Category: Baseball

New York Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: The major business for the Yankees seems to be done for the winter, after the team agreed to terms with Cody Bellinger last week. That makes Belli the biggest addition (or retread) of the club alongside the returning Trent Grisham and new Yankees pitcher Ryan Weathers. It’s not exactly as big a splash as some of the division opponents have made in the offseason, with the Blue Jays, Red Sox, and Orioles all on paper a little better than they were to end 2025. The Yankees are betting on repeating 2025’s “success,” with a very similar roster, and it’ll take a few months to see if that wager is a fruitful one.

MLB.com | Bryan Murphy: A key to the Yankees’ success in 2026 will be a rerun of Carlos Rodón’s strong campaign, even as the lefty continues to rehab from elbow surgery in his pitching arm. The nominal #1-B pitcher had bone chips removed from the joint back in October, and while he is still expected to start the season on the IL, his recovery seems to be progressing normally. Rodón himself seems excited that he can button his own shirt, and if that’s the mile marker he needs to be at at this stage, that’s good news.

FanGraphs | David Laurila: By now we know two former Yankees were voted into Cooperstown, with Andruw Jones and Carlos Beltrán getting the requisite 75 percent of the BBWAA vote for enshrinement. Another ex-bomber, Bobby Abreu, seems to be having a tougher time building a voting case for himself, and with three years remaining on the ballot, he may end up falling just short of baseball’s most exclusive club.

Dave Roberts isn’t calling his shot.

But he has a belief about where his 2026 Dodgers team is headed.

In his 10 years as manager of the Dodgers, the pressure on Roberts’ club has always been the same: World Series or bust. 

The reasons why, however, have constantly shifted: End a decades-long title drought for the franchise. Validate a pandemic-altered 2020 championship with another. Erase a maddening pattern of October disappointments. Become the first repeat champion in a quarter-century, and cement a dynasty more than a decade in the making.

This year, the historical stakes facing the Dodgers will only heighten.

They will be attempting to complete only the third World Series three-peat in MLB’s expansion era (since 1961). They will be trying to burnish their bid as one of the best teams of all time. And they will do it against the backdrop of continued angst around the sport, with their run of dominance pushing baseball (fairly or not) into an existential crisis over competitive balance and financial parity.

“It’s kind of who we are,” Roberts said. “That’s the expectation.”

Which is why, as Roberts discussed the upcoming season with The California Post recently, he didn’t bother tempering such expectations or cautioning about the obstacles that may lie in his team’s path.

Instead, he pondered historical comparisons between his current group and the late ‘90s New York Yankees, baseball’s most recent three-peat champions: “I think it’s a good debate,” he said, later adding: “I think three [World Series] in a row would certainly make our case stronger.”

He embraced the amplified external pressure that has enveloped his club: “If you’re saying a championship is the only thing that we expect, and we’re gonna win this year, then you gotta realize that bar. And I think that’s a good thing.”

And then, when asked if that meant he wanted to guarantee a third-straight ring, he chuckled and flashed a confident grin.

“That’s the plan,” he said. “That’s the plan.”

On paper, of course, the Dodgers’ 2026 plans once again look impenetrable.

They are returning almost the entirety of their 2025 lineup, and added four-time All-Star and top free-agent outfielder Kyle Tucker on a $240 million contract last week for good measure.

They are bringing back practically every member of last year’s pitching staff, save the now-retired Clayton Kershaw, and fortified their shaky bullpen by signing top free-agent closer Edwin Díaz to a $69 million deal last month.

Oh, and they will have Shohei Ohtani available as a full-time, two-way player for the first time in his Dodgers career too.

To no surprise, the Dodgers are already prohibitive title favorites according to both bookmakers (their World Series odds are three times shorter than the next closest contender) and analytic projections (they are a distant leader in Fangraphs’ team WAR projections, almost seven wins clear of any other club).

“The team these guys put together and assembled, to give a great product for the fanbase in the city, to go out there and compete for a championship, kind of speaks for itself,” Tucker said at his introductory press conference last week, citing the Dodgers’ powerhouse status as one of his main appeals in coming to Los Angeles. “I think it’s very special. You don’t really get that very often.”

Then again, it’s not often that teams face the uniquely challenging circumstances the Dodgers will have to navigate this coming season.

Over the last two years, the club has played a combined 33 postseason games, putting a burdensome tax on their aging lineup.

“That’s an extra month to a month and a half that you don’t get to rest and recover, and that you’re pushing beyond what you normally do,” third baseman Max Muncy said during last year’s championship trek. “One postseason game is the equivalent of playing three extra-inning games, all at one time. The stress — both mental, physical, emotional — it’s just on a whole ‘nother level.”

Last October, the Dodgers also had to push their pitching staff (and starting rotation, in particular) to a point that often heightens injury risk for the following season.

“It’s something we definitely have to be mindful of,” president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said at the Winter Meetings.

Team officials aren’t worried about motivation or complacency, not after one player after another took the mic at last November’s World Series parade and forecasted their aim for three-peat glory.

“I’m ready to get another ring next year,” Ohtani said then.

“It’s time to fill the hand all the way up, baby,” echoed Mookie Betts, who will be going for his fifth career World Series championship.

But difficulties will present themselves, nonetheless, in ways that will force the Dodgers to be strategic with their roster management (the club is planning to be even more cautious than usual with pitchers’ workloads, and work in more off-days for their veteran hitters) and push through the daily mental grind of a 162-game marathon.

“I think the most taxing part of it, even with the pitchers, is the mind, the emotions,” Roberts said. “If you look at even last year, you could see that the intensity wasn’t there all year. It’s just hard to manufacture that, certainly coming off two world championships.”

That, though, is why Roberts doesn’t want to shy away from pressure, expectations or historical significance. He’d rather his team embrace it, use it as fuel, and let it steel an organizational culture that has already brought them to the mountaintop of the sport –– and the precipice of legacy-cemented three-peat triumph.

“I think it puts it on [the players] and myself and the coaches to keep that incentive to be a team that wins three in a row,” Roberts said. “I have enough trust with our players that when I talk about things like that, they talk about things like that, we’re not gonna run from it … I think our guys really can understand and manage that, and that comes with experience.”

In their quest for a third consecutive World Series championship, the Dodgers will encounter obstacles in some of the usual suspects.

The Mets, who picked up Freddy Peralta and Bo Bichette. The Blue Jays, who added Dylan Cease and Kazuma Okamoto. The Yankees, who re-signed Cody Bellinger.

Over the next nine-plus months, however, the Dodgers’ competition won’t be limited to the 29 other teams in the league. 

The Dodgers will also be taking on history.

They will be measured against champions spanning multiple generations, from Babe Ruth’s Yankees to Mickey Mantle’s to Derek Jeter’s. 

They will be chasing the legacies of every powerhouse team from the Big Red Machine to the Orioles of Frank Robinson and Jim Palmer, the three-peating Athletics of Reggie Jackson to the Braves of Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine and John Smoltz.

