PEORIA, ARIZONA - MARCH 9: Luis Gutierrez of the San Diego Padres poses for a photo on Minor League Photo Day at Peoria Sports Complex on March 9, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Matt Thomas/San Diego Padres/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With 24 members of their minor league system becoming free agents, the San Diego Padres added LHP Luis Gutierrez (Padres No. 12 prospect) to the 40-man roster. The lefty starter, 23, was signed by the Padres out of Venezuela in 2019 at the age of 17. He began his pro career as a member of the Dominican Summer League team and has steadily climbed through the system over the past six years ending 2026 as a member of the El Paso Chihuahuas for his last two starts.
The past season was a difficult one for Gutierrez with a shoulder injury that limited him to 36 innings. In 2025, he played across four levels and finished with a 3.31 ERA in 125 innings. He figures to be the best internal option for the Padres rotation and is now guaranteed a shot in Spring Training.
Adrián Morejón receives a Qualifying Offer from the Padres
The San Diego Padres issued a Qualifying Offer to reliever Adrián Morejón after failing to negotiate a new contract during the exclusive window before he reached full free agency on Monday. The QO guarantees the lefty a one year, $23.15 million contract if he should accept it. If declined and he signs elsewhere, the Padres will receive a compensatory draft pick in the next draft. The deadline to accept or decline is Nov. 17.
Jagger Haynes not retained
Left-handed starter Jagger Haynes (Padres No. 14 prospect) was drafted by the Padres in the fifth round of the 2020 draft but has struggled over the past three seasons. His lowest ERA over that time was 4.11 in 2025 and he has had declining strikeout numbers and increasing command issues. He is now a free agent and can sign with any organization.
Other free agents
Outfielder Tirso Ornelas, once a highly regarded prospect, is a free agent and joins OF Bryce Johnson and UT Nick Solak on the open market.
Pitchers Ty Adcock and Daison Acosta, both signed to major league contracts in 2026, were outrighted off the roster during the year and are both free agents.
The rest of the list
Former prospect Omar Cruz , reliever Logan Gillaspie, starter Sean Boyle, reliever Hans Crouse, starter Evan Fitterer, reliever Trevor Gott, reliever Eli Villalobos and reliever Mario Zabala are all the pitchers free to sign elsewhere.
Catchers Victor Dúarte and Carlos Rodriguez are free agents.
Infielders Francisco Acuña, Clay Dungan, Nick Pratto, Carson Tucker, and Luis Verdugo are free agents.
Outfielders Albert Fabian and Carlos Rodriguez are free agents.
Matt LaChappa, the pitcher who suffered a devastating heart attack while a Padres prospect in 1996, is a free agent every season and is re-signed every year to maintain his health benefits.
Padres News:
After all the recent changes to the roster Cheri Bell of Gaslamp Ballgets you caught up on where the San Diego bullpen stands.
He may have opted out of his contract with the Padres, but that will not stop Lincoln Zdunich of Gaslamp Ball from giving Michael King his grade for the 2026 season.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 26: Taylor Walls #6 of the Tampa Bay Rays takes the field during player introductions prior to Game Three of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Monday, October 26, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Last offseason, the Rays had a club option for Taylor Walls. There was some uncertainty at the time if the Rays would choose to go with Walls for the 2026 campaign with Carson Williams seemingly ready to take over. But not only did the Rays accept their option on Walls, but the two sides agreed to a deal that added an option for the 2027 season.
The Rays faced the exact same situation entering this offseason and have chosen to excercise Walls’ 2027 option. Thus paying him $3.1M for the 2027 campaign; MLB Trade Rumors projected Walls to receive $3.5M in what would have been his final year of arbitration eligibility.
The 30-year old switch-hitting Walls provided the Rays with exactly what they expected as he hit .222/.309/.298 with 2 HR over 433 PA. The 74 wRC+ he finished the season with was his highest offensive output since the 2023 campaign where he finished the year with a 84 wRC+. It’s not the offense that had Walls as the Rays starting shortstop in the World Series though, it’s his defense which is among the best in all of baseball. Among shorstops all-time on FanGraphs with at least 2000 innings played, Walls ranks 9th in DRS. The baseball world took notice as Walls was finally awarded a Gold Glove award after his third career nomination.
The Texas Rangers' 40th Anniversary All-Time Team, which was selected in conjunction with the celebration of the Texas Rangers' 40th anniversary and voted on by nearly 65,000 fans, was introduced prior to the start of a game against the Detroit Tigers at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, on Saturday, August 11, 2012, in Arlington, Texas. (Michael Prengler/Fort Worth Star-Telegram/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)
Good morning.
Evan Grant writes that we should expect changes from the Texas Rangers this winter and the first question to answer is whether or not they’ll trade their expensive star players.
Shawn McFarland writes that the Rangers expect Evan Carter to miss the start of next season after requiring hip surgery.
Jeff Wilson writes that Carter due for a long rehab that will bleed into the 2027 season tosses another spanner in the works this winter.
McFarland notes that the Rangers have made a few changes to their big league coaching staff with Alex Cintron moving out of the assistant hitting coach position and assistant pitching coach Dave Bush moving on.
Kennedi Landry’s weekly mailbag covers potential position changes for Texas’ superstar shortstop and Texas’ potential superstar top prospect.
It was free agency rankings day yesterday as ESPN, FanGraphs, and MLB Trade Rumors each listed the top available players this winter. As they do annually, MLBTR went as far as predicting where the top free agents will land with the Rangers predicted to go heavily on former Astros.
