switch-hitter. The power is definitely looking like it is just below average, but he does a good job of spraying the ball into the gaps for extra base hits. The ability he has to hit, run, field, and throw to go with plenty of at least doubles power, with a polished game, makes him a strong pick later in the first round.

𝑫𝙧𝒂𝙛𝒕 𝑩𝙤𝒂𝙧𝒅 𝑺𝙥𝒐𝙩𝒍𝙞𝒈𝙝𝒕

Aiden Ruiz, SS, Stony Brook HS

Surefire bet to stick at SS with an advanced internal clock and actions for the spot. Switch hitter with feel from both sides & creates QAB’s often. #Vanderbilt commit. #PGDraft#MLBDraftpic.twitter.com/36FroIMLGy

— Perfect Game Draft (@PG_Draft) December 18, 2025

Savion Sims, RHP, Texas HS

A projectable 6’8, 205-pound pitcher who has already touched 100 MPH with his fastball, Savion Sims is a bit of a lottery ticket arm. That would be because he is pretty much all about the fastball right now, and the rest of his arsenal needs to be refined. Sims has at times shown flashes of at least an average slider, and will really need to improve his change. Command is also a work in progress for him, but that’s a normal thing when dealing with a young arm with such long limbs, as they are typically trickier to lock down their mechanics and delivery – which is what effects his command. Still there is a lot to work with in this package, and for an organization confident in their ability to grow pitchers, Sims has to be interesting.

Savion Sims (‘26 TX) rolls through 3 on 10ks. Fastball opened 96-99 (2323 RPM) ⛽️ in the first. Sat 96-98 in second. 93-97 third inning. Slider 84-88 bullet like. Splitter 86-89 flashed topping and diving. Fastball produced 7 S/M. Slider produced 10 S/M. Overpowering and bullying… pic.twitter.com/oLQp8g7UUN

— Perfect Game Texas (@Texas_PG) February 10, 2026

The 2025 season could have been a big year for Jasson Domínguez. The long-heralded next big thing in the Yankees outfield was well-positioned to earn a starting role following Juan Soto’s crosstown departure, and had finally recovered from the litany of injuries which plagued his previous two seasons. But while the 22-year old had his moments here and there, he was clearly the team’s fourth-best outfielder; merely adequate at the plate and unreliable in the field.

This offseason, in a concerted effort to run it back, the Yankees have welcomed Trent Grisham and Cody Bellinger back to the Bronx, meaning Domínguez is once again looking at a reserve role in 2026. But the dream of a dominant Martian is not yet dead. If he can find his power stroke more consistently, flatten out his stark platoon splits, and take a step forward on defense, Domínguez could finally escape the clouds and reach his galactic potential.

2025 statistics: 123 games, 429 plate appearances, .257/.331/.388 (103 wRC+), 10 HR, 47 RBI, 26.8 K%, 9.6 BB%, -9 Outs Above Average, 0.6 fWAR

2026 FanGraphs DC projections: 26 games, 118 PA, .250/.325/.404 (105 wRC+), 3 HR, 13 RBI, 25 K%, 9.6 BB%, 0.4 fWAR

I’ve wanted to discuss Jasson for a while, since he represents one of the bigger wild cards on a team loaded with veterans and known commodities. He is a flawed player, no doubt. For one thing, the prodigious power he has always possessed was in short supply last year—just 10 homers for a guy like him came as a big surprise to me. The main culprit seems to be an inability to generate lift against fastballs. A hitter like Domínguez, possessed with freakish bat speed, should be able to drive heaters a long way, but a mere .399 slugging percentage (and .364 xSLG) against the harder stuff limited his thump.

The switch-hitter was also woeful from the right side, managing a pithy .569 OPS against left-handed pitchers. This made him effectively a platoon bat for most of the year, as the Yankees had too little margin for error in the postseason race to let Domínguez figure it out down the stretch. Since his lefty production was not spectacular either—Bellinger and Grisham simply outhit Jasson from that side of the plate—his opportunities became fewer and fewer as the season progressed.

