BOSTON, MA - APRIL 8: Jake Bauers #9 of the Milwaukee Brewers at bat against the Boston Red Sox during the game at Fenway Park on April 8, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I have the sense that this will be a wildly (or perhaps mildly?) unpopular take, but I like the Jake Bauers deal.
I was surprised to hear it happened but that may have had more to do with seeing any extensive activity right now, given the unknowns of the impending lockout. It may also have been disbelief at seeing the Red Sox make a quick move; we all know how they like to watch and wait during the offseason.
Let’s look at the objections to the signing and take them on, one by one.
Objections
Bauers only had one good year
Until recently, he had a pretty unimpressive stat sheet: playing for five teams in eight years, never hitting higher than .235 in any season, or hitting more than 12 home runs, or batting in more than 48 runs prior to 2026. His strikeout rate, always elevated, nearly reached 35% in 2023 and 2024. In fact, he planned to retire, only coming back to the sport due to the need for health insurance.
He started turning things around with a strong September in 2025. His career year, the outlier, was 2026, when his slash line was .266/.389/.484 with 26 home runs and he was named the MVP of the NLCS. He was a big contributor to the Brewers winning the World Series.
So was 2026 a fluke? Time will tell but we can say, despite his struggles, that he has some solid underlying metrics.
He’s always been disciplined at the plate, with a career walk rate of 12.64%
He wasn’t just lucky in 2026—his Expected Weighted On-Base Average (xwOBA) of .371 is in the 93rd percentile and backs up his production (.389 OBP / .873 OPS)
Since 2023, he’s had an excellent barrel rate, that beautiful combination of exit velocity and launch angle
The Sox already have a first baseman
They have a first baseman, Willson Contreras, who could use a backup. The Sox have essentially had a fragile ecosystem at first base for several years now. Don’t get me started on poor Triston Casas.
The Sox already have a DH
The hell they do.
Bauers is a poor fielder
Well, he was acquired to be the designated hitter, so his fielding doesn’t bother me too much. He’ll serve as a backup to Contreras at first.
He does play multiple positions (not necessarily well) but that works with the overall philosophy of having players who can slot in and give guys time off, or be available in case of injury.
What about Triston Casas?
God bless him. I love the guy, I’ve written about him many times, and he’ll probably always be The One Who Got Away for me. I wish it had turned out differently. I loved him as a player and an individual but we can’t count on him at this point because of his health. Breslow said he’s “optimistic” Casas will play winter ball in the Dominican Republic but there’s no date for that since he’s still not healthy enough. Breslow did the right thing by not taking him into account as an option for first base, at least for now. We’ll see what happens with him (and I wish him all the best).
Bauer’s age, or the contract’s age…something won’t age well
Can we give up on this argument, please? The very financial structure of the sport is predicated on a time-based model; young players are typically cheaper players, and as players bank more time in their career, the more they can expect to earn (up to a certain point in time). Once players arrive at the point in their career when they can truly cash in on this system with a lucrative multiyear contract, they are typically “in their prime.” That implies they are at or near their peak. Logically, no peak lasts indefinitely. In evaluating the performance of professional athletes, when does “decline” start and how steep will it be? The ageing process is full of unknowns, as is much of life. Multiyear contracts given out to mid-career players are part of doing business in baseball. Trying to sit that one out would mean passing on all the free agents and that’s not a world I want to live in.
This brings me to the main objection.
It’s a risk
Dan said it; others including Ryan Phillips of Sports Illustrated have said it. I don’t mean to sound flip, but what isn’t a risk? Until we’ve played the games and toted up the stats at the completion of a season, everything is an unknown; nothing is guaranteed. Risk, schmisk.
I would argue that the opposite of taking a risk is doing nothing. Haven’t we had enough of that? I have.
This is the first significant signing of 2026 free agency. It’s also notable that the Red Sox were involved in the very first trade of the 2026 offseason, when they sent Nate Eaton to the Athletics, the day after the World Series (the first eligible day). For several years now, fans have begged the front office to do something.
This is what doing something looks like.
It’s also not a pivot move, à lasigning Ranger Suárez in the wake of the Alex Bregman fiasco late in the 2025 offseason. This time, Breslow moved decisively and early. The Red Sox weren’t beat out by a more competitive bid and won’t be Interest Kings this year. We can confidently say that this is the move Craig Breslow wanted to make.
As with any move, whether in baseball or in life, it may turn out to have been the wrong one. We won’t know that for a long time.
But there’s something to be said for making the first move. I suspect it’s the first hand of several Breslow will play. It may even be the forcing move for finally addressing the no-longer-tenable situation in the outfield, since Bauers can play the corner positions in a pinch. It may also mean moving on from Masataka Yoshida. Breslow probably should have ironed out these sticking points in the roster already but I believe he’s going to do it now. One piece at a time is a good way to begin. Alex Speier has already reported that Duran is being shopped hard and presumably Breslow has lots of other balls currently in the air, a few of which will come to fruition.
As I said when Breslow traded for Adley Rutschman at the trade deadline, the Red Sox are making significant moves and I’m on board. I find it a breath of fresh air. Let’s go.
Mar 8, 2018; Tampa, FL, USA; Philadelphia Phillies assistant hitting coach Pedro Guerrero (58) prior to the game at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers this week also hired Pedro Guerrero as a hitting coach, replacing the departing Aaron Bates on the major league staff. Guerrero has coached the last nine years in the majors, and before that was a minor league player and coach in the Dodgers system.
“(He can) meet guys where they are,” McCullough said. “He is a good listener. That’s where he really does his best work. Some of those conversations, either in the cage during the day, with just trying to have a guy be in the best spot mentally that he can be for that given day. Then in the game, not letting some of the anxiety or some of the stress (pile up) for a player, he helps alleviate a lot of that.”
What has become an annual treat is Davy Andrews at FanGraphs perusing various baseball news items to chronicle various instances of teams saying essentially “we tried” as a way to placate an unfulfilled acquisition. This offseason’s first such instance appeared to come this week.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - MARCH 14, 2025: Yairo Padilla #89 of the St. Louis Cardinals warms up during the seventh inning of a spring training Spring Breakout game against the Miami Marlins at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium on March 14, 2025 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
The 2026 Palm Beach Cardinals had five teenage prospects post a wRC+ above 100 while taking 100+ plate appearances: Miguel Hernandez, Sebastian Dos Santos, Yairo Padilla, Ryan Mitchell, and Alexander Frias. That seems pretty good! There were only 14 players total that met these criteria in the ten-team Florida State League.
