Category: Baseball

Yesterday in the Moose Tracks, commenter Search4honor posed this question:

For those who were here before the 2022 season. Is the way Colt Emerson is being talked about prior to spring training the same as Julio Rodríguez?

As someone who contributedsignificantlyto the way in which Julio Rodríguez was talked about as a young prospect, this is something that caught my eye. I first met Julio as a 17-year-old, anxious to practice his English in one of his first stateside interviews, outside the complex in Peoria. By the next year, Julio was interacting with fans, sitting in the stands at spring training games and surprising fans with merch from the Mariners team store. There’s something about Julio that always felt inevitable, a storm brewing from the DSL complex to a tour of small-town America, gathering steam until he arrived in Seattle in 2022 as the Rookie of the Year.

By contrast, Colt Emerson’s ascent has been quieter. While Julio had to share the prospect spotlight with Jarred Kelenic, the two of them always vying for gold vs. silver in the system rankings, it was always the two of them, a significant gap, and then everyone else. Emerson, on the other hand, might be the Mariners’ de facto top prospect at most outlets, but he shares the Mariners top ten with a raft of other Top-100 prospects. Like Cole Young before him, Emerson also suffers somewhat from the “jack of all trades, master of none” label, lacking a standout skill – like Julio’s prodigious power, or at least the kind of skill that generates breathless highlight reels on social media.

It’s understandable: Julio was in conversation for the top prospect spot in all of baseball with fellow wunderkinds Adley Rutschman, who plays the hardest position on a baseball diamond, and five-tool player Bobby Witt Jr. Emerson isn’t in those kinds of conversations nationally, especially not as a shortstop in a deep prospect class for the position. The top four prospects on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 are all shortstops: Konnor Griffin (PIT), Kevin McGonigle (DET), Jesus Madé (MIL) and Leo De Vries (Athletics). (Emerson lands at number nine, behind another two infielders, JJ Wetherholt and Sebastian Wolcott.)

The context the Mariners were in at the time also bears mentioning. When Julio was on his way up, the Mariners were deep in a stepback, and the bright but distant star of Julio twinkling on the horizon soothed many Mariners fans after another grueling loss. However, now that wave of prospects has crested and is contributing at the big-league level. Emerson, on the other hand, feels like a complementary piece rather than a rising tide that lifts all the boats – but is that a fair characterization considering Emerson’s track of minor-league success so far? Or, as JasonRyan put it: Julio had to be better than everyone; Emerson just has to supplant the M’s current underwhelming in-house infield options. But again, is that something to hold against Emerson?

Let us know what you think in the comments; we’d be especially interested in hearing from those of you who have watched Emerson play in person.

Baseball player insurance concerns potentially could cause one country to drop out of the World Baseball Classic.

On Saturday, officials from Team Puerto Rico said they might withdraw the team from the tournament after learning eight of their 10 players would be denied coverage, according to The Athletic.

“That option is on the table,” said Joey Sola, Team Puerto Rico’s operations manager told The Athletic. “It obviously will depend upon if we can figure out the substitute players.”

Mets captain Francisco Lindor was one of the big-name players who had to withdraw from the tournament Friday because he was denied coverage after undergoing two surgeries on his right elbow in the past three seasons.

Fortunately for Mets fans, Lindor is expected to be ready for spring training.

The insurance concerns stem from the numerous injuries players suffered in the 2023 WBC tournament. Mets fans remember when closer Edwin Díaz, now with the Dodgers, suffered a harrowing right knee injury in that tournament that cost him the season.

Jose Altuve also broke his thumb in that year’s event, which was a months-long injury.

According to The Athletic, those injuries from the last tournament caused insurance for big leaguers to grow considerably more expensive, forcing the league’s insurer to become more stringent on which players it approves.

Astros third baseman Carlos Correa, Blue Jays right-hander José Berríos and Twins catcher Victor Caratini are among the other Puerto Rican players who were not cleared to play — though the cases of Correa, Berríos and several others are under review, Sola told the website.

Team officials fear if some of those reviews aren’t overturned, they will be unable to get enough substitutes to field a quality team.

If Puerto Rico can’t field a team it would be especially harmful because it‘s scheduled to host the first round of the WBC in San Juan from March 6-11.

