PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - AUGUST 1975: Third-baseman Mike Schmidt #20 of the Philadelphia Phillies swings at a pitch during a game against the San Diego Padres in August of 1975 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by James Drake/Getty Images) | Getty Images
You’re waking up more refreshed today since the clocks have been turned back one hour.
Quick, go change your stove and microwave.
In that same vein, let’s think about some of the top eras of the team’s history. We’ve all pretty much lived through the (arguably) second best era in the team’s history, most of us vividly remember the 2008 World Series run and subsequent glory days while still others fondly think of the Mike Schmidt years that included their initial championship.
If you had to go back to certain era in the team’s history and re-live that era, which would it be?
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 05: Atlanta Braves radio announcers Joe Simpson (left) and Ben Ingram (right) during the championship parade for the 2021 World Champion Atlanta Braves on November 05, 2021, on Peachtree Street in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
I’m not an old guy. Well, old enough to like radio. Always have. I love the convenience and choice that comes with the internet. But radio is accessible, free, and fine when you can’t or won’t devote your eyes to a screen. And then you see this from a former Marlins executive during most of their worst seasons.
@DavidPSamson says MLB no longer needs radio: "We don't need baseball on radio anymore." The former Marlins president predicts on Nothing Personal that "radio will go the way of Kodak and Blockbuster." @JohnMamola has more. #MLBhttps://t.co/QoDpYa5mEo
I’ll save you two clicks and show you a pulled quote:
The difference between TV and radio is disappearing before our very eyes. We don’t need baseball on radio anymore. The only reason we have baseball on radio is so people can feel better about what baseball means to them.
Baseball and radio goes together like peanut butter and jelly. It goes together like cookies and cream. You require to have baseball and radio because everybody hasn’t died yet who grew up listening to baseball on the radio. But guess what? That generation is going to die at some point. Then you will have people who are older, who they grew up on their device, listening through the internet, listening to the audio of the video.
First of all, take the name of Blockbuster out of your mouth. We need physical media right now more than ever. I’d give up 99% of what’s left of the mall and chain stores to have it back and some decent bookstores. Secondly, I’m not ancient and I still listen to the Braves on radio all the time. I probably do it at least once a week. I almost always listen to Braves games if they’re on if I’m in the car. Having the 680 The Fan app during this postseason was a lifesaver. Imagine having John Smoltz as your favorite player for 15 years and feeling that you would rather listen to a radio broadcast than him. But that’s where I am. If you were around when baseball was America’s favorite sport, John Smoltz on the TV call is who you want to hear. Third, it’s also very weird to ignore how baseball clearly covets the older generation’s attention and money. And lastly, if baseball can do without something, the Marlins are at the top of my list.
So you’re still listening to the Braves on the radio, right? Or at least the stream? I mean, this is clearly trolling or trying to traffic to something and I would typically ignore it for that reason. But with everything available on the internet now, you can’t be falling all over yourself to listening to his podcast.
AMARILLO, TX - APRIL 05: Mason Molina #18 of the Springfield Cardinals pitches during the game between the Springfield Cardinals and the Amarillo Sod Poodles at Hodgetown on Sunday, April 5, 2026 in Amarillo, Texas. (Photo by Elisa Chavez/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Happy November! I am writing this after overtaxing my daughter in the dad tax for Halloween so my fingers may be working faster than my brain. Before getting into baseball, it was such a cool experience to see my daughter teach her sister and friends how to Trick-or-Treat. To baseball!
Even when using the Dealin’ the Cards GM tool, I could not get myself to go all in on the upcoming offseason just because I do not like to predict unrealistic scenarios: See Tarik Skubal to STL. I believe the St. Louis winter activity will be slow, and would have been slow regardless of the impending lockout. The current lineup 7/9 complete and the rotation has plenty of options for innings. The most intrigue for me is how the starting pitching frames will be divvied up and for that reason, I want to use this Sunday spot to ask what the VEB community would do.
In most of my writing, I try to stay realistic to what the team would actually do in their offseason and current state, not what I would do in MLB The Show. This weekend, we talked to Bernie Miklasz (coming at your podcast feed tomorrow) and Jake asked me about my rotation preference for 2027. I am on the record for using the fifth spot as a revolving door for prospects last season, a year that was used to get answers on the future. This upcoming season, there are guys ready to prove themselves for sure, but the Cardinals set a 77-win baseline for me, so they could also invest in a veteran to anchor their rotation for a competitive stretch.
As you will hear me say on the VEB podcast, I do not have a preference in either direction for next year so I figured you could take the time to sound off in the comments instead of just a black and white poll. I will do my best to cover the basics of both options so those who feel strongly one way or another, share your case!
Option 1: Higher floor Dustin May with more team control
The Dustin May signing worked out exactly as both sides planned all along. May shows his health and value, a contender pays St. Louis, May wins a title. Bada bing bada boom. That strategy allowed the Cardinals to use the first few months of the minor league season to see if there was a rotation arm ready to take over and Hunter Dobbins pitched his way into that role. Now that May and Dobbins are both gone for now, there is a spot available for an established veteran to again slot in.
