The Braves were linked specifically to Chris Bassitt and Lucas Giolito as targets for their starting pitching pursuit, which apparently remains active at this stage in the offseason. While those are by no means sexy options, they likely wouldn’t require eye-watering contracts and would preserve the Braves’ 2026 draft capital, as compared to Framber Valdez or Zac Gallen. Bassitt has been quite durable and consistent in the ~2.5 fWAR per (regular length) season range for seven seasons now, but hasn’t had a peak much higher than that and will be 37 this season. Giolito had a higher peak than Bassitt from 2019-2021, but hasn’t been the same pitcher since, That said, he posted a solid back-end starter year in 2025, albeit with highly diminished strikeout stuff. Either would be solid depth options, but wouldn’t bring much upside with them beyond that, though Giolito is only 31, so perhaps a renaissance could still be in the cards for him.
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: After spending most of the offseason re-signing members of the 2025 team, Brian Cashman is pushing back on the narrative that this year’s team will be much the same as last year’s. “I disagree that it’s the same team, running it back,” the Yankees’ GM said. “It’s going to be some differences, and the competition is going to be different, too.”
For Cody Bellinger, whose recent re-signing fed the flames of the “running it back” angle, that doesn’t sound like a problem. “I really do love the group that we had,” Bellinger said. “We had a special, special unit. We had great chemistry that I don’t think can be understood unless you’re inside the clubhouse.”
Another effect of Bellinger’s signing is potentially reduced roles for fellow outfielders Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones. The team’s manager still sees a potential role for both, however. “Belli is that true, versatile player that can go be really successful all over the diamond,” Aaron Boone said. “So we’ll see how everything plays out. The reality is, we have a lot of really good players. And Jasson and Spencer are part of that.”
Daily News | Peter Sblendorio: Aaron Judge is faring well in his recovery from a right elbow flexor strain that impacted him last season, per Boone. “Actually, because he has ramped up his throwing program a little bit more because he’s getting ready for the (World Baseball Classic), he’s ahead of the game more so than he even normally is from a throwing standpoint,” the Yankees manager said Wednesday.
Unlike his captain, the recently re-signed Cody Bellinger has decided to sit out the WBC this year. “Don’t think this year’s going to be the year,” he said Wednesday. “Especially getting the free-agent [deal] and going into spring, you kind of just want to focus on what’s at hand here and the task at hand. I owe it to the Steinbrenner family and the Yankee organization to go and give my best foot forward and try and win a championship.”
Anthony Volpe’s recovery from a partial shoulder labrum tear is going well, too. Though he’s not expected to be ready for Opening Day, Cashman said he expects him back “sooner than later.” Ailing hurlers Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón are on track in their recoveries as well.
MLB Trade Rumors | Steve Adams: The Yankees and Rockies finalized a trade that will send reliever Angel Chivilli to New York, per Jack Curry. Chivilli is a hard-throwing right-hander who’s struggled with the long ball in limited big-league action but has demonstrated the stuff to miss bats. The 23-year-old allowed 49 runs in 58.2 innings last year, though some of that may be attributable to struggles at Denver’s Coors Field. In exchange, the Yankees are shipping off T.J. Rumfield. The 25-year-old was the starting first baseman at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre last season, slashing .285/.378/.447 with 16 homers.
MLB Trade Rumors | Anthony Franco: Bellinger’s five-year, $162.5 million contract will come with a larger luxury tax hit than the norm. That’s because of an arcane clause in the league’s collective bargaining agreement called the “Valley Charge.” Without getting too in the weeds, because the outfielder’s compact comes with a $20 million signing bonus and includes opt-outs after the second and third seasons, it will be treated as worth $44.75 million in average annual value (instead of $32.5 million) over the first two years of the deal. Should Bellinger choose not to opt out, the added luxury tax hit would essentially be credited back to the Yankees on the back end of the deal. This new wrinkle brings the Yankees’ tax number for 2026 above $330 million after they ended the season at $320 million last year.
CBS Sports | Dayn Perry: In a report that will only stoke the fires of the “running it back” narrative, the Yankees have reportedly expressed interest in a reunion with first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, per YES Network’s Jack Curry. The right-handed Goldschmidt could once again provide insurance for the lefty Ben Rice, who is expected to see the lion’s share of playing time at first base. Re-signing Goldschmidt would theoretically also free Rice up to play some catcher, where Austin Wells struggled at times offensively last year.
Goldschmidt was one of the Yankees’ most consistent hitters in the first half last year but trailed off down the stretch of his age-37 season. And while he had a .981 OPS against southpaws, much of that came during his hot first couple months. As beat writer Gary Phillips noted, that figure fell to .676 from June 1st onward.
The Athletic | Keith Law: ($) The Yankees had two players — George Lombard Jr. and Carlos Lagrange — on Law’s top 100 prospect list published on Monday. They very nearly had a third. Dax Kilby was the last player left off the list, slotting in at 101. The shortstop, who was taken 39th overall in last year’s draft, slashed .353/.457/.441 in 18 games at Low-A, an impressive showing for a player coming straight from high school to pro ball. Looking under the hood, his hard-hit rate and chase rate suggest a player with the tools to rise through the minor-league ranks. Law expects him to move off shortstop due to a below-average arm, but still sees him as a viable enough bat to stick at second base.
Awful Announcing | Sam Neumann: Yankees legend Willie Randolph will be joining YES for the 2026 season, the network has announced. The former team co-captain will join studio coverage alongside Bob Lorenz in a role similar to the one that the departed John Flaherty, Jeff Nelson, and Dave Valle would often tackle at points. It doesn’t sound like he’ll be in color commentary rotation though, as that will remain the primary domain of David Cone and Paul O’Neill, plus some Joe Girardi and Todd Frazier. Randolph was a World Series champion as the second baseman for the 1977-78 Yankees and earned four more rings serving as a coach with the team from 1994-2004.
Yankees GM pushes back on “run it back” narrative; injury updates on several key contributors; righty reliever acquired from Rockies; a bigger tax hit for Belli; Dax Kilby just misses top 100 list; Yankees legend joins the booth.
The New York Rangers’ 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Wednesday night was overshadowed by news that proceeded to come out before the game even starting.
Just about an hour before puck drop at UBS Arena, word came out that Artemi Panarin would be held out of the lineup due to roster management, and he won’t play in any games before the Olympic break, beginning on Feb. 5.
Everybody has known that it was just a matter of time before Panarin gets traded, as Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury reportedly held an individual meeting with Panarin shortly before releasing a letter outlining the team’s intentions to retool, and informed him that the Rangers do not plan to re-sign him past this season and will look to trade him to anywhere he wishes to go.