Puerto Rico is in a pool that also includes Canada, Colombia, Cuba and Panama.

MLB declined comment as the statuses for many players in different countries are still to be decided. National Financial Partners, an official partner of the league that brokers insurance policy did not immediately respond to request for comment, according to The Athletic.

MLB and the Players Association, co-owners of the tournament, are lobbying the insurer to change some decisions before the rosters are due Tuesday.

They are scheduled to be announced Thursday.

The offseason may almost be over, but the Braves have widely been rumored to still be looking to add a starting pitcher and there are plenty left on the open market, as well as some presumably available via trade. The biggest fish in free agency is Framber Valdez and there has been some buzz about him and the Braves for months now. This connection was reaffirmed on Saturday by Mark Feinsand. Valdez is a good pitcher getting into his mid-30s and would cost a draft pick to sign. Perhaps his availability this late into the offseason could result in a bit more team friendly of a deal, combined with those other factors, making it a more palatable signing for this front office. If not, there are plenty of other options available.

Braves News

MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand listed the Braves as a potential suitor for the top remaining free agent, Framber Valdez.

The Braves hosted some player panels, featuring the team’s Rookie of the Year winners, star pitchers, and infielders.

MLB News

The Giants signed contact savant Luis Arraez to a one year deal to play second base for the club.

The White Sox signed outfielder Austin Hays to a one year guaranteed deal with a mutual option for a second year.

Some quirks with insurance rules for players playing in the WBC are impacting which players can play and how they can be used, warranting some forward-facing scrutiny.

SNY | John Flanigan: A couple of weeks ago, the Yankees sent four prospects to the Miami Marlins to acquire exciting, yet injury-prone lefty Ryan Weathers to fortify their rotation. Weathers, who posted a 3.99 ERA in 38.1 innings last year with 37 strikeouts, still hasn’t hit his ceiling according to pitching coach Matt Blake.

“This is an exciting arm,” the pitching coach said on Yankee Hot Stove, per SNY. “It’s a kid who I’ve been following since high school when we were scouting him in the Amateur Draft, he’s done a nice job of growing into a major league version of himself. The biggest thing is just keeping him on the field. We have to do a good job of having a nice onramp for him this spring and keeping him healthy, but an electric arm with a nice arsenal — there’s definitely a ceiling for him he hasn’t touched yet.”

The 26-year-old southpaw possess a big fastball that averaged about 97 mph last year, so if Blake and the Yanks can optimize it and improve his consistency with his breaking stuff, he could have some untapped potential. The coach even discussed a plan for Weathers, involving more two-seamers “to help open the zone for his four-seam fastball and sweeper.” For more on Weathers, check out my colleague Peter’s analysis of Weathers from shortly after he was acquired.

The Athletic | Brendan Kuty ($): On Friday, Jon Heyman reported that the Yankees were interested in some free agents, including right-hander Nick Martinez and Michael Kopech, plus outfielders Austin Slater and Randal Grichuk. He also said that Paul Goldschmidt was willing to return to the organization (Jack Curry had previously noted that the Yankees had discussed a Goldy return as well).

Well, on Saturday, it was revealed that the Yanks had already sent an big-league offer to Slater, a right-handed hitter who has fared well against lefties and whose potential arrival would theoretically force Jasson Domínguez out of the picture for semi-regular playing time. That being said, it isn’t known at the time whether or not the offer to Slater is still on the table (Cody Bellinger’s now-official contract could’ve change plans), and it’s also unclear when it was submitted. Slater had a .726 OPS against southpaws in 2025, encouraging New York to acquire him from the White Sox midseason, but a hamstring injury sidelined him almost immediately and he was a nonfactor in 14 games for the Yankees.

MLB.com | Theo DeRosa: Yankees reliever Camilo Doval has been added to the Dominican Republic roster for the 2026 World Baseball Classic, joining a fantastic collection of talent lead by players such as Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Julio Rodríguez, Fernando Tatis Jr., and others. Doval took part in the 2023 edition of the tournament, pitching 2.1 scoreless frames with three punchouts back then. The 6-foot-2 righty is expected to be a key cog in the Yankees’ late-inning mix come Opening Day.

