Category: Baseball

Tate Southisene is rapidly becoming an extremely exciting prospect and it would not be a surprise if he was a consensus top 50 prospect in baseball to start 2027. That’s a fantastic return for what was a well-underslot pick in 2025 that enabled the team to go out and get prospects like Briggs McKenzie and Connor Essenberg in the later rounds, who are also looking extremely promising. Southisene becoming a top prospect in his own right while also enabling the acquisition of other top prospects is an absolute coup and seems to be the keystone to a very promising 2025 draft class for Atlanta.

The second basemen with the brightest futures ⭐️

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— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) November 4, 2026

Braves News

Tate Southisene and Briggs McKenzie were named to the Fall Stars team in the Arizona Fall League.

The Braves are reportedly set to return their entire coaching staff, despite questions regarding baserunning, offensive production, and ABS decision-making in terms of coaching.

Sam reviewed the brief tenure of Ian Hamilton in Atlanta.

MLB News

Take a look ahead at the next class of free agents for the offseason following the 2027 season,

The Angels are in a holding pattern of being unable to hire a new GM until their sale is approved.

A serious bout of catcher injuries struck the Atlanta Braves during the first half of the season, and desperate times called for desperate measures. One of those measures, of the band-aid variety, ended up being Austin Wynns, who spent two weeks with the club in June and appeared in six games.

How Acquired

The Braves added Wynns in the middle of the season, while both Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy were down with injuries. They sent cash considerations to the Angels in exchange for Wynns’ services, and designated longtime third-string catcher Chadwick Tromp in a corresponding move. The reasoning was a bit weird, though it was all meant to be a temporary fix anyway: Sandy Leon was getting the bulk of playing time anyway, so the Braves opted to acquire a backup-to-Leon instead of using Tromp in that role for whatever reason.

One silly thing about the Wynns acquisition is that the Braves kind of prompted it with their own DFA of Jonah Heim earlier in the season. The Athletics, who acquired Wynns in a midseason trade in 2025, DFAed him three days after trading for Heim. He was released and signed with the Angels, but didn’t get promoted to their big league team. Three weeks later, the Braves traded cash considerations (which is what they received for Heim) to Anaheim for Wynns.

What were the expectations?

There weren’t any real expectations, to be blunt.

Coming into 2026, the 35-year-old Wynns had a career 74 wRC+ that featured a pretty sizable xwOBA overperformance (.282 wOBA, .265 xwOBA) in 783 career PAs spanning parts of six major league seasons. He had never topped 180 PAs in a single season, nor 1.0 fWAR. He came kind of close in 2025 riding a massive xwOBA overperformance (.365 wOBA, .295 xwOBA), though. He also wasn’t highly regarded defensively, with just one good defensive year (2023) behind the plate and some substantially below-average performance in other seasons.

He wasn’t doing much of anything in 2026, either — a -47 wRC+ (yes, a negative sign) in 43 PAs in Sacramento before getting released. Basically, the Braves acquired a guy who had 0.6 career fWAR in 826 PAs at the big league level.

While it’s not entirely clear what the Braves were thinking in swapping Tromp for Wynns, it was a fairly inconsequential shuffle to try and survive until Baldwin and Murphy returned.

2026 results

Wynns was only with the Braves for two weeks, acquired on June 3, recalled on June 4, and granted free agency on June 16, the day after Baldwin returned from the Injured List.

During his time in Atlanta, he appeared in six games and was 1-for-14 at the plate. He had just one single and no walks, leaving him with a sad .071/.071/.071 slash line that was somehow even worse than his -47 wRC+ with the Athletics. In what would be his final game with the team, he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against the Mets. It wasn’t much better behind the plate, where he allowed six stolen bases and didn’t throw a single runner out, and lost nearly a run of defensive value despite barely playing, even after accounting for the massive catcher positional adjustment. In total, he put up -0.3 fWAR in 14 PAs, which by far his worst stint-with-a-team-in-a-season of his career, small sample size and all.

At least the baseball gods threw him a bit of a bone: after he rejected the Braves’ outright assignment and became a free agent, he signed a minor league deal with the Rangers, spent a month playing in their minor league system, and then got promoted for a month on the big league roster. In 32 PAs in Arlington, he somehow managed a .312 wOBA with a .195 xwOBA, and his defense improved-ish. All in all, Wynns finished 2026 with -0.7 fWAR in 89 PAs, but it would’ve been worse without that stint in the Lone Star State. The Rangers outrighted him in August, and he once again elected free agency, and spent the tail end of the season in the minors with the Cubs.

It wasn’t a fun season for Wynns, as he tied his career-worst in fWAR, had a sub-100 PA season for just the third time, and had a career-worst wRC+ (2).

What went right?

Per Statcast, his defense was commensurate with being in the 73rd percentile in blocks above average? That’s about the only good thing you can say for his season, and it’s largely negated by the fact that he was below average in caught stealing above average, framing and pop time.

In somewhat fitting fashion, Wynns’ “best” game as a Brave was the beginning of their downfall — that 6-5, extra-inning loss to the White Sox. Wynns’ hit was a one-out single that put runners on the corners on with one out while the Braves already had a one-run lead. They didn’t end up scoring in the frame, in part due to a fielder’s choice that threw the runner trying to go home out, and, well, you know how that game and the rest of June went for the Braves.

What went wrong?

Not to be harsh, but, pretty much everything. He wasn’t expected to be a plus bat but one could have at least hoped he could’ve improved on his -47 wRC+ from earlier in the year. That’s how you get a career-worst year.

If you had to pick a specific game from his six as a Brave, well, the day after that horrible loss to the White Sox, Wynns really faceplanted. He flew out with the bases loaded and two out in the second. Then he flew out with the go-ahead run on second and two out in the fourth. Then, after the leadoff man reached in the seventh and Wynns represented the tying run, he lined out. He didn’t get another chance in that game, as Eli White pinch-hit for him and drew a walk in the ninth, representing the tying run, but the Braves lost that game, 2-1.

2027 Outlook

With Wynns set to turn 36 in December, it seems quite possible this is the end of the road for his major league career. He may get another chance with a team if they pick up a rash of catcher injuries, but it’s hard to imagine that would be the Braves again. There are also enough catchers out there on the waiver wire that a guy who neither hits nor fields the catcher position particularly well doesn’t seem like anyone’s first choice, but… the Braves did deliberately acquire him last year, so you never know.

