SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - JULY 10: Jhony Brito #76 of the San Diego Padres walks to the dugout during the sixth inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Petco Park on July 10, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability).
A Starter in Waiting
Jhony Brito dominated in the minors this season. Between three different levels of the Padres’ minor-league system, Brito had his best season since being traded to the Friars. He came over as a kicker in the deal that sent Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. Brito was somewhat of an afterthought and hasn’t done much in San Diego since. He’s thrown a total of 52 2/3 innings for the big-league club.
Overall Grade: C-
Despite his incredible success in the minor leagues (2.97 ERA, 69.2 IP), Brito didn’t do much in the majors this year. In nine innings out of the bullpen, the right-hander posted a 3.00 ERA despite a minuscule 0.89 WHIP. Brito couldn’t limit hard contact, allowing two homers in that short stint with the big-league club. He likely would have been called up to the majors sooner, but the San Diego ‘pen is too deep.
Brito could figure into the Padres’ starting rotation plans for the 2026 season if he can prove himself in Spring Training. Brito had below-average marks in both WHIP (1.21) and strikeouts (46, 69.2 IP). The righty didn’t pitch very deep into games (3.2 IP on average), however some of that could be due to the nature of pitching in the minor leagues.
The right-hander missed the majority of the 2025 season after a UCL internal brace procedure in his throwing elbow. Brito posted resurgent numbers after returning from that surgery. If he can keep that up in 2027, he could legitimately work his way onto the Padres’ pitching staff. Regardless, he pitched quite well in 2026 but will need to produce more consistent results in order to make an impact with the big-league club.
LOS ANGELES – The same night the Los Angeles Dodgers were swept out of the NLCS by the Milwaukee Brewers, owner Mark Walter asked president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes about their thoughts for the offseason.
Despite the ongoing federal investigations into Guggeinheim's majority partner that has led to the sale of several of Walter's pro sports franchises such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Chelsea FC, Friedman said the directive he's gotten has been "business as usual." If there are plans for a sale, he hasn't heard anything about it. He's also gotten no indication that the Dodgers will have any less financial resources than normal.
"So much of his focus was, 'How do we put ourselves in the best position to win in '27?'" Friedman said during his exit interview at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, Oct. 21.
Prepping for World Series run in 2027
How exactly they'll be able to do that, however, is another unknown in an offseason full of uncertainty for the back-to-back World Series champions. There is, after all, a pending lockout that feels inevitable as MLB owners and the players union don't appear to be getting any closer to agreeing to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement.
If the owners are successful in their steadfast push to implement a salary cap, that would have a substantial effect on how the Dodgers could add to a roster that has eight pending free agents. For now, though, Friedman's approach isn't changing until the current CBA expires in December.
"We're just hard at work trying to figure out the best way to put together our roster," he said. "Those are things that we're not involved in and depending on how things play out, we'll adjust to whatever the rules are."
What are Dodgers' plans for to-be free agent Tarik Skubal?
The biggest name set to hit free agency is starting pitcher Tarik Skubal, who looked like a luxury when the Dodgers traded for him at the deadline but eventually became a much-needed steady presence in the rotation. The back-to-back AL Cy Young winner is projected to become one of the highest-paid pitchers of all time once he hits the open market. That might be a price even the Dodgers might not be willing to reach.
Friedman was noncommittal about bringing Skubal back, applauding the impact he had on the mound and in the clubhouse after moving cities midseason but also "wishing him nothing but the best" moving forward. It's worth noting that Friedman does expect to get at least one pitcher back in 2027: Shohei Ohtani, who will not need surgery on his knee or bicep injuries and could possibly be ready to go by spring.
Dodgers must deal with aging roster
As for other areas of the roster, Friedman did address the dinosaur in the room.
The Dodgers had the oldest lineup in the big leagues this season at an average age of 30.9 years old, according to Baseball Reference. Almost all of their core players are on the other side of 30. 2024 World Series MVP Freddie Freeman is 36 and entering the final year of the six-year $162 million deal he signed with LA in 2022. Mookie Betts (33) and Ohtani (32) are under contract for much longer, but they're not getting any younger, either. In fact, the only regular fixtures in LA's lineup under 30 years old this season were Kyle Tucker (29) and Andy Pages (25).
That might have been a factor in why the Dodgers have fallen off offensively in the second half of the season each of the last two years, to which Friedman admitted that he might have to be more proactive with getting guys rest once they get into the dog days.
Is help on the way from Dodgers' farm system?
But age isn't too much of a concern for Friedman, who pointed to the Dodgers' No. 1-ranked farm system according to MLB Pipeline. For him, the key is supplementing his veteran core with young guys and transitioning them gradually into more responsibility.
Therein lies another question: Where does Josue De Paula fit on this team next year?
The 21-year-old top prospect made such an impression in two weeks in September that he cracked the NLDS and NLCS rosters as a lefty bat off the bench. His bat is clearly ready for the major leagues, and his presence seems to be a spark for the Dodgers veteran offense. Still, Friedman and Gomes made it clear that he needs to take a leap forward as an outfielder.
"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."
Including De Paula, the Dodgers carry six prospects who are ranked in MLB Pipeline's Top 100: outfielders De Paula (No. 4), Eduardo Quintero (No. 15), Mike Sirota (No. 17), shortstop Emil Morales (No. 22), right-handed pitcher Christian Zazueta (No. 33) and outfielder Charles Davalan (No. 79).
There's some sorting around the front office will have to do, but this wave of young talent is what keeps Friedman hopeful that 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.
"... We feel really good about our future outlook."
The Dodgers dugout looks on during the ninth inning of Game 4 of the NLCS against the Brewers last week. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Dodger Stadium was eerily quiet on Wednesday, as a light rain fell over the already yellowing grass. A crow perched on an empty seat. Scattered lights flickered in mostly dark hallways.
Before the World Series begins, the stadium was closed for the season, hosting just one last event before officially wrapping up the 2026 slate.
In the interview room, tucked away at the entrance to the clubhouse, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and general manager Brandon Gomes took their seats at the podium for their end-of-season press conference.
There was the usual end-of-season question checklist: Are you expecting any changes to the coaching staff or front office? “I expect status quo,” Friedman said. Is Shohei Ohtani going to undergo offseason surgery? “That’s not on the table,” Friedman said.
“I welcome it,” Friedman said of such claims. “For us, and we’ve talked about this a lot, even after successes and we winning a World Series and then winning back to back, everything we do is for our fans. And there’s a lot of noise around us in general. We don’t really pay much attention to it. It’s a partnership we feel with our fans, and so people saying that we’re done and we’re on the downside of this run — it’s just more noise to us because everything for us is about the motivation we have to have a parade in the streets of Los Angeles next November.”
Friedman also didn’t seem to anticipate any trickle down from Walter’s outside ventures — Walter’s insurance companies are under federal investigation and face several lawsuits — affecting the Dodgers’ offseason budget.
