LAS VEGAS , NV - NOVEMBER 13: Mookie Betts accepts the Designated Hitter of the Year award on behalf of Shohei Ohtani during the MLB Awards presented by MGM Rewards at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Thursday, November 13, 2025 in Las Vegas , Nevada. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Once the MLB season is complete, it’s time to shift into the offseason, including roster moves but also awards and honors over the next several weeks. Here is a look at the schedule for awards this offseason, including a few already announced.
Monday, October 26: New York Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor won the Roberto Clemente Award, baseball’s highest philanthropic honor. Catcher Will Smith was the Dodgers nominee for this award.
Wednesday, October 28: Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong won MLB Player of the Year and National League Outstanding Player in the Players Choice Awards, voted on by the players themselves. Shohei Ohtani finished in the top three for both awards.
Monday, November 2: Hall of Fame announces the eight-person Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for managers, executives, and umpires. This era comprises folks whose main contributions came since 1980. Headliners here are expected to include managers Bruce Bochy and Dusty Baker.
Monday, November 2 (11 a.m. PT): Silver Slugger Awards top 3-6 at each position will be revealed, voted on by managers and up to three coaches from every team in each league for the top offensive players at their positions.
Monday, November 2 (3-5 p.m. PT, MLB Network): Top three in voting for all five BBWAA awards — Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Reliever of the Year, Cy Young Award, and Most Valuable Player — in each league are announced.
Friday, November 6: MLB Players Alumni Association will announce the MLB winner of the Heart & Hustle Award winner on MLB Network. Miguel Rojas is the Dodgers nominee for this award.
Friday, November 6: Platinum Glove winners announced at the Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner in New York City.
Monday, November 9 (4-5 p.m. PT, MLB Network): Rookie of the Year winners in each league will be announced.
Tuesday, November 10 (4-5 p.m. PT, MLB Network): Manager of the Year winners in each league will be announced.
Wednesday, November 11 (4-5 p.m. PT, MLB Network): Cy Young Award winners in each league and Reliever of the Year winners will be announced. It’s the first year of the Reliever of the Year award for the BBWAA, and I voted for that award.
Wednesday, November 11 (6-8 p.m. PT, MLB Network): MLB Awards from Las Vegas will feature the following awards:
All-MLB first and second teams: Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tarik Skubal, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy, Andy Pages, and Tanner Scott were nominated
Hank Aaron Award: Ohtani is one of 10 nominees for the top offensive player in the National League
Edgar Martinez Award: Ohtani will be considered for top designated hitter, which will go to Yordan Álvarez
Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera Relievers of the Year
Comeback Players of the Year
MLB Executive of the Year
Thursday, November 12 (4-5 p.m. PT, MLB Network): MVP Award winners in each league will be announced. Shohei Ohtani’s consecutive MVP streak will end at three years.
Monday, November 16 (9 a.m. PT): Hall of Fame will announce its 2027 BBWAA ballot. Longtime San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey headlines the players eligible for the first time. Chase Utley is the returner to the ballot who receive the most votes in 2026, garnering 59.1 percent in his third year on the ballot. Seventy-five percent is required for induction to Cooperstown.
Tuesday, November 17: Silver Slugger Award winners are announced.
Sunday, December 6 (5 p.m. PT, MLB Network): Hall of Fame announces the results of the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for managers, executives, and umpires.
Tuesday, January 19 (3 p.m. PT, MLB Network): Hall of Fame announces the results of BBWAA voting for the 2027 ballot.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - APRIL 03, 2026: Fans stands near the Jim Thome statue during the fifth inning between the Chicago Cubs and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on April 03, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
On Wednesday, October 7th, the Cleveland Guardians traveled to Chicago to take on the White Sox for Game 3 of the ALDS. With a win, the White Sox would clinch a Playoff Series at Home for the first time in over 100 years. It would be only their 2nd ALCS appearance in over 100 years. Needless to say, everyone in and around the organization was a little excited; the players, fans, organization, alumni, and the small few who fall into multiple categories. More on that last one in a minute…
First, a little background on me, in case you’re wondering “who the hell is this guy?”; I’m Jake, a Cleveland sports fan my entire life. I was born in 1989 at the Jersey Shore, and grew up in the small town of Spring Lake, New Jersey. My Dad is from Youngstown, Ohio, and like what I assumed most Fathers did, passed his morals, religion, good hair and sports fandoms down to me. At a young age, I learned really quickly how much I was gonna live watching and playing sports. Growing up, I thought there was nothing cooler than watching the Cleveland Indians score 1,000 runs with my Dad. And still to this day, there isn’t much that can beat that.
Since birth, I’ve lived my entire life (outside of a brief D.C. tour for college) 7 hours East of most Cleveland sports fans. Some say it makes me a more dedicated fan since I’m so loyal to a team that I’ve never been physically close to. Others would suggest I don’t get it because I’m not immersed in it every day. There is no right or wrong there; I’m definitely somewhere in the middle. My only claim is that I hate the Yankees more than you ever could.
This is all to say, while I may not have a 330 or 216 area code, rest assured it kills me just as much when this team fails, we get mistreated by the national media or our Heroes don another team’s uniform.
To the point- I grew up in the 90’s. And while it was the worst time to be a kid that’s starting to watch football, I was the perfect age to start watching Cleveland baseball. Some of my fondest early memories are my Dad letting me stay up late to watch the Tribe, a team that was very good, quite often. I didn’t realize just how close we were and just how hard it was to get back. But I didn’t care yet, I just loved watching them play. Especially since everyone I knew was a Yankee fan. My team was just as good and I felt special since none of them knew a lick about my team while I knew everything about theirs. Naturally, an early hatred grew from that.
Those teams featured some great players. All Stars, MVP candidates, Hall of Famers and ultimately, Cleveland Legends. And if you grew up in the 90’s, there was a good chance that until Jose Ramirez came around, your favorite player was Jim Thome. For me, that was certainly the case. Kenny Lofton definitely had some time in there as well, but the more I started playing baseball myself, the more I realized I’m much more “power hitting first baseman” than I am a “speedy” anything at all. So yeah, Jim Thome, the Man.
I don’t need to tell you about Jim Thome. 600 Homerun club, all time Cleveland Homerun leader, 13 seasons, 3 time All Star and MVP candidate. He has a statue outside of our stadium and known to be one of the nicest guys in the game (you don’t get the name Gentleman Jim by mistake).
Jim wasn’t a lifetime Clevelander though. Like many big names before and after him, once Jim hit Free Agency he took off for a more lucrative offer. Considering where he was in his career and where the Tribe were headed at the time of his Free Agency (read; Rebuilding), it didn’t come as much of a surprise that he signed with the Philadelphia Phillies (that did NOT however stop me from crying in front of my friends on the way home from a 7th grade basketball game upon hearing said news). After three years with the Phillies, he was traded to the then defending World Series Champions White Sox, where he spent 4 pretty successful years both on the field and off, slugging against an up and coming and eventually extremely competitive Cleveland Indians team, while also growing his young family. It was there that it really hit home that Jim wasn’t Mr. Cleveland anymore.
A few years later he would return to Cleveland for a semi-Retirement tour, but upon actually retiring, Thome took a job in the White Sox Front Office, working with Fan outreach, alumni and eventually bigger roles like MLB network analyst, Assistant to the GM and President of the MLB Players Association.
In other words, for the last 13 years, the White Sox have provided Jim a Career outside of the foul lines that’s been just as long as his run in Cleveland as a player was. During this time, his children have grown up (as White Sox fans) and lived their entire lives in Chicago. And as a Father myself, I can say that that is pretty important. You can see it when Landon, Jim’s son was drafted by the White Sox this past summer. Everyone in his family was overcome with emotion, not just happy for Landon for getting drafted, but for being drafted HIS hometown team, the team he loved growing up. It was an incredible family moment for the Thomes.
Fast forward back to the American League Divisional Series this past month. Game 3. The White Sox have a chance at clinching something special. They brought out all the stops, including a “Black out” in the crowd. And when it was game time, and the cameras went searching for everyone’s favorite Chicagoans, there is Jim Thome, he of the 337 Homers in Cleveland that retired his number and gave him a STATUE, wearing all black as the Cleveland Guardians took the field.
This, upset a LOT of people. Maybe some comments were in jest, but there were calls to tear down the statue, to reissue the jersey number and to ban him from Cleveland all together. And while I was bummed to see him there supporting the White Sox, I thought to myself “what else would you expect?”.