In 2021, the FSL was loaded with prospects. There were 18 teenagers in the Low-A league to accrue at least 100 plate appearances. The wRC+ leaderboard for that season has some names you will recognize.
Jordan Walker, 19, 208 wRC+
Orelvis Martinez, 19, 149 wRC+
Colt Keith, 19, 143 wRC+
Masyn Winn, 19, 115 wRC+
Jasson Dominguez, 18, 105 wRC+
Elly De La Cruz, 19, 105 wRC+
Dariel Lopez, 19, 101 wRC+
Maikol Escotto, 19, 99 wRC+
Victor Mesa Jr., 19, 95 wRC+
Fast-forward to the present day, and the six bolded players have a Steamer-projected wRC+ of 95 or better heading into next year. All except Winn have a projection of 106 or better. From this quick snapshot, I can conclude that the Cardinals should get an MVP candidate and a couple of All-Stars out of their current group of teenage prospects!
2021 was also the first year that Statcast data was publicly available in the FSL. I thought it would be interesting to compare the underlying metrics of the 2021 class with the Cardinals’ young guns of today. I do want to emphasize that all the numbers we are looking at are super small sample sizes and groups of players. I am not trying to force conclusions by looking at this data, but I do think it is some interesting context to consider.
Before we get to the comparison with our current Cardinals prospects, let’s see if any metrics jump out as being especially important in predicting future success. I separated the 2021 class into two groups, the Hits (Walker, Keith, Winn, Dominguez, De La Cruz, Mesa Jr.) and the Busts (the 12 teenagers who have not made it yet). Here are the average metrics for each bucket.
Not surprisingly, the players who ended up being good were better at 18 and 19 than their counterparts. Masyn Winn was the only player from the “Hit” group to post an average exit velocity below 86.6 mph. In this small sample size, max EV was actually even more important with all six Hits posting max EVs of 109.8 mph or higher. Contact% and Zcontact% were fairly good indicators as well. Chase% was actually better for the Busts thanks to some wild early swinging from a trio of future Hits.
And here is how the Cardinals prospects stacked up.
A couple of disclaimers when looking at the data for the Cardinals prospects. Padilla, Frias, and Hernandez each had fewer than 130 plate appearances, so take their metrics with a spoonful of salt. The other obvious difference is that the 2021 class of Hits only had one 18-year-old while the Cardinals group included three.
Let’s run through each Cardinals prospect and see how they compare to the 2021 Hits, Busts, and one just-for-fun comp from the Hit group.
Ryan Mitchell, OF
Mitchell’s metrics aren’t great and fit in comfortably with the Bust cohort. One silver lining is that he was hitting with much more authority earlier in the year before trailing off in July and August (average EV from 87.2 to 81.9). It is reasonable to assume that the grind of his first pro season wore him out in the second half. Hopefully he comes to camp with some added strength. His contact and discipline metrics would look fine for a power hitter, but won’t be playable unless he adds some serious pop.
Yairo Padilla, SS
Padilla checked in with only 128 plate appearances, but you can see from his Statcast metrics why the Cardinals are so high on him. The concern with Padilla is that he struggles to hit the ball in the air. His FSL groundball rate was a terrifying 64%. For reference, Jordan Walker was at 55% in his FSL stint. Padilla will be a good test for the Cardinals player development group, but this will require him staying on the field. He has played in only 35, 38, and 27 games the last three seasons.
Alexander Frias, OF
Frias only had 110 plate appearances with the Cardinals. The comparison to De La Cruz would look better if we had Frias’ data from his time with the Brewers. He hit a ball 117 mph while in the complex league and carried a 77.7% contact rate at the Brewers’ Low-A affiliate. Frias will, presumably, start 2027 in Palm Beach and hopefully will start bringing more of his prodigious power into game action.
Miguel Hernandez, SS
Hernandez blitzed the FSL in his 102 plate appearances to the tune of 163 wRC+. His underlying metrics do not jump off the page, but Hernandez is the youngest player in our cohort (turned 18 on June 2). He was listed at 6’0″ and just 145 pounds when he signed, but Brian Walton at The Cardinal Nation now has him up to 165 pounds. Similar to Dos Santos, how he develops physically will go a long way to determining his ultimate ceiling. It is encouraging to see he has already hit a solid 108.8 mph max EV.
Sebastian Dos Santos, SS
Dos Santos had 255 plate appearances in Low-A, so he has a decent sample size. Not captured in this table is the fact that Dos Santos has an elite ability to drive the ball in the air to his pull side. The Cardinal Nation lists Dos Santos at 6’0″ and 173 pounds, up from his weight at signing of 140 pounds. Dos Santos is a switch hitter and had a bit more success, both from a production and underlying metrics perspective, from the left side.
The Dos Santos/Keith comp is about as close as I am going to get on any of these from a metrics perspective. If Dos Santos can turn into a better defensive version of Keith, that would be a heck of a player. Still, I am holding out hope that Dos Santos can get to another gear in his power as he fills out and matures.
What next?
So, what do we need to see next season? All six of the 2021 Hits advanced a level in 2022, and four of the six reached Double-A. Even Dominguez, the lone 18-year-old, repeated Low-A, cleaned up his plate approach, and finished the year in Double-A. The current cadre of Cardinals prospects is young, but to stay on pace with their 2021 forefathers, they will need to advance quickly. I will be watching to see if Mitchell comes to camp with added muscle, if Dos Santos and Hernandez can add a few ticks of EV thump, and if Padilla and Frias can improve their batted-ball quality.
DENVER, CO - JUNE 9: Kyle Karros #12 of the Colorado Rockies stands on the field with Cole Carrigg #16 in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs at Coors Field on June 9, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
Here’s what’s going on with the Colorado Rockies and the rest of Major League Baseball.
2026 Rockies Defensive Play of the Year
There were some outstanding defensive plays made by the Colorado Rockies in 2026, but Purple Row readers have spoken. Cole Carrigg and Kyle Karros’ remarkable 8-5 double play against the Chicago Cubs on June 17 has been voted the Rockies’ Defensive Play of the Year.
The Rockies were trailing 8-2 in the bottom of the fifth inning at Wrigley Field when Matt Shaw lifted a 345-foot fly ball into straightaway center field. Carrigg tracked it down, getting behind the baseball and positioning himself to make a throw to third base, where Ian Happ was attempting to advance.
Carrigg made the catch and unleashed a 99.8-mph throw toward third, generating so much momentum that he went tumbling into a barrel roll after releasing the baseball.
But the throw was only half the play.
