The New York Rangers have now lost three consecutive games, while suffering defeats in nine out of their past ten matchups.
Frustrations are beginning to mount, specifically from Rangers captain J.T. Miller, who voiced his frustration following the Blueshirts’ 3-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Friday night.
“We're not getting the results,” Miller said. “I'm not at all happy with where we're at. This f–ing sucks. Sorry about my language, but this really sucks. Losing every night, it's really hard to stay positive. I mean, it's really hard. This is nobody's standard or what we're willing to accept within each other, is losing every game it feels like right now. I think it’s just constant mistakes and shooting ourselves (in the) the foot. Everybody’s really trying hard. That’s what really sucks.”
When Miller was traded to the Rangers last season from the Vancouver Canucks, the expectation was that he could be the piece to help propel the Rangers into a playoff contender.
Instead, Miller finds himself in the midst of a retool, and as the captain, it’s on him to keep a calm and steady composure through these losing times.
The letter issued by Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury outlining the team’s plan to retool the roster was not in Miller's mind when he waived his no-move clause to come to New York about one year ago.
“The emotions have been going on for longer than the last two days,” Miller said after Drury’s letter was released. “It's unfortunately part of the game. It's disappointing, for sure. I don't think four or five months ago this is where we thought we'd be, but we’ve got a job to do, and we need to start moving forward towards the next chapter.”
All-star third baseman and American League MVP finalist José Ramírez has agreed to a seven-year, $175 million deal to remain with the Cleveland Guardians, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the deal was pending a physical and had not been announced.
The 33-year old native of the Dominican Republic has played his entire 13-year, big league career in Cleveland. He was signed through the 2028 season. He had three years and $69 million remaining on the extension he signed in 2022, but will now average $25 million over the next seven years.
The extension also includes a no-trade clause and performance bonuses related to his finish in MVP balloting. Ramírez has finished in the top five six times. He was third last year and fifth in 2024.
Cleveland has reached the postseason eight times since Ramírez was called up to the majors in 2013, including losing in seven games to the Chicago Cubs in the 2016 World Series. The Guardians have won the AL Central the past two seasons.
Ramírez became the first player in franchise history to have at least 250 home runs and 250 stolen bases last season and just the second switch-hitter, joining Carlos Beltrán (435 homers, 312 stolen bases). He goes into 2026 with 285 home runs and 287 stolen bases.
Robin Yount, Craig Biggio and Derek Jeter are the only other players to accomplish the 250-250 feat with only one team.
The seven-time, AL all-star had a career-high 44 stolen bases last season and became the fourth player in MLB history with multiple seasons of at least 30 home runs and 40 steals. He had a .283 batting average, including a career-long 21-game hit streak from May 6-28.
Ramírez is also the franchise leader in extra base hits with 726 and 27 multi-homer games. He is second in home runs and RBIs (949).
Japanese star Yu Darvish signed a six-year, $126 million deal with the Cubs before the 2018 season, with escalators that could have brought that deal to $150 million. You all likely remember the “Daily Darvish” posts I made here in early 2018 in anticipation of Darvish’s signing.
Injuries and ineffectiveness ruined his first year with the Cubs. After a slow start in 2019 he went on an 11-start run with a 2.44 ERA and 0.784 WHIP and in that span he walked six (!) and struck out 93. Then the Cubs pen failed him in his last two starts, where he walked one and struck out 25 in 15.1 innings, and the Cubs collapsed out of a playoff spot. In the pandemic season, Darvish was great. He posted a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 93 and walking just 14 in 76 innings, and finished second in Cy Young voting.
Then, as you know, the Cubs salary-dumped Darvish to the Padres (along with Victor Caratini, insisted on by the Padres as Darvish’s personal catcher) for four prospects, only one of whom, Owen Caissie, ever played in the major leagues. (Zach Davies was also included in the deal coming to the Cubs, but he had an awful season, one of the worst ever by a Cubs starter.)
Today, Darvish told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he is walking away from three years and $43 million remaining on his deal, after having elbow surgery in October:
“The way my rehab is going now, I am focused on getting right, not on coming back,” he said late last month. “Right now I’m not really thinking too much about the future. Just knowing the way I think, I’m sure I will one day want to throw again. All I’ve thought about in my life is baseball.”
Darvish missed half of the 2024 season due to elbow issues and a personal matter but came back to pitch exceptionally well in the playoffs. When he and Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller spoke after that season, it was with the understanding that Darvish would likely need elbow surgery at some point. Darvish said he made it clear at that time he was considering “getting rid of” his contract.
“As far as leaving lots of money,” Darvish said in a recent interview, “I look at it as that was never mine to begin with, especially considering the money I haven’t physically earned yet.”
Darvish had one really good year in San Diego in 2022, posting a 3.10 ERA and 0.950 WHIP and finishing eighth in Cy Young voting. Overall in five years with the Padres, he posted a 3.97 ERA and 1.100 WHIP in 115 starts. He made 51 starts with the Cubs in three years in blue pinstripes with a 3.60 ERA and 1.106 WHIP.
As you might recall, the Cubs were in on the bidding when Darvish was posted prior to the 2012 season, but the Texas Rangers won that bid and he played five years there, along with half a season with the Dodgers in 2017, where he stymied the Cubs in Game 3 of the NLCS.