I am pretty out on bringing back May, not because he is not a good starter, but because I want the Cardinals to shoot higher if they go the free agent route. The likelihood of standing pat means we should expect another battle with .500 instead of the postseason, so going into the top tier for arms is an unlikely option. Again, trying to speak to what the Cardinals could actually do.
With Skubal out, I have thought of someone like Kris Bubic mostly because he is one of the few free agent arms under the age of 30. Patrick Sandoval has also been of interest, but I would also be a fan of the Cardinals again aiming higher. The free agent starter class has a pretty wide talent gap this offseason, so the mid-tier arms may end up going for more money than usual anyway, depending on CBA negotiations.
Since spending should increase, the Cardinals can afford to go to a two or three-year deal for a higher upside arm than May. Someone with more potential of sticking around if the timeline is accelerated, but will also maintain trade value if the team goes the wrong direction. In this option, a deadline trade would again open up a rotation spot for a second half tryout that could allow someone like Richard Fitts to get an extended look after returning to full health to start the year.
Option 2: Cycle through MLB-ready (or close to) arms and preserve innings
The other choice that I would have been up for last year is if they used either a six-man rotation or maneuvered the option timeline to get a few extended looks at MLB capable arms. In a six-man rotation, younger arms would still be on a regular starting schedule but have their innings limited organically as opposed to pitch counts placed onto starts. For my option idea, the Cardinals could keep the same prospect up for a 3-5 start span before sending them down to preserve innings and work on what they learned at the major league level. Since an optioned player needs to spend minimum time after the demotion, there is no rush for them to have to prove themselves again.
Looking at 2026, I thought that could have been the strategy for guys like Dobbins and Quinn Mathews, pitchers bouncing back after injury or down seasons but would serve the team better being in the majors than in Memphis. In certain circumstances, I would like to see teams “rush” pitchers who are considered close to MLB ready and at least get a look of what they can do at the major league level, hopefully before injury or a severe downturn (Tink) occurs.
For 2027, this could easily point to Fitts, health willing, and extend to AAA arms like Mason Molina, Cooper Hjerpe, Jurrangelo Cinjtje, and Tekoah Roby. Those five guys could form some type of rotation of their own, spending a few weeks at a time learning the major league game before heading back to Memphis to fine tune things without the bright lights.
Those guys all have some things to work on but also have the stuff to compete on a major league mound at some level. I think each of them would benefit from getting their feet wet in St. Louis and give the organization an opportunity to see what they can do.
As you can see, I can see arguments for both sides. This also assumes that Matthew Liberatore and/or possibly one other arm are moved out of the rotation in some way. These options exist only if there is a clear vacancy in the rotation where the Cardinals could intrigue a free agent with a starting role or provide more than spot starts to their upper level prospects.
Let me know which option you would prefer or predict your 2027 rotation, assuming a normal offseason.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - AUGUST 18: Luis Robert Jr. #88 of the New York Mets celebrates a solo home run during the eighth inning against the San Diego Padres at Citi Field on August 18, 2026 in New York City. (Photo by Caleb Bowlin/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Meet the Mets
Danny Abriano evaluated the pros and cons of the Mets signing Tarik Skubal this offseason.
Around the National League East
Former Astros general manager Dana Brown is joining the Atlanta Braves front office as a senior advisor to the amateur scouting department. Brown previously served as the Braves’ vice president of scouting from 2019 -2022.
The Good Phight continued their series on how to improve the Phillies by turning their attention to the outfield.
Federal Baseball previewed the 2027 season of Connelly Early, who the Nationals acquired from the Red Sox for Curtis Mead at the trade deadline.
Around Major League Baseball
Will Leitch of MLB.com took a look at the 13 teams (including the Mets) who have not won a World Series since MLB expanded to 30 teams in 1998 and ranked them by how likely it is that they will follow the Brewers by ending their drought. The Mets were ranked fifth.
The Orioles declined Luis Robert’s $20 million team option, making him a free agent.
Meanwhile, not surprisingly, the Rays picked up their $20 million club option on Drew Rasmussen, which makes him the highest-paid player in a single season in franchise history.
Speaking of the Rays, the Astros acquired 27-year-old Evan Reifert from Tampa Bay. Reifert put up a 2.48 ERA in 46 Triple-A appearances in the Rays organization in 2026.
Emilio Pagán declined his $10 million player option with the Cincinnati Reds and will become a free agent with a decent chance of earning a multiyear deal.
The Padres declined their $14 million club option on Nick Pivetta’s contract.
On this day 15 years ago, Mark Buerhle won his third consecutive Gold Glove. | (Photo by Chuck Rydlewski/Getty Images)
1946 Future White Sox owner (and current Cleveland owner) Bill Veeck has his right foot amputated. Veeck had suffered a grievous injury to his leg while serving in the South Pacific in World War II, and complications from that injury resulted in this dramatic development. True to his nature, however, Veeck eventually made his loss of leg (soon enough, he would lose his entire right leg, up to his knee) its own celebration of sorts, as he chose a pirate’s peg-leg rather than a more proper prosthetic — including a slot for an ashtray in the artificial leg itself!