The ball arrived on the infield side of third base, forcing Karros to reach out to make the catch before lunging back toward the bag. He managed to apply the tag to Happ just before the runner reached third, completing the double play.
It was an outstanding throw by Carrigg and an equally impressive piece of glove work by Karros. And considering the two are best friends, it’s fitting that they combined for one of the most memorable defensive moments of the season.
Carrigg’s arm strength was hardly a secret by the end of 2026. He averaged 96.9 mph on his qualifying outfield throws, ranking fourth among MLB outfielders and second among center fielders, behind only Oneil Cruz. His throw against the Cubs was among the hardest of the season to record an out.
The play didn’t ultimately change the outcome of the game. Colorado chipped away at Chicago’s lead but eventually fell 8-6.
Perhaps the best reaction came from the Cubs broadcast, where the announcer couldn’t help but admire what he’d just witnessed.
Thomas Harding spoke with Rockies president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta about the team’s positional depth and how it might factor into offseason moves. DePodesta believes Colorado has seven or eight MLB-ready outfielders and acknowledged that there simply isn’t room for everyone. He also confirmed that the team’s surplus has already come up in trade discussions. We’ve spent plenty of time talking about the possibility of moving position players to acquire pitching, and it sounds like the front office is exploring those options as well. The Rockies have some interesting young talent, but figuring out how to turn that depth into pitching could be one of DePodesta’s most important tasks this offseason.
Speaking of potential trades, the Shapiro and Piro podcast from Denver Sports discusses whether the Rockies should consider moving All-Star catcher Hunter Goodman. It’s an interesting question. Goodman is one of Colorado’s most productive players and could certainly be part of the team’s future. On the other hand, he’s also one of the few players on the roster who might bring back a substantial pitching return. Trading him would be a difficult decision, but it’s one the Rockies should at least be willing to consider.
Maddy Dickens of Sports Illustrated is optimistic about Colorado’s offense heading into 2027. With young players like Cole Carrigg and Charlie Condon entering the picture, Dickens believes the Rockies could reach 80 wins next season if they can add some average pitching. That’s quite a leap for a team coming off 104 losses, but hey, we could all use a little hopium this offseason.
MLB executive vice president of baseball operations Morgan Sword lays out the league’s argument for a salary cap, salary floor, and expanded revenue sharing ahead of the next round of collective bargaining. The video focuses on the growing payroll disparity between clubs and how MLB believes its proposed changes could improve competitive balance. Of course, the MLBPA sees things differently and has strongly opposed a salary cap. With the possibility of a work stoppage hanging over the next CBA negotiations, it’s worth hearing the league’s position directly, even if you don’t agree with its proposed solution.
Joel Reuter released his updated Top 100 prospect rankings, and four Rockies made the list. Ethan Holliday checks in at No. 35, followed by Charlie Condon (47), Roldy Brito (55), and Tyler Bell (91). It’s nice to see Colorado represented, but there’s a familiar theme here: all four are position players. The Rockies have assembled some intriguing young offensive talent, but developing pitching remains a significant organizational challenge.
Awards season continues with Zack Wheeler and Yordan Alvarez taking home the National League and American League Comeback Player of the Year awards. The Associated Press also provides a rundown of several other honors, including the Hank Aaron Awards for Alvarez and Pete Crow-Armstrong, Relievers of the Year Mason Miller and Bryan Baker, and Executive of the Year Erik Neander. There’s plenty to discuss as baseball continues handing out its 2026 hardware.
Jay Jaffe of FanGraphs takes a deep dive into Dusty Baker’s remarkable life and career as the longtime manager gets another opportunity at the Hall of Fame. Baker’s story goes well beyond the dugout. He fished with Satchel Paige, spent time with Jimi Hendrix, managed five franchises to the postseason, and eventually won a World Series. Jaffe examines the successes, controversies, and disappointments along the way while making the case for Baker’s induction. If you enjoy baseball history, this is a terrific read.
Oct 15, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers (9) hits a two RBI double against the Los Angeles Dodgers during the fourth inning in game four of the NLCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Uniqlo Field at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Bauers was one of the best hitters available in what is an admittedly thin free agent class. He had an outstanding 2026 season, slashing .266/.389/.484 with 26 home runs as a 30-year-old. The campaign sticks out like a sore thumb in an MLB career. According to Baseball Reference, Bauers was worth 3.3 bWAR in 2026 alone, bringing his career bWAR up from the red to 2.0. The Red Sox will be betting that he is simply a late bloomer and can largely maintain that performance moving forward.
FanGraphs had projected Bauers, who did have a qualifying offer attached to him, would get a three-year deal worth $51 million ($17 million AAV). Instead, he gets four years at $58 million ($14.5 million) from Boston. Phillips had a projection of one year at $6.8 million. He was able to land a three-year deal worth $35 million ($11.67 AAV) in Atlanta.
The Bauers deal feels fair. He got less AAV but an additional year despite the QO. That’s pretty good. Phillips, a former Oriole that was born in Salisbury, has to be ecstatic about his new contract. He barely pitched between the end of 2024 and this past July due to injuries to his rotator cuff and then Tommy John surgery. But he was great towards the end of this past season and likely factors into high-leverage innings for Atlanta.
What does all of that mean? Honestly, who knows. Public projections often differ from how team’s are evaluating talent internally. But it certainly doesn’t seem like teams are too worried about the talk of a salary cap, at least not for 2027 anyway. MLB Trade Rumors explains that the Red Sox exceeded the 2026 CBT threshold and are on pace to do so again in 2027, if the system is in place. The signing of Phillips will push the Braves close to the line as well.
All that to say that if the Orioles were hoping Trevor Rogers might give them a discount on account of everyone being artificially strapped for cash, they had better think again. There is money to be spent, and it could come sooner than later, regardless of what’s happening behind the scenes.
Links
Mariners Notes: Infield Needs, Trade Candidates, Sloan | MLB Trade Rumors Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg are listed as potential trade candidates that fit what the Mariners are looking for. The O’s and M’s have long seemed like good partners due to the former’s glut of infielders and the latter’s wealth of pitchers. And yet, nothing has happened. Maybe that changes this winter.
This, that and the other | Roch Kubatko Roch touches on the Orioles closing situation. Ryan Helsley and Félix Bautista are both likely to factor in, but injuries are a concern. Yennier Cano has closing experience, though he has never really been a fit in the ninth inning. The team needs a real backup plan. How much they are willing to pay for it is unclear.