However, Panarin had remained in the lineup leading up to Wednesday, and it appears as if the decision to hold him out was made just hours before the game, to the surprise of many of the players.
“Yeah it was a little weird, with how it happened later in the day and he’s not here,” Vincent Trocheck said of Panarin’s absence. “It’s a weird feeling. Obviously, like I said before, we know what a situation like this brings, and for me personally, it being a guy like Bread, who I’ve become extremely close with over the last four years and was lucky enough to play with, it's been a huge blessing for me. I've learned a ton from him. Yeah, it's tough whether it's a game day or not a game day.”
Although Panarin hasn’t officially been traded yet, Wednesday night felt like the closing of a chapter for the Rangers organization, a chapter that started in 2019 when the Rangers signed Panarin to a 7-year, $81 million contract.
In all likelihood, the 34-year-old has played his last game in a Blueshirts sweater.
In 482 games with the Rangers, Panarin has recorded 205 goals, 402 assists, and 607 points, while also helping lead the team to the Eastern Conference Final twice.
“Bread is a terrific player and a great teammate,” Mike Sullivan said. “He's one of the best Rangers of his generation. He's not an easy guy to replace when he’s not in the lineup, but everybody understands it, and we're going to control what we can.”
Panarin was not the first and likely won’t be the last player to be yanked out of the lineup due to roster management.
Just 48 hours ago, Carson Soucy was scratched from Monday’s matchup against the Boston Bruins, and by the end of the night, he was traded to the Islanders.
Over the past year and a half, we’ve seen the dismantling of the Rangers’ core. Now up until the March 6th NHL Trade Deadline, we’ll see the continuation of this teardown, with players falling like dominoes, getting taken away piece by piece in an effort to go through with the retool plan outlined by Drury in his Jan. 16th letter.
Drury’s warning to fans that they may have to say “goodbye to players that have brought us and our fans great moments over the years” is being put into action.
The reality of the situation is staring every player directly in the face and looming over the team like a dark cloud.
“You can't look at it like that,” Trocheck said about whether he’s trying to savor every moment with this team before being broken up. “You can't go about your day being scared of what's going to happen next. You got to, like you said, embrace every moment that you have together, and love everybody in this locker room and cherish every second that we have together, every time we're on the ice together.”
The Colorado Rockies made a number of roster moves on Wednesday within the span of two hours, and Skyler Timmins did a marvelous job of keeping up with them:
At 2pm, Paul DePodesta hopped on Zoom with the media to answer questions about the moves and what they mean for the future of the organization.
On the decision to trade Angel Chivilli
I wouldn’t say we necessarily wanted to [trade Chivilli], because he obviously has a terrific arm, he’s still very young, he did miss a lot of bats. I think there are a lot of things about Angel that are really attractive. We weren’t anxious to move him, but we did feel like our bullpen is a real area of depth, and there have been clubs asking about a number of our bullpen arms throughout the course of the last couple months. And ultimately, this was a deal that seemed to fit and seemed to come together for us. It wasn’t a situation where we were looking to move him by any stretch, there was just enough interest, and I found a deal that ultimately made sense. But we were dealing from an area of strength where we could then bolster our position player club going forward.
On TJ Rumfield
We think he’s a solid defender at first base to go along with the bat. He’s been a very productive hitter the last two years in Triple-A as a 24 and 25-year-old. I think he’s got really good bat-to-ball skills. He has some emerging power. But he’s a guy that can manipulate the barrel pretty well, and as a consequence, has hit for average along with some of that juice. So we think he’s a nice combination of skills and is very capable at first base.
On the decision to DFA Yanquiel Fernández
It’s hard, to be honest with you. We’re now certainly at a point where we feel like every time we make a move, we’re losing someone we like or potentially losing someone we like. And that was certainly the case with Yanquiel. He’s been a good prospect and got a chance to get his feet we at the major league level last year. He has some power, so it’s hard.
I think at this point we felt like we did have some depth outfield-wise, especially with the left-hand hitting outfielders. We now have a group in the big leagues that we feel pretty good about. We also have a handful of guys on the 40-man who maybe haven’t yet gotten a lot of time in the big leagues, or even any time at all with, like, Sterlin Thompson. So it really came do to that where, if we lose someone, in what part of the roster can we afford that? And right now, I think that left hand-hitting outfielder spot was where we were just a little heavy.
On Edouard Julien
I think we’re certainly intrigued by the bat. I think he had a really, really good track record, even going back to the time when he was in High-A, Double-A, Triple-A into his rookie season. He’s produced at the major league level at different times. The last couple of years, he hasn’t had as consistent of opportunities that he had that rookie year, but we like the versatility. He can play first, he can play second, and we like that left-handed bat against right-handed pitching. So we think there are probably some different ways that we can use it.
On Pierson Ohl
I think he could do a little bit of both (opening and relieving). He’s also started in the minor league, and his mix is a little different, depending on whether or not he was starting or relieving. But he’s a very, very good strike thrower. He does have some good pitches in his arsenal to keep hitters off balance. Principally, he has the changeup but he also has a feel for a handful of other pitches. So I think philosophically, he fits with us really well and could pitch in a multitude of roles for us.
On the left-handedness of the recent trades
I think there were some struggles last year against right-handed pitching in general. And obviously, you’re going to see more right-handers than left-handers, so I think it certainly was a focus for us as we went through the offseason to make sure we had a few more weapons from the left side, if possible.
On creating roster competition and positional flexibility
I think what we’re really trying to do is create, I think, really healthy competition on our roster [with these moves]. Now, most of the players we have acquired do have a good amount of versatility. I think there are lots of different ways that the pieces can fit, and I think that’s really what we’re looking for.
And I think we’re also going into the idea that the roster is going to be fluid through the course of the year. We all know that we’ll have injuries, we’ll have players that maybe don’t perform the way you expected them to, etc. and I think these players having versatility just makes our roster a little bit more robust. So we may not be done adding — we’ll see — but we did want to make sure that we had healthy competition at a handful of these different spots and then different ways to put the puzzle together.
I don’t think we’re going to be taking positions away from any guys who are capable of playing. In fact, it may actually be the opposite. This spring, you may see some guys playing some positions that maybe they haven’t played as much in the past, just to see if we can’t increase their versatility.”
On a common thread
There are certain things we want to be able to do as a team. I think we know it’s really hard to get all of those attributes in a single player. But as a team collectively, we want to be able to do a lot of different things. We know we need to get on base more; we know we need to chase less; we’d like to hit for some more power; we want to be able to run the bases more effectively and have that be more of a weapon on our team.
