Th Mets have claimed a pair of right-handed pitchers off waivers on Monday.
Jack Anderson was selected off waivers from the Minnesota Twins, and Pierson Ohl from the Colorado Rockies.
Anderson appeared in seven games last season, pitching 12.1 innings of relief action for the Boston Red Sox and Minnesota Twins while posting a 2.19 ERA and 1.054 WHIP. He allowed three runs on 10 hits and three walks with 12 strikeouts in that time, his first action in the big leagues.
During his time at Triple-A in 2026, which was split between Worcester and St. Paul, he pitched to a 4.92 ERA and 1.44 WHIP in 93.1 innings over 28 games (16 starts) with 79 strikeouts to 30 walks.
Anderson was mostly a four-pitch reliever during his time in the majors, with a four-seam fastball (33.3 percent), splitter (23.3 percent), slider (22.2 percent), and sweeper (15.6 percent) comprising his arsenal. He is not a hard thrower, with his average fastball velocity coming in at 90.8 mph.
Anderson, who turns 27 later this month, allowed a run on two hits with three strikeouts over 3.0 innings while pitching for Great Britain at the WBC before the 2026 regular season.
Ohl missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in late February.
He last pitched in the big leagues in the 2025 season with Minnesota. In 14 games (three starts) that year, he pitched to a 5.10 ERA with a 1.500 WHIP with 27 strikeouts to seven walks in 30 innings. That same season, Ohl produced a 3.29 ERA and 1.134 WHIP in 27.1 innings over nine games (four starts) at Triple-A St. Paul with 30 strikeouts to six walks.
The 27-year-old was predominantly a two-pitch reliever, relying on his fastball (43.8 percent) and changeup (37.7 percent) during his lone big league work. And like Anderson, he has not shown much heat on the fastball, with his four-seamer averaging 91.1 mph.
The Mets lost two players in waiver claims on Monday. Left-hander Philip Abner was claimed by the Baltimore Orioles, and right-hander Cameron Weston was claimed by the Miami Marlins.
In other roster moves, outfielder Christian Pache was outrighted to Triple-A Syracuse, and infielder Eric Wagaman elected free agency in lieu of accepting an assignment to Triple-A.
SEATTLE, WASHINGTON - JULY 05: Isaac Mattson #72 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches during the game against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park on July 05, 2025 in Seattle, Washington. The Seattle Mariners won 1-0. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Seattle Mariners have made a few roster moves over the last several days as they circle their candidates for manager. Free agency opens officially at 2 PM PT today (Monday, November 2nd), and there are likely to be several M’s headed out the door or at least off the 40-man roster, which must be cut down to a true 40 by the deadline as well. This means players like Logan Evans and Brennen Davis will need to have spots found, as the 60-day injured list does not exist during the offseason.
Still, Seattle has reportedly been adding. Last week, they claimed OF Grant McCray from the San Francisco Giants, and Monday they added RHP Isaac Mattson from the Pittsburgh Pirates as well. The waiver moves are not necessarily big shakes, like the addition of OF/1B Michael Toglia in October, but the depth of the M’s roster failed to produce big production as it had in years past.
McCray offers tri-positional defensive coverage, but the 25 year old has been sledding uphill at the dish since his big league debut in 2024. Watching McCray roam the outfield is graceful and impressive, but when tasked to cover the spacious confines of Oracle Park he’s struggled to shine. What McCray has done is run hard, play hard, and hit the ball hard. It’s a family legacy, as his father Rodney McCray was a longtime pro baseball player who earned parts of three years in the big leagues himself and coached for years afterwards. However, the elder McCray’s prominent legacy has local roots, having run through the right field fence at Civic Stadium (what has now become Providence Park) in Portland, OR with the Vancouver Canadians in an brave-but-doomed pursuit of a fly ball.
Savvy collectors may be able to track down a bobblehead from the Portland Beavers of this incident, which you’ve likely seen on a blooper real somewhere. Rodney’s son plays with a similar fearlessness and maximum effort.
His barrel rate is 12% for his 247 PA career over the past three seasons, and as a prep 87th overall pick back in 2019, the Gigantes were willing to give their hard-charging youth some extended chances. Unfortunately, McCray’s undoing thus far has been his inability to get the bat on the ball often enough. He’s punched out nearly 40% of the time as a big leaguer, and despite quality performance in the minors it’s been clear that contact will make or break the youngster’s career. In his favor, and sorely missing from Seattle’s outfield beyond Julio Rodriguez this past year, is a cannon of an arm and elite foot speed.
Then there’s Mattson. The 31 year old was dealt from his drafting club of the Anaheim Angeles of Orange County to the Baltimore Orioles in 2019 for Dylan Bundy, something I would have assured you occurred 25 years ago. While he debuted with the O’s, he ultimately bounced around indy ball and the Minnesota Twins organization in the early 2020s before returning home to the Pirates. Growing up in Erie, PA and attending the University of Pittsburgh, the homecoming may have been impactful for the reliever. After another dominant display in the minors in 2024, Mattson finally cracked through to stay in 2025, with an extreme fly ball tendency that has been catnip for lazy pop-ups for most of the last several seasons.
It’s fairly easy to grasp what makes Mattson’s stuff work when he’s on. The 6’2 righty has a fairly over-the-top delivery, backspinning his four-seamer well to get above-average ride that sits at the top of the zone in the 93-96 range. That is, when well-located, a barrel dodger, and he uses it overwhelmingly, more than 70% of the time in an era rarely so heavy on a single type of heater.
That’s possibly where the M’s want to make some tweaks, however, as Mattson’s secondaries show some promise. The slider and changeup he’s flashed have some potency, and the M’s were undone among many areas by incompetence in the middle relief realm a season ago.
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 23: Mitchell Parker #70 of the Washington Nationals reacts after pitching against the Philadelphia Phillies during the seventh inning at Nationals Park on June 23, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) | Getty Images
With a 40-man roster crunch, we knew the Nationals would have to make some moves today. A little while ago, the Nats announced a plethora of roster moves that got the 40-man roster back down to 40. Players on the 60-day IL had to be removed, so there was some shuffling required here.
The Nationals have announced the following transactions: -PJ Poulin cleared outright waivers and he has been assigned outright to Triple-A Rochester. Poulin is eligible for Minor League free agency, so he will become a free agent -Ken Waldichuk cleared outright waivers and he has…
As you can see, there was a lot going on at the back of the 40-man roster. Several players were DFA’d, but in my opinion the two most notable are Mitchell Parker and Jose Tena. Those two have gotten meaningful playing time for the Nats over the past few seasons. Each has shown glimpses, but at the end of the day, they had not done enough to justify bringing them back for next season.
Tena is honestly a player that I have been intrigued with for a while. He is a smaller guy at 5’10 195 pounds, but he has a lot of raw power in that frame. Tena has hit the ball hard throughout his Nationals career, including a 90.6 MPH average exit velocity this year.
