NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 24: Aaron Judge #99 of the New York Yankees poses with the American League MVP Award during the 2026 BBWAA Awards Dinner at New York Hilton Midtown on Saturday, January 24, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
It’s Sunday, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! While the Big Apple will thankfully not be hit with a Sunday snowstorm for the third consecutive week, Boreas (the Greek northern wind, for the non-Classicists among you) has continued to hound the Northeast, with single-digit temperatures rampaging throughout the land. And yet, even as we bundled up in three layers of coats and hats to survive the cold, the first signs of spring came on the horizon. How so, you may ask, on this first day of February? Well, let’s find out!
Celebrating America’s MVP
Last Saturday, the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (BBWAA) hosted their annual awards ceremony, where Yankees captain Aaron Judge received his third career American League MVP Award. Former teammate Anthony Rizzo introduced him, while Suzyn Waldman and Dave Sims were in attendance.
But the AL MVP was not the only honor for the Captain this week, as MLB The Show announced that Judge will be this year’s cover athlete. Since No. 99 was the cover athlete back in 2018, this marks his second time on the cover — only the second player ever to receive the distinction, and first since Joe Mauer in the early 2010s.
Judge was not the only Yankee to be honored at Saturday’s event. Carlos Rodón and his wife Ashley received the Joan Payson & Shannon Forde Community Service Award, honoring them for the work they do with the Rodon Foundation helping couples dealing with fertility issues.
This past week, the Yankees officially announced that they had re-signed Cody Bellinger. Once that occurred, the social media team showed what they have almost certainly been cooking up all winter to celebrate. In particular, the videos posted stress the fact that Bellinger grew up at the old Stadium, as his father, Clay, played for the Yankees in the late ‘90s — but you probably knew that already, didn’t you?
Earlier this month, Jonathan Loáisiga signed a minor league deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks, bringing his tenure with the Yankees to a close. The dynamic-but-injury-riddled reliever spent ten seasons with the Yankees organization after being signed as a minor league free agent in 2016, including eight years on the Yankees pitching staff (originally as a starter, and then as a reliever). We wish him the best as he looks to get his career back on track after dealing with extensive injuries in 2024 and 2025.
Yea, there was a lot of snow last week. You know, just in case you needed a reminder that it’s merely very cold, not very cold and in need of shoveling.
CC Sabathia was also on social media complaining, but as the comments’ section on his post points out, his complaints ring hollow: he has spent a lot of time golfing in Florida and traveling to warm weather areas this winter.
Moving Day
What is the first sign of the new season? Why, it’s moving day, of course! And guess what — that was this past Friday! The Yankees’ facilities and equipment teams loaded up the trucks, with one destination in mind: Tampa, Florida.
The Philadelphia Flyers have announced that they have assigned goaltender Aleksei Kolosov to their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
Kolosov was called up to the Flyers' roster on Saturday ahead of their matchup against the Los Angeles Kings. This was after Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson left the Flyers' Jan. 29 contest against the Boston Bruins early due to a lower-body injury. Yet, with this latest roster move, Kolosov is now heading right back to Lehigh Valley.
Kolosov has appeared in 21 games so far this season with the Phantoms, where he has recorded a 9-10-1 record, a .908 save percentage, and a 2.52 goals-against average. This is after he had a 5-6-1 record, an .884 save percentage, and a 3.11 goals-against average in 12 games this past season with Lehigh Valley.
At the NHL level with the Flyers this season, Kolosov has a 0-2-0 record, an .830 save percentage, and a 4.00 goals-against average in four games. In 17 games this past season with the Flyers, the 24-year-old goaltender posted a 5-9-1 record and an .867 save percentage.
In Saturday night’s game against the Buffalo Sabres, Montreal Canadiens’ power forward Juraj Slafkovsky scored his 21st goal of the season, setting a new career high. As things stand, the 21-year-old has 21 goals and 23 assists for 44 points, well on his way to establishing a new career mark. In the last two campaigns, he put up 50 and 51 points, but right now, he’s on pace to hit 66 points.
