Category: Sports News

Happy Valentine’s Day. Here’s to hearts, roses, chocolates and Atlanta Braves baseball.

Well, one out of four ain’t bad.

The first week of Spring Training is almost in the books, and there’s already been the notable addition of catcher Jonah Heim and the loss of starting pitcher Spencer Schwellenbach.

Projecting the Opening Day roster before Spring Training games begin is a fool’s errand, but luckily for you, that’s what we’re going to do.

This projection is based on who is on the Braves’ 40-man roster or in camp with the team and assumes that everyone is “healthy” six weeks from now. All the usual caveats apply related to injuries, acquisitions and the like.

Position Players

Catchers: Drake Baldwin

First base: Matt Olson

Second base: Ozzie Albies

Shortstop: Mauricio Dubón

Third base: Austin Riley

Right field: Ronald Acuña, Jr.

Center field: Micheal Harris II

Left field: Mike Yastrzemski

Designated hitter: Jurickson Profar

Bench: Jonah Heim, Sandy León, Eli White, Jorge Mateo

The only slight surprise here is León. Although Atlanta’s schedule to start the season isn’t menacing as the start to the 2025 campaign, the Braves do play 13 games in-a-row to open the season, including an eight-game west coast road trip, meaning that Atlanta could opt to give León a start or at least have him as an emergency option on the bench.

Heim’s ability to switch-hit and All-Star pedigree means Atlanta could carry three catchers on the 26-man roster once Sean Murphy returns from injury.With Baldwin likely to see a good-bit of time at DH, León gives the team the third catcher to open the season and allow the team to test-run their possible future position player roster breakdown.

Wild Cards: Kyle Farmer, Luke Williams, Chadwick Tromp, Nacho Alvarez, Jr.

Farmer was a late addition to Braves camp, and has played all-over the infield in his career with 300 career games at shortstop, 200+ games at second base, more than 160 appearances at third base and 19 games behind the plate. Yes, Farmer caught 15 games for the Reds in 2019 (although that was also the last time he appeared behind the dish).

Farmer could take the place of León or Mateo but Mateo’s speed and defense at shortstop could make him the more valuable of the two until shortstop Ha-Seong Kim returns from injury.

That note about Atlanta playing 13 consecutive games? Well, chances are at least one of those games will be a blow-out and that’s where Williams shines. Williams can play in the infield and outfield and is an excellent baserunner, but offers nothing with the bat. But as a position-player pitcher, he adds marginal value and being the 13th position player and 14th pitcher with the Braves is a roll he knows well.

Tromp could be an option as a third catcher to start the season over León after returning to the organization in the off-season. It would be a familiar role for the well-liked Tromp, who could get the call should the organization want the respected León to work with the next player on this list at Triple-A.

Nacho Alvarez, Jr. spent time with the catchers in the early days of Spring Training and that’s an interesting development for his long-term future with the Braves. If Atlanta is committed to see if he is capable of picking-up the position with an eye toward a hyper-valuable back-up infielder/third-catcher role at the big league level in the future, he seems almost certain to be ticketed to Gwinnett.

Pitchers

Starting pitchers: Chris Sale, Spencer Strider, Reynaldo Lopez, Grant Holmes, Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz

Bullpen: Raisel Iglesias, Robert Suarez, Dylan Lee, Tyler Kinley, Aaron Bummer, Dylan Dodd, Joel Payamps

Again with that whole 13 games-in-a-row thing. With Holmes, Elder, Wentz and Dodd all out of options, they all make the team out of Spring Training with the Braves starting the year with a six-man rotation and Dodd who could cover multiple innings in the bullpen. Payamps, who’d been a been a highly-effective reliever until struggling for much of last season, gets the nod as the fourth right-hander in the bullpen.

Wild Cards: Hurston Waldrep, Jose Suaréz, James Karinchak, Martín Peréz, Hayden Harris, Daysbel Hernández

Karinchak’s addition to the Opening Day roster was tempting but may be more sentimental than practical given the team brought back Payamps on a $2.25M deal after a brief audition late in the 2025 regular season. Karinchak, who was a standout reliever with the Cleveland Guardians, has had his career derailed by injuries and hasn’t pitched in the big leagues since 2023.

Suaréz, who was DFA’d by Atlanta but was re-claimed by the team prior to Spring Training, and Dodd could be in a battle for the third lefty in the bullpen or six starter with Wentz.

Waldrep and Peréz are two players on opposite sides of their careers who face similar challenges to the Opening Day roster. With Holmes, Elder and Wentz all out of options, Waldrep could find himself starting the year at Triple-A just because he has options left. If he shines in Spring Training or if an injury to any of the other starters arises, he could find himself with the big league team to start the season. Based on last season, he’s may be one of the team’s five best starting pitchers, but future roster flexibility may be more important than a few weeks of big league starts.