This season, Tena had a career high 257 at bats. He hit .222 with 7 homers and a .672 OPS. Those numbers were actually slightly better than fellow left handed hitting bench infielder Jorbit Vivas. However, Vivas’ defense and on-base skills gave him the edge over Tena. In 2026, the Nats did not trust Tena in the field, mainly playing him at DH. Honestly, that lack of a defensive home is the biggest reason he was DFA’d.
Jose Tena was a guy I hoped could break out under this new group.
The fact he was rostered the whole year, and regularly hit in the top half of the lineup, suggests they hoped so, too.
— Stars and Strikes – Daily Nats Content (@starsstrikesbb) November 2, 2026
I still think Tena has some interesting offensive traits, especially after having a big bat speed increase this year. However, there is a lot of swing and miss in his game and he could not really play the field. That is just a tough profile to roster.
Over the last three seasons, Mitchell Parker has gotten a lot of burn in the Nats pitching staff. He was used as a starter in 2024 and 2025, before being converted to a relief role this season. After a solid rookie season where he posted a 4.29 ERA in 151 innings, Parker fell off in a big way. His ERA was 5.68 in 2025 and 6.58 in 2026. Following 22 appearances this year, Parker was forced to undergo Tommy John Surgery.
Despite the struggles, the Braves still decided to claim Parker. There is a chance they will try to sneak him through waivers later in the offseason, but it is clear that the Braves like something about Parker. The lefty did just turn 27 and has plenty of big league experience.
The Atlanta Braves announce they have claimed LHP Mitchell Parker off waivers from the Nationals. Was on the 60-day, threw 355 innings across three seasons with the Nats. 6.58 ERA last year.
Both Tena and Parker have been mainstays on the Nats roster the past couple seasons, but now they are gone. Paxton Schultz was also claimed by the Reds during this flurry of activity.
We also saw two lefty relievers hit free agency after exiting the Nats 40-man roster. Both PJ Poulin and Richard Lovelady had somewhat respectable ERA’s, but their under the hood data was poor. The low slot lefties both cleared waivers and are now free agents. Poulin is a guy I wouldn’t mind seeing back on a minor league deal.
I was expecting Matt Waldron to be DFA’d, but he survived this round of cuts. Waldron’s knuckleball makes him a unique arm, so it seems like the Nats want to experiment further with him. The 40-man roster is back to 40, but I would not be surprised if we see more minor moves in the coming days.
Baseball’s Hall of Fame announced their Contemporary Era ballot for managers and executives Monday, and it is a Cubs-heavy ballot.
Three former Cubs managers, Dusty Baker, Joe Maddon and Lou Piniella, all have a chance to be inducted in Cooperstown this summer.
My opinion: All of them deserve induction.
Now, obviously the tenures of Baker and Piniella did not go well in Chicago. But their overall careers, both as managers and players, deserve honor in Cooperstown.
Baker ranks eighth all-time among managers with 2,173 wins. He won three league pennants and the World Series with the Astros in 2022. Baker also had a long and distinguished playing career with the Braves, Dodgers, Giants and A’s, with 242 home runs and 1,981 hits over 19 seasons, with 37.1 bWAR. He won a WS ring as a player with the Dodgers in 1981.
Piniella won 1,835 games as a manager and a World Series title with the Reds in 1990. He also had a long and productive 18-year playing career, was AL Rookie of the Year in 1969 and won WS rings with the Yankees in 1977 and 1978.
Both of those men should be voted in. Piniella especially, as he’s now 83 years old.
Maddon did not play in the major leagues, but has 1,382 managerial wins. He won two league pennants and is, of course, the manager who helped the Cubs break the World Series drought. I think he rates induction for that alone. Plus, he’d give an amazing speech. I suspect Maddon might have to wait for next time, though I think he could get voted in now.
The manager on this ballot who clearly will be voted in is Bruce Bochy, who ranks sixth all-time with 2,252 managerial wins and won three World Series titles with the Giants. That’s a no-brainer.
Managers could dominate this ballot. The executives on the ballot are Sandy Alderson, Brian Sabean, Ted Turner and Bill White. Honestly, I’m not sure any of those four deserves induction.
The next time managers and executives from the Contemporary Era (after 1980) will be considered will be in the fall of 2029.
The results of the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee vote will be announced live on MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” at 7 p.m. CT on Sunday, Dec. 6.
Any candidate who receives votes on 75 percent of the ballots cast by the committee will earn election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 25, 2027, along with any electees who emerge from the 2027 Baseball Writers’ Association of America election, to be announced on Jan. 19, 2027.
Oct 26, 2026; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Former Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon reacts before throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at game three of the 2026 World Series between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Two former Rays franchise managers have been named to the eight-person non-player ballot that will be considered by its Contemporary Baseball Era Committee for Hall of Fame election for the Class of 2027. The Contemporary Baseball Era Committee will meet on Dec. 6 in San Diego.
Here’s the rest of the press release:
Four managers and four executives comprise the eight-name Contemporary Baseball Era ballot, which can include managers, umpires and executives and features candidates whose primary contribution to the game came since 1980.
The Contemporary Baseball Era non-player ballot includes Sandy Alderson, Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Joe Maddon, Lou Piniella, Brian Sabean, Ted Turner and Bill White. All candidates except Turner are living.
The results of the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee vote will be announced live on MLB Network’s “MLB Tonight” at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT on Sunday, Dec. 6.
Any candidate who receives votes on 75 percent of the ballots cast by the committee will earn election to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and will be inducted in Cooperstown on July 25, 2027, along with any electees who emerge from the 2027 Baseball Writers’ Association of America election, to be announced on Jan. 19, 2027.
The Contemporary Baseball Era Managers/Umpires/Executives group is one of three groups eligible for consideration as part of the Era Committee process, which provides an avenue for Hall of Fame consideration to managers, umpires and executives, as well as players retired for more than 15 seasons. The Contemporary Baseball Era features two distinct ballots: One for managers, umpires and executives (considered this fall) and one for players (to be considered next in the fall of 2028). The Classic Baseball Era Committee, which considers all candidates whose primary contributions to the game came prior to 1980, will next meet in the fall of 2027.
The eight Contemporary Baseball Era finalists were selected by the BBWAA-appointed Historical Overview Committee from all eligible candidates among managers, umpires and executives whose most significant career impact was realized since 1980. Eligible candidates include managers and umpires with 10 or more major league seasons and retired for at least five years (candidates who are 65 years or older are eligible six months following retirement); and executives retired for at least five years (active executives 70 years or older are eligible for consideration regardless of the position they hold in an organization and regardless of whether their body of work has been completed). All candidates must not be on Baseball’s Ineligible List.
The Contemporary Baseball Era non-player ballot was determined this fall by the Historical Overview Committee, comprised of 11 veteran historians: Adrian Burgos (University of Illinois); Bob Elliott (Canadian Baseball Network); Steve Hirdt (historian); La Velle Neal (Minnesota Star Tribune); David O’Brien (formerly The Athletic); Jose de Jesus Ortiz (Our Esquina Media), Jack O’Connell (BBWAA); Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram); Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle); Susan Slusser (San Francisco Chronicle); and Mark Whicker (formerly Southern California News Group).
