While it's still unclear when Yankees top prospect George Lombard Jr. will make his anticipated debut in pinstripes, league scouts and analysts are still holding high hopes for him.
MLB Pipeline released its first Top 100 prospects list for 2026 on Friday, and the 20-year-old infielder ranked No. 32 overall, a seven-spot drop from his final placing (No. 25) last season.
Lombard is joined by three other Yankees farmhands -- right-handers Carlos Lagrange (No. 79) and Elmer Rodríguez-Cruz (No. 82), and infielder Dax Kilby (No. 94).
The four youngsters were also ranked on Baseball America's latest prospects list, and notably, outfielder Spencer Jones -- MiLB's home runs leader in 2025 -- was excluded by both outlets.
Lombard, the Yankees' consensus top prospect, is projected to reach the majors in 2027 but still has plenty to prove as a reliable bat and defender.
The former first-round pick reached Double-A Somerset last season, but hit a measly .215 with 124 strikeouts in 108 games. He did produce 36 extra-base hits for a .695 OPS, however, in 391 at-bats.
Rodríguez-Cruz, named the Yankees' Minor League Player of the Year in 2025 by Baseball America, registered a 2.58 ERA with 176 strikeouts across three levels, finishing the season with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
Lagrange, standing 6-foot-7 with a fastball touching triple-digits, logged a 3.22 ERA with 104 punchouts over 78.1 innings in Double-A last season. MLB Pipeline estimates his big league debut sometime this season.
Dilby, the Yankees' first-round pick in the 2025 draft, has several boxes to check in his development. The lefty-hitting, righty-hitting teen saw some time with Single-A Tampa last season, hitting .353 with nine RBI in just 18 games (68 at-bats).
As players get ready to report to spring training camp, it's the perfect time for prospects from all MLB teams to show their respective organizations what they have, and the Mets have plenty this year.
MLB Pipeline updated its Top 100 prospects list for the preseason on Friday, and it includes four Mets. Here are the Mets prospects who made MLB Pipeline's Top 100:
No. 6 - Nolan McLean
No. 16 - Carson Benge
No. 48 - Jonah Tong
No. 98 - A.J. Ewing
The Mets are one of four teams to have two prospects in the Top 25 on MLB Pipeline's preseason list, with McLean being the only pitcher in the Top 10. The right-hander is also the highest Mets prospect on the MLB's rankings since Francisco Alvarez was ranked No. 3 back in the preseason 2023 list.
McLean's place on the list is not surprising after bursting onto the scene and becoming one of the Mets' best pitchers. Across 48.0 innings over eight starts during his big league debut last season, McLean posted a 2.06 ERA and 1.04 WHIP while striking out 57 batters.
Benge, who ended the 2025 season with Triple-A Syracuse, will compete for a spot on the Opening Day roster and, according to president of baseball operations David Stearns, the young outfielder has a legit chance to capture a place on the 2026 Mets.
Tong was called up to the big leagues not long after McLean and showed moments with the club, striking out 22 batters across 18.2 innings (five starts).
And then there's Ewing, who enjoyed a breakout 2025 season. He slashed .315/.401/.429 (.830 OPS) across three levels, ending with Double-A Binghamton.
McLean and the others were also on Baseball America's updated list of prospects, along with Brandon Sproat and Jett Williams. However, Sproat and Williams were recently traded to the Brewers for Freddy Peralta; otherwise, the Mets would have six prospects on MLB Pipeline's Top 100.
Williams (No. 51) and Sproat (No. 100) now give Milwaukee four prospects this preseason.
As spring training draws ever nearer, the Mariners have again fortified the group of arms they’ll bring to camp (known around here as The Pitching Pile), acquiring RHP Cooper Criswell from the Mets for cash. Long-tenured sixth (or seventh or eighth) starter Jhonthan Díaz was designated for assignment in a corresponding move.