A late-in-the-off-season signing, Peréz was solid last year in 11 games with the White Sox. He has been an average back-end starter for most of his career outside of his stand-out All-Star season in 2022. Now 34, he’s made 20-or-more starts eight times in his 14-year big league career, and if healthy, could be an alternative to Wentz as a left-handed starter.

Harris offers another third-lefty option with his unique pitch mix, but barring a bombastic performance this spring, he seems likely to be an option for later in the season. Hernández has a big arm and bigger control issues and seems to be on the outside of the Opening Day roster bubble.

Will the Opening Day roster shake out like this? Not of the team finds that mysterious post-season quality starting pitcher or if a few injury bugs bite.

For nearly 20 years, the Yankees had an ace in the hole who gave them an advantage over every other team in the league, boasting the nearest the game has ever known to a true shutdown closer. Of paramount importance, therefore, was establishing a bridge between the team’s starters and Mariano Rivera, who lay in wait should the team hold an advantage entering the ninth inning. That role was filled by an endless stream of arms over the years, including All-Stars, phenoms, and journeymen. And, for one glorious month, Dámaso Marte served as a key plank in the bridge as the Yankees captured their 27th championship.

Dámaso Marte Saviñón
Born: February 14, 1975 (Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic)
Yankees Tenure: 2008-10

Dámaso Marte was born on Valentine’s Day in 1975 in the Dominican Republic’s capital city of Santo Domingo. He signed with the Mariners for $2,500 as a 17-year-old, rising through the ranks of their minor-league system until debuting with Seattle during a five-appearance stint in 1999. But, after a left elbow strain cost him most of the following season, the Mariners cut the southpaw.

It was here that the left-hander would first intersect with the Yankees. “They released me after elbow surgery, and the only team interested was the Yankees,” Marte would later say of his exit from Seattle. “I signed a contract with a clause that [said] I would stay in the big leagues if I could make the team, but, unfortunately, I couldn’t do it and was sent to the minors.”

Assigned to Double-A Norwich, Marte fared well enough in his first extended action after surgery that he drew the attention of the Pirates, who consummated a swap for the reliever that netted the Yankees utilityman Enrique Wilson. In parts of four seasons in New York, Wilson didn’t exactly light up the stat sheet. But he became a fan favorite for one bewildering — and exceedingly valuable — trait. Wilson was the Pedro whisperer, hitting .440 against the Red Sox ace over the course of his career.

After spending the rest of the 2001 season in Pittsburgh’s bullpen, Marte was moved once again, this time to the White Sox. In his late 20s, the reliever finally hit his stride, making 279 appearances with a 2.78 ERA over four seasons. This included a pivotal outing in Game 3 of the 2005 World Series in which he tossed 1.2 innings of scoreless ball during a 14-inning marathon in Houston, taking home the victory as the White Sox pulled ahead to a 3-0 series lead en route to a sweep.

Ever the nomad, Marte was traded again before the 2006 campaign, this time back to Pittsburgh. After two-and-a-half seasons in their bullpen, the Yankees pulled the trigger midway through the 2008 season on a move that would bring him back to their organization. GM Brian Cashman parted with prospects José Tábata, Ross Ohlendorf, Jeff Karstens, and Daniel McCutchen to bring back Marte and outfielder Xavier Nady. “It was hard to give up the players we did. I like those players,” Cashman said at the time. “[But] the players we got back – Marte and Nady – both will hopefully contribute to the 2008 season, and we have them for ’09.”

But Marte’s transition back to the AL would not be a smooth one. He posted a 5.40 ERA down the stretch in ‘08 as the Yankees stumbled and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1993. After losing the lion’s share of the ‘09 season to injury — and allowing more than a run per inning while healthy — Marte hardly figured to be a key element of the team’s postseason plans. But he did crack the playoff roster, pairing with Phil Coke as the team’s top left-handed options out of the bullpen. His role as a lefty specialist got off to a rough start in the ALDS, when he allowed singles to Minnesota’s top two lefties — Joe Mauer and Jason Kubel — in his sole appearance and was pulled by manager Joe Girardi before recording an out.

Fortunately for Marte, he would get a second chance to help form the bridge to Mariano in the next round. And, fortunately for the Yankees, he would take full advantage of that opportunity. In Game 2 of the ALCS, with the Yankees up a game and Coke already burned in the seventh, Marte entered in extras to face Kendrys Morales, a switch-hitter who’d hit 30 of his 34 homers that season against righties. Marte induced a groundout from the Angels first baseman before giving way to David Robertson, who would record the victory when Melky Cabrera walked the game off. He was back in Game 3 and, while it was the Angels who would walk that game off, Marte came on to retire another switch-hitter who struggled against lefties, Chone Figgins, and strand a runner in scoring position. Likewise in Game 5, when he retired Figgins and the left-handed Bobby Abreu.