Yes, as a player, he was Cleveland. We’ve covered that. But he hasn’t been a player for quite some time. What he HAS been for the last decade plus is a White Sox (that’s somehow the singular and plural, something I can never wrap my head around). The White Sox are his family’s team, it’s his job, it’s his life now. This isn’t to take away from his time in Cleveland, but it’s his current life, and one that has made him happy. So do you really expect him to show up to work on one of the biggest days of their franchise’s history, and start rooting for the opponent? Was that what people really expect of employees these days? They want the guy nicknamed ‘Gentleman Jim’ to spit in the face of his boss. Yeah, not gonna happen.
Look, I don’t like policing fandom. I did when I was younger and that now feels tacky and invasive. I just have a few rules I think all fans should follow.
Never bother anyone who is minding their own business. And obviously leave kids alone/follow common decency.
You represent the whole fanbase, city and team, for better or for worse, so take responsibility for your words and actions.
If you talk the talk you better walk the walk. No one else should have to answer for your stupidity/audaciousness.
Otherwise, it’s pretty much all fair game. I root for multiple college football teams and I think my reasons are valid. Have I violated these rules before? Absolutely. Am I proud of it? Absolutely not. I understand that fandom gets the best and worst out of a lot of us and I am no different.
But here I think people need to use a little common sense. I believe Jim can be respectful of his past as a Cleveland Indian, while also supporting his organization. If we don’t like it, we probably should’ve hired him back in 2013. But alas, not the case.
So in closing, I’m not gonna tell you how to feel. If you’re angry because the guy you idolized growing up was supporting the White Sox, you have that right. If you don’t think it’s a problem at all, that’s also you’re right. For me, I’m just a little bummed. I freaking loved Jim Thome growing up. I don’t want him supporting them, but at the same time, he’s in their Front Office! He’s been there for a long time, living in Chicago where his kids grew up. The White Sox are his life now, and he’s not the guy to disrespect his bosses like some wanted him to. There is life outside of playing, and we got to see first hand what his is. And as much as I love the Guards and hate the AL Central rivals, I feel like given the situation, I’d do the same as he would. Because to guys like Jim Thome, there might be more to life than the Glory Days. Those will always remain, but in the past. That’s just not who he is anymore. And I think that’s ok.
So go ahead, call me a fair weather fan or tell me to stay on the East Coast. But I’m with Jim on this one (not as a White Sox fan, just as a guy who puts his family first and worries about baseball, well after). And I’ll be happy to welcome him back to The Jake as a special alumni, because your 9-5 also doesn’t erase those times we had. The two can co-exist.
And frankly, deep down I’m willing to bet he’s pumped Cleveland pulled off the comeback (ok maybe deep, DEEP down).
Oh, there’s no news today about Daniel Palencia. But he IS a relief pitcher.
And so am I, in a sense. Today, I’m filling in on Cub Tracks for Jeff Brown, who’s away on vacation. Josh, Ashley and I will be taking care of Cub Tracks until Jeff returns on Nov. 12.
I picked Palencia because I felt that at the very end of the 2026 season, he had finally gotten back to the form he showed in 2025, before missing much of this year with injuries. A healthy and productive Palencia could be an anchor for an improved Cubs bullpen in 2027. Palencia turns 27 in February. He should be entering his best seasons. Fingers crossed.
As we head into the offseason, for now the news bin is somewhat empty. But here’s what we’ve got to begin your Saturday.
Roster notes:
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Clay Holmes and Matthew Boyd opt for free agency: “As for what the Cubs do with their suddenly barren rotation, well, that’s pretty much 90% of the question for the offseason. Bringing back either Holmes or Boyd is a plausible part of the answer, though even if the Cubs brought back both, they’d need another starter to join them.“
Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): Here’s what the Cubs are looking for in free agency. Jed Hoyer states the obvious: “From a Major League standpoint, their pitching has been exceptionally good,” Hoyer said at his season-ending press conference. “I think that’s the area that we have to double down and really focus on. Obviously, the position-playing group this year was exceptional, and I think [pitching] is the biggest area that we have to focus on.”
Other news:
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): The Cubs retain John Mallee on the coaching staff. The Mets apparently had interest in Mallee, but “the Cubs were so keen to make sure they kept Mallee that they proactively went to him to rework his contract BEFORE he even spoke with the Mets.“
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Turns Out the Cubs Reportedly ARE the Mystery NL Central Team in on Taiwanese Righty Jyun-Yue Tseng: “In addition to trying to coax out some results (obviously), it would also be very cool to bring in an established star from Taiwan to see about building out a pipeline to the burgeoning talent there. Get Tseng in the system, work with him in Spring Training (even if there’s a lockout, minor league Spring Training will continue as normal), and perhaps see what he can do at Triple-A first.”
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): The Cubs have a big assignment if they want to catch up with the Brewers: “The Brewers are absolutely never stagnant. That’s the greatest lesson the Cubs can learn from their chief rivals, as they attempt to recover from a decade-long stretch of domination by Milwaukee that culminated in a championship Wednesday. Jed Hoyer’s greatest shortcoming as a team builder is an insufficient comfort with rapid change. His Milwaukee counterpart, Matt Arnold, never forgets to keep his roster moving.”
io9: Tributes pour in for the late Patrick Stewart, who passed away this week at age 86. The Shakespearean-trained actor’s greatest role was as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: Next Generation. One tribute is from actor Hugh Jackman: “We lost one of the greats of stage and screen today. And, in my book, a tremendous friend and man. I learned so much from him. I will miss you, Patrick Stewart, all of my days.”
The offseason is here, and with it comes the natural discussions: who’s getting traded, who’s getting signed, and how long will we be without baseball for? Hopefully, not for long. The Guardians’ 2026 season wound up surpassing any and all expectations heading into the season, but building off an 85-win season and ALCS appearance can feel like a mountain to climb for a ball club unwilling to spend. Despite that, we’re going to look at a handful of free agents that Cleveland could take a look at this offseason to improve the roster for 2027*. Now, I know what you’re thinking, and you’re probably right. A Dolan ownership with a foot out the door isn’t going to spend. The Guardians started 2026 with baseball’s lowest payroll, and they’re going from 20.9% of that payroll being covered by arbitration salaries to a whopping 51.4%, per FanGraphs. Cleveland’s projected 2027* payroll sits somewhere just shy of $100-million. Arbitration alone makes a huge difference.
So, how realistic is any of this? For that answer, I recruited some help. You will see graphics throughout this article from my friend and data wizard, PastTheEyeTest. You will not find a more in-depth analytical baseball site that’s completely free like this, and he was kind enough to use his contract projection model to assist me in our endeavor here. I will then be grading on a 1-to-10 scale as to whether this player is feasible for the Guardians to sign.
The old saying goes we’re trying to turn F’s into C’s, and the trade deadline accomplished that in the short term. The addition of Foster Griffin will not be remembered as fondly as many would like it to be because Griffin regressed to his expected numbers and simply didn’t put up the same quality of outing as he did in Washington. That was still far better than what they were getting from Slade Cecconi, and when Tanner Bibee’s season took a sharp nosedive, Griffin stepped up in big spots and delivered strong outings in must-win games. This was less an F and more D-grade situation as Bibee was still generating innings eating outings, but Griffin gave Cleveland postseason innings that the other two were not trusted to provide. Griffin is set for free agency entering the ‘27 season, and Cleveland will be in dire need for starting pitching depth as their postseason run signified.
Gavin Williams was terrific this postseason, and Foster Griffin secured 10.1 innings of a 3.48 ERA (0.78 FIP) in both starting and bulk roles, but beyond the two of them, it was bleak. Parker Messick, coming off a truly historic rookie season, was visibly gassed each of his final two postseason outings showing shoddy command and little feel for his best pitches. He wasn’t throwing strikes, he was getting squared up, and two of the worst outings of his career happened just this October. There’s a deeper issue to be investigated here. Cleveland entered the season with the hopes that Tanner Bibee still had ace potential. They were very wrong. That misguided mindset created an excuse to not go and sign a starting pitcher, and the rookie Messick paid for it in innings. The brakes were never tapped for the rookie as Cleveland steamrolled its way into a divisional race with Messick headlining the rotation, and across August and September, he pitched into at least the sixth inning in 8 of his 11 starts, eclipsing 90 pitches in nine of those outings. To Messick’s credit, he was outstanding, and he will receive both Rookie of the Year and Cy Young votes because of his season. It also highlighted a need because while he was pitching like an ace, he ideally should not have been worked the way he was.