Veeck had just completed his first partial season as a major-league owner, and he was already innovating; in Cleveland, he bucked tradition by adding National League scores to the list of “other games” on the Municipal Stadium scoreboard.
1950 After 20 years with the franchise, all-time great and career White Sox standout Luke Appling announced his retirement. He was undoubtedly the greatest player in franchise history at the time, and 72 years later comfortably remains the all-time team leader in WAR, with 77.6. He had a career average of .310, with 2,749 hits, won two batting titles, and in 1936 drove in 128 runs.
Upon retirement, Appling took a job managing the Memphis Chickasaws, Chicago’s Double-A affiliate. Over three years there, Appling was 247-216, pushing the 87-67 Chicks to a pennant in 1952 and earning minor league manager of the year honors. Appling would later manage in Triple-A and coach at the major-league level for several teams, including the White Sox (1970-71). In his only MLB managing gig, he went 10-30 managing the hapless Kansas City A’s in 1967.
1982 The White Sox named Dave Duncan their new pitching coach. The former catcher made a fast name for himself under manager Tony La Russa, but ultimately La Russa’s allegiance to Duncan cost both men their jobs, as in 1986 GM Ken Harrelson wanted Duncan dismissed, La Russa refusing.
Together the pair went on to great success in Oakland and St. Louis, and Duncan followed La Russa back to the White Sox in 2021, albeit as a front office pitching consultant, not a coach.
The White Sox traded for Duncan at the end of his career, but when the club cut him in Spring Training 1977 he opted to retire and begin a coaching career.
2011 Mark Buehrle was awarded his third straight Gold Glove — the only player in the American League to repeat the honor from 2010. Sadly, this would be Buerhle’s final Gold Glove with the White Sox, as Chicago would let him depart to the Miami Marlins as a free agent five weeks later. Buerhle won a fourth straight Gold Glove in 2012 — the final major award of his career.
2016 A name change went into effect at the ballpark formerly known as U.S. Cellular Field. The Guaranteed Rate mortgage company, based in Chicago, signed a 13-year agreement with the team for naming rights. The ballpark would be called Guaranteed Rate Field.
The announcement was met with a storm of ridicule by many — including the Chicago Bears and Chicago Cubs, who tweeted out negative comments. The company’s downward-arrow logo was met with criticism by many White Sox fans, who felt that was not an appropriate connection with a baseball team, particularly one that had been struggling for several seasons.
According to reports, the White Sox asked the company to change the logo on the ballpark sign, but were refused. Rumors also circulated that at least one other company offered more money for naming rights, but insisted on the name changing back to Comiskey Park — which owner Jerry Reinsdorf refused to do.
2018 The White Sox swapped minor league first baseman Justin Yurchak to Los Angeles for Manny Bañuelos. Signed 10 years earlier, at 17, by the Yankees, Bañuelos had spent all but six games of the previous decade working his way though the minors, save for seven games in Atlanta in 2015.
The southpaw pitched poorly in a swingman role after breaking camp with the White Sox in 2019, and then suffered shoulder inflammation in June that effectively sidelined him for the year. Overall, Bañuelos went 3-4 with a 6.93 ERA and -0,4 WAR for the year.
Los Angeles, CA - October 15: Manager Dave Roberts #30 of the Los Angeles Dodgers talks to his players after a pitching change against the Milwaukee Brewers in the fifth inning of Game 4 of a NLCS playoff baseball game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles on Thursday, October 15, 2026. (Photo by Keith Birmingham/MediaNews Group/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images) | MediaNews Group via Getty Images
The Dodgers have three months to prepare for spring training 2027, while also figuring out what they need to do before the impending lockout begins.
Nine players from the 2026 team have now reached free agency, and Tarik Skubal is the prized possession that every team will have their eyes on this offseason. Even with Skubal’s indefinite future with the team, the Dodgers still possess one of the strongest teams not just in the National League, but in all of baseball. The triumvirate of MVPs at the top of the lineup remains a constant, and the team still has a four-headed monster in the rotation once Shohei Ohtani returns to his two-way status.
Sonja Chen of MLB.com analyzes how the Dodgers may shape up for the 2027 season— regardless of Skubal’s landing spot— signifying a potential youth movement that can help energize an aging core.
The Dodgers never shy away from bringing in free agents or swinging trades, but they should be able to upgrade some areas of their roster internally. Let’s take a stab at making a way-too-early Opening Day roster projection, exclusively with players who are already in the organization.
Stephen J. Nesbitt, Chad Jennings and Tim Britton of The Athletic have already created a way-too-early power rankings for the 2027 season. The obvious top spot goes to the now-reigning World Series champion Milwaukee Brewers, but the Dodgers are right behind them at the no. 2 spot.
The point is, even after their flaws were exposed in the National League Championship Series, these are still the Dodgers. Fourteen straight playoff appearances. Three championships in the past seven years. Five pennants in the past 10. So, yeah, whatever the new collective bargaining agreement brings, we’re guessing they’ll find a way to be pretty good next year, too.