Beyond the points, though, the rest of his stats line is impressive. In his first two seasons in the league, he had minus-13 and minus-19 ratings; last season, he was plus-4 and right now, he’s a plus-7. While this may not be the most favoured stat these days, it shows a tendency which is matched by the eye test. He has become a much more responsible forward defensively and has cut down on his giveaways. Last season, he gave the puck away 77 times in 71 games; this year, he has 44 giveaways in 55 games, meaning he’s on pace for just 66 in an 82-game season.
There’s been a visible improvement there since the start of the season as well. At the beginning of this campaign, he often tried to enter the offensive zone on one side only to try a no-look backhand pass, which was frequently intercepted. That has now all but disappeared from his game; he has learned to manage both the puck and the game, making better decisions with and without it.
Furthermore, he has become a much more critical piece of the Canadiens’ attack. He now averages 18:05 minutes of ice time, up from 17:21 last season, and that will keep going up. Even though he’s now on the second line, he’s still on the first power play unit. He averages 3:05 minutes of ice time on the power play (3:06 last season) and already has 17 points on the man advantage this season, while he only had 10 last season. 10 of those 17 points are goals; last season, he only had five power-play goals.
He’s become much more efficient in the bumper position as well, moving to get in space and make himself a viable option for his teammates. His goal against the Sabres on Saturday night was a perfect example of that.
Great passes make great plays 🙂↕️
Juraj Slafkovský gets the @CanadiensMTL on the board!
The fact that he’s now a much more imposing presence physically means that he’s harder to deal with in front of the net; battling Slafkovsky for position is no easy task. He’s also become much more effective at fighting for the puck along the boards.
This season will more than likely be remembered as Slafkovsky’s breakout season, the year he made people realize that Kent Hughes and co. were right when they picked him first overall at the 2022 draft. That doesn’t mean we’ve seen his ceiling yet, though. There’s much to see and discover about Slafkovsky.
The NHL Olympic roster freeze will kick in on Feb. 4 at 3 p.m. EST, and while trades aren’t likely to commence beforehand, the markets for players on the trade block are beginning to formulate.
The St. Louis Blues are no exception, as several of their trade candidates are beginning to draw serious interest from plenty of teams.
Brayden Schenn, Justin Faulk, and Jordan Kyrou appear on almost every trade board, and to no surprise, they do on The Fourth Period’s.
The 34-year-old is in the sixth year of his eight-year, $6.5-million contract. Although his production has dropped off over the last couple of seasons, scoring just 12 goals and 24 points in 55 games, he’s a defensively responsible player who can play a physical brand of hockey.
The 33-year-old has another season left on his deal following this year at $6.5 million. Faulk has scored 11 goals and 27 points in 55 games this season, providing offense and defensive fortitude.
Like Schenn, Faulk’s experience and two-way versatility are enticing traits teams are looking to add to their rosters.
Outside of Robert Thomas, no other Blues trade candidate might be a more intriguing add than Kyrou.
The 27-year-old is in year three of an eight-year contract that pays him $8.125 million annually. With just 12 goals and 27 points in 45 games, Kyrou has struggled to match his production from previous seasons, but a change of scenery could do Kyrou well.
Kyrou has been playing better hockey lately, recording four goals and 10 points in his last 10 games. According to The Fourth Period’s trade board, the Seattle Kraken, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Utah Mammoth, and the Leafs could have interest in trading for Kyrou.
Whether Kyrou is willing to waive his no-trade clause remains unknown, but the interest is there.
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TAMPA, FLORIDA - JANUARY 30: The Boston Bruins logo is seen during the build out for the 2026 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series game between the Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning at Raymond James Stadium on January 30, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) | NHLI via Getty Images
Welcome to Sunday afternoon/evening, folks!
The Bruins and the Lightning will take it outside for an Atlantic Division showdown at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.
It’s actually forecast to be pretty chilly in Tampa on Sunday afternoon, with temperatures in the mid-to-low 40s (F).
The forecast for Wednesday is 70º F, so…much better to try to play hockey outside today.
Per the NHL, today’s game is the league’s 45th outdoor game, but just the 6th to feature match-up between two teams with 30+ wins.
Both teams are 8-1-1 in their last ten. SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE.