So trying to accomplish all these things at once, again, is really hard to do with just one player. But I think each of the players that we’ve acquired have pieces that have elements of those goals, and we’ll bring those to our team as a whole.
On continued player development
Last week, we had our summit in Denver with all of our baseball personnel. And one of the real themes of that was that development never stops, and I think Schaeff and his entire staff at the major-league level are committed to continue to develop guys, even at the major-league level. That’s something that we’re going to be focused on, not just this year, but I think going forward in the organization and really sort of bring that into the development that the players have already had in the minor leagues. But there’s not doubt we think that there are heights yet to be reached for all these players, not just the ones we’ve just acquired, but even for the players we’ve already had on our roster.
On acquiring another starting pitcher
We continue to engage on finding even more pitching, largely starters, because we feel like we’ve got pretty good depth in our bullpen, but we’re looking at all different avenues. So far this offseason, we’ve traded for folks, we’ve claimed players, we’ve signed free agents, and I think we’re still actively looking through all of those avenues for additional starting pitching.
On Charlie Condon and the future
We love Charlie, and I think we’re very excited to have him. With all these moves, I think back to probably 25 years ago or so when I was with Oakland and we were in spring training and we were adding one more player, and there was some concern about how he was going to fit. And I remember Billy [Beane] at one point saying, ‘Do we finally have too many good players? Is that the point we’ve reached? We have too many?’
Obviously, we’re not there yet. We’re going to keep adding talent to this roster, but in no way are we not believing in the young guys we have. We have a lot of really good young players that are in Double-A and Triple-A, and there’s no doubt in my mind that they’re going to earn their opportunities on this team. And once they do, they’ll have long runways with us.
As we keep saying, the Rockies have a vision. They seem to have a clear idea of how they want to construct their roster and the things they’re looking for in players.
It’s also a breath of fresh air to hear from Paul DePodesta as often as he’s been available.
What are your thoughts on the Rockies’ roster moves? Do you think they’ll make more? Let us know in the comments!
It’s Wednesday night here at BCB After Dark: the most happening hangout for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. We’re so glad you decided to stop by. Come in out of the cold. We can check your coat for you. We’ve got a fire going and the show will start soon. There’s no cover charge tonight. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night, I asked you where the Cubs were most vulnerable heading into the season. Thirty-five percent of you thought the biggest issue was the bullpen, and that makes a lot of sense. Another 31 percent of you said “outfield depth,” and that makes a lot of sense too. I wonder about the two percent of you who said “infield depth.” I guess if you don’t believe in Matt Shaw that could be a problem, but is that the biggest potential problem on the team?
Here’s the part where we listen to music and talk movies. The BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic starts the third round tonight. But you’re free to skip all that. You won’t hurt my feelings.
My adage when I can’t think of anything to play is to just play the hits. So tonight, we have a classic from Count Basie and his Orchestra on the BBC in 1965. This is “April in Paris,” which you’ve probably heard many times, even if only in Blazing Saddles.
You voted in the BCB Winter Science Fiction Classic and you decided to send Back to the Future to the final eight over The Matrix. A lot of you noted that I probably would have voted for The Matrix (I don’t vote except to break ties) but were it up to me, this round would have been Gattaca against 12 Monkeys, so I’m not going to get too worked up.
With that, we close out the second round and move on to the third. We also move back to the “Classic” period where we have a battle of two heavyweights: The Day the Earth Stood Still and Godzilla (Gojira). I put the Japanese title in the matchup to make clear that were voting on the Japanese original. The English-language version is called Godzilla: King of the Monsters. I’ve mentioned that version with Raymond Burr is a lot of fun but it is definitely the inferior version.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). Directed by Robert Wise. Starring Michael Rennie, Patricia Neal and Hugh Marlowe.
The key clip from The Day the Earth Stood Still is Patricia Neal saying “Klaatu Barada Nikto” to Gort, but I used that one last time. But it’s just a magnificent piece of filmmaking from director Wise. You can see how he would go on to win two Oscars for directing.
This clip of Klaatu (Rennie) emerging from the saucer is also good.
Godzilla (1954). Directed by Ishirō Honda. Starring Akira Takarada, Momoko Kōchi, Akihiko Hirata and Takashi Shimura.
Both of these films are dealing with the anxieties of the nuclear age from different sides of the Pacific. For Americans, the destruction of nuclear weapons was only theoretical and in The Day the Earth Stood Still, Klaatu comes as a Christ-like savior to lead us to the path of peace. No one gets hurt other than Klaatu. Even he (sort of, thanks the Production Code) comes back to life.
Of course for the Japanese, the terror of nuclear weapons was all too real and Godzilla wrecks major havoc to the country. Tens or hundreds of thousands are likely dead in Godzilla’s wake. The message isn’t so much “live in peace with nuclear weapons” as it is “get rid of them because someone is going to use one again eventually.”
Both films are fantastic. Tough choice tonight. But now is your time to make it.
You have until Monday to make your vote. Next up is the finals in our “New Hollywood” bracket between 2001: A Space Odyssey and Planet of the Apes (1968).
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.
Earlier this decade, the Cubs were lining up all of their big contracts to run out at the end of this year. That’s gone a bit by the wayside with the signings of Dansby Swanson, Alex Bregman and Phil Maton, but for the most part, the Cubs are going to have a few free agents at the end of 2026 if they don’t sign them to extensions before that.
Both Cubs starting corner outfielders, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, are going to be free agents at the end of the season unless they agree to extensions or accept a qualifying offer. Both of them are very good players, but neither one is a superstar. It’s hard to tell what Suzuki is thinking with the language barrier and all, but I’ve got no reason to think he isn’t happy in Chicago. There was a little grumbling from his camp last year when he was moved to DH after the trade for Kyle Tucker, but Tucker is gone now and Suzuki is penciled back in right field for 2026.
Happ has made it clear that he loves Chicago and the Cubs and would like to be a Cub for life.
So should the Cubs make a move now to sign either outfielder to an extension? Or both?
Al wrote an article earlier this winter arguing for Happ to be signed to a three-year extension. I actually think that his contract proposal was a little low on money. I think Happ can get significantly more than three years, $48 million on the open market. Jorge Polanco is a year older than Happ, is a bad defender who is moving to first base and is a similar hitter. He got two years and $40 million from the Mets on the open market.
So I’m going to propose a three-year extension for Happ for $60 million. That’s basically what he signed in his last extension. Yes, Happ is older now than he was then, but salaries have gone up since then too.