“It’s been business as usual for us,” Friedman said. “We talked to Mark after we lost, and he was obviously really disappointed. But so much of his focus was on, ‘OK, what can we do? What are our plans? What are our thoughts for the offseason?’ And our brains weren’t quite there yet, but so much of his focus was, how do we put ourselves in the best position to win in ‘27?”
How will the Dodgers go about picking themselves up from their NLCS exit?
The Dodgers’ 2026 season wasn’t exactly a failure. They won 100 games in the regular season and lost in the playoffs to the only team that won more than that — the Brewers. But the Dodgers, with their star power and payroll, aren’t in the business of accepting moral victories.
Though plenty went wrong in the postseason, from Ohtani’s struggles following his injured list stint, to stalwart Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s surprisingly short start in Game 2 of the NLCS, the overarching theme in the Dodgers’ four straight losses to the Brewers was a lack of offensive execution, especially with runners in scoring position.
“Obviously throughout the latter part of the year, it was stuff we were talking about and trying to put our finger on,” Friedman said of the offense. “And in a lot of ways, it’s a little bit of a game of whack-a-mole, where it can be one thing for some period of time, and then it’s something else, and then it’s something else. Sometimes it’s noise, and sometimes it’s real. And what’s important for us is to be able to sift out the noise and isolate what’s real and what things we can improve upon. We’ll spend a lot of time really focusing on that in the off season.”
Asked if the age of the lineup could be a contributing factor, Friedman pointed to the strong finishes of some of the more veteran players on the roster.
“I don’t think it’s as easy as to paint it with that broad of a stroke,” he said.
Friedman, in an effort to continue to extend the Dodgers’ run of success, has kept in mind the cliff that successful veteran teams can fall off of, if the roster isn’t properly backfilled.
“This isn’t something that we just woke up and were like, ‘Oh wow, the age of our position player group,’” Friedman said. “We knew what things were going to look like in ‘26, ‘27, but also how talented these guys are, the way they prepare. And so much of our long-term contract bats are betting on the human — betting on the person, betting on the work ethic, betting on them doing everything they can to keep themselves in the best position to have success. But when you couple the core talent that we have at the major league level with the position-player strengths that we have in our farm system, that’s what makes us excited, is the art of how to onboard some of these young, talented minor league players.”
The Dodgers had the No. 1 ranked farm system as of mid-August, according to MLB Pipeline. But many of those prospects, including the three outfielders who were the Dodgers’ top three (Josue De Paula, Eduardo Quintero and Mike Sirota), are blocked by veteran players.
“For us, it’s just about having as many talented players as we can, and things tend to sort themselves out,” Friedman said.
This offseason, the Dodgers will also have to figure out what to do about their soon-to-be free agents, a group headlined by left-hander Tarik Skubal. The two-time Cy Young winner was not only the best pitcher available on the trade market when the Dodgers acquired him from the Tigers at the trade deadline, but he’s in line to be the best pitcher available this offseason as well.
“It’s not easy for a guy to get traded in the middle of a season to come to a new city, new clubhouse,” Friedman said. “You have set routines, and you have to make those adjustments. It’s not easy. The way he was able to seamlessly transition, not just in terms of on the field, but in the clubhouse, I can’t say enough good things about the impact that he made in such a short period of time.
“We have a tremendous amount of respect for him on and off the field. … He’s put himself in this position to go out and be a free agent. And for us, it’s, continue to talk to [Scott Boras, Skubal’s agent]. But he and his family have to make a choice over where they want to spend the next X number of years, and obviously we wish him nothing but the best.”
When asked about negotiations, however, Friedman spoke generally, saying the Dodgers were still “wrapping [their] arms around” their offseason strategy.
The impending lockout, which is expected to go into effect on Dec. 1 as soon as the current CBA expires, and uncertainty over changes in the next CBA, will certainly affect the free-agent and trade markets this offseason. And though MLB navigated a lockout just five years ago, the owners’ push for a salary cap has many around the industry bracing for a longer work stoppage and murkier landscape on the other side.
“I never have any feel for how a market’s going to play out,” Friedman said. “We’ve kidded ourselves in the past that, like, ‘Hey, we think this is going to happen,’ and it just takes on its own life form. So for us, it’s just about being as prepared as we possibly can be, and pouncing on opportunities.”
Nov 5, 2022; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros center fielder Chas McCormick (20) and major league coach Jason Kanzler (41) celebrate after the Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in game six winning the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
There’s a new name being bandied about for the Mariners manager position; The Athletic reports that, in addition to known quantities Joe Espada and Rocco Baldelli, the Mariners are also interviewing 36-year-old Jason Kanzler, currently director of player development for the Cubs.
Kanzler has a background as a player: he was drafted by the Twins in 2013 out of SUNY Buffalo and spent three years as an outfielder in Minnesota’s system, topping out at the High-A level. After being released in 2015, he taught public school for a few years while building his own performance training business, coaching Cape Cod League baseball in the summers, before transitioning to coaching full-time. Eventually he landed in the Astros system, where he worked his way up from a minor-league hitting coordinator in 2019 to the World Series champion big-league club in 2022 (putting him solidly past the most scandal-soaked years of the Astros, although it was a near miss with the Brandon Taubman debacle). The Cubs hired Kanzler as director of player development prior to the 2024 season, a role that is currently overseen by Justin Toole in the Mariners organization but most Mariners fans might associate with Andy McKay, who held the position for seven years before the Mariners promoted him to assistant GM in 2022; McKay moved to the Guardians prior to the 2026 season to take an on-field role.
It’s more relevant to talk about Toole and McKay as analogues for Kanzler than it is to talk about Baldelli or Espada, both of whom have years of experience managing at the big-league level. Kanzler’s background is more on the minor-league and independent side, with some of the hallmarks you find in people who are more invested on the player development side. Kanzler has a Twitter account (@KanzlerThinks) that hasn’t been updated since 2020, shortly after he began his big-league coaching career in earnest, which hits many of the same beats you’ll find in skimming Twitter feeds from other young coaches – he rails about the youth sports industrial complex (yes!), says the best training equipment is A Hill (eyeroll), and rewrites the lyrics to “The Sound of Silence” to be about hitting development (?) on a post dated on Christmas Day 2019 (???). A peek at Kanzler’s LinkedIn touts his “proficiency” in Spanish, which is certainly preferable to not proficient, and a “broad coding background” (his Twitter bio identifies him as a “hobbyist programmer”), suggesting he’s at least not adverse to integrating technology.