Anyways, here’s to hoping for good ice, no injuries, and an entertaining game.
Sep 3, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher Jordan Hicks (46) throws a pitch against the Cleveland Guardians in the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images
Pitchers Jordan Hicks and David Sandlin are swapping the color of their footwear.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan has reported that the Red Sox are shipping the pair of righties to the Chicago White Sox.
Trade news: The Chicago White Sox are acquiring veteran right-hander Jordan Hicks and right-handed pitching prospect David Sandlin in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, sources tell ESPN.
In return, Boston will be getting another young pitching prospect: right-hander Gage Ziehl, a product of the University of Miami (the Florida one, not the Ohio one). The Red Sox will also reportedly be sending $8 million along to the South Side of Chicago in order to pay some of Hicks’ salary—he’s set to make $12.5 million in both 2026 and 2027, per Spotrac.
The White Sox are acquiring RHP Jordan Hicks and RHP David Sandlin from the Red Sox in exchange for RHP Gage Ziehl, per multiple reports.
Boston is also reportedly sending $8M to the White Sox in this trade to help cover some of Hicks' $24M salary. pic.twitter.com/pFx2OuczcB
First things first: Jordan Hicks is no longer a member of the Boston Red Sox—hit the music.
Of all of the pitchers who have ever worn a Red Sox uniform, Hicks was undoubtedly one of them. Coming over from San Francisco over the summer in a trade that involved some player I can’t remember, Hicks had previously been a guy who had shown some sick stuff—if perhaps not consistent stuff—throughout his major league career.
Alas, things just never really jived for him in Boston. Across 18.2 innings in 21 outings, Hicks logged a…(makes sure I’m not reading this wrong)…Jesus Christ, 8.20 ERA, 1.98 WHIP, and an ERA+ of 51. He walked too many guys, he didn’t strike out enough guys to justify the free passes, and his outings were consistently miserable to watch. I hope, for his own sake, that he gets back on the right track with the Pale Hose, but another year (or two) of Hicks was not going to be good for anyone’s blood pressure in Red Sox Nation.
This move is a salary dump for Boston, clearly. It sucks to move off of Sandlin to execute that salary dump—the one-time Pod On Lansdowne guest has some promise, and perhaps he’ll get a shot to realize that potential with Chicago—but eight figures off the books is nothing to sneeze at.
This… plus the projected CBT payroll drops to ~$260.9M.
That's ~$16.9M above the first threshold, and ~$3.1M below the second threshold.
Plus, the Red Sox’s organizational depth within the pitching staff is solid. While Sandlin’s departure may sting, Boston now has a bit more flexibility thanks to the dumped salary and the extra 40-man roster space. Go get that infielder, Craig.
Of course, this is not the first time we’ve talked about moving off of salary via a trade involving Jordan Hicks. Rafael Devers’ trade was widely seen as a salary dump, and we are now dumping part of the salary for a guy involved in the first salary dump. It’s Dumpception.
Outside of that money-specific aspect, the return for Devers now looks…………………….interesting, to put it charitably. It’s Kyle Harrison, Jose Bello, this Ziehl fella (more on him in a second), and the brief services of Hicks and Dustin May—neither of whome were fruitful on the bump in 2025. However, I think this shows that Breslow and Co. are aware of the Sunk Cost Fallacy. They’re willing to cut their losses with Hicks and move on. That’s probably the wise thing to do, but it’s impossible to not raise the point about Devers when having this discussion.
As for Gage Ziehl, the 22-year-old pitcher joining the Red Sox organization: I’m not familiar with his game, but my quick skim on Twitter shows that he projects to be a guy with solid command in spite of a lack of powerhouse stuff. I’m sure one of my OTM colleagues who are smarter than I (so, all of them) will be able to take a deeper dive on him.
Righty Gage Ziehl is the arm coming back in the Hicks deal. He was ranked #21 in the White Sox system, per @BaseballAmerica.
4th round pick in 2024. Made it to AA at the end of 2025. Fills the zone. Command over stuff profile. 6’0, 212. Leans heavily on his sweeper and cutter. pic.twitter.com/GdocikltWz
Soto previously appeared in the 2023 World Baseball Classic, and was one of the top hitters in the entire tournament.