But it was after the Yankees advanced to the World Series that Marte would truly distinguish himself as a lefty specialist par excellence. He appeared in four games, facing eight batters and retiring all eight. He gave particular fits to the left-handed heart of the Phillies’ order, with Chase Utley and Ryan Howard going a combined 0-for-6 with four punchouts.

Marte’s ability to neutralize Utley — who hit five home runs that series, four of which came against his fellow lefties — was a major factor in the Yankees’ ability to prevail. Marte’s heroics garnered him high praise from his manager.

“When we think about the 2009 World Series, we think of Hideki Matsui, who was the MVP,” said Girardi. “But, to me, the MVP in that World Series was Dámaso Marte. The Phillies [had] really good left-handed hitters. In the top of the eighth inning of Game One, the first two batters get on and I bring in Dámaso and he strikes out Utley and I go, ‘Uh, oh!’ Then Game Three in Philly, he strikes out Howard, he strikes out Jayson Werth. … I’ve got a super weapon here. Then Game Six. There’s two on in the top of the seventh, [and he strikes out Utley]. Dámaso Marte was the unsung hero of that World Series, and I’ll never forget it.”

Marte never reached those heights again. He pitched to a 4.08 ERA while limited to 17.2 innings with the Yankees in 2010 and spent all of the following season recovering from shoulder labrum surgery. At the age of 36, the injuries which had plagued him throughout his career led him to walk away from the game of baseball. He’s now a pastor at the Ministerio Refugio de Fe y Esperanza in Santo Domingo. But, for one incredible run, he was an irreplaceable cog in the Yankees’ bullpen and, in the eyes of his manager, the most valuable player on a championship squad.

See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.

It’s Valentine’s Day today, so I hope you will all spend your Saturday thinking about Bobby Valentine, who played for the Dodgers from 1969-72, or maybe 2005 third baseman and shortstop José Valentín, or perhaps Tom Lovett, a pitcher for Brooklyn in the 19th century.

Or maybe Sandy Amorós can get you in the mood after watching his incredible catch from Game 7 of the 1955 World Series.

Today’s question is a simple one: Who or what made you fall in love with baseball?

Spring has sprung as Major League Baseball's 30 teams gather at camps in Florida and Arizona ahead of the 2026 season.

The Los Angeles Dodgers begin spring training as the favorites to win a third consecutive World Series title and are set to play their first Cactus League game on Saturday, Feb. 21. The first official spring training games take place Feb. 20, with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles kicking off the Grapefruit League slate on Friday afternoon.

With the World Baseball Classic beginning on March 5, participating players will soon depart their clubs' camps to gather with national teams. The 2026 regular season begins on March 25 with the San Francisco Giants hosting the Yankees.

Here's what to know for the opening days of spring training games:

There are lots of projection systems that proclaim themselves the most accurate, the one that hits the target more often when talking about how a player will perform. It’s a tricky business because there are so many variables that go into a season that getting even half of the projection correct would be a boon to the system. This week, at Baseball Prospectus, they are celebrating PECOTA week, the one in which they reveal the projections about the teams and players based on their proprietary system PECOTA (Player Empirical Comparison and Optimization Test Algorithm).

Don’t ask me about their math and wizardry because I don’t know either.

What I do know is that theirs is the system I find to be most accurate when trying to determine how well a player is going to play in a given season, so when that projection is given, I like to spend some time with it. Go through all of the different percentiles, how things could shape up if player X performs well or underperforms. There is a lot of information to go through, but some things do stand out about them. These are just a few of the initial observations about PECOTA’s thoughts about the 2026 Phillies.

It does not like their chances of winning the division

The initial release of the expected standings based on PECOTA projections always brings some consternation. The system always believes in the Braves and never believes in the Brewers. For the Phillies, right now, they don’t seem overly optimistic of their winning the National League East for a third consecutive season.

Now, the thing about these projected standings is they are pretty fluid. They adjust things based on the news that is received during the day. For example, when these were initially released, the Braves had an extra two wins while the Phillies were a few tenths of a win behind their current 86 total. With the news that Spencer Schwellenbach is expected to miss a sizeable chunk of time, things were adjusted a bit.

One thing that should be encouraging is that for all the gnashing of teeth about the team’s moves (or lack thereof) this offseason, PECOTA still sees them as pretty comfortable playoff team. It just likes the Braves to be a division winner more than the Phillies, which is understandable to a degree. PECOTA always loves Atlanta and nothing much has changed there.

But the Phillies? Don’t plan on getting a replica division pennant flag on opening day in 2027.

Adolis Garcia rebound szn?

