Category: MLB

Things are largely quiet on the Braves’ front, as we wait for the last of the free agent market and the trade market to settle, going into Spring Training in two weeks. There are still starters that would make sense for Atlanta (Framber Valdez, Chris Bassitt, Nick Pivetta, etc.) on the open market and via trade, but time is running out before Spring Training starts.

MLB News

Jose Ramirez agreed to an extension adding over $100 million and 4 years to his existing contract, with significant deferrals.

Yu Darvish is seriously considering voiding his contract with the Padres and retiring.

The Mets signed Craig Kimbrel to a minor league deal, in a move that is aesthetically unpleasing to Braves fans.

MLB.com | Manny Randhawa: While there have also been some notable departures from the division, for the most part the AL East has gotten stronger going into 2026. While the Yankees have made one notable move in re-signing Cody Bellinger, there’s still going to be some things they need to do in order to get the division back this coming season.

New York Post | Mike Vaccaro: The year 2026 marks 50 years since the Yankees named Thurman Munson the first team captain since Lou Gehrig. In addition to being a great player who won AL MVP in his first season as captain in 1976, he was also the heart and soul of that era of the Yankees. The decision to name him captain helped shape the next couple decades of Yankees’ baseball, which have been immensely successful. Vaccaro looks back on that decision a half-century ago.

MLB Trade Rumors | Mark Polishuk: It’s still hot stove season, and on Saturday, the Yankees turned on one of the burners on the stove. Okay, not really, but they did make a move. Yesterday, the Yankees signed right-handed pitcher Dylan Coleman to a minor-league deal. Other than one inning with the Astros in 2024, Coleman hasn’t regularly pitched in the majors since 2023, but was a very solid bullpen arm with the Royals back in 2022.

It’s a good thing the baseball season is still two months away. San Diego Padres president of baseball operations/general manager A.J. Preller has plenty of time to upgrade the roster before the start of the new season. It could be a problem if he doesn’t make the needed improvements before March 26, Opening Day against the Detroit Tigers.

With the roster still missing a 1B/DH and at least one starting pitcher, the projections for 2026 are not favorable, according to certain projections.

There are two different projections found on the FanGraphs pages. The Steamer projections are the work of Jared Cross, Dash Davidson and Peter Rosenbloom. The definition from MLB:

Steamer uses past performance and aging trends to develop a future projection for players. It also uses pitch-tracking data to help forecast pitchers. On Fangraphs, the projections are updated daily and predict each player’s numbers over the course of the remainder of the season.

These are the objective evaluations that are available to fans and media alike.

There is another system published on FanGraphs, the ZiPS projections developed by Dave Zymborski. The Zymborski Projection System (ZiPS) is not based on human evaluation but an algorithm developed by Zymborski.

ZiPS uses growth and decline curves based on player type to find trends. It then factors those trends into the past performance of those players to come up with projections. The system uses statistics from the previous four years for players from ages 24-38, and it weights more recent seasons heavier. For younger or older players, it uses weighted statistics from only the previous three years. The system also factors velocities, injury data and play-by-play data into its equations.

These two systems can differ significantly at times. The projections begin with a preseason posting of stats for all players and teams and are updated as the season goes along, based on performance.

As of now, the Padres are projected to have a .496 winning percentage from Steamer. ZiPS is more optimistic, with a high 80s to 90-win season. They would only have 80 wins based on the Steamer numbers after removing the players that have left the team. With Michael King being the only significant returning player, the Padres rotation does not measure up as a playoff team, according to those Steamer numbers.

Both Steamers and ZiPS uses WAR as the final tool to measure a player’s value. Specific stats are also included in the projection but the overall evaluation is expressed in WAR (Wins Above Replacement). For pitchers, their ERA and WAR is the overall valuation tool as well as games pitched and innings pitched.

The Padres bullpen is already acknowledged as one of the best, if not the best, in baseball. With the rotation and lineup being the factors still in flux, I limited my research to those areas.

Offense

For the 2025 season, Fernando Tatis Jr. topped the team with a fWAR of 6.1 (FanGraphs stat). The next closest Padre was Manny Machado at 3.8 WAR. Xander Bogaerts came in at 3.2 and Jackson Merrill at 3.0. Jake Cronenworth had a 2.9 WAR but then the WAR fell off significantly to Gavin Sheets at 1.3. Ramon Laureano played only 50 games with the Padres so his WAR only reflected those games. He had a 6.0 offensive WAR but his defense brought his overall down to 0.7. All other Padres were under 1.0.