Kanzler was hired to oversee Cubs player development at a time when the Cubs had the most MLB Pipeline Top 100 prospects in baseball (7) – interestingly, he told MLB.com shortly after his hiring that he actually felt the strength of the farm was a challenge, noting that the big-league club – which had just added Pete Crow-Armstrong – was set up to be competitive for several years, meaning the farm would be depleted by trades, and emphasizing the importance of making sure the farm was deep and robust in order to weather those trades. That’s a similar situation to what Kanzler, should he become the Mariners manager, would be walking into in Seattle. The Mariners started the season with seven top-100 prospects, but have already promoted four of them – Colt Emerson, Kade Anderson, Lazaro Montes, and Michael Arroyo – to the big leagues, triggering a new contention cycle but also resetting the next wave of prospects on the farm. Kanzler, over his time with the Cubs, would be familiar with both managing the farm and seeing how that wave of young players integrate with the existing big-league clubhouse, making him uniquely positioned to understand where the Mariners are headed into 2027.
The question, of course, is if Kanzler has enough experience on the big-league side of things to translate those learnings into success for the Mariners. Kanzler was 34 when he joined the Cubs, two years younger than Justin Toole was when he took up the same position with the Mariners; at 36, he’s almost ten years younger than Baldelli, 15 years younger than Espada, and over 20 years younger than the Mariners’ last skipper, Dan Wilson.
But age doesn’t determine personality; yesterday I wrote about how the new Mariners manager must be able to empower a clubhouse culture of leadership and accountability. Espada, for all his years of experience, inherited a clubhouse that Astros beat writer Chandler Rome, on 710 Seattle Sports’s Bump and Stacy show, described as “self-policing.” Whoever is given the Mariners managerial position will have significantly more work to do in building clubhouse culture, and Kanzler’s youthful energy – even if some of it comes off as sparkle-motion-level cringe-y – could be a spark in invigorating a clubhouse that often felt stagnant and directionless. Plus, we already know his potential clubhouse leader Cal Raleigh is no stranger to a parody song himself.
MILWAUKEE — Hall of Fame shortstop Robin Yount says he feels a different level of anxiety watching the Milwaukee Brewers now than when he was playing for them during their only other World Series run.
“It’s almost like watching your kids play,” said Yount, who was the American League Most Valuable Player when the Brewers reached the 1982 Fall Classic. “You’re a lot more nervous watching your own kids play than when you played yourself. And I kind of feel that way now.”
Yount and the rest of the 1982 Brewers are hoping this year’s Milwaukee team can settle some unfinished business by winning the franchise’s first World Series title.
The 1982 Brewers won the AL pennant and led 3-1 in the sixth inning of Game 7 of the World Series that year before falling 6-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals. The Brewers are finally back on this stage 44 years later.
The Brewers swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NL championship series to earn this matchup with the AL champion Tampa Bay Rays. Game 1 is Friday in Milwaukee.
“In my 80 years on this planet, I have never been more impressed with a team — the way they played against the Dodgers — in my entire life,” said Larry Hisle, who played nine games for the Brewers in 1982 before undergoing shoulder surgery that essentially ended his 14-year major league career.
Different types of teams
On the surface, this year’s Brewers don’t have much in common with the 1982 squad.
The 1982 team was known as Harvey’s Wallbangers, a nod to Milwaukee’s drinking culture, Brewers manager Harvey Kuenn and the fact that the Brewers hit an MLB-leading 216 homers that year. This year’s Brewers hit just 154 homers to match the second-lowest total in the majors.
But the two teams do share some traits.
Jerry Augustine, a pitcher on the 1982 team, said that squad “had respect for each other about going out and playing the game the way it’s supposed to be played.”
“This team is exactly the same,” Augustine said. “They respect each other. They go out and play hard. They don’t give up. When you play this team, you’d better be ready to play 27 outs.”
Cecil Cooper, a first baseman on the 1982 team, said he’s appreciated the Brewers’ approach at the plate during this playoff run.
“You watch every at bat, these guys are grinding,” Cooper said. “They’re not out there just wailing away at the first pitch. They’re grinding at bat after at bat. That’s what you do. That’s what winners do.”
That 1982 team’s star-studded roster featured five Hall of Famers in Yount, third baseman Paul Molitor, catcher Ted Simmons and pitchers Rollie Fingers and Don Sutton.
Panthers GM Zito was Brewers bat boy in 1982
The list of familiar names on that team isn’t limited to the players. Florida Panthers general manager and hockey operations president Bill Zito was a Brewers bat boy and clubhouse attendant that year. He did laundry, rubbed mud on baseballs for better gripping and played catch in right field with outfielders between innings.
Zito brought the Stanley Cup into the Brewers’ clubhouse during the summer of 2024, after the Panthers won their first of two straight NHL championships.
Would his name be on the Stanley Cup twice if he hadn’t been a Brewers bat boy? Zito doesn’t think so.
“I’m guessing maybe some of the guys working there now realize what an unbelievable opportunity it is, to learn and to be around professional sports,” Zito said. “The lessons that you take away, maybe I didn’t understand them at the time. … But now, reflecting back, they were all so important.”
The 1982 squad remains beloved in Milwaukee and was a subject of a documentary, “Just a Bit Outside,” that came out in 2024.
Milwaukee started slowly that year until Kuenn took over and provided a spark after the June firing of Buck Rodgers. The Brewers clinched the AL East title by winning a winner-take-all game at Baltimore on the final day of the regular season. They rallied from two games down to beat the California Angels in the best-of-five ALCS.
Longtime Brewers fans continue to vow that the Brewers would have won the World Series if Fingers hadn’t injured his forearm that September, preventing him from pitching in the postseason.
“We got a parade when we lost the World Series,” Yount said. “How often does that happen?”
Yount, who is generally regarded as the greatest player in Brewers history, has called that 1982 postseason the greatest time but also the worst time of his career because of the way it ended. The pain of losing Game 7 sticks with him.
“Yeah, it stings,” the 71-year-old Yount said. “It hurts. I’m not going to lie, I’ll never get over it until the Brewers win one. So I’m hoping. I hope this happens more often than every 44 years, but I’m pretty excited this year. If it takes another 44, I’m not sure I’m going to be here for that one.”
LOS ANGELES — We now have some clarity on Shohei Ohtani's offseason plans, and what Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman expects from the two-way superstar going forward.
After the Dodgers were swept by the Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Championship Series, Ohtani told reporters he wasn't sure if he would need surgery to address his left knee and right bicep injuries that bogged him down at the plate and took him off the mound entirely. Friedman confirmed Wednesday that surgery is "not on the table" after Ohtani was assessed by a doctor, and that he fully expects Ohtani to pitch in 2027.
As for whether he thinks he'll pitch a full season at 32 years old (he'll turn 33 on July 5), that might be a different story.
"We'll have to figure it out," Friedman said at the Dodgers' end of season press conference. "This is unprecedented what he's doing; we don't have any experience to draw from. ... And not only am I expecting him to pitch, I'm excited about him pitching. So now it's about how do we do that? How do we manage through a long season and have him at his best going into October?
"That's a challenge, and we've got to figure it out together."