In the postseason, across 11 games, Cleveland accrued just 47.2 from its regular season starting pitchers. Cantillo was used exclusively in relief, Cecconi came on in lower leverage spots when the Guards were trailing against Tampa, and Tanner Bibee recorded a singular out. This is largely not a Stephen Vogt problem. It’s a sincere lack of quality depth for October. The lack of Cantillo boiled down to finding the right way to use him. Cantillo found success as a bulk arm later in September, finding his best outings in weeks after relieving the opener, but he never assumed the same role in the postseason, in large part to uncontainable command issues. Cecconi was moved to the bullpen after the Foster Griffin trade, and Tanner Bibee had the highest ERA of any qualified starter in baseball over the final two months of the season, including an ERA of 7.36 in September.
The simple answer is they need better arms. The more complex answer is they need better stuff. So, where can they find that this offseason? Foster Griffin is not realistic. Griffin’s camp was reportedly already seeking north of $100-million before the deadline,
— StL/MIL RHP Dustin May
Where to even begin here…Dustin May has been a name for a while now. From highly touted prospect to losing so much of his early seasons to injury to being the centerpiece of any and every mock trade for the Dodgers to a scary injury where he suffered a tear his esophagus after swallowing a piece of lettuce, May bounced back from all of that to set a career high in innings and strikeouts, and he’s now won three World Series in a row, with four overall.
May had a strong first half highlighted by a complete game, one-hit shutout as a member of the Cardinals. He was moved to Milwaukee at the deadline, and the underlying data seemed to catch up to him. May found more strikeouts with the Brewers, but whether in St. Louis or Milwaukee, May got hit hard, and the once great strength in preventing barrels and home runs turned into a weakness.
May found a cutter in Boston that he carried over into 2026, and much like Gavin Williams in 2025, it took his struggles to stay in the zone and muffled them a bit, giving him a glove side offering to hunt in the zone more. Combine that with a significant raise in arm angle from 21-degrees to 35-degrees, and May saw his 4-seam zone rate go from 47.9% up to 52.4%, and the stuff was significantly better.
May has simplified his arsenal too much in Milwaukee, and it’s been to the detriment of his sweeper. In 2-strike counts with St. Louis, May was going to his sweeper 42.3% of the time, inducing a 29.4% whiff rate and 17.7% put-away rate, above league average for sweepers. His sweeper usage in 2-strike counts dwindled to under 23% with Milwaukee, his put-away rate dropped to 10.9%, and his overall whiff rate in 2-strike counts among all pitches fell to 22.8% from 24.5%.
May fits well in Cleveland because of exactly that. Cleveland helped Gavin Williams both find and then rekindle his sweeper. Tanner Bibee developed a sweeper in this organization (that he should also throw more), Colin Holderman saw a career rejuvenation, largely because he found his sweeper again.
This is a top heavy pitching market, and Cleveland can’t wade in the pool with the bigger sharks. May could be the top end of what they’re hunting for.
Milwaukee declined May’s mutual option is $20-million, making him an outright free agent.
PastTheEyeTest Projected Dustin May contract: 2 years, $34 million — Possible Player Option Realism Meter: 7/10
— CHC RHP Matthew Boyd
The first of a couple old friends that we’ll talk about here, Boyd has been a named possibly linked to the Guardians in the early stages of the offseason. Boyd flies in the face of the ‘improved stuff’ that we’re after, but his pedigree in recent years since returning from injury and the success he briefly had in Cleveland make this an easy fit. That being said, I’m skeptical. Boyd possesses a capable 4-seam/slider combo that handles lefties well, and then he flips it to 4-seam/changeup to right-handed batters, but the fastball got hit and hit hard, and he arguably should’ve been hit harder. Boyd surrendered a .455 SLG to the heater, but his .514 xSLG was among the worst marks from a starting pitcher in 2026. The rest of his arsenal combined yielded just a .349 xSLG.
If Boyd came back, I’d look for him to implement his sinker a lot more against lefties. He all but disowned the offering in Chicago, and it put a lot of pressure on his fastball to batters of either handedness. Boyd also threw a higher rate of same-handed changeups in his eight starts in Cleveland in ‘24. Sometimes you have to let a junkyard dog have fun with the junk. As Boyd ages, his ability to locate and tunnel from his lower slot and release point will only continue to amplify his success, and for a back end arm, he would be ideal and not terribly expensive.
PastTheEyeTest Projected Contract: 1 year, $12 million Realism Meter: 7/10
— TOR RHP Shane Bieber
Now we’re cooking. Bieber has made just 20 starts over the last three regular seasons. The once the prince that was promised needs to come home and anchor the middle to back end of a rotation that badly needs his experience. For Guardians fans, if you want to see what Braylon Doughty can become, just watch here. Injuries have plagued Bieber from 2022 on, and in looking for a fresh reboot to the winding down of a career, Cleveland provides him with something nobody else in the league can: a familiar backdrop to the best years of his career.
Bieber’s fastball just hasn’t been the same in five years, but the velocity has returned to his post-2020 Cy Young season. The knuckle-curve and slider still carry a solid to strong contingent of secondaries, and the new changeup he began to use in 2024 before a torn UCL ended his season was excellent in 2026, running a .319 xwOBA and .135 average against. In terms of bang for your buck, anticipating Bieber bouncing back going into a season fully healthy for the first time in years is one of the stronger bets you can make this offseason. Should you expect him to lead a rotation anymore? No, that ship has long sailed, but SP4-5 stability in the form of this kind of pedigree and out-getting ability is hard to find for the price he’ll net.
PastTheEyeTest Projected Contract: 1 year, $8 million Realism Meter: 10/10
Up next, we’ll get to a couple relievers. The Guardians’ bullpen had a similar problem the rotation had in 2026. Outside of the big time leverage arms, they struggled to get any consistency or outs from them, especially in the postseason. The emergence of Daniel Espino in October was huge, but consistency and lack of a repertoire still loom as major concerns. Matt Festa is a rubber arm, useful for getting length from the bullpen when arms are burned for a day or not needed, but he was counted on for a total 1.2 innings in the postseason. Franco Aleman is a wild card both on and off the field, Shawn Armstrong is a likely free agent, and Craig Yoho should never be asked for more than middle relief in a clean inning.
That leaves a substantial gap for innings and roles. As much as I’ve defended Festa, he’s in arbitration, is likely going to get $1.5-1.7 million, and for a reliever they don’t see fit for October, that baton of long relief role should be passed along. Justin Campbell, I’m looking at you. Beyond that, I’m eyeing one more right-handed reliever and one more left-handed reliever, likely on one-year deals, who can deepen a strong but thin ‘pen.
— RHP Jonathan Loáisiga
Loáisiga was a target acquisition of mine last offseason, and while that didn’t come to fruition, Colin Holderman did, Loáisiga returned to form in Arizona, and all was right in the world. Now, with a chance to acquire another hard-throwing low release reliever, the Guardians should jump all over it. What makes Loáisiga different than Holderman is that while he creates less swing and miss, his pure stuff and his ability to tunnel his changeup and sinker make him among the very hardest relievers in baseball to square up whereas Holderman’s repertoire is so distinctly split between his sinker and his sweeper/curveball, that it’s harder for him to sequence.
Loáisiga’s dominance saw him throwing his sinker less than almost ever before and throwing his four-seam and especially his changeup the most he has in his career. His changeup is uniquely disgusting, and its ability to work off the sinker makes it even more devastating. Its 32% whiff rate was the highest off all his pitches, generates a higher, near 1800 RPM spin rate (something Cleveland loves), and ran an 84.8 mph average exit velocity. It’s not every day you see a pitcher separate their changeup velocity and average exit velocity by over 6 mph, but Loáisiga’s power change does exactly that.
Loáisiga will also likely be on the cheaper side of things, despite his strong 2026. Injuries have ravaged his career, and extending a 2-year deal would benefit both sides.
PastTheEyeTest Projected Contract: 1 year, $7 million or 2 years, $10 million Realism Meter: 8/10
— LHP JoJo Romero
Another name that the Guardians had been attached to in trade talks in the past, Romero serves to be almost a left-handed version of Holderman from a slightly lower slot, and in adding a lefty of this quality to the bullpen, Sabrowski gets to assume the true back end role he maintained throughout the postseason. Simply put, Romero should be a priority. Romero’s funky low release height creates unnatural eye lines for the hitter, and it leads to weak contact across the board against his sweeper and changeup.