Download The California Post App, follow us on social, and subscribe to our newsletters

California Post News: Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, YouTube, WhatsApp, LinkedIn
California Post SportsFacebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, X
California Post Opinion
California Post Newsletters: Sign up here!
California Post App: Download here!
Page Six Hollywood: Sign up here!

As baseball’s only repeat champions in the last 25 years, the Dodgers already belong in the company of these dominant champions of the past. But the group led by Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman now has a chance to elevate itself in the sport’s mythical realm.

In front of the Dodgers is not only the opportunity to make history but also rewrite it. If they win the World Series this year, they will have a legitimate claim as the greatest team of all time.

Los Angeles recognizes when history is being made, and similar to when Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant dominated the NBA or when Reggie Bush and Matt Leinart powered the most recent USC dynasty, the people here know the Dodgers have the kind of team they will be telling their grandchildren about.

The appetite for Dodgers-related information has become insatiable in Los Angeles.

The first time I spoke to Ohtani, he was still playing for the Nippon-Ham Fighters of the Japanese league. I visited the hometown of Roki Sasaki and spoke to a close friend of his late father, who died in the 2011 tsunami that devastated the region. I was able to interview Yoshinobu Yamamoto and interpreter Yoshihiro Sonoda about their relationship, in the process learning the superstitious Sonoda wears lucky underwear on days when Yamamoto pitches.

With two more stars in Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz joining the Dodgers this year, there will be even more stories.

This is what our customers demand and deserve, particularly in what could be a generation-defining season for the Dodgers.

Would a third consecutive championship, or a fourth in six years, make the Dodgers the best team ever?

Manager Dave Roberts thinks so.

Over the last few decades, Roberts said, “The only team that compares is the Yankees.”

As great as the Atlanta Braves were in the 1990s, they won only one World Series. The San Francisco Giants won three titles from 2010–2014, but their offense was always mediocre, which is why they missed the playoffs twice in that five-year stretch.

The Yankees won the championship three years running, from 1998–2000. Including the 1996 World Series, they won the World Series four times in five years.

But the game has changed since then. A luxury tax was implemented to reduce spending on player salaries, and one of the side effects was supposed to be increased competitive balance. The postseason is also harder to navigate now, as the field has increased from six teams to 12. 

What other teams could be compared to the Dodgers?

The Athletics or Reds of the 1970s? They never had to play a Wild Card or Division Series. 

The Yankees of the 1950s and ’60s? They advanced directly from the regular season to the World Series, eliminating any possibility of an early-round upset.

By no fault of their own, no pre-integration team merits consideration, and that includes the 1927 Yankees. The player pool back then was much more limited than it is today.

Relative to their contemporaries, the Dodgers could be more loaded than any of the above-mentioned teams.

In theory, talent would be diluted in a 30-team league, but the Dodgers have seven former All-Stars in their projected lineup, counting Will Smith, Teoscar Hernandez and Max Muncy. They have four more in their starting rotation — Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Blake Snell, Ohtani and Tyler Glasnow.

They have the most complete 40-man roster in baseball, with pitchers such as River Ryan and Gavin Stone who would be in the rotation plans of almost any other team. The Dodgers might not have a generational talent in the minors, but their farm system is marked by unmatched depth. 

In Roberts’ view, there are factors beyond baseball ability and on-field performance to consider.

“I would say there’s more Dodger fans than there ever has been,” Roberts said. “Certainly because of social media, because of Shohei, because of our winning, [because of] Yamamoto. And the Yankees sort of did that in the ’90s. They were like the team of the world. So I do think that when you do something like that, that matters, too.

“As far as just on the playing field, that’s what you guys are for,” he added. “That’s what makes sports great, so people can debate.”

That’s why we’re here. To chronicle the efforts of a dynasty to enhance its legacy. To place what is done or said into context. To provide information that can inspire more spirited debates.

Join us.

On Friday, MLB Pipeline released their annual preseason ranking of the league’s top 100 prospects. Five Brewers made the cut, all of whom were also named to Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects just a few days earlier.

Since I already briefly profiled each prospect when the Baseball America list came out, I won’t repeat myself. If you want to read a quick profile on each of the prospects, check out that article.

Now, I’m interested in why the two lists differ; in other words, why did MLB Pipeline rank each prospect lower or higher than Baseball America did?

3. SS Jesus Made (BA No. 4)

Made’s status as one of the best prospects in baseball is pretty universally agreed upon. Pipeline likes Made more than Cardinals infield prospect JJ Wetherholt, who Baseball America ranked above Made, but the difference between Made and Wetherholt (and Kevin McGonigle, Leo DeVries, and even No. 1 overall prospect Konnor Griffin) is pretty minimal. While none of those shortstop prospects are exactly alike, all of them are seen as having superstar potential and have (so far) lived up to their billing in the minors. Any of those guys could end up being the best big leaguer out of the group.

One reason Pipeline may have ranked Made above Wetherholt is that he’s more likely to stick at shortstop, often considered a “premium” position. Wetherholt will probably move over to second or third base (at least early in his career) because he’s not a better defensive shortstop than the Cardinals’ current shortstop, Masyn Winn. Milwaukee does have a stud defensive shortstop prospect in Cooper Pratt, but he’s a prospect; Winn just won a Gold Glove. Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz is also arguably a top-three defensive shortstop in the league, but his bat has left a lot to be desired early in his career.

26. INF Luis Peña (BA No. 47)

Peña is ranked over 20 positions higher than he was by Baseball America. As detailed in the BA article, Peña’s offensive stats took a dive once he was promoted to High-A. Pipeline holds a more optimistic view of that stretch:

“Peña remained aggressive in search of contact and High-A pitchers exposed him as allergic to non-fastballs, throwing offspeed roughly 60% of the time after his promotion. Peña moved so quickly he needed exposure to that quality of stuff, but now, it’s on him to adjust back.”

The other thing holding Peña back, for now, is his defense. While he’s fast, has good range for his size, and has an above-average arm, he showed a tendency to “let balls slip by or… sail throws.” His eventual home may be at second or third base.

Peña is pretty raw, very young (turned 19 in November), and is still developing, so there’s a lot of projection involved in predicting his potential future outcomes. Still, he has the tools to be a top 10 prospect on this list someday — ostensibly part of the reason he’s ranked so highly.

51. SS/2B/OF Jett Williams (BA No. 71) & 64. SS Cooper Pratt (BA No. 50)

While Pratt (Pipeline No. 64) was ranked higher than Williams (Pipeline No. 51) on BA’s list, their places are reversed here. Pratt is a better defender and might have more overall upside if his bat develops as hoped, but that’s far from a certainty.