The 2026 Dodgers made their first public appearance Saturday, getting raucous ovations at Dodger Stadium during the team’s annual Fanfest event.

And with most players in attendance, the afternoon provided some clarity on where the team stands two weeks before the start of spring training.

Here are eight things we learned entering the new season:

–– Tommy Edman said it’s a “possibility” that he’ll be ready for opening day after having ankle surgery this offseason. But the utilityman also cautioned that he will be ramping up at a slower pace this spring following the procedure, in which he had a ligament repaired and bone spurs removed. Edman has been out of his walking boot for the last 2 ½ weeks, and began baseball activities again in recent days. He said he has “hit every checkpoint along the way of the recovery.”

–– Blake Snell expounded on the physical issues that have caused him to slow-play his winter throwing program and put his chances of being ready for opening day in some doubt, as The California Post previously reported on last week. The left-hander said the shoulder issue that sidelined him for most of the first half last season continued to be an issue during the postseason, and that he spent much of this offseason in physical therapy. “It’s stronger (now),” Snell said. “(From) the day that I went into PT to the day I left, it’s night and day in strength and how it feels. Throwing, it feels good. I’m just going to ramp up slower. That’s all I’m doing.”

–– Roki Sasaki is the Dodgers’ only Japanese player not participating in this spring’s World Baseball Classic, and revealed Saturday that it was ultimately the Dodgers’ decision. “You always feel that you want to play on a special stage, and I wanted to do that again this time,” Sasaki said in Japanese. “But I talked to the team, and it’s the team’s decision, so I’m going to focus on getting ready for the season.” Sasaki was the only Japanese player the Dodgers could directly prevent from playing in the WBC, since he spent so much time on the 60-day injured list last season with a shoulder injury.

–– Freddie Freeman is also not participating in the WBC for Team Canada, but said it was because of a personal situation, not any health-related issues: “I wasn’t going to be able to go out there and play and be in Puerto Rico (for Canada’s group stage games), and be that far from my family. I needed to be close to California. That’s all I’ll say. But it’s personal.”

–– Coming off a career-worst season offensively in 2025, Mookie Betts said he focused on “re-wiring my body” in his offseason work this winter. “It’s more just re-wiring my mechanics, my brain, the motor patterns,” he said. Last spring, Betts felt as good as he ever had in camp. A mid-March stomach virus, however, sapped him of his strength and got his swing “out of whack,” resulting in .258 batting average and .732 OPS.

“It was kinda like a snowball effect,” he added. “Now I’ve gotten to put the training wheels on, take my time, and really stack positive days over and over. Now we’re in a really good spot.”

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–– A couple players showed up at Fanfest with noticeably different physiques. Starting pitcher River Ryan, a former top prospect who missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, said he added roughly 30 pounds of muscle during his rehab process, bulking up from 195 to 225. “I can throw a lot harder, a lot easier,” he joked. Reliever Brusdar Graterol, on the other hand, slimmed down about 15 pounds this winter after missing all of last year recovering from shoulder surgery. Both are expected to be ready for opening day.

–– Dave Roberts hasn’t decided exactly how the Dodgers’ batting order will look in the wake of Kyle Tucker’s signing, but he did drop some hints, saying Ohtani will still lead off, Betts will likely hit third, and Will Smith will hit fifth. That presumably leaves Kyle Tucker and Freeman for the Nos. 2 and 4 spots, in some order.

–– The Dodgers have ample pitching depth entering spring training, leaving a couple players with yet-to-be-determined roles. Both Justin Wrobleski and Kyle Hurt said they were unsure if they’d be used as starters or relievers this year, and were planning to build up to multiple innings in camp. Ben Casparius said he is “loosely” viewing himself as a reliever, but will also be ready to build up to longer outings if needed.

Dodger Stadium has hosted playoff games, parades, and pressure that can crush a season before it even begins. On Saturday, it hosted something for the very first time: a fan festival for back-to-back World Series Champions. 

An estimated 30,000 fans poured into Chavez Ravine for the 2026 Dodgers FanFest, and an opportunity to see their beloved Boys in Blue since the confetti settled on the celebration in November. 

The early hours felt like a block party dressed in blue.