And, today is the midterm elections so if you haven’t already, and have a few minutes, take the opportunity to go cast your vote.
Here’s hoping the Hot Stove season is blazing early on, because things sure will get chilly in baseball when the current CBA expires at 11:59 p.m. on Dec. 1, triggering a likely lockout that plunges the game into a quagmire.
Until then, though, there’s the potential for offseason excitement. Your favorite team getting better! Big free agent signings! Savvy trades! Could be great. Could be all we have to console us through a long winter.
So let’s get started with nine bold predictions for the Hot Stove. You will certainly love them. You will certainly hate them.
Paredes parade?
He’s not the biggest name on the winter market, but Isaac Paredes could be one of the most intriguing, at least in New York. The Astros slugger fits either Gotham squad, so we love the idea of the Mets and Yankees competing to come up with the best trade package for him.
Paredes, a right-handed hitter who turns 28 in February, batted .262 with 25 home runs and 94 RBI for the Astros in 2026, enjoying the benefits of the Crawford Boxes in Houston. The Astros hold a $13.35 million option on Paredes or he goes to arbitration. Seems pretty clear they trigger it. He’s a free agent after 2027.
He played mostly third base for the Astros, so he could supplant Ryan McMahon, a disappointment there in the Bronx and help balance out that lefty-heavy lineup. In Queens, maybe Paredes slides over to first base (he’s got reps there) and provides punch.
Which team’s system could get a deal done?
Laborious
This isn’t so much a bold prediction as a sobering one – the labor situation seems likely to lead to missed games this time, something that hasn’t happened since the strike of 1994-95. Back then, two seasons lost games and there was no 1994 postseason. During the offseason between 2021 and 2022, there was a lockout and some early games were going to be canceled, but they were put back on a revamped schedule that started late.
Now, the start of spring training and Opening Day seem like natural deadlines that could spur movement in the talks.
But The Athletic has reported that MLB’s national broadcast contracts would extend a year to 2029 if the sport misses 60 games from each team’s slate. Considering MLB would probably want to negotiate new, presumably more lucrative, national TV deals and have them go into effect as soon as possible, the 60-game mark might offer another deadline of sorts. Maybe the real one.
Welcome back?
The Yanks parted with advisor Omar Minaya last week, which perhaps opens the way for the Mets to bring back their former GM, who led their front office from 2004-10. He was instrumental in adding stars to the Mets team that went to the NLCS in 2006.
Minaya, with a scouting background and a knack for bold moves, could be a nice complement to the front office in Queens.
Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talks with the media before the game between the Yankees and the Washington Nationals at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta - USA TODAY Sports
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Every year, you can count on Yankees fans bemoaning their favorite team’s lack of a diversified offense in the playoffs. It’s as regular as the fall reappearance of pumpkin spice lattes at your fave coffee spot.
Allow us to suggest a potential solution: Sign Luis Arraez, a terrific bat-to-ball hitter who does not strike out. He’s not perfect, but there really aren’t any perfect baseball moves, are there?
Stop fretting over what he supposedly can’t do – play defense, run the bases expertly, etc. (Hey, he’s a better second baseman now after working with infield guru Ron Washington in San Francisco). Start dreaming on what Arraez does – put the ball in play and bat .300-plus. Maybe he’s the guy who slaps a few RBI singles that get the Yanks out of the ALDS muck.
S’all Goodman
It will take some creative maneuvering to change the current pinstriped mojo, right? Time to be, ahem, bold, Brian Cashman. Years ago, the Yankees enjoyed big offense from their catching. Time to bring that back in a trade for 27-year-old Hunter Goodman of the Rockies, who slammed 41 homers this past season and isn’t a free agent until 2030.
Goodman is a righty hitter, which the Yanks need, and they’ve been good at developing catcher’s defensive skills. Goodman is powerful, young, and under control, so he won’t be cheap. And he’s no Coors Field creation, either – he hit 25 homers on the road this year, the most in MLB.
The Yankees could put their current catcher, Austin Wells, into a package of players – Wells is the same age as Goodman – and spruce up the deal with Will Warren or prospects such as Dax Kilby, Elmer Rodriguez, and Carlos LaGrange. Heck, let the Rockies pick a prospect – they were wise enough to get TJ Rumfield from the Yanks last year in a deal for reliever Angel Chivilli. Rumfield led the NL with a .390 OBP in 2026.
Shop Senga
Sure was fun when the Mets, out of ideas on what to do with a flailingKodai Senga, slipped him into a high-leverage bullpen role for the final two months of 2026. He converted eight of nine save chances and gave off closer vibes with his heater and ghost fork.
The Mets need bullpen arms for 2027, but the better move here might be to find a closer-needy team and swap Senga for other help. Or a club looking for a reclamation project for their rotation – Senga still wants to start, you know.
Whatever the case, the Mets know how bad it can get with him – even with his reliever turn, he finished ‘26 with a 7.34 ERA.
Aug 28, 2026; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal (29) throws a pitch against the Detroit Tigers in the third inning at Comerica Park. / Lon Horwedel - Imagn Images
The Mets sign Tarik Skubal
The Mets give the No. 1 free agent in an otherwise-iffy market the No. 1 pitching contract in baseball history, eclipsing the Yoshinobu Yamamoto-Dodgers deal (12 years, $325 million) from before the 2024 season. Excellent starting pitching is the No. 1 Met need and this only costs money (yes, we know it’s a lot of moola).
