Category: MLB

Ten different players appeared at first-base for the Diamondbacks in 2026, with eight men starting games at the position. However, more than half of all the starts were by players no longer with the organization, in Ildemaro Vargas, Pavin Smith, Carlos Santana and Luken Baker, so a lot of playing time has to be replaced. In addition, the offensive production from the spot was flat-out terrible. Arizona was dead-last in the majors by OPS, hitting .233/.282/.354 for a dismal .636 OPS. That’s the worst in franchise history by 38 points. Second-worst at 1B? Well, that would be 2025, so it’s clearly a position at which the D-backs have struggled of late.

What will Mike Hazen do to improve the spot for 2027?

Previous occupants

Four of the eight starters are still in the system, so should be considered incumbents, and credible options for next year. They are Tim Tawa (45 starts), Jose Fernandez (17), LuJames Groover (9) and Tyler Locklear (9). The first three are not primarily 1B, and there’s a strong case to be made, that pinning them down there would be a waste of their flexibility. Tawa, for example, also started games at all three outfield positions, in addition to third base, which is a useful tool to have. No reason he or the others couldn’t occasionally start at first when needed, but making them the everyday starter feels sub-optimal. I’m not sure they have the power we’d like either.

Locklear is the exception. Small sample size, but he posted an .802 OPS in the majors over 15 games. The problem for Tyler was staying healthy, as he played just 86 times across all levels this season. He has shoulder and elbow surgery last October after a collision at first, and missed the first month. Locklear then fractured his thumb in September, ending his season. In between, he had an .871 OPS across 68 games for Reno: for comparison, that’s 54 points below Pavin Smith, and does not translate well to the majors. He turns 26 later this month, so is still somewhat young. But as a comparison, in his age 25 season, Smith played 145 games in MLB.

Internal candidates

Likely the most intriguing possibility is Nolan Arenado. Now, he has never played anywhere except third in his entire professional career, since he was drafted by the Rockies in 2009. However, as he moves into his late thirties and his career inevitably winds down, the ten-time Gold Glover seems open to shifting across the diamond. GM Mike Hazen brought up the possibility last month, indicating it had been talked about with the veteran:

“We’ve talked about Nolan playing some first base, so that might be something we take a look at… I think [third base has] taken a toll on him physically a little bit. So we’re trying to be mindful of that. It could help us, depending on what’s out there in the market for available players, by giving us more flexibility. It opens the door for us, externally, to consider different ways to improve the team.”

The logic would be that would allow the team to sign a third-baseman or a first-baseman, knowing Arenado is able to fill the other position as appropriate. First base is generally considered easier to play than the hot corner, Arenado’s defensive skills should be able to adapt, if that proves necessary.

Adrian Del Castillo is another possibility for a change of scenery, since it seems the team does not have a lot of faith in him as a catcher. His last start there came on July 4: his final 13 appearances all came either as the designated hitter or off the bench. Given things like Del Castillo throwing out only 3 of 39 stolen-base attempts (and at least one of those was a trick play!), you can understand why. As a left-handed hitter, he might be a candidate to form a possible platoon with Locklear.

External candidates

For now, we’ll table the possibility of getting a third baseman, and concentrate just on first base candidates. With internal options like Locklear, Tawa and even Arenado, all being right-handed hitters, the team is likely looking for a left-handed bat. The clear top name there is Jake Bauers, but coming off a breakout season and having received a qualifying offer, he might be expensive. However, his weak track record before 2026 makes a long-term contract something of a risky bet, and so his market for a multi-year deal could be relatively weak. MLB Trade Rumors predicts Bauers might well accept the QO to stay with the Brewers. However, some do predict Arizona signing him, such as ESPN’s Paul Hembekides, who expects the D-backs to pay $54 million for three years.

A cheaper alternative from that side of the plate could be Nathaniel Lowe. The 31-year-old is coming off an 111 OPS+ season, split between Cincinnati and Cleveland. He’s a strong platoon candidate, posting an .822 OPS against right-handed pitching. Lowe also won a Gold Glove at first in 2023, and was a finalist for the award the following season. If Arizona decides to trade instead of buy, one target could be the Cardinals’ Alec Burleson. He is under team control for the next two seasons and has an OPS+ of 121 across the past three years. Burleson turns 28 later this month, so is basically in his prime. Whether or not he is available, may depend on if the Cardinals think they can compete, after going 77-85 this year.

Conclusions

Indications are that the Diamondbacks are not going to have that much money to spend, and they may be cautious to commit, due to the uncertainty currently hanging over the entire 2027 season. There are also other needs, including adding starting pitching and finding replacements for a bullpen significantly depleted by the departure of free agents like Taylor Clarke, Jonathan Loaisiga and Kevin Ginkel. But first base represents an easy opportunity to upgrade, simply because it was so terrible this year. You don’t need to pay top dollar for a stud. Just getting to average there, would make the Diamondbacks 2-3 wins better. There aren’t many cheaper ways to improve by that amount.

Ideally, we’d see Locklear blossom, and become the everyday player we want at the position. It’s certainly not too late: Christian Walker had barely 100 major-league plate appearances when he turned 28. However, nor is it guaranteed, and relying on that, or failed dumpster-dives like Carlos Santana last year, could lead to the team spending another season in the basement of production from the position. So while I’m not expecting a big move by Hazen, I do expect something significant.

Suddenly, there is a lot of smoke surrounding the Phillies and Japanese Triple Crown winner Teruaki Sato.

Numerous sources are linking the 27-year-old third baseman/outfielder to Philadelphia, a pretty incredible thing when you consider the Phils’ historical inability to have any impact in the Japanese market. Still, when NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Jim Salisbury is being this vociferous in his belief that the Phillies are a legitimate option, one must take it seriously.

“Tonight, Wednesday, I’m starting to hear more buzz about the Japanese outfielder, Sato…

…They’re trying to establish themselves in the Japanese market, and I’m getting the feel that… I’m hearing credible buzz… …that they’re on him pretty good. And this guy’s gonna sign pretty soon because he was posted on the 1st [of November], he’s got 45 days so he is likely to sign before the lockout comes in 20 days.

I’m getting more and more a credible vibe that [the Phillies] might have something going on with Sato. We’ll see.“

Sato was not on many fans’ bingo cards to start the off-season. In terms of outfield upgrades, a primary area of concern for Dave Dombrowski, it was assumed the team would primarily pursue Randy Arozarena or Seiya Suzuki in free agency. It’s possible that will still happen, but as Salisbury noted on The Phillies Show podcast, Sato is the most likely to sign before the presumed lockout that will likely begin on December 2.