The Dodgers are no strangers to having an exorbitant offseason, as they have shown over the last three years. The team will once again be frontrunners for high-end talent, but they might also be in the market to either acquire or send away start talent, notes Maddie Lee of the Los Angeles Times.
If the solution involves personnel changes, however, a trade might be necessary to shake up the Dodgers’ veteran position-player group. Whether the Dodgers would want to part with one of their clubhouse leaders, and whether another team would be interested in taking on (or the Dodgers would pay down) any of those contracts, remains to be seen.
DENVER, CO - OCTOBER 06: The doors leading to the Colorado Rockies Clubhouse is closed at Coors Field on Tuesday, October 06, 2026, in Denver, Colorado. The Colorado Rockies hosted an end-of-season press conference to talk about the past season. (Photo by RJ Sangosti/MediaNews Group/The Denver Post via Getty Images) | Denver Post via Getty Images
It’s officially November. Not only is today Día de los Muertos, but most of the country lost an hour of daylight and it’s also the first day of what could be the final month of baseball for a while. The current MLB Collective Bargaining Agreement is still set to expire at midnight on December 1st, and there hasn’t been any (public) movement lately.
But we can at least soak up the final moments before we have a (likely) lockout, as there will probably be a lot of movement around the league before then. There are also two more weeks left of the Arizona Fall League, if you’re looking for some offseason Rockies action.
In the meantime, though, here’s what happened at Purple Row this week:
What moves do you think the Rockies will make over the next month? Who will they sign? Who will they move on from? Who will they protect from the Rule 5 Draft? Let us know in the comments!
I don’t link to Jim Bowden because I think the guy is . . .well, let’s just say I don’t have a very high opinion of Bowden and I think it’s a crime that he still has a job writing about baseball. I also think he’s wrong more often than he’s right, but he’s not the only one in that regard. But I will link to someone linking to Bowden arguing that Tyler Stephenson would be a good replacement for Kelly. I mean, sure? I agree with author Jake Misener that Kelly would be the better choice, but Stephenson wouldn’t be a terrible replacement.
Ryan O’Rourke has the 25 biggest “Cubs Killers” throughout history. I mean, the top three are no surprise. There’s one for the boomer generation, one for Gen X and one for Millennials. I suppose the fourth one could encompass Gen Z Cubs fans childhood nightmares.
Brett Taylor reminds us not to put too much stock in “trade speculation” that you find on the internet. Yep, if you see a trade proposal for the Cubs and your first thought is “Do it!”, then the other team isn’t very likely to consider it.
Food for Thought:
This part is hard for me because I already have a forum for my thoughts in BCB After Dark three times a week. But I will say that I think that one of the things that makes this space special is that the staff is allowed to indulge in non-baseball things from time to time. That makes this place more of a community and it may help us get through the lockout.
But here is some Halloween stuff.
Dan Aykroyd explains the problems they had with the title for Ghostbusters.
Here’s a story for you. We started filming without owning the title and had to do alternates.
Taft Broadcasting owned the title Ghostbusters as part of their half-hour sitcom starring Larry Storch and Forrest Tucker (F-Troop) and a gorilla chasing ghosts. I had never heard of… pic.twitter.com/NBHhZqme9G
I always feature some jazz in After Dark, but I don’t listen exclusively to jazz. In fact, I didn’t start listening to straight jazz until I was in my thirties, although I did dabble in jazz-adjacent pop/rock well before that. Since we’re all coming off Halloween, I’m going to send you off with a song I loved in my late-teens that is a goth classic. This is Bauhaus performing “Bela Lugosi’s Dead.” This is a live performance from 1982.
By the way, I first heard the song during the opening credits of the 1983 vampire film The Hunger, directed by Tony Scott and starring Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie and Susan Sarandon. So that’s here if you want to check that out.
Heading into the 2013-14 offseason, the Yankees were in desperate need of new energy. The lineup had holes and question marks pretty much everywhere, and the rotation saw the 41-year-old Andy Pettitte retire, the underwhelming 27-year-old Phil Hughes depart in free agency, the 32-year-old CC Sabathia battle with reduced velocity, and the 38-year-old Hiroki Kuroda ponder whether to remain in the United States or go home to Japan to finish his playing career. Fortunately for them, a young Japanese ace, Masahiro Tanaka, announced his intention to play in the United States, and after a long winter that saw the NPB-to-MLB posting process adjusted, the 25-year-old righty inked a seven-year, $155 million deal to don the pinstripes.
Born and raised in Itami, Japan, a city of about 200,000 people near Osaka, Tanaka took to baseball at a young age. Although in elementary school the naturally gifted swing garnered attention, he quickly took to the mound in high school, emerging as the ace of the staff and the most highly-touted pitching prospect in the country. He made the jump to pro ball at the age of 18, selected by the Tohoku Rakuten Golden Eagles, and quickly made his mark.
Tanaka won the Pacific League Most Valuable Rookie award in 2007, participated in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, helped Samurai Japan win the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and in 2013, led the Golden Eagles to their first-ever Japan Series victory by starting in Game 6 and coming in to close Game 7. Tanaka’s 2013 numbers were phenomenal: a 1.27 ERA and 0.943 WHIP in 212 innings with 183 strikeouts to 32 walks and just six homers allowed. Oh, and he ended the year with a pristine 24-0 record, part of an NPB record streak of 25 consecutive wins.