Criswell, 29, was originally drafted in the 13th round by the Angels in 2018 (obligatory Mariners tie-in: the Angels’ last pick of that draft was Isaiah Campbell from Arkansas, who would return to school and be drafted by the Mariners in the second round the following year). He then spent two years with the Rays and two years with the Red Sox. The Angels brought Criswell up as a starter, but he spent most of his first year with the Rays relieving. The Red Sox moved Criswell back into a starter role, slotting him into the fifth starter role.
Criswell is in an unusual situation: he’s out of options but pre-arbitration, meaning he makes the league minimum. Boston, facing a roster crunch this off-season but not wanting to lose the versatile Criswell, hatched a plan to try to sneak him through waivers: they signed him to a 2026 deal for slightly above league minimum, at $800K, meaning any team that tried to pick him up off waivers would have to pay above the minimum. That plan was foiled, however, first by the Mets, and then by the Mariners, who picked up Criswell when the Mets DFA’d him to make room for Freddy Peralta and Tobias Meyers.
It’s unclear how the Mariners plan to use Criswell, who isn’t exactly the minor-league castoff who usually shows up on the pitching pile. As a starter, Criswell fits the mold of a typical back-end starter. He has four solid pitches: a changeup, cutter, sinker, and a sweeper. He throws the first three pitches about equally, around 30% of the time each. Criswell has an extremely low arm slot, and his changeup has plus drop, as does the sinker; the two, along with the cutter, combine for a wealth of ground-ball outs rather than strikeouts. It’s a familiar profile: the groundball-getting contact manager back-end starter.
The real interest with Criswell is his sweeper, which he doesn’t throw often: only about 10% of the time. That’s curious, because on paper it looks like it should be his best pitch, with a hellacious 20” of glove-side break. FanGraphs’s Stuff+ model has the pitch well into “elite” territory. However, the few times he threw it last season, batters didn’t miss it. In a small sample size, hitters slugged a gaudy .875 on the pitch.
But why not knockout pitch if knockout pitch-shaped?
Criswell offers a host of possible avenues, but “wipeout sweeper reliever” sounds a bit more interesting than “depth starter contact manager.” We will see how the Mariners choose to deploy him this spring.
In a corresponding move, lefty Jhonathan Díaz, spot starter/stalwart of Tacoma’s rotation and winner of the Casey Lawrence Memorial Bacon-Saver Award, was designated for assignment. It’s not a glamorous role, but Díaz filled it capably for the Mariners for several years. We wish him well.
The Mets have traded right-hander Cooper Criswell to the Mariners for cash considerations, Seattle announced Friday.
Criswell, who was designated for assignment by the Mets earlier this week, was claimed off waivers from the Red Sox in December.
He joined the Red Sox in 2024, logging a 4.08 ERA with 73 strikeouts across 26 appearances (99.1 innings) as both a rotation and long-relief option.
Last season was far less kind to Criswell, however. The 29-year-old spent ample time in Triple-A Worcester, appearing in just seven MLB games before suffering a season-ending elbow injury in August.
Since making his big league debut in 2021, Criswell owns a 4.48 ERA and 1.44 WHIP with 113 punchouts over 45 appearances (145.1 innings). He didn't have any minor league options remaining.
Welcome to the White Sox, and welcome back to closing, Seranthony Domínguez! | (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)
For the first time since 2022, the White Sox have an official closer. Chicago agreed to a two-year, $20 million deal with reliever Seranthony Domínguez two days after trading Luis Robert Jr. to the Mets for a pair of prospects.
No one expected Jerry Reinsdorf to actually use the extra change on a solid free agent, but this pleasant surprise is more than welcome.
Domínguez is coming off a strong 2025 season, split between the Orioles and Blue Jays: As a setup man, he accumulated a 3.16 ERA and an 11.9 K/9 rate in 67 games. Domínguez has also proven to be durable, pitching at least 50 innings in four consecutive seasons. His ability to stay healthy since missing 2020 and 2021 to Tommy John surgery will help take the load off of a bullpen that was often expected to carry games after the fifth inning.