Fans drifted through centerfield plaza lined with interactive games, sponsor activations, live music, and the familiar chaos of Dodger Dogs and cold beers disappearing faster than winter should allow. VIP experiences pulled fans into places usually reserved for October tension, while exclusive merchandise flew off the racks like souvenirs from a dynasty still in progress.

But what stood out wasn’t the scale, it was the ease in which the players interacted with the fans. 

Blake Snell ran along the barriers passing out first bumps. Anthony Banda blushed as women screamed out his name, telling him they “loved him.” In fact, for all the players in attendance, the screams never stopped. But neither did the smiles on the defending champions faces.

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“This is always a really fun event,” said Dodgers’ third baseman Max Muncy, after waving to the fans from the Dodgers’ bullpen. “When you come to this event, and you see how excited the fans are, it just really gets you in the right mindset.”

Autograph lines wrapped around pillars. Selfies with players were a currency shared amongst everyone. And when Shohei Ohtani finally appeared, the reaction felt less like baseball and more like a pop culture phenomenon.

“It was like the Beatles in the 60s when Shohei pulled up,” said Brian, a Dodgers fan from Westlake who drove over an hour to be at FanFest.

Ohtani might have gotten the loudest ovation, but Miguel Rojas drew a different kind of roar— louder, deeper, more personal. Re-signed for one final season after his Game 7 heroics, Rojas is now walking into what fans already view as a farewell tour.

“I’m so glad Miguel Rojas is coming back for another year,” said Joey Molloy, a lifelong Dodgers fan attending his sixth FanFest. “He got the biggest ovation by far, outside of Shohei.” 

And yet, even with rings flashing and banners looming, the loudest anticipation centered on something still to come: the first night Edwin Díaz jogs in from the bullpen to “Timmy Trumpets.” Chavez Ravine already knows how it will sound.

“That’s going to hit so hard in this stadium,” said Molloy. 

The chatter across the stadium was equal parts celebration and ambition. Back-to-back World Series titles were celebrated, then immediately filed away. The real conversation was about a three-peat. About becoming the first team since the 1998–2000 Yankees to pull it off. About embracing the villain label that comes with spending, winning, and refusing to apologize for either. “The Dodgers aren’t ruining baseball,” said Stephanie, decked out in a Dodgers Mexican heritage night jersey. “The owners who don’t spend are.”

The day closed with a 90-minute stage show. Dave Roberts didn’t duck the word “three-peat.” Neither did the players. “We’re comfortable with winning,” said Victor Ramirez, an electrician from Eagle Rock. “We’re a little spoiled.”

He’s right. But this is what winning looks like. 

Last week, the Colorado Rockies traded RHP Angel Chivilli to the New York Yankees for first base prospect T.J. Rumsfeld.

Later that day, president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta said of the move,

I wouldn’t say we necessarily wanted to [trade Chivilli], because he obviously has a terrific arm, he’s still very young, he did miss a lot of bats. I think there are a lot of things about Angel that are really attractive. We weren’t anxious to move him, but we did feel like our bullpen is a real area of depth, and there have been clubs asking about a number of our bullpen arms throughout the course of the last couple months. And ultimately, this was a deal that seemed to fit and seemed to come together for us. It wasn’t a situation where we were looking to move him by any stretch, there was just enough interest, and I found a deal that ultimately made sense. But we were dealing from an area of strength where we could then bolster our position player club going forward.

Alexander Wilson of Empire Sports media wrote positively about the potential of the move, referring to Chivilli’s arm as “a high-risk stick of dynamite,” concluding, “I’ll take the dynamite.”

So, Purple Row night owls, here’s the evening’s question: Was trading Chivilli the right move, or should the Rockies have kept him as a reclamation project and moved a different reliever?

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The San Francisco Giants are quietly adding to their roster this winter, just in time for spring training and preparation for the 2026 MLB season.

Luis Arráez and the Giants have agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal, USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale reports.

ESPN was the first to report the news.

Arráez, familiar with San Francisco as a foe, played for the NL West-rival San Diego Padres during the 2025 season.