Perhaps the most controversial signing the Phillies made this offseason was bringing in Adolis Garcia to take over right field duties from Nick Castellanos. A one year deal like this one shouldn’t bring too much controversy with it, but the timing, the cost and the seemingly preventative nature of it caused many to sneer in derision at the mere reminder of the deal.

PECOTA is a bit more optimistic in its projection. Garcia hit .227/.271/.394 with 19 home runs last year, a sizeable step back from his previous seasons’ production. His DRC+ of 91 (Deserved Runs Created) was markedly better than his 83 wRC+, yet still a below average number.

However, take a bit more of a step back and something should be a bit rosier. Here is Garcia’s 2025 season compared to his 50th percentile projection from 2025:

2025: .227/.271/.394, 19 HR, 75 RBI, 13 SB, 91 DRC+, 1.4 DRP
2025 50th percentile: .228/.292/.413, 25 HR, 78 RBI, 7 SB, 101 DRC+, -2 DRP

PECOTA was pretty optimistic about Garcia at least being a .700 OPS hitter last season, though still saw his on-base percentage being an issue. It’s kind of scary how accurate they were with that projection actually.

For 2026, the outlook is every so slightly rosier (50th percentile: .236/.295/.428, 23 HR, 74 RBI, 97 DRC+), seeing maybe some upticks in both his on-base and slugging percentages with his going to a better hitter’s park than the one in Texas. It does not predict the under the hood stuff, things like bat speed, chase rate and the like, but if we’re to guesstimate on that, seeing at least both of those numbers fall from 2024 to 2025 doesn’t exactly make one feel good. It’s still not great for the money that they allotted to Garcia for 2026, but at least on the baseball card stats, PECOTA thinks that maybe there is some improvement coming over what he did last year. If he gets to those 70th, or even 80th, percentile projections, well now we have something much better on our hands.

The offense as a whole?PECOTA still believes in you to produce

If you’re of a certain age and you have a couch or chair that is lower than normal to the ground, you know that getting older is not something that is enjoyable. Pay no mind to those commercials where people are out galivanting around wineries all day once they hit the age of 70, your body starts to betray you earlier and earlier it feels like. Try as you might, but Father Time remains undefeated against all challengers.

In baseball age, the Phillies are getting older, yet PECOTA is not really sure what to think of them. Looking at just the 50th percentile DRC+ projections, there is really only one that it sees taking a big step back. Kyle Schwarber is the biggest, but his DRC+ would go from the 154 to 127 this year. That shouldn’t be surprising as expecting him to repeat his MVP runner up season with something equal to it would be foolish. But the system still believes in Bryce Harper (120 DRC+ in 2025, 127 projection) and Trea Turner (103 in 2023, 109 projection). Surprisingly, it also doesn’t portend much of a cliff dive by J.T. Realmuto (91 in 2025, 99 projection)

The biggest one that I was surprised at was what it thinks about Brandon Marsh. Pockets of the fanbase don’t see him as more than a platoon bat and the front office would agree, going out of their way to mention Otto Kemp and others as potential partners to Marsh’s left handed bat. Yet PECOTA sees that if roughly 450 at bats, against who it does not know, Marsh would hit to a 102 DRC+, a ten point increase from what he accumulated in 2025. Wonder what more playing time against left handed pitching would do to help him improve against it. After all, how can you get better at the weakness if you’re never allowed to go against it?

Projection systems really like hitters that have produced well in the past. If you’ve done it often, it believes you can continue to do it over and over again, so long as there aren’t many major issues.

Last July, the Washington Nationals made Eli Willits the youngest first overall pick ever. With more famous prospects like Ethan Holiday and LSU ace Kade Anderson available, it was a bit of a risky pick. However, after a strong pro debut, Willits’ stock is higher than it was on draft day. Despite ranking behind Holiday in draft rankings, he is now ahead of him in prospect rankings.

While Willits was considered a very well-rounded prospect, there was one part of his game that caused some concerns. That was his lack of raw power. It is important to note he was just 17 last year, but his exit velocities were still below average in his pro debut. When you looked at him, he still looked like a kid because well, he was a kid.

Entering this offseason, Willits knew he had to hit the weight room. He will never have James Wood power, but if he can get to average power, Willits has star upside. The rest of his game is so solid. He has elite contact skills and plate discipline as a hitter. In the field, he has smooth actions at shortstop. Willits is also a well above average runner.

Willits acted accordingly, and was in the weight room early and often. All offseason, you would see him posting videos lifting weights. When you saw him on the field, it was clear that Willits had room to add weight. He still looked like a baby out there. His goal this offseason was to add some man strength.

It is not like Willits is tiny. He is listed at 6’1 and could still be growing. There is room to pack strength onto his frame. Willits’ pro debut showed all of his strengths and weaknesses. He hit .300 and had a great feel for the strike zone. However, basically all of his hits were singles. Out of his 15 hits, only two went for extra bases and none were home runs.