Following the 2013 campaign, Tanaka expressed interest in playing Major League Baseball, and in January 2014 — later than usual, as the two leagues renegotiated the posting system — he was finally made available for MLB teams to sign. Despite an intense pursuit by the Dodgers, Angels, and Mariners, Tanaka eventually reached a deal with the Yankees, who pulled out all the stops to reel in their new ace.
Despite the high expectations, the Yankees tried to tamper excitement by delaying Tanaka’s MLB debut until the fourth game of the season, on April 4, 2014. He surrendered a home run to the first batter he faced, former Yankee Melky Cabrera. As it would turn out, though, he just got his first lowlight out of the way early, as he responded with seven innings of three-run ball (albeit only two of those runs were earned) to notch his first career stateside win.
For the first three months, Tanaka looked to be the dominant starter that everyone hoped he would become. Through his first 16 starts, he had a 2.10 ERA and struck out well over a batter per inning as he earned his first career All-Star nod. His stamina was impressive as well, going at least eight innings in five of those outings, including three complete games and his first career shutout in the Subway Series against the Mets on May 14th:
Everything changed, though, after a subpar start in early July, when Tanaka began to feel discomfort in his right elbow. An MRI revealed a partially torn UCL, and he hit the IL for the first time in his career. Rather than undergo the knife, however, Tanaka opted for PRP injections and rehab, and … his arm has largely remained healthy to this day; the other shoe never dropped. It’s stood as largely the exception rather than the rule in most of these situations, but it worked out quite well for Tanaka.
Officially taking over the mantle as Yankees ace in 2015, the righty never quite recaptured the dominant form he had for the first half of 2014 over a whole season, coming closest with a 4.7 fWAR 2016 season that saw him earn some down ballot Cy Young votes. What he did, though, was develop a reputation as a big game pitcher, who came up biggest when the lights shone brightest. He held the Astros to just two runs on four hits in the 2015 Wild Card Game, and even though the Yankees lost that matchup, it hardly Tanaka’s fault (blame the bats getting blanked by Dallas Keuchel). Two years later—following a retooling of the team in 2016—with New York’s backs against the wall and facing a sweep in the 2017 ALDS, Tanaka outdueled Cleveland’s Carlos Carrasco with seven shutout innings to secure a 1-0 win that would turn the tide. Thanks to Tanaka and Greg Bird, the Yankees survived Game 3 and went on to complete the rare 0-2 Division Series comeback.
In two starts against Houston in the following ALCS, he allowed just two runs in 13 innings — which included seven innings in Houston, when the Astros knew what pitches were coming. Tanaka secured the Yankees’ only win over the Red Sox in the 2018 ALDS, and helped the Bombers jump out to a 1-0 lead over the Astros in the 2019 ALCS (following his second stateside All-Star season). As the decade came to a close, he had a sterling 1.76 career playoff ERA in 46 innings.
Tanaka’s last year in the Bronx was the COVID-shortened 2020 season. It began as badly as it possibly could, with the pitcher drilled in the head by a Giancarlo Stanton line drive, although he did manage to make 10 starts that year. For the first time in his career, he struggled in the postseason, as he allowed 11 runs in eight innings across two starts. Unfortunately, that would be the last we saw Tanaka in pinstripes; due in part to anti-Asian discrimination faced in the United States during the height of the pandemic and a desire to pitch loser to home, he returned to Japan.
Tanaka began his second act in Japan with four years back with the Golden Eagles, earning his seventh and eighth career NPB All-Star nods in 2021 and 2023; during the latter season, he notched his 2,500th professional strikeout between NPB and MLB. After the 2024 campaign however, he embarked on a new NPB journey, signing with the storied Yomiuri Giants. At the end of 2025, Tanaka recorded his 200th career victory, joining Hideo Nomo, Yu Darvish, and his old Yankees teammate Kuroda as the only pitchers to reach that total between the two leagues.
While he doesn’t quite pitch as much as he did during his prime, he remains with the Giants today — where in a fun twist of fate he will now be managed by fellow former Yankee, Hideki Matsui!
Happy birthday, #TANAK!
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 1: Houston Astros owner Jim Crane hoists the Commissioner's Trophy after the Astros defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 7 of the 2017 World Series at Dodger Stadium on Wednesday, November 1, 2017 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alex Trautwig/MLB via Getty Images) | MLB via Getty Images
November does not belong to baseball, at least not by design. Yet, the Houston Astros time and time again have dominated the headlines throughout one of the games quietest months. Today we revisit the November moments that redefined the course of Astros history.
Championships.
November 1, 2017. Every Astros fan knows the date by heart. Houston was still rebuilding from Harvey and that night, the title meant something far beyond the white lines. The first championship took an astonishing 55 years to claim. 1,830 days later, they’d do it all over again, claiming title number two which validated their dynasty. If you close your eyes, you can see Yordan Alvarez’s monster 3-run 450-foot blast in Game 6 vs. the Phillies. November 5, 2022, would be the last, for now.