Ohtani was one of several Dodgers who struggled down the stretch. He didn't fare much better at the plate as he went homerless for nearly the final three months from Aug. 18 until Game 4 of the NLCS on Oct. 15. In his final 18 games played of the regular season, Ohtani averaged just .157 with a .214 slugging percentage. Those numbers improved only slightly in the postseason as he hit 5-for-26 with a .630 OPS.
Friedman said Ohtani should fully recover with rest and be good to go by spring training.
He added that while they haven't had conversations about what next season looks like on the mound yet, he's already trying to think of different ways to manage the four-time MVP and preserve his rare talent on both sides of the ball for as long as possible. Those talks will likely also continue to evolve as the season goes on.
"Us continuing to put our heads together and understand where things are at any given time I think will just increase our chances of him doing what is incredibly unprecedented," Friedman said. "And the toll that it takes for him to be able to do it, impact our team in the regular season to accomplish our regular season goal and then be in a good position going into October."
The Dodgers just don't know exactly what that will look like as of right now.
Where did the New York Yankees go? They used to make winning look so easy that the entire industry reviled them, wrote rules around them, and chased them.
But these Aarons-era Yankees experience October like a ball of yarn experiences a cat, batted around by injuries or hot teams or other autumn inevitabilities – as if they, like the yarn, do not have the ability to decide where they go.
This generation’s triumvirate -- Aaron Boone, Aaron Judge and Brian Cashman -- has won more games than everyone but the Dodgers since the start of the 2018 season. But postmortem news conferences are the lingering images of all their shared Octobers.
“Every year’s a little bit different. There’s years where I feel like we’ve been, at times throughout the year, the best team or one of the very best teams in baseball,” Boone said Wednesday. “And you get to the finish line and you’re not that same team.”
Fairly or not – and of course it is fair, because these are the Yankees, and winning is what you promise when you sign – where they are at the finish line is all that matters. The fact that their banged-up 2026 group still managed 93 wins in a tough division without their biggest star does not qualify as consolation.
Those credentials do, however, qualify Boone and Cashman for at least one more try. Cashman’s contract expires after this season, but he announced Wednesday that he has agreed to the framework of an extension that will keep him in charge for a 30th season and potentially beyond.
As for Boone, his eighth made postseason in nine chances was enough to persuade Hal Steinbrenner that Boone deserved to keep his job – though he admitted he needed a week of deliberation.
“Every year, I’m going to look at the situation. I don’t think you can pin the season and the unacceptable end to it on Aaron. I don’t think you can pin it on [Cashman] based on the roster he put together,” Steinbrenner said. “Again, the offense – not the pitching, but the offense – had a big part in why, and I don’t mind saying it, why we didn’t get where we strive to get every year.”
So the offense, it seems, will be the problem the Yankees decide to address to avoid this fate next year. Steinbrenner, Cashman, and Boone all said Wednesday they will consider making changes to the coaching staff. Boone and Cashman both said they are always trying to emulate the successful parts of winning teams, so they are enamored with the athleticism of the Rays and Brewers.
Still, they have sort of tried that already: the acquisitions of Jazz Chisholm Jr., Jose Caballero and the promotions of young players like George Lombard Jr. and Spencer Jones have certainly made them more mobile.
“I feel like we, over the last number of years, have tried to address our athleticism, our defense, our baserunning skillset with, obviously, guys that can take the extra bag or steal a lot of bases,” Cashman said. “So I think we’ve tried to steer in that direction, and we’ll continue to try to steer in that direction.”
But when the Yankees couldn’t get runners on base against the Rays a few weeks ago, it did not matter whether those runners could have stolen a base. And when their defense fell apart in the first inning of Game 2, it did not matter that their position players should have been able to do better. Cashman also mentioned the importance of contact in October success, but he did not seem convinced enough to make a full pivot away from big sluggers, either.
“You don’t lose sight of the team that outhomers the opposing team in each playoff series is the one that moves on. So slug is important, too,” said Cashman, who acknowledged that they are both always trying to emulate the strengths of successful teams but sometimes feel their hand is forced.
“But then, what’s available in the marketplace? What’s available in the trade marketplace? What’s the availability in the free agent marketplace? What’s the flexibility in the payroll when those availabilities do come? What’s coming up through your system that you gotta lean into, you believe can maybe allow you to find the higher ground with a good [controllable] player?” Cashman said.
And indeed, the Yankees’ ability to make significant change offensively is somewhat limited given the runway they will likely give Lombard Jr. at shortstop, the need to preserve designated hitter at-bats for Ben Rice while crossing their fingers Judge is healthy enough to play right field, and the need to find a position for Luis Garcia Jr. if he isn’t.
“You’re always trying to incorporate the best of some teams,” Boone said. “But you also start with a lot of certainties that you have within your club, so a lot of times you’re just trying to improve things around the margins, and hopefully we can do that this winter.”
While the repetitiveness of these October seminars suggests they have not adapted enough by Yankee standards, Boone and Cashman have shown some ability to evolve. Boone arrived around when analytics cemented new strategic norms and evaluation methods. The Yankees did not struggle with these changes and in some cases, were early adopters.
“Evolve or die,” Cashman said Wednesday, though this version of the Yankees is uniquely capable of both.
The trouble, former Yankees like Anthony Rizzo and C.C. Sabathia have suggested in recent weeks, is a decline in clubhouse and franchise standards. Rizzo said Yankees players are too uptight and that the organization repeats too many fixable mistakes. Sabathia said a lack of input from Yankees stars with championship experience is fostering a slip in accountability, though Boone said he encourages former players to spend time around the team.
As for clubhouse standards, Boone was asked whether recent playoff failures leave him thinking he needs to be more publicly vocal about his players’ failings. He does not.
“There is probably a time and place for that, but generally speaking, to me, that’s not leadership,” Boone said. “That’s me giving red meat to people that want to be upset with somebody.
Wednesday, Steinbrenner assured reporters that whatever happens publicly, players hear from him or Cashman or Boone or Judge privately when they do not meet expectations. He sees no reason to start emulating his late father’s media strategy, either.
“I’m not convinced that with this team, in this day in age, that that’s as big a motivator as you think it is,” Steinbrenner said. “Twenty, twenty-five years ago? Different generation, just a different scenario.”
In this scenario, the Yankees will bet on patience. There will be change, but it will not be drastic.
As Steinbrenner explained, he sees the offense as the problem. As Cashman explained, they will continue to add as much talent as they can within realistic limits. As Boone said, he believes they had enough talent to win, but they will try to get better at everything. And they will hope that when another unpredictable baseball autumn is done batting them around, they will end up with a title.
It seems the Octobers when the Yankees knew how to pounce are gone.
Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing walks up to first base after getting hit with a pitch during a game against the Cardinals. (Ronaldo Bolanos / Los Angeles Times)
Dodgers catcher Dalton Rushing was scheduled to undergo elbow surgery Wednesday, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation who weren’t authorized to speak publicly on the matter.
To address a partial UCL tear, he was expected to undergo a hybrid internal brace procedure, which would set him up to return to catching full time in nine months. He would be able to hit well before then.