Then came the outfield lowlights. Domínguez just couldn’t seem to figure out the right angles in left field, where he played the majority of the time. His -9 Outs Above Average ranked in the third percentile among qualified outfielders. Jasson is not lacking for speed, but he takes a shockingly long time to track the baseball and make up lost ground. Of course, Yankee Stadium is not the friendliest ballpark to a left fielder, but an OAA figure that low does not suggest his troubles are limited to his home turf.

Those are three big black clouds surrounding the longtime top prospect, but of course, time and youth are still on Domínguez’s side. Having just turned 23 a few days back, it’s far too early to write him off as a Joc Pederson-lite; though I may have grumbled something to that effect a time or two in the middle of last year. And ultimately, Domínguez was still statistically above-average at the plate with all those factors weighing against him. Posting a 103 wRC+ while not playing every day is hard to do; just recall how Trent Grisham scuffled without regular playing time in 2024.

The first issue we discussed—subpar power production—feels like by far the easiest fix. It may just take one tweak to attack angle or a stance alteration to get Domínguez firing on all cylinders in the power department once again. I also think it’s not out of the question that he improves a bunch on defense—maybe not to the point of being above-average, but competence should be the goal. If he does, he’ll get more opportunities to try his hand in the other two outfield spots, which would only increase the amount of options Aaron Boone has at his disposal.

The platoon splits are going to be a tougher challenge; since the Yankees will be jockeying for position with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and the potentially resurgent Orioles for divisional superiority, there will, like last year, be little wiggle room for Domínguez to get the live reps he might need to start to improve as a right-handed hitter. The solace is that he would be taking the majority of his PAs from the left side anyway, but it limits his ability to settle into a full starting role in the future—and was likely a driving factor behind the Yankees’ decision to bring back Bellinger and Grisham this winter.

The ultimate X-factor for Domínguez is injuries: both for himself and for his stablemates in the outfield. Jasson is the next man up if any of their starting triumvirate—who all played at least 140 games last year—hits the shelf for an extended period. The inevitable Giancarlo Stanton injury absence would create an opportunity at DH as well. The Yankees have often started seasons with little depth beyond their starters, leaving them exposed if anybody got hurt. As Michael detailed earlier today, they’ve consciously adopted a different strategy in 2026, and Jasson is a big part of that depth. Of course, if he himself gets injured, it would just be another treacherous bend in what just a few years ago seemed to be an open road to stardom.

FanGraphs’ Depth Charts projections has a very pessimistic outlook on Domínguez’s overall playing time share in 2026—supposedly because of the possibility he starts the season in Triple-A. I’ll believe that when I see it. The ZiPS projections agree, penciling Domínguez in for a more believable 471 plate appearances; while the .246/.323/.399 triple slash it prescribes would be disappointing, it’s important to remember these systems are conservative by nature. There’s not yet a precedent for Domínguez slugging higher than .400 in a full MLB season, but we humans understand that a SLG of at least .450 can be a reasonable goal for him.

With the majority of the players on this Yankees team, you know more or less what you’re going to get. But the concrete has not yet settled on this young man. As far as 2026, the Yankees just need him to be a reliable extra option in their outfield; anything extra is gravy. But if the opportunity presents itself, Domínguez has the talent to enter the stratosphere. It’s true that he has been part of the future for going on six years now, but that possibility should still excite us.

---

See more of the Yankees Previews series here.

A familiar face is returning to the Astros as the Astros dealt outfielder Jesus Sanchez to the Toronto Blue Jays for Joey Loperfido. Loperfido will be a familiar face as he was an Astros farmhand and had a cup of coffee with the 2024 team before he was dealt at the deadline as a part of a package that netted them Yusei Kikuchi. While the Astros are denying it, a part of the motivation seems to be add some payroll flexibility. Dana Brown himself said that the team was not necessarily done dealing.

Trade news: The Toronto Blue Jays acquired outfielder Jesus Sanchez from the Houston Astros for outfielder Joey Loperfido, whom they had traded to Toronto in the Yusei Kikuchi deal at the 2024 deadline.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) February 13, 2026

There are a couple of points of note about this particular trade. The first is that Loperfido has five years of club control remaining and he has an option remaining. That means he could conceivably start the season in Sugar Land if there is not enough room for him at the big league level. However, Loperfido showed an ability to play all three outfield positions and first base, so he could offer the team more roster flexibility if he is able to stick out of Spring Training.