Presuming this is it for Darvish, his final MLB game will be Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card Series against the Cubs last October at Wrigley Field, where he threw a scoreless first inning, then the Cubs had four straight batters reach against him in the second. The last batter he faced was Pete Crow-Armstrong, who hit an RBI single [VIDEO].
I know many of you will note the salary dump of Darvish by the Cubs as a key moment in that part of Cubs history, and you’re certainly right about that. I’ll also note that with the trade of Caissie to the Marlins for Edward Cabrera, the Cubs still have a chance to get something out of that trade tree. Here’s hoping.
Overall, Darvish made 297 MLB starts and posted 33.6 bWAR. He had a 3.65 ERA, 1.138 WHIP, 2,075 strikeouts and 115 wins. Add to that 93 wins and a 1.99 ERA in 167 games (164 starts) with 1,250 strikeouts in seven years with the Nippon Ham Fighters in NPB and there’s a borderline Hall of Fame argument for Darvish.
Yu Darvish was a fun player to have on the Cubs while he was a member of the team. It’s unfortunate he spent much of that time injured, and was salary-dumped when he still could have helped the club. I wish him well in retirement.
UPDATE: After the article in the San Diego Union-Tribune was published, Darvish put this on social media. So we’ll see.
You may have seen an article, and although I am leaning towards voiding the contract, there’s still a lot that has to be talked over with the Padres so the finer details are yet to be decided. Also I will not be announcing my retirement yet. Right now I am fully focused on my…
Yu Darvish, amazing, magical pitcher who Rangers fans were fortunate enough to watch during his best years, is retiring, per multiple reports. A buyout is being negotiated between Darvish and the San Diego Padres in regards to the final three years of his deal, but reports indicate that he will be forfeiting the bulk of what he is owed by the Padres.
It is an unfortunate end to the career of one of the best pitchers I’ve ever seen, and one of the best pitchers to wear a Texas Rangers uniform. Watching him retire 26 batters in a row at Minute Maid Park with a bevy of LSB-ers is one of the most memorable moments in my Rangers fandom.
(ed. note — Yu Darvish has released a statement saying that he hasn’t decided yet whether he is retiring.)
I could recite his stats and try to describe to you his greatness, but instead, I’m going to just drop this here:
Brendan Donovan was considered one of the hottest trade commodities before the offseason began, so why haven’t the St. Louis Cardinals dealt him yet? While only Chaim Bloom knows why for sure, I speculate that two very unlikely trades from other teams might make the Cardinals trade of Brendan Donovan less likely.
St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has said from the beginning that the team will not trade Brendan Donovan unless they are blown away by an offer. That was true as the offseason began and remains true now. It’s obvious that the Cardinals have still not received an offer that has compelled them to move Donovan, but why since he fits the needs of so many contending teams? I have a theory that two players who are being quietly discussed might be holding up progress on Brendan’s market.
The first unexpected infield trade candidate that emerged was a rumor that the Chicago Cubs were listening on offers for Nico Hoerner. It’s been reported that he was definitely a player of interest for the San Francisco Giants who are also considered a top landing spot for Brendan Donovan. Recent reports indicate the Cubs are less likely to move Hoerner after they signed free agent Alex Bregman, but they have not completely ruled that option out. I’ve heard rumors that the Seattle Mariners were also interested in Hoerner if the Cardinals asking price for Donovan is too high.
In the past day, we’ve also learned that the Washington Nationals have been quietly listening on offers for infielder CJ Abrams according to MLB Trade Rumors. Talk Nats has confirmed the “listening” rumors, but say there’s a difference between shopping and listening. Nationals GM Paul Toboni says it’s highly unlikely, but he also won’t rule anything out.
A source told us that there is a difference between "shopping" and "listening" to teams inquiring about Nats prospects. Anything is possible of course, and the drama level for clicks is on high! #Natspic.twitter.com/hHbTMfjdRW
I think many of us thought that Brendan Donovan’s market would become more crystal clear after Bo Bichette signed with a team. Now that the Bichette drama is done, there is no report that I can confirm that Brendan Donovan’s trade is any closer which means Chaim Bloom still does not have the prospect haul offer he wants. I have to wonder if teams like the Giants and Mariners are holding out for the possibility that the Cubs will really make Hoerner available or the Nationals would trade Abrams. I can only speculate since I have not yet developed the ability to read minds (but I’m working on it) if the Giants and Mariners specifically are less likely to offer the breakthrough prospects for Donovan because of uncertainty about Hoerner and Abrams availability.
As I said 3 weeks ago, I would have no problem if the St. Louis Cardinals decide to keep Brendan and continue their rebuild around him instead of trading him. There is no reason to trade him if the prospects on offer aren’t a knockout. It is a gamble, though, to keep Donovan thinking he’ll be a valuable trade deadline candidate. You run the risk of him suffering an injury and there’s also a half year less of team control available. The general consensus was that Brendan Donovan’s trade value will never be higher than it is this offseason. As of today, we’re only about 3 weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training (yay!) so there’s still time that the Cardinals will pull together an epic Brendan Donovan trade. I think the potential trade of CJ Abrams and/or Nico Hoerner is nothing more than a mirage. Once those possibilities disappear, I hope Chaim Bloom gets the return he’s held out for.