His slugging percentage was only .360, which is not very good. However, his .397 OBP allowed him to post a solid .757 OPS. For a 17 year old in pro ball, that is highly impressive. He adapted to pro ball like a duck to water, starting his career with a 9 game hitting streak. Most high school draftees either struggle or don’t even play in their draft year, but not Willits.

However, the physical limitations were still clear. Willits’ 90th percentile exit velocity was the lowest of any top 100 prospect. As the youngest player on the list, that is easy to explain away though. We will still need to see that improve though. As you rise through the minor leagues, defenses get better and Willits will have to hit the ball with more authority to get hits.

I think we will see him hit the ball harder though. Willits looked noticeably bigger and stronger when he arrived to camp a couple days ago. His lower half was so much sturdier and it was clear he put in the work. 

The before and after of Willits is pretty crazy. He truly developed from a boy into a man in one offseason. Given his age and bloodlines, this is not overly surprising. Most people get a lot bigger and stronger from that 17 to 18 mark. You start to gain that adult strength. 

Another reason why I was confident Willits would add weight is just seeing his family. His brother Jaxon is the star shortstop at the University of Oklahoma, and actually a pretty good draft prospect. Jaxon Willits is listed at a sturdy 6’0 203 pounds. Eli looks like he might be close to 200 pounds after this offseason.

As we know, there are some potential downsides to adding too much muscle. It can come at the expense of your quick twitch athleticism. Hopefully that will not be the case with Eli. I do not think it will because his frame had room to add good weight before this offseason.

Even if he does lose a little bit of twitch, it would be a fine trade off. Willits needs the strength to reach his potential. With his feel for hitting, he will be able to maximize the power he has. It will never be light tower power, but he could hit 15-18 homers one day.

As long as he is able to stick at shortstop, the strength will be a good addition to his game. Even if he does lose half a grade of speed, I am still confident in his ability to field. The best part of his defensive game is his IQ and hands. Willits is so fundamentally sound that he does not need to be a hyper-athlete to be a good defender.

That also applies to the basepaths. He will be able to maximize all the speed he has due to his IQ and his ability to get good jumps. Willits loves trying to take the extra base and is a true grinder. He combines that hard scrabble style with elite talent. That is what made him the first overall pick.

Willits’ baseball IQ allows him to make the most of his tools. However, you can only do so much without power. Willits clearly spent this winter trying to add power. Given how he looks, I think the mission was a success. He is already the 13th ranked prospect in baseball, so it is scary to imagine his ceiling if he starts hitting for power.

Dylan Ross had such a good year in the minors in 2025 that he put himself on the prospect map here at Amazin’ Avenue, ranking 18th on our list of the team’s top 25 prospects. And that was before the Mets’ trade that sent Jett Williams and Brandon Sproat to the Brewers, which effectively bumped nearly everyone on the list up a couple of spots.

You can read all about the the 25-year-old right-handed pitcher’s backstory in Steve Sypa’s write-up of him during the prospect list countdown. The short of it is that the Mets drafted him in the 13th round in the 2022 draft. The team was aware that he was injured at the time, and a lengthy recovery delayed his professional debut until the 2024 season, and even that consisted of just a one-inning appearance.

Ross finally got the chance to pitch a full season in 2025, and started the season in High-A Brooklyn, got promoted to Double-A Binghamton in mid-May, and got bumped up to Triple-A Syracuse in late June. In total, he threw 54.0 innings with a 2.17 ERA over the course of 49 appearances with a 35.7% strikeout rate and a 14.7% walk rate.

Whether or not Ross can be an effective reliever at the major league level remains to be seen. It’s not impossible for a reliever to pitch well in spite of a bad walk rate, but it certainly doesn’t help to have one. And for what it’s worth, the projection systems published at FanGraphs generally have him hovering around an ERA of four in thirty-something innings at the major league level this year.

Jaylon Thompson talks to Alec Marsh, who was placed on the 60-day Injured List, about his setbacks.

Marsh dealt with right-shoulder tightness after the 2024 season. He worked to rehab from that injury but suffered setbacks along the way. Ultimately, Marsh missed the entire 2025 season while dealing with constant physical discomfort.

“Just impossible,” Marsh said of the setbacks he encountered. “I think it’s a good word for it, because you never expect anything like that to happen. Especially when you feel like you start figuring out some things about your game. … Yeah, just not having a healthy camp and the thing just kept steam-rolling and going downhill all year.”

David Lesky reacts to Seth Lugo wanting to throw more fastballs.