Admittedly, I bounced around either Romero or Gregory Soto, and while I think Soto is better, I have a hard time believing the Guardians would ever spend over $10-million on a reliever. It firmly got a 0/10 in terms of realistic outcome where as Romero ranked much higher.
The Guardians need a third lefty in the bullpen. Tim Herrin really came into his own towards the back half of 2026, and alleviating pressure on Herrin while letting Sabrowski kick more towards the true high leverage spots he’s needed for provides almost unmatched depth around the league.
PastTheEyeTest Projected Contract: 1 year, $7 million or 2 years, $10 million Realism Meter: 8/10
Again, a huge shoutout to PastTheEyeTest for the graphics and contract calculations. Don’t forget to follow them on Twitter @PastTheEyeTest! We will be back next week for the always fun, always successful Guardians free agent hitters breakdown.
DENVER, CO - APRIL 4: Colorado Rockies pitcher Brennan Bernardino (83) takes a moment between pitches during the first inning in a game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on April 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
Here’s what’s going on with the Colorado Rockies and the rest of Major League Baseball.
Brennan Bernardino was one of the Rockies’ more reliable relievers in 2026, posting a 2.81 ERA across 64 innings. Alvin Garcia suggests the Tigers could target the veteran left-hander in a trade involving a pitching prospect. With Bernardino approaching his 35th birthday, it’s certainly worth considering what Colorado could get in return. But he’s affordable, under team control, and coming off a strong season. The Rockies shouldn’t be in any hurry to move him unless Detroit is willing to offer something worthwhile.
Kyle Freeland’s future in Colorado is becoming an interesting question as the Rockies look to rebuild their pitching staff. The Denver native is coming off a difficult 2026 season, finishing 4-12 with a 6.65 ERA. Joe Rutland examines whether Freeland’s experience and connection to the organization are enough to justify keeping him around. With the Rockies needing significant improvements to their rotation, it’s fair to wonder where the veteran left-hander fits into their plans beyond 2027.
Friday’s Arizona Fall League games were rained out, but the Salt River Rafters had an eventful week.
The Rafters opened the week with a 1-0 loss to Glendale on Monday before shutting out Scottsdale 4-0 on Wednesday. Three Rockies pitching prospects contributed to the shutout. Sean Sullivan allowed just one hit over three scoreless innings, striking out three. Stu Flesland added three scoreless frames, while Fidel Ulloa pitched a perfect ninth. Jared Thomas also reached base four times with a hit, three walks and two stolen bases.
Things went considerably worse Thursday, as Salt River was hammered 21-5 by Mesa. Thomas went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI, while Jack O’Dowd collected two doubles and drove in three runs. Konner Eaton provided one of the few bright spots on the mound, allowing two hits over two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Fans can watch AFL games for free on MLB.com.
Cooper Pratt certainly made the most of his first trip to the World Series. The 22-year-old rookie hit .421 with seven RBI in Milwaukee’s five-game victory over Tampa Bay, putting together one of the best World Series performances by a rookie in baseball history. Matthew Roberson takes a closer look at just how impressive Pratt’s performance was, including a 0.62 Win Probability Added that ranks third all-time among position players 22 or younger. Not bad for a guy who was playing high school baseball just three years ago.
With the World Series in the books, the offseason is underway, and several teams are still sorting out their leadership. The Astros hired Randy Flores as their new general manager on Friday, while the Mariners, Angels, and Astros are searching for new managers. MLB.com has a running list of the latest front-office and managerial changes, including candidates being considered for the remaining openings. It’s a useful way to keep track of the movement around baseball as teams prepare for 2027.
ST LOUIS, MISSOURI - MAY 2: Pitcher Ryne Stanek #55 of the St. Louis Cardinals reacts after striking out center fielder Andy Pages #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium on May 2, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Jeff Le/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chaim Bloom and company are not expected to shop at the top of the free-agent market this offseason. But Bloom is bound to beckon a bargain-basement, battle-tested big-leaguer to bolster the beleaguered bullpen. So who’s the target? Here’s where I think he looks.
There are 82 potential free-agent relievers, according to the FanGraphs RosterResource page. Some of these pitchers have club options or other contract clauses that could keep them from entering the market, but it is a good pool to start with. To identify potential diamonds in the rough, I pulled each player’s statistics for the past three seasons. Really what I am looking for is a pitcher coming off a mediocre-to-bad season who has posted exceptional metrics in a somewhat recent season. The metrics I chose to focus on were K%, fastball velocity, Chase%, Whiff%, and Stuff+. These attributes, at various levels, would seem to be the primary drivers behind last offseason’s Dustin May and Ryne Stanek signings.
With this dataset and these metrics, I sifted through the three-season leaderboard of each statistic. As you would expect, the top of the leaderboards was littered with seasons from the higher-end free agents. Adrian Morejon posted three of the top four Stuff+ seasons. Alex Vesia had three of the top ten strikeout seasons. Gregory Soto ranks as one of the hardest throwers over the past three seasons. These gentlemen, along with David Bednar, Raisel Iglesias, and Sean Newcomb, are all coming off excellent seasons and certainly do not qualify as under-the-radar. When I set the filters to pitchers who accrued 0.5 WAR or less in 2026, some interesting names started to pop up. Here are the four that I think are most likely to be on Bloom’s radar.
Abreu has posted some of the highest highs of any current free-agent reliever over the last three seasons. His 35.5% strikeout rate in 2025 ranked first in our sample and was well earned with a 99th-percentile Whiff% (41.2%).
Abreu is coming off a terrible season where his ERA jumped from 2.28 to 3.73, his walks ballooned, and his fastball velocity dropped from 97.2 mph to 95.7 mph. He righted the ship over the season’s final three months, posting a 2.02 ERA and an xFIP of 3.39. That finish alone may take him out of the pure bounceback-candidate market.
At his best, Abreu pitched almost exclusively with his excellent four-seam fastball and slider. In his down 2026, his fastball maintained a similar movement profile, but the lost velocity made it much more hittable. Abreu threw his slider at the exact same velocity but lost over an inch of drop and an inch-and-a-half of horizontal break.
He might be a bit of a stretch for an under-the-radar signing, but if the Cardinals feel like they can get Abreu back to his 2025 form, he would be an excellent value. Even coming off a down season, he could get $10M+, but he arguably has more upside than any relief pitcher on the market, outside of Morejon.
Harvey makes the list based on the exceptional stuff he flashed in 2024, when he showed elite velocity, averaging 98 mph on his fastball.
You can obviously ignore the 2026 stat line, but Harvey also pitched only 10.2 innings in 2025 while dealing with shoulder and adductor strains. Despite the lost season, the Cubs gave him $6M guaranteed last offseason, only to see him go down in April with triceps inflammation, suffer a stress reaction in his triceps/shoulder area in May, and never return. Harvey and the Cubs have an $8M mutual option with a $1M buyout, but I would assume the buyout is a foregone conclusion.
The Cardinals seem to have an ability to get and keep pitchers healthy, so Harvey could be an interesting match. He will surely be available for a couple million bucks. His career ERA, FIP, and xFIP are all below 3.50, so the upside is clearly there.
Thielbar makes this list based on his exceptional 35.8% chase rate in 2026. This ranks as the eighth-best Chase% in our sample behind Andrew Kittredge (x3), David Bednar, Adrian Morejon, Raisel Iglesias, and Kevin Ginkel.
Thielbar may seem boring, but chase rates like this don’t grow on trees. There are other encouraging markers, too. His rough year was driven by a HR/FB rate of 16.4%, well above his 9.3% career average. He also averaged a career-high 93.4 mph on his fastball.
Thielbar received a $4.5M contract coming off a 1.1 WAR season last year, so he would surely be available for $2-$3M this offseason, assuming his mutual option with the Cubs is declined.
Strahm is on this list because he has posted fastball Stuff+ metrics that rival any of the free agents except Morejon.
Strahm had a nightmarish 2026 season with the Royals, giving up 12 home runs in 35.2 innings and sporting a 7.32 ERA. Part of the poor performance was likely tied to trying to pitch through a knee injury that he finally had surgery on in September.
From 2023 to 2025, Strahm was one of the best relievers in baseball, tying Mason Miller for the sixth-most relief pitcher WAR over that time period. His last contract included only $7.5M guaranteed despite coming off a 2-WAR season. After a disastrous 2026, Strahm is the perfect low-risk bounceback candidate, if his services can be acquired on the cheap.