While the main theme of the Tiger farm system is the group of top shelf prospects leading the way, the other big story in the system is a pretty disastrous run of pitcher injuries over the last two years. They’ve invested pretty heavily in prep pitching over the last three drafts, and right now they don’t necessarily have much to show for it. It’s going to be a major problem if the organization isn’t able to produce a whole lot of major league caliber pitching in a few years. Left-hander Ethan Schiefelbein got a big bonus as their competitive balance round B (72nd overall) pick in 2024, and like the other big prep signings in 2023 and 2024, he was barely on the mound at all in 2025.
The Tigers have always had a penchant for power right-handers, though that’s not unusual, so Schiefelbein was a fairly anomalous selection for the organization. An advanced high school lefty with four solid offerings and good control for his age, but without the high velocity fastball that often gets prep pitchers big bonuses, was a bet more on physical projection than anything else. His mechanics and stable, easy delivery spoke to a high likelihood of developing into a plus command guy in time.
At his best, the California native out of Corona High School looked like his just needed to grow into major league caliber stuff without requiring the huge development in command and pitch shapes that most pitchers, especially prep pitchers, need to make to reach the major leagues. His upside wasn’t necessarily on the level of harder throwing prep picks with similar big bonuses like Owen Hall and Paul Wilson, but for a prep pitcher Schiefelbein had a distinctly high floor as well. That was augmented by the fact that he only turned 18 in April of his draft year, whereas many prep players in the draft are already 19 or close to it on draft day.
Now 19 years old, Schiefelbein suffered the same fate as most of the Tigers’ young pitchers in 2025. After extended spring camp, he made three short appearances in the Complex League, looking little changed from draft day, and then missed the rest of the season with an injury that was reportedly a shoulder strain that didn’t require surgery, but did take the rest of the summer to rehab. In Schiefelbein’s case, this isn’t too concerning, at least compared to the other major injuries plaguing the Tigers’ pitching ranks. Rather than pushing him back on the mound at Single-A ball late in the year, the young left-hander just spent his time building up his body and trying to add overall strength before embarking on what will hopefully be a successful full season debut in 2026.
Point being, while 2023 second rounder Paul Wilson won’t likely be on the mound until late this season and will turn 22 years old next December, and the Tigers other top 2024 prep picks, Owen Hall and Zach Swanson most notably, aren’t going to throw a full season until they’re 21 in 2027, Schiefelbein is still on track to get on the mound and pitch his way through the Complex and Single-A levels this season as a 20-year-old. The Tigers will be hoping it plays out that way as their prep pitcher heavy strategy in the draft is looking pretty rough at the moment.
Schiefelbein is a pretty prototypical lefty with a balanced delivery throwing from a high three-quarters arm slot. He was well known to scouts as a high school senior after pitching for Team USA, and he was pretty much unhittable in his final year of school posting a 0.27 ERA with 83 strikeouts to just 11 walks over 52 innings of work. He used a twoseam fastball, slider, knuckle curveball, circle changeup mix as of the last time we saw him on a mound and showed the ability to locate all four pitches pretty effectively. His fastball typically sat 90-91 mph though he touched 94-95 mph on multiple occasions in high school.
He looks like more of a supinator than a guy who is going to turn over nasty, horizontally breaking sinkers and changeups, so I would guess the Tigers will have him moving more to the fourseamer and perhaps try and develop a cutter as he moves through pro ball. His curve was the best secondary pitch for him as a senior, and he has good though not crazy spin rates on the breaking stuff. The slider and changeup were more crude, but he wasn’t afraid to throw them in the zone, and already spotted them well for his age.
Unfortunately, there just isn’t much more to add to his scouting report yet. Guys like Hall, Wilson, and Swanson are expected to get back on the mound this year, but only Hall is on track to start his 2026 season on time. Schiefelbein will have the stage to himself to a degree early on, and while the Tigers won’t be pushing him beyond 100 innings this early in his career, he should be ready to throw a full season by now, assuming no further injury trouble emerges.
Prep pitchers take time. Even Jackson Jobe, widely regarded as one of the most advanced and talented prep pitchers of the past decade, struggled through most of his first two seasons and dealt with a host of minor injuries before suddenly breaking out in a big way two years out from his draft day. Schiefelbein is going to be a longer term project, so this season we’ll just be looking for more muscle on his slender 6’2” frame, and for him to stay healthy and start refining his craft. That would be very welcome progress in his age 20 season. The upside here is something like Cole Hamels as the absolute best case scenario, but the more realistic hope is that Schiefelbein stays healthy as he builds himself up over the next few seasons, and hits his likeliest positive outcome as a solid 3-4 level starting pitcher.
Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) leaves the field following the seventh inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians on September 24, 2025, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH.
Jose Ramirez isn’t leaving Cleveland any time soon.
The star third baseman signed a seven-year, $175 million extension to keep him with the Guardians through the 2032 season, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
The deal includes $70 million in deferred compensation, per Passan.
Cleveland Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez (11) leaves the field following the seventh inning of the Major League Baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Guardians on September 24, 2025, at Progressive Field in Cleveland, OH. Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
His new contract adds an additional four years and $106 million to the three years, $69 million he was already owed from the 2022 extension.
Ramirez, 33, has become an icon in Cleveland since debuting in 2013, and now appears set to play his entire career with the franchise.
The Dominican Republic product first joined the team all the way back in 2009 at 17.
After a slow-ish start to his big league career, Ramirez broke out during Cleveland’s American League pennant-winning 2016 season, hitting .312/.363/.462 with 11 home runs and 22 stolen bases while receiving a few down-ballot MVP votes.