Which player would be the best fit for the Phils? Let’s break it down.

We’ll start with a very basic table.

Teruaki Sato

One of the biggest issues confronting this roster is its age. Dombrowski is understandably reluctant to hand out another five-year contract to a player entering his mid-30s. Sato is five years younger than Suzuki and Arozarena, a major factor for an aging roster.

Sato is the reigning Triple Crown winner in Japan following a season in which he hit .306/.383/.609 with 39 HRs and 106 RBIs with 40 doubles. He hit 40 dingers in 2025, so his power is no fluke, and in six seasons he’s piled up 167 homers. For a team that lost a significant amount of power last year, Sato would appear to be a prime candidate to help in that regard.

His numbers are comparable to last off-season’s big Japanese import, Munetaka Murakami, who signed with the White Sox and slugged 35 homers with 77 RBIs in his rookie season. He hit just .207 and struck out 196 times but also had 92 walks, good for a .347 OBP. The numbers were Kyle Schwarber-like. In his last full season in Japan (2024), Murakami batted .244/.379/.472, with an .851 OPS, 33 HRs and just 13 doubles. He struck out 180 times in that league and walked 105. Sato whiffed 164 times last season and walked just 68 times. So, a little more contact, fewer walks, a bit more power from Sato.

Sato has primarily played third base in Japan, although most teams believe he should transition to corner outfield. It appears the Phillies have the same idea, although he could be a good fall-back option at third as well. He committed more errors at third than anyone else in the NPB in 2024 and 2026, but threw a Gold Glove season in the middle of that in ‘25. He has 260 career games in corner outfield in Japan, so this would not be a difficult transition.

The great unknown about Sato, just like every other hitter who comes to the States, is how he’ll handle Major League pitching. More specifically, velocity. There are fewer hard-throwers overseas and no one knows how Sato will be able to handle seeing more pitches in the mid-to-upper 90s.

MLBTR’s contract prediction for him is for five years, one year longer than Suzuki’s and Arozarena’s, for $80 million ($16 million AAV).

Seiya Suzuki

Suzuki, himself a Japanese import ahead of the 2022 season, has had a remarkably consistent and productive big league career, spending all five seasons in Chicago with the Cubs. He has hit between .245 and .285 every season, posted an OBP between .326 and .368 (last year), a slugging percentage between .433 and .485, and an OPS+ between 125 and 138 over each of the last four years. He banged 26 home runs last year with 86 RBIs, had among the lowest chase rates in MLB and plays a very good corner outfield defense.

He’s a right-handed, consistent, pitch-taking power hitter who would seemingly provide solid production in the middle of the lineup. He’d probably be their best right-handed hitting outfielder since Jayson Werth. There really are no flaws in his game, as evidenced by his 5.1 WAR last year, other than his age. And potentially the cost.

The Phillies really don’t need to sign another player in their mid-30s to a long contract, and MLB Trade Rumors’ predicted contract for Suzuki is for four years, $105 million. That’s $26 million AAV, which doesn’t break the bank, but locks them in through Suzuki’s age-36 season. He also received, and rejected, a qualifying offer from Chicago, meaning the Phillies would relinquish a 2nd and 5th round draft pick in this year’s draft, as well as $1 million in international bonus pool money, items Dombrowski doesn’t seem too stressed about.

Randy Arozarena

Like Suzuki, Arozarena is a right-handed power hitter that, on paper, would seemingly be a perfect fit.

He had the best season of his career in 2025, hitting .281/.381/.484, with an .865 OPS that is even more impressive given he did it all playing half his games in Seattle, one of the most pitching-friendly environments in baseball. His 148 OPS+ indicates he was 48% above average offensively for players at his position last season. His 5.7 WAR was, by far, a career high, and he led the AL in runs scored (113), with 26 homers and 79 RBIs. He’s also athletic on the bases, good enough for a sixth-straight 20/20 season.

However, as noted by MLBTR, Arozarena’s bat speed has slowed significantly:

His swings averaged 72.8 mph back in 2023 — in the 64th percentile of big league hitters. It’s dropped in three straight seasons but fell precipitously in 2026 — from last year’s 72.3 mph to just 70.9 mph in 2026. That’s in just the 31st percentile of major league hitters.

He’s also chasing more:

Arozarena’s 30.7% chase rate on pitches outside the strike zone is the highest of his career and represents an increase of five and a half percentage points over his 2025 levels. He still walked at a strong 10.1% clip, but even that number is down noticeably from its 11.8% peak in 2023-24.

I’m concerned we’re looking at someone who will fare similarly to how Nick Castellanos’ career went in Philadelphia coming off a career-best season in 2021. At 32, Arozarena is projected to earn a four-year contract worth $100 million and, like Suzuki, was also given, and turned down, a qualifying offer.

From a pure baseball standpoint, I would prefer the Phillies to prioritize these outfielders as follows:

1. Suzuki
2. Sato
3. Arozarena

While I’m wary of Arozarena, the Phillies must pursue him if they lose out on Suzuki and Sato. That said, those two players should be ahead of him in the pecking order.

All have some warts, but all three are better than anything the Phils have in the outfield as present.

Three years ago, I gave a grave warning that most dismissed as clickbait or alarmism: A lockout was coming to MLB in December 2026.

At the risk of asking the owners how many times they need to learn this lesson, I am not generally in the business of making predictions, but I will venture out on a limb and make a prediction today:

The owners are going to lock out the players (again) in December 2026 when the current collective bargaining agreement expires.

You may ask why. Well, I blame two “culprits” who frankly have not done anything wrong in a baseball context: Mets owner Steve Cohen and Padres owner Peter Seidler. 

Today is not the day to break down proposals and argue who is in the right and who is in the wrong, and why the owners are a bunch of money-grubbing morons who are going to strangle the sport when it has finally regained a measure of popularity to be the second-banana in American sports again, only behind the behemoth that is the National Football League.

Today is not the day I break down in graphic detail what I really think.

We have time for that trainwreck and to fully explore the anger and stupidity, as well as the slow march that got us here. We have time to discuss the cancers that have been allowed to metastasize and spread that we covered earlier this year.

Now, like a blip on Doppler radar that has grown scarier and angrier on the screen, the oncoming storm lumbers towards our figurative shores. It will come ashore, and it will be bad. But before the doom and gloom, we can take a second to mock the deserving.

This fact just in: I was wrong as to one solitary point. Steve Cohen did not become baseball’s boogeyman; Mark Walter and the Dodgers did. However, we’re not here to talk about the Dodgers. Even with all of the investment in Queens, and Lord, there has been a lot of investment, the New York Mets remain a laughingstock.