I think Lugo knows a lot more about pitching than I do. He deserves the credit he gets for that. I might suggest that instead of throwing more fastballs. He should throw fewer off-speed pitches…or maybe focus on throwing them better. I think we can ignore his splitter since he threw so few and look at his changeup. He threw 227 of them, which was 9.5 percent of his total pitch mix. And he allowed a .297 line with a .563 slugging percentage on them. The changeup was very effective for him in 2024, but less so in 2023. I know the changeup sets up the fastball, but if that pitch is struggling the way it was in 2025, I’d almost scrap it entirely. I really like his splitter when he throws it, so maybe there’s the answer.

Craig Brown writes about what to look for in spring training.

So Erceg lost a tick off his fastball from 2025. Big deal you say! Except it was a big deal for the reliever. The heat Erceg brings sets up his other three pitches he will feature. All of them were negatively impacted in unique ways last season. The whiff rate on his sinker went from 21 percent in 2024 to 8.4 percent in 2025. Opponents went from slugging .140 against his slider to .407. The average exit velocity on his change was 82.5 mph in 2024 to 86.1 mph in 2025. In other words, the decline in four-seam velocity led to him being much less effective than he was in 2024.

Of course he wasn’t entirely healthy last year. He missed time in the middle of the season with a lower back strain and then ended the year with a shoulder impingement. A healthy—and feisty—Erceg would be one of the lynchpins in the back of the bullpen and could even see a handful of save opportunities.

Bradford Doolittle evaluates what each team didn’t do this offseason.

I’m of two minds about the Royals as spring training begins. On one hand, they look like a clear playoff contender. I love the run prevention across the board, though the depth behind the pitchers likely to be on the Opening Day roster means some health luck will be needed. The other mind is that I’m just not sold on the idea that Kansas City’s offseason moves made it any better.

I liked the additions of Matt Strahm and Alex Lange to what looks like a fully stocked bullpen. But I’m not sold on the offense being markedly different with Isaac Collins and Lane Thomas on board and Jonathan India coming back.

This puts a lot of pressure on Jac Caglianone to make significant improvement, which he is certainly capable of doing. Having Carter Jensen around for a full season will also help. Neither of those situations is related to offseason transactions. Ultimately, I fear that too much has been pinned on the effects of moving in the fences at the K. It will help hitters and hurt pitchers — that’s just physics. But the key is whether those effects shake out in the Royals’ favor. Of that, I will believe it when I see it, so Royals fans have to hope that the math behind this bold decision proves to be spot-on.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep considers whether the Royals should look at Nick Castellanos.

Jacob Milham at Kings of Kauffman considers a Kris Bubic contract extension.

Terrance Gore’s widow reveals he went for an appendectomy, but went into cardiac arrest afterwards.

The Cubs sign reliever Shelby Miller to a two-year contract.

The Brewers sign infielder Luis Rengifo.

Former Royals outfielder Nelson Velázquez could be a power source for the Cardinals this year.

Ben Clemens at Fangraphs looks at Boston’s offseason.

MLB is reportedly withholding revenue to teams in anticipation of a work stoppage.

Bad Bunny offered to pay for insurance for Puerto Rican ballplayers during the World Baseball Classic.

Feds say Emmanuel Clase participated in a rigged pitch scheme during a playoff game.

MLB is considering partnerships with prediction markets.

Teams are preparing for the new ABS challenge system coming to MLB games.

NBA star Cade Cunningham purchases a stake in the Texas Rangers.

U.S. figure skater Ilia Malini falls twice in a stunning eighth-place finish.

Chris Paul retires after 21 seasons in the NBA.

Nevada sportsbooks saw their lowest wager totals on the Super Bowl in a decade.

How the Easy-Bake Oven revolutionized the toy industry.

People at farmers’ markets are selling a box that gives you free illegal streaming from every channel.

Your song of the day is Jim Croce with I Got A Name.

Good morning everyone and happy Valentines Day! A quick reminder that if you’re in the Seattle area, Kate is hosting a Heated Rivalry watch party/trivia night today at Kate’s Pub in Wallingford (now known as The Rebel) at 5pm. If you don’t have any plans today, go join some friends to enjoy drinks and good times!

Now, onto the baseball news.

In Mariners news…

• Bryan Woo revealed that he was offered a spot on the Team USA roster for the World Baseball Classic but turned it down so he can prepare for the 2026 season, with a goal of surpassing 200 innings pitched this year. Only three pitchers reached that mark in 2025.