In 13 seasons, Ramirez has made seven All-Star teams and won six Silver Slugger awards.
He’s finished in the top five in the AL MVP voting five times.
Last season, Ramirez showed no signs of slowing down, slashing .283/.360/.503 with 30 long balls and a career-high 44 stolen bags.
With 15 more home runs and 13 more swipes, Ramirez will become the ninth player in MLB history to reach 300 homers and 300 stolen bases.
While they haven’t gotten over the World Series hump, the Guardians have enjoyed one of the best stretches in franchise history since Ramirez’s debut, making the playoffs in eight out of 13 seasons.
Shortly after I wrote about the potential of a CJ Abrams trade, a report came out that the Giants seriously pursued the Nats shortstop, but were unable to reach a deal. The fact that this leaked out right after the Gore trade is very interesting and makes me wonder about the timing. It also makes me wonder about whether the Nats will make a late offseason deal.
The report came from Andrew Baggarly, the Giants beat reporter for the Athletic. This makes me think the leak came from the Giants side. It is clearly a strategic leak and has me wondering if this deal is dead yet. The piece reads like the Giants are telling their fanbase that we tried, but the Nats asking price was just too much.
The thing that stood out the most to me was the reporting that the Giants were willing to offer Josuar Gonzalez. Despite being 18 and never having appeared in a stateside game, Gonzalez is a top 50 prospect in baseball. In their new top 100, MLB Pipeline ranked him as the 44th best prospect, while Baseball America had him at number 30.
The Giants aggressively pursued shortstop CJ Abrams but couldn’t reach a deal with the Nationals. San Francisco was open to including top prospect Josuar Gonzalez, and discussions also involved Carson Whisenhunt, Jacob Bresnahan, Bo Davidson, and Jhonny Level, per @extrabaggspic.twitter.com/qEZZguWZlv
Gonzalez was the top player in his IFA class, and had a strong showing in the DSL. He is a potential five tool player, who stands out for his elite defensive ability at shortstop. However, the bat is also very advanced. Pipeline said he has the ceiling of a .280 hitter with 25+ homer pop. If that is the case, he could be the closest thing we have seen to Francisco Lindor.
The biggest drawback to Gonzalez is obviously his age and lack of experience. He has never played above the DSL level, so there is some serious volatility. However, he has a truly massive ceiling. The fact the Giants were open to offering Gonzalez in a deal, and Toboni turned it down says a lot.
The report also stated that prospects Bo Davidson, Jhonny Level, Carson Whisenhunt and Jacob Bresnahan were discussed. These are all prospects with big upside. Davidson and Level are top 100 guys according to Baseball America. This report fired up Giants fans, who seemed stunned at these names all being discussed.
If Josuar, Whis, Bres, Bo, and Level can’t even get you CJ Abrams then I don’t even blame the Giants for not getting anything in the trade market this year.
There is one line that intrigued me though. The report said that even if the Giants offered all five players, it would be unclear if the Nats would have accepted. That feels like spin to me. If Toboni was offered all five, he would be a fool to turn it down.
While the report mentioned plenty of names that were being discussed, there was no leaked offer. If Gonzalez was in the deal, I would imagine the secondary pieces were not very strong. The fact there is no actual deal leaked tells me the Giants are trying to make the price sound higher than it actually was.
However, I do have no doubt that Toboni was asking for a lot. There is less incentive to move Abrams now than there was with Gore. Abrams has three years of team control compared to Gore’s two and is also not represented by infamous super agent Scott Boras.
Toboni also seems excited to get his hands on Abrams from a development standpoint. On 106.7, he talked about how Abrams is one of the most athletic players in the league, but has not fully been able to translate that athleticism to production. While Abrams has been a quality player the last few years, Toboni sees more upside.
Is CJ Abrams on the trade block? Nats President of baseball operations Paul Toboni speaks on that here after trading away MacKenzie Gore. pic.twitter.com/oicB6uCO0s
That upside could lead to Abrams being a long term piece, or it could lead to enhanced trade value. If Abrams has a hot start to the season, he would be a very hot commodity at the Trade Deadline. Another thing Abrams could do to boost his stock is prove that he is a true shortstop. I think Toboni was mostly referring to Abrams’ defense when he was talking about his athleticism not translating into production.
The Nats shortstop has all of the twitch and movement skills to be a quality shortstop, but has not put it together yet. Toboni seems like he is on a mission to change that. Right now, most teams looking to trade for Abrams see him as more of a second baseman. The Giants certainly see it that way, with Willy Adames firmly entrenched at shortstop.
All of this leads me to believe a deal is more likely to happen at the deadline, but this leak raised my eyebrows. This could be interpreted as the Giants saying we are done with this or a challenge to Toboni to come back to the table. Either way, the Giants let this get out for a reason.
Over the next few months, I have a feeling that we will be talking about CJ Abrams trade rumors some more. He is a very exciting player, but given the Nats timeline and their glut of young infield talent, a trade seems like a possibility.
When a standout player who has been with your organization his entire career wants to stay with you, you listen. That’s what Yankees general manager Brian Cashman did when Jorge Posada became a free agent after the 2007 campaign.
A five-time All-Star and switch-hitting Silver Slugger, Posada would’ve been a boon for any team on the market. He still stands as one of the best-hitting catchers of the past 50 years, and his bat was elite in 2007. The Yankees had been able to extend him during the 2001-02 offseason for five years and $51 million with club option, but despite expressing interest in staying with the team he had been with his whole career, there was also major interest from the crosstown New York Mets — making the chase for the decorated, switch-hitting backstop all the more interesting.