In four WBC games in 2023, Soto led all players with a ridiculous 1.500 OPS, recording six hits in 15 at-bats, including two home runs, three doubles, and three RBI. In classic Soto style, he also walked three times.
Soto is coming of a debut season in Queens in which he finished third in MVP voting, posting a .921 OPS with 43 home runs, 105 RBI, 127 walks, and 38 stolen bases.
Along with Soto playing for Team Dominican Republic, fellow Mets Nolan McLean and Clay Holmes are set to pitch for Team USA.
Spring Training hasn't even started, and the Chicago White Sox have already taken their first L of 2026.
The Southsiders' social media account rung in the first day of Black History Month on Sunday with a timeline looking back "upon momentous firsts for the White Sox organization." Some of the more notable moments included Comiskey Park hosting the first Negro Leagues All-Star Game in 1933, Al Smith becoming the organization's first Black All-Star in 1960 and current manager Will Venable becoming the third Black White Sox manager in team history and one of two active Black managers in 2024.
Frank Thomas, the club's all-time leader in home runs (448), RBIs (1,465), runs scored (1,327), doubles (447), walks (1,466), on-base percentage (.427), slugging percentage (.568), and total bases (3,949), was absent aside from a brief mention under Dick Allen's MVP section. None of his franchise records, five All-Star appearances, four Silver Sluggers, AL batting title — or his streak of seven consecutive seasons with at least a .300 average, 100 RBIs, 100 runs scored, 100 walks and 20 home runs from 1991-1997 — were in the post.
And the Big Hurt himself noticed.
I Guess the black player who made you rich over there and holds all your records is forgettable! Don’t worry I’m taking Receipts!
"I Guess the black player who made you rich over there and holds all your records is forgettable!" he said in a reply to the post. "Don’t worry I’m taking Receipts!"
Thomas' tweet ratioed the White Sox with over 2,000 likes and 218 retweets compared to 264 likes and 88 retweets on the original post as of 2:00 p.m. ET.
With the Vancouver Canucks in a rebuild, time on ice will be something to keep an eye on game to game. Vancouver is no longer fighting for a playoff spot, and, based on the current lineup, has committed to getting younger players minutes in the NHL. One of those young players is defenceman Tom Willander, who, based on his recent play, deserves more ice time.
On this recent homestand, Willander averaged 13:57 of ice time. He surpassed the 17-minute mark twice in seven games, but also recorded under 14 minutes on two separate occasions. It is also important to note that Willander, like others on the team, was dealing with an illness for part of the homestand, which is why he only played seven of the eight games.
One positive development when it comes to Willander's ice time is that he is getting more opportunities on the power play. He averaged 1:30 with the man advantage during the homestand, which ranked second behind Zeev Buium among Canucks defenders. At the same time, Willander only averaged 18 seconds per game on the penalty kill as Vancouver is still relying heavily on experienced players while shorthanded.
Saturday's game against the Toronto Maple Leafs is a perfect example of the Canucks not using Willander enough. The 20-year-old played 16 minutes, which was the lowest amongst Vancouver defenders. Willander playing just 16 minutes is very surprising, as not only did he get some overtime shifts, but the game itself did not feature any special teams time.
Something else to keep an eye on outside of ice time is the number of shifts Willander has per game. On this homestand, he averaged 19.6 shifts per game, which ranked seventh out of the eight defencemen who played. At this point, Willander should be at or above 24 shifts per game, which has only happened three times in 43 games.
Jan 31, 2026; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tom Willander (5) celebrates his goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images
While every game unravels differently, the Canucks are at a point where they need to be giving Willander more minutes. Not only has he earned them, but now is the time to see if he 20-year-old can handle a bigger role at the NHL level. Ultimately, Willander should be averaging at least 18 minutes a game for the rest of the season and should also get more of an opportunity on the penalty kill.
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The Buffalo Sabres have made some changes to their roster.
The Sabres have announced that they have recalled forward Isak Rosen from their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Rochester Americans. In addition, the Sabres shared that defenseman Zac Jones has been reassigned to Rochester.