Blockbuster Trades.
November 29, 1971. Worst trade in team history.
The Astros sent future hall of famer Joe Morgan to Cincinnati it resulted in the final piece for what would become the Reds potent “Big Red Machine” From the early 70’s through 1979, the Reds would average 95 wins a season in route to a pair of World Series. All told, eight different players were part of the deal between the Reds and Astros.
26 years later, the Astros would land a star of their own. November 11th, 1997. Fresh off slugging three home runs in the 1997 World Series for the victorious (then-Florida) Marlins, the Astros acquired Moises Alou. Alou would play three seasons in Houston and was a 2x All-Star thanks largely to his power numbers.
Bombshell. November 12, 2019.
Ken Rosenthal and Evan Drellich publish a report chronicling the electronic sign-stealing system thanks to former teammate, Mike Fiers. That article would set the sports world on its ear, ultimately costing the Astros multiple draft picks, suspensions, firings and a $5 million fine.
Ownership Change. November 11th, 2011
Drayton McLane sold the Astros to Jim Crane and set the stage for the franchise’s move to the American League. MLB approved the $680 million dollar price tag on this date, ending McLane’s 19-year ownership run. Houston would have 14 winning seasons during that 19-year span.
Every November moment speaks for itself. It’s where history lives in this city. It’s the month that shaped the franchise, and once again, it’s back.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 31: Roman Anthony #19 of the Boston Red Sox slides past Cal Raleigh #29 of the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at Fenway Park on August 31, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Before we begin looking ahead to 2027, OTM is looking back at 2026, highlighting some of the biggest, strangest, and most memorable moments of a memorable season.
Roman Anthony and Trevor Story each landed on the IL in May and each returned to the Red Sox on the same day: August 30. They were activated prior to the series finale against the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Anthony, who missed nearly four months with a ligament tear at the base of the ring finger on his right hand, batted leadoff as the DH. Story had been sidelined with a hernia that required surgery. He started at shortstop and batted eighth.
With the severity of their respective injuries, the length of their absences, and the way the club had performed without them, there was speculation that perhaps the Sox shouldn’t disturb the chemistry that had been working so well all summer. For Story in particular, expectations weren’t exactly high. He had not performed well in his rehab assignment in Worcester and had made it known publicly that he was keen to rush back to the big league club. It didn’t sound like a recipe for success.
And yet, on August 30 in the Bronx, Anthony and Story turned out to be the only bright spots in a 16-1 drubbing by the Yankees. In their reintroduction to the big-league club, Anthony went 2-for-4, and Story, who scored the lone run, went 2-for-3.
I was as surprised as anyone by their performances, but it’s their first game back at Fenway Park the next day, August 31, that really interests me.
They were playing the Seattle Mariners, my “home team away from home.” The Mariners, despite their terrible season overall, looked as though they might possibly end a five-game losing streak. Randy Arozarena had a great game, with four hits, including a huge home run. Cal Raleigh homered too. Dominic Canzone got a double and the famous basepath hug from Payton Tolle. Lots of offense, and the lead went back and forth. Then, in the ninth inning, Anthony tripled. He scored on a sacrifice fly from Ceddanne Rafaela and truly, his slide into home was a thing of beauty.
I don’t know how many times I’ve watched this slide. Its precision and timing are so spot-on that it could be ballet. It’s as tight as a haiku: if you add or subtract anything, it wouldn’t work. It’s almost hypnotic to me.
That’s the micro-view. My personal opinion.
The macro view is that this moment tied the game. In fact, it set the table for the Sox to win the next inning, on a walk-off single by none other than Trevor Story. If you zoom out just a bit further, the even bigger macro is that Anthony’s slide—by setting up the eventual victory delivered by Story—put an exclamation point on the triumphant return of both of our prodigal players.
And by zooming out just a bit more, the macro view is that this slide wasn’t only a thing of beauty; it was savvy as hell. That precisely choreographed move showcased Anthony using every single tool at his disposal to outsmart Cal Raleigh. This is the kind of display that encapsulates Anthony’s talents and invites us to pin all our hopes for the team on him.
And on August 31, we felt that. This slide proved that Anthony was okay, and if Anthony was okay, then the Sox would be rock-solid the rest of the way. This slide announced that both Anthony and Story were Back, with a capital B. And if that was true, well, we were better than rock-solid; we were golden.
In those first two games back, on August 30–31, Anthony and Story each went 4-for-8. Anthony had the big slide of course, as well three extra-base hits; he also scored twice and walked. Story scored a run of his own and logged three RBIs.
The Beginning of the End
As a kid, I read a book in which one character used the word “fey” to describe another. It stuck with me because I had to look it up but then, in a later chapter, the speaker explains the word to someone else: “Fey? Well, it’s a Scotch word, really. It means the kind of exalted happiness that comes before disaster. You know—it’s too good to be true.”
If that doesn’t describe this situation, I don’t know what does. And disaster was coming for us after Roman Anthony’s glorious slide on August 31. Bob provides a deep dive into how the Sox began to unravel the very next day.