More San Francisco Giants: Giants, starting pitcher Tyler Mahle reportedly agree to one-year deal

Luis Arráez contract with Giants

Arráez's new deal with the Giants is worth $12 million, according to USA TODAY Sports' Bob Nightengale.

Arráez, who's nickname is "La Regadera" or "The Sprinkler," tallied 181 hits (best in the NL), 61 RBIs, and eight home runs with a .292 batting average in 2025.

He's played seven MLB seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Miami Marlins and Padres, racking up 1,028 hits, 169 doubles, 36 home runs, a .317 batting average and .777 OPS. He's added 31 stolen bases.

Three-time batting champion Luis Arraez signs one year $12 million deal with the San Francisco Giants to be their second baseman. @jorgecastillo on it.

— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 1, 2026

One of top remaining free agents has found a new home.

Luis Arraez has agreed to a one-year contract with the Giants, The Post’s Joel Sherman confirmed.

ESPN reported the deal is worth $12 million.

Arraez, with the Padres last season, led the National League with 180 hits, finishing the year with a .292/.327/.392 slash line across 154 games.

The 28-year-old is an anomaly in modern baseball, a game that now rewards power and slugging over contact hitters.

But Arraez has consistently been the latter in his career, and he won three straight batting titles from 2022-24, leading all of MLB in ’23 with a .354 average.

He’s an incredibly difficult hitter to strike out, as he’s whiffed just 215 times total over seven seasons.

His strikeout (3.5 percent) and swing-and-miss rate (5.3 percent) both ranked in the 100th percentile in MLB in 2025, according to Baseball Savant.

On the flip side, though, his hard hit rate ranks in the 1st percentile.

He’s spent the most of the last two seasons with the Padres, and he’ll now travel north to the Bay Area as the Giants look to make a run in the NL West.

Arraez has the ability to play both corner infield positions and second base, though he spent most of the time — 117 games — at first base in 2025.

The Arraez pickup comes on the heels of outfielder Harrison Bader signing a two-year, $20.5 million contract with the Giants.

The team will have a new look this season, at least in the dugout, with former Tennessee head coach Tony Vitello taking the reins as the new manager.

After an 81-81, campaign, the Giants are looking to get over the hump and back into the postseason for the first time since 2021.

Before the Arraez signing, the Giants ranked third in the NL West in Fangraphs’ projected WAR at 38.1.

The San Francisco Giants made no secret about their desire to acquire a second baseman this offseason. They were never really in on free agent Bo Bichette, it seemed. There was a little smoke with Nico Hoerner, but it never seemed likely that the Chicago Cubs would deal him. They surprisingly made a run at CJ Abrams but (thankfully, in my eyes), the Washington Nationals rebuffed them. And they’ve spent months dancing around Brendan Donovan and the St. Louis Cardinals.

On Saturday, they finally found their man and … well … it’s certainly not where I envisioned them going. As first reported by ESPN’s Jorge Castillo, the Giants agreed to a one-year contract with contact maven Luis Arráez. The deal with the three-time All-Star is for $12 million.

Before I get into why I kind of hate the move, we should be clear about one thing: it’s not hard to see why the Giants are enamored with Arráez. President of Baseball Operations Buster Posey has made it clear that the organization values contact hitters, and we’ve seen that on display with the prospects they’ve targeted in the draft and in trades. Arráez, who won the batting title three years running from 2022 through 2024, is arguably the greatest pure contact hitter of this generation. His strikeout rate of just 3.1% last year lapped the field: only five qualifying hitters had a strikeout rate below 10%, and the next-closest player (Jacob Wilson) struck out more than twice as frequently as Arráez, at 7.5%.

That’s not just something the Giants covet, but something they need help with. Last year, San Francisco’s strikeout rate of 22.7% was 18th in the Majors, while their batting average of .235 was 25th. Arráez and his .292 batting average last year (and .317 for his career) is an excellent tonic for that issue. So it’s not hard to see why the Giants targeted Arráez as someone they wanted to take 600 at-bats.