For reference, 1-2 is considered below average. 2.0 is an average player with 2-3 being a good player. 3-4 is considered All-Star level and 4-5 is a superstar. 6 or 6-plus is an MVP candidate-type player.

With the season that Tatis Jr. had offensively, the majority of his WAR was accumulated defensively as his offense was good but not MVP level.

Pitchers WAR

For the starting pitchers, Nick Pivetta topped out at 3.7 WAR and Dylan Cease had a 3.4. They were the only two starters above 1.0 in WAR in 2025.

Projections: Offense

Here are some of the numbers projected for the Padres players for 2026. I’m listing both Steamers and ZiPS for comparison and listing other notable stats projected with their WAR.

Fernando Tatis Jr. has a projected 4.9 with ZiPS and 5.1 with Steamers. He has a similar batting average projected with both (.275 with Steamers and .265 with ZiPS). He is projected to hit 30 (Steamers) or 26 (ZiPS) homers with 80 (Z) or 78 (Z) RBI.

Manny Machado has a projected 3.2 WAR (Z) or 3.3 (S) and a batting average of .258 (Z) and .268 (S). They believe his home run totals will drop again in 2026 to 23 (Z) and 26 (S) with 84 (Z) and 85 (S) RBI.

Jackson Merrill is projected to take a significant step up, undoubtedly presuming that he will have better health in the coming season. His WAR increases to 4.3 (Z) and 4.1 (S) with a .270 (Z) or .269 (S) batting average. His home run total is 20 (Z) and 23 (S) with 75 (Z) and 77 (S) RBI.

Xander Bogaerts has a 3.3 WAR (Z) versus a 2.9 (S) with a batting average of .259 (Z) and .270 (S). He is projected to hit 10 (Z) and 13 (S) homers with 52 (Z) and 57 (S) RBI.

Jake Cronenworth is also projected to take a step down from his 2025 season. His WAR is projected to be 2.0 (Z) and 1.6 (S) with his batting average dropping to .233 (Z) and .236 (S). With his home run 12 (Z) and 13 (S) numbers and his RBI 55 (Z) and 56 (S) numbers also similar. His drop would be due to an assumed decrease in his on base ability or his defense dipping.

Ramon Laureano, in his first full season with the Padres, is projected to have a 2.2 (Z) and 1.2 (S) WAR with a .242 (Z) and .243 (S) average. He is projected to hit 17 homers in both with 58 (Z) and 57 (S) RBI.

Projections: Starters

None of the Padres starters are projected to have an ERA below 3.55, with Michael King projected to have 22 games pitched and 119 innings to achieve that ERA with a 2.2 WAR. Nick Pivetta has a projected 26 games started and 156 innings pitched with a 3.87 ERA and 2.3 WAR. He is obviously not viewed as being able to replicate his 2025 success.

Joe Musgrove is viewed conservatively in his first season back after UCL surgery. He projects to 16 starts and 91 innings with a 3.87 ERA and 1.4 WAR. JP Sears is seen with a 4.0 ERA in 28 games started and 144 innings pitched and a 0.8 WAR. Randy Vasquez brings up the rear with a 4.68 ERA in 25 starts and 125 innings pitched and a 0.7 WAR.

Any significant upgrade to the roster will improve the overall team projections but it will be up to the players to outperform their individual projections.

With most of the major free agents in MLB now off the board, it could be a good time to sign the mid-tier players that Preller would presumably be aiming to target. A quality bat and mid-rotation starter is just what is needed to improve the overall projections.

The Mets, who are always on the lookout for pitching depth, came to an agreement with Craig Kimbrel Saturday night, according to Jon Heyman. It is a minor league deal for Kimbrel, with an invite to MLB Spring Training. He will make $2.5m in base salary if he does make the team, according to Will Sammon.

Kimbrel, 37, likely needs little introduction to those reading this. He is in the twilight seasons of an excellent career, to say the very least. He has amassed 440 saves across 15 seasons with a 2.58 ERA, making him one of the premier relievers in the game during his prime. He started his career with the NL East rival Atlanta Braves, where Mets fans saw plenty of him — he has made 46 appearances against the Mets, earning 30 saves and a 1.46 ERA against those appearances.