Welcome to our series grading every member of the San Diego Padres’ 40-man roster. The roster being evaluated is current as of Oct. 18, prior to the end of the World Series. Because of that, it will include players who will be free agents once the postseason concludes. Each player will be graded on their performance in the 2026 season, including the playoffs. That performance will be weighted based on how much time the player spent with the team (availability is the best ability). 

Yuki Matsui

The Padres signed Matsui to a five-year, $28 million deal heading into the 2024 season after the left-hander became an international free agent. He was the first free agent they signed that offseason to bolster their pitching staff after dealing away superstar Juan Soto to the New York Yankees. Matsui gave them modest results in 2024 and ‘25, posting sub-4.00 ERAs over 60-plus innings in both years.

Overall Grade: A+

He took that to new heights in 2026. Matsui posted a blistering 1.83 ERA and .171 opponent batting average across 64 innings of work. Since coming over from Japan, Matsui has struggled with command (1.22 career WHIP). In spite of that, he managed to work out of jams in 2026, regularly recording outs in key situations. Matsui was especially dominant down the stretch with a 1.42 ERA in his final 30 appearances and a 0.68 ERA in his last 15 outings.

Some of that may have been due to luck. Matsui’s expected ERA (3.03) was more than a full run above his actual mark (1.83). However, his expected opponent batting average (.170) was almost the exact same as his actual, so it’s hard to make heads or tells of it. Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) is a metric used to determine how dominant a pitcher is on his own (using homers, walks, hit-by-pitches and strikeouts). Essentially, it measures how good a pitcher is without his defense. Matsui’s 4.18 FIP isn’t exactly sterling, so the defense may have had something to do with it.

All that said, his season with the Friars was incredible. Matsui surprised just about everyone by being one of the most dominant left-handed relievers in the game. He was even better than his teammate Adrian Morejon (though he certainly doesn’t have the same track record as Morejon). Matsui decided earlier this week to remain with the Padres for the 2027 season, choosing not to exercise his opt-out. He’ll fill an important role in the Padres’ bullpen with the potential departures of Morejon and Jason Adam on the rise.

NY Daily News | Gary Phillips: The Yankees’ organization lost one of the cogs of their farm system on Wednesday, as news broke that their Triple-A manager Shelley Duncan had accepted a job with the Boston Red Sox to join their major league staff. Duncan has been the skipper of the RailRiders for the past four seasons, earning International League Manager of the Year honors in 2025, and oversaw the leap of several key faces on the current Yankees’ roster from fringe prospects to outright stardom in the case of Ben Rice and Cam Schlittler. With his contract expiring though, Duncan was free to explore new roles and he found a decent promotion landing in Boston. Duncan’s new role on the Red Sox is still to be determined, though based on the gaps on their staff it is likely that he’ll serve as either their first or third base coach.

MLB.com | Sam Dykstra: The Arizona Fall League is nearing the end of its run, and the Fall Stars Game is set to kick off this weekend on Sunday. The game features plenty of blue chip prospects, and last year’s class saw some names that immediately made an impression the next year in MLB. Ten of MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 Prospects will be on the field, and the Yankees will have one of them as Dax Kilby will get an invite to the game after he posted a .980 OPS in 15 games thus far. Chris Veach will join Kilby as the other Yankees representative at the game, the pitcher having tossed 9.2 innings in six appearances with a 3.72 ERA.

FanGraphs | Jay Jaffe: A few days ago the ballot for the Hall of Fame Era Committee came out, and as Nick outlined for us, there were a number of people with Yankees ties up for election. Jaffe is working his way through the cases for each candidate, and his latest stop took him to Lou Piniella’s career. Sweet Lou came oh-so-close to election in previous ballots, but a stacked crowd this time around and a career that weighs heavily on his longevity rather than triumph beyond his early days managing in Cincinnati could hold him back from enshrinement.

The Cincinnati Reds once again find themselves as a provider of players for the Peoria Javelinas in this year’s Arizona Fall League. While not all of the work has come at their farm system’s expense, the Javelinas do find themselves atop the six-team standings at 14-10 at the moment, and that’s where they stood when the participants in Sunday’s AFL Fall Star Game were announced.

Three prospects off the Cincinnati farm were included on the roster for the National League side, including promising powerful young outfielder Yerlin Confidan. He sits tied for 10th in the league with 20 hits to his name to date, and he’s hitting .339/.371/.627 (.998 OPS) through 59 PA in what’s become a showcase for his toolsy repertoire. He’s also going to participate in the AFL Home Run Derby on Saturday.

Joining Confidan is infielder Carlos Sanchez, who’s having an equally impressive run of form in AFL play so far. Through 17 games (58 PA) he has walked as many times (14) as he has struck out (14), and has popped 4 homers in route to a .259/.397/.534 line. Considering he’s still just 21 and mowed through High-A Dayton to the tune of .313/.409/.504 (.912 OPS) in 325 PA before a mid-season promotion to AA Chattanooga, I’m more and more believing the Reds may be on to something with him.

Righty Luke Holman is having his own breakout in AFL play so far. The oft-injured former 2nd round pick out of LSU has been stellar so far through 13.0 IP (5 G), allowing just a lone earned run while fanning 20 against just 7 walks. It’s great to see him not only back healthy, but also shining given a) his journey through surgeries and recoveries since being drafted in 2024 and b) how thin the pitching depth in the Reds system has become of late.

The game will be carried via MLB.com, with first pitch slated to be thrown shortly after 8 PM ET.

Jason Kanzler’s young son dozed off during the 45-minute press conference introducing Kanzler as the new Mariners manager, but he was the only one. The rest of the room was abuzz with questions, for Kanzler as well as Mariners execs Jerry Dipoto and Justin Hollander, who surprised the rest of the baseball world when it was announced the 36-year-old Kanzler would be accepting his first managerial job with the Mariners. That seemed to stand in contrast to a reported desire from the front office to find a candidate with experience in a big-league managing role, and has drawn some early criticism around baseball when the hire was announced. But for Dipoto, the experience question wasn’t such a question.