It’s like accidentally making a flop in the style of The Producers every year.

Now, on the verge of the imminent lockout that we are powerless to stop, we need to do three things. Today, we are going to present a prebuttal to an argument that I know will persist only to annoy me and highlight folks who are either terribly ignorant or lack any semblance of empathy.

Next time, we’ll present an idea that would make baseball stronger and better for the next century. It’s fan-friendly and would be a generational change, transforming the landscape of American sport forever. Accordingly, this idea has no chance in hell of ever being implemented. Ever.

The owners would hate it. The players would hate it. The traditionalists in the media would hate it. But the fans would probably love it.

Then, we discuss expansion: both how it would look in this new system and what we’re most likely going to get.

Controlling the Message

“It’s millionaires versus billionaires:” this framing of the coming labor dispute is so incredibly lazy.

We have extensively covered that the average player in MLB is not a millionaire, at least not yet. And even if they were, what we are dealing with here is a manufactured labor crisis where management doesn’t want to pay its employees what they are actually worth. For as conservative-leaning as baseball generally is, there’s a movement to socialize the risk for owners, which is my view of the current argument.

Certain sportswriters clearly come from some degree of privilege (guilty as charged here), and that shows in how they discuss labor issues. Invariably, a stinker from Brittney Ghiroli or Jim Bowden at The Athletic usually makes you question your sanity. Although Pedro Martinez, analyst at ESPN, unleashed a corker recently:

“Please, for the fans, both sides, figure it out, a good way to get it done, and do not lock out baseball,” Martinez said.

“I hope the commissioner can see me and hear and the players’ association hears what I have to say. I might be insignificant, but I lived it before. I experienced that before,” Martinez said. “… I was one of the most punished players at that moment because I had talent, and I needed to wait until arbitration to make my money. So I hope they don’t mess it up and they don’t mistreat the fans.”

“Back then, there was a need for other things to change, and they changed for the better. This time, there’s no excuse,” Martinez added in comparing the 1994 strike to today. “On both sides, not the PA, not the owners, not baseball. The fans do not deserve to be mistreated.”

In Boston for the Pedro Martinez Foundation’s 10th annual gala, Martinez said that “honestly speaking, I’m pissed” as he appealed to both players and owners to find a solution.

It’s as if the former Dodger planned to give the perfect segue to present the argument that I shall rebut:

The argument goes, if there is a salary cap in baseball, the owners will pass that savings along to the fans. Because really this salary cap is about the fans. Too many teams have no shot of winning at the start of the year. No one is worrying about the fans!

As to the Math

First, people have argued about trickle-down economics for about fifty years in the United States. As of this essay, this timeframe goes back to Ronald Reagan in 1980, before I was born.

The math ever since, every time it was tried, is pretty clear: it doesn’t work. At all. The richer get richer, the poor get shafted. That’s not politics; it’s math.

Wage disparity has grown into an ever-widening chasm between the haves and have-nots, starting in the Reagan Administration and continuing almost in a straight line to now. If you think a salary cap will lower ticket prices, concession prices, or parking prices by a single dollar now, fifty years later with clear, empirical evidence in every other instance that says to the contrary, then nothing likely will sway you short of a shock to the system that breaks past dogma.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions; no one is entitled to their own facts. There are not two sides to every issue.

As to the Cap

Second, baseball already has a salary cap; it’s just a soft cap, with financial penalties. The proponents of the stoppage want a hard cap where teams are barred from spending over a set amount. What these cheapskates want is the reserve clause back in all but name, and their best players being forced to play with one team for the duration of their career in the name of parity, which does not pass the laugh test.

Under the expanded playoff format, every team but six has made the playoffs: San Francisco Giants (2021), Sacramento Athletics (2020), Washington Nationals (2019), Colorado Rockies (2018), Pittsburgh Pirates (2015), and Anaheim Angels (2014).

Also, 13 unique teams have played in baseball’s final four, but sure, the Dodgers have somehow ruined baseball.

• Arizona Diamondbacks (2023)
• Cleveland Guardians (2024, 2026)
• Houston Astros (2022, 2023)
• Los Angeles Dodgers (2024, 2025, 2026)
• Milwaukee Brewers (2025, 2026)
• New York Mets (2024)
• New York Yankees (2022, 2024)
• Philadelphia Phillies (2022, 2023)
• San Diego Padres (2022)
• Seattle Mariners (2025)
• Tampa Bay Rays (2026)
• Texas Rangers (2023)
• Toronto Blue Jays (2025)

Yes, the Tony Gwynns and Clayton Kershaws of the world stayed with their respective organizations for their entire careers. The entire notion that homegrown stars are ripped from the fans of so-called small-market teams was perpetuated by Moneyball. Yes, so-called large-market teams overpay for players all the time.

Look at Tarik Skubal. The unspoken truth about the fact that he was dealt in 2026 stems from the fact that the Detroit Tigers tried to lowball him to an absurd degree, making a midseason move all but a fait accompli. Will a player accept less to stay put? Sometimes. What a player won’t and shouldn’t accept is being paid less. A hometown discount is one thing; being paid pennies on the dollar is another, unless you’re Shohei Ohtani, which is both an accounting joke and a gross oversimplification of his contract.

A lot of the discourse surrounding Skubal at the deadline largely missed the mark. Much was said about the Dodgers trading for Tarik Skubal. Some of it was insightful and thought-provoking. However, most of the discourse was devoid of rational thought, said with the emotional maturity of a sleep-deprived toddler.

While other hypotheticals were publicly being bandied about, it’s important to remember that Dave Roberts previously mentioned acquiring Skubal and, for the Dodgers, per Fabian Ardaya:

At the time, there was plenty of excellent coverage here at True Blue LA to sort through that needs no repetition here, only citation.

The default argument that the Dodgers bought Skubal was just silly and a declaration that one does not understand how trades work. Skubal did not have a no-move clause, unlike the also-traded Kevin Gausman. Skubal no more chose to be in Los Angeles than Kyle Tucker chose to arrive in Chicago last year after being traded from Houston.

Skubal was in the last year of his contract, costing about $10 million for the remainder of the year, and any team could have afforded that financial cost.

The Dodgers gave up some prospect depth in Zyhir Hope and River Ryan, but the system retained its prospect depth, particularly in the outfield. The trade of River Ryan for Skubal felt oddly kismet because I had worked on a trade proposal essay in 2024 about that basic deal I had to spike due to Ryan’s injury. A 2024 Dodgers’ team that had a rotation of Skubal-Yamamoto-Buehler-Knack likely would have had a much easier postseason run.