The 16-member Hall of Fame Board-appointed electorate charged with the review of the Contemporary Baseball Era non-player ballot will be announced later this fall. The Committee will meet to discuss and review the candidacies of the eight finalists on Dec. 6 in San Diego, Calif.
The eight candidates for Contemporary Baseball Era Committee consideration for the Class of 2027:
Sandy Alderson became the Athletics general manager at age 35 and built the team that won three American League pennants and a World Series title from 1988-90. Alderson later worked in the Commissioner’s Office as executive vice president for baseball operations before serving in the front office of the Padres and the Mets, where he led both franchises to Postseason berths.
Dusty Baker managed the Giants, Cubs, Reds, Nationals and Astros for 26 seasons, totaling 13 Postseason appearances, 10 first-place finishes and the 2022 World Series title. A three-time Manager of the Year Award winner (1993, 1997, 2000) and three-time runner-up, Baker led his teams to the Postseason in each of his final eight seasons as a manager. He was a two-time All-Star as a player over a 19-year career that featured a World Series win with the 1981 Dodgers.
Bruce Bochy managed the Padres, Giants and Rangers over 28 seasons, amassing 2,252 wins and leading his clubs to nine Postseason berths, six first-place finishes and four World Series titles. The 1996 National League Manager of the Year, Bochy finished in the top three of the MOY voting seven times. Bochy, who played nine seasons in the big leagues as a catcher, is one of only six managers in history with at least four World Series wins.
Joe Maddon managed the Angels, Rays and Cubs over 19 seasons, winning 1,382 games while leading his team to the Postseason eight times. A three-time Manager of the Year Award winner, Maddon led the Rays to their first American League pennant and first winning season in franchise history in 2008 and skippered the Cubs to their first World Series win in 108 years in 2016.
Lou Piniella managed 23 seasons for the Yankees, Reds, Mariners, Devil Rays and Cubs, winning 1,835 games. Piniella skippered the Reds to the 1990 World Series title and led the 2001 Mariners to an American League record 116 victories. Piniella guided his clubs to seven Postseason appearances and was named Manager of the Year in his league three times (1995, 2001, 2008) following an 18-year playing career that saw him hit .291 and take home World Series rings with the 1977-78 Yankees.
Brian Sabean joined the Yankees front office after a stint as head coach at the University of Tampa and helped sign and develop many of the players who powered New York to four World Series titles from 1996-2000. Joining the Giants early in the new decade, he became the team’s general manager following the 1996 season and built the teams that won three World Series titles from 2010-14. His 18 years as general manager of the Giants marked the longest tenure by a GM in franchise history.
Ted Turner purchased the Atlanta Braves in 1976 and quickly established the team on the national level by putting their games on his WTBS television station, which was beamed to cable providers across the country and established a new template for distribution. Turner led the team as the Braves became a dynasty, winning 14 straight division titles (1991-2005) in completed seasons, an MLB record.
Bill White served as the president of the National League from 1989-94 following a successful career as a player and broadcaster. An eight-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glove Award-winning first baseman, White presided over the addition of the Marlins and the Rockies to the NL and helped consolidate both the American and National leagues under one administrative umbrella. He was named the Hall of Fame’s Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award winner in 2026.
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 29: Paxton Schultz #75 of the Washington Nationals pitches during the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on Wednesday, July 29, 2026 in Washington, District of Columbia. (Photo by Alyssa McDaniel/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Monday is a big one in terms of administrative deadlines as teams close the books on the 2026 season and look towards 2027. Chief among them is the need for players who finished the 2026 season on the 60-day IL to be returned to the 40-man roster, and that creates quite the roster crunch for some franchises.
Some, though, are positioned well to take advantage of that, and the Cincinnati Reds are one. They entered the day with only 35 players on their 40-man, whereas a team like the San Francisco Giants was in need of dumping 9 players in order to scale their way down to 40. So, it’s unsurprising that the Reds jumped at the chance at a free fringe player when the option arose, and that’s precisely what happened between them and RHP Duncan Davitt.
Cincinnati claimed Davitt, 27, as well as RHP Paxton Schultz from the Washington Nationals on Monday, the team announced.
The #Reds today claimed off waivers RHP Duncan Davitt from the Giants and RHP Paxton Schultz from the Nationals.
Both pitchers made appearances at the big league level during the 2026 regular season, yet both were viewed as fringe and/or depth arms within their two previous systems. Both also have options remaining, which is key as the Reds are going to need to craft a bullpen in 2027 capable of cycling through arms when needed given just how many holes they have in that corner of player development.
Davitt was originally an 18th round pick by the Tampa Bay Rays out of the University of Iowa, and he’s spent time in with each of the Chicago White Sox, Atlanta Braves, and Giants already in his career. He’s got ample experience as both a starter and reliever and at least can boast a career K/9 of 9.4 at the minor league level even though he only has 8.0 IP in his career at the big league level.
Schultz, meanwhile, is a former 14th round pick out of Utah Valley University by the Milwaukee Brewers, who was dealt to the Toronto Blue Jays in 2021. He spent five years in Toronto’s system prior to being claimed off waivers by the Nationals last January, though he does have considerably more experience at the big league level (57.0 IP) than Davitt.
Both arms will fall firmly in the ‘Chase Petty, Zach McCambley, Connor Phillips’ realm of ‘throw something at the wall and hope it sticks’ corner of the Cincinnati bullpen mix, which does have some value. It also wouldn’t be a shock to hear that one, or both, is claimed by another team later in the offseason as the Reds look to use their final 40-man roster spots on more established pieces.
For now, though, they both look like savvy, no-cost additions.
ATLANTA, GA - MAY 22: Washington pitcher Mitchell Parker (70) pitches during the MLB game between the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves on May 22nd, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Folks, we have a transaction! It’s November 2, which means that 40-man rosters across baseball have to be cleaned up with free agency officially starting at 5:00 p.m. ET today. As such, minor moves like this are going to be expected and the Atlanta Braves have gotten some business done this afternoon.
The Braves are taking a bit of a flier with this particular move, as the team announced today that they’ve claimed left-handed pitcher Mitchell Parker off waivers from the Washington Nationals.
The #Braves today claimed LHP Mitchell Parker off waivers from the Washington Nationals.
Mitchell Parker was part of Washington’s rotation in 2025 but the team decided to move him to the bullpen ahead of the 2026 season, which is where he had a bit of a rough season with Washington. Parker finished with an ERA of 6.58 (154 ERA-) and a FIP of 5.47 (128 FIP-) across 39.2 innings and 22 appearances. Unfortunately, he saw his season get cut short once he got diagnosed with a Grade 3 UCL sprain in his throwing elbow in early July.
He went under the knife for an internal brace surgery in late July and as such, it’s reasonable to expect that we won’t see Parker in action until September 2027 — hopefully there will be big league baseball going on by then! If not, then it wouldn’t be particularly shocking to see Mitchell Parker just end up missing the 2027 season entirely.