“Experience is good,” said Dipoto. “In this case, we didn’t think it was good enough to dissuade us from all the traits that Jason brings to the table.”

Those traits were on display in today’s introductory press conference. Kanzler gave thoughtful, concise answers that expressed his viewpoint, sprinkled in with a couple more quotable aphoristic slogans that it’s not hard to see catching on in the clubhouse (or in the marketing department; at one point Kanzler said, regarding the atmosphere at T-Mobile Park, he wanted to “ride the lightning” and Kevin Martinez, sitting behind me, made a noise that made me think we’ll be seeing that on t-shirts by the weekend). He even cracked some jokes, referring to the Astros, his former employers, as “the team who shall not be named.” For a team that had well-publicized communication breakdowns last year, with that quality being at the top of my personal wishlist for a manager, it was an encouraging introduction.

“The way he communicates is very clear,” said Dipoto. “You won’t be confused as to what the directive is when you leave the station, and I think our players will pick up on that.”

Hollander noted the Mariners had actually interviewed Kanzler before, back in 2021 for a potential additional hitting coach job, but ultimately couldn’t pry him away from the Astros. But Hollander said Kanzler’s interview was so impressive that his name continued to be brought up on and off over the years, until finally landing in the Mariners’ managerial search this year.

“I think he left us no choice throughout the process,” said Hollander. “It was just round after round, conversation after conversation. He dominated the process to the degree that I think we would have been foolish to take all the hard work and throw it out the window and not choose him.”

Kanzler said he actually realized he wanted to manage during the interview process, when he had an epiphany moment that directing a farm and managing a team aren’t all that different – both are concerned with developing players on the micro and macro levels and figuring out how to help people be the best version of themselves.

“This came about quickly, and I realized equally quickly throughout it that managing a major league club is just the pinnacle of what I was already doing as a farm director, where I had to manage an entire minor league system. This is just a way higher magnitude, with brighter lights and a third deck, but in the end, it’s the same. I want to win. I want to develop people. I want to develop players. And I want to achieve something with a collective and a great group of people around me.”

Kanzler said that what he’s focused on right now is getting to know the players he’ll be managing and building relationships with them, a process he said he’s started and he describes as being of “the utmost importance” to him. For Kanzler, everything starts with those relationships before anything else can be accomplished.

“It’s important to have connection with the players. It’s most important to have connection throughout the entire thing. The entire organization needs to be connected towards the common goal of winning the World Series…I like to think that the sign of things going well is when people start using the word ‘we’ more than ‘me’ or ‘I.’ When the group starts talking in ‘we’, then I know that things are going well.”

The 2026 Mariners lost their way, something that was largely attributed to a lack of solid clubhouse culture or identity: too much passivity, players not moving in a unified direction. While Kanzler says he wants the identity of the Mariners team to surface organically (the most specific vision of identity he’d give was “step on their throats”), Kanzler’s view of what the 2027 Mariners could be surprisingly starts with what the 2027 Mariners will not be.

“Culture is, in my opinion, all the things that you don’t allow. All the things that don’t happen. It’s the things that you hold the line against. It’s doing, obviously, the big things right, it’s doing all of the little things right all of the time, but most importantly, it is not doing the wrong thing as much as humanly possible. What we allow is what we stand for, and that’s what culture means to me.”

For a team that played some of the worst defense in MLB, made embarrassing baserunning gaffes, and overall didn’t play disciplined, consistent baseball, that vision has appeal: firm guardrails to keep things from going off the rails as they did last season.

“Accountability” was a popular buzzword after the disappointing 2026 season, but Kanzler is quick to clarify that accountability first and foremost requires communication and a clear definition.

“My view [of accountability] is that it requires clarity,” he said. “People need to understand what they’re accountable for before you can hold them accountable. So it starts with clarity, simplicity. Even when the things we’re talking about might be complex, they need to be understood. When people understand what the goal is and they have a clear path to get there and they understand how to get there, then all the stuff in between takes care of itself, and it makes those conversations much eaiser.”

Those hard conversations are ones Kanzler has been having with players for years, at multiple levels, and like his approach to building culture – not imposing it but allowing it to develop organically – he doesn’t force things on players, but rather sees himself as someone who can facilitate the player to coming to better decisions.

“It doesn’t necessarily land well with anyone when they’re told, like, you need to do this, you need to think this. So the way I challenge players and people is I ask questions. I listen a lot. I hear them. I propose alternate ways of thinking or looking at a problem. With players in this game, they are going to be faced with an unending slew of problems, small ones and big ones. They’re going to have to make adjustments. They’re going to have to get better at certain parts of their game. They’re going to have to maintain other parts of their game. They’re going to have to deal with so many things. And I think the ability to help them come to the more correct behavioral outcomes and decisions to make themselves better, and to work themselves through those situations, the better.”

But even if his method is more hands-off – the old “praise publicly, criticize privately” – Kanzler indicates he’s not afraid to get in there and tear things up when the time calls for it.

“There are times where, you know, we have to rip ass with the whole team, and that’s fine. You just have to pick your spots. I’ve been in a major league dugout, I’ve been around major league players, I’ve been around major league clubhouses. I understand when that’s appropriate and when it’s not. But overall, we want to celebrate the things that we care about publicly to reinforce them, and I’d rather address things that need to be addressed privately, to start.”

For Kanzler, that desire comes from what he wanted during his brief minor-league career. His coaching career, culminating in becoming the Mariners’ manager, is a full-circle moment that allows him to pour into players what he craved from coaches as a player.

“I wanted to be coached extremely hard, I wanted things to be intentional, and those are things that have stood with me. I bring intensity to the things that I do, and I really want that delivered to the players. Each of these players is a human being, and they deserve individual, deep attention, especially at this scale, at this stage. We owe it to the fans, we owe it to the organization, and we owe it to the players themselves to give them what they need individually to help the collective win….These are people’s lives, and there’s a lot of people that care about what happens and how these players grow and how they perform.”

“I’m the right man because I believe that every player and every person can be better, and I believe these players so deeply want to be better, and to grow and to win as a unit, and I’m excited to get that out of them.”