Yes, the Dodgers had Skubal and bowed out with alacrity in October. It happens. It seems likely Skubal will be playing elsewhere next year.

Yes, the Brewers tried to get Skubal with public reports about the packages they proffered to Detroit to no avail. “The Tigers, though, wanted a controllable Major League pitcher in the deal. None of the sources would say who they favored, but Logan Henderson was among the names teams were asking for most often.” In most years, the Brewers’ frugality is their downfall. This year, they won in spite of that trait. Good for them.

As to the Fans

Third, the fans shouldn’t have a say in this dispute. Imagine if, in your work, your customer tried to intervene in how much you got paid at work, arguing you should just take what you get; you wouldn’t stand for it.

That said, the fans do have a way to voice their opinion in these proceedings, once baseball returns: if you’re truly that unhappy with baseball, don’t go, don’t watch. We have a dispute between management and labor. If the customer doesn’t like the price of the service, the customer can stay home, which leads to the unspoken truth: baseball’s antitrust exemption.

If you want baseball, MLB is the only game in town. Even the Savanna Bananas and their ilk are something else. Baseball is a legal monopoly. And frankly, it is long past time for the exemption to die.

Everyone tends to forget that MLB pruned minor league baseball with a figurative ax over the last few years. The MLB draft is a shell of itself, as rounds 21 through 40 no longer exist.

Given the proposals from the league that seeks to further prune the avenues for people to enter the sport, it seems apt to point out the Hall of Famers and other notable players who were fortunate enough to make it when they did, because they are currently out of luck in the current system.

• John Smoltz (Round 22, 1985, inducted 2015)
• Andy Petittitte (Round 22, 1990)
• Mike Piazza (Round 62, 1988, inducted 2016)
• Roy Oswalt (Round 23, 1996)
• Brett Butler (Round 23, 1979)
• Mark Grace (Round 24, 1985)
• Paul LoDuca (Round 25, 1993)
• Dusty Baker (Round 26, 1967)
• Dave Roberts (Round 28, 1998)
• Kevin Kiermaier (Round 31, 2010)
• Mark Buehrle (Round 38, 1998)

The average fan will not be affected one iota by the strike, as they, we, just lose an entertainment option. Most writers will have to find something else to drive traffic and generate interest in baseball. Most will have to learn or relearn to love the art of long-form essay writing.

Note, I say fan, because there is a segment of regular people who will be deeply affected by the lockout.

I’m shining a light on the people who are already losing their jobs, those people who are caught in the crossfire of management’s unfettered greed: the support staff people in baseball. And the cull has already started.

No one will highlight the actual regular people until it’s too late.

People in operations, marketing, sales, security, and every ancillary person who isn’t a player but depends directly on baseball to operate and have a job. The tour guides, the media people, the medical personnel, the food service people, the parking attendants, the regular people who are forced to sit around or find other work because management is trying to grow their balance sheets.

I’m sure I’ve forgotten or missed someone, and that failure is one of imagination rather than intent.

This oncoming storm is appropriate for the age we are in. The retroclassic ballpark age ended a while ago. We now live in the Faux-Wrigleyville / The Battery Era, where the goal is creating an entertainment/mixed use district that keeps dollars flowing to organizations every day of the year, regardless of whether baseball is in season or not.

The utter rage I feel at these regular people being screwed is the genesis of this essay. Because there is a better way, and baseball will likely never do it. So next time, we’re going to describe the layout ourselves as we engineer the future.

Fourteen years ago, Pedro Guerrero thought his baseball career was ending.

Seven seasons into his minor-league career in the Dodgers’ organization, the utility infielder was 23 years old, still stuck in A-ball and, during a road trip to South Bend, Ind., with the club’s Great Lakes affiliate, coming off what he described as the worst game of his life.

The day before, the Dominican-born prospect got word from back home that his father had nearly died after suffering a stroke. Guerrero, however, kept the tragedy to himself, deciding to quietly play through the adversity as he chased an unlikely big-league dream.

“I can do this,” he told himself.

Disaster unfolded instead. 

In that night’s game, he dropped a routine pop-up with the bases loaded. After an emotional outburst in the dugout, he was benched for the rest of the evening. And the following day, he was informed that the team’s manager, longtime Dodgers minor-league coach John Shoemaker, was waiting to talk to him at the ballpark.

As he walked over from the hotel, Guerrero prepared himself for the worst.

“I’m like, ‘Oh, boy, this is it,’” he recalled. “My career is over.”

Turned out, it was just getting started.

Rather than cutting Guerrero, Shoemaker had summoned him to ask what was wrong, sensing something was off with his typically levelheaded, hardworking minor-league veteran. 

Taken aback, Guerrero finally opened up.

“I didn’t want to say, ‘I can’t play today’ or anything like that,” Guerrero recounted in an interview with the California Post this week. “But the fact he just listened to me, gave me a hug, and said, ‘I knew something was up, I’m sorry, I’m here for you,’ it just showed me that he cared enough to notice.”

“I told myself, ‘If I’m ever a coach, I want to be like that,’” Guerrero added. “That’s when I saw how to really make an impact on the player.”

A decade-and-a-half later, the moment has continued to guide Guerrero through a second chapter in his baseball life, inspiring him to pursue a coaching career of his own that, this week, came full circle when he was hired as the Dodgers’ new co-hitting coach in the wake of Aaron Bates’ unexpected departure.

“I can tell you how to change your swing, your bat path, your posture. I can give you drills, whatever it is,” he said. “But a lot of times, it’s not about that. It’s more like, ‘What’s going on in your head?’ What’s happening from the neck up?”

That philosophy has served Guerrero, now 37, well during his unlikely rise through the coaching ranks.

His playing career ultimately fizzled out in 2013, after he hit .236 with 23 home runs in 411 minor-league games. For the next couple of years after that, he worked odd jobs in construction (working on cell towers) and on a factory production line (making airbags for cars) to support his growing family.

But then, ahead of the 2016 season, he received a call from then-Dodgers farm director Gabe Kapler. The club was looking for a bench coach for its rookie-ball affiliate in Ogden, Utah. Guerrero had been recommended by several longtime staffers in the organization.

Ever since, his career has been on the ascent.

After two seasons in Ogden, Guerrero was hired as an assistant MLB hitting coach in 2018 by the Phillies, joining Kapler after he’d been tabbed as the club’s new manager. Following a four-year stint there, Guerrero reunited with Kapler again in 2022, becoming the assistant hitting coach on his Giants’ staff for the next three seasons.

In 2025, Guerrero got his first chance to be a lead hitting coach, hired by the Marlins after Kapler had joined their front office.