Kimbrel has since bounced around since he left the Braves via trade early in the 2015 seasons, when he was dealt to the Padres alongside Melvin Upton Jr. for Carlos Quentin, Cameron Maybin, and Matt Wisler when he was a prospect (an excellent trade for Remembering Some Guys). He spent a year in San Diego before being dealt again, this time to the Red Sox, in exchange for Manuel Margot. After three years in Boston, he spent three years with the Cubs, and truly became a jouneyman, appearing in Major League games with the White Sox, Dodgers, Phillies, and Orioles, before splitting 2025 between the Braves and Astros.

Kimbrel can still miss bats despite his age, notching a 34.7% strikeout rate in 14 games (12 innings) last year, which is pretty closely in line with his career 38.8% strikeout rate. He also had a 2.25 ERA in those 12 innings, as well as a 3.00 ERA in 42 minor league games with the Braves and Rangers (who he did not appear in a Major League game with last year), acquitting himself well enough to get another chance in 2026.

For the Mets, Kimbrel gives them another interesting arm to throw at the wall while they continue to map out what the middle and front end of their bullpen looks like. For Kimbrel, the Mets give him a legitimate chance to continue his potentially Hall of Fame career, considering parts of their bullpen are not set in stone. It will be a fun side story during Spring Training.

(All photos courtesy Houston Astros)

The Astros hosted a successful 2026 FanFest on Saturday, Jan. 24 at Daikin Park. The 2026 FanFest wraps up a great week of Astros Caravan stops throughout the Texas community and represents the official launch of baseball season for Astros fans.

The official kickoff of the 2026 season saw 10,420 fans participate in autograph sessions, photo opportunities, games, Fan Forums, Q&As, play catch on the field, take swings in the batting cages, and more.

“We were thrilled to welcome the greatest fans in baseball back to Daikin Park to kick off the 2026 season, and we’re grateful to our players and coaches for spending the day with them,” said Anita Sehgal, Astros Executive Vice President, Marketing and Communications.  “Fan Fest is such a special tradition, and we love creating unforgettable moments and memories for all our fans.”

Astros Manager Joe Espada participated in FanFest along with all the members of his coaching and support staff: Omar López (bench coach), Josh Miller (pitching coach), Ethan Katz (assistant pitching coach), Victor Rodriguez (hitting coach), Anthony Iapoce (assistant hitting coach), Dave Clark (first base coach), Tony Perezchica (third base coach), Jason Bell (Major League field coordinator/outfield coach), Tommy Kawamura (game planning coach), Tim Cossins (catching instructor) and Dan Hennigan (director of hitting and offensive coordinator), as well as bullpen catchers Javier Bracamonte and Caleb Nunes.

Astros General Manager Dana Brown also took part in FanFest.

The Astros had 22 players at FanFest, including IF/OF Jose Altuve, OF Yordan Alvarez, RHP Spencer Arrighetti, RHP Hunter Brown, 3B Carlos Correa, RHP Lance McCullers Jr., and OF Cam Smith. The player group also included RHP Jason Alexander, IF Nick Allen, RHP AJ Blubaugh, OF Zach Cole, IF Zach Dezenzo, LHP Colton Gordon, LHP Bryan King, IF Brice Mathews, RHP Jayden Murray, LHP Bennett Sousa, RHP Logan VanWey, LHP Brandon Walter, RHP Ryan Weiss, RHP Hayden Wesneski and IF Shay Whitcomb.

Several Astros alumni were also in attendance, including Astros Hall of Famers José Cruz, Larry Dierker, Terry Puhl, and Shane Reynolds, as well as Alan Ashby, Brandon Backe, Michael Bourn, Jason Castro, Jarred Cozart, J.C. Hartman, Art Howe, Phil Garner, and Chris Sampson.

Many members of the broadcast teams on Astros TV and Astros radio also had a presence. This group included Todd Kalas, Geoff Blum, Julia Morales, Robert Ford, Francisco Romero, Alex Treviño, Brian Bogusevic and Kevin Eschenfelder.

FanFest is also the culmination of a successful Astros Caravan from January 21-23, which gave fans the opportunity to connect with players, manager, alumni, broadcasters and front office personnel at various locations as the club approaches the start of Spring Training. This year’s caravan made visits to Tomball, The Woodlands, Corpus Christi, Central Houston, Austin, Baytown, Port Neches, Beaumont, Sugar Land, Missouri City, Ingram and San Antonio.

Craig Kimbrel agreed to a minor league deal with the Mets, which includes an invite to big league spring training, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported Saturday.