The Yankees ended up making the deal, paying Posada the most average annual salary for a catcher at the time—$13.1 million—and thus stopped a rival team from compelling him to remain in the City, in a different borough. Although the final result being a positive one for the Yankees, it certainly wasn’t without its fireworks.
Jorge Posada Signing Date: November 13, 2007 Contract: Four years, $52.4 million
Posada was already an established star by this the fall of 2007, and it had been a remarkable ascent from near-complete anonymity during the early part of the 1990s. We chronicled his history in greater detail during our Top 100 Yankees series, but we’ll present a shorter version. The Santurce, Puerto Rico native starred in high school and was able to cut his teeth some more at Calhoun Community College in Decatur, AL. He landed on the Yankees’ radar, and after a couple draft attempts, they signed him out of the 24th round in the 1990 edition — two rounds behind the Yanks’ selection of a young high school lefty from Texas named Andy Pettitte.
Originally a second baseman, Posada was convinced to give catching a try in 1991, when he made 11 appearances behind the plate for short-season Oneonta. By the next year, he was a full-time backstop, and over the next couple seasons, he shot up through the minor leagues, playing 92 games with the Triple-A Columbus Clippers in 1994 and officially debuting with the Yankees in September of ’95. Blocked at the big-league level across ’95 and ’96 by Mike Stanley, Jim Leyritz, and Joe Girardi, Posada played just nine games in The Show during that span, and only traveled with the team as they won it all in October 1996. But even though he would never be confused for a defensive stalwart at catcher, his time would soon come.
Prior to the start of ’97, the Yankees traded Leyritz to the Angels despite his World Series heroics. They wanted to open the door for Posada to get big-league reps as Girardi’s backup and were confident that the up-and-comer could earn his keep. Following a 101 OPS+ in 60 games of action in ’97 though, the Yankees did float Posada as a possible trade option with the Montreal Expos for Cy Young Award winner Pedro Martinez. That obviously did not work out, as Pedro was traded to the rival Boston Red Sox, and the next handful of years would live in infamy between those two teams (and the two players in particular).
Posada finally started over 100 games in the record-breaking ’98 season for the Yankees, slashing .268/.350/.475 with 17 homers for an OPS+ of 115, and his numbers only continued to climb from there. He was eventually trusted with the everyday job as Girardi aged out of the role and departed in December of ’99. The 2000 campaign was the first where Posada really shined, making his first All-Star team and hitting .287/.417/.527 with 28 homers and a 139 OPS+, earning his first Silver Slugger as well.
It was an important time for Posada to make his mark, as other members of the Yankees’ core like Paul O’Neill and Tino Martinez were nearing the ends of their days in pinstripes. And thanks in part to Posada’s tenacious at-bat against a dominant Al Leiter with two outs in the ninth inning of 2000 World Series Game 5, the Yankees rallied to secure the three-peat, Posada scoring the go-ahead run on Luis Sojo’s single.
Although it would be a few years before the Yankees again won it all, Posada was an essential part of the contending operation alongside pal Derek Jeter (the best man in his wedding). Posada earned four consecutive All-Star nods and Silver Sluggers from 2000-03, and he really shined in the last of those years. He became the first Yankees catcher to hit 30 homers in a season since no less than Yogi Berra, and thanks in part to a 144 OPS+ and 5.9 rWAR in 142 games, he finished third for AL MVP, trailing only Alex Rodriguez and Carlos Delgado. And while his 2004-06 seasons weren’t as decorated, he still played a vital role, remaining a pillar of health with 422 games started out of the possible 486, notching a 121 OPS+.
Entering 2007, Posada had one year left on his deal before he would hit free agency, and in spring training, the Yankees were uninterested in opening up talks on a second extension. He timed his best campaign since ’03 quite well, and his bat would’ve received even more attention had A-Rod not turned in an MVP season for the ages. Posada finished sixth in the voting with career-highs in all the rate stats, batting .338/.426/.543 with a 153 OPS+ and 5.4 rWAR to claim his fifth All-Star selection and Silver Slugger. That made him a valuable commodity for teams, despite approaching his late thirties at the most physically demanding position in the sport.
The Yankees fell to Cleveland in the ALDS that October, and a decision was on the horizon for Posada. He really wanted a four-year deal in wake of that superb season. The Yankees weren’t particularly enthused about handing that long a commitment to a catcher who had just turned 37 that August; they were hoping to get Posada on a three-year contract for around $40 million.
So Posada was willing to hear out some of his other options, especially since A-Rod had opted out and longtime manager Torre was on his way to the Dodgers. Most notably, the folks across town were very interested. The 2007 season had ended in disaster for the Mets, and catcher Paul Lo Duca took a serious dip after leading the NL East champs in 2006. He was a free agent as well, but GM Omar Minaya had his eyes on Posada, as did his former third-base coach, Mets manager Willie Randolph.
As such, it was easy for Posada to not-so-subtly get the Yankees’ full attention by meeting with the Mets the day before other clubs could officially submut offers, per the New York Times:
Posada and his agents, Sam and Seth Levinson, had lunch Monday with Minaya and [Mets] vice president Tony Bernazard. The Yankees initially offered the 36-year-old Posada a three-year contract but upped their proposal to four years on Monday evening.