For Anthony specifically, he immediately fell into a 1-for-17 slump. Against Baltimore at the beginning of September, he went hitless in three consecutive games. He managed to homer twice more on the season, and had one last great game—against the Cubs, when he went 3-for-3. But his September was otherwise grim.
It was so grim that during Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series, he checked his swing and had to exit the game (and the rest of the season, though it was destined to be short) due to pain. Imaging revealed that not only had he re-aggravated the ligament tear but had developed new muscle strains due to compensating for the original injury. As we later learned, he had never felt 100% and had been playing through pain and “zingers” in his hand.
After August 31, Story fared a bit better than Anthony, especially in that he remained healthy. He put together an 11-game hitting streak. He went 3-for-5 against the Orioles on September 5, had three RBIs on September 17 against the Rangers, and homered on September 20. But the September slump ultimately came for him too. He had a number of games without a hit toward the end of the month and, like the rest of the team, was cold in the Wild Card Series, going 1-for-6.
Ice cold.
The Red Sox are now about as far from the “exalted happiness” of August 31 as I can imagine. There are existential rumblings about whether Anthony will ever be able to get back on track with his career, if he’ll ever get free of the injury bug. Time will tell if that’s catastrophizing or not, but it’s true that Anthony has yet to fully embody his potential. The 2026 season was supposed to be that time for him; now we hope for 2027. (And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that we hope for a 2027 season, period.)
As for Story, everyone is wondering all over again whether he’s over (bad contract, injuries, age, skills in decline, you name it). On August 31, it looked like he was at last coming into his own. Nope.
A dream deferred again—for Anthony and Story as individual players, and for the Red Sox as a team. On August 31, we thought—we knew—that we had it all. We just didn’t know what would come next.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 15: Rece Hinds #62 of the Baltimore Orioles makes a catch during the game between the Baltimore Orioles and the New York Mets at Citi Field on Tuesday, September 15, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Hailey Leonard/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Hello, friends.
There are 143 days remaining until the next scheduled Orioles game. Much sooner than that, only a month away, will be the start of the lockout that will leave the question of when the next game will happen in doubt for months afterwards.
For now, the baseball offseason is proceeding. It’s not exactly a normal offseason, because everyone knows that this month of November is all that there is going to be before things get weird for a while. What is normal is that all the usual offseason dates will be ticked off in the meantime.
We are currently in the “five days after the World Series” period where teams have exclusive rights to negotiate with their own departing free agents. It is unusual for big deals to be struck in this time period, but it does exist. The only Orioles free agent who might be worth something here is Trevor Rogers. My guess is that there’s not much talking going on because they already know he’s looking beyond the price range they’re willing to pay. Regardless, that period ends tomorrow.
Also tomorrow is the deadline for teams or players with contract options to decide whether or not to exercise them. We already know that Ryan Helsley opted in for next year, and that the Orioles declined an option for Zach Eflin. I expect before the deadline we will hear about team options declined for Ryan Mountcastle and Luis Robert Jr. as well.
With the exclusive window ending, teams will also decide who to extend a qualifying offer to. Again, that’s going to be Rogers and that’s it. When Mike Elias traded for Taylor Ward, I think he hoped Ward would play well enough to get a QO. Ward did not, and they traded him besides. Helsley’s signing may have been in this category also, hoping that the closer would pitch so well that he’d opt out and they could give him a QO – the same move they played with Tyler O’Neill a year earlier. It didn’t work for O’Neill and it didn’t work for Helsley.
One last bit of recordkeeping that awaits tomorrow: The 60-day injured list stops being available, meaning players who were on it must be placed back on the 40-man roster. The Orioles have five players who will have to come back onto the roster.
The team acted on Saturday to clear space on the 40-man, with a variety of moves announced. They officially declined the Robert option. They announced that the one of the 60-day guys, Colin Selby has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment. So has non-injured pitcher Codi Heuer. Two more players cleared waivers – José Barrero and Albert Suárez – though they had the option to take free agency rather than an assignment to Norfolk, and that’s what they did. These all leave the roster at 33 players. Plenty of room to add back the four guys remaining on the 60-day injured list.
Orioles stuff you might have missed
Orioles re-sign Rece Hinds (MLB Trade Rumors) This is news from Friday, but it’s still relatively fresh and this is my first opportunity to rant about it, so here you go. This is a classic case of a Mike Elias galaxy brain where he thinks he’s doing something smart and it’s actually just a stupid waste of time. This article details how the “advantage” here is that this contract is to be for slightly more than whatever negotiated major league minimum comes out of the new CBA – literally $4,700 more – and therefore this makes it less likely that some other team will claim him if he is designated for assignment.
Here’s the thing. Why does it matter if the Orioles retain the rights to Rece Hinds? Did they not see enough of this player in the 12 games that he played for the team this past season? Was that not enough of a negative to convince them? Apparently not! They were the worse for having Hinds on the roster! He couldn’t hit for anything and he was bad at fielding too. They should have just called up Enrique Bradfield Jr. rather than try to reclaim this player who has never been good for any substantial length of time at the major league level. He should have been an easy 40-man roster cut right here to make room for players returning from the 60-day injured list, and instead they’ve gone out of their way to keep him.