While he is a left-handed hitting outfielder, it remains to be seen whether this will open up the possibility of Isaac Paredes also being moved for another lefty hitting outfielder. We have seen rumors tying them to the Red Sox and Pirates earlier in the offseason. The Padres have also been floated in some circles as a potential trading partner.

⚾ Isaac Paredes is emerging in Astros trade rumors.

Houston Astros trade rumors have centered on infielder Isaac Paredes as the team faces a crowded infield with multiple starting-caliber players ahead of the season. The Astros have explored trade options, nearly moving Paredes… pic.twitter.com/iGz9WANAX1

— Chron (@chron) February 9, 2026

One potential name has emerged from the Pirates. It has been reported that the Astros were interested in catcher Joey Bart. Bart would certainly offer more offensive punch than either of the catchers set to back up Yainer Diaz in camp. A Bart for Paredes swap seems light, so we would imagine something else would be included there from the Pirates end. Of course, that is just speculation on our part. What do you think of the trade today?

As of right now, the Atlanta Braves rotation in its current form is healthy enough with four starters who are doing fine here in the infancy of camp. It’s gotten to the point where Braves President of Baseball Operations/General Manager Alex Anthopoulos has gone ahead and claimed that four of the five rotation spots are already spoken for. According to Braves beat writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Chad Bishop (welcome to the neighborhood!), AA has declared that the fifth spot will be open for competition during spring training.

Alex Anthopoulos says today Sale, Strider, Lopez, Holmes are four of the five team’s starters. Competition is open for the fifth starting spot which was expected to be Spencer Schwellenbach.

— Chad Bishop (@MrChadBishop) February 13, 2026

As Bishop mentions above, things likely would’ve been set had Spencer Schwellenbach’s elbow not started acting up on him in a severe manner. Instead, the Braves are now going to explore their options in camp and give some of their in-house hurlers a shot at getting into the rotation. That means guys like Joey Wentz, Bryce Elder, Hurston Waldrep and José Suarez are likely going to be the ones to keep an eye on as spring training progresses. The Braves have plenty of starters in camp at the moment but I’d imagine that those are the ones who are most likely to end up competing for that final spot in the rotation.

With that being said, there’s always the possibility that this could be GM-speak on the part of the GM since there’s always a possibility that the Braves could potentially dip their toes into the free agency market once again in order to pick up a starter from outside of the organization. As I mentioned in my post from Thursday, Lucas Giolito is still available and he was linked to the Braves during the offseason. Zac Gallen is also still a free agent, but the qualifying offer may dissuade the Braves from going down that particular avenue since they’d have to part with the No. 26 overall pick in this year’s upcoming draft.

Whether you choose to take AA at his word or not, the fact of the matter is that the Braves are publicly saying that they’re going to stick with their in-house options for the time being. We’ll see how that pans out but for now, it looks like we’re going to have a good ol’ fashioned position battle on our hands for one of the most important positions on the diamond in any given ballgame. We’ll see what happens!

The Atlanta Braves will televise 15 live spring training games in February and March, with free over-the-air broadcasts through local Gray TV stations in 26 markets throughout the southeast.

Fans with MLBTV will also be able to stream the games, per MLB’s Mark Bowman.

Here are the spring training games the Braves will televise. It’s worth noting that if you are out of market, other games may also be streamed and/or televised by the opposing team, giving you additional options to watch the Braves this spring.

February 22 vs. Twins, 1:00pm
February 24 vs. Tigers, 1:00pm
February 25 vs. Pirates, 1:00pm
February 26 @ Yankees, 1:00pm
February 27 vs. Red Sox, 1:00pm
March 1 vs. Rays, 1:00pm
March 4 vs. Colombia, 1:00pm
March 5 vs. Blue Jays, 1:00pm
March 7 vs. Orioles, 1:00pm
March 12 @ Pirates, 6:00pm
March 13 vs. Yankees, 1:00pm
March 14 vs. Red Sox, 6:00pm
March 17 @ Red Sox, 1:00pm
March 21 @ Red Sox and @ Yankees, 1:00 and 6:30pm

The full announcement and schedule can be found here.