And though he wasn’t retained in Miami following this past season, his work with the club’s young offense (which ranked just 18th in scoring but top 10 in batting average, on-base percentage and OPS) had caught the attention of Dodgers officials, who had already begun pursuing him for an unspecified role when a contract impasse with Bates led to his unexpected departure last week.

“This is kind of something we’ve been talking about for a bit,” general manager Brandon Gomes, who was a pitching coordinator in the Dodgers’ farm system during Guerrero’s initial coaching stint with the club a decade ago, said after Guerrero’s hiring became official on Tuesday.

“[At first], it was independent of Aaron, to be honest. Thinking about how could we bring him on in some role. And then as things shaked out, we figured we would make it official and bring him on board, and then kind of see where we’re at from there.”

Now, Guerrero is preparing for his biggest opportunity –– and challenge –– yet, joining fellow co-hitting coach Robert Van Scoyoc in overseeing a star-studded-but-steadily aging Dodgers lineup.

This year, the team ranked top five in scoring, batting average and OPS. But it also endured a prolonged second-half slump and hit .195 during a failed World Series three-peat bid in the playoffs.

Even before Guerrero’s hiring, Gomes said the Dodgers were planning to “take a step back to reevaluate and understand what are some of the things that we can do better?” 

That process will be complicated for Guerrero this offseason by MLB’s looming lockout. He will have just 2 ½ weeks to begin making connections across the roster before the league’s collective bargaining agreement expires on Dec. 1 –– at which point, all communication will be barred between team staff members and big-league players.

“It’s gonna be a little bit challenging,” he acknowledged.

That, however, is where he hopes his long-term familiarity with the franchise will help. 

He still vividly remembers learning from club icons including Tommy Lasorda, Don Newcombe, Maury Wills and Manny Mota during his spring trainings as a player in Vero Beach, Fla. In his past coaching stops, he has tried to model the Dodgers’ modern-day success at swinging at strikes, limiting chase and grinding pitchers down with consistently tough at-bats.

“I like to think of it as building the player, not the swing,” he said, explaining how, especially with a roster as established and talented as the Dodgers, “the swings are kind of built at this point, so it’s going back to … are we having team at-bats? How do we execute [with runners in scoring position]? How are we gonna make it really tough for the starter?”

In other words, honing everything above the neck as much as everything below it –– just as he learned when the darkest day of his playing career turned into a launching point for his rise as a coach.

“Are you actually in the present when you have a job to do, like when it’s runners on first and third and you have to hit a sac fly to bring a run in?” he said. “Where’s your mind at? Are you focusing on what you got to do? Or [are other things] taking you away from the present, which is seeing the ball and trying to execute? Those are the things I like to talk about.”

Today, the Houston Astros formally introduced Brad Ausmus as the 21st manager in franchise history.

Notes:

Ausmus will wear number 12.

Ausmus stated he interviewed for the GM position before Randy Flores was hired. Said he didn’t think he would be the GM but thought he was very much in play as manager.

Stated he wants to win over fans who doubt his hire, and he wants to win.

It’s been a while since we got a good ol’ fashioned bolt out of the blue straight from the Atlanta Braves, themselves, when it comes to a player acquisition. The idea of the Braves front office never leaking is more of a myth nowadays than it used to be but it’s still possible, as we saw yesterday when the signing of Evan Phillips basically came out of nowhere.

For all the focus that there’s been on Atlanta potentially adding to their rotation or possibly getting another bat into their fold, it made sense for the Braves to also focus on fortifying their relief corps this offseason. With Raisel Iglesias currently a free agent, there’s no guarantee that he’d be returning to re-form that one-two punch with Robert Suarez that we rarely saw deployed into action during the 2026. If Iglesias does come back (and I’d have to imagine that it’d likely be on a one-year deal if he did return) then now he’s going to have yet another high-leverage arm to sit beside in that bullpen.

In fact, the Braves could be entering into elite territory when it comes to their bullpen if they can figure out a way to get Iglesias to return or if they continue to splash the cash for some other relievers on the market. For now, having Dylan Lee, Evan Phillips and Robert Suarez at the end of your bullpen is a very nice way to live baseball life — especially if guys like Dylan Dodd, Ray Kerr and probably Reynaldo López as well can help to round out the rest of the bullpen as well. I’m not going to say that the relief pitching for Atlanta is set because, really, it’s never going to be set due to the general volatility of relievers and the inevitable injuries that are bound to happen in any given baseball season but I will say that Atlanta’s going to be in a pretty nice place heading into 2027 now that they’ve got Phillips in the fold.

The main question concerning Phillips is whether or not he’d be able to return from the various ailments that caused him to mist most of 2025 and 2026. Fortunately, it appears that he’s still got it in terms of velocity — he came back in 2026 throwing 97 mph, which placed him in the 85th percentile when it came to fastball velocity and he did so while racking up an impressive 31.1 percent strikeout rate compared to a 5.7 percent walk rate.

His sweeper was at 86 mph (three miles above the average for right-handers), his cutter was at 93 mph (again, three miles above average) and his rarely-thrown sinker was at 97 mph (two miles above average). Despite the injuries (which was “headlined” by his Tommy John surgery back in 2025), Phillips’ stuff is back to where it was before he went down with the injury and from that point alone, it’s pretty exciting to think about what he can do in the back of Atlanta’s bullpen.

What makes this even more interesting is the money. By now, it’s pretty much an established pattern that if Alex Anthopoulos is going to splash some cash on a free agent, it’ll likely be on a high-leverage reliever. This front office did it with Kenley Jansen, they gave Aaron Bummer a multi-year deal, Reynaldo López was signed based on his work as a reliever and just last offseason they did the same with Robert Suarez. Now, Evan Phillips is the latest name to be added to this list.

At this point, it’s just something you can expect from the Braves. They’re going to place a premium on high-leverage relief pitching and honestly, it makes sense. The one thing that’s been a bit consistent about this team since they returned to being a perennial contender in the 2018 season is that they’ve had a bullpen that’s never been lower than middle-of-the-road. Over the past nine seasons, seven of those seasons have seen Atlanta finish at least 16th in fWAR among relief pitchers and it’s probably not a coincidence that one of those seasons where they didn’t finish that high was in 2025 when the entire pitching staff basically just had a revolving door.