Pratt got on base at a solid clip last year (.343), but his batting average (.238) and slugging percentage (.348) still leave something to be desired. Williams (.828 OPS, 17 HRs) had a much better offensive season than Pratt (.691 OPS, 8 HR) did last year. Williams is also fast (clocking sprint speeds above 30 ft/second), a great baserunner, and incredibly versatile. He’s played at least 30 minor league games at three different positions (shortstop, second base, and center field). Pipeline sees Williams as a “good fit in a Milwaukee organization that highly values short, speedy types up the middle.” Since Pipeline tends to weigh current production and proximity to the big leagues a bit more heavily than Baseball America, it makes sense that Williams is ranked higher than Pratt.

For what it’s worth, the “short” thing feels like a strange inclusion to me. Other than Caleb Durbin (who isn’t normally an up-the-middle player for the Brewers), none of the Brewers’ middle infield and center field options are even that short. Joey Ortiz is 5’10”, Brice Turang is 5’11”, Jackson Chourio and Blake Perkins are listed at 6’ even. Garrett Mitchell is 6’2”. Milwaukee didn’t trade for Williams because of his diminutive (5’6”) stature; they traded for him because they value fast, athletic, defensively capable players who can get on base.

100. Brandon Sproat (BA No. 81)

Pipeline’s Mr. Irrelevant is a prime pitching lab candidate. Sproat has great stuff; Pipeline gives him a 60-grade slider and a 55-grade curveball and changeup. He’s ranked this low because he had an underwhelming season in Triple-A last year (4.24 ERA) and didn’t pitch any better in four September appearances with the Mets (4.79 ERA, albeit with 17 Ks in 20 2/3 innings pitched). He’s also 25 and will be 26 by next year’s playoffs.

The acquisition of Sproat gives me Quinn Priester vibes. Both were highly-drafted prospects with great stuff who struggled during their first tastes of the big leagues. Priester put together a great season with Milwaukee last year; hopefully, Sproat can do the same. If any team can get the most out of him, it’s the Brewers.

As I said in the Baseball America article, I have a breakdown of both Williams and Sproat coming soon… stay tuned.

2025 stats: 32 GS, 182.1 IP, 3.65 ERA, 3.93 FIP, 109 ERA+, 1.212 WHIP, 9.2 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 1.1 HR/9, 2.2 fWAR

Robbie Ray was an All-Star in 2025. At least, up until the All-Star break.

His 2.65 ERA led the club into the July recess. At that point in the season, he ranked in the top-10 among qualified pitchers across the MLB in innings pitched, batting average of balls-in-play, runners stranded (LOB%), and opponents’ average. In tandem with Logan Webb, the pair were co-aces leading one of the better rotations in the Majors. They were an odd-but-effective couple: Ray’s blunt instrument attacks at the letters one day; Webb’s heavier rocks-at-the-knees the next.  

The invitation to the Midsummer Classic was well-deserved. His last two seasons for Seattle and San Francisco were cut short by Tommy John surgery then long delayed by recovery. But at the start of the 2025 season, Ray was finally healthy and pitched with purpose from the jump. The relief he felt being back on the mound with regularity was clear, his loud grunts of gratitude echoed throughout the stadiums as he won his first three outings of the year. From the end of April to the beginning of June, the southpaw strung together eight consecutive quality starts. His strong performance had Fangraphs’ blogger Ben Clemens singing his praises, marveling at Ray’s ability to do so much with so little. Just a mid-to-low 90s four-seamer, three subpar secondary pitches, and a whole lot of backspin was ostensibly all he needed to not only be effective, but reclaim his Cy Young form from 2021. Out of nowhere, he  flirted with a “Maddux” in Arizona, throwing his second career complete game. He then tangoed with future World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto right before the break, logging his 13th quality start in 20 games. 

But this is a 2025 San Francisco Giants player review after all, so we know the good times just don’t last — and Ray might’ve been the first body to fall off the back of the wagon.

His first start after the All Star break came in Toronto in which he surrendered 5 earned runs in 4.1 innings pitched. It was his worst outing of the year up to that point — but it’d have more competition as he and the Giants slogged through the dog days of summer. Having allowed just 4 earned runs in a start just once over his first 20 games, Ray gave up at least 4 or more runs in 6 over his final 12, including a horrific, knuckle-dragging stumble in which opposing teams plated 22 runs in 22.2 innings against him over his last 5 games. His ERA over the “shorter half” nearly doubled. His K/9 rate fell and his BB/9 rate increased. Balls in play started finding holes and open grass. Hitters became more persistent. Innings drew on longer and became harder to close out. Ray’s left-on-base percentage dropped nearly 20 points. Opponent’s OPS rose from .608 to .810. 

As disappointing and as sharp as the decline was, it shouldn’t have been too much of a surprise. Fatigue is always a factor for any pitcher in the latter half of the season. Not to mention the fact that Ray, who turned 34 in October, has been wringing his arm out like laundry for over a decade’s worth of seasons now. The fabric is worn, the color faded, and then there’s the long wrinkle of his Tommy John surgery that stretches back to 2023. His last full season with a proper pitching load was with Seattle way back when in 2022 (189 IP/ 32 GS). The 119 innings Ray logged over his first 20 starts was nearly four times his innings total from 2024.

While the final 3.65 ERA in 2025 is surely a disappointment considering what Ray initially seemed to promise, it’s still lower than his career mark, and the drop off shouldn’t be too surprising. Looking back over his career, Ray has never been a steady hand. His three-outcomes style opens him up to wild swings in results, making sustained dominance over a whole season difficult. The real accomplishment of 2025 for Ray is that he stayed healthy. For better or for worse, he notched 32 starts for the fifth time in his career. His 182.1 innings were just 11 shy of his career high. He would’ve been considered the workhorse in the Dodger rotation, throwing more than Yoshinobu, more than double Tyler Glasnow’s regular season innings, nearly three-times Blake Snell’s, and nearly four-times Ohtani’s. 

Small points of pride — but points all the same. 

Ray has one more year on his Giants contract, and considering how the offseason has played out in terms of pitching acquisitions, the team is counting on him to reclaim his partnership with Webb at the top of the rotation. They need him to stay healthy again…and to be better through August and September. 

Can he do that? Sureyeerrrrmaaheeyybeeee…

All I know is that Ray is a pitcher who can be both fun and infuriating to watch — and often these emotions are felt in the same game, or in the same inning. A lot of his success in the league comes from getting out of his own way. Walks and home runs and home runs after walks have been his downfall for a long while now. When he won the AL Cy Young Award in 2021 with a league leading 157 ERA+, his HR/9 rate was 1.5, the same rate as it was the following year in 2022 when he posted a 100 ERA+. Players will always hit the ball hard and in the air against Ray, the difference is if there are runners on base when that happens. While he’s certainly used to, and accepted, that walks are a part of his game, they still very much matter. His 4.77 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2021 dropped to 3.42 in 2022, while his walk rate increased from 2.4 to 3.0. That small increase has a ripple effect. All those extra pitches thrown and extended innings add up over 180 innings and can whittle you down to average.