Unfortunately, that’s where the positives end. While Arráez is all-world from a contact perspective, he has no power whatsoever, and doesn’t draw walks, either. For his career, he has just 36 home runs in 3,533 plate appearances, and a 6.5% walk rate. The underlying metrics are almost comical: while he ranked 100th percentile in whiff percentage, strikeout percentage, and squared up rate in 2025, he was 1st percentile in hard hit rate, barrel rate, and bat speed, and 6th percentile in average exit velocity. Perhaps even more concerning is that all of those numbers have been trending in the wrong direction for a few years, even though Arráez doesn’t turn 29 for a few months. As a result, the total offensive line has been in a downward spiral: after posting a 128 OPS+ in both 2022 and 2023, Arráez fell to 107 in 2024, and just 99 a season ago.

But if his power is poor, it’s nothing compared to his defense, which is the truly confounding part of the signing. It was odd enough that the Giants, preaching a desire to win with pitching and defense, “upgraded” the rotation with Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser, and then flirted with Abrams. It’s another thing entirely to pursue Arráez (and, for those wondering, the beat reporters have already clarified that Arráez will be the team’s second baseman, with Casey Schmitt moving into a utility role).

After playing all over the infield earlier in his career, Arráez was moved almost exclusively to first base last season, where his Fielding Run Value was 248th out of 299 qualifying players. In 2024, when he split time fairly evenly between first and second, he ranked 302nd out of 311 players. And in 2023, when he was a full-time second baseman, he was 299th out of 311 defenders. In total, since the start of 2023, Arráez’s Fielding Run Value of -25 is 296th out of 303 players. His Outs Above Average paints an equally grim tale.

Suffice to say, it’s a strange addition, and one that could work wonderfully or horribly. I fear it’ll be the latter; but I’ll hope for the former. Personally, I’d rather just give Schmitt the keys to the vehicle and see what happens.

Arráez will certainly be motivated: according to Bob Nightengale, he rejected a few multi-year deals for a chance to play second base, so he’ll be looking to reset his value before re-entering free agency next winter, while still in his 20s.

We’re officially one sleep away from entering into February, which means that spring training will be here before you know it. Excited yet? I know, it’s just spring training but that’s one step closer to the regular season so every little bit needs to be celebrated at this point, right?

Anyways, I hope y’all are staying safe and warm out there. Here’s a random clip:

As we prepare to head into a transitional season for the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the bigger projects will be to determine if Ivan Herrera can become the team’s regular catcher. The question is if you have confidence that Ivan can make the changes needed after his time behind the plate last season was less than inspiring and do the Cardinals really need him to be a catcher long-term?

In 2025, Ivan Herrera caught a grand total of only 14 games. We know that he battled elbow issues that limited him resulting in his move to DH where he appeared in 89 games. At the Winter Warmup, Ivan was very positive about how his elbow feels now. He also elaborated on how his elbow was a key factor into his efforts as a catcher. “Yeah, I mean…I basically couldn’t straighten my elbow”. The surgery has created one issue he’s never had to deal with before and that’s the fact that he hasn’t been able to do his typical off-season workout.

There’s more to Ivan and his development as a catcher than just his elbow issues. President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has said that he believes that Herrera was “not set up for success”.MLB.com quoted manager Oli Marmol as saying ““There’s a real curriculum that’s been put together for him to follow and build upon,” Marmol said. “It’s a very hands-on approach” that will be led by catching coordinator Ethan Goforth that will work with Ivan and help him develop the workflow he needs. Herrera said that he and Goforth have been meeting every week of the off-season going over his defensive approach as he’s just now been able to start ramping up his physical activities.

I will admit that I initially balked at the idea of the Cardinals trying to give Ivan another shot at being the team’s catcher especially after the dumpster fire of the Willson Contreras catching situation. The Cardinals wanted Contreras to be the regular catcher for the same reason they want Herrera behind the plate. They want/need that bat in the lineup and the team is much better if their catcher is also a positive offensive contributor. My knee-jerk reaction is don’t try to turn a player who isn’t a natural catcher into one, but I’m now completely on board for several reasons with only one big picture reservation.

As was mentioned by Jake Wood a few days ago, the St. Louis Cardinals really benefit if Ivan Herrera is the catcher. I’ve also had to adjust my thinking from approaching the season as an expected contender to understanding the St. Louis Cardinals have really shifted to an emphasis on development. I would never want to enter a season with a question mark at the catcher position if the St. Louis Cardinals were a serious playoff contender. That being said, the team really has nothing to lose with Ivan Herrera being given a shot and turning his development as a catcher around. We have Pedro Pagés, Jimmy Crooks and Yohel Pozo to fall back on if this new attempt at making Herrera a reasonable defensive catcher falls short.