For now, he’ll be trying to get back right again as a member of the Atlanta Braves. Our friends over at Federal Baseball seemed to believe that he may have found something with his swingman role with the Nationals, so maybe the Braves will tap into that once he returns from injury. We’ll see what happens going forward.
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 29: Jacob Webb #71 of the Chicago Cubs pitches in the National League Wild Card game against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on September 29, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The first transaction of the offseason has arrived as the Cubs have come to an agreement on a one-year deal for $2 million with right-handed reliever Jacob Webb. Robert Murray appears to have been first with the story.
Right-handed reliever Jacob Webb and the Chicago Cubs are in agreement on a new one-year, $2 million contract that includes a $4 million club option for 2028 ($500K buyout), according to a source familiar with the deal.
Webb already had a team option for 2027 at $2.5 million. So what this deal does is move $500k of that money to 2028 (in the form of the buyout) or it gives the Cubs a $4 million option for 2028. For Webb, it means that 20 percent of his salary will be deferred for a year but also a smaller amount will be subject to being cut if the lockout cuts out a significant part of the seasons. A lockout that extended one month into the season would only cost Webb 1/6 of $2 million rather than $2.5 million, for example.
The Cubs had a lot of problems with the bullpen this past year, but Jacob Webb was not one of them. After playing for the Rangers in 2025, Webb signed a one-year deal with the Cubs for $1.5 million last winter, plus the option for this year. He went on to make 68 appearances for the Cubs and went 6-5 with a 3.38 ERA. The 33-year-old Webb eventually became the Cubs’ closer for a while, until a few blown saves by Webb in August caused manager Craig Counsell to go with a more mix-and-match approach to the ninth inning rather than relying on just one guy. In any case, Webb did lead the team in saves last year with nine.
The Cubs will likely look to other pitchers to get saves in 2027, but this deal means they clearly expect him to pitch important innings in games. It also means the Cubs have their first piece of rebuilding the bullpen done by brining back one of the better pitchers of 2026.
A quartet of Word Series-winning managers headline the eight Contemporary Era finalists for the 2027 Baseball Hall of Fame.
Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Joe Maddon and Lou Piniella all spent at least 19 years in a major-league dugout with a total of seven World Series rings among them. They are joined on the ballot by former executives Sandy Alderson and Brian Sabean, along with broadcasting pioneer and former Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner, and eight-time All-Star and former National League president Bill White.
A 16-member panel selected by the Hall will consider those eight candidates who made their contributions to the game after 1980. The ones who receive at least 75% of the vote will be announced on Dec. 6 before the start of the Winter Meetings in San Diego.
Here's a look at the eight Contemporary Era finalists:
Sandy Alderson, executive
After two years serving as general counsel, Alderson was named general manager of the Oakland Athletics in 1983. He was the architect of an A's team that went to three consecutive World Series from 1988-90. After leaving the club in 1997 (and being succeeded as GM by Billy Beane), Alderson became MLB's executive vice president for baseball operations from 1998-2005. He also served as CEO of the San Diego Padres and general manager of the New York Mets.
Dusty Baker, player/manager
Though Baker is perhaps best known as a beloved manager for five different major league teams, he also had a 19-year career as a player. An outfielder, Baker hit .278 with 242 home runs for the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's, earning two All-Star nods, a Gold Glove and two Silver Sluggers. He went on to manage the Giants, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Houston Astros to a total of 2,143 wins (eighth-most all-time) and a .540 winning percentage. The only manager in history to take five different teams to the postseason, Baker finally won a World Series in 2022 with the Astros.
Bruce Bochy, player/manager
After nine years in the majors as a catcher, Bochy began his managerial career with the San Diego Padres in 1995, taking them to the World Series in his fourth season. He then moved to the San Francisco Giants in 2007 and guided them to World Series titles in 2010, 2012 and 2014 before retiring after the 2019 season. However, he came out of retirement in 2023 to manage the Texas Rangers and lead them to a World Series championship that season. Retiring again after the 2025 season, Bochy ranks sixth on the all-time wins list with 2,252 in 28 seasons.
Joe Maddon, manager
A three-time manager of the year with the Tampa Bay Rays and Chicago Cubs, Maddon became the first skipper in 108 years to lead the Cubs to a World Series title when they accomplished the feat in 2016. He began his coaching career in the Angels organization, serving as interim manager in both 1996 and 1999. He got his first full-time managing job in 2006 with the lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays, a franchise he turned into an AL pennant winner in his third season. After managing the Rays for nine years, he moved to the Cubs in 2015, making the playoffs in four of his five seasons. He left Chicago to return to Anaheim in 2020 for three more seasons, finishing with a career record of 1,382-1,216 (.532).
Lou Piniella, player/manager
A fiery competitor as both a player and coach, Piniella won two World Series rings as an outfielder for the New York Yankees in 1977 and 1978. The 1969 AL Rookie of the Year with the Kansas City Royals, Piniella was a .291 career hitter over 18 seasons in the majors. Two years after he retired, he was hired to manage the Yankees, but was fired by owner George Steinbrenner in the middle of Year 3. Hired by the Cincinnati Reds in 1990, Piniella guided them to a World Series championship in his initial season. He went on to manage the Seattle Mariners, Tampa Bay Devil Rays and Chicago Cubs − totaling 1,835 wins in 23 seasons.
Brian Sabean, executive
A former scouting director and player development director with the New York Yankees, Sabean was hired by the San Francisco Giants as general manager in 1997. He remained in that role for 29 seasons and became the architect of three World Series championship teams under Bochy from 2010-2014. Sabean was twice named Baseball America's Executive of the Year.
Ted Turner, executive
The founder of Turner Broadcasting and CNN, Turner was a lifelong baseball fan who paired his TV reach with his ownership of the Atlanta Braves to turn the franchise into "America's Team" in the 1980s. With unprecedented live coverage of every regular-season game, the Braves developed a national following as they built a National League dynasty in the early 1990s. Turner, who died earlier this year at the age of 87, finally got a World Series title in 1995 before selling the team the following year.
Bill White, player/broadcater/executive
An eight-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glover as a first baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York/San Francisco Giants and Philadelphia Phillies, White joined the broadcast booth of the New York Yankees once his 13-year playing career came to an end. He teamed with Phil Rizzuto for 18 seasons before being named president of the National League in 1989. The first Black president of any major North American sports league, he served in that post until 1994. He received the Hall of Fame's Buck O'Neil Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2026.
Bernie Miklasz on the Cardinals’ Future: Insights and Speculations
What Randy Flores’ departure means for St. Louis baseball.
As the off-season unfolds, the chatter around the St. Louis Cardinals intensifies, especially following the recent news of Randy Flores leaving for the Houston Astros’ General Manager position. In this episode, Jake Wood is joined by Bernie Miklasz, a seasoned sports writer, to dissect the ripple effects of this significant shift in the Cardinals’ front office.