Rushing had two stints on the injured list with a flexor strain in his right forearm, along with the UCL tear. He said last month that imaging suggested the slight tear in his UCL hadn’t worsened since 2022.
Rushing took on a larger role this season when primary catcher Will Smith was sidelined for three months by a nagging neck injury. By Aug. 1, Rushing had already logged 245 plate appearances, dwarfing his 2025 rookie season’s total in the majors (155).
Though he’d carried high workloads in the minors before, being a major-league starting catcher comes with added responsibility. Rushing went through a learning curve juggling his defensive and offensive responsibilities, and navigating intense online scrutiny of his outbursts on the field and in the dugout.
He’d settled into the role, and owned an .809 OPS, when his elbow injury flared while throwing before a game on Aug. 2. He landed on the IL the next day and returned at the beginning of September in a pinch-hitting role.
Rushing logged just four at-bats (0-for-4) before he aggravated the injury trying to build up in a throwing program. He returned again for the last series of the regular season, firmly in a battle for a postseason roster spot as a bat off the bench, and went hitless in three at-bats.
Rushing had initially been hopeful he’d be able to avoid surgery.
“My main plan moving into playing every day in the future is, make sure that my body can hold whatever stress or whatever is needed for this team — first base, behind the plate, whatever they need,” Rushing told the Times last month. “I want to make sure my body can handle it and do it for 162.”
Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) reacts after striking out during the first inning against the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Shohei Ohtani was a diminished version of himself over the final two months of the Dodgers season and postseason, dealing with injuries to his left knee and right biceps. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said Wednesday that surgery won’t be necessary for Ohtani this offseason for either injury.
“[Surgery] is not on the table. He got assessed, and had a lot of stuff going on,” Friedman told reporters at an end-of season press conference on Wednesday at Dodger Stadium, as shown on SportsNet LA. “Knee was bothering him off and on, and it was a little bit of an unfortunate game of whack-a-mole. The knee got to a better spot, and then the bicep area was bothering him. Just a number of different things, some that would calm down for some period, some that would get re-irritated. It was a lot of things to try to contend with at once.”
Ohtani homered in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series, snapping a stretch of 155 plate appearances without a home run, dating back to August 18. In eight postseason games, Ohtani had five hits in 26 at-bats with four walks, that home run, a hit by pitch, and a stolen base, hitting .192/.323/.308 with 10 strikeouts.
“It’s hard to tell at this point,” Ohtani said after Game 4 of the NLCS, through interpreter Will Ireton, when asked about potential surgery in the offseason. “It’s something that’s going to be analyzed and discussed over the offseason and see if that’s a viable thing to do.”
Through August 18, when Ohtani hit his last regular season home run, Ohtani was hitting .294/.390/.558 with a 153 wRC+ and 30 home runs, at that time leading the National League in OPS and slugging percentage, and second in on-base percentage and wRC+. Afterward, Ohtani hit .167/.298/.240 with just the one home run in his last 26 games, including the postseason.
“The injury started in early July. Through mid-August he was still, I think, the consensus MVP,” Friedman said. “Us continuing to put our heads together and understand where things are at at any given time, I think will increase our chances of him doing what is completely unprecedented, and the toll that it takes for him to be able to do it, impact our team in the regular season to accomplish our regular season goal, and then be in a good position going into October. Exactly what that looks like, we don’t know right now.”
Even though Ohtani didn’t pitch after July 3, and even with his missing 17 games in September, Ohtani still batted 618 times and faced 340 batters as a pitcher. His 958 total plate appearances in which he was directly involved were still most in the major leagues, 7.2 percent more than Marlins ace pitcher Sandy Alcantara, whose 894 batters faced were most among pitchers.
Ohtani said he plans to pitch again in 2027. Friedman reiterated that on Wednesday, and said he expected Ohtani to be ready for the start of spring training. Ohtani in his 14 starts had a 1.79 ERA and 2.73 xERA with 95 strikeouts and 26 walks in 85 2/3 innings, and lasted at least six innings in 13 of his 14 starts.
“This is unprecedented what he’s doing,” Friedman said. “I’m not only expecting him to pitch, we’re excited about him pitching. So now it’s about, how do we do that? How do we manage though a long season and have him at his best going into October. That’s a challenge, and we’ve got to figure it out together.”
The team has talked previously about how to manage Ohtani’s workload, but whether that means building in more rest days throughout the season remains to be seen.
“We’re going to have to be very deliberate about it on all sides, because the value is incredible,” Friedman said Wednesday. “Therefore it’s incumbent upon all of us to figure out the best way to do it.”
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - MAY 26: Ramón Laureano #5 of the San Diego Padres is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a home run against the Philadelphia Phillies during the eighth inning at Petco Park on May 26, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The San Diego Padres made a trade in 2025 to acquire outfielder Ramón Laureano from the Baltimore Orioles. 1B/OF Ryan O’Hearn was also acquired in the trade, but he was a free agent at the end of the 2025 season.
Laureano had a second year on his contract after the Padres exercised the option for 2026. He received $6.5 million for the season but was on the injured list from June 2 through the remainder of the season.
Laureano had been playing for several seasons with a partially torn labrum in his right hip but the injury worsened and surgery was required. The recovery is typically 4-5 months and took the outfielder out of the Padres plans for the remainder of the season.
President of baseball operations A.J. Preller joined manager Craig Stammen for the year-end press interviews on Oct. 14. Preller updated Laureano’s status, detailing his rehab progress and stating that he had received daily text messages from Laureano with updates on his status during the postseason. He had committed to being ready if the Padres made it to the championship round and had been working diligently in Arizona to make that happen.
Should Preller re-sign Laureano
The diminutive outfielder (5-foot-9, 203 pounds) is 32 years old and made his debut with the Oakland Athletics in 2018. Over the nine seasons since his debut, Laureano has played for the A’s, the Cleveland Guardians, Atlanta Braves and signed with Baltimore prior to the 2025 season.
After being traded to the Padres, Laureano went on a power surge and ended up hitting 24 home runs with 76 RBI. That success prompted the Padres to pick up the option on his contract for the 2026 season.
Prior to his trip to the injured list, Laureano did not have a good start to the season. He admitted after his injury was revealed that he had been dealing with it for years and should have had it taken care of sooner.
In the 53 games played before his exit, Laureano hit .203 with a .660 OPS. His career batting average is .250 with a .760 OPS. He has a 111 OPS+ for his nine seasons as a major league player.
With many players reaching free agency this offseason and the pending labor disruption, the Padres could benefit from offering Laureano a prove-it contract before Dec. 1.
Ramón Laureano wanted to play in the postseason
After he worked through his rehab under Padres medical staff, they are uniquely qualified to determine his outlook for next season. If he was a candidate to join the roster for the playoffs then he should be fully healthy for next season.
The best that Laureano can hope for after missing most of 2026 is a “prove-it” contract. Should he choose to test the market he would likely only be offered minor league deals with other teams.