Around the league…

• Right-handed starter Zac Gallen is returning to the Diamondbacks on a one-year, $22.05M deal, which is the exact value of the qualifying offer that Gallen declined earlier this offseason.
• Righty pitcher Shelby Miller signed a two-year, $2.5M contract with the Cubs.
• Longtime Mariners opp Luis Rengifo signed a minor league deal with the Brewers.
• The Astros pulled a classic Jerry Dipoto, re-acquiring outfielder Joey Loperfido from the Blue Jays for outfielder Jesús Sánchez.
• Rangers right-hander Nabil Crismatt will undergo UCL surgery, which is expected to cost him the entirety of the 2026 season.
• Rockies outfielder Zac Veen opened up about his recent experience with substance abuse and how he got back on his feet.
• Dodgers pitcher Alex Vesia broke his silence four months after the death of his newborn daughter (which happened during the team’s World Series run), saying he is thankful for the outpouring of support he and his wife have recieved.
• Even with the ABS being implemented in MLB games this year, Braves left-hander Chris Sale says he will “never” challenge a pitch call.
• Ben Clemens at Fangraphs recapped the total overhaul of the Red Sox roster this winter.
• Colin Evans at The Philadelphia Inquirer reported on MLB’s RBI (Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities) initiative, talking about how the program is not currently supporting those who need it most in Philadelphia.

Anders’ picks…

• In a heartbreaking Winter Olympics result, superstar male figure skater Ilia Malinin — who has spent the last four years transforming the sport and had not lost an individual competition since 2023 — collapsed under the pressure during yesterday’s free skate performance and ultimately placed 8th.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across Major League Baseball. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Yankees fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Following a snow-filled winter, we’re starting to feel that baseball buzz back in the air. Pitchers and catchers have reported to the Yankees spring training complex, and based on recent social media posts, a significant contingent of the position players are already down in Tampa as well. Earlier in the week, we surveyed fans on a pair of questions, asking whether they approved of general manager Brian Cashman as well as their overall impression of the Yankees’ offseason.

Let’s take a look at the results of those polls now that spring training is here. First, we’ll start with Cashman’s approval rating.

Yankees fans overwhelmingly disapprove of the job Cashman in doing, with roughly one in six voters lending their approval. The GM always tends to poll poorly when we put these surveys out throughout the season, but it is rare to see his approval rating sink this low. The lingering disappointment over the Yankees’ early exit from the playoffs surely plays a part, as does the somewhat self-satisfied approach to the offseason.

In largely running it back from last season, Cashman has adopted a ‘good enough’ stance toward the roster: the team as constructed both last year and this was and is good enough to make the playoffs and that’s good enough for him and ownership. It’s a direction they are entitled to take while also acknowledging that it falls well short of the attitude many fans wish they would take toward running the team.

We also asked voters to assign a letter grade to the Yankees’ offseason. Like with Cashman, it appears the fanbase is unimpressed.

Based on the distribution of letter grades, I think it would be fair to say that Yankees fans would give the team a D+ on their offseason business. The majority of voters assigned them a D or worse while only eleven percent feel satisfied with the moves they made.

The decision to run it back is certainly defensible — the Yankees boasted the best offense in baseball (119 wRC+, 5.24 runs/game) last season and while expected to take a step back, are still projected as a top-5 offense in baseball (4.72 runs/game). What’s more, FanGraphs projects them to win the division with 86 wins, while PECOTA pegs them for the third-best record in the AL (88-74) behind the Mariners and Blue Jays.

It’s also defensible to wish the team had more ambition when it comes to building the roster. Plenty of impact starters were available this winter via free agency or trade, yet the Yankees took a conservative approach to reinforcing their injured rotation, Cashman predictably likening the returns of Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón from elbow surgeries to big ticket trades. The bullpen also lost two of its highest leverage arms, replaced by a Rule 5 lottery ticket (Cade Winquest) and a borderline DFA candidate (Angel Chivilli).

There is a lot of pressure on Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham to repeat their top percentile outcomes from last season, each now a year older. There is no telling whether Anthony Volpe’s shoulder injury was the culprit for the plummeting in defensive ability, while we also have three straight seasons of poor offensive production. And perhaps most puzzlingly, the Yankees reunited with Paul Goldschmidt despite Ben Rice emerging as one of the most promising slugging first basemen in baseball. Cashman lauded Goldschmidt’s presence as creating flexibility for Rice to play backup catcher. However, you would think the best road forward for Rice’s development would be to get him the most reps at first as possible rather than split time with a platoon partner while also sparing him the wear and tear of playing catcher.

It is disheartening to see how few of our surveyed fans are particularly excited heading into the 2026 season. However, I cannot help but feel a palpable sense of anticipation now that I am seeing pictures and videos of the team down in Florida, and it is those positive feelings of renewed hope that I choose to focus on now that baseball is back.

Earlier this week MLB announced details of the ABS challenge system that will go into effect this season. If you missed it, here’s my article describing all those details.