Not a lot of traction in the nominations thread, with only a couple of comments, and one genuine suggestion! Consequently, I get to exercise my executive privilege and pick the five candidates out of the twenty-five originally included in the short-list. Except, I actually added another one from the infield, to make six in all. It’s good to be the King. 🙂

4/3 – Alek Thomas’ diving catch

Though first chronologically, this was the last one I added to the ballot, because choosing between the outfield plays was really hard. There was no obviously outstanding candidates, but there were a lot of very good ones. I will admit, a certain amount of nostalgic bias may have crept in, with Thomas delivering in his last full month as a Diamondback, after having been drafted by the organization back in 2018. He certainly had his moments. While he’ll be best remembered for his NLCS home-run against the Phillies in 2023, his defense rarely failed to show up, every day. He was always in contention for this category, and this full-speed dive is no exception.

5/12: Nolan Arenado’s crafty double play

I wanted to include a play from each of our Gold Glovers, but doing so would have meant no room for Arenado, who certainly deserved a mention. His signing was likely Mike Hazen’s best move of last winter, and in addition to the thirty home-runs, Nolan showed he could still flash the leather at the hot corner. There were a number of credible candidates from Arenado, but I particularly liked this one, which showcased his quick thinking. Immediately realizing how much time was available to him, Nolan first moved to tag the runner out going from second to third, before firing a strike over to first base to get the second out.

6/23: D-backs turn 6-2 double play

Nominated by Sighborg. The only suggestion was for the rather less conventional double-play Sighborg appropriately named “The Germinator.” Arguably, there was as much bad as good to be found there, even if the outcome was a highly satisfactory, inning ending double-play! But Geraldo Perdomo was blameless, and our Gold Glover deserves much credit for his presence of mind. After narrowly avoiding getting run over by Tommy Troy, who either didn’t hear or chose to ignore Perdomo’s call, Gerry still made the catch and then threw home to get the runner, trying to advance from third in the chaos. That proved decisive in what ended as a one-run win for the D-backs

8/7: Corbin Carroll ROBS a home run!

Five-star catches are those plays which Statcast assesses a typical fielder would make less than twenty-five percent of the time. According to this chart, in 2026 Carroll recorded seven such outs, behind only likely MVP winner Pete Crow-Armstrong and the Red Sox’s Ceddanne Rafaela in this category, among all MLB outfielders. I don’t know which plays of Corbin’s specifically qualified (I wish you could search Statcast data by catch percentage!), but I feel sure if this play was not one of the seven, it is certainly the equal of them. That it took a home-run away from the Dodgers is the icing on this particular cake.

8/7: Gabriel Moreno throws out Shohei Ohtani at second

Two Play of the Year candidates from the same game? Oh, alright: if you insist. Once more with feeling, because making the Dodgers look dumb always gave a case of the extra warm fuzzies. This perfect throw down to second base, demonstrates why Moreno is the only Arizona catcher ever to win the Gold Glove, now having two on his mantelpiece. Ohtani was just one of the fourteen baserunners Moreno nailed this year, and it was particularly amusing how he thought otherwise. Get your butt back to the dugout, Shohei! Moreno also picked off four base-runners in 2026 – no catcher in the majors had more.

8/25: Ryan Waldschmidt walks off the Cubs

For the home-run, I definitely wanted to go with one of the walk-offs. Each of the three had something to say for them. For example, Waldy’s one just 18 days earlier was against the Dodgers, always a bonus. But in the end, I had to go with his later one. The +85.5% Win Probability it was worth, made it the highest single play by a Diamondback for over fourteen years, since Ryan Roberts against the A’s in June 2012. [Marte’s walkoff against the Giants was almost as good, at +82.7%] Nick Ahmed had 2,897 at-bats as a Diamondback without a walk-off home-run. Waldschmidt hit a pair over a span of a mere 43 at-bats in August. “The Cubs comeback is complete.” 🙂

I guess it could have been worse.

Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz could have stunk in the regular season and the playoffs.

So, maybe Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes had a point when he offered an extremely charitable evaluation of their seasons at a news conference last month.

Gomes hailed the money-suck tandem’s improved play in two postseason series as a major triumph for the Dodgers.

“That’s a pretty good outcome for us,” Gomes said.

The Dodgers committed $240 million to Tucker, only for the right fielder to finish the regular season with a .233 average.

They spent $69 million on Díaz, only for him to register an 8.68 ERA in an injury-ravaged season.

To be fair to Gomes, part of his argument was that the Dodgers were able to win their division and secure a first-round bye in the playoffs with Tucker and Díaz performing like bargain-bin free agent signings. He pointed to how their contributions helped the Dodgers advance to the National League Championship Series.

Regardless, shouldn’t the Dodgers have expected more in return from their $309 million investment?

They will certainly need more next year.

Tucker and Díaz weren’t signed to be complementary players or players who would be pleasant surprises if they performed well. They were signed to be part of the team’s foundation.

Especially next year.

Whenever the upcoming lockout ends, teams expect greater cost-control measures to be in place, whether it’s with a salary cap or some other mechanism. In theory, the new financial restrictions would prevent the Dodgers from spending their way out of their problems. Under the current rules, they could upgrade their roster by signing another high-priced hitter or reliever. But if the next collective-bargaining agreement doesn’t permit that, Tucker and Díaz will have to do what they are being paid to do.

Gomes pointed to October as why he thinks they can serve their intended purposes.

Tucker was the Dodgers’ leading hitter in the playoffs with a .333 average. His .938 OPS was also the highest on the team.

Tucker’s home run against the Braves in Game 1 of their National League Division Series broke a 1-1 tie and sent the Dodgers on their way to a 5-3 victory. Tucker’s seventh-inning walk in Game 4 loaded the bases to set up a two-run single by Andy Pages that accounted for the runs that decided the game, and, by extension, the series.

As for Díaz, he regained his role as the team’s closer, recording the final outs of the Dodgers’ wins over the Braves in Games 3 and 4 of the NLDS.

“While the regular season did not go the way anyone expected, their contributions in the postseason were massive,” Gomes said. 

Both of their turnarounds started in the regular season. Tucker batted .333 with five home runs over his last 17 games. Díaz missed three months recovering from an elbow cleanup and was sidelined another month with a neck injury, but pitched in five games in September and recorded five scoreless innings.