Final Thoughts
After looking at the free-agent pool a bit more closely, I am convinced Ryne Stanek will be coming back. He possesses one of the best fastballs on the market and has had stretches where he showed the ability to miss bats. It might not be the most exciting move, but he does have high-octane stuff. The Cardinals will undoubtedly decline his option and explore a cheaper deal, but I am prepared for his return.
Regardless of what happens with Stanek, the trade market, or the waiver wire, I would like to see the Cardinals take a free-agent flier or two. At the premium end, Abreu makes a lot of sense. If he bounces back to 2025 form, he would meaningfully improve the team’s playoff chances or provide a valuable trade chip. If they choose to go to the lower end, Hunter Harvey is a suspiciously good match. He does not have the historical results of Strahm, but he possesses the high velocity that the Cardinals covet. Harvey looks like a higher-risk, higher-upside version of Stanek to me. None of these potential signings would make national headlines, but every once in a while, they are the difference between the playoffs and sitting at home come October.
Jun 5, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Balitimore Orioles starter Zach Eflin (24) delivers a pitch against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Happy Halloween Birdland!
It is a scary time for Major League Baseball. The World Series is in the rearview, and what lurks around the corner is yet another lockout. The month of November will be the last flurry of action we get until a new CBA is agreement to. When that actually happens is unclear, and it will likely rob us of what are usually the most interesting time of the baseball offseason.
This week, a bunch of teams and players made (or are in the process of making) decisions on contract options. That includes the Orioles.
We learned on Thursday that Ryan Helsley would be opting in to his $14 million player option for 2027. This was no surprise as injuries limited the 32-year-old to just 17 games in 2026. He wasn’t going to get any more money on the market. So instead he takes a nice salary and will hope to bounce back next year. The Orioles will be hoping the same. If healthy, the Orioles could have themselves an exciting back-end of their bullpen between Helsley and Félix Bautista, but there is a lot to sort out there.
It was reported that same day that the Orioles were “expected” to decline the $20 million club option on Luis Robert Jr. Again, this will shock no one. Robert was brought in from the Mets as a last-ditch effort to solve the team’s outfield issues and sneak them into the playoffs. He ended up appearing in three games before an IL stint ended his season. The Orioles would probably be open to a return for Robert. They need outfielders, and he has upside that would be tough to find elsewhere in this market. But the salary is a problem. The delay is likely due to talks between the two sides on a possible negotiation on that.
On Friday, word came down that the Orioles declined their half of a $25 million mutual option for Zach Eflin in 2027. Eflin made one start for the O’s in ‘26 before needing Tommy John surgery. He remained around the club all season long, and seems like a great clubhouse presence. The salary was just too much, particularly for a guy that is likely to be rehabbing well into next season.
And most recently, it was reported that the O’s and outfielder Rece Hinds agreed to a one-year major league contract for the 2027 season. Hinds will make just a touch more than the league minimum. Hinds did not play well in his brief call-up for the O’s at the end of this season, but his minor league numbers are interesting, and the team is in no position to ignore any outfield options that they think could help them in the future.
Teams have until November 2 to make the final decision on contract options as well as whether or not they will make qualifying offers to any free agents. Along with Robert, Ryan Mountcastle is another player with an option for 2027 that is yet to be determined one way or the other. Trevor Rogers is a free agent that the O’s are likely to give a qualifying offer.
Links
Jon Meoli: Coby Mayo’s history of offseason improvements bodes well for the Orioles | The Baltimore Banner Mayo was a true force in the lineup by the end of the season. Now the Orioles just need to figure out what to do with him moving forward. Third base probably isn’t his long-term home, especially if Jordan Westburg is ready go near the start of the season. Pete Alonso has first base locked down for the forseeable future. DH needs to be a flexible spot for Samuel Basallo to move in and out of. So, where does Mayo go? I would like to see him in right field. Hopefully someone with the Orioles feels similarly.
New GM Banner learning the Oriole way from club legend Ripken | Orioles.com Including prominent former players in a team’s decision-making seems like a reasonable consideration. They shouldn’t necessarily be deferred to, but their input has value. It has been nice to see Cal at so many games the last few years after it seemed like the club was keeping him at a distance for the 20 years before that. Seems like the new GM is happy to keep him in the loop.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Tony Kemp turns 35 today. He played in five games for the Orioles in 2024, serving as a seat warmer at second base prior to Jackson Holliday’s initial call-up.
Yamaico Navarro is 39 years old. The utilityman appeared in eight games for the 2013 Orioles.
David Delucci is 53 today. His MLB career spanned 13 seasons, which all began with a 17-game stint in the Orioles outfield during the 1997 season. He was then selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks as part of the expansion draft ahead of the 1998 season.
Tim Byrdak turns 53. The southpaw worked out of the Orioles bullpen for parts of two seasons between 2005 and ‘06.
Steve Trachsel is 56 years old. He made his way to Baltimore late in his 16-season MLB career. The right-handed starter signed with the O’s two offseasons in a row, prior to the 2007 season and then again before 2008.
Matt Nokes is 63 today. He was a backup catcher for the Orioles during the 1995 season.
Mike Smith is also 63 years old. He tossed 23 total MLB innings, all of them came with the Orioles between the 1989 and ‘90 seasons.
The late Dave McNally (b. 1942, d. 2002) was born on this day. The lefty is an Orioles legend, spending almost his entire career with the club from 1962 through ‘74. He made three all-star teams, won 20 games four times, including an AL-leading 24 in ‘70, and helped the club to two World Series championships. He was one of the earliest inductees to the team’s Hall of Fame, taking his spot in 1978, only the second season in which the team honored former players.
This day in O’s history
1979 – Mike Flanagan, who led the league with 23 wins, is named AL Cy Young. The lefty earns all but two first-place votes, finishing ahead of two Yankees hurlers, Tommy John and Ron Guidry.
NEW YORK - CIRCA 1992: Matt Nokes #38 of the New York Yankees in action during an Major League Baseball game circa 1992 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx borough of New York City. Nokes played for the Yankees from 1990-94. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Growing up in the Southern California sunshine, Matt Nokes had the kind of baseball profile most travel-ball dads dream their sons will have: a lefty-hitting catcher. That combination eventually helped him reach the majors. Nokes’ path to the pros started when the Giants drafted him in the 20th round of the 1981 MLB Draft out of Patrick Henry High School in San Diego. A decade later, it took him to New York.
Matthew Dodge Nokes Born: October 31, 1963 (San Diego, CA) Yankees Tenure: 1990-94
After being drafted, Nokes started working his way toward the show, beginning in Rookie ball while still just 17 years old. He spent the next two seasons playing in Single-A, though his first year at the level was a bit of a struggle. In his second season, Nokes broke out with Fresno, slashing .322/.410/.508 with 14 home runs. The performance was good enough to earn him a promotion.
Nokes spent the 1984 season in Double-A and returned to the level to start the 1985 season. After another solid year, the Giants gave him a September call-up. In 19 games for San Francisco, he hit .208 and launched his first two major-league home runs. The Giants used Nokes as part of a package that offseason, sending him and pitchers Eric King and Dave LaPoint to Detroit in exchange for Bob Melvin, Juan Berenguer, and a player to be named later (Scott Medvin).
Now in the Tigers organization, Nokes returned to Double-A to start the 1986 season. Detroit gave him another cup of coffee at the end of the year before moving on from longtime starting catcher Lance Parrish that offseason, opening the door for Nokes to take over behind the plate.
Nokes’ rookie year was by far the best season of his career. In 1987, he slashed .289/.345/.536 with 32 home runs and 87 RBIs. He was selected to the All-Star team and won the Silver Slugger Award, but finished third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Mark McGwire and Kevin Seitzer. It was quite a debut for the young catcher, who helped Detroit win the AL East — the Tigers’ last playoff appearance for nearly two decades.
After that amazing season, Nokes came back down to earth and saw his playing time and production slip over the next two and a half seasons in Detroit. The Tigers decided it was time to move on in 1990 and traded him to the Yankees that summer for the elder Lance McCullers and Clay Parker.
The Yankees hoped Nokes’ bat could help the struggling club, particularly against right-handed pitching. With Bob Geren and Rick Cerone also on the roster, Nokes split time behind the plate and at designated hitter. He batted .238 with eight home runs in 92 games for New York. After the season, Cerone departed, and Nokes entered 1991 as the Yankees’ primary backstop.
In his first full season in pinstripes, Nokes played 135 games. In 493 at-bats, he hit .268 with 24 home runs. Those 24 round-trippers led the team, while his 77 RBIs were good for second. Those Yankees were lousy, but it was hardly his fault.