For broadcast times, channel information and additional details, fans are encouraged to visit bravesongray.com and check local Gray Media station listings in their markets.

The Astros and Blue Jays exchanged outfielders on Friday, with Houston acquiring Joey Loperfido from Toronto for Jesús Sánchez.

This is a return to Houston for Loperfido, who was a seventh-round pick by the Astros in the 2021 MLB Draft. He hit .333 with four home runs, 14 RBIs and an .879 OPS in 41 regular-season games for Toronto in 2025.

In 91 games at Triple-A Buffalo, Loperfido batted .264 with seven homers and 44 RBIs.

The 26-year-old was traded from Houston to Toronto in July 2024, along with pitcher Jake Bloss and infielder Will Wagner, for pitcher Yusei Kikuchi. Before the trade he appeared in 38 games with the Astros in 2024, his first season in the major leagues, batting .236 with two home runs and 16 RBIs.

MLB 2026: What to know about new ABS challenge system

Sánchez, 28, appeared in 134 games between the Miami Marlins and the Astros in 2025, combining to slash .237/.304/.395 with 14 home runs, 48 RBIs and 13 stolen bases.

Sánchez is a career .239 hitter with 73 home runs and 238 RBIs in 580 career games.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Joey Loperfido Jesus Sanchez trade has Astros, Blue Jays swap OF

*In an effort to make the nomination voting easier for everyone, I will comment, “NOMINATIONS”, and you may reply to that with your picks and upvote the player you’d like to see on the next nominee list.

Another close round of voting for the 12th spot in our CPL, but Tommy White came out on top this time around. The former second-round pick is a bat-first third baseman that many thought would eventually move to first base as he rose the minor league ladder. His bat has so far been everything the A’s had hoped for when they drafted him, and he’s shown enough at the hot corner that the A’s are going to continue to let him work at the position and see if he continues his growth on defense. That would be a tremendous boost to his value for the A’s moving forward.

Joining the nominee list is right-hander Zane Taylor. A fifth-round draft pick last year, Taylor only made it into one pro game in the A’s system before the minor league season ended, pitching two scoreless innings in Triple-A for the Aviators. While he may not start the season quite that high up the minor league ladder, the four-year college starter looks like one of those prospects that could move quickly through the system. He doesn’t have elite “stuff” but he could find himself as a quality back-end type of starter down the line thanks to his command of the strike zone.

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

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

Click on the link here to vote!

* * *

A’s fans top prospects, ranked:

1. Leo De Vries, SS
2. Jamie Arnold, LHP
3. Gage Jump, LHP
4. Wei-En Lin, LHP
5. Braden Nett, RHP
6. Henry Bolte, OF
7. Johenssy Colome, SS
8. Edgar Montero, SS
9. Steven Echavarria, RHP
10. Devin Taylor, OF
11. Mason Barnett, RHP
12. Tommy White, 3B

The voting continues! Who will be voted as the 12th-best prospect in the A’s system? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.

Nominees on the current ballot:

Zane Taylor, RHP

Expected level: Double-A | Age: 23

2025 stats (AAA): 0.00 ERA, 1 start, 2 IP, 4 K, 2 BB, 0 HR, 2.97 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 50 | Slider: 50 | Changeup: 55 | Control: 55 | Overall: 40

Taylor’s fastball jumped 3 mph this spring, as he worked at 92-95 mph and touched 98 while maintaining his velocity deep into games and throughout the season. His fastball lacks life but he commands it well and it’s difficult to hit when he locates it up in the zone. He does a fine job of killing spin on his low-80s changeup, which fades and sinks and grades as a solid pitch.

While neither Taylor’s mid-80s slider nor his low-80s curveball stand out with their spin or shape, they generate a high level of chases and empty swings. He overcomes his lack of size with a drop-and-drive delivery that produces a low release height, flat approach angle and plenty of extension, which combine to make his pitches more difficult for hitters to pick up. He’s 23 and pretty much a finished product, but he has a long history of throwing strikes and a high floor as at least a back-of-the-rotation starter.