A bargain option
A prove-it deal would guarantee a Spring Training inclusion and an opportunity to win the left field job. The other players on the roster that would be competing for that job would be Samad Taylor and Dustin Harris. The player brought up to replace him when he was placed on the IL was Jase Bowen. Bowen is a valuable defensive replacement and pinch runner but hit .146 with a .438 OPS in 96 at-bats. Taylor and Harris are under contracts and the only other outfielder, Austin Hays, is a free agent.
Looking at his performance numbers and injury history, it seems reasonable that Laureano would sign for $1-3 million guaranteed with performance incentives. Any other team would require health verification and would likely not guarantee him anything. As a returning player for 2027, the Padres should be able to work with the outfielder and secure a slightly better-than-league-average player for minimal cost.
PITTSBURGH, PA - SEPTEMBER 16: Brandon Lowe #5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates rounds the bases on his two-run home run in the fifth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on September 16, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The current state of the Washington Nationals’ offense, especially after the trade deadline departures of Luis Garcia Jr. and Curtis Mead, is heavily driven by the dynamic duo that is James Wood and CJ Abrams.
The lineup does include a handful of decent complementary pieces, including Keibert Ruiz and Daylen Lile, but is lacking both consistency and depth. Financial frustrations have led to Abrams and Wood’s names being floated in trade discussions, both hypothetical and legitimate, and their long-term futures with the team remain uncertain. Prospects like Eli Willits and Seaver King will look to break into the big leagues and give the MLB roster a boost, but relying on minor leaguers to carry the weight of a lineup that hopes to play in October is far from a sure thing.
The trade market could help, but Washington’s low payroll gives them no excuse not to add offensive pieces in free agency. The roster’s need to bolster the pitching rotation indicates that much of the front office’s offseason focus will be directed toward arms, but President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni could lean on his growing pitching pipeline and be more aggressive with free agent hitters.
If, and that’s a big if, they choose to play ball with some of the bigger bats available, former Pittsburgh Pirate Brandon Lowe is a player that could really intrigue the Nats’ brass.
Lowe is coming off his best statistical season to date based on bWAR, cruising past his previous high of 4.6 with an impressive 5.4 in 2025. The 9-year veteran absolutely raked after being traded to Pittsburgh, appearing in 150 games and putting up a .260/.331/.493/824. slash line and mashing 35 home runs with 96 RBI.
Washington has solid power output if all of their big-time hitters are clicking at the same time, but adding a bat like Lowe could instantly raise both the ceiling and floor of the offense. He’s eclipsed the 30-HR mark in every season he’s played over 110 games in, and has been a 110 OPS+ bat in all but one year. His 3rd percentile Whiff% wouldn’t do much to improve the Nats’ strikeout issues, but he has the pop to out-slug any concerns in that area.
Addressing the position fit with Lowe, the 32-year-old has the ability to play 2B, fill in at 1B, or become the primary DH to maximize his offensive output. If Washington fully moves Abrams off of SS, Lowe could be the primary DH with smaller stints at 1B and 2B to increase the roster’s positional flexibility.
As with just about any above-average free agent in today’s MLB, Lowe will certainly not come with a low price tag. He won’t break the bank, but to secure his services, the Nats will have to commit multiple years and a good chunk of cash.
Spotrac has his market value listed at 4 years, $91,240,000, and it could get even higher with the lack of impact bats available. It will be remarkably difficult for the Nats to reach a contending level without getting things done in free agency, especially if one (or both) of Abrams and Wood leave via trade, and Lowe fits their window perfectly as a bat who can anchor the lineup as their contending window looks to open in the near future.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have fired manager Kurt Suzuki after he lost 100 games in his only season in charge of the long-struggling club.
Baseball operations consultant John Mozeliak announced Wednesday that the Angels declined the option on Suzuki’s contract and would open a search for a new manager in 2027. Suzuki has been offered the opportunity to stay with the organization as a special assistant.
“Kurt has earned tremendous respect in our clubhouse, and I’ve seen firsthand how much he cares about our players,” Mozeliak said in a statement. “I do not believe our record this year was a true reflection of his true abilities as a manager.”
Mozeliak indicated he made the decision in coordination with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment, which reached a deal to purchase controlling ownership from Arte Moreno on Sept. 1. The sale is not expected to close until next year, but the sports conglomerate run by Los Angeles Rams owner Stan Kroenke is already making significant changes to its beleaguered baseball team.
The Angels went 62-100 — the first 100-loss season in franchise history — and finished last in the AL West in their only season under Suzuki, who ended his 16-year major league playing career as a catcher for the Angels in 2021-22. Suzuki had never been a manager at any level before he was given the job by general manager Perry Minasian, who had employed Suzuki as his special assistant for the previous three seasons.
Minasian was fired by Moreno last June, and longtime St. Louis Cardinals GM Mozeliak stepped in on a temporary basis to run the front office while leading the search for a permanent GM to replace him. That transition plan has been thrown into flux by Moreno’s decision to sell, and Mozeliak didn’t indicate whether he has a long-term future in his own job, although he said he had been looking “toward 2027 and beyond” while reaching the decision to fire Suzuki.
Mozeliak also indicated that Suzuki’s entire coaching staff is not expected to return in its current positions, but some members had been offered staff positions in the organization.
Mozeliak already fired Suzuki’s pitching coach, Mike Maddux, and two staffers in August because he felt the team wasn’t making sufficient use of the technology and analytics available to its pitchers. Mozeliak promoted Tim Leveque, the Angels’ Double-A pitching coach, to the major league staff at the time.
Suzuki’s replacement will be the seventh manager, including interims, to lead the team in nine seasons since it parted with Mike Scioscia after the 2018 season. The Angels have had 11 consecutive losing seasons and 12 straight non-playoff seasons, both the longest active skids in the major leagues.
The Angels now have MLB’s third current managerial vacancy, all in the AL West. The Seattle Mariners and the Houston Astros also parted ways with their managers after the season.
CHICAGO, IL - CIRCA 1990: George Bell #11 of the Toronto Blue Jays bats against the Chicago White Sox during an Major League Baseball game circa 1990 at Comiskey Park in Chicago, Illinois. Bell played for the Blue Jays from 1981-90. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Today marks George Bell’s 67th birthday.
Born in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic, George Bell comes from a baseball family. His brother Juan Bell played seven seasons in the majors as a utility infielder, and two other brothers also played professionally. George signed with the Phillies as an amateur free agent in 1978 before the Blue Jays acquired him in the 1980 Rule 5 draft—one of the best Rule 5 acquisitions in history.
Because Rule 5 draft picks must remain on the major league roster or be returned to their original team, George spent the strike-shortened 1981 season with the Blue Jays. Although he was a bit overmatched, appearing in 60 games and hitting .233/.256/.350, he still managed to receive a couple ofRookie of the Year votes.