Suzuki is a better hitter than Happ but a much worse fielder. The two were born six days apart from each other, so age isn’t a factor. I think Suzuki’s defense is going to be a bigger problem as he ages, so he may be destined to be a full-time DH with only an occasional game as a corner outfielder. So I’m going to put Suzuki’s extension at a slight discount from Happ at three years and $54 million.
So would you sign either of these outfielders to an extension before Opening Day? Or both of them? The Cubs are definitely going to need two corner outfielders in 2027. Even if you think that Kevin Alcántara is ready to take over one of those spots, there really isn’t another reasonable candidate in the minor leagues to fill the other one. The free agent market for outfielders next winter isn’t great. There’s George Springer, who is going to be 37 years old and then there are guys who I’d argue aren’t as good as Happ and Suzuki—Randy Arozarena, Adolis García and Trent Grisham. That may make signing either one to an extension harder because they know that teams looking for outfielders next winter aren’t going to have a ton of options.
There is one wildcard in the Cubs minor league system that would argue against signing both is last year’s first-round pick Ethan Conrad. Conrad hasn’t made his professional debut yet because of injuries and it seems highly unlikely that he’d be ready to start the 2027 season in the majors. However, if he’s as good as the Cubs think he is, Conrad will definitely be ready by 2028, if not sooner. But can you really count on a player who hasn’t taken a professional at-bat yet?
You can make your own estimates on what the extension would go for, but make it realistic. Neither one is signing for two years and $20 million. You don’t have to give either one no-trade options, although Happ wouldn’t need one because he would become a 10-5 player some time in the 2027 season.
So what would you do? Would you lock up one of these outfielders by Opening Day? Both? Neither?
Thank you for stopping in tonight. We know you have a lot of fake online baseball and jazz-themed nightclubs to choose from, so we’re happy you chose us. Please get home safely. Stay warm out there. Don’t forget anything. Recycle any cans and bottles. Tip your waitstaff. And join us again next week for more BCB After Dark.
The Yankees won 94 games — and nearly the AL East — last season without any contribution from ace Gerrit Cole.
What nearly derailed 2025 in The Bronx, rather, was the right elbow flexor strain that Aaron Judge suffered in late July.
So the fact Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Judge was “doing really well” in his throwing program as he prepares to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic may have been the most important news that came out of Wednesday’s Zoom call with Yankees hierarchy.
“He has ramped up his throwing program a little bit more because he’s ready for the WBC,” Boone said. “He’s ahead of the game, more so than he normally is, from a throwing standpoint. … He feels ready to go right away in camp.”
Asked if there was any concern Judge could be at risk, Boone said, “No, he looks great.”
Yankees manager Aaron Boone said Wednesday that Aaron Judge was “doing really well” in his throwing program as he prepares to play for Team USA in the World Baseball Classic. Paul J. Bereswill
As the Yankees know all too well, it was Judge’s toe injury in 2023 that played a huge factor in them missing the postseason for the only time in Judge’s career.
With the elbow injury a year ago, Judge returned to the lineup after a brief IL stint, but wasn’t able to play right field regularly until mid-September and then was a force the rest of the way, including in the postseason.
Anthony Volpe’s rehab from the partially torn labrum in his left shoulder is “going well” according to general manager Brian Cashman, although he declined to place a timeline on the shortstop’s return.
Anthony Volpe’s rehab from the partially torn labrum in his left shoulder is “going well,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Earlier in the offseason, Cashman said Volpe could begin hitting by mid-February and be back in April or May at the latest, with the expectation that José Caballero would fill in at short until Volpe returns.
“He’s here [in Tampa], working his tail off with a smile on his face, fully committed,’’ Cashman said. “We look forward to him rejoining us at some point at shortstop, sooner than later.”
Whenever Volpe does get back, he’ll be under the microscope again, coming off an inconsistent season in which he had another subpar season at the plate — although that could have been attributed in some part to the shoulder, which Volpe initially injured in May.
And his defense has also gone backward after Volpe won a Gold Glove as a rookie in 2024.
Cody Bellinger said he would be interested in representing Team USA in the World Baseball Classic, but not this year, just coming out of free agency.
rian Cashman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the New York Yankees, and Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees speak before game two of the American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays.
Now that the Yankees have just about the whole band back together — the one that got knocked around in an ALDS loss to the Blue Jays — exactly why will this version have a better ending than the 2025 version?
That’s what Brian Cashman, Aaron Boone and the player that was at the center of the Yankees reunion, Cody Bellinger, tried to explain Wednesday.
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The answer lies in the development of some young players — Cam Schlittler for one — a full season with their trade deadline acquisitions from last summer and, most of all, the expected return of Gerrit Cole in the first half of the season.
Cole didn’t throw a pitch last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in the spring.
His rehab, as well as the rehab of Carlos Rodón, is going as expected, which is positive news in The Bronx.
Will it be enough, though, to get the Yankees past the Blue Jays — not to mention the improved Orioles and up-and-coming Red Sox — to win the AL East and then have a chance to upend the mighty Dodgers in the World Series?
“One series, make or break, is not gonna define what we think our capabilities are,” Cashman said of the ALDS loss on a Zoom call from Tampa. “We all understand in [the] postseason, you’ve got to bring your best baseball every series and if you don’t, you’re going home. It doesn’t mean we weren’t capable of great things. We just didn’t get the job done in that time frame against the Toronto Blue Jays, the defending American League champs.”
Boone was similarly confident.
“At the end of last year, in so many ways, it’s as good as I felt about our team heading into the postseason in the years I’ve been here,” Boone said. “Obviously, we got beat up in the division round. It didn’t go our way. That doesn’t mean it’s not gonna go our way the next time. We think we’re really good. That doesn’t mean we’re gonna win 94 games again. It doesn’t mean we’re gonna win 88. But we think we have the pieces.”
A source also told The Post’s Jon Heyman the Yankees have stayed in contact with Paul Goldschmidt as a right-handed bat to give the lefty-swinging Ben Rice some protection at first, but only if the price is right. They also continue to be interested in adding more pitching, as well as possibly a right-handed outfield bat, with Randal Grichuk and Austin Slater potential candidates, according to Heyman.
rian Cashman, Senior Vice President and General Manager of the New York Yankees, and Aaron Boone #17 of the New York Yankees speak before game two of the American League Division Series against the Toronto Blue Jays. Getty Images
And then there’s Bellinger, who signed a five-year, $162.5 million deal with a pair of opt outs to return to The Bronx after a successful first season with the Yankees following his trade from the Cubs last offseason.