As a lockout looms, MLB teams say it’s ‘business as usual.’ Is it really? | The Baltimore Banner Obviously not. But what else are they gonna say? MLB will have their next season at some point, and the holes on a team’s roster are not going to fix themselves, so they have to make moves to address them. It won’t all happen overnight, and it’s quite likely that there will be a multi-week/month pause in the middle. But for now, they do what they can.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Freddy Galvis turns 37 today. He spent part of the 2021 seasona s the Orioles everyday shortstop before being dealt to the Phillies for a minor leaguer.
Curt Schilling is 60 years old. His storied 20-season MLB career began in Baltimore, where he spent parts of three seasons from 1988 through ‘90. The Orioles’ decision to then trade him, along with Steve Finley and Pete Harnisch, to the Astros in exchange for Glenn Davis is widely regarded as the worst trade in team history.
This day in O’s history
1973 – Jim Palmer is named AL Cy Young after winning 22 games and leading the league with a 2.40 ERA. The 28-year-old Palmer is a first-time winner and will go on to earn the award twice more in his Hall of Fame career.
2005 – The Orioles announce that neither Sammy Sosa nor Rafael Palmeiro will be returning to the team next season. Both players claim they wish to keep playing. Sosa will eventually sign back with the Rangers, but not until 2007. Palmeiro never gets another MLB deal.
2023 – Brandon Hyde is named Manager of the Year in the American League. Marlins’ boss Skip Schumaker earns the NL honor.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 29: Josh Hader #71 of the Houston Astros pitches in the ninth inning against the Chicago White Sox in game one of the American League Wild Card Series at Daikin Park on September 29, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As Thanksgiving approaches, Astros fans have plenty to be grateful for.
A year ago, Josh Hader was in the early stages of completing a throwing program with the intent of being ready for spring training. He’d ultimately return to action on June 3rd in a thrilling 11-9 win over the Pirates, overcoming a 5 run deficit. It would be the first save of Hader’s amazing comeback. Hader would appear in 45 contests and convert all 26 of his save opportunities. Opposing clubs managed to only hit .125 against him. We can be thankful that Hader has two more guaranteed years left on his deal.
Speaking of comebacks, Hayden Wesneski returned after enduring a 15-month rehab stint from Tommy John surgery. His recovery began throwing off a mound in the Florida Complex League before steadily progressing to Double-A. On July 29th, Wesneski was activated from the injured list and earned a win in his season debut verses the Angels. His signature sweeper pitch would notch 6 wins for an Astros staff in dire need of quality starts.
The head of the table for our tribute is none other than Jose Altuve. Sitting at 2,111 regular season contests, he’ll pass Jeff Bagwell next season for second place in all-time games played. As the face of the franchise, he’s worth every penny of his $30 million dollar contract. A pair of championships, along with seven silver slugger awards along with 9 All-Star appearances. His most recent milestone occurred on September 9th when he notched his 2,500th career hit verses the Phillies.
Last but not least, there’s Yordan Alvarez. After an injury shortened 2025 season, Alvarez would appear in a career high of 158 games. Everyone points to the massive offensive production but for me, the most remarkable stat was centered around his overall plate discipline, drawing 109 walks against only 120 strikeouts. Yordan is entering the prime of his career, set to turn just 30 years of age next June.
The Astros gave their fans plenty to be thankful for in 2026 and the table is already being set for more.
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The 2026 PCA MVP tribute section:
Matthew Trueblood (North Side Baseball): Coronation: Pete Crow-Armstrong Wins 2026 National League MVP Award. “There was no drama here. That doesn’t make the moment less sweet or the honoree less deserving. After one of the greatest seasons in baseball history, Pete Crow-Armstrong was officially crowned the best player in baseball Thursday night.”
Evan Altman (Cubs Insider): Pete Crow-Armstrong Voted Unanimous NL MVP. “This is just the latest accolade for PCA, who had already collected Gold and Platinum Gloves, All-MLB First Team, and the NL Hank Aaron Award as the league’s most outstanding offensive player.”
Paul Magno (Yardbarker): Are the Chicago Cubs giving up on the 2027 outfield? “The team can’t afford to let so many key position players go. With so much to do this winter/spring, however, it looks as though Chicago may be deciding to let one of their needs go attended in order to place more attention on rebuilding their pitching staff.
Jordan Bastian (MLB.com): PCA, Bregman land more offseason accolades with All-MLB honors. “As for Bregman, the third baseman did not really catch fire at the plate until the second half of the season. After the All-Star break, Crow-Armstrong led the Majors with 4.7 fWAR, but Bregman was tied for second with Tatis with 3.7 fWAR.”
Jason Ross (North Side Baseball): Carter Hawkins and the State of the Cubs’ Youth Movement. “At the General Manager Meetings in Las Vegas, Carter Hawkins stood amid a swarm of press and discussed many things, including some young players and their potential future.”
Brett Taylor (Bleacher Nation): Business as Usual at the GM Meetings? Legal Battle Coming? And Other Cubs Bullets. “Folks expecting a mad flurry of deals at the very start of the offseason have been disappointed. Those deals will come, but it seems like a big squeeze in the final week of November is more likely than an early rush.”
Food For Thought:
Ruthie Cecelia Foster (born February 10, 1964) is an American singer-songwriter of blues and folk music. She mixes a wide palette of American song forms, from gospel and blues to jazz, folk and soul. She has often been compared to Bonnie Raitt and Aretha Franklin. Foster has been nominated for multiple Grammy Awards for Best Blues Album and Best Contemporary Blues Album, and won her first Grammy on February 2, 2025.
Foster is from Gause, Texas, and comes from a family of gospel singers. At the age of fourteen, Foster was a soloist in her hometown choir and was certain that her future would revolve around music. After high school, she moved to Waco, Texas, and she began fronting a blues band, learning how to command a stage in the bars of Texas. Hoping to travel and gain a wider world perspective, Foster joined the United States Navy, and soon began singing in the naval band Pride which played pop and funk hits at recruitment drives.
Following her tour of duty, Foster headed to New York City where she became a regular performer at various local folk venues. Atlantic Records heard of Foster’s talent and offered her a recording deal with the intent of cultivating her as a budding pop star, but Foster was not interested in a pop career. When her mother fell ill in 1993, Foster left New York and returned to Texas while she cared for her mother who died in 1996.
In 1997, Foster self-released the album Full Circle, the success of which paved the way to a long relationship with the record label Blue Corn Music. Foster’s awards list includes three Grammy nominations (Let It Burn for Best Blues Album, The Truth According to Ruthie Foster for Best Contemporary Blues Album, and Promise of a Brand New Day for Best Blues Album), her numerous wins at the Blues Music Awards, including three awards for Best Female Vocalist and one for DVD of the Year for Live At Antone’s, and Foster’s crown for Best Female Vocalist at the 2013 Austin Music Awards. Foster earned the 2025 Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Blues Album for her album Mileage, her 13th album. She continues to tour and her shows have spanned across the U.S., Italy, Germany, Spain, and Cuba.