True, yes, it’s almost certain that Elias does not intend for Hinds to remain on the 40-man roster for long. I’m not too worried about Hinds losing games for the 2027 Orioles. Just, what is the point? Why bother? Why jump through hoops to keep this guy?
Coby Mayo’s history of offseason improvement bodes well for the Orioles (The Baltimore Banner) Look, I want to believe in Mayo more than most people do, but like, he stunk until July. This idea of offseason improvement is not guaranteed to hit at the start of next season, whenever that ends up being.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Today in 1960, the first Oriole to win the Rookie of the Year award was announced, with shortstop Ron Hansen getting 22 of the 24 votes for the award. The other two votes went to teammates Chuck Estrada and Jim Gentile.
In 1979, the Orioles were sold to Edward Bennett Williams for $12.3 million. In today’s money, that’s around $55 million. David Rubenstein and partners purchased the team two years ago at a valuation of about $1.725 billion.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2021 pitcher Eric Hanhold, 2012 infielder Steven Tolleson, 1993 pitcher Fernando Valenzuela, and 1955-57 outfielder Jim Pyburn.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Frankish king Louis the Stammerer (846), Revolutionary War admiral Toussaint-Guillame Picquet de la Motte (1720), baseball Hall of Famer Bid McPhee (1859), and actress Toni Collette (1962).
On this day in history…
In 1512, Michelangelo’s painting of the ceiling of Rome’s Sistine Chapel was first unveiled to the public after four years of work.
In 1765, the Parliament of Britain passed the Stamp Act, intended to raise additional taxes from the North American colonists. The colonists rather famously did not enjoy being taxed without having representation in the body.
In 1938, Baltimore’s own Pimlico race course played host to a match race between the previous year’s Triple Crown winner, War Admiral, and a lesser-known horse named Seabiscuit. The underdog triumphed in the head-to-head race.
In 1997, Titanic premiered at a Tokyo festival. Its wide release in the United States did not occur until December 19. The film went on to become the highest-grossing movie in history for the next 12 years and when adjusting for inflation is still the third-highest-grossing movie of all time, behind Gone with the Wind and Avatar.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on November 1. Have a safe Sunday. Don’t forget the clocks turned back!
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 1: Justin Crawford #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies reacts after hitting a walk-off single in the bottom of the tenth inning against the Washington Nationals at Citizens Bank Park on April 1, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Phillies defeated the Nationals 6-5. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Don’t forget to turn back those clocks, folks. The Phillies probably wish they could turn back the clock to the days when they had the better offense.
General Manager of the Yankees, Brian Cashman watches batting practice. Tuesday, October 9, 2018 Alds Game 4 | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Co
New York Post | Mark W. Sanchez: The Yankees decided not to renew the contracts of Omar Minaya and Brian Sabean. The longtime executives had been working as special assistants to general manager Brian Cashman. Sabean of course spent decades with the Giants and helped build San Francisco’s World Series teams in the 2010’s, though he actually got his start in baseball as a scout with the Yankees back in the ‘80s. Minaya had stints as the GM for the Expos and Mets. Both had been working in Cashman’s office since 2023.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: At the outset of 2026, Spencer Jones and George Lombard Jr. weren’t necessarily expected to play huge roles for the Yankees in the big leagues. By the end of the year, however, both were key starters, and the Yankees are looking for big things from the duo next season. “That’s something as an organization that we’ve tried to address over the last few years,” Aaron Boone said. “In ’24 when we went to the World Series, we were a little more one-dimensional, but really good at that one dimension. I think we’ve gotten more athletic over the last couple of years.” Players like Jones and Lombard do bring an added element of speed and defense (theoretically, in Jones’ case), but at the end of the day the quality of their production, rather than the shape of that production, will be the key to what roles they play for the 2027 Yankees.
FanGraphs | Matt Martell: Only tangentially Yankees-related, but here Martell contextualizes the dominant postseason run Brewers reliever Aaron Ashby just submitted. By Win Probability Added, Ashby’s 2026 playoff performance was the most consequential by a reliever in MLB history, narrowly edging out a great Yankees reliever from the dynasty era. That’s right, now in second place is John Wetteland, whose 1996 playoff run previously held the record for highest playoff WPA from a reliever. In third through fifth place, you’ll find the name you were expecting, as Mariano Rivera’s 2003, 2000, and 1999 postseasons round out the top five.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - OCTOBER 16: Houston Astros general manager Dana Brown looks on before Game Two of the Championship Series against the Texas Rangers at Minute Maid Park on October 16, 2023 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Dana Brown is reportedly returning to the Braves’ organization and the Alex Anthopoulos front office. Brown was a big part of the draft side of things for a while and highly respected in that role before joining the Astros as their top executive. His stint in Houston was a mixed bag and seemingly filled with owner meddling. He now rejoins the Braves on the amateur scouting side once again. I have heard a mixed bag of stories about Brown from the Braves’ prospect community, but clearly smart people in the Braves’ front office and around baseball value him highly enough to put him in important spots, so it seems like a good thing to add someone like that back into the fold.