You’ve probably heard many Mets fans clamoring for Skubal and plenty of folks who talk about baseball for a living saying the Mets should go big here (guilty!). So how is this a bold prediction? Here’s how: This would give the Mets the biggest position player deal (Juan Soto) and pitcher deal ever. There’s always injury risk and Skubal’s had those woes. And their baseball ops majordomo, David Stearns, doesn’t profile as a guy who likes to give out mega pitching contracts.
It’s time, though. The Mets have won the World Series exactly twice. Sustained success is a cozy concept, but every single contract can’t be solely about "value" and avoiding down seasons at the back end of the deal.
Dealin’ Dodgers
Skubal to the Mets is a seismic shakeup at the top of the pitching market and elicits a response from the team Skubal leaves, the Dodgers. They get their rotation replacement by flexing their mighty farm system – what, you thought we were going to say wallet? – and making a trade for one of the best pitchers in baseball:
Drew Rasmussen.
The Rays triggered their $20 million option for Rasmussen, who had a 2.67 ERA in the regular season and added a 2.20 ERA in the postseason. The Rays, according to MLB Trade Rumors, have never paid a player $20 million for one season. With one season of control, he’s exactly the kind of player the Rays use to restock, and he brings a haul from a lush Los Angeles minor league system, which was ranked first by MLB Pipeline even after the Dodgers dealt for Skubal.
Angels in the market
The Angels have not had a winning record since 2015. They have a new owner, Stan Kroenke of Kroenke Sports and Entertainment, who has been wildly successful in sports ownership, winning championships in the NFL, NBA, NHL and the English Premier League, among others.
They must add talent to Mike Trout and a 62-100 team, so they shop vigorously and splurge on the free agent market. They sign Jazz Chisholm Jr. to a short-term deal where he can build up his value after a disappointing platform year, delivering on his star potential.
They ink Japanese slugger Teruaki Sato to hit tanks and play third base. The Angels have had Japanese stars before, you might recall. And they add Freddy Peralta to a starting rotation topped by Reid Detmers and Walbert Ureña.
The AL West is winnable, even for a bad team in need of a refresh.
SURPRISE, AZ - OCTOBER 29: Aidan Miller #4 of the Surprise Saguaros rounds the bases during the game between the Scorpions and the Saguaros at Surprise Stadium on Thursday, October 29, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Norm Hall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
It would be fair to call 2026 a lost season for Phillies top prospect Aidan Miller. The 22-year-old shortstop starting suffering problems with his back in spring training and the injury kept him out of action practically all season, as Miller did not make his season debut in the Phillies minor leagues until late August. He underwent a procedure in June that was only partially effective, as he still had trouble dealing with the pain in his back that kept him from baseball activities. However, Miller recently revealed that a routine developed in conjunction with Tom Brady’s TB12 method has allowed him to remain pain free. It’s allowed him to thrust himself back into the picture for the Phillies and possibly reclaim his spot in the organization as a top prospect knocking on the door of the majors that he was in before the injury.
In the time Miller has been on the field in 2026, he has been extremely productive. Miller was 4-14 with three doubles and a stolen base in his abbreviated four games combined stint with Clearwater and Reading this year. He continued to play after the season ended in the Arizona Fall League, and so far, he has made up for lost time and then some. Through 12 games and 62 plate appearances in the AFL, Miller is hitting .359 with an 1.154 OPS. Six of his 14 hits have been for extra bases, and he has six stolen bases on seven attempts. The most important part though is that Miller claims he has been totally pain-free on the field.
There is still a long way to go before the possibility of Miller taking the field at Citizens Bank Park becomes closer to reality. Of course, there’s the issue of the impending lockout that threatens the start of the season, throwing the timeline for everything out of flux. Even if we assume Miller has recovered his status back to the point he was before 2026, it’s hard to envision that the Phillies would hand him a job on the MLB roster without at least seeing him with an extended look in spring training games. The clearest path to the majors for Miller is third base, as the Phillies currently do not employ an MLB third baseman with both Alec Bohm and Edmundo Sosa set to enter free agency. Bryson Stott is a possibility there again as he played the position post trade deadline this year, but the infield as a whole is in a state of flux. Trea Turner’s position at shortstop, Miller’s primary position, is tenuous at best as well. There’s also a scenario where Turner moves to second at some point in 2027, thus freeing up shortstop for Miller. In any case, Miller would be one of the top choices to take one of the potential open spots, but it would also behoove the Phillies to have a strong backup plan in the event Miller needs more time at Triple-A or has his back problems flare up again.
The status of much of the Phillies roster is still up in the air, as the team once again faces questions surrounding their roster construction. Miller is a part of that, and until we receive more clarity, it’s hard to definitively say what part he will play in the 2027 season, once again assuming the 2027 season happens at some point. So, what is the best-case scenario for Aidan Miller in 2027? Do you think he will be on the opening day roster?
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 30: Jazz Chisholm Jr. #13 of the New York Yankees looks on during Game Two of the American League Wild Card Series presented by AbbVie between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Wednesday, September 30, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Yankees did what was expected by issuing a qualifying offer to David Bednar but not to Jazz Chisholm Jr., refusing to commit to a $23.15 million, one-year deal in hopes of receiving draft-pick compensation if the player declines. Jazz set himself up for disappointment by stating he aimed to become only the second player in MLB history to deliver a 50-50 (HR/SB) season, joining a group whose sole member is Shohei Ohtani, only to deliver a subpar campaign that was easily his worst in pinstripes.