The 37-year-old Kimbrel, whose 440 career saves rank fifth all time, spent last year bouncing between Triple-A and the majors in the Rangers, Braves and Astros organizations.

In 14 big league appearances (13 with the Astros), he posted a 2.25 ERA with 17 strikeouts in 12 innings. He last closed in 2024, when he had a 5.33 ERA and 23 saves with the Orioles.

Kimbrel will have a shot this spring to win a job in a remade Mets bullpen, which lost All-Star closer Edwin Díaz to the Dodgers but added ex-Yankees Devin Williams and Luke Weaver to help replace him in the late innings.

They also signed veteran reliever Luis Garcia to a major league deal earlier this week — part of a flurry of activity in which they acquired infielder Bo Bichette, right-hander Freddy Peralta, swingman Tobias Myers and outfielder Luis Robert Jr.

Among the reported non-roster invite relievers who will join Kimbrel in big league spring training are Carl Edwards Jr., Nick Burdi, Joe Jacques, Anderson Severino and Kevin Herget.

The Mets are adding another veteran reliever to the system.

Right-hander Craig Kimbrel has agreed to a minor league deal with an MLB camp invite, according to a report from The New York Post's Jon Heyman on Saturday.

If Kimbrel, 37, appears with the Mets in the big leagues next year, it will be his 17th season in professional baseball. He appeared in just 14 big league games last year, allowing four runs (three earned) on 10 hits in 12 innings pitched, after signing a minor league deal and spending the majority of his time at Triple-A. The right-hander did strike out 17 of the 49 batters he faced with seven walks while pitching for Atlanta (once) and Houston (13 times).

He pitched to a 3.00 ERA and 1.051 WHIP across 39 innings over 42 minor league appearances last season. He tallied 51 strikeouts to 21 walks. 

Kimbrel's last full major league season came in 2024 with Baltimore, and it did not go well for him as he was designated for assignment in late September after losing his spot as the closer. In 57 appearances with the Orioles, he pitched to a 5.33 ERA and 1.357 WHIP over 52.1 innings with 73 strikeouts to 31 walks. He had 23 saves in 29 opportunities. 

The Mets will hope Kimbrel can return to the form that made him a surprise All-Star for Philadelphia during the 2023 campaign. He had a 3.26 ERA and 1.043 WHIP across 69 innings and 71 appearances out of the bullpen, with 94 strikeouts to 28 walks. 

However, after four good appearances to start the 2023 postseason, he had two blowups in save situations that cost the Phillies Games 3 and 4 of the NLCS. Kimbrel allowed four runs on six hits over six innings with five strikeouts and five walks in seven outings.

Overall, he has 440 saves to his name over his big league career, with a 2.58 ERA over 821.2 innings and 851 games.

Aaron Judge was still in uniform after the Yankees were bounced by the Blue Jays in the ALDS in October when he was asked about Cody Bellinger and Trent Grisham heading to free agency.

“I hope we can run them back and see what happens,” the captain said.

Judge did not know it then, but he more or less offered up a tagline for the Yankees’ offseason to come.

Of course, it is not actually that simple, but with just over two weeks until pitchers and catchers report to Tampa for spring training, the Yankees are poised to bring back almost the same roster that ultimately came up short in the playoffs last fall, with a few notable asterisks.

Bellinger’s five-year, $162.5 million deal to remain in pinstripes last week was essentially the last big piece to the Yankees winter puzzle, barring a late surprise.

It followed Grisham accepting the $22.025 million qualifying offer; the club picking up Tim Hill’s $3 million option; Ryan Yarbrough, Amed Rosario and Paul Blackburn re-signing on one-year deals worth a combined $7 million; and the lone sizable external addition, acquiring hard-throwing lefty starter Ryan Weathers in a trade with the Marlins.

The Yankees could still use some reinforcements to solidify the bullpen and a right-handed hitting catcher, as they have not done much to change their admission that they are too left-handed.

Jasson Domínguez, whose role became much less defined with Bellinger back in the fold, could be used as trade bait to address one of those needs.

But for a team that won 94 games during the regular season last year, tied with the Blue Jays for the most in the American League, the Yankees are doubling down on the idea that they can be the best version of that team, not the one that endured another summer swoon and then got clobbered by those Blue Jays in the ALDS.