Beyond stat lines, Domínguez fits in perfectly with a club that has an affinity for hard-throwing relievers with swagger. Domínguez’s fastball, which he used 43% of the time in 2025 and up to 60% in the beginning of his career, averaged 97.7 mph, ranking in the 94th percentile among MLB pitchers. To offset his four-seamer’s velocity, he swapped his slider and changeup for a splitter and sweeper this year. Although these pitches alone induced nearly a 50% whiff rate and helping Domínguez’s tally a 33.3 whiff percentage and 30.3 strikeout percentage overall, his new pitch arsenal also led to a 5.6% walk rate increase. Like many high velocity hurlers, Domínguez misses bats, but gets rocked when hitters make contact.
Domínguez is a low-risk, high-reward acquisition that elevates the Sox’s bullpen. The veteran reliever brings tenured success with playoff teams and a history of dominating in high-leverage situations. With very little to lose and a lot to gain, Chicago’s pitching staff looks more ready to hold its own against decent teams this season.
Some are concerned about how new Mets infielder Bo Bichette will handle the transition to the third base this season.
David Wright, though, is not one of them.
Wright certainly knows a thing or two about getting it done at the hot corner.
“If I could do it, anybody could do it; it shouldn’t be that hard,” the former Mets captain joked. “But he can pick it and is such a great athlete -- I see it being a seamless transition.”
Bichette hasn’t played the position since travel ball as a teenager.
He spent some time at second during the World Series last year with the Blue Jays, but had only appeared as a shortstop or DH prior to that at the big league level.
Still, Wright doesn’t think it’ll present an issue for the Mets.
In fact, after watching Bichette in those playoffs, Wright feels he's going to be a huge piece for this club with the abilities he brings on the other side of the ball.
“The energy, the electricity, that confident swagger that he brings to a team,” Wright said. “And on top of that, he’s a heckuva player -- so I think it’s a welcome addition.”
Bichette rebounded nicely after a bit of a down 2024 campaign, finishing 16th in AL MVP voting after hitting .311 with 94 RBI and a .840 OPS over 139 games with the Jays.
He’ll look to carryover that production hitting behind Francisco Lindor and Juan Soto.
Just like that, the tune has changed around the Mets’ offseason.
That sour taste from losing four fan favorites from their core has quickly washed away after an action-filled week that saw them make some big-name additions to help both their offense and pitching.
New York responded after losing out on star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Dodgers, bringing in one of the top bats left on the market in two-time All-Star Bo Bichette to man the hot corner.
They then filled the massive need alongside Juan Soto in their outfield, finally reaching an agreement on a deal with the Chicago White Sox to bring high-upside two-way centerfielder Luis Robert Jr. to Queens.
Hours after Bichette was introduced at Citi Field, David Stearns was able to secure the ace he’s been searching for, completing a trade with his former club in Milwaukee for right-handers Freddy Peralta and Tobias Myers.
The Mets also picked up veteran reliever Luis Garcia on a one-year deal earlier in the day.
On paper, this team is looking much more like a contender in the National League.
Manager Carlos Mendoza certainly is happy with what he sees.
“It’s exciting,” the skipper said Friday afternoon on Foul Territory. “Everything happened so fast, it was one move after another. I kept getting texts from front office members about the moves -- because of the way the offseason started, we got to this point, it’s definitely exciting.”
While the roster is now just about set, Steve Cohen's deep pockets have fans wondering if more excitement is on the way.
As we've seen over the past few months, you can never truly rule anything out with this front office, but Mendoza did emphasize that they feel good about the club as currently constructed.
“I know David [Stearns] is going to continue to stay active with Steve [Cohen],” he said. “As the manager, you appreciate having an owner in Steve and Alex [Cohen] who are willing to put in all of their resources; that’s a good feeling.
“David will continue to look for ways to continue to improve our roster, but we do feel really good with where we’re at from the pitching side, the position player side, the depth, the minor leagues -- we feel really good with where we’re headed as an organization.”
Yesterday, MacKenzie Gore became the first piece of the Juan Soto deal to be traded away from the Nats. However, there is a decent chance he will not be the last. As the Gore trade was finalized, rumblings about the Nats dealing CJ Abrams emerged.