Through the back end of 2024 and the entire 2025 campaign, the Yankees had managed to unlock Jazz’s power and if all else failed, that felt like a dependable part of his game —that is until he delivered a slugging percentage under .400 this past season, qualifying as one of the more disappointing Yankees. The speed is a dynamic part of his game, and he did kick things up a notch by stealing 41 bases in 50 attempts, but if you’re not hitting, it’s all damn near inconsequential — at least for a player of his perceived magnitude.
While in contrasting situations, it’s impossible to analyze the decision not to hand Jazz the qualifying offer without rewinding the clock a year. In a scenario of a potentially questionable qualifying offer, the Yankees took the risk and gave it to Trent Grisham following a breakout year — only to see him revert to the player he was before 2025 while earning one of the highest salaries on the team. Grisham was among the few who gave Jazz a run for his money in terms of underwhelming output this past season.
In Jazz’s case, he has the multi-year track record to back a turnaround while coming off a poor campaign. The Yankees could’ve feasibly gambled on that to bring him back without risking a long-term deal, especially since there isn’t an in-house replacement lined up for his position. On the other hand, given just how melancholic the end of Jazz’s 2026 was, the fear of once again committing to a large salary with great uncertainty as to what you’ll get contributed to the parting of ways.
The comparison with Grisham is even more pertinent when you account for the strong likelihood that Jazz would’ve taken the Yankees up on this offer. About to turn 29 early next year, Jazz is young enough that he could afford to take a one-year deal to rebuild his value and put himself in the best position to receive a lucrative long-term deal a year later. My colleague Josh advocated for the QO when reviewing the Yankees’ pending free agents last month.
When you go through the second-base market and see the likes of Luis Arraez, Brandon Lowe, and Mauricio Dubón, it’s not as if the options are plentiful for replacements who you’ll feel great about. The counterpoint to that is that the Yankees could pay less for the production they got from Jazz last season and save up for a big shot elsewhere.
Herein lies the problem with Chisholm, though, and his early boom with the Yankees contributes to this issue. As much as we can talk about how disappointing his 2026 campaign was, the first version he showed New York was also not the real Jazz we’ve seen in the bigs. Jazz is a career .756 OPS hitter heading into free agency; his power/speed/athleticism are eye-popping, but the great player we saw in 2025 is as much of an outlier as the one we saw in 2026. Even reading his 2026 production as moderate belies the fact that the Yankees did not feel great about him against lefties down the stretch; he has a .662 career OPS against southpaws and it was .650 in 2026. If we’re forced to accept that owner Hal Steinbrenner is going to play the strict budget game, then $23.15 million in the 2027 budget is hefty for a borderline platoon bat.
Having seen the highs and the lows of the Chisholm roller-coaster, the Yankees are probably more willing to defer to a safer big investment.
LAKEVILLE, MN - OCTOBER 28, 2026: I voted stickers for people leaving Lakeville City Hall after early voting in Lakeville, Minn., on Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2026. (Photo by Renee Jones Schneider/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images)
A baseball source, however, said that teams have inquired about whether Marte would be available, and last year’s incident was not deemed a dealbreaker by them.
Finally, Hazen regards Marte as a superstar player and set a very high price for Marte last year. Would Hazen be willing to accept less this time around?
On the other hand, though his numbers were down this year, Marte remains a dangerous hitter and good defender, and there don’t seem to be a lot of impact bats on the free-agent market this offseason.
Moreno certainly had numbers that supported such an honor. He was worth +7 Fielding Run Value and +14 Defensive Runs Saved, caught 14 of 56 base-stealers and graded out well above average in moost catcher-specific metrics, including blcking, framing and pop time.
A good defensive catcher is a massively valuable player. Couple those elite defensive numbers and two Gold Gloves with one of the best bats in the National League, and that player begins to creep toward generational superstar status.
Retired managers Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Joe Maddon and Lou Piniella are among eight men on the ballot for the Hall of Fame’s contemporary era committee for managers, executives and umpires that meets on Dec. 6 at the winter meetings in San Diego.
Former general managers Sandy Alderson and Brian Sabean also are on the ballot along with the late Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner and former player, broadcaster and National League President Bill White, the Hall announced Monday.
It’s not hard to find reasons to worry about Soroka’s health. He threw 215 1/3 innings combined from 2020 through 2025, and even in 2026, he hit the IL twice. The team that signs Soroka will presumably also invest in pitching depth or already have it to spare, because you can’t plausibly pencil him in for 33 starts. But in exchange for accepting heightened injury risk, there’s a lot to like here. Soroka pitched at a four-win pace when available this year. He has plus command and a feel for developing new pitches. I like pitchers who aren’t reliant on a single outlier offering or tactic, and Soroka fits that bill to a tee.
My projected contract here {2 years, $17M AAV} is straightforward, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Soroka sign a deal with more complicated escalators and vesting options. He might be a darn good pitcher, but he also might be unavailable. I wouldn’t want to break the bank to acquire him, but I don’t think teams will have to, and I don’t see any pitchers with a greater chance of turning in a real gem of a season at this price point.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 06: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves throws a pitch during the second inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game three of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 06, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB Awards finalists were announced on Monday for the 2026 season. For the Braves, Chris Sale is a finalist for NL Cy Young and Walt Weiss is a finalist for Manager of the Year. Both are certainly deserving to be finalists, as both Sale and Weiss were major factors in the Braves returning to form in the 2026 season. In terms of chances to win, Weiss likely has a better chance than Sale. As November progresses, we will find out which Braves continued to get recognized for their 2026 performance.