“Look, obviously the end of our season [last] year was, frankly, as hard a one for me [as we’ve had] — because I felt like we were really good, and really good and healthy and peaking at the right time and got beat in a series against a team that we obviously struggled with last year with the Blue Jays,” manager Aaron Boone said last month at the winter meetings. “So you want to take stock in that. Again, you’re always trying to improve your club and improve your team, but also pause and say, ‘Hey, we’re pretty good here.’ And we’ve got a lot of really good players and a lot of really good young core players that emerged on different levels last year that we need to continue to grow in their big league journey.”

The biggest potential change from 2025 to 2026 is that the Yankees expect to get Gerrit Cole back early in the season after not throwing a single inning last year because of Tommy John surgery. Exactly what version the former Cy Young winner comes back as, though, remains to be seen.

But they are also banking on getting a full season with Cam Schlittler in their rotation after his dazzling 14-start cameo last year. They believe there is even more in the tank for Ben Rice, who established himself as a middle-of-the-order bat last season and is now set to take on the challenge of facing lefties more often. They are betting that Grisham’s breakout season was real. And they are hoping that their 2025 trade deadline additions — David Bednar, Camilo Doval, Ryan McMahon, José Caballero, Rosario and Jake Bird — can continue to make an impact over the long haul instead of just a two-month boost.

Will it pay off, or will trying the same — or, at least, very similar — thing over and expecting a different result remind them of the definition of insanity? The Yankees are only a few weeks away from beginning the journey to find out.

The New York Rangers have now lost three consecutive games, while suffering defeats in nine out of their past ten matchups. 

Frustrations are beginning to mount, specifically from Rangers captain J.T. Miller, who voiced his frustration following the Blueshirts’ 3-1 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Friday night. 

“We're not getting the results,” Miller said. “I'm not at all happy with where we're at. This f–ing sucks. Sorry about my language, but this really sucks. Losing every night, it's really hard to stay positive. I mean, it's really hard. This is nobody's standard or what we're willing to accept within each other, is losing every game it feels like right now. I think it’s just constant mistakes and shooting ourselves (in the) the foot. Everybody’s really trying hard. That’s what really sucks.”

When Miller was traded to the Rangers last season from the Vancouver Canucks, the expectation was that he could be the piece to help propel the Rangers into a playoff contender. 

Instead, Miller finds himself in the midst of a retool, and as the captain, it’s on him to keep a calm and steady composure through these losing times. 

The letter issued by Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury outlining the team’s plan to retool the roster was not in Miller's mind when he waived his no-move clause to come to New York about one year ago.

“The emotions have been going on for longer than the last two days,” Miller said after Drury’s letter was released. “It's unfortunately part of the game. It's disappointing, for sure. I don't think four or five months ago this is where we thought we'd be, but we’ve got a job to do, and we need to start moving forward towards the next chapter.”

Yu Darvish is hanging up his cleats — or is he?

The Japanese right-hander reportedly told the Padres that he was retiring after 13 big league seasons, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The news came as a bit of shock, considering that he would be leaving the game with three years and $43 million left on the six-year, $108 million extension he signed with San Diego in 2023.

The Union-Tribune’s report was quickly refuted by Darvish’s agent, Joel Wolfe, who told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand that his client’s days in the majors might not actually be over. 

“Yu has not made a final decision yet,” Wolfe said, per Feinsand. “This is a complicated matter we are still working through.”

Not long after, Darvish shot down the retirement talk himself, taking to X to set his story straight.

“You may have seen an article, and although I am leaning towards voiding the contract, there’s still a lot that has to be talked over with the Padres so the finer details are yet to be decided,” he wrote. “Also I will not be announcing my retirement yet.

“Right now I am fully focused on my rehab for my elbow, and if I get to a point where I can throw again, I will start from scratch again to compete. If once I get to that point I feel I can’t do that, I will announce my retirement.”

Darvish appeared to tell the Union-Tribune that he was OK with walking away from the $43 million he’s still owed by the Padres. 

“As far as leaving lots of money,” Darvish said, according to the outlet, “I look at it as that was never mine to begin with, especially considering the money I haven’t physically earned yet.”

In December, Darvish appeared uncertain if he would pitch again in the majors. 

“I’m not necessarily thinking about really pitching, as I go through this rehab process right now,” Darvish said, per MLB.com. “I don’t have that in my mind. I’m just trying to just rehab my arm right now. If I get the urge to come back, if I feel that I can stand on the mound and come back, then I will go for that. But I’ll just leave it there for now.”