Rosen is having an excellent season in the AHL with Rochester, so it is not too surprising to see him get another chance on Buffalo's roster. In 28 games with the Amerks this season, the 2021 first-round pick has recorded 20 goals, 12 assists, and 33 points.
Rosen has also played in 13 games so far this season with the Sabres, where he has set new career highs with three goals, four assists, and seven points.
Jones, on the other hand, has yet to play a game this season for the Sabres, even though he has been called up to the NHL roster multiple times. In 32 games this season with the Amerks, the 5-foot-11 blueliner has recorded six goals, 31 assists, and 37 points.
The sellout crowd at Little Caesars Arena on Saturday afternoon was primed from the get-go to explode in cheers for their Red Wings, who were facing the former heated rival Colorado Avalanche.
However, a good majority of the fans had already decided to get a head start on the traffic by the midway point of the third period in what was ultimately a 5-0 Avalanche win over the Red Wings.
Those that remained behind let out a few noticeable boos as time ticked away in regulation
The crowd wasn’t the only group feeling it. Several Red Wings players showed visible frustration after Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood shut down their scoring chances, while their power play came up empty and their passing lacked crispness.
Afterward, head coach Todd McLellan said that any visible frustration on the part of the players was earned by their performance, while also noting that it's on them to come up with the solution.
"There was frustration, but we earned it, and we deserved it," he said. "That can change just through our play and execution."
"They're (the Avalanche) a real good hockey club, and they're going to do some things to you that you're not comfortable with," he continued. "They're going to score some goals. But if you let frustration drag you down even deeper, you'll end up with exactly what we got."
All season long, McLellan has preached the importance of mental fortitude to avoid letting a rough stretch of play, which happens to every NHL team over the course of a long 82-game campaign, snowball out of control.
Never one to let his players off the hook, McLellan emphasized the need for a stronger start to games, as the Red Wings surrendered the first goal against in each of their last three outings, which all resulted in losses.
"One (reason) is lack of focus, and if there’s lack of focus, then that’s on all of us to get it back and make sure we’re executing," he said. "It could be you get stale with linemates, and it’s not working. It could be complacency that slips in, and you’re okay with what’s going on.
And that’s wrong, so we have to fix that."
Detroit gets a shot at a course correction Monday night in Denver when they face the Avalanche again.
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PARIS (AP) — Midfielder Noah Nartey made an immediate impact at his new club by scoring Sunday on his Ligue 1 debut to lead Lyon to a 10th consecutive win across all competitions.
In a match of few chances for both teams, Nartay broke the deadlock in the 37th minute as Lyon beat Lille 1-0 to climb to fourth place in the French league, level on points with third-placed Marseille.
The 20-year-old Danish player signed a five-year contract with Lyon last month, joining from Brondby.
Lille dominated the first half and Nartay showed his solid defensive skills. He then displayed his composure to send a low shot between the legs of the Lille goalkeeper. That capped a fine move by Ruben Kluivert, who had rushed down the the left flank then set up his teammate with a precise cut-back pass at the penalty spot.
“I'm proud of the team, we worked hard,” Kluivert said. “Lille was good, but we were better.”
Nartay's goal extended Lille's losing streak to a fourth consecutive Ligue 1 match, with Bruno Génésio's team in fifth place, seven points behind Lyon.
Defending champion Paris Saint-Germain played at Strasbourg later Sunday and is looking to move back to the top. Lens reclaimed the lead with a 1-0 win against Le Havre on Friday.
Forget about Nazem Kadri reuniting with the Colorado Avalanche.
Any trade with the Calgary Flames would demand a significant return, and the team acquiring Kadri would be taking on the remaining four years of his $7 million-per-season contract.
While the Avalanche certainly have the assets to meet Calgary’s demands, doing so would likely come at a steep cost to Colorado’s long-term flexibility—and, more importantly, its chances of competing for a Stanley Cup.
3 years ago, today…..Nazem Kadri became the first Muslim to hoist the Stanley Cup. 🥲🩵 pic.twitter.com/tCryJuA3iL
Even if the Flames were to retain 25% of Kadri’s $7 million annual salary, the Avalanche would still be responsible for $5.25 million through the 2028‑29 NHL season—assuming the Flames were even willing to be generous.