Braves News
The Braves claimed left hander Mitchell Parker from the Nationals on Monday. Parker came up as a starting pitcher but was moved to the bullpen in 2026. The numbers were not encouraging for Parker, so it will be interesting to see if he lasts the offseason with the Braves.
Dončić has beocme the early favorite for regular season MVP as the NBA’s leader in scoring average (38.3) and 3-pointers made per game (5.9).
The Slovenian point guard is known for his offensive prowess and his ability to score. It’s also what makes the Lakers a threat in the Western Conference.
He finished with 42 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds against the Heat on Nov. 2.
Lakers coch JJ Redick praised Dončić’s offensive dominance on several occasions in recent weeks, referring to him as a "showman" and a "supernova" while also comparing his rhythm on the court to a theatrical stage.
"He's just making tough shots; averaging 38 points is not easy in this league," Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo said. "He's making tough shots and you just tip your hat off to him."
The two-time scoring champion is averaging 29.3 points per game for his career, which places him third all-time behind Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. Both players averaged 30.1 ppg for their respective careers.
Are Lakers too dependent on Luka Dončić’s offense?
Dončić has propelled the Lakers to a fast start this season, and his play on Monday was no different. He scored 16 points as Los Angeles led Miami 37-30 in the first quarter.
Dončić is averaging 15 points in the opening quarter, and has scored at least 13 in all but one game this season.
When the six-time All-NBA player is hot, so are the Lakers.
The Lakers have outscored opponents by 113 points when Dončić is on the court during the seven games he's played this season, according to StatMuse.
When Dončić isn't on the floor, things can get tricky for Redick.
The Raptors cut the Lakers’ lead to make it a five-point game. Toronto scored 11 points in 40 seconds and forced Redick to put Dončić and Austin Reaves back into the game and help secure the victory.
On Monday, Dončić and the Lakers produced 111 points, the team’s highest-scoring point total through three quarters this season. This time, the Lakers left very little room for mistakes and refused to give up the lead in the final frame.
Dončić’s ability to score isn’t the only benefit of having him on the court.
Even if Dončić had a low-scoring night, he will always remain a threat that will keep defenses focused on him. It does free up his teammates for opportunities, who can also benefit from his playmaking and his ability to draw a double team.
That was the case Monday, as the Heat applied double-team looks on Dončić.
"I think at the beginning of the season we didn’t execute well with the double team, but today I think we improved a lot," Dončić said. "Everybody was in the right spots, so it's not just me.
"It’s everybody, just to be in the right spot and being aggressive and shooting with confidence."
Lakers forward Ziaire Williams has been able to benefit from some of the open looks that come with sharing the floor with Dončić.
"Very easy looks," Williams said. "Way easier than they've been in the past. They're sending two (players) to Luka and two at (Reaves) every time."
Williams finished with nine points.
Can Austin Reaves carry offense with Dončić?
Reaves has proven he can be a high-efficiency volume scorer, but he is less likely to thrive without Dončić on the court.
If Dončić were unavailable, opposing game plans would focus on Reaves and he would be challenged by teams' toughest defenders.
Beyond Reaves (23.1 ppg), the Lakers would have to rely on center Walker Kessler (14.3) as a third-scoring option.
Williams (11.3) and Collin Sexton (10.3) could also be options, but neither would be able to guarantee similar production to Dončić on a nightly basis.
Abraham Núñez was a Jan. 15, 2023 signing out of the Dominican Republic as a 17-year-old, and he hit the ground running in his first pro season.
The son of former Royal and Marlin Abraham Sr., Junior posted a .299/.427/.442 line in his DSL debut along with a .869 wOBA and a 136 wRC+. As that swollen on-base percentage suggests, his plate discipline numbers were also stout: Núñez walked in just fewer than 18% of his 185 PAs while striking out in just 12%. He did have a 70% contact rate and a SwStr% of 17%, so he didn’t go without whiffs, it just appears that Núñez was apt at putting the ball in play with two strikes. The lefty featured some pull-side pop as well with a line drive rate at 26%. Núñez also stole 12 bags and played 43 games in the outfield (32 in center field) without making an error.
One year later, Núñez moved Stateside and held steady, albeit with a more muted performance. Núñez logged a similar speedy profile as ascendant star ACL teammate Javier Mogollón, but without any of Mogollón’s power. Núñez’s slugging percentage fell short of .400, and sat worse than his on-base. Concerning, but that’s what the weight room is for, right?
The 2025 season, Núñez’s first in full-season pro ball, continued some worrisome, downward trends. Again, his slugging was waifish and unbecoming even for a center-field speedster. And it’s not as if Núñez was some sort of dastardly demon on the basepaths: Swiping two-thirds of the bags he attempts is actually a poor showing.
Núñez repeated Kannapolis in 2026, and fared much better, recovering some gap power and running up a 270/.356/.395 slash that prevented him from slipping out of our Top 100 entirely. What is becoming a bigger concern than on-field performance is his tendency toward injury; 2026 represented the second straight year Núñez couldn’t even get into 70 games, as he started the year on the IL and later missed a month in the second half of the season.