Retirement or not, baseball fans won’t be seeing Darvish in 2026 after the 39-year-old underwent UCL brace surgery on his throwing arm in November, sidelining him for the entire season.

If Darvish does retire — or at stop pitching in MLB at the very least — it would mark the end of one of the most iconic Japanese-born pitchers there’s ever been to pitch stateside.

Since debuting in 2012 with the Rangers, Darvish has made five All-Star teams and received Cy Young votes in four different seasons, finishing as high as second twice, including his second season in the majors when he led all of baseball with 277 strikeouts in 2013.

He’s registered 115 career wins in stints with the Rangers, Dodgers, Cubs and Padres, and has the most strikeouts by a Japanese-born pitcher in MLB history.

Darvish was limited by injuries in 2025 and didn’t debut until early July after dealing with elbow inflammation during the first half.

In 72 innings for San Diego, Darvish went 5-5 with a 5.38 ERA and 68 strikeouts across 15 starts. 

In the series-deciding Game 3 of the wild-card round against the Cubs, Darvish started and tossed just one frame, giving up four hits and two runs during the 3-1 loss.

Japanese star Yu Darvish signed a six-year, $126 million deal with the Cubs before the 2018 season, with escalators that could have brought that deal to $150 million. You all likely remember the “Daily Darvish” posts I made here in early 2018 in anticipation of Darvish’s signing.

Injuries and ineffectiveness ruined his first year with the Cubs. After a slow start in 2019 he went on an 11-start run with a 2.44 ERA and 0.784 WHIP and in that span he walked six (!) and struck out 93. Then the Cubs pen failed him in his last two starts, where he walked one and struck out 25 in 15.1 innings, and the Cubs collapsed out of a playoff spot. In the pandemic season, Darvish was great. He posted a 2.01 ERA in 12 starts, striking out 93 and walking just 14 in 76 innings, and finished second in Cy Young voting.

Then, as you know, the Cubs salary-dumped Darvish to the Padres (along with Victor Caratini, insisted on by the Padres as Darvish’s personal catcher) for four prospects, only one of whom, Owen Caissie, ever played in the major leagues. (Zach Davies was also included in the deal coming to the Cubs, but he had an awful season, one of the worst ever by a Cubs starter.)

Today, Darvish told the San Diego Union-Tribune that he is walking away from three years and $43 million remaining on his deal, after having elbow surgery in October:

“The way my rehab is going now, I am focused on getting right, not on coming back,” he said late last month. “Right now I’m not really thinking too much about the future. Just knowing the way I think, I’m sure I will one day want to throw again. All I’ve thought about in my life is baseball.”

Darvish missed half of the 2024 season due to elbow issues and a personal matter but came back to pitch exceptionally well in the playoffs. When he and Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller spoke after that season, it was with the understanding that Darvish would likely need elbow surgery at some point. Darvish said he made it clear at that time he was considering “getting rid of” his contract.

“As far as leaving lots of money,” Darvish said in a recent interview, “I look at it as that was never mine to begin with, especially considering the money I haven’t physically earned yet.”

Darvish had one really good year in San Diego in 2022, posting a 3.10 ERA and 0.950 WHIP and finishing eighth in Cy Young voting. Overall in five years with the Padres, he posted a 3.97 ERA and 1.100 WHIP in 115 starts. He made 51 starts with the Cubs in three years in blue pinstripes with a 3.60 ERA and 1.106 WHIP.

As you might recall, the Cubs were in on the bidding when Darvish was posted prior to the 2012 season, but the Texas Rangers won that bid and he played five years there, along with half a season with the Dodgers in 2017, where he stymied the Cubs in Game 3 of the NLCS.

Presuming this is it for Darvish, his final MLB game will be Game 3 of the 2025 Wild Card Series against the Cubs last October at Wrigley Field, where he threw a scoreless first inning, then the Cubs had four straight batters reach against him in the second. The last batter he faced was Pete Crow-Armstrong, who hit an RBI single [VIDEO].

I know many of you will note the salary dump of Darvish by the Cubs as a key moment in that part of Cubs history, and you’re certainly right about that. I’ll also note that with the trade of Caissie to the Marlins for Edward Cabrera, the Cubs still have a chance to get something out of that trade tree. Here’s hoping.