The Washington Post reported that the Nats have been shopping Abrams, as well as defensive ace Jacob Young this offseason. This lines up with reporting earlier this offseason that there was interest in Abrams around the league. In December, Ken Rosenthal reported that Abrams was drawing heavy interest.
However, Paul Toboni’s tone has always been a bit different with Abrams than it was with Gore. Throughout the offseason, Toboni acknowledged that the team was actively listening with Gore. When discussing Abrams, he said the team was picking up the phone, but there has been a subtext that they would really need to be blown away to move him.
That stance was on display today when Toboni talked to Grant and Danny on 106.7. He said that he would pick up the phone, but that he sees Abrams as his shortstop. Toboni was never that committal towards Gore, which tells me something.
Toboni on trading CJ Abrams: “I won’t refuse to pick up the phone but Abrams is our shortstop, and as we speak, no trade is close.”
This is not to say he won’t be traded. There is a chance that we wake up in a couple days and Abrams is on a different team. After all, my feel for these things is not great. Yesterday, I wrote about how a Gore trade felt less likely than ever, and hours later he was dealt. You just never know with these things, but throughout the offseason, I thought a Gore trade was more likely than an Abrams move.
If Abrams gets moved, I feel like the deadline might be a better time. With three years of team control remaining, the Nats should be in absolutely no hurry to move Abrams. They should only move him if they feel like they are getting surplus value in the trade.
The deadline honestly feels like a better time to get that surplus value. There are teams that feel confident in their infield situation right now that could not feel so confident as things play out in the season. The Red Sox, Yankees and Royals are three teams that this could apply to. If Anthony Volpe continues to struggle in the Bronx, the Yankees would have a pretty glaring hole at shortstop that Abrams could address.
"I wouldn't be shocked if CJ [Abrams] is traded closer to the deadline than this winter."@SpencerNusbaum_ also wouldn't be surprised if he was traded tomorrow though. pic.twitter.com/NecW0oa1NV
You can never count anything out with Toboni though. If you asked me to name five teams that Gore could be traded to, I am not sure the Rangers would be on the list and if it was, they would have been 4th or 5th on the list. Teams like the Yankees, Orioles, Cubs and even the A’s were speculated about more.
When you think about it though, the Rangers needed a younger number 3 starter behind Degrom and Eovaldi, so the fit made sense. Could there be a team like that for Abrams? The Mariners have been an AL West team that has been oddly quiet lately. Could they be a player for Abrams if they cannot land Brandon Donovan from the Cardinals? I think it is possible.
At the end of the day, if a deal happens, I think it is more likely to take place at the deadline or next offseason. Unlike Gore, the service time clock is not really ticking for Abrams yet. They could hold on to Abrams and still get the same type of package in a few months. The new player development is also probably eager to get their hands on a talent like him.
The Scott Boras factor that existed with Gore is also not there with Abrams. If they really pushed, they could get Abrams extended. It is unclear if they want to do that, but it is a possibility. I hope they at least give it a shot because Abrams is a very exciting message and it would be a good message to send to the fans. Given recent history, Nats fans probably shouldn’t get too attached to Abrams though.
Carlos Mendoza broke down the Mets’ busy week during an appearance on ‘Foul Territory’ on Friday afternoon.
Here are his thoughts:
On where Bo Bichette fits into Mets' lineup…
“This is a guy who is so versatile," he said. "He could hit leadoff, second, third, fourth -- we're still so far from Opening Day, but if you're asking me right now, I could see a combination of [Francisco] Lindor, [Juan] Soto, and Bichette right away.
“I have to have these conversations with the players, but the fact that Bo is such a good hitter, you could put him in front of Soto, you could put him behind him, you could take Lindor out of the leadoff spot and put him third -- there’s so many different ways I could go here.”
On acquiring Luis Robert Jr. from White Sox…
“We’re looking at a very toolsy player,” Mendoza said. “When he’s healthy, he’s one of the best. We know the defense, we know the power, we know he can steal bases -- it’s our job to keep him on the field now.
“I know the trainers are already with their hands on him. We have to get to know the player, his routines and the way he prepares, then we have to make some adjustments in communication with him because that’s going to be the goal -- we need this guy on the field.”