Kadri is typically a second-line center, but he wouldn’t be replacing Brock Nelson, who was recently named to Team USA for the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games. At 34, Nelson is on pace for one of the best seasons of his career, projected to finish with a career-high 43 goals and 31 assists for 74 points. For context, his previous career-high in points was 75, set with the New York Islanders during the 2022‑23 campaign.
Kadri himself posted a career-high 87 points during the 2021‑22 season with the Avalanche, tallying 28 goals and 59 assists in 71 regular-season games—a season that culminated in a Stanley Cup championship for Colorado. After the Avalanche were unable to re-sign him, he joined the Flames. While he has put up solid numbers in Calgary, he isn’t quite the player he once was.
How are we feeling about Nazem Kadri?
For me, he looks like the Kadri from the end of the 22-23 season. He looks disinterested and he's making a lot of careless plays with the puck
He has 4 points in the last 17 games. He's been outscored 14-4 at 5v5. It's been tough to watch pic.twitter.com/1foX0j0NE3
Although Kadri could certainly boost production on the third line, the Avalanche’s depth remains their greatest strength. And if Colorado were to pursue a trade, you could likely kiss Parker Kelly goodbye, Ross Colton is probably gone, top prospect Mikhail Gulyayev could be included, and a draft pick might also be on the table.
Teams That Could Snag Kadri
Even if the Avalanche were willing to go all-in, the bigger question remains: what’s the point? Trading solely to block another team rarely makes sense.
Recent reports indicate that the Central Division’s Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild are showing interest in the 35-year-old forward. The Stars need little introduction: the Avalanche have historically struggled against them in the playoffs, losing five of seven series.
That might tempt some fans to argue for trading for Kadri just to keep him out of Dallas’ hands. But that’s a risky approach. Making a major financial decision just to block one team ignores the bigger picture—you still have to contend with other playoff contenders. Take the Wild, for example: they’re steadily closing in on the top spot that the Avalanche have long held.
Over the past month, while Colorado has hit a rough patch, Minnesota has continued to improve. At 32-14-10, the Wild have 74 points—just seven behind the Avalanche, who sit at 36-8-9 with 81 points.
Nazem Kadri has informed the Flames that he is open to being moved, per @TheFourthPeriod.
The Dallas Stars, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche and Minnesota Wild are among the teams that have kicked the tires on Kadri before. pic.twitter.com/GPDfwjMOga
If one of those teams ends up with Kadri, would it be disappointing? Perhaps, from a nostalgic perspective—but the Avalanche have their own battle to fight. No one will forget the 2022 team and what they accomplished, but the focus must remain on the present.
Chris MacFarland is probably working on a savvy trade as we speak and who knows, we could be wrong on the Kadri situation altogether. Let’s see what this team does to get even better.
A Sunday trade between the Hawks and Trail Blazers appears to be the precursor to future trades.
Atlanta is sending sharpshooting guard Vit Krejci to Portland for promising big man Duop Reath, as well as two second-round picks (the Hawks' own 2027 pick and the Knicks' pick in 2030), a story first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN.
Krejci is a 6'8" guard averaging 9 points a game while shooting 42.3% from 3-point range this season, but he became a player Atlanta could move on from after acquiring Corey Kispert in the Trae Young trade (so the Hawks got a couple of picks for him). Krejci is on a very team-friendly contract, making $2.3 million this season with a non-guaranteed $2.7 million on the books for next season.
In Atlanta, Reath, who is out for the season following foot surgery, could well be waived to open a roster spot (the Hawks have another big man in N'Faly Dante out for the season due to injury, he is the other candidate to be let go, but Dante is under contract for another season while Reath is a free agent this summer).
In Portland, this seems like a trade that sets up another trade. Not that the Trail Blazers couldn't use Krejci, the Blazers have the worst 3-point shooting percentage in the league (33.4%), and the Czech guard can shoot the rock.
But the Trail Blazers are now up against the luxury tax and they will be looking to reduce payroll. The Blazers have a full 15 roster spots filled, but they want to convert two two-way players — Caleb Love and Sidy Cissoko — to regular contracts. Something has to give.