Shotaro Morii, SS/RHP

Expected level: Low-A | Age: 19

2025 stats (Rookie Affiliate): 188 PA, .258/.399/.384, 8 doubles, 1 triple, 3 HR, 27 RBI, 36 BB, 47 K, 4 SB

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades (hitter): Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 50 | Overall: 40

Scouting grades (pitcher): Fastball: 55 | Slider: 40 | Curveball: 45 | Splitter: 50 | Control: 45 | Overall: 40

At the plate, Morii features a smooth left-handed swing with tremendous balance. His power stands out, as he clubbed 45 home runs as a high schooler. He is considered an advanced hitter with good barrel control. On the mound, his fastball has been clocked as high as 95 mph and sits around 92-93. He also brings a splitter with nasty movement, a true 12-to-6 curveball and a tighter slider with solid bite and depth, though that offering will probably require some fine-tuning. Having only been pitching with regularity for less than two years, Morii’s arm is relatively fresh as he enters the organization.

Morii’s high-octane throwing arm plays well at shortstop, but some evaluators see a possibility of moving to third base as his 6-foot-1 frame fills out. While scouts see Morii’s long-term future in the batter’s box, the A’s plan on giving him every opportunity to succeed as a two-way player, with excitement already building over his impressive physical traits and desire to become one of the next great players out of Japan.

Henry Baez, RHP

Expected level: Triple-A | Age: 23

2025 stats (Double-A): 2.39 ERA, 23 starts, 109 IP, 100 K, 35 BB, 3 HR, 3.19 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 55 | Curveball: 55 | Changeup: 45 | Control: 50 | Overall: 45

The 6-foot-3 right-hander has gained velocity steadily in his years as a pro and has touched as high as 99 mph this season. He typically sits around 94 mph, working north-south with the pitch while getting most of his whiffs up and to the armside. He played off that with a 76-79 mph curveball that could have more slurvish tendencies, but at its best, it snapped downward to fool batters sitting on the high heat and it had produced a 47 percent miss rate at the time of the trade. He also utilizes an 83-86 mph split-change to miss bats, but it stands out more for its separation than movement profile.

Baez took a major jump in workload but didn’t let his control improvements suffer. That certainly helps his starting chances, as does his 50.1 percent ground-ball rate from 2024. He’s still only 22, but with his place on the roster now set, the A’s (never afraid to move guys quickly) could try to see what it looks like in the big leagues in a relief role to ease him in.

Gunnar Hoglund, RHP

Expected level: Triple-A/Majors | Age: 26

2025 stats (Triple-A): 2.43 ERA, 6 starts, 29 2/3 IP, 30 K, 7 BB, 3 HR, 4.17 FIP

2025 stats (Majors): 6.40 ERA, 6 starts, 32 1/3 IP, 23 K, 11 BB, 10 HR, 6.75 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

Scouting grades: Fastball: 45 | Slider: 55 | Changeup: 50 | Control: 60 | Overall: 45

Though Hoglund may never get back the electric stuff he possessed earlier in his career, the A’s were encouraged to see his fastball velocity tick back up to the low-90s. He has also experimented with adding a two-seamer and cutter. His low-80s slider now features more sweeping action and works as his main secondary pitch. He has also improved his low-80s changeup, creating a solid three-pitch mix that is enhanced by a strong ability to consistently throw strikes.

Now three years removed from Tommy John, the A’s are hopeful that Hoglund can develop into a solid back-end rotation piece, especially if he can successfully develop a fourth pitch. The Florida native was regularly going deep into starts in his big league cameo (6.40 ERA with 23 strikeouts to 11 walks across 32 1/3 innings) before going down with the injury and is expected to make a full recovery before the 2026 season.