On adding Freddy Peralta in trade with Brewers…
“I spoke with him as soon as the transaction went down,” Mendoza said. “I got on the phone with him and had a very good conversation, he was super excited -- everything I’m hearing, we all know the quality of the pitcher, but everyone keeps telling me about the quality of the person.
“You could feel it from my first conversation how excited he was. He’s willing to report to Port St. Lucie early so he can start meeting people, and that, to me, goes a long way -- at the end of the day, he just has to be Freddy Peralta, go out there compete and give us a chance to win every time you take the baseball.”
Mendoza was also asked about a potential extension with Peralta, but like Stearns on Thursday, he said the organization is just focused on letting him get his feet wet and the rest will take care of itself.
On Nolan McLean pitching for Team USA in the WBC...
"The fact that he's going to be able to experience that, playing with and against some of the best players in the world in that type of environment and in those settings, it's just going to continue to help his development. So I'm excited about it and I know he's super excited -- I'm looking forward to watching him pitch."
While Jasson Domínguez and Spencer Jones remain unclear in their roles for the Yankees after the return of Cody Bellinger in left field, the Yankees added some outfield depth Friday by claiming Michael Siani off waivers from the Dodgers.
The 26-year-old Siani spent most of last year with the Cardinals’ Triple-A Memphis affiliate and appeared in just 19 games with St. Louis.
Michael Siani #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals makes a catch in the outfield against the Houston Astros. MLB Photos via Getty Images
But he played 124 games for the Cardinals in 2024, although he had just a .570 OPS.
A solid defender in center field, Siani was selected off waivers by Atlanta from St. Louis in November and then claimed by the Dodgers last month.
He was designated for assignment by Los Angeles after they signed Kyle Tucker.
A player who fits the exact criteria the New York Rangers are looking for has found himself in the thick of trade discussions.
In the letter issued last week by Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury emphasizing the team’s intentions to retool the roster, Drury said that the team will focus on obtaining young players.
According to TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger, the Seattle Kraken could be willing to trade Shane Wright if the appropriate offer presented itself.
“Teams say that Jason Botterill, the GM of the Seattle Kraken, is listening on Shane Wright,” Dreger said. “But he is in no rush and understandably, the expected return for Shane Wright is incredibly high.”
Wright was selected by the Kraken with the fourth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft, and despite recording a career high of 44 points during the 2024-25 campaign, he hasn’t quite lived up to expectations in Seattle.
If the Rangers are indeed looking to get younger and begin the process of retooling the roster, acquiring the 22-year-old forward is a good place to start.
The Kraken are reportedly looking for a top-six winger, and it’s public knowledge now that the Rangers won’t re-sign Artemi Panarin and will look to deal him ahead of the trade deadline on March 6.
There have also been discussions around the Rangers potentially shopping Alexis Lafrenière, who Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman directly links to the Kraken in a hypothetical trade involving Wright.
“The Kraken have never had that dynamic young scorer,” Friedman said. “And I think they're hoping that Wright can get them that (in a trade). (I was asked) 'Could you see them doing Wright for Lafreniere?' I don't know how both teams feel... But when I thought about that, that's not the worst idea I've ever heard... Both players could use a change of scenery... I think there's logic behind it.”
In 49 games this season, Wright has tallied seven goals, 10 assists, and 17 points while averaging 13:44 minutes.
The New York Yankees claimed Michael Siani off waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday, continuing a busy offseason transactionally for the center fielder in his fourth organization in the last four months.
The 26-year-old has played parts of the last four seasons in the majors with the Cincinnati Reds and St. Louis Cardinals. A .221/.271/.270 career hitter, Siani is much more known for his outfield defense, with 17 career Outs Above Average in only 1,014 innings, a little over two-thirds of a season.
Siani ended last season with the Cardinals, for whom the bulk of his major league playing time has come. He was claimed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves on November 6, then claimed off waivers by the Dodgers on December 12, before getting claimed on Friday by the Yankees.