So yeah, if the money is jarring to you then maybe that’ll explain why in terms of what the Braves have done in the past, it’s not really all that jarring. This is just how the Braves operate under Anthopoulos and it’ll likely continue for however this window stays open. Plus, it’s not even completely out of the realm of imagination that he would’ve signed a multi-year deal in this neighborhood of AAV. MLB Trade Rumors had him at two years and $24 million, NBC Sports had him at two years and $20 million while Yahoo! Sports also had him signing a two-year deal with an unspecified number — though I’m sure the AAV there would’ve been in the neighborhood of 10-12 million as well. The only thing that appeared to be shocking here is the fact that the Braves added on an third year but again, it also lines up with how the Braves themselves have operated in the past.

There’s certainly risk that comes with such a three-year commitment — especially considering that we’re still talking about a guy who will be entering his age-32 season after having spent the past two seasons dealing with injuries. With that being said, he clearly showed enough to where he was a pretty attractive free agent option on the market and the Braves liked him enough to hand him such a contract. If he stays healthy, then Phillips should serve as a very reliable option out of the bullpen for high-leverage innings and it’s easy to envision Phillips closing games at some point down the road.

Having such reliable options at that point of the game coming out of their bullpen is clearly priceless to Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves and now they’ve ensured themselves of once again having at a strong set-up man-and-closer combination at the end of their games.

Welcome to the 2026 edition of Ranking the Rockies, where we take a look back at every player to log playing time for the Rockies in 2026. The purpose of this list is to provide a snapshot of the player in context. The “Ranking” is an organizing principle that’s drawn from Baseball Reference’s WAR (rWAR). It’s not something the staff debated. We’ll begin with the player with the lowest rWAR and end up with the player with the highest. 

No. 21, Brett Sullivan (0.3 rWAR)

In 2026, we learned a lot of things about Colorado Rockies backup catcher Brett Sullivan.

For starters, he apparently shares the same name as the person who directed the live capture of the Broadway musical Hadestown. (I asked him about it in August, and he asked if that’s why he kept getting randomly tagged in things on Instagram.)

Secondly, the 32-year-old somehow became the Rockies answer to Shohei Ohtani, falling 12.1 innings short of two-way player status.

Sullivan became a true triple threat in 2026, but instead of those threats being acting, singing, and dancing, his are hitting, pitching, and leadership.

Here’s how he fared under each threat in 2026.

Hitting

Sullivan played in 82 games in 2026, batting .225/.238/.390 with 13 doubles, one triple and seven home runs. He recorded 33 RBI, one stolen base in three attempts, and accumulated a wRC+ of 65. The numbers might not be the flashiest, but considering he played more games in 2026 than he did in his previous three seasons combined, it’s not surprising.

He did have some excellent moments, though, such as becoming the first pitcher not named “Ohtani” to record a home run on May 26th at Dodger Stadium:

That home run also broke an 0-for-26 stretch that he’d been on since May 2nd, and an overall stretch of 27 consecutive hitless at-bats. In the entire month of May, Sullivan went just 3-for-37 (.081).

After the Rockies batted around, he nearly hit a grand slam off Miguel Rojas, but it was caught just shy of the warning track.

Sullivan broke out of his funk in early June, going 7-for-16 from May 26-June 11. And some of that he credits to a wardrobe change suggestion from Mickey Moniak:

Sullivan ended up going 7-for-27 in June with three homers and four RBI. He continued playing well in July, going 8-for-27 (.296) with two doubles and a triple. He fell back down to earth a little bit in August, and then — much like the rest of the team — fell off in September, hitting just .188 over the final month.

Pitching

Sullivan really found his stride as relief pitcher in 2026. He made his first appearance on May 19th against the Texas Rangers, where he pitched a scoreless ninth in the 10-0 loss.

Sullivan made four appearances in May totaling 4.1 innings, and didn’t allow a run until May 31st against the San Francisco Giants. But that outing ended up being his worst (1.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 ER, 1 HR, 1 K). He allowed one run in each of his next two outings, but finished strong with a scoreless two-thirds of an inning against the Cleveland Guardians on August 21st.

At the end of the season, Sullivan had a 4.70 ERA and 1.70 WHIP. He allowed 11 total hits, four runs, one home run, two walks and one strikeout. He threw 94 total pitches (including his elusive “air cutter”).

He needed 20 innings and 20 games batting to reach official two-way player status, and he finished with 7.2 innings alongside 84 games batting. But he still gave Ohtani a run for his money!

Leadership

One of the most underrated traits of a veteran player, especially a backup catcher, is their leadership. Sullivan is truly a journeyman, considering he is 32 and this was his first full season in MLB. And that kind of journey provides good experience to relay to young players cutting their teeth, even if he was experiencing a long major league season for the first time himself.

“It’s been great,” Sullivan said at the end of the season. “I think being here in Colorado with this team, this organization — especially the coaching staff — it’s been what you you want since you start playing baseball.

“And shoot, I haven’t taken a day for granted at all, but there’s also a sense of comfortability,” he continued, “and when you show up, you believe in the guys, and they believe in you. And maybe that’s something I haven’t had. So I’ve absolutely loved it this year with this group of guys, and I still think there’s a lot more we can do.”

But there are still lessons to be learned, even in leadership.

“From the baseball side and this team side — the record may not be what we want it to be, but I want to say there’s been 42, 43 games where we’ve lost by one or two runs,” Sullivan said. “A huge lesson is every game matters, every inning matters. There’s going to be mess ups. There’s going be hiccups. Every one of us is gonna do it. But if you can really focus and on today — this game matters. Not this series or this week, it’s ‘Hey, today is the biggest day.’ I think you might come out on the better end of some of those.

“And and just saying that out loud — 42 games with two runs or less losses — I mean, we’re in it each game, or at least we believe we’re going to be in it,” he continued. “And so [the] biggest lesson is taking it day by day and showing up, saying, ‘Hey, today we’re going to win, and that’s all that matters is right now.’”

Sullivan’s leadership was on display when he announced Hunter Goodman as the Rockies’ All-Star.

Manager Warren Schaeffer said he spoke to the club first, but Sullivan took over the announcement because “he’s basically our team spokesman.”

“Every night that we win, Brett Sullivan speaks to the group,” Schaeffer said, “might as well do it in that big moment, too. He’s a fellow catcher. It’s their team — it’s the players’ team — so better a player do it than me.”

And some of that leadership comes with knowing when to take one for the team, such as becoming the de facto position-player pitcher. Or even being on camera more:

What’s next

Sullivan just completed his first full year in the majors, so he still has two more years before he is arbitration eligible. What the Rockies decide to do with Hunter Goodman will likely determine Sullivan’s fate in 2027 (and Braxton Fulford’s as well). But given his steady work and veteran presence, he will likely remain with the Rockies for another year.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

The Lookies are Lookout Landing’s most prestigious awards. They are presented annually to honor the Seattle Mariners’ best players, most memorable moments, and goldenest retrievers. The staff collaborated to determine the categories and nominees, and a reader vote was held to determine the winners. The winners were announced and discussed at length on the November 2 episode of Meet at the Mitt. But for those of you who prefer the written word, we also present the results below. Friends, here are the 2026 Lookies.