Believing he had earned a roster spot the following year, George was disappointed when the Jays sent him to Syracuse. It turned out to be a tough season: he contracted mononucleosis in April, injured his left knee in June, and, upon returning, suffered a broken jaw after being hit by a pitch. Perhaps as a result, George became especially sensitive to being hit and charged the mound multiple times. He began 1983 in the minors once more but was called up for good in July.
In 1984, Bell became a full-time player for the Blue Jays. Manager Bobby Cox used a complex platoon system in the outfield: Bell played left field against left-handed pitchers and right field against right-handers, swapping with Jesse Barfield and Davey Collins. As a young outfielder, Bell possessed a decent arm and adequate range, though Barfield’s arm was superior.
That season, George played 159 games and hit .292/.326/.498, tallying 39 doubles, 26 home runs, 87 RBI, and 11 stolen bases. He received MVP votes, finished 8th in the American League in total bases, and 3rd in doubles.
After the season, the Jays traded Dave Collins to Oakland, paving the way for Bell, Lloyd Moseby and Jesse Barfield to play full-time—which became the best outfield in Blue Jays history. They played together until Barfield was traded early in 1989. All three were outstanding offensively and had strong arms; Moesby and Barfield excelled defensively, while Bell’s range declined over time due to knee issues from injuries and playing on Toronto’s hard artificial surface. He also struggled with errors.
In 1985, Bell had another stellar year, hitting .275/.327/.479 with 28 home runs, 95 RBI, and a career-high 21 stolen bases. He won the Silver Slugger Award and finished 8th in MVP voting, just behind Barfield. The Jays reached the postseason for the first time, with many remembering Bell catching the final out to clinch the AL East title and collapsing to his knees in celebration. In the seven-game ALCS, Bell batted .321 with nine hits and three doubles, but the Jays ultimately lost to the Royals.
Bell’s offensive numbers improved further in 1986: he hit .309/.349/.532, with 31 home runs, 108 RBI, 101 runs, and another Silver Slugger Award. He finished 4th in MVP voting—one spot ahead of Barfield—while Roger Clemens took home the award.
Bell’s breakout season came in 1987, when he hit .308/.352/.605 with 47 home runs, 134 RBI, and 111 runs. He won another Silver Slugger Award, made his first All-Star team, and became the first player from a Canadian team to win the league MVP, edging out Alan Trammell of the Tigers. The vote stirred controversy after the Jays suffered a late-season slump, losing their final eight games and allowing the Tigers to capture the AL East. Bell struggled in those final games, hitting just .111, while Lloyd Moseby was the only Jay to avoid a slump.
The next season brought changes for Bell and the Jays. Manager Jimy Williams moved Bell to designated hitter and gave top prospect Sil Campusano a spot in the outfield. The plan quickly unraveled: Bell was vocal about his displeasure with DH duties, and Campusano struggled. Williams’ tenure was short and turbulent, partly due to Bell’s unhappiness. Despite this, Bell became the first major leaguer to hit three home runs on opening day, though his overall numbers declined significantly.
Bell rebounded in 1989, hitting .297/.330/.458 with 18 home runs, 41 doubles, and 104 RBI. He finished fourth in a close MVP race, with Robin Yount taking the award. The Jays returned to the playoffs, but Bell struggled in the five-game series loss to the A’s, batting just .200 with one home run.
1990 marked Bell’s final season with the Blue Jays, and it was a disappointing one—he hit .265/.303/.422 with 21 home runs and 86 RBI. Afterward, he signed with the Cubs as a free agent, enjoyed a solid season, and was then traded to the White Sox for Sammy Sosa—a deal that favored the Cubs. Bell played two seasons with the White Sox before being released in 1993 following critical comments about manager Gene Lamont after being replaced in the playoff lineup by Bo Jackson.
Bell finished his impressive 12-year career with 265 home runs, 1,002 RBI, and a .278 batting average. He was an aggressive hitter who rarely walked, and his defense declined over time—though his arm was underrated. From 1984–1987, only Barfield and Glenn Wilson recorded more outfield assists. Early in his career, Bell was a capable outfielder, but playing on artificial turf took a toll on his knees and reduced his range. He also resisted a move to designated hitter, seeing it as an affront to his pride.
Bell was a fearsome hitter, holding the Jays’ single-season home run record (47) until Jose Bautista hit 54 in 2010. Angels manager Gene Mauch called him “the most intimidating hitter in baseball.” Bell was known for aggressively attacking the first pitch, especially fastballs.
Baseball historian Bill James once ranked Bell as the 62nd-best left fielder of all time, though he may have slipped a few spots since then. Rob Neyer named him the Blue Jays’ best left fielder ever, and Bell is honored on the Rogers Centre’s Level of Excellence.
Bell was also known for his fiery temper. Many recall his flying kick at pitcher Bruce Kison after being hit by a pitch. He was ejected from 13 games and often clashed with the media and managers. Notably, he once invited Canadian fans to “kiss my Dominican ass.” I think the word purple was in there somewhere. While some of his confrontations stemmed from cultural differences, much was attributed to his hotheadedness. His reputation may have shortened his career, but by all accounts, he was a loyal teammate and friend.
Bell later assisted the Dominican Republic’s World Baseball Classic team and developed into a skilled golfer. He is married and has four sons.
Happy birthday, George. Wishing you all the best.
Today marks the 71st birthday of Jerry Garvin, the original left-handed pitcher for the Blue Jays.
Garvin was selected as the Blue Jays’ fourth pick in the 1976 expansion draft, coming over from the Minnesota Twins.
Garvin started the Blue Jays’ third-ever game as a rookie in 1977, delivering eight strong innings in a 3–1 win over the White Sox. He allowed five hits and four walks, striking out two. Pete Vuckovich earned the save, while Canadian Dave McKay drove in two runs and Gary Woods added another.
That year, Garvin started 34 games, finishing with a 10–18 record and a 4.19 ERA. Remarkably, he logged 244.1 innings and completed 12 games as a 21-year-old rookie. For perspective, no Blue Jay has thrown more than 240 innings in a season since David Price in 2014, and Garvin’s total still ranks 17th in franchise history. Unfortunately, arm issues caused him to miss significant time over the next few seasons.
Garvin was renowned for his exceptional pick-off move, famously recording 26 pick-offs at first base in 1977—a feat noted on his Wikipedia page.
In 1978, Garvin appeared in 26 games (22 starts), posting a 4–12 record with a 5.54 ERA across 144.2 innings. His workload diminished in 1979, as he pitched in only eight games.
By 1980, Garvin transitioned to a full-time bullpen role, appearing in 61 relief outings with a 2.28 ERA and eight saves over 82.2 innings.
In 1981, he pitched in 35 games (four starts), posting a 3.40 ERA over 53 innings.
Garvin’s final season came in 1982, when he made 32 appearances (four starts) with a 7.25 ERA in 58.1 innings.