There’s going to be another change you’ll notice on TV broadcasts of MLB games this year, and Jeff Agrest of the Sun-Times notes that change:

The strike-zone box, which has become as vital to baseball broadcasts as the first-down line is to football broadcasts, will remain on the screen but no longer will indicate whether a pitch was a ball or a strike. (In addition to showing the pitch speed and type, the box previously marked a strike with a filled-in circle and a ball with a hollow circle. Home viewers might never have noticed.)

The change was made because that box now will be used for the ABS system, and MLB is doing everything it can to ensure no one can exploit it. In fact, the box will be shown in just one place in the ballpark: the broadcast booth.

You know… he’s right. I never noticed that. Did you?

Here are two screenshots from games of the final weekend of the regular season at Wrigley Field, Cubs vs. Cardinals. Both are from Seiya Suzuki at-bats — I chose him because he might become one of the biggest beneficiaries of the ABS system.

Here’s a screenshot of a called third strike Suzuki took on the final day of the season, Sept. 28:

As you can see, that pitch was a strike. And the circle indicating the location and speed is filled in.

Now, here’s a pitch on which Suzuki walked on the previous day, Sept. 27:

Now, that pitch was exceptionally close. Some umpires might call that a strike, in which case it would probably be challenged with the ABS system. In this case it was ball four, and you can see that the circle indicating the pitch isn’t filled in.

With the ABS system, you’ll see the same indicator no matter whether the pitch is a ball or strike, along with the pitch speed. (Some TV channels also indicate what type of pitch it is. The White Sox channel CHSN does, as shown here (another Suzuki at-bat from the Crosstown Series):

Personally, I’d like to see Marquee Sports Network do that. Perhaps they will this year.

As noted by the Sun-Times article, you will still see the box if you are watching at home or on one of your devices. But at the ballpark, no one will see that box except in the broadcast booth:

That means players in the clubhouse and dugout and fans waiting in line for concessions won’t see the strike-zone box on nearby televisions. Technical teams from local and national outlets have spent a lot of time figuring out how to change the feeds they send through the park. It won’t affect home viewers.

Producers don’t expect ABS challenges to provide many dramatic moments to display, and they want to be careful not to overdo them. The challenge system might just blend into the game as quietly as the pitch clock has. But in big moments, those 14 seconds could provide some compelling sights.

As I mentioned in my article giving the details of the ABS system, MLB wants to get the box you see on MLB Gameday, the box you see on broadcasts and the actual box used for the ABS system to be the same. Presuming they do this, that will be a distinct improvement for what you’re watching at home, where the box on broadcasts will represent the actual ABS zone.

I’m a big fan of the ABS system and I believe that as players get used to it, there will be more challenges retained as teams and players pick the most important spots to challenge ball-and-strike calls. Hopefully, the feedback gained by this system will help umpires improve their calls, too.

As always, we await developments.

Good morning, LSB.

Evan Grant says “Not so fast, my friend” and write that Sebastian Walcott could still maybe possibly see the field in 2026.

Grant also writes about the homecoming of Jordan Montgomery in what could turn into a Rangers Hallmark movie.

Kennedi Landry also writes about Montgomery’s return and how happy he is to be back in Texas.

Elsewhere Grant writes about a Rangers waiver claim catcher making a big impact with his “Austin Hedges personality.”

Wyatt Langford will not be in the World Baseball Classic.

FanGraphs has updated its 2026 MLB draft rankings.

And finally, Doug Melvin is the latest guest on the new episode of Evan Grant’s SportsDay podcast.

That’s all for this morning. Have a great weekend!

Nick Castellanos, whose career appeared to be in some jeopardy after revelations regarding his split with the Philadelphia Phillies emerged, will join the San Diego Padres, the New York Post first reported.

Castellanos, 33, is owed $20 million in the final year of his five-year, $100 million contract. But the Phillies will pay all but the pro-rated minimum salary after they released him.

The two-time All-Star fell out of favor in Philadelphia as his four years there progressed, coming to a head in 2025. The low point: His one-game benching after confronting manager Rob Thomson when he was removed from a game in Miami.

Shortly after his release, Castellanos revealed in a lengty handwritten note posted to social media that he'd brought a beer into the dugout. Teammates interceded and Phillies special assistant Howie Kendrick took the bottle from Castellanos.

His handwritten screed was intended to get ahead of a story in The Athletic detailing that incident and the growing rift between player and team.

Castellanos had a league average 100 adjusted OPS in his four seasons, and reached an apex there in 2023, when he made the All-Star team and hit four home runs in the Phillies' NLDS vanquishing of Atlanta.

In San Diego, he will fold into an odd mix of outfield/first base/DH types, presuming he makes the team. The club recently signed Miguel Andujar and also has lefty-swinging Gavin Sheets penciled in to take significant DH at-bats.

If nothing else, Castellanos provides more quality outfield depth behind the starting trio of Fernando Tatis Jr., Jackson Merrill and Ramon Laureano.