Gomes was hopeful their late-season rebound could carry into next season.

The left-handed-hitting Tucker was expected to provide balance to the aging lineup. For most of the season, Tucker didn’t adequately support the team’s other left-handed-hitting threats. Shohei Ohtani was slowed down by his efforts to return to the mound full time. Freddie Freeman was handicapped by knee problems. Max Muncy played a reduced role in the playoffs because of his troubles hitting left-handed pitching.

The playoffs showcased how a dependable version of Tucker could change the offense. Over time, he proved himself to be the team’s most reliable left-handed hitter. In the Dodgers’ last two games, Tucker batted fourth and fifth, respectively.

With Freeman now 37 and Muncy 36, the Dodgers will count on Tucker to be that kind of presence again next season — but for a longer period.

Díaz will be expected to anchor a bullpen that will have to be rebuilt.

A number of the team’s most established relievers can depart this offseason as free agents, as Alex Vesia, Evan Phillips, Blake Treinen, Brusdar Graterol and Kris Bubic are out of contract.

Being able to lock in Díaz as the closer will simplify the process of breaking in new relievers. Manager Dave Roberts would be able to deploy the team’s other arms under the most favorable conditions without worrying about having to save one of them for the ninth inning.

“Edwin being fully healthy and Kyle having a year to adjust and continue to build off what he did toward the end of the season, the same thing with Edwin, we’re really looking forward to next year with those guys,” Gomes said.

Even if Gomes continues to be a soft grader, they will have to be better next year. They will have to deliver more than “a pretty good outcome.”

It is the 10th year of Top Prospect voting at South Side Sox!

First, let us review past years:

• Here is how 2018 wrangled out — all 42 picks. Also, here is an archive of every article in the 2018 series.
• Here is how 2019 came together, all 50 picks, and the archive as well.
• Now 2020, with the archive.
• Here is the 2021 wrap-up of just 35 picks due to flagging participation, along with the full archive.
• Here is the 2022 link to the 27-pick wrap, along with the full archive.
• Round 24 of voting was the last of 2023 (we did not do an actual wrap for the voting, but Jordan Sprinkle ended up being our final pick), and the full archive.
• In 2024 Abraham Núñez was our 34th pick to end the series, and here is the wrap-up post and full archive of each profile.
• In 2025, we did 31 picks, ending with Eric Adler. Here is the wrap and full stream, of every article.
• And last year, we got through 37 picks, ending with Reudis Diaz. Here is the wrap, and full stream of every article.

We are starting the Top 100 Prospect countdown on the same day as our first poll, with the goal of running a new poll every day. At that rate, we should get through 35 Votes before the Top 100 meets our polling, giving SSS readers 35 chances to weigh in on our Top 100. From there, we will stop the polling and run through the remaining players, finishing up as all players report to camp in mid-February.

As of now our countdown will start with Fidel Montero as our Mr. 100 this year. We’ve customarily turned over the Prospect Vote to the next round as soon as the top vote-getter seems to have an insurmountable lead, but if there’s a rout, we’ll call it in a day. In order to get as many votes as possible in, we’ll try to wait no longer than two days before the next round.

Four players from last year’s Top 10 Prospects have lost their prospect status due to MLB service (Braden Montgomery at No. 1, Noah Schultz at No. 3, Hagen Smith at No. 4 and Sam Antonacci at No. 7). As an indication that there is some continuity in the system, four players on last year’s initial ballot appear in this year’s as well. With Mason Adams having been traded, that means just one player, Christian Oppor, performed poorly enough to drop off of our initial ballot.

Six of the 10 players on this first 2027 ballot played in the White Sox system in 2026, including two who made their major league debuts during the season. As to be expected drafting so early, we have four 2026 draft choices rounding out on the first ballot.

This year, the grandfather of our Top 100 is Tanner McDougal, marking his sixth year on our list and having moved from No. 21 to 22, 26, 63 and 6 so far. If all goes well, it will be his last, as he’ll see significant MLB time.

All right, let’s have some fun. And get voting!

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This was our first tight race, with David Sandlin springing to an early lead and holding off Billy Carlson. Sandlin earned 27 of 91 votes (30%):

Sandlin, acquired along with Jordan Hicks for Gage Ziehl in what was regarded as a mere salary dump deal, came to Chicago too late last offseason to make our Top 100 or Prospect Vote.

Past No. 3s in the SSS Top Prospect Vote
2026 Caleb Bonemer (40%)
2025 Edgar Quero (25%)
2024 Bryan Ramos (29%)
2023 Bryan Ramos (29%)
2022 José Rodríguez (38%)
2021 Michael Kopech (69%)
2020 Nick Madrigal (70%)
2019 Dylan Cease (75%)
2018 Luis Robert Jr. (63%)

Outfielder George Wolkow joins the ballot this round.

South Side Sox Top-Voted White Sox Prospects for 2027

1. Caleb Bonemer — 71% (Cholowsky 25%, Fauske 3%, Prosek 2%, Bergolla Jr./Carlson/McDougal/Sandlin/Thome/Volchko 0%)
2. Roch Cholowsky — 75% (Sandlin 8%, Bergolla Jr. 6%, Carlson 5%, McDougal 3%, Fauske/Mogollón 2%, Prosek/Thome/Volchko 0%)
3. David Sandlin — 30% (Carlson 23%, Fauske 10%, Bergolla Jr./McDougal 9%, Prosek 8%, Lodise/Thome 4%, Mogollón 3%, Volchko 0%)

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William Bergolla Jr.
Shortstop
Age 22
2026 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 15
2026 high level Charlotte (AAA)
Age relative to high level -5.1 years
Overall 2026 stats (ACL/AAA) 11 games ▪️ 0 HR ▪️ 9 RBI ▪️ .444/.524/.556 ▪️ 2-of-4 (50.0%) SB ▪️ 5 BB ▪️ 4 K ▪️ 1.000 FLD%▪️ 0.6 WAR

The epitome of a “Chris Getz player,” Bergolla offsets his Punch-and-Judy bat with deft baserunning, a killer glove and incredible plate discipline. Well young for his level, this legacy player (dad, also William Bergolla) has cut through the White Sox system like butter since his acquisition at the 2024 trade deadline (from Philly, for Tanner Banks). After getting some heavy run in Spring Training 2026, Bergolla was on the fast track to Chicago before a collision with left fielder Sam Antonacci in an April game for the Knights gave him a serious bone bruise in his leg; after a lengthy stint on the IL, Bergolla broke his injured leg in his first rehab game in the ACL.