A pitcher like Webb has a myriad of ways to get a batter out in terms of pitch type and location. He’s not afraid of contact because it’s often shot into the ground. Ray is playing a much more dangerous game. He needs to miss bats. He needs the strikeout, and to get a lot of strikeouts, count leverage, chase, and whiff are key ingredients. Last season, Ray’s 27 Whiff-%, while still above leave average, was his lowest (in a full season) since 2016. His K/9 rate dropped below 10 for the first time since 2015. More plate appearances ended when the batter was ahead in the count against Ray than behind (265 to 253). Count leverage can mean the difference between facing an All-Star in the box or Matt Cain. An .888 OPS and a .455 OPS is pretty stark, and for Ray last season, it ended up being a coin flip at times what kind of hitter he faced. Best not to leave that kind of thing up to chance.

First pitch strikes are key, as are finding a way to wiggle yourself back into a count you fell behind in. Webb’s strikeout-to-walk ratio after he fell behind 1-0 to a hitter was still 2-to-1 last season. For Ray, it was a smidge better than one-to-one.

I think the key for Ray in 2026 is to reassert his fastball. This is somewhat obvious. As mentioned earlier, it’s no secret, with its backspin and rise, that it’s his best pitch — but just because its his best pitch doesn’t mean it needs to be saved for two-strike situations. In his most successful years, the four-seamer was a dynamic weapon in all counts. Ray threw a first-pitch fastball nearly 65% of the time in 2021, and last year that number dropped down to 49%. In 2017 (his first All-Star year), he threw his four-seamer 53% of the time when he was ahead in the count. Last year, that usage again fell to 49%. When he was behind to a batter in 2017, he threw his signature pitch 66% of the time; 65% in 2021 — but just 59% in 2025.

These are not monumental shifts in approach, but the drops seem to hint at a hesitancy or a lack of conviction around the pitch. Why? I don’t know, but Ray clearly needs to do better at establishing the fastball early on against hitters. If he doesn’t there’s a negative trickle down effect on the rest of his mix and his peripheral weapons become less dynamic. While his revamped change-up (with its Tarik Skubal inspired grip) got the most buzz last season, it’s Ray’s non-sliding slider that really feeds off of the four-seamer. The offering is an awkward duck for sure, with little drop or break, and easily turn into an ugly one if left up over the middle of the plate against righties, but when mixed in well, it’s historically flummoxed hitters with whiff rates nearing 50% for years.

As you can see, in 2025, the slider’s whiff-% came in at 29% — Ray’s lowest mark ever in a full season of work.

Ray’s fastball-slider pairing accounted for 90% (59% FF – 31% CH) of the offerings he threw en route to Cy Young hardware. Not all solutions lie in the past, and I appreciate the desire to evolve, especially as he strides into his mid-30s, but perhaps its best not to overthink certain things. Ray needs to quit playing around with toy pitches like that dang knuckle-curve and just lean on the attack.

Andrew McCutchen is presently unsigned for 2026, but the former NL MVP is still miffed that the Pirates did not invite him to their annual preseason fan fest.

McCutchen, who has played 12 of his 17 MLB seasons in Pittsburgh over two stints, took to social media Saturday night to express his unhappiness.

He cited Albert Pujols, Clayton Kershaw, Miguel Cabrera and others as examples of longtime stars who attended team functions in the past despite not being under contract for that upcoming season.

“I wonder, did the Cards do this [to Adam] Wainwright/Pujols/Yadi [Molina]? Dodgers to Kershaw? Tigers to Miggy? The list goes on and on,” McCutchen wrote on X. “If this is my last year, it would have been nice to meet the fans one last time as a player.”

Pirates GM Ben Cherington gave vague answers Saturday about why McCutchen — a five-time All-Star outfielder and the 2013 NL MVP — was not in attendance.

“Andrew has meant a ton to the team. He’s had an incredible run at two different times. Certainly, his legacy as a Pirate is secure,” Cherington said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “Everybody with the Pirates, it’s our desire to maintain a really good relationship with Andrew well into the future.”

The 39-year-old McCutchen, who appeared in 25 games for the Yankees in 2018, batted just .239 with 13 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .700 OPS in 135 games — 120 as a designated hitter — for the Pirates last season.

“Then we come back to our team. What is the job? The job is to build a team that gives us the best chance to win games when you’re at the ballpark in June and July,” Cherington added. “Our approach this offseason has been laser-focused on what gives us the best chance to win more baseball games in Pittsburgh than we have in the past seasons. That’s gonna continue to guide our decisions. So much respect for Andrew. That relationship is really important to us.

“We’ll continue to communicate with him directly as the team comes together. We have more work to do.”

We have reached the portion of the offseason where most of the major pieces have come off the board (and shocker — for the third offseason in a row, the Dodgers are drinking everybody’s milkshake, allegedly bullying everyone, much to everyone’s agita).

Never mind that the Dodgers have created an environment that both keeps and attracts the league’s best talent. No one can accuse the Dodgers of sitting on their laurels.

At this point, as fans, we await the upcoming World Baseball Classic and the potential returns of Kiké Hernández (think when the 60-day injured list goes live) and Evan Phillips (think All-Star Break).

Rather than devote column inches today on the Gondola, or the absurd narratives that the Dodgers are responsible for the impending lockout in December of this year, which is just so dumb, but when does a lion worry about the shrill bleating of sheep, it’s really the same story but from different angles.

Let us instead look northward and at our northern cousins to see what, if anything, they have gotten up to.

With the hoopla of signing Kyle Tucker and Edwin Diaz, one could be forgiven for not paying close attention to what the NL West was getting up to. For instance, the San Diego Padres’ arguably biggest news this winter was a report on Saturday that old friend Yu Darvish was going to retire before additional reporting that Darvish “was thinking” about retirement with three years to go on his deal.

As for the Arizona Diamondbacks, I have nothing to say as they are the last team to vanquish the Dodgers in October. Game recognizes game, even if you only thumped a now-retired-as-a-three-time-champion Clayton Kershaw, Bobby Miller, and Lance Lynn. I have been respectfully silent for three offseasons, which will be long enough once play resumes in March.

As for the Colorado Rockies, well, my mother picked Denver for the August trip.

But the Giants? I always pay attention because of the fact I live less than an hour from Oracle Park. Even if I wanted to ignore them, the citizenry will not oblige. And the Giants’ offseason can be summarized as follows:

Firm, Masterly Inactivity

To quote one of my favorite British comedies, Yes, Prime Minister, which debuted in 1986, featuring Paul Eddington playing Jim Hacker, a well-meaning doofus who ascended to Prime Minister at the conclusion of Yes, Minister (the previous series), squaring off against Sir Nigel Hawthorne playing Sir Humphrey Appleby, the Cabinet Minister: the Giants have mastered “firm, masterly inactivity” during this offseason.