The voice sounds like A.I., but the fish isn’t. 🙂
Please be reminded that Cub Tracks and Bleed Cubbie Blue do not necessarily endorse the content of articles, podcasts, or videos that are linked to in this series.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 07: A general view of Truist Park as Atlanta Braves grounds crew prepares the field before Game Four of the Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on October 7, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jack Casey/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Both Major League Baseball and the Players Association continue to share offers to put an end to the ongoing dispute. This time, MLB released a statement on X with a few proposed changes.
The league says its proposal would address two major concerns among fans: competitive balance and local blackouts. The plan includes a 50/50 split of baseball-related revenue between teams and players, a salary cap and floor to regulate team spending, and equal sharing of media revenue among clubs. MLB believes these changes would reduce revenue disparities, increase player compensation and create a more competitive game while helping address blackout issues.
Baseball fans have repeatedly told us they have two issues with the game today: blackouts and fairness
We’re proposing to make three major changes to baseball:
1. Entering into a partnership with players where all revenues that are generated are split 50/50 between the teams… pic.twitter.com/GgeKshvFmN
Of course, it remains to be seen whether the Players Association will be willing to agree to MLB’s proposal. With both sides continuing to publicly share their ideas, there is still plenty to be worked out before an agreement is reached.
May 17, 2023; San Diego, California, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt (7) throws to first base on a ground out by San Diego Padres right fielder Fernando Tatis Jr. (not pictured) during the fifth inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con
For the first time since 2020, the American League MVP was awarded to a man not named Aaron Judge or Shohei Ohtani. Those two have dominated the decade of baseball, becoming the national—and in Ohtani’s case—global face of the sport, and that’s been a successful transition away from the likes of Mike Trout and the Houston Astros. Baseball is hot right now!
And maybe we’re starting to see a little bit of a changing of the guard, again. Pete Crow-Armstrong just ended Ohtani’s run of three consecutive MVPs, putting together one of the finest, top-to-bottom baseball seasons we’ve ever seen. Ohtani’s a month younger than me; players and especially pitchers don’t tend to get better after age 33. Judge will turn 35 in April; Father Time comes for all of us.
All of this brings me to one Robert Andrew Witt, Junior. The Kansas City shortstop put up his third-straight seven-win season in 2026, good for second in all of baseball behind PCA. He was once again a finalist for the league’s top individual honor, finishing third, trailing Yordan Alvarez and Junior Caminero. In so many was for the man who, if not for PCA, would be the best all-around player in baseball, it’s a rinse and repeat system.
Last year Witt had an 8.0 fWAR season, finishing fourth in MVP voting behind Judge, Cal Raleigh and the previous perennial MVP nominee, José Ramírez. In 2024, Witt had maybe the best single season by a shortstop…ever. Since integration, only two players—Cal Ripken Jr. in 1991 and Lou Boudreau in 1948—have been better than the Royal’s 10.5 fWAR season. Both Cal and Lou won MVPs.
Bobby just had the misfortune to have to once again go up against Aaron Judge, the man with the best prime of any player since Barry Bonds’ head grew three sizes. Witt’s 2025 season ranks 15th on that list by the way.
J-Ram very famously has the most combined MVP shares without having actually won the award, 3.61 in his Hall of Fame-caliber career, one spent chasing down Mike Trout before Ohtani and Judge took over the AL. After receiving votes in each of the last four seasons, though, Witt is starting to move up that all-time list. His 44.76 percent share this year bumps his career MVP share to 1.8, from 202nd all time in the metric to a tie for 136th, with Rod Carew and Robin Yount, who of course both took home the hardware in their careers (Yount twice).
Part of this as touched on above is Witt having to go up against demons, but another part of it is the way he puts up value. Since entering the league in 2022, Witt has the most second-most fWAR (yes, better than Ohtani!) but critically, Dansby Swanson is the only non-catcher to eclipse him in dWAR. As we saw last year with Cal Raleigh in the MVP race, a supreme offensive performance just gets rewarded at a level that supreme defense does not. Outside of pitchers and catchers for obvious reasons, the slugger gets MVP.
And of course playing for mediocre Kansas City teams doesn’t help the case. Aaron Judge has near single-handedly dragged the Yankees into the postseason, the Cubs season is probably a failure without PCA’s effort this year. That Witt’s only stepped foot on the postseason once—perhaps not coincidentally, his runner-up finish in 2024—has affected how voters behave, even if I wonder whether it should.
If Judge is back to being Judge next year, or Kevin McGonigle takes another step forward, or any number of things happen, there odds are forever against Bobby Witt Jr. winning an MVP. If he should never get there, I hope he ends up atop that MVP shares list, passing J-Ram. Then again, Chris Sale never won a Cy Young until that one year it all went right.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - SEPTEMBER 30: Justin Crawford #2 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a single against the Atlanta Braves during the fourth inning in game two of the National League Wild Card Series at Truist Park on September 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Edward M. Pio Roda/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Pretty positive that the Phillies won’t be making a big splash prior to the CBA ending and the lockout beginning. There has been a feel around the comments that Dave Dombrowski has been making that maybe the payroll isn’t where we think it might be, even if the words “generous” have been thrown around. I wonder if they’re just going to see what everything looks like once the dust is settled.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 27: William Contreras #24 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts after calling for an ABS challenge in the fourth 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
Over the next couple weeks, we’re going to take a look around the Brewers’ roster and think about how, or if, the Brewers would consider upgrading at those positions and who might be available via free agency or trade. Before getting into that, though, we should go position-by-position through the Brewers’ roster to examine how things look going into the offseason—particularly in the wake of Jake Bauers’ deal with the Red Sox.
Given that the Brewers just won the World Series and, aside from Bauers, they didn’t have any big losses, we shouldn’t expect any major surprises. But it still gives us an opportunity to look to the future and imagine some unlikely scenarios.
Catcher
The Brewers have picked up the option on William Contreras’ contract, which buys out his last year of arbitration at $15.5 million. Barring an extension, Contreras will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2027 season. The Brewers declined a mutual option on backup Gary Sánchez, so he’s a free agent; other catchers on the 40-man roster include Bo Naylor, who came over in a trade on August 1st but who played only three times with the Brewers, and Jeferson Quero, the former-top-prospect whose 2024 shoulder injury has put his future as a catcher in doubt (though Matt Arnold reiterated this week that they see Quero as a future catcher).