Randy Flores’ Departure
Bernie expresses his excitement for Flores, stating, > “I’m thrilled for Randy Flores. He certainly earned this and is worthy of it.” His transition from player to front office executive has been impressive, and while Bernie acknowledges Flores’ contributions, he admits uncertainty about the impact of his departure.
“It’s too early to say whether this is a blow to the Cardinals.”
Bernie points out that the Cardinals have a capable team in Zach Mortimer overseeing scouting and drafting, assuring fans that the organization remains in good hands.
The Implications for Talent Pursuit
The discussion shifts to whether Flores’ exit will alter how the Cardinals pursue amateur talent. Bernie believes that the team’s reputation is on the rise, noting, > “It’s a great indication that the Cardinals are back in play as an organization that other organizations kind of look to or look up to.”
Scott Plaza adds to this sentiment, reflecting on how being coveted by other teams signifies the organization’s solid standing in baseball.
Possible Coaching Changes
A captivating topic emerged regarding potential coaching shifts, with Jake Wood probing if Flores might take former Cardinals like Daniel Descalso or Jon Jay with him. Bernie acknowledges the possibility, stating, > “If Randy Flores would be interested in either one of those guys, it makes perfect sense.”
Jake and Scott discuss the intriguing idea of Yadier Molina stepping into a coaching role. Bernie raises valid concerns about the dynamics this could create with current manager Oli Marmol, saying, > “Bringing Yadier Molina as a bench coach could complicate things, especially considering the pressure Marmol is already under.”
Conclusion
As the Cardinals navigate this transitional period, the insights from Bernie and the team illustrate a thoughtful approach to change. With new opportunities on the horizon, the fanbase watches closely, eager to see how these developments will shape the future of their beloved team.
For more detail and to dive deeper into the conversation, check out the full episode of the Viva El Birdos Podcast.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 14: Victor Vodnik #38 of the Colorado Rockies reacts after a two RBI single in the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park on May 14, 2026 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking theRockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for theRockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest.
No. 3o, Victor Vodnik (0.1 rWAR)
RHP Victor Vodnik first arrived in Denver via trade at the deadline in 2023 when the Colorado Rockies traded pitcher Pierce Johnston to the Atlanta Braves.
Colorado receives RHP Victor Vodnik and RHP Tanner Gordon in exchange for Johnson, per source. Vodnik is the Braves' No. 10 prospect and Gordon is No. 26 per @MLBPipeline.
At the time, Vodnik was Atlanta’s #10 prospect as ranked by MLB Pipeline. As Skyler Timmins wrote,
Vodnik, 23, was originally drafted by the Braves in the 14th round of the 2018 draft out of Rialto High School in California. In five minor league seasons, he has a 3.48 ERA in 99 games and has primarily worked specifically out of the bullpen since 2022. Vodnik is currently having one of his best seasons so far with the Double-A Mississippi Braves, posting a 3.10 ERA across 40 2⁄3 innings in 30 games. He boasts a 12.4 K/9 this season but can struggle with walks at a 5.5 BB/9 rate. He features a primary mix of a fastball and changeup, with his fastball able to occasionally reach triple digits.
In his three years with the Rockies, Vodnik saw plenty of action. After pitching just 8.2 innings in 2023, he had 73.2 IP (4.28 ERA) in 2024, 50.2 IP (3.02 ERA) in 2025, and 36.0 (5.25 ERA) in 2026 before being traded to the Miami Marlins. (He spent more than a month on the Injured List early in the season with right ulnar nerve inflammation and returned to the Rockies on June 15.)
According to Baseball Savant, Vodnik features a six-pitch mix, relying most heavily on his four-seam fastball (45.6%), his slider (27.7%), and his changeup (14.8%). In 2026, he began using his slider more, a pitch with a 33.6% Whiff%. As James Riggenbach explained in July, Vodnik’s slider evolved at the expense of his changeup.
He also finished the season with a 56.5% GB%.
No one doubted the stuff — Vodnik regularly hit 98.5 mph with his four-seamer. However, the control was erratic. A 6.50 K/9 (the worst of his career) could not outweigh his 4.75 BB/9.
Presumably, the Marlins hoped they could fix what altitude and Rockies player development could not.
It helps, too, that Vodnik saw significant improvement over the course of the season. In March-April, he tallied a 7.82 ERA that rose to 8.44 in May. However, June and July saw significant improvement as Vodnik posted a 2.84 and a 2.53 ERA, respectively, in both months. Given that his road ERA was 3.82 compared to 6.31 at Coors, it’s easy to see what the Marlins are hoping for.
After arriving in Miami, Vodnik wracked up 22.2 IP and earned a 4.37 ERA — so better but not amazing.
Put him down as a work in progress.
Why did the Rockies trade him? Probably for two reasons. First, Vodnik’s trade value was high — less high than it was in 2025 but high enough that moving him in August made sense. Second, his inconsistency was never going to play with a team committing to not giving up walks.
Now to see how things go with Miami.
The trade deadline is a strange time in an MLB clubhouse. The players, like everyone else, are on edge, waiting to see if they will be moved and where that place might be. Everything is distraction.
Vodnik’s trade was announced just as the clock was running out. After a player is traded, their things are removed almost immediately from the clubhouse. When media entered the Rockies clubhouse following the Rockies game against the Tampa Bay Rays, no trace remained of Brenton Doyle, Antonio Senzatela, or Victor Vodnik, and their lockers were already occupied by former teammates.
I wondered how it had happened so quickly.
That night as I was leaving Coors Field, I waited at the light to cross 20th Street. The Rockies had lost to the Rays, 13-9, and a thin crowd was long gone. Across the street, I saw someone else waiting to cross. The light changed, and we started across. Then I realized as I was leaving Coors, Victor Vodnik was headed back, presumably to collected this things and officially finish his time as a Rockie.
In the middle of the street, we said, “Hello,” exchanged fist bumps, and I wished him good luck in Miami.
Then it was over — just like Vodnik’s time with the Rockies.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - SEPTEMBER 27: Manager Bruce Bochy #15 of the Texas Rangers looks on prior to a game against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on September 27, 2025 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The 2027 non-player Contemporary Baseball Era ballot has been released today, and former Texas Rangers manager Bruce Bochy is among the eight candidates up for consideration. Joining Bochy on the ballot are former managers Dusty Baker, Joe Maddon, and Lou Piniella, executives Sandy Alderson and Brian Sabean, broadcaster and former National League president Bill White, and owner Ted Turner.
The cases for Baker and White to be elected are potentially enhanced by the fact that they had long and successful playing careers. Baker spent parts of 19 seasons in the major leagues, putting up a career .278/.347/.432 slash line and 37.0 bWAR while being a key part of several playoff teams with the Los Angeles Dodgers. White spent 13 years in the majors, won seven Gold Gloves at first base, was named to the All Star team in five different seasons, and finished as high as third place in the Most Valuable Player voting. He ended his career with a .286/.351/.455 slash line and a 38.6 bWAR.