Núñez will be moved up to Winston-Salem in 2027, as there is little point to placing any player in Low-A ball for more than two summers. With the Dash, Núñez will be age-appropriate for High-A, and the White Sox will give him plenty of run in Winston-Salem. If his offensive uptick was a mirage or the injury bug bites again, Núñez will move from an intriguing prospect to an expendable one.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 19: Carson Benge #3 of the New York Mets is doused with gatorade after breaking the New York Mets rookie hits record with 156 after their 10-3 win against the Philadelphia Phillies game at Citi Field on September 19, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Carson Benge was deservedly named a finalist for the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
Anthony DiComo explained why this is a crucial offseason for David Stearns, who is entering his fourth year as the team’s President of Baseball Operations.
The Mets made a series of minor moves that coincided with the beginning of free agency, including claiming Jack Anderson and Pierson Ohl from the Twins and Rockies, respectively.
New York also signed Christian Cairo to a one-year, major league contract.
The Marlins claimed Cameron Weston off waivers from the Mets.
Want to feel old? The Marlins signed Robinson Cano Jr. to a $1 million deal.
Around Major League Baseball
The finalists were announced for several major awards, including the Most Valuable Player Awards, the Cy Young Awards, the Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Awards, the Manager of the Year Awards, and the Relief Pitcher of the Year Awards.
The ESPN staff discussed some of the offseason buzz ahead of free agency.
As part of that buzz, Jeff Passan is reporting that the Cubs badly want Tarik Skubal, and they may represent the Dodgers’ stiffest competition in the race.
The CBS Sports staff predicted where Skubal would land, with one of the three writers saying he would end up with the Mets.
Keith Law analyzed what he is calling the weakest free agent class in recent memory.
Eight players received qualifying offers, including a couple of players who could potentially be targeted by the Mets.
Noticeably absent from the list was Jazz Chisholm Jr., who did not receive a Qualifying Offer from the Yankees.
Ken Rosenthal wrote about the tight timeline for Japanese players who are being posted ahead of the MLB lockout.
The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee announced their candidates for Cooperstown.
Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were in a Federal Courthouse in Brooklyn yesterday as their trial began. They are facing four criminal counts related to pitch rigging. Sam Blum shared a guide to the trial.
The Diamondbacks have a lot of questions to answer this offseason, but the one that is at the forefront of everyone’s mind is: What will they do with Ketel Marte?
Former Met Watch: The Rangers added José Buttó via waiver claim from the Giants.
The Cubs signed Jacob Webb to a one-year deal with a team option for 2028.
The Orioles declined their option on Ryan Mountcastle, while Heston Kjerstad cleared waivers and was outrighted.
ST PETERSBURG, FLORIDA - SEPTEMBER 19: Brayan Bello #66 of the Boston Red Sox reacts with Pitching Coach Andrew Bailey #53 of the Boston Red Sox in the dugout after the eighth inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays on September 19, 2026 at at Tropicana Field in St Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Something had to give with Brayan Bello in the early days of summer.
After a handful of bad starts throughout the first few months of the year were interspersed with a few strong bulk appearances out of the bullpen, the right-handed pitcher absolutely imploded during a rubber game on Thursday, June 4, at Fenway Park. The Baltimore Orioles immediately jumped on him for a six pack of earned runs in the first inning. Bello eventually coughed up another pair of runs—both earned—to end with a line of seven hits and three walks surrendered across five frames. He hit one guy with a pitch, too, in case you needed any extra convincing as to how bad of a game it was for number 66.
It was the straw (or, I suppose group of eight straws?) that broke the camel’s back. Bello’s ERA on the year had ballooned to 6.34 across 61 innings following that loss to the O’s, which was actually the second instance in the first half where Baltimore charged him for eight earned. He wasn’t working deep enough into games, and he had made his frustrations with that fact clear on at least one public occasion. He was adamant that his struggles as a starter (and his relative successes as a reliever) were not indicative of any trends, per The Athletic.
“First of all, just stop talking about bullpen and starting games. I’ve always been a starter, and when I’ve been successful as a starter, no one asks your question (about) whether I have to be in the bullpen or starting games. So, just starting from there, just stop that talk, because I’m just having a bad season…I know that I can turn it around.”
Not exactly the type of stuff you want to see or hear from the guy who figured to be playing an important role in your pennant aspirations, as evidenced by the eight-figure deal that he was given a few years ago.
CBO Craig Breslow must’ve agreed, because he made a drastic decision soon after the most recent Bello blowup: the 27-year-old was being sent back down to the minors. As he explained via MassLive…
“But one of the things that we messaged to him was, when I first got here, he was a guy who had this big personality. He always had a smile on his face, interacting with his teammates and you could tell loved to compete and loved to pitch. And I think we’ve lost that a little bit where he was putting a ton of pressure on himself go out and perform. So one of the things we asked him to do was to fall in love with baseball all over again—to go down, to compete. But to kind of remember why he loved playing this game.”
As we all know by now, that trip to and from Worcester must’ve ironed something out in Bello’s game. He came back with a vengeance about a month after his early June disaster. After surrendering eight earned runs in five innings on June 4 prior to his demotion, Bello gave up a total of eight earned runs in 33.2 innings across nine appearances between July 12 and August 29 (and half of those eight runs came in that August 29 game against the Yankees). As OTM’s very own Jacob Roy (probably the smartest guy you could read on here—certainly smarter than me, that’s for sure) pointed out a few months back, Bello was able to tweak his pitch mix and deliver with more velocity—which is especially interesting since he’s never been a notable velo guy—en route to cutting his walk rate down and notching his strikeout rate up. It was complete night and day stuff, and it came not a moment too soon.