Most Improved Pitcher

Nominees: Kade Anderson, Emerson Hancock
Winner: Emerson Hancock
2025: Eduard Bazardo
2024: Bryce Miller
2023: George Kirby

Most Improved Position Player

Nominees: Dominic Canzone, Cole Young
Winner: Cole Young
2025: Jorge Polanco
2024: Cal Raleigh
2023: J.P. Crawford

Outstanding Prospect Performer

Nominees: Kade Anderson, Michael Arroyo, Felnin Celesten, Jarvís Gomez, Lazaro Montes, Ryan Sloan
Winner: Kade Anderson
2025: Colt Emerson
2024: Lazaro Montes
2023: Harry Ford
2022: Taylor Dollard

Unsung Hero

Nominees: Matt Brash, Cooper Criswell, Seranthony Domínguez, Brendan Donovan, José Ferrer, Jhonny Pereda, Luke Raley, Víctor Robles
Winner: Jhonny Pereda
2025: Eduard Bazardo
2024: Emerson Hancock
2023: Paul Sewald (awarded as Part-Time Hero)
2022: Luis Castillo (awarded as Part-Time Hero)

Most Francise-Altering Move

Nominees: Re-signing Josh Naylor, Brendan Donovan Trade, Colt Emerson Extension, Luis Castillo Trade, Dan Fired
Winner: Dan Fired
2025: Cal Raleigh Extension
2024: Servais fired/Wilson hired
2023: Not awarded
2022: Julio Extension

Turn Ahead the Clock Award for Best Promotion

Nominees: Ichiro Statue Replica, 50th Season Aloha Shirt, Humpy Shoulder Plush, Alumni Home Run Derby, Decades Series Pins
Winner: Alumni Home Run Derby
2025: Ichiro HOF plaque replicas
2024: Buhner Buzz Night 30th Anniversary
2023: Death Cabby for Cutie Day
2022: Swaggerty headband

Regular Season Game of the Year

Nominees: 8-7 Comeback Walkoff Over Houston, Mariners Finally Win at Dodger Stadium, The Randy Game/Kade Debut, Cal’s 3-Dinger Game, Laz Debut, Franchis Record Margin of Victory, Final Game
Winner: The Randy Game/Kade Debut
2025: Three Nights in Houston (awarded as Regular Season Series of the Year)
2024: Allowing one run against the Mets, culminating in Sunday Night Baseball (awarded as Regular Season Series of the Year)
2023: Sweep in Houston (awarded as Regular Season Series of the Year)
2022: 13-inning win over the Yankees

Pitching Performance of the Regular Season

Nominees: Hancock v. CLE, Mar. 29 – 6 IP, 9 K, 1 BB, 0 H, 0 R; Miller and Castillo v. ARI, May 31 – 10 IP, 9 K, 3 BB, 3 H, 2 R; Muñoz @ PIT, June 23 – 1 IP, 3 K, 6 Whiffs, 102 mph; Gilbert @ TOR, July 4 – 7.1 IP, 7 K, 0 BB, 1 H, 0 R, 18 whiffs; Kirbry v. PHI, Aug. 25 – 7.2 IP, 9 K, 1 BB, 6 H, 1 R, 21 whiffs; Woo @ ATH, Sept. 6 – 8 IP, 9 K, 2 BB, 1 H, 0 R
Winner: Hancock’s Coming Out Party
2025: Woo takes a no-no into the eighth at Yankee Stadium
2024: Gilbert completes the sweep of Texas
2023: Kirby CGSO-ish
2022: Castillo home debut

Edgar Martinez Award for Hit of the Year

Nominees: Cole Young homecoming homer in PIT; Cal salami after Reds IBB Canzone; Brock Rodden’s first hit gets 2 RBI to tie up Houston in the 8th; Randy walkoff in Kade debut (after homering on first pitch); Laz T-Mobile record 474-footer; J.P.‘s possible final HR as a Mariner
Winner: Randy walkoff in Kade debut (after homering on first pitch)
2025: Naylor’s bases-clearing double in the eighth on Playoff Clinch Night
2024: Raley’s game-tying squeeze bunt
2023: J.P. walk-off in Game 159
2022: Cal ends the drought

Playoff Moment of the Year

Not Awarded
2025: Geno Salami, ALCS Game 5

Best Non-Player Addition to the Mariners

Nominees: Ferry Boat Bowl/Plate; SEAcret Door Drinks; Silver Hydro; Ichiro Statue; 116-win/9-11 Statue
Winner: Ichiro Statue
2025: September mustaches
2024: Hot Dogs from Heaven
2023: The Home-Run Trident
2022: Tucker the dog

New Mariner of the Year

For the player new to the organization who had the biggest positive overall impact
Nominees: Seranthony Domínguez, Brendan Donovan, José Ferrer, Jhonny Pereda
Winner: Jhonny Pereda
2025: Josh Naylor
2024: Víctor Robles
2023: Teoscar Hernández
2022: Eugenio Suárez

Rookie of the Year

Nominees: Kade Anderson, Michael Arroyo, Colt Emerson, Lazaro Montes, Jhonny Pereda
Winner: Kade Anderson
2025: Ben Williamson
2024: Not awarded
2023: Bryce Miller
2022: Julio Rodríguez

Baserunner of the Year

Nominees: Randy Arozarena, Josh Naylor, Julio Rodríguez
Winner: Josh Naylor
2025: Josh Naylor
2024: Víctor Robles

Defensive Player of the Year

Nominees: Leo Rivas, Víctor Robles, Cole Young, Bryan Woo
Winner: Cole Young
2025: Julio Rodríguez
2024: Cal Raleigh
2023: Eugenio Suárez

Bombero del Año

For the reliever who did the most to help the Mariners win as many games as possible
Nominees: Luis Castillo, Seranthony Domínguez, José Ferrer, Andrés Muñoz, Gabe Speier
Winner: Andrés Muñoz
2025: Andrés Muñoz
2024: Andrés Muñoz
2023: Matt Brash
2022: Andrés Muñoz

Félix Hernández Award

For the pitcher who did the most to help the Mariners win as many games as possible
Nominees: Logan Gilbert, Emerson Hancock, George Kirby, Bryan Woo
Winner: Logan Gilbert
2025: Bryan Woo
2024: Logan Gilbert
2023: George Kirby
2022: Logan Gilbert

Most Valuable Mariner

Nominees: Randy Arozarena, Dominic Canzone, Logan Gilbert, Julio Rodríguez, Bryan Woo, Cole Young
Winner: Randy Arozarena
2025: Cal Raleigh
2024: Cal Raleigh
2023: J.P. Crawford
2022: Julio Rodríguez

Left-hander Paul Minner was among so many pitchers in his era and later — 1940s to about the time of Tommy John surgery — who were hard throwers, suffered injuries, then tried to re-invent themselves as finesse soft-tossers.