While Posada briefly played hard to get for the Yankees, his intentions were clear from the start. He felt it would be easier to stay with the team that he had been with since his mid-twenties, and that’s exactly what happened. The Yankees acquiesced to his request and ultimately signed him to a four-year, $52.4 million deal.
In those final four seasons, Posada played in 397 games and slashed .258/.349/.454 for an above-average OPS+ of 110. A shoulder injury curtailed both his and the Yankees’ hopes for 2008 success under his old teammate-turned-skipper Girardi, but in 2009, it all came together. Posada hit 22 homers in 438 PA, good for an .885 OPS and 125 OPS+, and he had a productive October as well. Jeter might’ve been the captain, but Posada unofficially led the clubhouse and was willing to be the guy who held teammates accountable when necessary.
The Bombers won it all, and Posada had his fifth ring. It would be the last one.
Posada’s bat remained strong in 2010 but his oft-uneven defense had made him a liability behind the plate, and he was a concussion risk as well. The Yankees found a bargain in the more well-balanced Russell Martin that offseason, so they signed him and planned to have Posada DH in 2011. The 40-year-old was unhappy in the role and dipped to a below-average showing at the plate, too. Although it was an awkward swan song for Posada, the hard feelings faded in time (and he was actually one of the few consistent bats during their five-game ALDS loss to Detroit). He retired in January 2012 and the Yankees retired his No. 20 in August 2015, honoring him with a plaque in Monument Park.
So yes, the Yankees had reason to be uneasy about that fourth year. But the overall contract still led to a 2009 World Series crown and the Yankees were able to pivot to a new catcher anyway during that last season. Losing Posada to the Mets would’ve been a true shame; thankfully, they didn’t let it happen.
See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.
As Phillies fans hope that the team has another big move left in them (Don’t hold your breath!), I decided to take a look at recent offseasons to see how many big moves they’ve made closer to the start of camp. Then, as one does, I decided to make the exercise into an interactive March Madness-style tournament.
From 2010 to 2025, I identified the last free agent the team signed before the season began. To qualify for the list, the player:
Had to be an outside signing. Re-signings like J.T. Realmuto in 2021 do not count, but former Phillies who were on a different team in between (Cliff Lee) do qualify.
The player had to appear in at least one game the season he was signed.
Here’s the field, seeded by WAR in their first season with the team:
Cliff Lee 2011
Bryce Harper 2019
Jake Arrieta 2018
Jeff Hoffman 2023
Jose Contreras 2010
Brad Miller 2021
Luis Garcia 2013
Joe Ross 2025
Nick Castellanos 2022
David Lough 2016
Neil Walker 2020
Ronny Cedeño 2014
Chad Qualls 2012
Ricardo Pinto 2024
Dustin McGowan 2015
Michael Saunders 2017
Some of those names you’ll recognize (even if you wish you didn’t), and some you’ll probably need a refresher on.
Twice a week, I’ll present a matchup, and the readers will get to vote for which player should advance. You can choose to vote for the player who had the best initial season, the player who has had the best Phillies career, a player you have a soft spot for (Where my Qualls-heads at?), or simply vote for chaos and let Nick Castellanos win it all as a farewell(?) present.
We’ll start things off with our 8-9 matchup. Here’s a quick summary:
8. Joe Ross, 2025
Stats with the Phillies: 37 games, 51 IP, 2-1, 5.12 ERA, 39 K, 18 BB, 0.0 WAR
After a solid season as a swingman for the Brewers in 2024, the Phillies signed Joe Ross hoping he could provide both rotation depth as well as solid middle relief. As it turned out, Taijuan Walker filled the rotation depth role, so Ross was kept in the bullpen all year. However, he wasn’t very good there, putting up an ERA over 5, and he was eventually released in August.
9. Nick Castellanos 2022
Stats with the Phillies: 602 games, .260/.306/.426, 82 HR, 326 RBI, 1.3 WAR
After the lockout ended in 2022, it appeared that Kyle Schwarber was going to be the Phillies’ big free agent signing of the year. But with Nick Castellanos lingering on the free agent market, the Phillies decided to splurge and add him to their outfield.
Coming off a career best year, Castellanos struggled mightily in his first season for the Phillies. Things improved after that, but not nearly enough to justify his contract. While there were some highlights during his tenure, it’s been a mostly disappointing four years, and it’s only a matter of time before he’s released by the team.
MLB Pipeline on Friday evening revealed its top 100 prospects heading into the 2026 season, including five Dodgers. Outfielders are the strength of the top of the Dodgers system, including their top four prospects at MLB Pipeline plus shortstop Emil Morales.
Josue De Paula is the top-ranked Dodgers prospect at MLB Pipeline, rated 15th overall, and either the third or fourth-ranked outfield prospect in baseball on the list. Konnor Griffin of the Pirates is the No. 1 prospect overall and has played both shortstop and center field, with more time at the former. Other outfield prospects ranked ahead of De Paula are Max Clark of the Tigers at 10th overall and Walter Jenkins of the Twins at No. 14.
Zyhir Hope was also promoted to Double-A in the final week of 2025, and like his fellow outfield teammate is heading into his age-21 season. Hope was ranked the No. 27 prospect by MLB Pipeline, up from 75th at the beginning of last season.