The 1992 season saw Nokes top 20 home runs for the second straight year, finishing with 22. His average dropped to .224, and his on-base percentage fell to .293. Mike Stanley also began pushing for more playing time behind the plate.
Shifted into more of a reserve role, Nokes appeared in 56 games as a catcher and another 11 at designated hitter in 1993. He slashed .249/.303/.424 with 10 home runs. The highlight of his Yankees tenure came on September 4th, when he was behind the plate for Jim Abbott’s no-hitter against the Cleveland.
Heading into the 1994 season, Nokes was still slotted behind Stanley on the depth chart. However, a broken bone in his hand in April sidelined him for much of the season. With the players’ strike ending the season in August, Nokes was limited to just 28 games. He batted .291 with seven home runs in his final season in pinstripes. The Yankees’ last game of the season came on August 11th, bringing Nokes’ time in the Bronx to an abrupt end.
Nokes spent the 1995 season with the Orioles and Rockies, appearing in 36 games between the two clubs. That ended up being his final major league season, though he continued playing in independent leagues later in his career. He also spent time coaching and eventually returned to the San Diego area, where he has worked as a hitting instructor and consultant, doing what he can to give back to the game.
Happy Halloween to all, and happy birthday, Matt!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 30: The Milwaukee Brewers celebrate during the 2026 World Series Milwaukee Brewers Victory Parade on October 30, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 16: Hitting Coach Peter Fatse #62 of the Boston Red Sox carries a speaker during a spring training workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South on February 16, 2026 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today is Halloween and you wonder if the Phillies have been playing a trick on us all. Maybe they have allowed the Dodgers to go on their dynastic run, the Brewers to ascend to the top of the mountain all as a trick on us to pretend like there are issues preventing them from winning a World Series.
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 13: Hall of Famer Robin Yount shakes hands with Ryan Braun after throwing out the ceremonial first pitch Game One of the National League Championship Series presented by loanDepot between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Monday, October 13, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
In 1969, Major League Baseball expanded from 20 to 24 teams, adding franchises in Montreal, San Diego, Kansas City, and Seattle. The Seattle Pilots went 64-98 that year and finished last in the American League West. They were also poorly run by a man, Dewey Soriano, who barely had the cash to purchase the team in the first place. They played in a poorly maintained stadium and struggled at the gate. After just a year, the plug was pulled, and Soriano got in touch with a car salesman in Milwaukee. His name was Allan H. “Bud” Selig.
The Milwaukee Brewers played their first season in 1970 and went 65-97. The team’s star was its 29-year-old third baseman, Tommy Harper. A year earlier, he’d stolen 73 bases for the Pilots, a mark that still stands as a franchise record. In 1970, he hit .296 with 31 homers, 35 doubles, and 38 steals. 56 years later, it’s probably the best season ever by a Brewer third baseman. He became the first Brewer ever to make it to an MVP ballot.
A few days into the 1971 season, Milwaukee traded for a slugger named John Briggs, who was the team’s most reliable source of offense over the next four-and-a-half years. Also that season, a journeyman reliever named Ken Sanders operated as the team’s relief ace for the second straight season, and led the majors in appearances and saves.
After the season, the team made a trade that brought back the first real star of the franchise. George Scott was a good player in Boston; by the end of the 1971 season, he’d already won three Gold Gloves and had received MVP votes twice. But Boston jumped at a package headlined by Harper, and “Boomer” became the new Milwaukee first baseman. From 1972-76, Scott played virtually every game the Brewers played; he won five straight Gold Gloves, and he finished as high as eighth in MVP voting when, in 1975, he led the AL in homers, RBI, and total bases.
In 1973, the Brewers acquired a new guy at the hot corner. Don Money had been dreadful at the plate in 1971 and 1972, and the Phillies packaged him in a deal that got them, among others, Sanders. In 1976 he became the franchise’s first multi-time All-Star, and when he retired after his 11-year run with the Brewers, he’d made four All-Star games and compiled almost 1,200 hits.
During the 1974 season, a new player joined Money and Scott in the infield, an impossibly young shortstop from Southern California. He was a little aloof and didn’t always seem to like playing baseball. He was talented, but it would take a while for the kid to figure out how to channel those talents. His name was Robin Yount. For a little while, he’d get to play with another Milwaukee baseball legend when Henry Aaron returned to the city and hit his 755th and final home run in 1976 as a member of the Brewers.
A couple of years later, another talented infielder debuted alongside Yount, a hitting savant and ultra-speedster who finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 1978. Paul Molitor ended up playing in Milwaukee for 15 years in a career that ended with well over 3,000 hits and a ticket to Cooperstown.
The same year that Molitor debuted, the Brewers, for the first time, won more games than they lost. It was the 10th year of the franchise.
That young team kept acquiring talent. In 1976, in an echo of the trade they’d made years earlier, Scott was sent back to Boston for another young first baseman. Cecil Cooper spent the next 11 years in Milwaukee, won a couple of Gold Gloves, three Silver Sluggers, had three top-five MVP finishes, and hit almost 350 doubles and over 200 homers as a Brewer. Sal Bando, a veteran of the dynastic Oakland Athletics of the early 1970s, joined up in 1977 as the franchise’s first major free agent splash. A gruff center fielder named Gorman Thomas was nearly given away but miraculously reacquired just before his breakout. A young Puerto Rican outfielder named Sixto Lezcano had a three-year run that stands with just about any such stretch in team history. A year after leading the AL in RBI with the Twins, Larry Hisle had one last hurrah as a Brewer in 1978, when he finished third in MVP voting. That same year, the Brewers traded for Ben Oglivie, a scrawny outfielder with surprising pop.
The 1979 Brewers won 95 games, but something was missing, and in 1980 the team took a step back. After the season, the Brewers were involved in one of the most momentous trades in team history: they sent Lezcano and others to the Cardinals and acquired a mustachioed reliever named Rollie Fingers, a star catcher named Ted Simmons, and a blue-collar righty (and future movie star), Pete Vuckovich. In the next two seasons, two of them would win Cy Youngs, and though it took some time, two of them would end up in the Hall of Fame.
In the strike-shortened 1981 season, the Brewers broke into the postseason for the first time on the back of a historic relief season for Fingers, who won not just the Cy Young but the MVP. They took the Yankees to a decisive Game 5, but couldn’t get past Reggie Jackson and the Bronx Bombers.
Then, 1982. The Brewers had one of the great offenses in the history of baseball. Yount, the guy who took some time to figure things out in the ’70s, ascended and had one of the best seasons ever by a shortstop. He received 27 of 28 MVP votes. Four players hit at least 29 home runs. The team won its first playoff series when, in the bottom of the seventh inning of the decisive Game 5 of the ALCS, Cooper knocked in Charlie Moore and Fond du Lac native Jim Ganter to flip a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead. Milwaukee won the pennant.
In the World Series, they faced the Cardinals, the same team they’d gotten Fingers, Simmons, and Vuckovich from a little over a year earlier. They took a 3-2 lead to St. Louis, but it wasn’t meant to be.
It would be 44 years before the Brewers made it back.
Fans watched Yount and Molitor build Hall-of-Fame careers. They watched Juan Nieves throw a no-hitter. They watched Rob Deer and Dale Sveum hit dramatic home runs. They watched an exciting young team of upstarts win 92 games in 1992, led by rookies Pat Listach and Cal Eldred.
They watched in sadness when Molitor left as a free agent after that season, feeling undervalued, and then had to watch him win World Series MVP with a different team. They watched with elation as Yount, still with the Brewers 20 years after his debut, hit a soft liner into right field for his 3,000th hit.
There were lean years. 12 straight losing seasons, when fans were left to find silver linings with players like Greg Vaughn, Jeff Cirillo, John Jaha, Dave Nilsson, Fernando Viña, Jeromy Burnitz, Geoff Jenkins, Carlos Lee, and Richie Sexson — the totemic players of my youth. Fans were left to pin their hopes on guys like Marc Newfield, Jeff D’Amico, and José Capellan. The Brewers were represented at the All-Star Game by Ricky Bones, Kevin Seitzer, Bob Wickman, José Hernández, and Dan Kolb. Fans found amusement in quirky relievers like Mike Fetters and Derrick Turnbow, and in rare individual triumphs like Chad Moeller’s cycle. The team switched leagues and built a new stadium.
Finally, in the new millennium, reasons for optimism became more frequent. An affable kid from Mississippi, fresh off a triumph in the Olympics, made the All-Star Game as a 22-year-old rookie. Three years later, Ben Sheets had what was the best season anyone had ever seen from a Brewer starting pitcher.