The answer here might be very simple: the Brewers might just go with Contreras on an expiring deal and Naylor as the backup. Naylor struggled badly at the plate in 2026, and he’s always been a pretty bad hitter, but he has well over 1,000 major-league plate appearances and has a lot of experience catching good pitching staffs in Cleveland. Given how much Contreras plays, I suspect the team is okay with Naylor as a backup.
The questions come in when considering the future beyond 2027. After his World Series MVP award, much of the Milwaukee fanbase feels that the team should make Contreras the next Brewer to receive a lucrative contract a la Ryan Braun and Christian Yelich.
With projections coming in around 5 years and $115 million or so, the Brewers could certainly afford it, but two questions follow: first, would Contreras take it? He might be dead set on reaching free agency where richer teams than Milwaukee—notably, the Yankees, who have struggled to find a reliable catcher in recent seasons—could drive up the bidding for his services. Second, signing a catcher, a position that usually doesn’t age well, through his age-34 or -35 season doesn’t seem like a very Brewersy thing to do.
The answer would be simpler if there were an obvious solution in the minor leagues. But Quero’s future is in serious doubt, and Marco Dinges, the other well-regarded catching prospect in the minor-league system, has barely played above High-A and there are questions about his defensive acumen.
It’s something to keep an eye on, with a lot of moving parts. I’m not closing the door on a possible Contreras extension, possibly even before the lockout begins at the beginning of next month. But I also wouldn’t be shocked if a blockbuster trade occurred, perhaps even followed by another blockbuster trade for a replacement. While there are some things to figure out at first base, the longer-term future at catcher makes this the most in-flux position on the roster at the moment.
First Base
I had a whole bunch of stuff written here about different scenarios with first base, whether Jake Bauers would accept the qualifying offer or whether he’d sign elsewhere, and what would happen in either case. Well, we now know that Bauers will not be back with the Brewers next season—so where does that leave the team?
Andrew Vaughn, who made $7.65 million in 2026 and should make slightly more than that next season, will now likely be back. He’s a right-handed hitter and started mostly only against left-handed pitchers last season, but he’s probably got the ability to start more against righties—he wasn’t too bad against them in 2026.
But the Brewers are likely to add another left-handed bat who could do some platoon work with Vaughn. There are two potential exciting-but-unproven answers in the minors: Andrew Fischer, who led the minor leagues with 48 homers last season while hitting .273/.413/.654 in 126 games between High-A Wisconsin and Double-A Biloxi; and Blake Burke, who hit .285/.367/.603 in 96 games at Double-A before struggling in a short stint at Triple-A Nashville to end the season.
Both players come with real questions. Fischer’s swing-and-miss issues are so worrisome that some question whether he even has a future in the majors, despite his prodigious power. Burke also has a lot of swing-and-miss in his game, but he’s also a guy who chases out of the zone a lot, something that Fischer avoids, and something that Bauers was so good at it bordered on being a superpower.
Luke Adams could’ve been an answer here had Bauers stayed. He’s closer to the majors than either Fischer or Burke and had a good season last year, but his fit on the major league roster alongside Vaughn is complicated. I wouldn’t really expect to see him, at least at the beginning of the season.
Spring training could be very interesting for Burke and Fischer, but the Brewers might also choose to bring in another player. The two of them have a lot of potential but have very little experience at the highest levels of the majors (Burke played 15 games and struggled, Fischer has not appeared above Double-A), and a good, veteran platoon option on a one-year deal might be attractive to the front office if they want their prospects to cook a little longer.
Infield
Barring a trade, Milwaukee is pretty set in the infield, not just for next season but for a few years. Brice Turang, a super-two player, just had his first of four arbitration years, and while he’s certainly going to get expensive, he’s under team control until after the 2029 season. Cooper Pratt won’t be a free agent until my daughter, who can’t read yet, is a teenager. Joey Ortiz and David Hamilton, who made up the rest of the infield this season, are both entering their first of three arbitration seasons.
It would be easy to send this group back out there. Pratt’s confidence has to be sky-high after he could easily have won the World Series MVP. Turang finished third in MVP voting. While Ortiz and Hamilton both have their offensive shortcomings, both have, for stretches, looked quite good at the plate, and both are reliable (at worst) defensive infielders; Ortiz is one of the best plug-and-play defensive infielders in the league.
I think the most likely scenario here is that the Brewers start the season with Turang and Pratt in their spots and Ortiz and Hamilton sharing a platoon situation at third base, similar to how it was in the postseason. There’s a big shadow on the horizon in the minors, though: the Brewers’ top prospect, considered by many to be the best prospect in baseball, Jesús Made.
Made is still only 19 and doesn’t turn 20 until May. But he’s looking good in winter baseball, and his career has followed a pretty similar path to Jackson Chourio’s, and when Chourio was at the point in his career that Made is at now, he made the Opening Day roster.
I don’t think that’s likely in this case, and certainly will not happen if no long-term extension is in place, like there was for Chourio. But Made isn’t far off, which means the team is probably going to be probing around on trade interest in Ortiz and Hamilton, just in case. Those two guys aren’t the kinds of players who are going to make a bad team good, but they are certainly the types of players who will make good teams better; smart teams should absolutely be interested if the Brewers are shopping them.
Outfield
Once again, on the surface, this seems pretty straightforward: the Brewers have Chourio and Luis Lara on long-term contracts, and Garrett Mitchell and Sal Frelick are both in arbitration seasons on affordable deals; Mitchell is under control for two more seasons, Frelick for three.
Ideally, the Brewers would love more production in right field. Frelick had a poor season, and Lara struggled with the bat after coming up. But Pat Murphy loves Frelick and he really does seem to be an integral part of this team’s chemistry, and there’s no reason not to expect at least a modest bounceback in 2027, his age-27 season. Perhaps he won’t get to his 2025 levels, when he had a 111 OPS+, but I’m sure he can eat into the nearly-60-point drop in batting average and OBP that occurred in 2026.
Lara figures to improve as well, as he gets used to major-league pitching. His offensive outbreak at Triple-A Nashville was something to see: he hit as many home runs (9) in 78 games with the Sounds last season as he had in his first three minor-league seasons combined. That power dried up in the majors, though, where his only home run in 212 plate appearances came off a position player. He may never be much of an offensive plus, but with his defensive prowess, he’ll offer plenty of value if he can get up to league average, particularly if he moves to center field in the next couple of years.