“I feel really good with that,” Bellinger said of going into this year with a similar squad as a year ago. “That might not be what everyone wants to hear, but I love the group we had. We had great chemistry. I don’t think that can be understood unless you’re inside the clubhouse. We all played for each other.”
New York Yankees outfielder Cody Bellinger triples. Robert Sabo for NY Post
Cashman, the architect, noted that there have been some alterations from a year ago, with some new arms, in particular.
“It’s not the same roster,” Cashman said. “We have some players at some point returning from the IL that are important players. Gerrit Cole is one of them.”
There’s also internal optimism that the upgrades they made at the deadline, with bullpen arms like David Bednar and Camilo Doval, in particular, as well as potential improved defense at third base from Ryan McMahon and more depth with Amed Rosario and José Caballero will pay dividends.
“I’ve been openly willing to challenge anybody that we don’t have a championship caliber roster [and] team,’’ Cashman said. “And it’s our job to try to make it better along the way.”
In yet another incredibly tight vote, it was Big Sugar who emerged victorious!
With 36 votes out of 124 responses in this round, big right-hander Zach Maxwell claimed the plurality, narrowly topping the likes of Leo Balcazar (34 votes) and Aaron Watson (29 votes) – with the latter two holding slim leads of their own at various points during the open voting window.
Maxwell – who throws 102 mph, created the Mississippi River by dragging his axe, and dug the Great Lakes with his footprints – made it to the actual Cincinnati Reds during the 2025 season, the 25 year old product of Georgia Tech tossing 10.0 innings and allowing 5 ER with 13 K in that time. He’s the owner of an impressive 13.1 K/9 across 143 appearances at the minor league level, and will enter spring camp in Goodyear, Arizona vying for a spot on the Opening Day roster.
The Yankees' everyday lineup is basically complete with the re-signing of Cody Bellinger, but that leaves the fate of youngsters Jasson Dominguez and Spencer Jones up in the air.
Before Bellinger's signing, manager Aaron Boone and GM Brian Cashman talked up the possibility of either Dominguez or Jones fighting for a spot in left field, but that has now changed.
During a Zoom news conference with the media on Wednesday, Boone was asked about the outlook of Dominguez and Jones after the signing of Bellinger, and the Yankees skipper was blunt.
"The reality is that [the outlook] does change," Boone said. "We got Cody right back in the center of the mix and [Trent Grisham] back. That maybe complicates some things for them, but we also know what potentially outstanding players they are going to be in this league."
Aaron Judge is the stalwart in right field and after Grisham accepted the qualifying offer earlier this offseason, center field is locked up. Bellinger was the last piece of the puzzle for the starting outfield, and now that it's filled, playing time for Dominguez or Jones will be limited. However, Boone made sure to point out there are a lot of days between Wednesday and Opening Day, and things can change.
Injuries and performance during spring training could change a team's calculations, especially with what each youngster brings to the table. Dominguez spent the season on the roster and appeared in 123 games where he had his ups and downs. He slashed .257/.331/.388 with an OPS of .719 to go along with his 10 home runs and 47 RBI, and 23 stolen bases.
Boone praised Dominguez's major league experience as well as Jones' 2025 minor league season. The young slugger had his best season as a pro. Between Double-A and Triple-A, Jones slashed .274/.362/.571 with an OPS of .932. His 35 home runs and 80 RBI across 116 games opened the eyes of the Yankees organization.
And while that doesn't seem to be the case anymore, there will always be a chance in the future.
"You start predicting the future too early and things change in a hurry," Boone said. "One of the things why we love Belli so much, too, is the versatility he brings. Whether it’s early on in the season, next year, wherever they may be, someone carves out an opportunity for themselves, Belli is that true versatile player that could be really successful all over the diamond. We’ll see how everything plays out. The reality is that we have a lot of great players and Jasson and Spencer are a part of that."
The longest-tenured voice of Seattle Mariners baseball almost wasn’t.
In 1983, Rick Rizzs was serving as the play-by-play announcer for the Columbus Clippers, at the time the Yankees’ Triple-A team. He’d been in the minor leagues for nine years, still waiting on a chance at a big-league job. It seemed like his opportunity had arrived; he was one of two finalists for a job with the Seattle Mariners to serve as the great Dave Niehaus’s number two. He was set to fly to Southern California the next day to meet with team owner George Argyros before the latter shipped out on a three-week cruise to Greece.
But first, Rizzs had agreed to help the Columbus Girl Scouts with their annual cookie sale kick-off. He showed up at a Columbus mall the night before he was slated to fly out to participate in a cookie-eating contest. Never one to do things in half-measures, Rizzs ate 33 cookies in three minutes.
The next morning, Rizzs woke up with chest pains so bad he thought he was having a heart attack. He went to Columbus’s team doctor, who ordered blood tests and eventually diagnosed him with a strained sternum from overconsumption. He had to miss his flight.
“I thought my big league dream was going to be shattered,” said Rizzs, recounting the story during a press conference on Wednesday. “Dumbest thing I ever did, besides trying to follow a legend in Detroit. That’s another story.”
With the help of Mariners personnel, Rizzs was able to re-schedule his flight and make it to the meeting with Argyros, who handed Rizzs the job on the spot after Rizzs explained the reason for his delay.
“He said, ‘anybody willing to sacrifice his life for the Girl Scouts is my kind of guy.’”
Argyros—whom Rizzs would outlast in the Mariners organization—might not have known how deep that statement would cut. Over the next forty years, Rick Rizzs would become an integral part of the Mariners community, and not just behind the mic. While there haven’t been any more cookie-eating contests, Rizzs has built a legacy of giving in the Northwest that extends beyond the four-plus hours he’s on the radio every night, from his annual Toys for Kids drive that has delivered over 360,000 toys to Northwest kids over its 30 years of existence as well as other forms of year-round support for families and children, to his full-throated support of Mariners charity events, where he serves as emcee and auctioneer.
Beyond the park and his official charity exploits, Rizzs also gives to the fanbase. He’s a regular fixture at things like FanFest, the Mariners Caravan, and more informal opportunities around town, where he’s always happy to stop and chat with fans.
Part of the reason Rizzs feels so called to give is to pass on a gift he was given as a child. Growing up in Chicago, Rizzs idolized legendary Cubs broadcaster Jack Brickhouse, practicing calling his own Cubs games in the family basement. A 12-year-old Rizzs eventually wrote Brickhouse a letter asking for advice on becoming a broadcaster, and Brickhouse wrote back, encouraging him in his dreams. “That was like, my holy grail,” said Rizzs, who aims to offer his own advice and encouragement to people who come to him seeking the same—or even just a moment of his time, understanding as he is of the special relationship between broadcasters and fanbases.