Piniella and Bochy, of course, also had lengthy careers, though neither’s career was as illustrious or successful as Baker and White.
Bochy spent parts of nine seasons in the majors as a backup catcher, with his last season coming in 1987. He managed the San Diego Padres from 1995 through 2006, putting up a 951-975 record with the club and winning the division four times, advancing to the World Series in 1998. Bochy then managed the San Francisco Giants from 2007-19, making the playoffs four times with them as well, and winning the World Series three times with the Giants. Bochy retired in 2019, but came out of retirement to manage the Texas Rangers from 2023 to 2025. I don’t remember if the Rangers did anything good during his time here. Maybe someone can remind me.
Bochy ended his career with a 2252-2266 record. He is 6th all time in managerial wins, and fourth all time in games managed.
Sabean is inexorably linked with Bochy. After coaching at the college level and then working as a major league scout and front office executive, Sabean was hired as the general manager for the Giants after the 1996 season. He ran the baseball side of things for the Giants through 2018, and was in charge for the three titles that the Giants won with Bochy as manager. He has been working for the New York Yankees as an advisor since 2023.
Dusty Baker started his managerial career with the San Francisco Giants in 1993, and in his first year as manager, he was at the helm for what has been described as the “last great playoff race” in MLB. 1993 was the last season when MLB had just two divisions and only the division winners advanced to the playoffs. The Giants led most of the season, but an eight game losing streak in early September saw their lead, once 9 games, vanish.
Down four games in the division with 16 to play, the Giants went on a tear, winning 15 of 17, and heading into the final game of the regular season, Atlanta and San Fran were tied at 103-58. The Giants fell, 12-1, to the Dodgers on the last day, while the Braves beat the Colorado Rockies 5-3, allowing the Braves to win the division by one game and advance to the NLCS.
Baker ended up spending ten years with the Giants, ultimately winning the pennant in 2002, though they lost to the Angels in the World Series in 7 games. Baker left the Giants after 2002 to join the Chicago Cubs, for whom he was the manager from 2003-06. Baker subsequently managed the Cincinnati Reds from 2008-13, the Washington Nationals from 2016-17, and the Houston Astros from 2020-23. It was with Houston, in 2022, that he finally won the World Series as a manager. Baker ended his career with a 2183-1862 record, and is 8th all time in manager wins.
Piniella won the 1969 Rookie of the Year Award for the Kansas City Royals, and spent parts of 18 seasons in the majors as a corner outfielder/DH, most of them with the Royals and Yankees. He had a .291/.333/.409 slash line and a career 12.5 bWAR in 1747 career games.
Piniella debuted as a major league manager for the Yankees in 1986, and moved into the general manager role for the team after the 1987 season. After Billy Martin was fired halfway through the 1988 season, Piniella took over the managerial job for the rest of the season. Piniella was hired as the manager of the Cincinnati Reds in 1990 and won a title with the team his first year with them. He left the Reds after the 1992 season and joined the Seattle Mariners, where he was managed from 1993-2002. He then managed the Tampa Bay Rays from 2003-05 and the Chicago Cubs from 2007-10. He finished his career with an 1835-1713 record.
Maddon was a largely unknown bench coach who had two brief stints as an interim manager for the Angels when he was tapped by the Rays to take over for Piniella when Piniella left after the 2005 season. Maddon skippered the Rays for nine seasons before a change in management allowed him to exercise an out clause in his contract and join the Chicago Cubs for the 2015 season. Maddon was with the Cubs from 2015-19, and was the manager in 2016 when the team won their first title in roughly a century. He managed the Angels from 2020-22 before being fired a little over a third of the way into the 2022 season. Maddon has a career 1382-1216 record.
Alderson was the general manager of the Oakland A’s from 1983-97, during which time he brought in a former player named Billy Beane, who eventually became the team’s general manager. He subsequently worked for the commissioner’s office from 1998-2005, joined the San Diego Padres as the team’s top executive from 2005-09 (the first two years of which overlapped with Bruce Bochy’s time as manager there), and then joined the Mets as their general manager after the 2010 season. He took a leave of absence from the team in the summer of 2018 due to cancer, and did not return. He spent a couple of years as an advisor for the A’s, then returned to the Mets as the team’s president of baseball operations until the end of 2022.
White was a broadcaster for a number of years after his playing days, doing play by play for the Yankees, and was the National League President from 1989-1994.
Ted Turner is Ted Turner. He raced yachts and owned TV stations and married Jane Fonda and was a rich gadfly.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 27: Nick Martinez #28 of the Tampa Bay Rays reacts while pitching in the seventh inning during Game Four of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
FanGraphs released their top 50 free agents today… are their any fits for the Guardians on the list?
It’s the usual time of year where I post something about free agents and everyone reminds me that the Guardians never spend in free agency and I pretend this is new information. So, let’s leave all that palaver aside and look at a few names on the bottom third of the top 50 free agents list assembled by FanGraphs’ Ben Clemens and imagine the Guardians actually spending a little of their ALCS-home-game money this offseason on one of nine potential fits. The contracts below are Clemens’ projections; the article contains crowdsourced projections which tend to be higher, but no one really knows what to expect right now:
JoJo Romero, LHrP – 2 years/$16M, 30 years old, 3.36 ERA/3.94 FIP in 2026 Analysis: To be honest, I can’t imagine the Guardians going two years on Romero, but I included him here because if he slips to one year, it’s within the realm of possibility. He’s a solid lefty for middle innings and probably an improvement over post 2024-Tim Herrin.
Brandon Woodruff, RHSP – 1 y/$10M, 30 years old, 2.98 ERA/3.19 FIP in 2026 Analysis: Woodruff will be looking for a pillow contract to prove he is healthy and able to compete at reduced velocity. To me, the Guardians seem about as good a place as any for him to get that opportunity. At $10M, the risk should be fairly minimal and the reward is a guy you could start in a playoff game and feel good about his chances of giving you a shot to win.
Alex Vesia, LHrP – 2 y/$18M, 30 years old, 2.64 ERA/3.18 FIP in 2026 Analysis: He’s a better version of what JoJo Romero provides. I am not sure the Guardians would go two guaranteed years for a reliever, but this is the kind of arm that levels up a pen.
Evan Phillips, RHrP – 2 y/$20M, 32 years old, 3.46 ERA/3.87 FIP in 2026 Analysis: While recovering from injury, Phillips showed he still has a special arm and can be a high leverage reliever. Were the Guardians to make a move like this, it would demonstrate a willingness to go beyond the “Shawn Armstrong-level” of arms and it allows you to move Hunter Gaddis and Daniel Espino into the 6th-7th innings instead of 7th-8th. I’d love this kind of move.
Ty France, RHH 1B – 1 y/$13M, 32 years old, 141 wRC+ in 2026 Analysis: France is the only hitter on the list I could see the Guardians getting at the listed price. Would it be wise to bet on France to reproduce his 2026 season? Probably not, but he does have a career 114 wRC+ vs. LHP (137 wRC+ last season) and provides excellent first base defense. It’s at least a plausible signing and would be a dramatic upgrade from David Fry and Rhys Hoskins if he can do something remotely similar to 2026.