I have been on record lamenting the obstinate, persistent mediocrity of our northern cousins during these past five years. Apart from a sugar high fluke of 2021, you can basically write the Giants being non-contenders in pen, while glancing and wondering whether a chisel and stone tablets might be more appropriate.

When I last left off, I had the following to say about our northern cousins:

Much like a kid who peaked in high school, instead of engaging in self-reflection and therapy when life did not go according to plan, the Giants assumed everyone else was the problem, 2021 was the norm, and they continued to double down.

And double down and double down. The fun part, especially as a Dodgers writer who lives in the Bay Area, the locals are starting to notice and grouse about this fact.

The Giants signed pitchers Tyler Mahle, Sam Hentges, and Adrian Houser…in a market that had Tatsuya Imai, Bo Bichette, Kyle Tucker, Edwin Diaz, etc. The Dodgers paid almost as much in luxury tax as the Giants paid in total to their roster last year. Talk about not leaving home.

When a head-scratching manager hire is the most notable thing about your offseason, even the locals are starting to wonder if Buster Posey has lost the plot. Sure, he will likely get elected into the Hall of Fame next year, but at this rate, he is mimicking the arc of other star athletes who went into the front office: woefully inadequate.

Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle spoke to Foul Territory on January 20, and she did not hold back.

To gently disagree with Ms. Slusser on one point, yes, the Giants finished two games out of a playoff spot.

However, portraying the Giants as having any serious postseason aspirations in 2025 is generous to the point of absurdity, without discussing the LOLMets trainwreck. The Mets started 45-24 with the best record in MLB on June 12 before melting down over the next 93 games, going 38-55, worse than everyone except the Rockies, the Washington Nationals, the Minnesota Twins, and the Chicago White Sox.

Yes, the Dodgers were maddeningly inconsistent this summer and even putrid in stretches, but they managed to right the ship, which clearly the Mets did not.

And even if the Giants had somehow bumbled their way into the postseason a la the Cincinnati Reds, their prize would have been facing…the Dodgers, who could be forgiven for what that thumping noise was while easily dispatching the Queen City boys.

Ms. Slusser summarized how team president Buster Posey has said he will make moves, yet ownership has largely been absent in this postseason regarding Bo Bichette (Mets), Tatsuya Imai (Astros), Cody Bellinger (Yankees), and Munetaka Murakami (White Sox). All were available at non-exorbitant contracts.

Attendance was up marginally in 2025, finishing 7th in baseball while averaging 36,121 per game, compared to 10th in 2024, when the average was 33,096 per game. At this rate, one wonders why.

Farhan 2.0?

Dave Tobener of SFGatewas even less complimentary of the Giants’ offseason on January 22 in a delightful essay titled “I thought Buster Posey had changed the SF Giants’ ways. Looks like I was wrong.” Some highlights to bask in include:

It’s been an underwhelming offseason for Farhan Zaidi and the Giants. Coming off a year when they missed the playoffs by a handful of games, it seemed like the organization was just a few key moves away from making a real push this season. But instead of addressing their most pressing needs in free agency or through a trade, the Giants instead settled for a series of moves that Zaidi is known for: signing pitchers coming off major injuries, loading up on backup catchers, and crossing their fingers that platoons can give them enough offensive production to get by. Very, very underwhelming.  

Whoops, hang on – sorry, this is a lede I wrote a few years ago. I opened the wrong Word doc. Let me see here… well, actually, it still works. I just have to change Zaidi’s name to Buster Posey, and it’s good to go…  

…As it stands now, the Giants are going to roll out a team that’s remarkably like the one that just went 81-81, only this time with a weaker bullpen, clear lineup holes and a shaky rotation beyond their ace. They seem to be counting on a new manager to generate excitement and right the ship, but has anyone ever bought a ticket to see the manager? Tony Vitello has been making the rounds lately to talk about how he wants the Giants to be the villains of baseball this season (which is laughable considering the team they share a division with), but what reason would anyone have to hate this Giants team? What have they done to make anyone fear them, let alone hate them? 

The only vitriol may be coming from their own fan base. There’s a clear path to the playoffs in the National League that they seem to have no interest in taking. It’s maddening. Posey may not be turning into Zaidi, but the differences are getting harder to spot. 

When it rains, it pours, because just before this essay was to be submitted, a news alert gave us one last gift.

A thimble for the ocean

To conclude, the media asked Giants’ pitcher Logan Webb after the Giants’ FanFest in San Ramon about his participation in the upcoming WBC. During the scrum, someone asked Webb his thoughts about the Giants’ offseason.

To his credit, Webb was diplomatic, while looking like someone being asked to empty an ocean with a thimble.

“It’s not my job to add guys or do anything,” Webb told reporters Saturday at Giants FanFest in San Ramon. “It’s our job to just go out there and try to compete. Obviously, yeah, it’s not fun for me to watch the team that won it and the team that kicked our ass a lot last year go out and get some really good players just to make it more difficult.

The Dodgers prevailed in nine of 13 contests in 2025. For the record, if not for Blake Treinen and Tanner Scott, that count would have been eleven out of 13 contests. And the Dodgers just added to their bullpen and upgraded their corner outfielder play, while likely saying goodbye to Giantkiller Michael Conforto.

Do I have much pity for an organization that helped nudge the Oakland Athletics into their exile in West Sacramento? Sometimes you reap what you sow.

The Giants did make an acquisition back in December that I almost forgot about: the Curran Theater, which is about a mile and a half from the ballpark and the Mission Rock development. I do not recall the McCourts ever buying a theater, but considering that 15 years ago, the Dodgers were the punchline, the recommendation for the Dodgers faithful is to enjoy every drop of this golden era.

When I evaluate the St. Louis Cardinals actions during the offseason so far, there’s only one thing I’m certain of and that’s the fact that President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom and his team are smarter than I am. That realization gives me peace because otherwise I would have to wonder if the Cardinals are the kings of the waiting game or if the team is once again overvaluing players.

As of this moment, the St. Louis Cardinals have yet to deal arguably two of their most valuable players. All-star Brendan Donovan and lefty JoJo Romero are still on the St. Louis Cardinals roster despite the assessment by many that their value will never be higher than it is right now. I saw a conversation on the St. Louis Cardinals sub-Reddit which made me think. One commenter mentioned that he believed Brendan Donovan was comparable to Tommy Edman who the Cardinals traded away too late according to some opinions and didn’t receive the return they would have gotten if John Mozeliak had been willing to trade him at the height of his value. The general theme was to learn from mistakes of the previous administration.

Last time I checked, I am still not a mind-reader which is a shame because I would love to know what Chaim Bloom is really thinking when it comes to Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero. That means we’ll have to settle for hearsay for now. A report from Sodo Mojo claimed that the St. Louis Cardinals asks for prospects with the Seattle Mariners were treating him as a cornerstone player “while other clubs view him more like a high-end supporting piece”. A report by Ken Rosenthal The Athletic inferred that the Cardinals prospect demands for Brendan Donovan were on the same level as Nico Hoerner and Ketel Marte who are both WAR rated about 1.5 higher than Brendan.