Eduardo Quintero is a year younger than De Paula and Hope, and was the top-ranked Dodgers prospect this week at Baseball America. Quintero checks in at 30th overall at MLB Pipeline after winning California League MVP last season before spending the last month and a half in High-A Great Lakes.
MLB Pipeline ranked outfielder Mike Sirota the 60th-best prospect in baseball, up from 66th last August.
Emil Morales is the only non-outfielder Dodgers prospect on this list, ranked 92nd overall by MLB Pipeline after hitting .314/.396/.515 with 14 home runs, 24 doubles, and a 141 wRC+ between rookie-level Arizona and Class-A Rancho Cucamonga before turning 19 in late September.
Morales moves well for his size — 6-foot-3 and at least 15 pounds stronger than his listed 191 — and is an aggressive runner with average speed. He’s not the rangiest shortstop but moves well and puts himself in position to make plays. His instincts, hands and arm help his chances of sticking at short, though he’ll wind up at third base if he loses any quickness as he continues to mature physically.
Logan Webb and Aaron Judge briefly appeared poised to be teammates a few years ago, but now the two MLB superstars will have the chance to play on the same squad for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
While Team USA is stacked with some of the game’s best players, Webb especially is looking forward to teaming up with the New York Yankees slugger and three-time American League MVP.
“Aaron Judge is probably obviously the main guy that I’m really excited to play with,” Webb told reporters at Giants Fan Fest in San Ramon Saturday. “I was involved in a lot of the Arson Judge situation, so I got to do the visit with him and I wanted to be his teammate then, and now I get to do it. So, it will be exciting. We’ve texted back and forth a little bit.
“It will be fun to just watch a lot of these guys take BP, let alone playing the game.”
Judge, who grew up a Giants fan, famously was linked to San Francisco during his free agency in 2022, when MLB reporter Jon Heyman tweeted “Arson Judge appears headed to the Giants” during the winter meetings, leading many to believe the franchise was on the cusp of landing one of the sport’s biggest stars.
Shortly thereafter, Judge re-signed with the Yankees, inking a nine-year $360-million dollar contract, extinguishing any hopes Webb had of having the superstar slugger as his Giants teammate.
Now Webb gets the opportunity to play with Judge while also having the honor of representing his country on baseball’s biggest world stage, a privilege he’s not taking lightly.
“It was something I wanted to do a couple years ago, something that just I feel like any time you get a chance to play for your country, I mean for all these guys,” Webb said. “Listening to [Jung Hoo Lee] talk about playing for the Korean team is really cool and I feel the same way about the USA team.
“I think [Team USA manager Mark DeRosa] texted me a lot over the last few years and I just kind of, I was actually with David Ross and Pat MacAfee when I was like ‘all right, I’ll do it.'”
With the World Baseball Classic running between March 5 to March 17, Webb will have a bit of an unorthodox offseason ramp up before his eighth MLB season. While Webb is trying to stick with the status quo with his preparation, he knows things will be different as he toes the rubber for Team USA.
“I’m excited about it, I’m trying to treat this offseason as normal as possible, but I definitely know there’s going to be more adrenaline going into spring time,” Webb explained.
The second round was a much closer race this time around between left-handers Jamie Arnold and GageJump. Arnold came out on top though with roughly 60% of the vote, taking the second overall spot in this year’s Community Prospect List. The 11th overall pick in the draft just this past year, Arnold is further away compared to the team’s other top prospects but he could end up being the best of the bunch. The side-armer has drawn plenty of comparisons to another stud lefty in Chris Sale and the A’s would be ecstatic to see Arnold take that same career trajectory. The 21-year-old has yet to get his professional career officially started but that should be coming soon, likely at Single-A with a quick promotion on the table.
The next nominee to join the list will be left-hander Wei-En Lin. The Taiwanese lefty was previously ranked fairly moderately last year but has absolutely shot up the ranks of the A’s system thanks to a vast repertoire that looks like it could propel him into the starting pitching mix near the end of the year. Lin could be yet another left-hander that the A’s develop alongside Arnold and Jump, but will he be able to jump the line this coming year?
The process for this public vote is explained below. Please take a moment to read this before participating:
Please only vote for one. The player with the most votes at the end of voting will win the ranked spot. The remaining four players move on to the next ballot where they are joined by a new nominee.
In the comments, below the official voting, the community will nominate players to be put onto the ballot for the next round. The format for your comment should be “Nomination: Player Name”.
If a prospect is traded, his name will be crossed out, and all other players will be moved up a space. If a prospect is acquired, a special vote will be put up to determine where that player should rank.
The voting continues! Who will take third place? Here’s a quick rundown on each nominee— the scouting grades (on a 20-to-80 scale) and scouting reports come from MLB Pipeline.
Jump’s fastball is difficult for opposing hitters to pick up with an arm angle that creates some deception. The heater sits about 92-94 mph and can reach up to 97 with good carry up in the zone. His upper-70s curveball has significant downer break, and his low-80s slider has cutting action. His fading low-80s changeup is used far less than his other three offerings.
Listed at 6-foot, Jump lacks the size of a typical starter, though his growth since the surgery and ability to generate his stuff with arm speed helps his potential outlook as a long-term starter. The ceiling of a mid-rotation starter is there, though some scouts believe he might be better suited in a bullpen role. To start out, the A’s will develop him as a starter and look to see him maintain good health and strike-throwing ability.