Brayan Bello was DOMINANT in Tampa:
🔺8 IP 🔺5 H 🔺1 ER 🔺0 BB 🔺11 Ks‼️ 🔺93 pitches // 65 strikes
11 Ks ties a career high. He’s making a serious case to start an ALDS game if the Sox get there. Just had a career game against the team he’d be facing. pic.twitter.com/mlTlYxeHvb
It’s gotta be easier to fall back in love with the game once you’re cookin’ again, right? It’s an unfair game at times, baseball, but it’s got to be like a drug once you find your groove again. Bello’s a guy who can wear his heart on his sleeve, so it was a pleasure to see him back in his element. Distance makes the heart grow fonder; I wonder if that stint with the WooSox helped Bello appreciate the big moments where he was able to deliver for the big club even more.
After a terrible start to the season, Bello was able to get his ERA down to 4.33 and his ERA+ up to 94. Those aren’t impressive numbers at face value, sure, but they’re more indicative of the strides he was able to make after his stint in AAA. He deserves a ton of credit for bouncing back in the manner that he did; I’m proud that he was able to do that for us. How Bello can build on this rebound in 2027 and beyond remains to be seen, but he was able to salvage something from 2026 at the very least. His attitude changed alongside his performance, too.
"Every time I go out there I try to do my job, and I feel very good with the opportunity the team has given me." – Brayan Bello. pic.twitter.com/shJLei0PBW
I thought it while it happened, and it’s worth repeating now: Maybe that option down to Worcester was the best thing that could’ve happened to Brayan Bello this year.
The high school class of 2020 produced one of the most hyped collections of top-ranked prospects in recent memory. Jalen Green, Terrence Clarke, and Josh Christopher were household names from early in their teenage years for mixtape compilations that drew comparisons to Kobe Bryant and other star scorers. Jalen Suggs was a two-sport stud who bypassed an Ohio State football scholarship because he was better at basketball. Scottie Barnes and Evan Mobley were portable, long-limbed defensive prodigies, and Cade Cunningham shot up to the top of the class after a stirring EYBL run that had him looking like American Luka Doncic.
Yaxel Lendeborg was also in the class of 2020, but while his peers were gracing the cover of SLAM and winning international gold medals, he had yet to play organized basketball. Lendeborg’s grades weren’t good enough to get on the court back in his hometown of Pennsauken, New Jersey, and he was more interested in playing video games than applying himself to anything that would better his future. It’s possible his enormous talent would have slipped through the cracks entirely if not for a junior college on the other side of the country taking a chance on him with its last scholarship in a Covid-shortened season following an impressive weekend at an exposure camp for Dominican players.
Nearly six years later, Lendeborg already looks like something close to an NBA star as a 24-year-old rookie with the Golden State Warriors. His winding journey from Arizona Western College to UAB to Michigan to now playing alongside Stephen Curry has no real analog, but it still offers some valuable insight into how prospect evaluation is changing in a rapidly evolving landscape for young players. Lendeborg is an exception to just about every rule in the sport, but his ascent is no accident, and it could inform similar success stories in the coming years for teams looking hard enough.
What Lendeborg is doing to open this season is nothing short of amazing. He’s averaging 22.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.7 assists on pristine 64.5% true shooting through his first seven games. His 37-point explosion against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday showed the full extent of his skill set. When he was guarded by the skinnier Derrick Jones Jr., Lendeborg wielded body blows in the paint for easy scoring chances. When Brook Lopez tried to corral him in drop coverage off a pick-and-roll, Lendeborg calmly drained a pull-up three-pointer. He showed impressive body control when attacking downhill, and relentless aggression in punishing a small guard in Darius Garland on switches. With a like-sized defender in Kobe Sanders on him, he ripped mid-range shots like a seasoned pro.
No rookie should be capable of this type of immediate excellence. Then again, Lendeborg is anything but a typical rookie.
YAXEL LENDEBORG: MOST POINTS BY A WARRIORS ROOKIE IN A SINGLE GAME SINCE STEPH IN 2010!
The Warriors drafted Lendeborg at No. 11 overall this year, but even they weren’t fully convinced he was the player they needed. Golden State reportedly coveted Brayden Burries, who went one pick ahead of them to the Milwaukee Bucks, and they were prepared to select him over Lendeborg. Yaxel’s own college coach passed on him for one of his Michigan teammates when the Dallas Mavericks chose Morez Johnson at No. 9 overall days after hiring Dusty May.
It was easy to see the track record of older first round draft picks and immediately write off Lendeborg as a low-ceiling prospect. I never bought that argument. When I ranked Yaxel at No. 5 overall on my final draft board, I wrote “I typically balk at the idea that older prospects are more ‘NBA ready’ than younger ones who reach the league sooner, but it feels true in Yaxel’s case.” In reality, he was never that difficult of an evaluation if you could get past his age.
What sold me on Lendeborg was that he was improving in the exact ways you want someone his age to improve, albeit at a lower level than the NBA. When he entered UAB from junior college, he was mostly a rebounding big who provided value by generating extra possessions and protecting the paint. In his second season at UAB, he started to show off his playmaking chops, showing that he could run offense with the ball in his hands by using his own scoring gravity to set up his teammates. He also doubled his three-point makes from the previous season. As his offense was starting to develop, Lendeborg was named AAC Defensive Player of the Year while mostly playing center.