There is hope that Chaim Bloom’s patience might still be rewarded as many believe the New York Mets traded prospects they shouldn’t have for Freddy Peralta. The same can be said for the Chicago Cubs who traded their #1 prospect and two other players for Edward Cabrera. Could it be that Chaim Bloom really does have the winning hand that he’s betting on? The “experts” at ESPN still believe that the San Francisco Giants will eventually give the Cardinals the prospects they want for Brendan Donovan. Buster Olney says that the Seattle Mariners will end up with JoJo Romero. I’m frankly surprised that JoJo hasn’t been traded already, but that makes me wonder if a blockbuster deal that includes Brendan Donovan and JoJo Romero to the Seattle Mariners is a real possibility. If the Giants aren’t willing to let go of their #1 prospect Bryce Eldridge, I prefer many players the Mariners reportedly are willing to make available.

I’ve seen the last few weeks of this offseason before Spring Training begins described as a game of chicken. Will Chaim Bloom blink before his competitors do? If the Cardinals are found guilty of overvaluing their players again like many of us believe they have done in the past, we risk of passing the opportunity to turn this rebuild into a supercharged juggernaut instead of a tepid work in progress. I’m gonna fall back to my first thought. Chaim Bloom and his team are smarter than me and that’s a fact that gives me hope that we’ll be the benefactors of the perfect waiting game and not a what could have been.

If we were to do a Sporcle of the Diamondbacks current 40-man roster, I strongly suspect that Fernandez would come bottom of the list, in terms of name recognition. Jose is the youngest player there, having turned just 22 in September – beating Mitch Bratt by a couple of months. He was added to the 40-man in November, in order to keep him from being picked in the Rule 5 draft. As that implies, he has been in the organization for some time, signing to a $275,000 bonus in February 2021. However, he has moved through the ranks quite quickly, spending all of 2025 with the Double-A Amarillo Sod Poodles, in his age 21 season.

Bar Manuel Pena, Fernandez was the youngest player on the Sod Poodles’ Opening Day roster, and close to three years younger than the average player in the Texas League. In addition to his youth, Jose also had to handle a change in role this year. He switched to shortstop, having played mostly at third-base to that point. The position adjustment does appear to be a work in progress, Fernandez making 22 errors at SS over 104 games – though the play below was certainly nice. But with LuJames Groover likely embedded as the Diamondbacks prospect of choice at the hot corner (and recently named the #6 prospect in baseball there), changing direction might represent a clearer long-term path to the majors for Jose.

Looking at the raw stats, you would be forgiven for thinking that Fernandez enjoyed a break-out campaign with the bat. He had never posted a .700 OPS at any minor-league level, putting up a slash of .256/.292/.344 (.636 OPS) with High-A Hillsboro in 2024. So it might seem that batting .272 with 17 home-runs, for a .775 OPS, was a great improvement. However, Amarillo, which sits 3,600 feet above sea-level, is a total launching-pad. You think Reno is bad? And it is, in the 93rd percentile as a hitter-friendly environment. But Amarillo is more extreme still: #1 among all 120 minor-league parks. Fernandez’s OPS in 2025 was almost exactly at the Sod Poodles’ team average (.777).

Still, there weren’t many 21-year-olds playing a full season of Double-A baseball. The decision of the team to add Jose to the 40-man roster speaks to their interest in ensuring he remained within the Arizona farm system, and was seen as a credible selection onto another major-league roster. While he has yet to make an appearance on the MLB Pipeline top thirty, Fangraphs ranked him in December as the team’s #42 prospect, saying “He has the kind of wiry frame to make you think there could still be a little more pop coming even at his age, and you can dream on a utility guy with enough power to be dangerous. More likely, he’s a depth middle infielder.”

His presence on the roster was likely a decision made for protection, rather than any immediate expectation that Fernandez will reach the major leagues. Obviously, the team has its literal everyday shortstop in Geraldo Perdomo, who skipped only 19 innings there all last season. Should need arise – and I imagine we all fervently hope it doesn’t – Arizona has reasonably experienced backup options, already on the 40-man roster (or NRIs, such as Ildemaro Vargas). With no immediate rush for 40-man spots, I imagine Fernandez may well start the year again in Double-A. If we see him in the majors this year, that suggests something has gone rather wrong.

Jung Hoo Lee reveals favorite part of giving Giants tour in South Korea originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Jung Hoo Lee loved giving a large contingent of Giants players, coaches and executives a tour of his home country, South Korea, earlier in January.

Some of the big-time San Francisco names to make the trip were new manager Tony Vitello, shortstop Willy Adames and executives such as Buster Posey, Zack Minasian, and Larry Baer.

At the Giants’ FanFest event in San Ramon on Saturday, which was challenging for Lee to attend, the three-year outfielder told reporters about his favorite part of the team-bonding experience on his home turf.

“It was super surprising — and honestly, really surprising — to see that support from my teammates and coaches, and obviously, really great to get off to a great foot there,” Lee said through a translator. “So, [I’m] excited to build on those relationships this season.”

“Honestly, the whole trip stands out to me,” Lee added. “It’s something that I won’t forget for the rest of my life. But if I had to pick one moment, [it would] definitely be when we got out to some nice Korean barbecue and had a great experience with the coaches and teammates.”

It sounds like Lee had a great time — and good food.

But that’s not all.

Lee also highlighted that the Giants’ brand seems to be growing strongly in South Korea, which is a development that clearly means a lot to him.

“Yeah, it’s pretty evident the support that the Giants have in my home country in South Korea,” Lee said. “And it’s pretty cool to see the fans rallying around the team and getting excited about us over here in San Francisco.”

Lee’s job as a professional ballplayer in San Francisco has taken the 27-year-old far from home.

However, Lee’s organization has prioritized his comfort, opening itself to South Korea while attracting more Giants fans in the process.

“It’s really cool to see the Giants investing and putting a bigger focus on my home country,” Lee said. “And I’m really excited to kind of keep that momentum going.”

Lee is a South Korean icon and continues to expose San Francisco to a wider audience.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

Out of the five players the Nats received in the MacKenzie Gore trade, RHP Alejandro Rosario is the most complicated case. He has the highest upside of anyone in the package, but also has the lowest floor. The case of Alejandro Rosario is strange and mysterious, but if things break the right way, the Nationals are getting a top of the rotation arm.

While Rosario has massive upside, there is a lot of weirdness involved too. After a dominant 2024 season which we will get into, Rosario blew out his elbow last February. In the modern game, this is not unusual at all. Pitchers go down with major injuries all the time.