“As a broadcaster, you get to know the fans, they get to know you, and that’s the beautiful part of this. I felt like I knew Jack Brickhouse long before I met him. We’re in your homes every day, or your car, or out on the beach, or in the backyard, or in the sandlot. That’s the beauty of radio. You can take us wherever you want to go. And so they feel a connection.
So when it comes time to meet [the fans], say hello. Give them a smile. Shake their hand, spend some time with them. At spring training, I like to take little walks and visit with the fans, because you’ve gotta make a fan one at a time, because they’re going to talk about it…and that connection just keeps growing and growing.“
But all that giving – the big things, and the daily grind of baseball, and one fan at a time – has taken a lot out of the 72-year-old Rizzs, who plans to retire after this season, his 52nd in baseball and 41st with the Mariners.
“I’ve missed a lot,” Rizzs said. “I love what I do. I love baseball and I love broadcasting. But let’s face it. Everybody in the game – players, managers – we make sacrifices because we’re not home. As you know, I lost my son two years ago, and I want to spend more time with my grandkids now.”
Beyond spending time with his family, Rizzs wants to spend more time with friends, having watched several of his closest friends – his broadcast partner Dave Niehaus, Dave Henderson, Julio Cruz, Joe Wingen from the Joker Pub in Issaquah – pass away over the past 20 years. He’s had his own health scares too, most notably the serious ATV accident two years ago that fractured vertebrae in his neck and back. That came after a prostate cancer diagnosis in the 2023 off-season. And then there was the freak accident last spring when he got hit in the head with a foul ball while broadcasting one of the Mariners’ spring training games.
“At 72, you start to think, okay, what do I want to do with the rest of my life? What is the next chapter going to look like?”
Rizzs still plans to be highly involved in the Mariners organization, speaking as part of the alumni group, visiting the park and the players. You don’t just walk away from a home you’ve had for four decades.
But after years of giving, it’s time for Rizzs to take.
“I want to get on a plane that I want to get on, that’s going a place where I want to go,” he said, jabbing his finger into his chest. “I want to go to Italy and eat my brains out, just eat all the pasta that’s made in Italy and drink wine. I want to see the world. I’ve seen enough of…Toronto.”
Eating his beloved Italian cuisine while traveling the world is a well-earned pivot from cramming down three dozen Girl Scout cookies at a local mall. Whatever his next chapter has in store for Rick Rizzs, we all hope it has as much to give him as he has given all of us in the Mariners community.
Because when a salary cap or some other mechanism to limit spending is implemented – and it will be implemented – the golden era of Dodgers baseball will be over.
This isn’t to say the Dodgers won’t remain one of baseball’s smartest franchises. They will. This isn’t to say they won’t still be considered a destination team for free agents. They will.
Los Angeles Dodgers players celebrate their victory against the Toronto Blue Jays during the bottom of the 11th inning to win the MLB World Series in game seven in Toronto, Canada, 01 November 2025. EDUARDO LIMA/EPA/ShutterstockYoshinobu Yamamoto holds the MVP award after the Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays in eleven innings in Game Seven to win the MLB World Series. Aaron Josefczyk/UPI/Shutterstock
Thinking that a bright front office and winning culture will allow the Dodgers to maintain their current level of dominance, however, fails to appreciate how special the current roster is and the role money played in building it.
How good are these Dodgers?
They won a second consecutive World Series last year, and their players later acknowledged they didn’t even play well. Think about this: How much better does a team have to be than its competition to play so-so and come out on top in a sport in which the best team usually doesn’t win the championship?
In Major League Baseball right now, there are the Dodgers and there is everyone else.
That doesn’t mean I believe the owners want to impose a salary cap because of concerns about competitive balance. Many of these same owners have never seemed to care enough about winning to place a competitive product on the field, and that was the case even before Shohei Ohtani signed with the Dodgers and handed them a blank check to build their current super team.
Ice Cube delivers the World Series Trophy during the victory celebration at Dodger Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Whether the owners are making good-faith arguments doesn’t really matter. They want to control the cost of labor, and they will. The current collective bargaining agreement will expire Dec. 1, and the players will almost certainly be locked out. In the negotiations for a new deal, time will be on the owners’ side. Both the players and owners will be hurt if games are lost in 2027, but the owners are better positioned to withstand the damage. They have more money.
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Why the owners want to do this is another subject to be explored on another day. The point is that when the Dodgers return from the anticipated lockout, they will return to a new reality, whether it’s with a salary cap or more severe luxury-tax penalties. The regulations designed to break up their team might not take effect immediately – there’s an assumption in the industry that teams will be granted a grace period of a couple of seasons to become compliant – but those rules will eventually be in place.
Dodgers management has downplayed the possible effects of spending restrictions by pointing to the numerous advantages they have.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto celebrates with his teammates after the final out as the Dodgers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays. EDUARDO LIMA/EPA/Shutterstock
“We have an organization that whatever rules or regulations, constructs are put in front of us, we’re going to dominate,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Roberts was right – up to a point. The Dodgers have a well-stocked farm system that regularly produces plenty of serviceable major leaguers. They have a robust analytics department. They have a capable front-office leader in Andrew Friedman. They have a clubhouse peacekeeper in Roberts. The restrictions on spending won’t apply everywhere, and if the Dodgers continue outspending their rivals in those areas, they could remain the sport’s leading franchise.
But prevent them from spending $400 million annually on players and they will go from being a historically dominant team to just an extremely well-run team. A club that should win the World Series every season will become a club that could win the World Series every season. That’s a significant difference.
This isn’t football. Ohtani can’t be involved in every offensive play, as, say, Patrick Mahomes was for the Chiefs when they won Super Bowls. There’s a reason baseball didn’t have any back-to-back champions in the 25 years between the Yankees and Dodgers. Safeguarding against the dumb luck that presents itself in the sport, particularly with an expanded postseason field, requires a team to be much, much, much better than everyone else. Building in that kind of margin is close to impossible without an enormous advantage in financial resources.
Kiké Hernandez holds the World Series Commissioners Trophy during the World Series celebration at Dodger Stadium. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers will always have their stars, and when Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman slow down or retire, they will still be able to replace them. But the players a level below will be affected. Bringing in high-level supporting actors such as Teoscar Hernandez and Tommy Edman will become more difficult. And when the Dodgers make mistakes, they won’t be able to just throw money at the problem, as they did this winter when they signed Edwin Diaz to make up for the Tanner Scott gaffe.