The only question that remains in my mind is if we really need Ivan Herrera as catcher with top prospects Leonardo Bernal and Rainiel Rodriguezwaiting in the wings? If either or both players are ready for the majors either sometime in 2026 or 2027, wouldn’t Herrera be a block to their progression? I understand you can never have too many great catchers as any one of them would be prime trade candidates. What do you think? Do the St. Louis Cardinals need Ivan Herrera to be a catcher or are we about to create a problem we don’t currently have?

An anonymous pitcher whose entire life changed with four innings is standing in a crowded Dodger Stadium bullpen in the middle of winter when he hears a voice from the stands.

“Will, thank you so much!” shouts a fan, and underneath his thick beard, the pitcher blushes.

“This is something I’ve never had before,” said Will Klein.

And this is ruining baseball?

On a crowded concourse in the middle of a Saturday morning two months before the start of the season, fans are chugging beers, scarfing Dodger dogs, and even doing a line dance.

The queue at the elevator is endless. The screams from the crowd are constant. Blake Snell is walking along one of the barriers giving every nearby fan — every one — a fist bump.

And this is ruining baseball?

Read more:Shohei Ohtani will not pitch for Japan in WBC: 'Just seemed like the right decision'

The Dodgers officially opened their doors for the 2026 season Saturday, holding an annual DodgerFest that has sent a clear message to a landscape of whiners.

This is what winning looks like.

This is why winning is worth it.

The baseball owners will likely lock out the players after this season in hopes of installing a salary cap that will curb the sort of spending that has fueled the Dodgers’ consecutive championships.

They don’t get it. In hoarding their revenue-sharing money, the owners don’t realize the benefits of reinvesting that money in the players and, by extension, the fans.

The Dodgers do that more often, and more effectively, than anyone.

The result Saturday was a mid-winter party that felt different than any of their previous bashes. Some years they spent this day apologizing for their playoff collapses. Last year they spent the afternoon tentatively talking about going back-to-back.

This year the constraints were off, the party was on, and they all spoke freely of becoming the first time in National League history to win three consecutive World Series titles.

”I don’t mind the ‘three in the air’ as a carrot,” said manager Dave Roberts, adding, “There’s a challenge we’re not going to run from.”

And so the players showed up brandishing hope for this summer while sweetly admitting the emotion that still lingers from last fall.

Klein, who came out of nowhere to rescue the Dodgers with four scoreless innings in the marathon Game 3 of the World Series, was still pinching himself about being recognized in public.

“A guy told me I looked like me,” he said. “I said, ‘Thank you.’”

Then there was Miguel Rojas, finding deeper meaning in his ninth-inning homer that tied the World Series Game 7.

”The most important part is that everybody continues to say that is the best moment that they have in their life, the best moment of sports they watched,” said Rojas. “That makes me feel really good, because we were part of something bigger than just a home run.”

And Rojas said he hears that a lot.

“I waited 20 years in professional baseball to have that moment ... something different happened to my life,” he said. “I’m walking around Rome, I’m seeing Dodger fans saying thank you for that home run. It’s crazy, it’s overwhelming.”

Equally overwhelmed was Freddie Freeman, who grew tearful on the stage when talking about hitting the winning homer in the 18th inning of the World Series Game 3 and the impact of winning two titles in his four years here.

“I’m home playing baseball in front of the best fans day in and day out,” he said. “I couldn’t even wrap my mind around coming back and signing here and being part of this. This has blown me away.”

Read more:Add Dodgers' Miguel Rojas to the list of those unable to play in the World Baseball Classic

Even the struggling players seemed thrilled to be here, Tanner Scott acting amazingly relaxed when asked for his 2026 goals.

“Not being as bad as last year,” he said. "I was terrible."

OK, then.

Bottom line, on a midwinter day when most of this country’s major-league baseball stadiums were empty, Chavez Ravine was full of life and wonder and winning.