Cole Miller, RHP

Expected level: Single-A | Age: 20

2025 stats (ROK, Single-A): 1.90 ERA, 12 starts (15 appearances), 52 IP, 45 K, 11 BB, 1 HR, 3.38 FIP

MLB Pipeline grades and scouting report:

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

The A’s were working on some mechanical adjustments with Miller prior to his injury. His electric fastball ticked up to 96 mph in high school and displayed excellent movement down in the zone. The mid-80s slider is a hard breaker and was showing signs of improvement. His low-80s changeup showed some potential as an average third pitch.

There was real excitement within the organization for Miller’s professional debut. His three-pitch mix and large 6-foot-6 frame give off the potential of a workhorse-type starting pitcher in the big leagues. The A’s also loved the competitiveness they saw from him on the mound while scouting him. After an unfortunate delay, he finally got his first opportunity to make an impression this summer.

* * *

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

Last week I asked fans to chime in with the Royals Review fan survey, asking them what they thought about the Royals, downtown baseball, and the state of baseball.

We had nearly 400 responses to our fan survey this year. This isn’t a scientific poll, just a fun internet poll. And it’s certainly not binding (unless Prop 304 passes, and we all pray that it does) But I thought it might lend a glimpse into how Royals fans are feeling before the season.

How would you grade the job John Sherman and the ownership group are doing?

A – 6.2%

B – 53.1%

C – 32.9%

D – 5.7%

F – 2.1%

Sherman’s numbers look better than the last time we did this survey back in 2023, despite the thwarted ballpark efforts. Making the playoffs helps!

How would you grade the job J.J. Picollo and management are doing?

A – 23.5%

B – 55.8%

C – 17.3%

D – 2.1%

F – 1.3%

Even better numbers for J.J., who only received an “A” from 4% of fans in 2023, his first year on the job. Fans may be upset he hasn’t done more to upgrade the outfield, but they generally seem fine with his overall leadership for the club.

How would you grade the job Matt Quatraro has done?

A – 32.9%

B – 51%

C – 13.2%

D – 2.1%

F – 0.8%

Quatraro is a star student! Over eight in ten fans polled would give him an “A” or “B”. When he was hired in 2023, 96 percent of fans approved of the hiring, and while there has been some criticism, fans seem largely good with the skipper.

How would you grade the offseason for the Royals so far?

A – 2.1%

B – 44.4%

C – 44.4%

D – 7.8%

F – 1.3%

“Incomplete” is probably the grade most fans would give after the Royals added Isaac Collins, Lane Thomas, and Matt Strahm this winter. All fine moves, but the team has yet to make the big move to put them over the top, or even answer what Detroit has done this offseason

What is the biggest area of concern going into this season?

Offense – 97%

Bullpen – 1.3%

Starting pitching – 1.0%

“Duh.” Probably shouldn’t have had this as a question.

Which of these young players are you most excited about?

Carter Jensen 58.4%

Jac Caglianone 33.8%

Noah Cameron 7.8%

This would have looked very different a year ago, but a disappointing performance by Caglianone upon a promotion, and a hot month from Carter Jensen in September have fans more excited about the local kid.

What Royals minor leaguer are you most excited about?

Kendry Chourio 38.5%

Blake Mitchell 13.4%

David Shields 13.1%

Luinder Avila 10.2%

Ben Kudrna 7.0%

Gavin Cross 7.0%

Also votes for Drew Beam, Sean Gamble, Josh Hammond, Michael Lombardi, Chazz Martinez, Frank Mozzicato, Ramon Ramirez, Carson Roccaforte, and Jhonayker Ugarte

Who would you most like to see get a long-term deal right now with the Royals?

Vinnie Pasquantino 38.8%

No players 19%

Carter Jensen 15.6 %

Cole Ragans 15.3%

Noah Cameron 8.2%

Jac Caglianone 3.2%

Pay that man his money! Fans want to see the Royals keep Vinnie in Kansas City long time. They’re not as high on giving Carter Jensen or Jac Caliganone a deal quite yet. Guess that’s why they call it the “Show-Me State.”

How many games do you predict the Royals will win in 2026?

90+ win – 5.7%

85-89 wins – 56.8%

80-84 wins – 32.0%

75-79 wins – 5.5%

70-74 wins – 0.0%

Less than 70 wins – 0.0%

Over sixty percent of Royals fans think the team will win more than 85 games. What happened to our critical spirits?