More of their roster will have to be homegrown. If the Dodgers were already living in that world last year, Alex Freeland might have been starting for them in the World Series instead of Edman. They would have lost a little here, a little there, and suddenly, the gap between the Dodgers and every other team wouldn’t have been as large as it was.
Whatever happens, the Dodgers should remain the best team in baseball. But they won’t be what they are now, which is one of the most powerful teams in history, if not the most powerful. The clock is ticking on this version of the Dodgers. Enjoy this while it lasts.
The club is running things back with virtually the same core that spearheaded consecutive World Series championships over the last two seasons. Kyle Tucker and Edwin Díaz were added in blockbuster free-agent signings this winter. And as prohibitive title favorites again in 2026, the Dodgers, who are enjoying an already-polished golden era of baseball, could be primed for an even brighter shine.
The club is running things back with virtually the same core that spearheaded consecutive World Series championships. AP
After all, for all the Dodgers’ star-level talent, their roster is aging, with half of their projected lineup already 33 or older. Within the next two years, foundational pieces including Freddie Freeman, Max Muncy and Teoscar Hernández –– plus, very likely Tucker, if he exercises his opt-out clause –– will all be out of contract, creating key voids across the diamond. At some point, their lucrative long-term commitments to Mookie Betts (who is signed through his age-39 season), Will Smith (signed through his age-38 season) and maybe even Shohei Ohtani (signed through his age-38 season) could start to feel more burdensome than beneficial, too.
Mix in the looming threat of a salary cap that MLB owners are expected to push for during next winter’s CBA negotiations and the Dodgers’ future could soon face renewed challenges.
“You have to account for some age,” manager Dave Roberts said recently. “This team is not gonna be together forever.”
This, however, is where club officials have voiced confidence in the team’s extended time horizon –– citing their dual objectives to maximize the championship window they are in now without, as president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman often terms it, “falling off a cliff” further down the line.
“You don’t want to be flippant about what we have right now in this moment in time,” Friedman said last week. “That being said, we have to try to balance it with three, four, five years out.”
“You have to account for some age,” manager Dave Roberts said recently. “This team is not gonna be together forever.” IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
If MLB’s current financial structure were to remain unchanged, of course, the Dodgers’ long-term plans would be simple. They could likely maintain their historic spending levels. They could fill holes with free-agent signings. They could lock a new core of stars up to long-term deals.
Alas, that’s unlikely to be the case.
With the league’s current CBA set to expire Dec. 1, a labor battle is already beginning to brew between MLB and its players’ union. The industry expectation is that the owners –– in part as a reaction to the Dodgers’ financial dominance of the sport –– will push for a salary cap. And even if they don’t get one, it’s possible that harsher luxury-tax penalties or other mechanisms to curb spending could be introduced.
If MLB’s current financial structure were to remain unchanged, the Dodgers’ long-term plans would be simple. Getty Images
To this point, the Dodgers are still waiting to see what the future will look like.
They have baked some of the uncertainty into their recent decision-making process. For example, the team’s general preference this winter was to avoid any free-agent contracts of more than three years, per sources, in part because of a growing expectation that if the league were to institute a salary cap, it would come with a multiyear adjustment period to allow bigger-spending teams like them to gradually become compliant.
At the same time, several key organizational voices have downplayed the impact a salary cap or altered economic landscape would make on the team’s ability to remain an annual contender.
“We have an organization that whatever rules or regulations, constructs are put in front of us, we’re going to dominate,” Roberts said at last month’s winter meetings, after saying publicly he would be OK with a salary cap. “Let us know the landscape, and then I’ll bet on our organization.”
The Dodgers farm system is touted as one of the best in the sport. AP
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“I don’t know what the rules may be,” team president Stan Kasten echoed. “But I think we have an organization staffed with people who can help us contend every year.”
The primary source of that optimism –– in a salary-cap world or not –– is rooted in the Dodgers’ highly touted current farm system, which is widely considered among the strongest in the sport.
Regardless of what MLB’s future rules might be, the club is focused on making it’s seemingly unstoppable run of annual dominance continue for as long as possible. Getty Images
While the club lacks an abundance of surefire future stars (outfielder Josue De Paula, a consensus top-25 prospect in the sport, is the biggest potential exception), rival evaluators have highlighted the overall depth and upside of the Dodgers’ current pipeline. Of the various top-100 prospect rankings published by baseball outlets in recent weeks, the Dodgers have had anywhere from four to seven players ranked.
In the outfield alone, the Dodgers have up to eight names they forecast as potential big-league options in the next 2-3 years (including De Paula, Eduardo Quintero, Zyhir Hope, Mike Sirota, James Tibbs III, Zach Ehrhard and recent top-round picks Charles Davalan and Kendall George). That was another reason why, when it came to their negotiations with Tucker specifically, they preferred a shorter-term deal; betting that at least a couple of their up-and-coming prospects will prove to be productive MLB hitters once Tucker is gone.
It’s possible that harsher luxury-tax penalties or other mechanisms to curb spending could be introduced. Aaron Josefczyk/UPI/Shutterstock
“Infusing young players over that time is going to be really important for us to be able to maintain (this level of success),” Friedman said.
That sentiment would become even more true if MLB stiffens its spending rules. In that environment, developing young talent would be crucial to building cost-effective roster depth. It would also provide opportunities on the trade market, which would only figure to grow in importance.
“There are many people who value our minor-league depth, right at the top of the industry,” Kasten said. “And we’re gonna need that.”
In the outfield alone, the Dodgers have up to eight names they forecast as potential big-league options in the next 2-3 years. Kevin Sousa-Imagn Images
Indeed, for the Dodgers, it all comes back to the fear of “the cliff” –– and making sure the team’s current dynasty, 13-year playoff streak and seemingly unstoppable run of annual dominance continues for as long as possible.
Regardless of what MLB’s future rules might be.
“There’s just so much unknown around that,” Friedman said. “I’ve now been through a lot of CBAs and have tried to get cute leading into a CBA. Like, ‘OK, this is where it might be going.’ (Right now), we have no idea. We are sitting in the cheap seats on that. So for us, it’s about, whatever the rules are, reading and reacting to it and doing everything we can within the rules to be as good as we can be.”
A lot has been said about the rebuild of the St. Louis Cardinals and for good reason. The roster has been a work in progress in recent years, but what about the status of Busch Stadium and the St. Louis Cardinals TV deal? Both will play a role in the future of the team and where it goes from here.