Over six seasons, Garvin compiled a 20–41 record and a 4.43 ERA in 196 games, including 65 starts.
Happy birthday, Jerry.
Today, Danny Barnes celebrates his 37th birthday.
Barnes was selected in the 35th round of the 2010 draft.
He worked his way gradually through the minor league system but broke out in 2016, posting a stellar 0.73 ERA across 61.1 innings between New Hampshire and Buffalo.
Barnes received his first major league call-up in August and returned in September, appearing in 12 games with a 3.95 ERA.
In 2017, Barnes joined the Blue Jays in mid-April and remained with the team all season, pitching in 60 games with a 3.55 ERA, a 3–6 record, and 11 holds.
The 2018 season was more challenging, as Barnes posted a 5.71 ERA over 47 games, though he managed eight holds, most of which came early in the year.
Barnes was designated for assignment and outrighted to Buffalo before the 2019 season, spending much of that year on the injured list.
Happy birthday, Danny.
Today marks Gabe Gross’s 47th birthday.
Gross was the Blue Jays’ first-round pick in the 2001 draft.
He was ranked among Baseball America’s top 100 prospects prior to both the 2002 (#75) and 2004 (#72) seasons.
Gross appeared in 44 games for the Blue Jays in 2004, hitting .209/.311/.310 with three home runs, and 40 games in 2005, hitting .250/.324/.348 with one home run.
Following the 2005 season, he was traded to the Brewers along with Dave Bush and Zach Jackson in exchange for Lyle Overbay and Ty Taubenheim.
Gross spent two and a half seasons with the Brewers, hitting .251/.357/.440 with 16 home runs over 226 games. He was then traded to the Rays, where he played two seasons and hit .235/.333/.396 with 19 home runs in 242 games. He finished his MLB career with a season in Oakland.
In total, Gross played seven MLB seasons and 657 games, compiling a .239/.330/.385 batting line with 40 home runs. While he didn’t quite live up to early prospect expectations, he put together a respectable career.
3 Nov 2001: Luis Gonzalez #20 of the Arizona Diamondbacks swings at a pitch during game 6 of the World Series against the New York Yankees at Bank One Ballpark in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks beat the Yankees 15-2 to force a game 7. DIGITAL IMAGE Mandatory Credit: Jeff Gross/ALLSPORT | Getty Images
With the 25th anniversary of the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 2001 World Series title approaching, MLB Network Presents will debut Destined: The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday, October 29th at 5 p.m. Arizona time. Marking the 50th film in the MLB Network Presents series since its launch in 2015, the 90-minute documentary recounts the remarkable rise of the Diamondbacks from expansion franchise to World Series Champions in four seasons, culminating in their unforgettable seven-game victory over the three-time defending champion New York Yankees in 2001.
Among those interviewed are World Series co-MVPs Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling, former Diamondbacks general manager Joe Garagiola Jr., 2001 manager Bob Brenly, and championship players Jay Bell, Steve Finley, Luis Gonzalez, Mark Grace, Damian Miller, Reggie Sanders, Matt Williams and Tony Womack. Together, they provide firsthand perspectives on the organization’s beginnings, the construction of the championship roster and the experiences that defined the 2001 season.
“When you put the right people in the right room, there is no unachievable goal. …I think the 2001 season was the perfect baseball season for that team … everything about it was perfect,” said Schilling during the film.
MLB Network Presents – Destined: The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks features past-and-present-day interviews, along with extensive archival footage from the Diamondbacks’ historic 2001 season. The film revisits the decisions, personalities and performances that shaped one of the fastest championship ascents in MLB history, from the organization’s creation to the arrival of Johnson and the credibility he brought to the franchise.
Destined: The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks details Gonzalez’s leadership and career year as well as big-game pitcher Schilling joining forces with Johnson to form a historic combination atop Arizona’s starting rotation. Featured in the film, Schilling shares original notes he took with him to the dugout during his playing career, offering a look at the preparation and attention to detail behind his performance during Arizona’s championship run.
The film also explores how Brenly proved to be the right manager for a veteran roster largely united by a common goal: winning the first World Series championship in franchise history. Destined: The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks reflects on the 2001 World Series against the backdrop of the September 11th attacks, including the emotional return of World Series baseball to New York, a series of dramatic late-inning finishes and Arizona’s comeback against Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7, capped by Gonzalez’s championship-winning hit.
The film features new footage and exclusive access captured during the Diamondbacks’ 25th anniversary ceremony for the 2001 championship team this past September, as former teammates reunited to commemorate their historic season.
Destined: The 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks marks the 50th film in the series and will re-air following its premiere at 11:30 p.m. ET/8:30 p.m. PT on MLB Network.
WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 13: Kurt Suzuki #8 of the Los Angeles Angels watches the game in the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on September 13, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Greg Fiume/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Anaheim Angels have announced that manager Kurt Suzuki will not return as the team’s manager in 2027.
In my much younger days, I regularly watched the HBO stand up comedy specials. One that I watched probably dozens of times was the 13th Annual Young Comedians Special, which came out in 1989. Dennis Miller hosted the special, and the young comedians were Jann Karam, Drake Sather, Rob Schneider, David Spade, Fred Stoller, and Warren Thomas. Stoller, now a character and voice-over actor, wrote a book about the experience, and how each of their lives and careers progressed afterwards, which is a really good read.
Sather had a particular line that stuck with me:
People get so weird when celebrities die. I was watching this documentary on Fred Astaire. They said “Friends and family were shocked at the death of the 88-year-old.” Yeah, I was shocked, too: I thought he died 10 years ago.
Similarly, my first reaction was, damn, I thought the Angels canned Suzuki well before now.
Actually, my first reaction to reading this was, “Wait, isn’t Ron Washington the Angels’ manager?” before remembering that he was fired in the middle of the 2025 season. But then after that it was, oh yeah, they hired Suzuki, and I thought he was cut loose already. That’s probably because general manager Perry Minasian — who, like Suzuki, was under contract only through the end of the 2026 season — was fired four months ago, and while I knew Suzuki was not fired at the same time as Minasian was, I think in my mind I had just already consigned Suzuki to the ranks of former managers.
Suzuki appeared to be brought in as a caretaker manager. He was hired as the manager exactly one year ago after the Angels failed to convince Albert Pujols to take the job. Suzuki had been in the front office as a special assistant to the general manager since 2023, after spending the previous two seasons as part of the Angels’ active roster. The announcement today indicated Suzuki had been offered the opportunity to return to his previous role.
Suzuki is now the second A.L. West manager who is a former major league catcher to be fired this month, with the Mariners’ having terminated Dan Wilson already. Another A.L. West team, the Astros, fired their manager, Joe Espada, though he was never a major league catcher. I don’t think the Rangers’ other divisional rival, the Sacramento A’s, have fired their manager this year, though honestly, I’m not really sure they have a manager. They may just pick a random fan from the stands every game to fill out the lineup card and make pitching changes.