Do you support a new stadium for the Royals?

Yes – 54.8%

No – 25.4%

Not sure – 19.8%

Well, that is a better result than the 2024 ballot initiative that flopped. I suppose the devil is in the details.

If you said no, what is your primary reason for objecting to a new stadium?

Love of Kauffman Stadium – 50.5%

Cost of public financing – 24.2%

Parking/traffic concerns – 13.1%

Other – 12.1%

Safety concerns – 0.0%

Some of the other reasons mentioned include distance from home, a lesser fan experience, higher costs, exorbitant player salaries, and dislike for the owner.

If you said yes, what ballpark site do you most prefer?

Washington Square Park – 39.6%

18th and Paseo (near 18th and Vine) – 16.5%

North Kansas City – 13.7%

East Village (11th and Locust) – 12.6%

Aspiria Campus (119th and Nall in Johnson County) – 4.2%

Other sites mentioned include the Truman Sports Complex, the original Crossroads location that was voted on in 2024, and the West Bottoms.

Will there be a work stoppage in 2027 that results in games being cancelled?

Yes – 77.2%

No – 22.8%

Everyone in baseball seems to be bracing for a work stoppage when the current labor deal expires at the end of the year, with owners reportedly hunkering down for a long fight over a salary cap. Hopefully, wiser minds prevail.

Do you support a salary cap in baseball?

Yes – 85%

No – 15%

No surprise a salary cap in baseball is popular in a small market like Kansas City.

Do you support players reaching free agency earlier than they currently do?

Yes – 43.8%

No – 56.2%

A potential bargaining chip for owners to get a cap could be offering earlier free agency, but fans seem pretty split on allowing players to become free agents before the current six years of service time.

Would you like to see divisional realignment in baseball where AL and NL teams are mixed up together?

Yes, depending on how its done – 32.8%

No, keep it the same – 67.2%

Baseball has flirted with radical regional alignment, but has mostly tinkered with the divisions, keeping the AL/NL alignments largely intact. But the blur between the leagues is fading and we could see some teams moved in the future.

Should baseball expand?

Yes – 43.9%

No – 56.1%

It has been nearly 30 years since baseball last added teams, the longest stretch without expansion since the league first expanded in 1961. There are still some teams that have ballpark situations to resolve, but once that is finalized, they could look to adding teams.

If baseball were to expand, what two cities would you most likely like to see get new teams? (select two)

Nashville, TN – 58.1%

Montreal, QB – 30.1%

Charlotte, NC – 24.7%

Salt Lake City, UT – 21.2%

Portland, OR – 13.7%

Oklahoma City, OK – 12.6%

Mexico City, MX – 11.0%

Indianapolis, IN – 10.0%

San Antonio, TX – 9.1%

Monterrey, MX – 5.1%

Bring back the Expos!

With the 2025 Texas Rangers season having come to an end, we shall be, over the course of the offseason, taking a look at every player who appeared in a major league game for the Texas Rangers in 2025.

Today we are looking at catcher Jonah Heim.

Man…I don’t even know what to say about Jonah Heim. What the hell happened here? How did a guy who looked like he would be a nice first division catcher for the team suddenly become terrible?

The reflexive reaction is that, well, Heim had a career year in 2023 like seemingly everyone else did for the Rangers that year, and then went back to being who he was. But that’s not true! I mean, yes, Jonah Heim had a career year in 2023 — was terrific defensively, and was slashing .280/.337/.479 when he landed on the injured list in late July — but he was good in 2022 as well. Heim had a 2.7 fWAR and 2.4 bWAR in 2022, as he hit fine for a catcher and was good defensively.

In 2024, Heim cratered offensively, slashing .220/.267/.336. He also went from being great at throwing out runners in 2023 to bad at that in 2024, but his framing — his strongest measurable trait defensively throughout his career — was still very good.

In 2025, Heim once again hit poorly, with a .213/.271/.332 slash line, but also wasn’t good at blocking pitches (38th percentile per Statcast) and, perhaps most alarmingly, he was only in the 33rd percentile in framing. This, after being in the 98th percentile in framing in 2021 and 2022, in the 95th percentile in 2023, and the 74th percentile in 2024.