I haven’t seen much discussion about what Bill Dewitt Jr. and Bill Dewitt III had to say during the recent Winter Warmup, but several comments addressed one big issue now and one that might become a big issue in the next few years. The need for the current Busch Stadium to get upgrades and renovations and the status of the St. Louis Cardinals TV deal.
When asked where the St. Louis Cardinals stand with the TV deal that remains to be resolved, Bill Dewitt Jr. said “From an internal business standpoint, it’s fairly disruptive in the sense that we’re trying to figure out whether we do another deal with FanDuel sports and have the status quo…or move over to MLB Media which a number of teams have done…both options are on the table still…we’ve been triaging the situation for awhile…having said that, from a fan’s standpoint, there shouldn’t be much interruption at all”. He inferred that no matter which road they chose, they’re hopeful that St. Louis Cardinals might end up on new platforms like YouTube TV, Amazon, etc. I saw an estimate by MLB.com today that teams like the Cardinals moving from a cable deal to MLB Media might result in huge loss of revenue. It said “For the clubs that lost their RSN deals, the broadcast deals replacing them have, on average, paid out about 50% of what clubs had received from their former cable deals.”
Bill Dewitt Jr. was also asked about how upcoming stadium improvements might be affected by the competitiveness of the team. He said “I would say it’s related, but not necessarily directly linked. We’re dealing with a stadium that’s 20 years old and it’s served us incredibly well. We plan on being here for a long, long time…but we’re going to have to do a project that’s multi-faceted at some point here in the near future and that time frame is dictated more by the physical reality of things than it is the competitive cycle, but you’d love to time it up…if we’re a huge playoff contender and a likely deep October type of team, you’d love for that to coincide with stadium renovations…but I don’t think they’re directly linked”. When asked about the timing of stadium upgrades, he said “sooner rather than later”, but he went on to talk about how they’re studying the Kansas City Chiefs and Kansas City Royals interactions with the state of Missouri before they decide how they want to move forward. The context of their statements makes it clear that they have no plans to lobby for a new stadium in the near future, but upgrades to the current Busch Stadium are desirable over the next few seasons.
When you try to get a 10,000 foot view of the status of the St. Louis Cardinals right now, you can see that there are a lot of moving parts and much uncertainty. The DeWitt family says they are committed to making good baseball decisions now and they vow to invest in the team even more when it’s clear the Cardinals are ready to make a deep October run, but I have to wonder how the loss of TV revenue and the need for investment in Busch Stadium will factor in to the overall economy of the club. A perfect scenario would be for the stadium to get the upgrades it needs and a new more prosperous TV deal gets put in place when the St. Louis Cardinals new core is developed and ready to compete for titles again. Navigating from where we are today to that point is tricky. That’s a lot of “rebuilds” that need to be done right and soon.
While it took longer than some would've hoped, the Yankees re-signed star Cody Bellinger last week to keep him in the Bronx for the foreseeable future.
Bellinger, who had discussions with multiple teams, agreed to return to New York on a five-year, $162.5 million deal that includes opt-outs after the 2027 and 2028 seasons. The new contract also includes a full no-trade clause and a $20 million signing bonus.
But it wasn't the money that sold Bellinger on coming back to the Yanks after his first season with the team, it was his belief in the group itself.
"It feels good. I came last year. The locker room and everything is a really special environment. Yankee Stadium was a special place to play and I really enjoyed my time," Bellinger said.
"This year, after lots of conversations with Scott [Boras] and the free agent processes, it's an interesting process for sure and it's exciting as well. Ultimately once it all came to fruition there at the end, I'm very excited. I'm very excited to be back. I'm feeling good. I'm ready to get up to Tampa and get going."
When Bellinger rejoins the Yanks at spring training within the next two weeks, there will be plenty of familiar faces. In fact, most of the starting lineup will be the same as it was last season.
That detail was attractive to Bellinger as he has full confidence in his Yankees teammates and believes they can go further than they did in 2025.
"Actually, I feel really good with that," Bellinger said. "Obviously, it might not be what everyone wants to hear, but I really do love the group that we had. We had a special unit, we had great chemistry that I don't think could be understood unless you're in the clubhouse. We all play for each other. On top of that, we have some important pieces coming back. We all played well.
"I'm excited to run it back with those guys and I'm fully confident in that group."
Bellinger hit .272 with 29 home runs and 98 RBI over 152 games during his first year in Yankees pinstripes, but the season ended prematurely in the ALDS. He, reigning MVP Aaron Judge, and the rest of the Yanks will now look to use the 2025 season as a building block and find a way to bring World Series title No. 28 to New York in 2026.
"Special man, special," Bellinger said about Judge. "There's not enough positive words to say. Obviously we all know what he does on the field is truly special. What he brings into the locker room, what he brings as a teammate, the confidence that he instills in everyone in the locker room. He's a huge part of the success of this organization.
"Ultimately, when you have the opportunity to play alongside a future Hall of Famer already, you want to go and you want to win that ring. You want a parade down New York City. You want it for Judgey, of course, you want it for the fans. Ultimately, that's the main goal here, have a parade down the city of New York. That's what I want to do, that's what I want to strive to do."
Just a day after I wrote about the Brewers notably inviting two catchers to spring training, they’ve tacked on another catcher to that group.
Veteran catcher Reese McGuire, who spent last season with the Cubs, has agreed to a minor league deal with Milwaukee with an invite to major league spring training, per Curt Hogg.
McGuire, 31 in March, was a first-round pick by the Pirates back in 2013. He’s appeared in parts of eight MLB seasons with four different teams, including the Blue Jays, White Sox, Red Sox, and Cubs. His best season came back in 2019, when he appeared in 30 games for Toronto and totaled 1.0 bWAR, hitting .299/.346/.526 with five homers and 11 RBIs.
He appeared in 44 with Chicago in 2025, functioning as the primary backup to Carson Kelly. He hit .226/.245/.444 with nine homers, 24 RBIs, and 17 runs scored. He’s also considered an above-average catcher in terms of framing, blocking, and his throwing arm, catching eight of 31 would-be stealers in 2025 (25.9%) and sporting a career caught-stealing rate of 27.1%.
While William Contreras is the clear starter behind the plate for Milwaukee, McGuire will compete with Jeferson Quero and a few other minor leaguers for the backup job this spring. If the coaching staff feels that Quero needs a little more time to develop, it isn’t inconceivable that McGuire breaks camp with the major league squad at the end of March.
McGuire also doesn’t have any minor league options remaining, so if he enters the season on the Brewers’ MLB roster, the team won’t be able to option him whenever Quero is ready.