“Today we see a lot of fans and that really gets me going,” said Shohei Ohtani.

And this is ruining baseball?

“This organization is never ready to be done ... they continue to add players, they continue to add talent, that is a good thing,” said Rojas. “We push ourselves ... we believe we can always get better.”

Like he said, a good thing.

“I like winning,” said Klein. “People are always going to be jealous of teams that try to win when they feel like others aren’t. Everybody can go out and do the same thing.”

Spring is here, the haters are out, and the Dodgers are ready.

Seeing players here, seeing their energy, obviously seeing the energy of the fans, its certainly time,” said Roberts.

Three-peat, you’re up.

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Introduction

With just over two weeks left until pitchers and catchers report to spring training and less than a month remaining until the first spring training games, the offseason has entered its final stretch. As such, we’re fully into the projection phase of the offseason, which includes minor league prospects. We just got a pretty significant update on the sport’s young stars last Wednesday when Baseball America released its Top 100 paywalled list of the best prospects and MLB Pipeline followed suit two days later. For the second year in a row, the lone Diamondback on the Pipeline list is Ryan Waldschmidt while Baseball America deigned to include Kayson Cunningham at number 97. While prospect evaluations and rankings are inherently subjective, it’s fascinating to see how external evaluators view Arizona’s minor leaguers and there’s genuine value to be had if any ranked prospect wins end-of-the-year award.

Ryan Waldschmidt

The sole Arizona representative on the MLB Pipeline list for the second straight year, Waldschmidt continues to impress less than two years after being drafted with Corbin Carroll’s prospect promotion incentive (PPI) pick out of Kentucky. Across two minor league levels last year, the native Floridian posted a .289/.419/.473 slash line while walking nearly as often as he struck out (106 strikeouts and 96 walks in 601 plate appearances). For context, an 18% strikeout rate would place Waldschmidt among the likes of Francisco Lindor and Bobby Witt Jr from last season. I sincerely doubt he’d be able to maintain that kind of performance in the majors and FanGraphs specifically calls out his strikeout proclivity as a limit on his ceiling. But even with that caveat, both FanGraphs and MLB Pipeline project him out as a middle-of-the-order batter who could ably hold down a corner outfield position or even center if needed. That kind of profile makes him a dark horse candidate for securing a spot on the Opening Day roster out of Spring Training given the Lourdes Gurriel Jr-sized hole the team currently has in left field.

Kayson Cunningham

A newcomer to the franchise after being selected with the 18th overall pick in last summer’s draft, Cunningham was viewed as a well-developed high schooler who fit the team’s preference for undersized up-the-middle talents. He had a relatively rough introduction to pro ball with a .255/.308/.277 slash line in a couple weeks of play at Low-A Visalia while getting some pretty poor reviews on his fielding where the game seemed to be too quick for him at times. He’ll need to hit since he’s not projected for much power – likely a result from his relatively slight 5’10” frame that might fill out a little as he ages into his 20s but will likely still be somewhat undersized for a big leaguer. As it stands, he’s listed as a shortstop by ESPN and that’s where he spent his time during his first cameo with Visalia, but he’ll need to make some significant strides with his footwork and reads to stick there. Otherwise, he’ll end up at second base where his reads and footwork won’t be nearly as important. Overall, we’re looking at a player that has a much longer developmental road ahead of him than you might expect for a first-rounder, but there’s still an old-fashioned leadoff hitter who could hit .300 and steal 30 bases lurking at the end of that road.

Tommy Troy

I’ll be honest, I was pretty surprised to see Troy drop off MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 after appearing at #74 there just two years ago and still hanging on at #96 for Baseball Prospectus last year. In the interim, all the first-rounder has done is hit: across two levels last year, he combined for a .289/.382/.451 slash line while also swiping 24 bases on the year. Admittedly, some of that damage came while he was with Reno in the inflated offensive environment that the Pacific Coast League can represent and he didn’t hit a ton of homers even in that inflated environment. There are also some questions on where he’ll play too as he spent significant time at second and centerfield raising the possibility of a utility role rather than a single defensive position. Even still, the combination of hit tool and speed means that Troy could easily morph himself into a solid big league contributor even if he doesn’t become a bonafide star.