A new scouting director, Jack Zduriencik, was having success behind the scenes. He snagged a tall, under-the-radar outfielder in 2000. The next year, his second-round selection was used on a handsome shortstop. In 2002, Zduriencik used his first pick on the burly son of a two-time MVP runner-up. A year later, he used the No. 2 overall pick on a dynamic infielder with an impossibly quick bat. Two years later, the first-round selection was a smooth Florida kid who seemed to make good contact on everything.
By 2005, the results were starting to show on the field. For the first time since 1992, the Brewers didn’t have a losing record. Two years later, they won more games than they lost for the first time in 14 years. In 2008, the team — built around the aforementioned draft picks Corey Hart, J.J. Hardy, Prince Fielder, Rickie Weeks, and Ryan Braun, respectively — found itself with an opportunity to reach the postseason for the first time in a generation. To shore up their chances, they made a bold move at the trade deadline for a reigning Cy Young winner. In just a few months with the team, CC Sabathia etched his name into Brewers lore and led the team back to the playoffs, with an assist from a Braun home run that made this writer kick a full cup of soda across my college house’s living room.
Three years later, after the addition of another former Cy Young winner, Zack Greinke, that core (with Hardy swapped out for team legend Yuniesky Betancourt) coalesced into a potent, dangerous team. Braun won the MVP. Fielder finished third. Milwaukee won its division, and a postseason series, for the first time since 1982. The eccentric Nyjer Morgan and his alter-ego, Tony Plush, gave a new generation of Brewers fans a core postseason memory.
But those same Cardinals who’d dashed Milwaukee’s hopes in 1982 stood in the way again, and the 2011 team’s run ended in the NLCS.
The next few years weren’t easy. The Greinke trade didn’t really work out. Braun fell from grace. Fielder left as a free agent. And while there were bright moments, competent teams, and outstanding individual performances by players like Carlos Gómez, Jonathan Lucroy, and even Jonathan Villar, the franchise needed another jolt to get itself to the next step in its journey.
The jolt came on January 25, 2018, a day I remember well. First, the Brewers sent four prospects to Miami for a 26-year-old outfielder who’d had a solid four-year run with the Marlins as a slick-fielding doubles hitter who could steal bases and pop a few homers. Later that same day, they handed the largest free-agent contract in team history to one of the players they’d sent out for Greinke years earlier. With Lorenzo Cain playing league-best-level defense in center field and Christian Yelich ascending to best-player-in-the-league status, the 2018 Brewers won 96 games, a team record, and made it all the way to Game 7 of the NLCS.
But, in an ending that would repeat itself multiple times over the next decade, the Brewers could not get past the mighty Los Angeles Dodgers. Over the next seven years, the Brewers played excellent baseball. Led by players who’ve already moved on like Corbin Burnes, Freddy Peralta, Josh Hader, Willy Adames, and Devin Williams, Milwaukee became a regular-season machine, with five division titles and seven postseason appearances in eight years from 2018-2025. It was a sustained run of success that had never been seen in the history of the franchise, but they just couldn’t seem to get over the hump in the postseason. A bad bounce. A tough catch. A bad inning from a star closer. The greatest player of all time. Something always stood in their way.
In 2026, things changed. The Brewers didn’t just beat their old wins record; they demolished it, with six more wins (103) than their previous record, set just a year earlier. The man who started it all became captain. A lanky young pitcher created a new understanding of what it meant to be a flamethrower. A slick-fielding second baseman became one of the best all-around players in the league. A pitbull of a catcher led on the field and flipped a switch when he needed to. A journeyman former top prospect found his zen. A whole group of young position players, led by the winning smile of a 22-year-old Venezuelan superstar, took the Brewers to heights the franchise had not previously seen.
Now, names like Jackson Chourio, Jacob Misiorowski, and William Contreras, Jake Bauers and Cooper Pratt and Aaron Ashby, Brice Turang and Trevor Megill and Robert Gasser and everyone else have etched their names into the history of this franchise in the same way that guys like George Scott, Jim Gantner, Cecil Cooper, Jim Slaton, and Geoff Jenkins did before them. Yes, this team did something that no Brewers team has ever done, and for that they’ll be remembered forever. But this journey was 57 years in the making, years of joy and heartbreak, of angst and elation.
It’s a fun exercise to ask a die-hard Brewers fan who their favorite player was when they were a kid. Yes, you’ll get a lot of Robin Younts, a lot of Ryan Brauns. But you’ll also get Yovani Gallardo, or John Axford, or Ellie Rodriguez, or Davey May, or Casey McGehee, or Brady Clark. They’re all part of the same fabric, part of what makes this game, and fandom in general, beautiful.
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 22: Austin Wells #28 and Cody Bellinger #35 of the New York Yankees pose for a photo during spring training at Himes Complex on February 22, 2026 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by New York Yankees/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: ($) With the Yankees needing an upgrade at third base and the picking potentially slim, some have linked them to Teruaki Sato. The 27-year-old won the Triple Crown in Japan’s Central League last year and would provide a clear offensive upgrade. Kirschner throws cold water on the notion, noting that, like Munetaka Murakami, Sato’s defensive limitations could make him a better fit at first base. In a mailbag format, Kirschner also advocates for the Yankees cutting ties with Giancarlo Stanton and seeking competition for Spencer Jones in center.
New York Post | Dan Martin: Another Japanese star, Kaima Taira, is set to be posted by the NPB’s Seibu Lions. The 5-foot-8 right-hander, who led his league with a 1.36 ERA as a starter last season, may project better as a reliever in the MLB. The Yankees have scouted Taira in the past and could make a play for his services. Any player looking to make the leap from Japan would need to factor in the impending lockout, which would necessitate their signing with a team by December 1st unless they are willing to wait until the labor dispute runs its course. (This happened to Seiya Suzuki during the last lockout.)
MLPBA: The MLB Players Association announced the recipients of its Players Choice Awards Wednesday. Former Yankees pitching great David Cone received the Curt Flood Award, an honor which commemorates its namesake’s principled stand against the reserve clause which ended his playing career but helped bring about free agency. Cone, a longtime labor advocate who met Flood and served as American League player representative during the 1994-95 strike, called the award “the greatest honor of my baseball life.” Cam Schlittler was also honored with the AL Outstanding Pitcher, presaging his likely selection for the AL Cy Young.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 28: Drew Rasmussen #57 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches in the fourth inning during Game Five of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Wednesday, October 28, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
You don’t want to trade from your talented core of position players. You only have so much money to throw around to free agents who don’t exactly list West Sacramento as their first choice. Starting pitching is at a premium.
So how exactly does a smaller budget team add to a position player core with a SP while roughly 37 other teams are aiming to do the same?
Some names have come up repeatedly, such as Clay Holmes, whose extreme ground ball tendencies would be a terrific fit. We’ll see how much the A’s are willing to open their pocketbooks for a desirable free agent SP — they did it once with Luis Severino and got mixed results. Perhaps more likely is a trade for a SP whose warts make him attainable but whose stuff makes him a potential steal.
Here are a couple “out of the box” possibilities for how Smith and the A’s could “zag” in their quest to compete in 2027…
Brayan Bello
One of the reasons his name tops the list is that he is on the Red Sox and Smith has a working relationship with his former club. This has already been evidenced in Smith’s first deal, a relatively minor one to acquire the versatile defender and speedster Nate Eaton.
Bello’s 2026 season started rougher than even a Jeffrey Springs outing in West Sacramento. Bello pitched himself right out of the rotation with a first half that produced a 6.06 ERA with 11 HR amongst a ghastly 80 hits in 65.1 IP.
However, in the second half Bello righted the ship and then some, albeit out of the bullpen. Not only did he post a stellar 2.12 ERA in 51 IP, he surrendered just 1 HR.
Why might Bello be a “hidden treasure” for the A’s to target?
1. With a career fastball velocity of 95.7 MPH (95.8 MPH in 2026), a slider, and a plus changeup, Bello’s stuff has always been in the “front of the rotation” category when he can harness it.
2. Bello has a heavy sinker that gets a lot of ground balls (52.6% career), which is a great fit for the A’s right now and probably in Las Vegas.
3. Due to his recent struggles, questions around his suitability to start rather than relieve, and his contract ($49.5M over 4 years from 2026-29 with a $1M buyout for 2030), the prospect/player capital required to acquire Bello should be low.