Lendeborg was good enough to get drafted in the first round in 2025 out of UAB. After testing the process at the combine, though, he decided to take a massive NIL bag from Michigan as the top-rated player in the transfer portal. As I was covering the Wolverines during March Madness, I asked Yaxel what he heard from NBA scouts that convinced him to go back to college. His answer showed the self-awareness required to go from good to great on your own timeline.
“(The NBA) wanted to see a lot more three-pointers and a lot more versatility in my defense,” Lendeborg told SB Nation. “I tried to be more of three, because in the NBA, I’m not gonna be the superstar. I’m gonna be playing next to somebody like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and he doesn’t need me to score for him. He needs me to get stops. I just tried to figure out my role and do whatever I can do to get there.”
Michigan’s unique team-building strategy forced Lendeborg into the exact role NBA evaluators wanted to see him in. May started three nominal college centers next to each other who were each good enough to have a team built around them on their own. Lendeborg’s malleability was the biggest reason it all worked. Forced out to the perimeter full-time for the first time in his brief career, Yaxel showed he could shoot threes with volume, defend away from the paint, and grease the offense with connective passing all without losing his physicality at both ends.
Lendeborg proved he was willing to sacrifice for team success, and he never needed to put up the biggest numbers to answer the NBA’s questions. Here was a player with the size to play NBA center after measuring at 6’8.5 without shoes, 235 pounds with a 7’4 wingspan who already showed he could play alongside other bigs while contributing to winning at a high level. He could do the role player stuff of rebounding, setting screens, spacing the floor, and moving the ball as a passer, and he still had an extra gear as an isolation scorer who could leverage his size into more efficient chances. All the while, he kept getting more confident and more accurate as an outside shooter.
The scary thing about Lendeborg is his most impressive flashes haven’t translated to sustainable success … yet. Through seven games, he’s only making 25% of his pull-up threes on 3.4 attempts per game. If those start falling even at a clip in the low 30s, there’s no real cap on his ceiling.
So many young forwards get drafted high in the NBA just because they have the frame, athleticism, and pedigree the league looks for. In the best case scenarios, these players will develop as passers and shooters without losing their physicality in their age-21, age-22, and age-23 seasons. This is exactly what Lendeborg did first at UAB and then at Michigan, and his development curve is made even more impressive by his late start in the sport.
His progression as a player is even more satisfying when juxtaposed against another former Warriors lottery pick who graduated high school in 2020: Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga was never asked to play a winning role with physicality early in his career when evaluators saw a potential star scorer. He never developed the ball skills or shooting that Lendeborg is showing now. Yaxel’s progression shouldn’t have been discounted just because it happened in college, not the NBA. In every other way, he was giving scouts everything they wanted.
Lendeborg checked every box for a role player, and in the NBA, the best role players are truly more valuable than many who get blessed as stars. Yaxel is a premium example of that. The NIL is going to keep good players in school longer before, and don’t be surprised if some of the top prospects in the next draft are also multi-year college veterans, if not 24-year-old rookies. It’s easy to say progress isn’t linear when watching young basketball players, but it’s harder to act like it when the chips are on the table. Lendeborg was always running his own race. Right now, he’s showing he can still finish first even with a late start.
SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 08: A general view of the locked stadium gates before the game between the San Francisco Giants and the St. Louis Cardinals at Oracle Park on September 08, 2026 in San Francisco, California. (Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, baseball fans!
The 2026 San Francisco Giants season was not the greatest, but that doesn’t mean it was devoid of highlights.
As we begin to fully reflect on the season that was, let’s start today with a highlight montage put together by the team’s social media team showing every walk-off from the season. The video is…not very long. But still! Worth remembering that it wasn’t all doom and gloom in the 2026 season.
What was your favorite walk-off moment from this season?
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - SEPTEMBER 26: Bobby Witt Jr. #7 of the Kansas City Royals fields a ground ball during the third inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium on September 26, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Jay Biggerstaff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Witt, 26, joins Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and Houston Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez as finalists. The AL MVP is voted on by the Baseball Writers Association of America.
Witt finished second for the 2024 AL MVP. And in 2025, he was fourth behind eventual winner and New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge.
This season, Witt hit .281 with 157 hits, 33 doubles, 18 home runs and 54 RBIs. He also appeared in 143 games while posting a 6.7 WAR (wins above replacement).
At the plate, Witt led qualified AL shortstops with a .281 batting average, .441 slugging percentage and 33 doubles. He also finished with 18 home runs, 94 runs scored and 157 hits while posting a .359 on-base percentage and an .800 OPS.
Although his offensive numbers were more modest than in previous seasons, Witt showed greater patience at the plate, drawing a career-high 67 walks, surpassing his previous high of 57 in 2024.
While Alvarez and Caminero each showcased their power with 42 home runs this season, Witt strengthened his MVP case with his elite defense at shortstop.
Roccaforte made difficult plays look routine and had a nose for making the spectacular play. The Kansas City Royals’ 2023 Competitive Balance Round B selection logged 320 putouts in the field between two levels, with 13 outfield assists, while posting a perfect 1.000 fielding percentage.
Roccaforte, 24, joins Nick Pratto as the only Naturals in club history to claim the honor. Pratto won the award in 2021 with a .998 fielding at first base. Other Naturals who were MiLB Gold Glovers before they reached Northwest Arkansas include INF Michael Massey (2021) and LHP Frank Mozzicato (2024), both of whom achieved the honor with High-A Quad Cities.
World Series viewership was down compared to last year but way better than 2023’s DBacks-Rangers World Series (I honestly forgot those two teams played in a World Series this decade).