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Billy Carlson
Shortstop
Age 20
2026 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 7
2026 high level Kannapolis (Low-A)
Age relative to high level -1.3 years
Overall 2026 stats (ACL/Low-A) 60 games ▪️ 0 HR ▪️ 21 RBI ▪️ .252/.380/.335 ▪️ 14-of-16 (87.5%) SB ▪️ 41 BB ▪️ 59 K ▪️ .976 FLD%▪️ 1.5 WAR

It was a star-crossed pro debut for the 2025 first-rounder, who broke his left thumb in May and was later shut down for the season with a skin infection on his left leg. Let’s hope Carlson can get right for 2027, as the crush of blue-chip shortstops in the system (led by, of course, 2026’s overall No. 1 pick, Roch Cholowsky) could end up drowning him. Positives? Honestly, in his cameos at the plate Carlson flashed more pop to the gaps and on-base ability than expected.

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Jaden Fauske
Center Fielder
Age 20
2026 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 11
2026 high level Kannapolis (Low-A)
Age relative to high level -1.3 years
Overall 2026 stats 118 games ▪️ 4 HR ▪️ 48 RBI ▪️ .250/.388/.360 ▪️ 46-of-56 (82.1%) SB ▪️ 94 BB ▪️ 125 K ▪️ .948 FLD%▪️ 2.8 WAR

A year ago, we were not certain where Fauske would play, as a high school catcher announced at the draft as an outfielder-only. That proved to be the case in his first professional season, but what ho, Fauske saw more time in center than right field. And with quicks that saw Jaden snatch 46 bags in 118 games, the youngster might well stick in center.

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Kyle Lodise
Shortstop
Age 22
2026 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 24
2026 high level Winston-Salem (High-A)
Age relative to high level 0.0 years
Overall 2026 stats 111 games ▪️ 20 HR ▪️ 77 RBI ▪️ .230/.380/.440 ▪️ 42-of-51 (82.4%) SB ▪️ 92 BB ▪️ 141 K ▪️ .957 FLD%▪️ 3.6 WAR

Lodise made a return visit to Winston-Salem in 2026, and his first full professional season went extremely well. With a low average and slug to burn, the shortstop fits right in with the org profile of swinging hard, damn the contact. Thankfully, Lodise is selective enough at the plate to produce astronomical OBPs. And his power bat is showing better than advertised at this point.

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Tanner McDougal
Right-Handed Starting Pitcher
Age 23
2024 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 33
2025 SSS Prospect Poll ranking N/R
2026 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 6
2026 high level Chicago (MLB)
Age relative to high level -6.2 years
Overall 2026 stats (High-A/AAA/MLB) 2-3 ▪️ 27 games (7 starts, 3 finishes) ▪️ 50 IP ▪️ 4.86 ERA ▪️ 53 K ▪️ 34 BB ▪️ 1.480 WHIP ▪️0.2 WAR

The good news is that McDougal was enough of a core piece to be promoted to Chicago in the second half of 2026. The bad news … well, where to start. McDougal’s presumptive march to the South Side rotation was stopped dead early in the season, when he was sidelined for weeks with forearm tightness. While the injury was thankfully not severe enough to necessitate a second TJS, Tanner was a relief arm for the rest of the season and not a stable one at that. His brief cameo in Chicago saw him rack up one out along with three walks.

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Javier Mogollón
Second Baseman
Age 21
2026 high level Winston-Salem (AA)
Age relative to high level -2.0 years
Overall 2026 stats (Low-A/High-A) 91 games ▪️ 14 HR ▪️ 57 RBI ▪️ .262/.368/.448 ▪️ 36-of-44 (81.8%) SB ▪️ 53 BB ▪️ 123 K ▪️ .965 FLD%▪️ 2.5 WAR

The diminutive (5´8´´, 160) infielder wowed in rookie ball and though his climb has slowed, Mogollón has steadily risen up our ranks, from No.62 in our 2024 Top 100 to the cusp of the Top 10 today. That said, he’s seen two straight seasons shortened by hamstring issues. At least in 2026, Mogollón was able to return before season’s end, providing a clutch bat coming that provided a .313/.389/.813 slash and eight RBIs en route to sweeping to a SALLY title.

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Cole Prosek
Third Baseman
Age 19
2026 High Level Magnolia Heights (H.S.)
Overall 2026 stats (H.S) 41 games ▪️ 18 HR ▪️ 79 RBI ▪️ .545/.678/1.177 ▪️ 62 R ▪️ 7 SB ▪️ 31 BB ▪️ 12 K

Coming to Chicago as a second-rounder, Prosek seems more highly-regarded by evaluators than the guy picked ahead of him by the White Sox, low first round choice Landon Thome. That’s a curious thing, but Prosek dominated his prep competition even more thoroughly than Thome. Plus, while the White Sox regard Prosek as a second baseman, his prep time was spent significantly at the hot corner, and he has experience behind the plate as well.

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Landon Thome
Shortstop
Age 19
2026 High Level Nazareth Academy (H.S.)
Overall 2026 stats (H.S) 7 HR ▪️ 29 RBI ▪️ .545 AVG ▪️ 49-of-50 (98.0%) SB

How crazy is it to have two high school teammates (Thome and Jaden Fauske) on our first ballot of the voting year … or any ballot, ever? The White Sox were so hot to dip back into Nazareth’s roster that they dealt promising 2023 first-rounder Jacob Gonzalez to Pittsburgh to acquire the draft pick to snag him; clearly the club was not confident Thome would drop into the second round. Unlike his father, Hall-of-Famer and White Sox adviser Jim, Landon is better regarded for his speed and defense than his ability to put the ball over the fence. Slugging will come in time for junior, however.