Chourio and Mitchell are both primed for big seasons. Chourio could certainly vault himself into MVP discussions next year, and Mitchell, if he’s healthy, seems to be a lock for at least 3-ish WAR, with some potential remaining for a breakout season in there given how he always seems to make solid contact.
Health will always remain a question with Mitchell, but the Brewers figure to be covered if he, or anyone else in their outfield, goes down. Brandon Lockridge remains under team control, but the more intriguing possibility is that of Josh Adamczewski, who put up some crazy numbers in 50 games High-A Wisconsin before moving up to Double-A, where he had a 125 wRC+ at just 21 years old. He looks like a real find, and while the Brewers will certainly want him to get some reps in Triple-A, he could be ready to fill a major-league role by mid-season if the need arises.
Starting Pitchers
This young group looks to be in a solid position headed into 2026, particularly with Quinn Priester primed to return from his surgery to correct his thoracic outlet syndrome. Dustin May, acquired at the trade deadline, is a free agent. That means the Brewers, barring injuries, will have this group to choose from:
Unanimous NL Cy Young winner Jacob Misiorowski, who threw 174 2/3 innings in the regular season and 19 more in the postseason
Logan Henderson, who had a 2.47 ERA in 98 1/3 regular season innings and threw 12 more innings in the postseason
Robert Gasser, who threw 109 1/3 innings in the regular season and 15 more in the playoffs, where he had a 0.60 ERA in three starts
Kyle Harrison, whose second half went poorly but who looked like a co-ace in the first half (he threw a total of 115 2/3 innings in 2026)
Priester, who when last healthy in 2025 went 13-3 with a 3.32 ERA in 157 1/3 innings
Shane Drohan and Chad Patrick, who will likely return to swingman roles
Brandon Sproat, who will probably start the season at Triple-A Nashville trying to figure things out, and Coleman Crow and Colton Gordon, further depth options who will also presumably be in Nashville to start the season
A wildcard option like Aaron Ashby, about whom we heard whispers that he could be in the running for a rotation spot. I’ll always be skeptical of reports like this, especially when it doesn’t seem to be a major need, but anything can happen
That’s a solid, solid group, but it does lack something: every single pitcher on this list is 28 years old or younger. There’s not a ton of experience, and while I’m not convinced that experience is all that important to winning baseball games (the Brewers were rather short on experience in their pitching options during their dominant World Series run in 2026), it would be kind of nice to have another guy around who you could reasonably hope to get 150-ish innings out of, just to take some pressure off of the younger arms.
Bullpen
Bullpens are notoriously hard to predict, but here’s where the Brewers are at:
Trevor Megill is a free agent after the 2027 season and it’s certainly not off the table that he gets traded—Jeff Passan reported that Milwaukee will listen on offers.
Abner Uribe is under team control for four more seasons and has a career 2.20 ERA in 179 2/3 innings. He figures to be a major part of the bullpen for several more years.
Ashby made a star turn during the postseason, and figures to again play a major role.
DL Hall also pitched well in the postseason and had a really solid regular season—he should play a big part in 2026 if he stays healthy. He’s entering his first year of arbitration.
Trade deadline acquisitions JoJo Romero and Antonio Senzatela are both free agents. Romero likely pitched himself into a nice contract during the postseason; Senzatela figures to be on the cheaper side, and it’s possible the Brewers bring him back.
Ángel Zerpa, who the team acquired in a trade before the 2026 season, had Tommy John surgery in May and could be an option in the second half of the season.
Grant Anderson is still around, and will likely make the team, given the relative lack of right-handed options, particularly if Senzatela is not back.
We could see an option from the minor leagues: 25-year-old Cameron Wagoner was awesome in 33 appearances between Double- and Triple-A last season, and one of the team’s more highly regarded pitching prospects, Tyson Hardin, could possibly get some relief work in the majors later in the season, even if he’s viewed as a starter in the long term.
If you assume Megill is back, then I’d say you can consider the Brewers have 12 locks for the Opening Day roster amongst their pitchers: Misiorowski, Henderson, Gasser, Priester, Harrison, Drohan, Patrick, Ashby, Megill, Uribe, Hall, and Anderson. Of course, the likelihood that all 12 of those guys are healthy when the season starts is low. That means there’s room here if the Brewers want to explore the free agent market, though we all know the most likely move is that they’ll acquire someone in some tiny trade who we’ve never heard of who then adds a cutter and turns out to be quite good.
Conclusion
Barring unexpected moves (like what would be a shocking trade of Contreras, or an extension for Made and trade of Ortiz or Hamilton), the lineup looks pretty set everywhere except first base, where Andrew Vaughn will likely welcome a new platoon partner this season. There’s probably a spot in the bullpen up for grabs, and it’s not out of the realm of possibility that there could be an addition in the rotation. But it’s also definitely possible that every opening on the roster at the moment is filled internally. Don’t expect a busy offseason at the major-league level for the Brewers.
MONTOURSVILLE, PA - AUGUST 18: Aaron Judge #99, Giancarlo Stanton #27 and Juan Soto #22 of the New York Yankees walk off the plane during the 2024 MLB Little League Classic airport arrivals at Williamsport Regional Airport on Sunday, August 18, 2024 in Montoursville, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
I hope none of you fine folks were planning on flying anywhere last night. If you were, you have my condolences! I hope you got back home alright, or at least to a hotel. I know it was rough out there.
Today on the site, Josh will talk about the AL MVP voting and how Aaron Judge and others have inadvertently helped doom Bobby Witt Jr. to likely become José Ramírez’s successor as the best current player in baseball who might never win an MVP, and Nick will celebrate the 48th birthday of Xavier Nady, a 2009 World Series champion who could’ve really contributed had his elbow not gone kablooie. Later, Michael will look at the final week of Arizona Fall League action.
Questions/Prompts:
1. What were your first impressions of the Red Sox signing old friend Jake Bauers to a four-year, $58 million contract?
2. What’s the longest that you’ve been stuck at an airport without leaving?
LAS VEGAS, NV - NOVEMBER 11: Rollie Fingers greets William Contreras during the 2026 MLB Awards presented by MGM Rewards at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Wednesday, November 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Matt Aguirre/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
This week, the GM Meetings took place in Las Vegas. It is the first real chance for GMs to meet and discuss trade possibilities with other teams, as well as hold initial meetings with free agents. It was also awards week for MLB, with the yearly awards all announced. Here’s what took place this week.