4. If Bello is a solid mid-rotation SP he’s a steal at around $12M/year and gives the A’s a quality pitcher for 4 seasons. Even as a key “plus reliever” he would be valuable.
Drew Rasmussen
Hey, aim high. Rasmussen is a true #1 SP when he’s healthy, just the kind of pitcher the A’s would love to add. Normally he would be completely out of the question, but circumstances put him into the conversation for a team like the A’s.
1. There has been considerable buzz that the Rays will move Rasmussen because his 2027 salary rose to $20M when several incentives kicked in and he is only under contract for one more season. The Rays, like Billy Beane’s A’s, tend to make decisions less on emotion and more on good business, and moving Rasmussen to cash in on his value appears to be the way the Rays are thinking — at least according to pundits who claim to be in the know.
2. The A’s don’t have to play “red-headed step child” in a sweepstakes for Rasmussen like they do with free agents. The two teams have a trading history, recently with Jeffrey Springs and Jacob Lopez coming to the A’s, and if the A’s are the team making the offer which makes the most sense to Tampa Bay there’s no reason a deal can’t be made. Tampa Bay also happens to be the other team with whom Smith has a history.
3. Because he has only one year left on his contract, and because he is now owed $20M, the haul needed to acquire him is not quite what his stats might suggest off the cuff. That being said, he’s good enough that the return won’t exactly be cheap.
Are there win-win deals for either of those potential trades and if so what might a swap look like? Or are there other targets more likely to come to pass you want to put out there for consideration?
It’s hard to dabble in the free agent market for a top end SP because they tend to be prohibitively expensive, looking for destinations and World Series aspirations the A’s just can’t boast along side their peers right now. So I’m more expecting a trade to bolster the rotation. The question is, can the A’s find a worthy SP going that route? Perhaps soon we’ll learn what Smith thinks the answer is.
LA fell short in its bid for a historic three-peat and, despite the ongoing federal investigations surrounding Dodgers owner Mark Walter that has led to the sale of several of the Guggenheim majority partner's pro sports franchises (such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Chelsea FC), Friedman has said he's under no impression that he'll have any less resources.
"It's been business as usual for us," Friedman said at the Dodgers' end of year press conference.
But "business as usual" can only mean so much entering an offseason that could potentially reshape the business of baseball.
The league's collective bargaining agreement is set to expire on Dec. 1. The 30 MLB and the MLB Players Association haven't gotten any closer to agreeing to terms before that deadline, with the owners' push to implement a salary cap a major point of contention, making a lockout seem all but certain.
If a cap were to be introduced in 2027, the Dodgers and their $384.7 million luxury tax payroll would be among the clubs most affected. But regardless of where the chips may fall a month from now, Friedman plans to be aggressive in improving the roster to prepare for another run in 2027.
"It's about us being as prepared as we can be, depending on what opportunities pop up and when, to be able to pounce," he said. "But we feel good about our jumping off point of where we are."
Here's what that may look like this winter:
Dodgers pending free agents
The Dodgers have eight players set to hit free agency, not counting the now-retired Miguel Rojas. Several fee agents have been stalwarts through the team's World Series runs this decade, such as Alex Vesia, Kiké Hernández, Blake Treinen and Evan Phillips. There is no bigger name available this winter, however, than Tarik Skubal. The Dodgers paid a steep price to acquire the back-to-back Cy Young winner from the Detroit Tigers at this year's trade deadline, but his future in LA is up in the air.
Skubal is expected to become one of the highest-paid pitchers of all time on the open market. The Dodgers have shown a willingness to let rentals, such as Yu Darvish, Max Scherzer and Manny Machado, walk over the years, and Skubal might not be an exception.
"I can't say enough good things about the impact he made in such a short period of time," Friedman said. "We have a tremendous amount of respect for him on and off the field and for us, he's put himself in this position to go out and be a free agent. ... He and his family get to make a choice over where they want to spend the next X number of years and, obviously, we wish them nothing but the best."
Outside of Skubal, the other top arms available in free agency include Freddy Peralta, Michael King and maybe Sonny Gray if the Red Sox decline his $30 million option. Jazz Chisholm Jr., Luis Arraez, Randy Arozarena and Seiya Suzuki headline the position player side, but none appear to be clear fits within the Dodgers' lineup.
Here's a full list of every Dodgers free agent:
Tarik Skubal, LHP
Evan Phillips, RHP
Kiké Hernández, UTIL
Alex Vesia, LHP
Kris Bubic, LHP
Blake Treinen, RHP
Brusdar Graterol, RHP
Eric Lauer, LHP
Dodgers trade candidates
The other biggest question facing the Dodgers this offseason is where Josue De Paula fits. The 21-year-old thrived in his two weeks in the big leagues filling in for Shohei Ohtani at DH, enough so that he earned a spot on the postseason roster as a lefty bat off the bench. His poise, confidence and command of the strike zone have shown to be MLB-ready, in a small sample size, but his glove still has room for improvement.
Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes applauded De Paula's jump defensively from 2025 to '26, and they fully expect him to take a similar leap entering 2027.
"We've all seen what he's capable of in the box, which is incredibly exciting," Gomes said. "With that being said, we already have a very talented core group already here. So, it's finding those opportunities but also making sure that throughout this offseason and coming into spring that he continues to improve and gets to that bar and gets to be an above average defender."
If De Paula does take that next step over the winter, Teoscar Hernández could be a candidate to be moved entering the final year of his contract.
And don't discount the Dodgers' willingness to trade some of their top prospects for more firepower that can help them right now. While Friedman acknowledged the importance of the farm system in helping the Dodgers transition from an aging roster, many of those top prospects play the same position, which might lead to limited opportunities for development. Four of their six prospects ranked in MLB Pipeline's Top 100 − De Paula, Eduardo Quintero, Mike Sirota and Charles Davalan − are all outfielders.
Friedman isn't too worried about that. He's noticed things usually "sort themselves out" when it comes to the farm system. Guys change positions, get injured, fall off − or get traded − all the time in the minor leagues.
There's some sorting around the front office will have to do, but this wave of young talent is what keeps Friedman hopeful the Dodgers will be able to avoid "falling off a cliff," the way most veteran teams eventually do.
"That is why we have poured so much energy and focus into our farm system," he said. "… We couldn't feel more bullish on the position player core group, from A-ball through Triple-A that are coming, and obviously we've traded away a lot of really talented players also.
FILE - Houston Astros owner Jim Crane speaks during a news conference in Houston, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.
HOUSTON — The Houston Astros hired St. Louis Cardinals executive Randy Flores as general manager Friday.
Flores replaces Dana Brown, who was let go in August with his contract set to expire at the end of the season. The Astros also need to hire a manager this offseason — Joe Espada’s contract was not renewed after the AL West champions were swept by the Chicago White Sox in their wild-card series.
The 51-year-old Flores becomes the 15th general manager in franchise history. He had been serving as St. Louis’ assistant general manager of amateur and pro acquisition.
Houston Astros owner Jim Crane speaks during a news conference in Houston, Monday, Jan. 5, 2026. AP Photo/Ashley Landis
The former major league pitcher joined the Cardinals’ front office as director of scouting in 2015 and spent eight seasons (2019-26) as an assistant GM with the club.
“Randy has had a huge impact on the Cardinals over the last 10 seasons,” Astros owner Jim Crane said in a statement. “Throughout the entire interview process we’ve been thoroughly impressed with Randy and his background in scouting and player acquisition. We’re happy to welcome Randy and his family to the Astros and we can’t wait to get to work on bringing another championship to Houston.”
Flores will be formally introduced by the Astros in a news conference Monday morning at Daikin Park.
“I am excited and grateful for this amazing opportunity,” Flores said. “The Astros have a long winning tradition under Jim Crane and I look forward to contributing to the success. I want to thank the Cardinals organization for the opportunities and support that made this next chapter possible. My family and I are excited to make Houston home.”
The Astros cut ties with Brown on Aug. 24. Three assistant general managers and Hall of Famer and special adviser Jeff Bagwell took over his responsibilities for the remainder of the season while Crane sought a replacement.
St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Randy Flores throws against the Kansas City Royals at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Thursday, June 19, 2008. Getty Images
Houston went 81-81 to win the AL West for the fifth time in six years, becoming the first big league club without a winning record to reach the playoffs in a non-shortened season.
Flores pitched in the majors for eight seasons from 2002-10, going 11-5 with a 4.61 ERA and four saves. The left-hander made 347 relief appearances and three starts for Texas, Colorado, St. Louis and Minnesota.