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Joey Volchko
Right-handed starting pitcher
Age 21
2026 high level University of Georgia (NCAA)
Age relative to high level +0.1 years
Overall 2026 stats 11-2 ▪️ 18 starts ▪️ 1 CG ▪️ 95 1/3 IP ▪️ 3.68 ERA ▪️ 119 K ▪️ 46 BB ▪️ 1.343 WHIP ▪️ 2.1 WAR

This big-armed righty can touch 100 mph with his fastball, but wildness concerns might have precipitated Volchko’s drop to the White Sox in the third round in spite of MLB ranking him as a second round (68th-best) talent. He’s a big-game pitcher who dragged the Bulldogs to their first College World Series win in 18 years with a complete-game effort over the University of Texas. There’s a chance Volchko ends up as a high-leverage bullpen arm, but he will get every chance to stick as a starter.

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George Wolkow
Right Fielder
Age 21
2024 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 14
2025 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 13
2026 SSS Prospect Poll ranking 16
2026 high level Winston-Salem (High-A)
Age relative to high level -2.0 years
Overall 2026 stats 123 games ▪️ 22 HR ▪️ 100 RBI ▪️ .239/.317/.446 ▪️ 15-of-22 (68.2%) SB ▪️ 50 BB ▪️ 179 K ▪️ .971 FLD%▪️ 1.6 WAR

Wolkow sacrificed speed and what batting eye he had for power in 2026, and while that made for some impressive counting stats (22-100 plays on the back of any baseball card) the hole in his swing hasn’t been sewn. If the White Sox brass is having Wolkow bet on his best tool, power, at all others’ expense, he’s slipping into the Colson Category.

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The Atlanta Braves have concluded their season, but there is still quite a bit going on that could directly have an impact on them. We have awards rolling in, salary cap discussions, potential free agent signings and trades, etc.

Keep an eye out for the Rookie of the Year announcement on November 9th. Didier Fuentes likely will not win, but it will be interesting to see how many down votes he gets. It is arbitrary in nature, but it can be fun to discuss what the outcome will be.

Manager of the Year will be announced on November 10th. The term finalist is a bit deceiving because the voting has already decided, but all three NL “finalists” have a legitimate reason to have received the top three total votes. Mattingly took a team look destined to fail and turned the season around. Weiss took a team that missed the playoffs last season and brought them to a NLE division win, and Murphy once again led a dominant Brewers team that led MLB in wins (postseason was not factored into voting).

We also have Chris Sale in the mix for Cy Young. He likely did not win, but like Fuentes it will be fun to see how voters placed him.

There has been a new update on salary cap and salary floor as well. It is always fun to hear people’s thoughts on this subject.

The MLB General Manager Meetings start next week on November 9th in Las Vegas. We don’t typically see a ton happen at these meetings, but they do typically set the groundwork for trades and evaluation of free agent markets. There is a small chance we see some minor additions at this time.

Let’s talk about these subjects or whatever else is on your mind in the comments.

Jake Bauers made $2.7 million this season.

By 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 17, the Milwaukee Brewers' National League Championship Series MVP has to decide whether to take $23.15 million for one year or turn it down and test free agency.

He may be one of the last players ever who has to make that call.

Bauers is one of eight free agents who received a qualifying offer Monday, along with Yankees closer David Bednar, Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki and Marlins outfielder Randy Arozarena. Major League Baseball and the players union have both proposed scrapping the system in the next collective bargaining agreement. The current deal expires Dec. 1 and a lockout is expected.

This is not new territory. When the last CBA expired in 2021, 14 players received qualifying offers. Brandon Belt was the only one who said yes.

Eight of the others had deals in place by the time the owners locked out the players. Four more waited out the 99-day lockout.

What is a qualifying offer in baseball?

A qualifying offer is a one-year contract set at the average salary of baseball's 125 highest-paid players. This year it's a record $23.15 million, up from $22.025 million last year.

A team can only make the offer to a player who spent the whole season with the club and has never received one before.

The player has two choices.

Accept, and he's back with his team for one more season. He can't be traded without his consent until June 15.

Reject, and he becomes a free agent with a draft pick penalty attached. If he signs somewhere else, his old team gets a compensation pick, and his new team gives up at least one of its own.

How much that pick is worth depends on the old team's finances. A revenue-sharing club like the Brewers can get a pick right after the first round if the player signs for $50 million or more. Luxury-tax payers like the Yankees and Cubs only get one after the fourth round.

Most players say no. Since the system began after the 2012 season, only 18 of 157 players accepted before this year. A record four did it last winter.

Who got qualifying offer in 2026?

• Randy Arozarena, Mariners: six straight 20-homers, 20-steal seasons
• Jake Bauers, Brewers: 26 homers and an .874 OPS before his NLCS MVP run
• David Bednar, Yankees: 35 saves and a 2.47 ERA
• Ryan Jeffers, Twins: a 116 OPS+ since 2023, sixth among primary catchers
• Brandon Lowe, Pirates: 35 homers and 96 RBIs
• Adrian Morejon, Padres: the first setup man ever to get a qualifying offer
• Trevor Rogers, Orioles: the only starting pitcher in the group
• Seiya Suzuki, Cubs: a 128 OPS+ over five seasons in Chicago

Eight offers is the fewest since 2023. Teams handed out 14 before the last lockout.

Cubs outfielder Ian Happ and Phillies third baseman Alec Bohm did not get qualifying offers, which was a little surprising. The Yankees decided not to offer one to Jazz Chisholm a year after Trent Grisham accepted their offer and posted just 0.7 WAR in 2026.

Why the 2026 qualifying offer could be the last

Draft-pick compensation was at the center of the 1981 players strike, and the union has pushed to end or limit it in every negotiation since, according to MLB. Players see it as a drag on free agency, because teams think twice about signing someone who costs them a draft pick.

On May 27, the union proposed eliminating it. On June 25, the league agreed.

MLB repeated that offer Tuesday in a proposal that also pushed its salary cap plan back to 2028. The union quickly rejected the package. The biggest fight between the two sides is over the cap.

According to the league, ending the system would remove draft-pick compensation from free agency for the first time since 1976.

Still, nothing is done until there's a deal. Baseball learned that last time.