Bolte is a tooled-up athlete who continues to fill out his big 6-foot-3 frame. His impressive raw power continues to show up in the Minors, though there is still a real concern over his swing-and-miss and high strikeout rate as he continues to struggle with offspeed stuff out of the zone. The A’s have worked with him to revamp his swing in order to improve his bat path and cover more of the zone, which has produced slight improvements in those areas, though there is still plenty of work to be done.
Another shining tool for Bolte is his near-elite speed, which was on display last season as he swiped 46 bags. That speed also comes in handy on defense, combining that with a strong arm that makes him a solid outfielder at all three spots. Further refining is required, but he remains an exciting talent with a very high ceiling who continues to steadily advance through the system.
While working around the injuries, Nett has continued to show stellar velocity, touching as high as 99 mph in the Minor Leagues last season. He typically sits 95-97 mph and gets swing-and-miss up in the zone thanks to ample carry. He also throws a tight 81-84 mph slider that ran a 38 percent whiff rate in ’24 and a sharper 90-92 mph cutter that can catch hitters off guard. He’ll mix in an upper-70s curveball with more vertical drop and he’s scrapped a low-80s splitter in favor of a much more effective 88 mph kick-change that really neutralizes lefties.
Nett has some effort in his delivery, and the 2025 season (pre-trade) was the first time he’d posted a walk rate below 13 percent at any Minor League stop. Combine that with the early injury concerns, and it’s easy to think he could be a reliever eventually. But his arsenal is deep enough, and his stuff is promising enough — when combined with strides taken this season — to keep landing him in a starting role in the upper Minors.
It’s not often that teenage prospects launch home runs. But Colome has a tendency to get to that jumpy pop with frequency, consistently leveraging his swing well – so well in fact, that one evaluator mentioned the most recent occasion on which he saw an international prospect continually get to their launch point in such a manner was Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Colome is a right-handed hitter with explosive hands and a solid contact rate, although he has been known to be a tad aggressive in the box as a means of getting to said power.
Something of an athletic marvel at 6-foot-2 and 190 pounds at age 16, Colome is an agile athlete who shows a lot of lateral quickness. The fluidity of his movements and strong arm led to a Manny Machado comparison being hung on him defensively. Much like the seven-time All-Star, Colome may move off short as his frame fills out, but he’s a tremendously dedicated worker and has the feet, soft hands and instincts to stick at the premium position.
A 6-foot-2 left-hander, Lin has a combination of feel for as many as five pitches and projection to his frame. Right now his fastball averages just 91 mph, but it tops out at 95, and it’s easy to see that his frame has tremendous room to add good strength, with more consistent velocity to come. It already had the makings of a quality heater, thrown from around a 5.9-feet release height and with more than 18 inches of carry to it, helping it to miss a good amount of bats. His changeup has been his best secondary offering to date, with huge whiff rates during his debut. His short curve is his go-to breaking ball thus far, though he has a harder, shorter slider. He’ll also employ a splitter for another offspeed possibility.
It’s been a small sample size so far in his first full season, but Lin looks like he has the makings of being an extreme strike-thrower, showing particularly good command of his fastball and curve. If the teenaged southpaw is able to fill out and throw harder, the A’s could have a very interesting left-handed starting pitcher prospect on their hands.
* * *
Programming Note: Each CPL vote will run for around 48 hours, so don’t delay making your selections!
Logan Webb knows the Giants’ roster construction is out of his hands, but he can’t help but acknowledge the moves other NL West teams have made this offseason.
Such as … the reigning and back-to-back World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers — aka San Francisco’s longtime rivals.
“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.
“But at the end of the day, you just got to play better and be better. Hopefully we do that.”
Meanwhile, the Giants, led by president of baseball operations Buster Posey, have focused on pitching depth and minor league additions rather than big offseason splashes. San Francisco signed RHP Tyler Mahle to a one-year deal and RHP Adrian Houser to a two-year deal that includes a club option for 2028.
But does Webb believe that’s enough?
“At the end of the day, we just got to go out and play better,” he said. “Those types of things are not my job. I’m not the GM. I’m not the owner. My job is to go out there and pitch every five days. It’s our job in the clubhouse to just try to maximize our potential and value.”
The Giants certainly addressed an area of concern, but they’ll need to do more to stay afloat with the Dodgers and San Diego Padres in the NL West.
The Giants faced the Dodgers 13 times during the 2025 MLB season, losing nine of those contests. Over the past four seasons, Los Angeles has held a 40-18 regular-season record against San Francisco.
At this point, it’s safe to say that any annoyance Webb — or any Giants player or fan — seems reasonable.
In this episode of the Royals Rundown Podcast, Jacob Milham and Jeremy “Hokius” Greco take a comprehensive look at the Kansas City Royals’ infield and prospect pipeline as the offseason unfolds. The hosts break down infield rankings, examine what a “down year” really means for Bobby Witt Jr., and discuss why players like Maikel Garcia, Jonathan India, and Michael Massey have pivotal seasons ahead—especially as lineup depth and health come into sharper focus.
The conversation expands into a deep dive on the Royals’ prospect rankings, evaluating names like Peyton Wilson, Warren Calcagno, and Daniel Vazquez, while also placing Kansas City’s strategy in context with major MLB moves such as the Dodgers’ acquisition of Kyle Tucker and the Mets landing Bo Bichette. From player development and injury timelines to trade speculation and roster-building philosophy, this episode offers a clear-eyed look at where the Royals stand—and where they still need to go to compete.