With a lot of the top positional talent in the system under 20 years of age, it’s no surprise that the two players that land in the Top 100 are both pitchers. That said, 19 year old left handed pitcher Cam Caminiti leads the charge for the Braves coming in at No. 53 overall. Cam had a fantastic 2025 season that saw him pitch a combined 70 innings across two levels (FCL & Low-A) finishing the season on an absolute tear for Augusta – posting a 2.08 ERA, 11.98 K/9, and 4.15 BB/9. It’s been well documented here that Cam was mainly a two pitch pitcher last year, focusing on his fastball command and sweeper, occasionally throwing in a changeup. 2026 is a big season, as it is expected that the Braves fully unleash Cam and his talented arsenal.
Also coming up with a strong season, and coming in at No. 84 overall, is JR Ritchie. JR pitched across three levels last season (A+, AA, AAA) where he threw a combined 140 innings, had a 2.64 ERA, while maintaining a 9.0 K/9, and 3.47 BB/9. At 22 years of age, JR will be pushing the Braves to include him in Atlanta plans during the spring where he may be a potential addition to the rotation should he show continued strong play. If not, he is likely one of the first arms up should/when the Braves need an additional starting pitcher.
While the Braves landed just two this season, there is a chance that number increases as a number of the positional prospects showcased strong seasons last year in Low-A and A-ball.
The Cubs had played a bit better after the All-Star break in 2022, but were still far out of first place, or indeed, any contention.
They had picked up Franmil Reyes on waivers from the Guardians in early August. Just one year earlier, Reyes had a 30-homer season for Cleveland (and had hit 37 for the Padres in 2019), but his offense had trailed off badly and he was let go.
The Cubs got him and figured, “Why not take a chance?” But it didn’t really work. In 48 games for the Cubs, Reyes hit .234/.301/.389 with five home runs and departed as a free agent after the season.
But not before he took the mound for the Cubs!
The Cubs played six doubleheaders in 2022, many of them forced by rescheduling after the lockout. The last of those was Tuesday, Aug. 23 against the Cardinals at Wrigley Field. They actually won the first game 2-0, a combined five-hit shutout by Javier Assad (making his MLB debut!), Michael Rucker, Sean Newcomb, Erich Uelmen and Brandon Hughes.
But the Cardinals teed off on Adrian Sampson, Nicholas Padilla and Anderson Espinoza and led 7-3 when Steven Brault entered with the bases loaded and nobody out in the ninth. He wasn’t any better, allowing a walk, double and triple that made it 12-3.
That brought David Ross out, and Reyes took the mound. He had been the DH that day, so no other lineup changes were needed.
Reyes played for the Royals in 2023 and has played the last two years for NPB’s Nippon Ham Fighters. In 2025 he batted .277/.347/.515 with 32 home runs in 132 games, and he’s under contract with the Fighters for 2026.. He’s only 30. The Cubs don’t need him, but I could see a MLB team taking a chance on him in the future.
Good afternoon everyone, it’s time to dive back into the mailbag and answer some of your questions. Remember to send in your questions for our bi-weekly call by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
The idiot that said, “Harper is coming” asks:Now that Bellinger is officially back, what’s next?A) Nothing of note.B) Trade of Dominguez or Jones to clear the deck a little.C) Trade not involving those two to better the team.D) Signing another free agent.E) Some combination of these choices — please specify.
I think my answer at this point in the offseason would be E. I don’t think they’ll trade Domínguez or Jones in the next month or so, but rather hold onto them as insurance until the deadline where they can outline their needs more and perhaps have better targets to go after. Could you argue there were solid additions they could’ve made over the offseason by trading one of them earlier instead of letting other teams load up on starting pitchers? Certainly, but they played their waiting game with Cody Bellinger, and while it worked out in terms of getting a deal done without going past a fifth year it did carry an opportunity cost of needing to hold onto them in case they did walk away from Bellinger and needed to have them on hand for a spring training competition.