There wasn’t much for free agent deals, but a few were signed this week to kick off free agency. The big news for the Brewers was Jake Bauers signing with the Red Sox, which also means that he turned down the qualifying offer from Milwaukee. Bauers signed a four year, $58 million contract with the Red Sox, and the Brewers will receive a compensatory draft pick after the first round. A couple of other free agents were signed at the meetings, with Emilio Pagan signing with the Tigers and Evan Phillips signing with the Braves.
Another piece of news for the Brewers was about Jeferson Quero. The Brewers were officially granted a fourth option year for Quero, meaning they can keep him in the minors for one more year. Without the option, Quero would either have to make the roster out of spring training or potentially be exposed to waivers to keep in the minors. Now, the Brewers can give him one more season in Nashville to see what he can offer in the future.
Early trade rumors are coming up for current Brewers’ players, mainly focused around the players who are free agents after the 2027 season. The main two players that have been mentioned in rumors so far are Trevor Megill and William Contreras. At the meetings, Matt Arnold spoke about the possibility of trading Contreras. He did it with usual GM speak, saying that Contreras “means a lot to this team”. When asked about Megill, he continued with the GM speak and said, “He got the last six outs of the World Series, and I just went to a Metallica concert with him, so I like him. I like him a lot.”
The yearly awards were also announced at this year’s meetings, and as expected for the World Series champions, they were represented several times. Here is a summary of the awards that they won or received votes for:
Trevor Megill finished third in the inaugural Reliever of the Year award, with Mason Miller taking the award in the NL and Louis Varland in the AL. Aaron Ashby and Abner Uribe also received votes.
Brice Turang finished third in the NL MVP vote and Jacob Misiorowski finished fifth. Jackson Chourio and Jake Bauers also received votes. Pete Crow-Armstrong was a unanimous winner in the NL and Yordan Alvarez was unanimous in the AL.
The next big deadline date for the Brewers is coming up next week on Tuesday. They will have until 5 p.m. CT to protect players from the Rule 5 draft. Jett Williams (MLB.com No. 10), Luke Adams (No. 13), Marco Dinges (No. 14), Tate Kuehner, Brett Wichrowski, Brock Wilken, and Matthew Wood are among the Brewers’ top prospects that would need to be protected. With the potential lockout upcoming, teams may elect to protect fewer players, especially if they think the Rule 5 draft will be cancelled.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 10: General Manager Brian Cashman of the New York Yankees speaks with the media during the 2026 MLB Gerneral Managers Meetings at Aria Resort & Casino on November 10, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: After the conclusion of the annual GM meetings this week, the Yankees’ offseason priorities are beginning to come into focus. Brian Cashman acknowledged in an interview that rebuilding his bullpen tops the list. “Two of the three pitchers going into our eighth and ninth inning are gone; (Paul) Blackburn and (David) Bednar right now are free agents, so we’ve got our work to do,” the Yankees GM said. “And because of that, I am casting a wide net.”
Options include reunions with free agents Bednar, Blackburn, Tim Hill, and Jonathan Loáisiga as well as Adrian Morejon, who was linked to the Yankees while with the Padres this past season. Other potential areas for improvement include third base, second base, and catcher.
The Athletic | Chris Kirschner: ($) Speaking of third base, the Yankees were linked to Alec Bohm on Thursday by Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon. Kirschner is skeptical that the former Phillie can be the solution, noting he was below average at the dish last year and has been the worst defender at the hot corner in all of baseball since debuting in 2020. While Bohm’s right-handed bat could provide some platoon advantages, Kirschner suggests the money required to sign him would be better allocated elsewhere — like making a play for Japanese phenom Teruaki Sato, Texas’ Corey Seager, or Houston’s Isaac Paredes.
FanGraphs | Matthew Roberson: After another disappointing October, an overarching look at where the Yankees go from here. Roberson recaps some of the problems at hand — an aging roster, thin farm system, and depleted coaching staff — before pinpointing what he believes to be the core issue. Since signing DJ LeMahieu before the 2019 season, the most impactful external free agent position player Cashman has brought in is Paul Goldschmidt, the aging future Hall of Famer who’s been a helpful part-time player but is no longer the type of impact bat the Yankees may need to get over the top. If Cashman eschews a major addition to the lineup this offseason, Roberson predicts one more year of World Series drought.
Pitcher Pat Hentgen watches spring training drills at the Toronto Blue Jays camp in Dunedin, Florida February 27, 2004. (Photo by A. Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
Today marks Pat Hentgen’s 58th birthday.
Pat will always remain one of my favorite Blue Jays.
He won the Cy Young Award in 1996—the first Blue Jay ever to do so—after going 20-10 with a 3.22 ERA and pitching an impressive 265.2 innings. Hentgen received the award on his birthday, making for a memorable celebration. It would be incredible to see a starter log over 250 innings these days. He was also selected to four All-Star teams and owns two World Series rings. Although he didn’t pitch in the 1992 playoffs, he earned a win in the 1993 World Series against the Phillies and was set to start Game 7 before Joe Carter’s walk-off home run in Game 6 clinched the title.
During his ten seasons as a Blue Jay, Hentgen compiled a 107-85 record with a 4.28 ERA over 270 games, including 238 starts.
He ranks fourth among pitchers in franchise history in WAR (26.7), and sits fifth in wins, innings pitched, strikeouts, and games started.
After the 1999 season, the Jays traded Hentgen and Paul Spoljaric to the Cardinals for Alberto Castillo, Matt DeWitt, and Lance Painter. It wasn’t one of the team’s better trades. Following a single season in St. Louis, Hentgen signed with the Orioles as a free agent. After three years in Baltimore, he returned to Toronto for one final season before retiring.
Over his career, Hentgen went 131-112 with a 4.32 ERA in 344 games (306 starts) and accumulated 33.0 bWAR.
He gave us an interview, which is divided into five parts: one, two, three, four, and five.
Pat has remained involved with the organization, serving as bullpen coach in 2011 before stepping away for family reasons, then returning to the same role in 2013.
A few years ago, he spent some time in the TV broadcast booth and did an excellent job. It would be great to see him take on that role more often.
Happy birthday, Pat. Hope it’s a great one.
Today also marks Santiago Espinal’s 32nd birthday.
Espinal spent four seasons with the Blue Jays and had an excellent 2021, hitting .311/.376/.405. He made the All-Star team the following year, and by mid-June was batting .298/.350/.451. Unfortunately, his performance declined after that, as he hit just .244/.301/.300 for the remainder of the season. 2023 was a tough year, and with the team’s surplus of middle infielders, Espinal was traded before the 2024 season. He batted .246/.295/.356 with the Reds in 2024.