Overall, Darvish made 297 MLB starts and posted 33.6 bWAR. He had a 3.65 ERA, 1.138 WHIP, 2,075 strikeouts and 115 wins. Add to that 93 wins and a 1.99 ERA in 167 games (164 starts) with 1,250 strikeouts in seven years with the Nippon Ham Fighters in NPB and there’s a borderline Hall of Fame argument for Darvish.

Yu Darvish was a fun player to have on the Cubs while he was a member of the team. It’s unfortunate he spent much of that time injured, and was salary-dumped when he still could have helped the club. I wish him well in retirement.

UPDATE: After the article in the San Diego Union-Tribune was published, Darvish put this on social media. So we’ll see.

Yu Darvish, amazing, magical pitcher who Rangers fans were fortunate enough to watch during his best years, is retiring, per multiple reports. A buyout is being negotiated between Darvish and the San Diego Padres in regards to the final three years of his deal, but reports indicate that he will be forfeiting the bulk of what he is owed by the Padres.

It is an unfortunate end to the career of one of the best pitchers I’ve ever seen, and one of the best pitchers to wear a Texas Rangers uniform. Watching him retire 26 batters in a row at Minute Maid Park with a bevy of LSB-ers is one of the most memorable moments in my Rangers fandom.

(ed. note — Yu Darvish has released a statement saying that he hasn’t decided yet whether he is retiring.)

I could recite his stats and try to describe to you his greatness, but instead, I’m going to just drop this here:

Brendan Donovan was considered one of the hottest trade commodities before the offseason began, so why haven’t the St. Louis Cardinals dealt him yet? While only Chaim Bloom knows why for sure, I speculate that two very unlikely trades from other teams might make the Cardinals trade of Brendan Donovan less likely.

St. Louis Cardinals President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has said from the beginning that the team will not trade Brendan Donovan unless they are blown away by an offer. That was true as the offseason began and remains true now. It’s obvious that the Cardinals have still not received an offer that has compelled them to move Donovan, but why since he fits the needs of so many contending teams? I have a theory that two players who are being quietly discussed might be holding up progress on Brendan’s market.

The first unexpected infield trade candidate that emerged was a rumor that the Chicago Cubs were listening on offers for Nico Hoerner. It’s been reported that he was definitely a player of interest for the San Francisco Giants who are also considered a top landing spot for Brendan Donovan. Recent reports indicate the Cubs are less likely to move Hoerner after they signed free agent Alex Bregman, but they have not completely ruled that option out. I’ve heard rumors that the Seattle Mariners were also interested in Hoerner if the Cardinals asking price for Donovan is too high.

In the past day, we’ve also learned that the Washington Nationals have been quietly listening on offers for infielder CJ Abrams according to MLB Trade Rumors. Talk Nats has confirmed the “listening” rumors, but say there’s a difference between shopping and listening. Nationals GM Paul Toboni says it’s highly unlikely, but he also won’t rule anything out.

I think many of us thought that Brendan Donovan’s market would become more crystal clear after Bo Bichette signed with a team. Now that the Bichette drama is done, there is no report that I can confirm that Brendan Donovan’s trade is any closer which means Chaim Bloom still does not have the prospect haul offer he wants. I have to wonder if teams like the Giants and Mariners are holding out for the possibility that the Cubs will really make Hoerner available or the Nationals would trade Abrams. I can only speculate since I have not yet developed the ability to read minds (but I’m working on it) if the Giants and Mariners specifically are less likely to offer the breakthrough prospects for Donovan because of uncertainty about Hoerner and Abrams availability.

As I said 3 weeks ago, I would have no problem if the St. Louis Cardinals decide to keep Brendan and continue their rebuild around him instead of trading him. There is no reason to trade him if the prospects on offer aren’t a knockout. It is a gamble, though, to keep Donovan thinking he’ll be a valuable trade deadline candidate. You run the risk of him suffering an injury and there’s also a half year less of team control available. The general consensus was that Brendan Donovan’s trade value will never be higher than it is this offseason. As of today, we’re only about 3 weeks away from pitchers and catchers reporting for Spring Training (yay!) so there’s still time that the Cardinals will pull together an epic Brendan Donovan trade. I think the potential trade of CJ Abrams and/or Nico Hoerner is nothing more than a mirage. Once those possibilities disappear, I hope Chaim Bloom gets the return he’s held out for.