However, this is just where the weirdness starts. In July, it was reported that Rosario had yet to undergo surgery. Apparently, Rosario was dealing with something that made him unable to get surgery. A couple weeks ago though, it was reported that Rosario had finally undergone surgery. However, after the trade, Paul Toboni refuted that, saying he had not had surgery yet, but will in the next few weeks.

This is such a weird situation, and we are still awaiting clarity. Assuming Rosario actually has surgery in the next few weeks, he will be out for all of this season as well. At that point, Rosario will have missed the last two seasons due to this elbow injury. With all the time off, it is very hard to say if he will be the same pitcher. If he is the pitcher he was in 2024 though, the wait will be worth it.

The last time we saw Alejandro Rosario on the mound, he was one of the best pitching prospects in the sport. Despite an underwhelming career at the University of Miami, the Rangers still took Rosario in the 5th round of the 2023 draft due to his stuff. That bet paid off in a big way in his first pro season.

Rosario put up video game like numbers between Low-A and High-A. He posted a 2.24 ERA in 88.1 innings with 129 strikeouts to just 13 walks. That is just an absurd level of dominance and it made him a consensus top 100 prospect after the 2024 season.

It was not just the production that excited people about Rosario, it was also the stuff. He showcased three potential plus pitches with plus command in 2024. His fastball averaged 97 MPH on his fastball and it had good carry at the top of the zone. He also has a hard splitter that absolutely devastates hitters. To round out the arsenal, he also has a mid-80’s slider that is a potentially plus pitch too.

The craziest part of all is that he commands all of these weapons at a very high level. Rosario walked just 3.7% of hitters in 2024, which is nuts. He was pounding the zone with his premium stuff and hitters could not cope.

He will be out for two years, but the guy from 2024 is a top of the rotation arm. On the radio, Paul Toboni said the Nats would have had absolutely no shot at getting a player like this without the injuries. He acknowledged the risk he was taking, but felt like it was worth it.

In a five player package, taking a swing on Rosario makes a lot of sense. With players like Gavin Fien and Devin Fitz-Gerald in the deal, you are not relying on Rosario to make the haul worth it. He is just a high end lottery ticket with the chance to become a star.

There was a post that said Nats fans should think of this a little bit like the Cade Cavalli situation. I think there is a lot of truth in that. Rosario just turned 24 earlier this month, so we probably are not going to see the best of him until he is 26 or 27 years old, like Cavalli. However, if that stuff comes back, the Nats are getting a real piece, just like Cavalli.

With how strange the Rosario saga has already been, I would not be shocked if he never throws a pitch in the MLB. I also would not be shocked if he has a top 10 finish in Cy Young voting one day. There is such a wide range of outcomes here. As a second or third piece of a five player deal, I am fine with accepting the massive variance.

We are going to have to make sure that Rosario actually gets the surgery, but if he does, he will be tracking for an early 2027 return. Hopefully the potential lockout does not provide yet another complication. 

Even if he does come back fully healthy in early 2027 and games are being played, we are probably not going to see the best of Alejandro Rosario until 2028 and beyond. He will likely be pretty rusty after all that time off. This is a long term bet, but there is a chance the Nationals hit the jackpot here.

It’s Sunday, and you know what that means — it’s time for our weekly social media roundup! For the second straight Sunday, New York City is getting hit by a wintry weather, although this time, it’s a storm expected to be so bad that many schools had already cancelled classes on Monday before the weekend even started. Now, the temperature may be chilly, but fortunately for us, the hot stove was piping hot for the Bombers this week. And since I know the anticipation is killing you, let’s get started!

The Inevitable Occurred

All winter, the Yankees and Cody Bellinger acted like a pair of high school kids that clearly were interested in each other but were afraid to make the first move. As soon as the offseason began, Bellinger changed his Instagram profile picture, ditching a shot of him in a Yankee jersey in favor of a generic animated shot with a blank hat.

Then, early last week, Bellinger and Austin Wells broke the Yankees portion of the Internet. The outfielder posted pictures of himself working out to prepare for the season, and the catcher posted a sad emoji in response. Immediately, fans began to wonder if he knew something we didn’t.

Then, Wednesday afternoon, the news finally broke: the Yankees and Bellinger had agreed to a five-year deal that kept the popular outfielder in the Bronx. While Belli himself did not post on social media about the deal, he immediately changed his profile picture back to a picture of him in a Yankees uniform. Meanwhile, his wife, Chase, and mother, Jennifer, posted the following:

Yeah, I think they’re excited.

MVP

Last night was the 101st New York Baseball Writers’ Gala, where the winner of the BBWAA’s major awards each officially received their honors. That included Aaron Judge, who took home his third career AL MVP and second in a row. Should be four! But it was a nice moment.

Congrats, Carlos and Andruw

This week, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced its two newest members, Carlos Beltrán and Andruw Jones. While the two players are known more for their time with the Mets and Braves, respectively, they both did suit up for the Yankees: Jones donned the pinstripes in 2011 and 2012, while Beltrán was a part of the 2014, 2015, and 2016 teams before he was traded to the Texas Rangers. In addition to a collection of statements from key members of the organization, the Yankees made individuals posts celebrating both players.

CC Sabathia, RobinsonCanó, and Derek Jeter also took to social media to celebrate their former teammates, among others.

Bernie at Carnegie Hall

Former Yankees center fielder/current professional guitarist performed at Carnegie Hall earlier this month, and unsurprisingly, Suzyn Waldman made sure that she was in attendance.

The Player’s Cup

CC Sabathia posted some photos from “The Player’s Cup” this week. Honestly, I’m not 100% sure what event he is referring to — a quick Google search reveals an MLB Open, but that was an event that was supposed to occur in November — but it still seems like they all had a fun time.

2016

The last two weeks have seen people posting photos from 2016, as they reminisce about the glory days when the Villanova Wildcats defeated the UNC in the NCAA National Championship (at least, that’s what comes to mind when I think of 2016). And naturally, now that this trend is two weeks old, we’ve got celebrities and corporate accounts joining in. First, we have Anthony Rizzo recalling one of the greatest World Series of all time, as the Cubs finally overcame their curse and proved that nothing is impossible, except maybe a Pope that roots for the Cubs.

Then, the George M. Steinbrenner Field account joined in, which honestly wasn’t nearly as fun as the excitement in Chicago from the historic parade.

A Fond Farewell

Jonathan Loáisiga had been part of the Yankees’ organization since joining them as a minor leaguer in February 2016 following a failed stint with the Giants. Injuries ravaged his career, but he was a bullpen staple in 2021 in particular, posting one of the better relief seasons you’ll see in the modern era, recording a 2.17 ERA, a 2.58 FIP, and a 1.019 WHIP across 70.2 innings. Alas, those aforementioned injuries were a constant issue for him, and he and the Yankees finally went their separate ways, making it official when Loáisiga signed a minor-league deal with the Diamondbacks earlier this month.