David Peterson, LHP- 1 y/$13M, 31 years old, 4.79 ERA/3.94 FIP in 2026 Analysis: He’s 6’6 and gets good pitch release extension. I could see the Guardians getting the most out of Peterson on a pillow deal and convincing him that will be the case. And, if for some reason, he’s not up for starting, he’s probably an excellent reliever against left-handed hitters.
Foster Griffin, LHP – 1 y/$14M, 31 years old, 3.60 ERA/3.96 FIP in 2026 Analysis: You know about Griffin. If he wants multiple years, as I’m sure he does, I doubt he signs here. However, if he surveys the market and looks for a pillow-deal to show he deserves the big contract, I could definitely imagine the Guardians being in on that.
Tyler Mahle, RHP – 2 y/$30M, 32 years old, 3.99 ERA/3.99 FIP in 2026 Analysis: How is Mahle getting two years? I don’t think he will. And, I could see the Guardians being in on Mahle for one year, and I know they attempted to acquire him at a trade deadline a few years ago.
Nick Martinez, RHP – 2 y/$30M, 36 years old, 3.10 ERA/3.96 FIP in 2026 Analysis: Martinez has tortured us enough. It’s time to sign him and show everyone we can maximize him just like Tampa Bay did. Hand Martinez your third starter role, Antonetti, and forget about the rotation. Also, he’s 36. Let’s get him on a one-year deal.
Summary: It’s Nick Martinez and Evan Phillips who make me most excited if I were to hear the Guardians were interested in them, but if they make a move of ANY kind of significance in Free Agency, we won’t complain.
UNITED STATES - OCTOBER 05: Miguel Useche #15 of the Salt River Rafters celebrates in the dugout during the game between the Javelinas and the River Rafters at Talking Stick on Monday, October 5, 2026 in Scottsdale, AZ United States. (Photo by Norm Hall/Minor League Baseball via Getty Images)
Every Monday we take a moment to check in on the Cubs’ Boys of Autumn playing for the Mesa Solar Sox in the Arizona Fall League.
In case you missed the earlier installments, the Solar Sox are a team in the Arizona Fall League, a minor league that plays every October and November in Spring Training stadiums. The Mesa Solar Sox play their home games at Sloan Park, the Cubs’ Spring Training home. This year, their roster is made up of minor leaguers from the Cubs, Athletics, Angels, Blue Jays and Red Sox.
We’re fortunate enough to have another Solar Sox interview with catcher Miguel Useche coming up later today. I provided some questions to Sam Bradfield of Purple Row, our sister site for the Rockies. So be sure to thank her if you find yourself over there.
The Solar Sox played five games this past week with Friday’s schedule getting wiped out by rain. The Solar Sox won their first game of the week, then lost the next two and won the final two for a record of 3-2. That puts the Solar Sox at 9-11 on the year and in fifth place out of six teams. However, the top five teams are all pretty bunched up and first-place Peoria is only up three games on the Solar Sox at 13-9.
Here’s how those five games went. The home team is listed last.
Here’s how the individual Cubs on the Solar Sox did this past week, including some disturbing injury news.
Infielder Juan Cabada: As an 18-year-old playing in a league with prospects much older, Cabada continues to struggle at the plate. Cabada played second base for the Solar Sox on Monday and Wednesday and went a combined 9 for 7 with two walks. He did score two runs.
For the AFL season, Cabada’s averages have dropped down to .135/.273/.162 with one steal. He’s scored five runs and has three RBI.
Outfielder Harrison Feinberg: Feinberg did not play this past week. In fact, he hasn’t played since last Monday. In the five games he has played in this year, Feinberg is hitting 333/.455/.333 with two RBI and two runs scored. He also has two steals.
Outfielder Kade Snell: Snell played three times this past week and managed to cover all three outfield positions. Snell was the right fielder on Monday, the center fielder on Wednesday and the right fielder on Thursday.
Snell also had a good week at the plate. He was 1 for 4 with a walk and two steals on Monday. On Wednesday he was 2 for 4 with a solo home run, his first home run in the AFL. In Thursday’s blowout, Snell was 3 for 6 with a walk and four runs scored. He scored six times this week and had just the one RBI.
Over the 15 games Snell has played this year in the AFL, Snell has put up a line of .291/.443/.400 with five steals.
Only fitting to hit No. 1 at Sloan Park.@Cubs prospect Kade Snell puts the Solar Sox on the board with his first homer of the Fall. The homer traveled 409 ft (107.9 EV) and fittingly comes at the spring home of the Cubs. pic.twitter.com/eDePF2wNJm
Catcher Miguel Useche: Useche had a monster week in the AFL this week, earning a place among the AFL performers of the week. He played three games this week, serving as the catcher on Tuesday and Thursday and playing first base on Wednesday. On Tuesday, Useche was 2 for 4 with a walk and a two-run home run, his first in the AFL. He had four total RBI in that game.
On Wednesday, Useche was 1 for 3 with a walk. But in Thursday’s 21-run explosion, Useche went 3 for 5 with three doubles and two walks. He had five runs batted in and two runs overall.
In 12 games in the AFL, which includes a couple of games on the Salt River Rafters, Useche is hitting .282/.408/.513 with four doubles, one triple and a home runs.
Right-hander Juan Cabral: Cabral relieved Dominick Reid in the second inning of Tuesday’s game (more on that below) and allowed one inherited runner to score and one run of his own in an inning of work. Cabral’s final line was one run on one hit and two walks over one inning. He struck out two.
Right-hander Anhuar Garcia: Garcia had a better outing on Thursday, throwing 2.1 innings of relief without allowing any runs of his own, although Garcia did allow an inherited runner to score in the third inning. He did give up two hits and walked three while striking out three. He also hit one batter.
On the season, Garcia has pitched five times, totaling 12 innings. Garcia has a 6.75 ERA and has walked 11 and struck out eight.
Right-hander Yoendris Gonzalez: Gonzalez was having a terrible AFL campaign over the first half of the season, so it’s good to see that he had one good outing. But before we get to that, Gonzalez pitched an inning on Monday and gave up two runs on two hits and a walk. He struck out two.
But on Thursday, Gonzalez pitched two scoreless innings, closing out the 21-5 blowout in a non-save situation. He allowed just one hit. Gonzalez did not walk or strike anyone out.
Gonzalez’s line on the season is still pretty ugly, however. Over 4.2 innings and five appearances, Gonzalez sports a 19.29 ERA. But that’s way down from the 43.20 ERA he had this time last week.
Right-hander Dominick Reid: Reid had been one of the best pitchers in the AFL this year, but something went wrong on his start on Tuesday. After giving up a run in the first base, Reid walked the first batter of the inning and then left the game after uncorking a very wild pitch to the next batter. He left along side the trainer, so there was clearly some kind of injury there.