While the main theme of the Tiger farm system is the group of top shelf prospects leading the way, the other big story in the system is a pretty disastrous run of pitcher injuries over the last two years. They’ve invested pretty heavily in prep pitching over the last three drafts, and right now they don’t necessarily have much to show for it. It’s going to be a major problem if the organization isn’t able to produce a whole lot of major league caliber pitching in a few years. Left-hander Ethan Schiefelbein got a big bonus as their competitive balance round B (72nd overall) pick in 2024, and like the other big prep signings in 2023 and 2024, he was barely on the mound at all in 2025.

The Tigers have always had a penchant for power right-handers, though that’s not unusual, so Schiefelbein was a fairly anomalous selection for the organization. An advanced high school lefty with four solid offerings and good control for his age, but without the high velocity fastball that often gets prep pitchers big bonuses, was a bet more on physical projection than anything else. His mechanics and stable, easy delivery spoke to a high likelihood of developing into a plus command guy in time.

At his best, the California native out of Corona High School looked like his just needed to grow into major league caliber stuff without requiring the huge development in command and pitch shapes that most pitchers, especially prep pitchers, need to make to reach the major leagues. His upside wasn’t necessarily on the level of harder throwing prep picks with similar big bonuses like Owen Hall and Paul Wilson, but for a prep pitcher Schiefelbein had a distinctly high floor as well. That was augmented by the fact that he only turned 18 in April of his draft year, whereas many prep players in the draft are already 19 or close to it on draft day.

Now 19 years old, Schiefelbein suffered the same fate as most of the Tigers’ young pitchers in 2025. After extended spring camp, he made three short appearances in the Complex League, looking little changed from draft day, and then missed the rest of the season with an injury that was reportedly a shoulder strain that didn’t require surgery, but did take the rest of the summer to rehab. In Schiefelbein’s case, this isn’t too concerning, at least compared to the other major injuries plaguing the Tigers’ pitching ranks. Rather than pushing him back on the mound at Single-A ball late in the year, the young left-hander just spent his time building up his body and trying to add overall strength before embarking on what will hopefully be a successful full season debut in 2026.

Point being, while 2023 second rounder Paul Wilson won’t likely be on the mound until late this season and will turn 22 years old next December, and the Tigers other top 2024 prep picks, Owen Hall and Zach Swanson most notably, aren’t going to throw a full season until they’re 21 in 2027, Schiefelbein is still on track to get on the mound and pitch his way through the Complex and Single-A levels this season as a 20-year-old. The Tigers will be hoping it plays out that way as their prep pitcher heavy strategy in the draft is looking pretty rough at the moment.

Schiefelbein is a pretty prototypical lefty with a balanced delivery throwing from a high three-quarters arm slot. He was well known to scouts as a high school senior after pitching for Team USA, and he was pretty much unhittable in his final year of school posting a 0.27 ERA with 83 strikeouts to just 11 walks over 52 innings of work. He used a twoseam fastball, slider, knuckle curveball, circle changeup mix as of the last time we saw him on a mound and showed the ability to locate all four pitches pretty effectively. His fastball typically sat 90-91 mph though he touched 94-95 mph on multiple occasions in high school.

He looks like more of a supinator than a guy who is going to turn over nasty, horizontally breaking sinkers and changeups, so I would guess the Tigers will have him moving more to the fourseamer and perhaps try and develop a cutter as he moves through pro ball. His curve was the best secondary pitch for him as a senior, and he has good though not crazy spin rates on the breaking stuff. The slider and changeup were more crude, but he wasn’t afraid to throw them in the zone, and already spotted them well for his age.

Unfortunately, there just isn’t much more to add to his scouting report yet. Guys like Hall, Wilson, and Swanson are expected to get back on the mound this year, but only Hall is on track to start his 2026 season on time. Schiefelbein will have the stage to himself to a degree early on, and while the Tigers won’t be pushing him beyond 100 innings this early in his career, he should be ready to throw a full season by now, assuming no further injury trouble emerges.

Prep pitchers take time. Even Jackson Jobe, widely regarded as one of the most advanced and talented prep pitchers of the past decade, struggled through most of his first two seasons and dealt with a host of minor injuries before suddenly breaking out in a big way two years out from his draft day. Schiefelbein is going to be a longer term project, so this season we’ll just be looking for more muscle on his slender 6’2” frame, and for him to stay healthy and start refining his craft. That would be very welcome progress in his age 20 season. The upside here is something like Cole Hamels as the absolute best case scenario, but the more realistic hope is that Schiefelbein stays healthy as he builds himself up over the next few seasons, and hits his likeliest positive outcome as a solid 3-4 level starting pitcher.