As for the remaining needs the team has, there’s always room for a reliever and the lineup could use another right-handed bat with a focus on their catching tandem. Both Austin Wells and J.C. Escarra hit from the lefty’s batter box, and Ben Rice hits lefty as well so his occasional forays behind the plate can’t solve that issue. Flipping Escarra for a righty might be something the Yankees explore, and I trust the Yankees brass to find effective targets from other organizations to replenish the bullpen. They could also just end up signing a random reliever, which is the only reason I’m going with E instead of outright answering C, but given how late we are in the winter I think if there were arms they thought could get mileage out of with some tweaks they would’ve gotten them already. There could be a gem hidden on another roster that becomes available for a decent price, however, and if there’s any avenue of roster building I’ll give my full faith to Brian Cashman and company on it’s this one.
Hector asks: Should the Yanks create more playing time for Dominguez by NOT carrying a traditional BUC? Instead, let Rice be the primary 1B and the BUC. When Rice catches, Belli can play 1B, and Jasson plays LF. I prefer Jasson’s good bat/bad glove to Escarra’s bad bat/good glove.
As we just talked about, there’s reason to believe they do want a traditional backup catcher in the mix but also want to add another right-handed bat into the mix. Should they fail to find that, however, I wouldn’t mind this arrangement too much — part of Bellinger’s appeal is his defensive versatility, and I like giving Rice more consistent playing time behind the plate to ensure that he can hold it down. On top of that, if Domínguez is going to be on the roster he needs to find regular playing time or else they’d honestly be wasting him at this point in his development.
The only downside is that it limit’s Aaron Boone’s ability to utilize his bench late in the game if he wanted to, because if he commits to a swap and then an injury happens at any of those relevant positions there’s suddenly not enough bodies to fill the field properly. The team has an abundance of options for the middle infield with José Caballero and Amed Rosario in the mix, and in a pinch could shift one of them there, but over the course of 162 games its safer to have insurance across the field.
OLDY MOLDY asks:Does Beltran’s entry into HOF absolve the taint of the cheating scandals?
It doesn’t surprise me that the Astros’ sign-stealing scandal was treated differently than the steroid era players in the eyes of the writers, namely because one was a case of a team-organized offense versus individuals from across the league making the choice to utilize steroids. You could argue that didn’t save the players in the Black Sox scandal, but clearly throwing games/gambling is put in a higher tier of sin than the sign-stealing operations that were prolific in the 2010s but done to excess by Houston after the league had warned clubs against continued scheming. So the penalty that Beltrán, the first big name of the Astros’ championship roster to find himself up for election into the Hall and with a more than reasonable shot at it? Opening on less than half the ballots and waiting out another year of incremental gain before shooting up to success in his third year of eligibility.
There’s also something to the fact that the upset party in the respective cases were complete opposites. The league was the one that brought the hammer down on the players for the crime of using substances that they tacitly approved of until the Mitchell Report and congressional hearings forced them to change their tune, but the outrage over the Astros’ scheme was in large part stoked by their fellow competitors. That grudge carried over for a number of years, perhaps even still quietly harbored to this day but pushed aside as the core responsible aged and other playoff runs proved Houston a routine contender, but the league itself fumbled their investigation so badly that Beltrán was the only player that could even face punishment of any kind for it, and he was an aged vet on his last pursuit of a ring when it occurred.
It’d be reasonable to assume that the immunity the commissioner offered Houston’s active players for their testimonies will shield them here as well — the voting base has come down extremely harsher on players that faced actual suspensions and league punishment versus speculation. Manny Ramirez and Alex Rodriguez are facing an even tougher uphill battle than Roger Clemens or Barry Bonds faced in their still-unsuccessful bids, so what would the equivalent of an acquittal do for them? It’s mainly a question for Jose Altuve’s candidacy whenever he hangs up his cleats, as he’s the member of Houston’s core most likely to make it and also the one that his teammates were most adamant didn’t contribute to the scheme. Will the denial of being a first-ballot Hall of Famer be punishment enough in the electorate’s eyes, will they come down harder because he’s a career Astro more attached to the franchise and thus the scandal, or will they gloss over it? It all remains to be seen, and Altuve’s career is far from over to make a full judgement on it now, but the litmus test for how the scandal has aged in the eyes of the Hall is very favorable.