When the 2021-22 lockout ended, the owners offered to drop the qualifying offer in exchange for an international draft. The two sides gave themselves until July 25, 2022 to agree. The union rejected the draft, and the qualifying offer survived for the rest of the CBA.

None of this changes the rules for this winter. Teams had to make their offers, and players have to answer, before the current CBA expires.

What's less clear is what happens to a player who rejects his offer and is still unsigned when a new deal arrives. If the system is gone by then, it's unclear whether his old team would still get a pick.

How the qualifying offer worked before the 2021 lockout

The 2021 offer was worth $18.4 million. Thirteen players turned it down, and they split into three groups.

Some didn't wait at all. Eduardo Rodriguez signed a five-year, $77 million deal with the Tigers and Noah Syndergaard took one year and $21 million from the Angels before the decision deadline even arrived. Justin Verlander rejected the Astros' offer and agreed to return to Houston the same day on a one-year, $35 million deal with a player option. That contract was finalized during the lockout.

Others beat the clock. The Rangers gave Corey Seager 10 years and $325 million and Marcus Semien seven years and $175 million. The Mariners gave Robbie Ray five years and $115 million. Raisel Iglesias re-signed with the Angels on Dec. 1. Chris Taylor re-signed with the Dodgers.

Teams committed a single-day record $1.4 billion in contracts on Dec. 1, according to an Associated Press tally. Hours later the owners locked out the players.

Transactions froze from Dec. 2 until March 10, 2022 and the rest of the players with qualifying offers had to wait.

When the market reopened, Freddie Freeman signed with the Dodgers for six years and $162 million. Nick Castellanos got five years and $100 million from the Phillies. Carlos Correa took three years and $105.3 million from the Twins, with opt-outs after each of the first two seasons. Trevor Story signed with the Red Sox for six years and $140 million.

Michael Conforto never signed in 2022. He underwent shoulder surgery and sat out the season.

Because the new CBA kept the qualifying offer, the draft picks still changed hands. The Red Sox used the 79th pick as their compensation for losing Rodriguez, on outfielder Roman Anthony. The Dodgers never got to use theirs for Seager, they lost it when they signed Freeman.

Will free agents sign before the Dec. 1 lockout?

If 2021 is any guide, expect a late rush. Players want contracts and security before the shutdown, and teams want to fill roster holes.

The qualifying offer adds pressure. A player who rejects his offer stays tied to draft compensation until the next amateur draft begins. In 2019, Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel waited so long that they signed after the draft, and their old teams got nothing.

This time, no one knows what rules will be in place in 2027.

The last time a lockout loomed, only one player said yes. Brandon Belt took his $18.4 million and stayed in San Francisco.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why MLB's 2026 qualifying offers could be the last ones ever

Albert Pujols is in the mix for yet another managerial opening. 

The MLB legend is interviewing for the Astros’ manager job, according to The Athletic. 

He will be interviewed by new Houston general manager Randy Flores, who spent the previous 11 seasons in the Cardinals’ front office and played with Pujols in St. Louis for five years. 

The Astros are kicking off a new era after parting ways with general manager Dana Brown in August and declining to renew manager Joe Espada’s contract following an 81-81 season.

Houston won its eighth American League West title in 10 seasons but was swept out of the postseason by the White Sox during the wild-card round. 

Pujols, a three-time MVP, interviewed for managerial openings with the Angels and Padres last offseason, but fell short of getting either job. 

He also reportedly had interest from the Orioles for the manager role last offseason. 

In June, Pujols suggested he’d be interested in becoming the manager of the Mets after the franchise fired Carlos Mendoza. 

He’s enjoyed some success from the dugout, though. 

He guided Leones del Escogido to the Dominican winter league championship and Caribbean Series title in 2025 before managing the Dominican Republic in this year’s World Baseball Classic to a third-place finish. 

The Astros are also considering Yankees bench coach Brad Ausmus, who previously managed the Tigers and Angels, and Rangers bench coach Luis Urueta, per The Athletic.

Pujols, who will be eligible to be voted into the Hall of Fame in 2028, hit 703 career home runs, which ranks fourth all time.

Brandon Lowe is officially a free agent and able to sign with any of the 30 MLB clubs as soon as possible. 

Now the waiting begins.

The Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman is one of the best free agents available in this year’s cycle after a historic season.

Lowe slugged 35 home runs in his lone year in Pittsburgh, the most by any second baseman in team history. He broke Neil Walker’s record by 12.

Lowe slashed .260/.331/.493 with a .824 OPS in 150 games after being traded from the future American League Champion Tampa Bay Rays.

He recorded 152 hits, 29 doubles, 96 RBIs and consistently carried the Pirates lineup from the No. 2 spot in the batting order.

Not known as a good defender, Lowe improved his defense well enough to earn one of three Gold Glove nominations at second base.

Pittsburgh has officially offered Lowe a qualifying offer as he enters free agency. The deal is a one-year, $23.15 million contract for the 2027 season. If Lowe accepts, he will be back with the Pirates and can still negotiate a long-term deal. 

If he rejects, the Pirates will receive a compensatory draft pick when Lowe signs elsewhere. Lowe has until November 17 to accept or deny the terms. Lowe was one of eight players to be offered a qualifying offer.

Multiple MLB analysts have estimated the contact Lowe could command on the market. Former MLB GM Jim Bowden only projected a three-year, $45 million deal, a $15 million average-annual-value for someone already offered over $23 million.

ESPN insider Kiley McDaniel believes Lowe will agree to a deal nearing a four-year, $80 million total.

Keith Law of The Athletic has the most stunning projection. Law regards Lowe as the third-best free agent on the market and estimates he will sign a five-year, $150 million contract. 

The difference in years and annual value is staggering and paints a difficult picture for what Lowe will command. It also doesn’t help that the league and players have until December 1 to agree on a new CBA before the impending lockout.

Lowe, 32, put together one of the best all-around seasons in Pirates history this century, and the Pirates should offer him a three-year deal nearing $20 million. 

They can afford it, plus a potential change in revenue sharing and the economic landscape of baseball could make the deal even easier.

The clock is ticking, and it’s time for the Pirates to step up to the plate and show they are committed to winning and winning significantly in 2027. Sign Brandon Lowe. It just makes too much sense.