How does that happen? How does a catcher suddenly go from being an elite framer to a really good framer to a below average framer in a two year span?

I wish I knew the answer.

Offensively, Jonah had much the same problem in 2025 as he did in 2024 — he got eaten up by fastballs and he stopped pulling the ball in the air. Last offseason I noted that the biggest discrepancies for Heim between 2023 and 2024 was his walk rate dropping and his hitting fewer balls in the air, particularly to the pull side. After having over 25% of his balls in play being pulled in the air in 2022 and 2023, that dropped to 17.3% in 2024. If Heim was going to go back to being the hitter he was in 2022 and 2023, that trend would have to reverse.

And early on in 2025, it looked like it was. Heim homered twice in the second game of the season — Kyle Higashioka got the start on Opening Day — and at the end of April was slashing .273/.325/.455. It looked like, offensively anyway, Heim was back.

But no. From May 1 through the end of the season, Heim slashed .198/.258/.302. And while his walk rate improved — he walked 7.4% of the time, still below his 2022 and 2023 rate of 8.5%, but better than his 5.3% walk rate in 2024 — he actually got worse in regards to his fly ball/ground ball tendencies.

In 2022 and 2023, Heim hit the ball in the air 61.1% and 63.7% of the time, respectively, compared to a major league average of 55.8%. That dropped to 58.2% in 2024 and 58.7% in 2025.

Heim pulled the ball 50% and 45% of the time in 2022 and 2023. In 2024, it was 38.3%, and in 2025, it was 40.7%.

And when he did pull the ball, more and more often, it was on the ground — 24% of the balls Jonah Heim put into play in 2025 were pulled ground balls. Only 16.7% of balls in play from Heim in 2025 were pulled in the air — even worse than his disappointing 2024 number.

The inclination is to put some of it on the much-discussed issue of the Shed killing fly ball hitters in 2025 — Heim had a slash line of .204/.266/.282 at home last year, compared to .220/.275/.374 on the road — but his xwOBA, which shouldn’t be impacted by that, was still .276, the worst of his career, and a mark that put him in the 4th percentile in MLB, per Statcast. So we can’t really place the blame on the Shed for Heim’s offensive struggles.

Fun fact — after hitting two home runs at the Shed on Opening Day, Heim only hit one more homer at home the rest of the season.

No, you’re right, that’s not really a fun fact.

Heim has also shouldered a very heavy workload the past several years. Since the start of 2022, Heim has appeared in 513 games — the second most of any player who has made at least 80% of his appearances at catcher, behind only Cal Raleigh, who has appeared in 576 games.

Early in spring training, there was a story about how the team “had some stern conversations,” as then catching coach Bobby Wilson put it, in the 2024 exit interviews about the improvements Heim needed to make in his offseason conditioning:

Getting Heim back to his 2023 form started at that exit interview.

What would his offseason look like? What would the strength and conditioning schedule be? How does the training staff keep Heim healthy?

Whatever it was that they were doing, it doesn’t appear to have worked.

Heim has gone from an All Star in 2023 to, in 2026, someone who settled for a $1.25 million deal with the Atlanta Braves on the eve of camps opening, and who might not have a major league job once the Braves’ starting catcher, Sean Murphy, returns from hip surgery.

It has been a precipitous fall for someone who, at one point, appeared to have made the Rangers’ catching position a strength for years to come.

Previously:

Gerson Garabito

Tyler Mahle

Kyle Higashioka

Adolis Garcia

Luis Curvelo

Alejandro Osuna

Blaine Crim

Jake Burger

Jacob Webb

Nick Ahmed

Jon Gray

Carl Edwards Jr.

Josh Jung

Leody Taveras

Dustin Harris

Marc Church

Luke Jackson

Danny Coulombe

Wyatt Langford

Dylan Moore

Michael Helman

Evan Carter

Cole Winn

Rowdy Tellez

Dane Dunning

Marcus Semien

Billy McKinney

Jose Corniell