MESA, AZ - FEBRUARY 23: Henry Bolte #75 of the Athletics bats during a spring training game against the Colorado Rockies at HoHoKam Stadium on February 23, 2025 in Mesa, Arizona. (Photo by Justine Willard/Athletics/Getty Images) | Getty Images
*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.
Well he finally got his spot on our annual list. Outfielder Henry Bolte comes in as the obvious pick for the sixth-best prospect in the A’s system. The righty-swinging Bolte had a great all-around year this past season, demolishing Double-A pitching before a brief promotion to Triple-A. He faced some challenges at that next level but still held his own as a relatively young player against better pitching. While he may need another couple of months with the Aviators the speedy outfielder could be a legitimate option for the Athletics in the outfield this summer and looks like a potential contributor when the A’s open their new stadium.
The next nominee was a close vote but corner infielder Tommy White just eked out the win this time around. The former second-round pick has a strong right-handed bat but there are major questions about his ability to remain at the hot corner. With Nick Kurtz sticking around for the next few years at first base and Brent Rooker locked in as the DH White is going to need to show improvement at third base if he wants to get to the big leagues with the A’s.
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.
The voting continues! Which A’s prospect do the fans believe is the #7 player in the 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.
White’s right-handed power is legitimate and he can hit the ball a long way to all fields thanks to his strength and bat speed. He might be known for his home run totals but he’s a better overall hitter than people think, finding the barrel consistently and limiting strikeouts. His knack for contact can lead to him expanding his strike zone, but he doesn’t swing and miss very often.
It will be White’s bat that carries him to the big leagues. He’s a well-below-average runner who likely lacks the range and tools to stick at third base, where he toiled as a sophomore and junior, earning praise for playing through a shoulder injury at LSU in 2023. He’s likely headed to first base long term, which could give the A’s a glut of serious offensive talent between him and first-rounder Nick Kurtz.
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.
It’s not often that teenage prospects launch home runs. But Colome has a tendency to get to that jumpy pop with frequency, consistently leveraging his swing well – so well in fact, that one evaluator mentioned the most recent occasion on which he saw an international prospect continually get to their launch point in such a manner was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Colome is a right-handed hitter with explosive hands and a solid contact rate, although he has been known to be a tad aggressive in the box as a means of getting to said power.
Something of an athletic marvel at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds at age 16, Colome is an agile athlete who shows a lot of lateral quickness. The fluidity of his movements and strong arm led to a Manny Machado comparison being hung on him defensively. Much like the seven-time All-Star, Colome may move off short as his frame fills out, but he’s a tremendously dedicated worker and has the feet, soft hands and instincts to stick at the premium position.
The A’s believe Echavarria’s stuff played better than the overall numbers might suggest. His fastball reached 98 mph and sat 95-96 with good ride up in the zone. The issue was struggling to command his arsenal when he would fall behind in counts. His mid-80s slider flashes plus, and his upper-80s changeup continues to improve. He also throws a two-seamer in the 92-93 mph range. He clearly dealt with some control issues, but the A’s are not at all sounding the alarm, instead patiently working with the teenager on adjustments.
Echavarria profiles as a starter for the long-term with his 6-foot-1 frame and sound delivery. Previously having shown an ability to consistently throw all of his offerings for strikes prior to the Draft, he will continue to work to rediscover that control in his second season of pro ball.
A switch-hitting shortstop, Montero has shown the ability to impact the ball from both sides of the plate, with his natural right-handed swing more direct to the ball, though his left-handed swing is more picturesque and he obviously gets more plate appearances from that side. He has the chance to hit for average and power, with a solid approach that has allowed him to walk more than he strikes out for much of the summer.
Last year, Montero was slower and less athletic, but attention to conditioning and nutrition has helped him get leaner and stronger. An average runner, Montero has the instincts and actions to stick at shortstop for a long time, with a solid and accurate arm. If his body gets bigger as he matures — he played all of 2025 at age 18 — he could move to the hot corner, but the A’s don’t see that in his future. What they are hoping for is that he comes to instructs this year and stays in the United States as one of the better prospects to come out of their Dominican academy in some time.
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