Cabral relieved Reid and Cabral ended up walking the batter that Reid was facing when he left. Both runners scored, so Reid’s final line was three runs on two hits and three walks over 1+ innings. He struck out three.
On the season, Reid is 2-1 with a 3.46 ERA over 13 innings. He’s struck out 17 batters and walked eight. It seems very possible that Reid’s wild pitch was the last pitch he’ll throw in the AFL this year.
Right-handers Luis Rujano: Rujano just pitched on Saturday, giving up a run in the seventh inning but getting the win after the Solar Sox scored three times in the top of the eighth. Rujano’s final line on Saturday was one run on three hits over one inning. He did not walk or strike anyone out.
For the season, Rujano is 1-0 with a 3.00 ERA over five relief appearances and six innings. He has struck out five and walked four.
MILWAUKEE, WI - JUNE 13: Alec Bohm #28 of the Philadelphia Phillies throws the ball prior to the game between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field on Saturday, June 13, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Kylie Bridenhagen/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
With the Brewers now crowned the champions of the baseball world, there has been a lot written about lessons to be learned from them and how said lessons could be applied to various team around the game. The Phillies have not been immune to this discussion as there have been a few think pieces about which ideas and/or practices they could adapt to how they have constructed their various rosters and what the Phillies could learn from that. It’s all well and good, but it sort of feels like an exercise in them trying to catch up.
Instead, I wanted to take a different approach to this. Both the Brewers and Rays have reached the pinnacle of their leagues mostly because they have zagged where others have zigged philosophically, made good players even better with a successful player development system and eschewed the big move to continue making smaller moves that have paid off in a big way. One area that people always think that the Phillies could be better at is in the drafting of players. Had they drafted better players, they would now be in the position to stock a roster full of players capable of piling up victories. But what if I asked you this: what would you have done were you the Phillies? Would you have made the same moves that they did? If given the chance to draft a certain player based solely on a scouting report held in front of you, are you sure you’d take the same player that is on the roster of the current world champion?
Thanks to the Baseball America archives, we can go back and look at scouting reports from when players had been drafted to see which player you would take were you in charge of making the final decision. I’ve edited a lot of this by blanking out names, positions, handedness if necessary and where the player was drafted from – college or high school. That way, you can’t just say, “Oh, that’s Player X, I’ll just take him.” I also promise you that all of these are accurate, straight from the pages of Baseball America. Outside of these minor edits, these were the actual scouting reports at the time of the draft.
It’s a fun little game, so let’s play!
Player A:
Perhaps more impressive than ______’s power output is his improved plate discipline this season. He’s cut his strikeout rate and significantly improved his walk rate, taking the free pass more frequently than striking out for the first time in his ______ career. He has an exceptional understanding of the strike zone and always seem to have a plan when he steps in the batter’s box, with the ability to make adjustments within an at-bat.
Player B:
Even with that said, _____ was still voted a first-team Preseason All-American, the best pure hitter in the class, the best defensive infielder in the class with the second-best arm, and the No. 3 athlete in Baseball America’s preseason survey to major league scouting directors. ______ is among the more polished _____ players with an advanced ____-handed hit tool and rarely swings and misses with a patient approach that allows him to hit the ball where it’s pitched.
Both infielders then when they were drafted, both infielders still. Based on these reports, which player are you taking?
Alright, alright, maybe you got that one. However, about these two outfielders. Which one are you taking?
Player A
His speed translates to good range in center field, where he has a fringe-average arm with good accuracy. ________ hit .359/.443/.559 in 2021, showing a simple, direct swing from the left side without much movement. [He] mostly stays within that zone, with good hand-eye coordination to make frequent contact, even on times when he does chase. ______ does a good job of going with where the ball is pitched, with quick hands, and he’s able to pull inside fastballs up and in while also sending pitches on the outer third to left field. ________ has some sneaky power for his size, with the ability to drive the ball out pull side when he gets a pitch up in the zone, but it’s more occasional pop that plays below-average in games.
Player B
However, his second half was impressive, and he managed a .319/.430/.550 line with eight homers and more walks (33) than strikeouts (20). As evidenced by those walk and strikeout numbers, _______ controls the zone well and also has a solid all-fields approach, with the power to drive pitches on the outer half over the fence to the left-center gap. Some scouts think his swing is a bit too stiff to truly be a plus hitter, but he does have plus raw power. Those offensive tools are the carrying tools for _____, who profiles as a left fielder thanks to limited arm strength and below-average running ability—though he did steal nine bags in 13 attempts this spring.
See? Fun, right? I have to admit, when I looked at that, I thought I’d fool a lot of people.
There are other players that you’d like to also compare, but it’s almost not possible. During the draft, there are misses on a player simply because of where they are picking in that draft. For example, I could try and fool you into thinking the Phillies picked a different pitcher over Jacob Misiorowski, but that wasn’t the case. In that year that Misiorowski was selected, he was taken in the second round, a round in which the Phillies did not have a pick in the first place. Would they have taken him if given the opportunity? We’ll never know that answer, but you can see why an exercise like this isn’t always apples to apples.
But it sure is fun! Here is another.
Player A
He’s maybe ______ tall, and while he can touch 94 mph, he generally sits at 90-92. But his high-spin rate fastball gets swings and misses up in the zone and he has three average or better pitches that all play up thanks to his plus control and command… ________’s plus mid-70s changeup is a weapon with excellent deception and late drop. He’ll use it against righties and lefties and is comfortable pitching in and out. He also throws his fastball to all four quadrants of the strike zone with plus control. His mid-70s curve is an average offering as well and like everything else he throws, he commands it well.
Player B
_________ has been one of the most heavily scouted pitchers in the state of Michigan this spring and is an exciting projection arm who’s young for the class. Listed at 6-foot-4, 175 pounds, _______ only turned 18 in May and has shown a solid three-pitch mix. He typically pitches in the 89-92 mph range and has touched 93-94 in the past and has two solid secondaries in a mid-70s spike curveball and a changeup in the low 80s that he’s shown good feel for as well. Scouts might want to see more present stuff, but it’s hard to see _______ not throwing harder in the future as he adds weight to his frame. The curveball has good traits now with plenty of depth and could be a real weapon when he’s able to add more power to the offering.
This one was kind of easy as we all probably would take the guy with the advanced changeup. Still, would you have guessed that the player the Phillies chose was taken two picks before the player the Brewers chose? Of course you would.
What does any of this mean? Nothing really outside of it being something fun to do. If you were looking to draw some conclusions about these two teams, the easiest thing is to see the drastic difference in how the Brewers develop players compared to how the Phillies have done it. Who knows what might have happened had the Phillies actually taken Bohm and turned him into a slugging third baseman from the right side. Would it have changed the course of the franchise? It’s possible, but we can at least see that they aren’t really all that great at bringing players close to their full potential.
That’s one of the biggest differences between the two teams and a reason for why the gap between them exists. If the Phillies don’t close it soon, the championship drought is likely to continue.