Loáisiga took to Instagram to thank both the Yankees and their fans, in both Spanish and English. Best of luck to him in Arizona!

Winter Wonderland

And so, let’s wrap up this weekend’s social media roundup with a nice shot of last weekend’s snow, courtesy of Suzyn Waldman.

Aaron Judge’s biggest supporter was by his side for a celebratory Saturday night.

Over the weekend, the Yankees superstar was joined by his wife, Samantha, at the 2026 BBWAA [Baseball Writers’ Association of America] dinner in New York, where he was honored with his second consecutive AL MVP award.

Dressed in a beautiful burgundy gown, Samantha smiled as she posed next to Judge, 33, who looked dapper in a black tux.

Judge, a seven-time MLB All-Star, made history in November when he became the fourth player in Yankees history to clinch a third AL MVP title with the club, joining the esteemed company of Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Joe DiMaggio. He won his first AL MVP prize in 2022.

“I never came into this game chasing awards or chasing anything but getting a chance to win and leaving the game better than I found it,” Judge said in a conference call at the time. “If I won by one vote or 20 votes, it really didn’t matter in my eyes.”

Before Judge delivered his acceptance speech Saturday, his close friend and former teammate, Anthony Rizzo, took the mic and gushed over Samantha’s presence in Judge’s life.

“Sam, without you — and getting to know you over all these years — without you, Aaron is not a three-time MVP, and I mean that sincerely. You are such a rock for him, and what you bring, your steady presence, is amazing,” Rizzo said, according to Yankees Source.

Judge and Samantha tied the knot in a lavish destination wedding in Hawaii in December 2021.

The couple became first-time parents in January 2025 with the birth of their daughter, Nora Rose.

“What an incredible week it’s been, can’t wait for the memories the three of us make,” Judge said in an Instagram post announcing his daughter’s birth.

Judge hit 53 home runs in 2025. He also earned the first batting title of his career with an average of .331.

This is a really good view of a bygone era at Wrigley Field, also sent to me by BCB reader Joe Coney.

I had to enhance the colors a bit; the original photo as sent to me was a bit washed out. This also made it easier to read the matchups on the scoreboard, and I had a hunch about this game even before that.

It’s clearly pre-Tribune Co. era, because there’s no message board. Going back a few more years, with no soccer clock under the scoreboard this has to be from before 1978.

The Braves are the visiting team, as you can see from the pitcher’s jersey. The Braves began wearing these road jerseys in 1976.

So now we’re down to 1976 or 1977. The Cubs pitcher is wearing No. 39 and, to this point in the game, is still pitching.

That has to be Mike Krukow, who debuted with the Cubs in September 1976. But he didn’t face the Braves that year.

Thus, this is one of the two starts Krukow made against the Braves in 1977. The first one was in early May, and the ivy is too full for that time of year.

Thus, this is the other Krukow start against the Braves that year. It was played Saturday, July 23, 1977. Everything on the board matches what happened that day.

The Cubs are leading 1-0 and it’s the bottom of the seventh inning. The runner on second is Jerry Morales and Steve Ontiveros (16 on the board) is at bat. There’s one out. Atlanta’s pitcher is Steve Hargan, who gave up a single to Ontiveros, with Morales taking third. After that the Braves replaced Hargan with Rick Camp, who gave up RBI singles to Manny Trillo and George Mitterwald, and the Cubs led 3-0 going into the eighth.

But Krukow faltered and gave up a couple of hits. Willie Hernandez relieved him and allowed RBI hits to Gary Matthews (who’d be a Cub seven years later!) and Willie Montanez, and the Braves took a 4-3 lead.

Ontiveros hit an RBI single in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game 4-4, and Paul Reuschel threw the ninth, serving up a leadoff homer to Rod Gilbreath. The Cubs went out 1-2-3 in the bottom of the ninth and lost the game 5-4.

Despite the loss the Cubs were 56-36 after this game and still led the NL East by 2.5 games, in the year many of us thought they’d finally make up for 1969. Well, you know what happened.

Just another little slice of Cubs history.

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

The Friar Faithful have been waiting for news of a signing to breathe some life to this offseason that has been crawling to an end, but what they got Saturday was a report from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune that pitcher Yu Darvish was ready to retire and walk away from the three years and $43 million remaining on his contract. Since that report, Darvish himself has denied on X that anything is finalized and that he is not announcing his retirement.

If the Acee report did come to pass at some point this offseason, it might create some of the financial flexibility the San Diego Padres and president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller have been looking for. The money saved from a Darvish retirement even with a potential buyout could allow Preller to chase bigger free agents.

As it stands, the Padres are a team that have reportedly been in a financial crunch over the past two offseasons and that appears to be the case based on the limited number of major league contracts signed and the bevy of minor league contracts that have been doled out this offseason. Many of those contracts come with invites to Spring Training and based on the success of Gavin Sheets from a season ago, it appears Preller is looking for another player to have a strong spring to make the MLB roster.

The money the Padres do have to spend would be best spent addressing their rotation needs and that sentiment is shared throughout much of the MLB and fan communities. Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported earlier this week that the financial constraints of the Padres have them looking at more mid- to lower-tiered arms. He listed Lucas Giolito, Nick Martinez and Justin Verlander as potential free agent targets for San Diego. Gaslamp Ball asked readers to decide which of the three pitchers they would want in the Padres’ rotation in 2026.

It was not a shock to see the overwhelming majority of those who took part in the poll wanted the Padres to bring in Giolito. He is the youngest of the group at 31 years old and spent last year with the Boston Red Sox, after missing the 2024 season recovering and rehabbing from elbow surgery, which probably has some fans thinking Giolito could be a Nick Pivetta 2.0. Pivetta pitched in Boston prior to coming to San Diego and he was the best pitcher in the starting rotation for the Padres in 2026. Could Giolito have similar success under the tutelage of San Diego pitching coach Ruben Niebla? The Friar Faithful seem to be willing to give it a chance.

Martinez has been in San Diego, he is well-known to Padres fans, and he seemed to be well-liked in the clubhouse. Preller does not often bring players back to San Diego who have left and gone on to play in another city, but that does not mean he is out on Martinez. It just seems that his return is highly unlikely, and the fans seem to want that to be the case as well.

Verlander is going to be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame when he is eligible for induction, and you would be hard-pressed to find anyone who would dispute that. San Diego fans seem to think his best years are behind him and that the Padres could or should do better if they are going to spend on a free agent pitcher. Verlander had a good season, statistically speaking, in San Francisco last year with the Giants, but his win/loss record left a lot to be desired, and he is a 42-year-old with a lot of wear-and-tear on his arm.

There are some fans who did not like any of the options suggested by Rosenthal and used in this poll and that is to be expected. You always want your team to find and sign the best players because it gives your team the best opportunity to compete and win. No one wants to shop in the proverbial bargain bin, but sometimes we have to get the best of what is available and for the Padres and their fans, that appears to be Giolito.