In Minner’s case it succeeded, for a few years at least, after he was acquired along with first baseman Preston Ward from the Dodgers in October 1949 for $100,000. In case you were wondering, that was a tremendous amount of money in those days. You don’t see cash transactions for that sort of money now. That’s roughly equivalent to $1.4 million today, even in today’s baseball market, that’s not chump change.

The Cubs of the early 1950s, as you know, weren’t very good. But Minner put together some years that were at least decent — for example, in 1951 he posted a 3.79 ERA and 1.403 WHIP in 33 games (28 starts) covering 201.2 innings. Despite striking out hardly anyone, just 68 (7.9 percent), that was good for 3.2 bWAR, a solid season. Unfortunately, Minner went 6-17 that year, leading the NL in losses, largely because he ranked 23rd of 31 qualified starters with 3.9 runs of support per start.

This was a common thing for Cubs starters in those days. Part of it had to stem from a bizarre use of starting pitchers by manager Frank Frisch, as noted in Minner’s SABR biography:

Frisch handled his staff the way his mentor, John “Little Napoleon” McGraw, did when the Fordham Flash anchored the keystone sack for four consecutive pennant winners (1921-1924) for the New York Giants, and then four more for the Cardinals. Frisch eschewed a set rotation, and as Chicago sportswriter opined, “virtually pulled his starters out of a hat.” Consequently, pitchers struggled to find a rhythm, as eight hurlers started at least 11 games

The Cubs actually started out reasonably well in 1951 and on June 5 they were 21-20 and only 5.5 games out of first place. That pitching wackiness eventually led to them going 41-72 the rest of the way and they finished 62-92, last in the NL.

Minner put together a few more solid if unspectacular seasons and his career then ended due to a bizarre injury in early 1956:

… he reportedly fell in a bathtub in his New York City hotel, suffering a concussion and hurting his back and neck. Still unable to pitch a week after the incident, Minner was re-examined and doctors discovered a cracked vertebra. His neck was placed in a cast for an expected two to three months. It was widely reported that the injury re-aggravated Minner’s initial neck problems suffered while a member of the Dodgers. With his career in jeopardy, rumors emerged in Chicago that the mild-mannered Minner’s injury was the result of a scuffle with teammates, though Minner denied the reports.

Though neither Minner nor his teammates were punished, at least not publicly, following the incident, the injury effectively ended Minner’s pitching career. He did not pitch again in 1956 and was given his unconditional release the day after the season ended.

Minner posted 14.6 bWAR in seven seasons with the Cubs. After his baseball career he returned to his native Pennsylvania and became successful in the insurance business. He died March 28, 2006, aged 82.

Pat Murphy was right with his prediction that Jake Bauers would land a massive deal after his role as the Brewers’ playoff hero during their run to the World Series title.

He just had the team wrong.

Bauers, the NLCS MVP who went from nearly retiring two years ago to the sport’s ultimate stage, agreed to a four-year, $58 million deal with the Red Sox on Friday, The Post’s Jon Heyman confirmed.

It served as Boston’s first major splash of an uncertain offseason, and because Milwaukee gave Bauers the qualifying offer following its title, the Brewers will get a compensatory draft pick following the first round in next year’s draft, according to ESPN.

Bauers, 31, spent the last three seasons with the Brewers after the Yankees sent him to Milwaukee in November 2023 in exchange for a pair of minor-league outfielders, but his emergence in 2026 helped anchor the run to the first World Series title in franchise history.

He finished second in the National League in on-base percentage (.389), along with 26 homers and 86 RBIs, and was named NLCS MVP after recording six RBIs — along with a pivotal home run — as the Brewers toppled the Dodgers.

In the aftermath of the Brewers’ victory over the Rays to clinch the World Series, Murphy told Bauers during the celebration at Tropicana Field that he was going to be a “rich f–ker.”

“Just remember when you were on that horses–t Yankees team and you guys were all playing for yourself,” Murphy told Bauers. “… Just remember, say, ‘This is the way we used to do it.’”

Murphy said on “The Show” podcast with Joel Sherman and Heyman that he called Yankees general manager Brian Cashman after his interaction with Bauers went viral to claim that he wasn’t referring to the 2026 edition of the Yankees — and rather teams with “high-paid, long-contract players,” using Cashman’s group as an example given Bauers’ history with the organization.

But the sentiment of his comment ended up being ironic Friday, as Bauers joined the roster of the Yankees’ rival following a 2026 campaign where the Red Sox’s season ended in The Bronx during the wild-card series.

The Bauers signing also added a jolt of offense to the Red Sox’s roster just weeks before an MLB lockout is expected to begin, with the current CBA set to expire Dec. 1 at 11:59 p.m.

Across his seven-year career, Bauers has hit .223 with a .717 OPS.

In the 2026 postseason, he hit .191 with a .621 OPS while adding the strong numbers against the Dodgers and consistent defense at first base.

…but not for the Guardians, to be clear.

The Braves signed reliever Evan Philips for 3/$35M. They clearly believe he can be healthy, in which case he is a high leverage arm. The Red Sox signed outfielder/first baseman/DH Jake Bauers to a 4/$58M contract. Wonder if this means the Red Sox are more likely to move one of their DH/outfield/first base players?

Fall and Winter League Play:

Jaison Chourio went 1-4 with a double and walk, Alfonsin Rosario went 0-4 with three errors in centerfield and Yorman Gomez gave up four runs in two innings in Venezulean winter league play.

The Surprise Saguaros are headed to the AFL playoffs, along with their collection of Guardians’ prospects.

Note: Today is nomination day! In addition to voting for the No. 8 prospect, head to the comment section to nominate the next batch of prospects to vote on.

The 2027 Willie McCovey Memorial Community Prospect List is marching right along, and we’ve nearly got ourselves a top 10, as our quest to rank the top 44 prospects in the San Francisco Giarts organization continues.

There were five names to vote on in the latest election, but it quickly became a two-player race. In all, 67 McCoven cast their votes, and 60 of those votes were split between two players. But only one can emerge victorious, and in this chapter it was left-handed pitcher Jacob Bresnahan, who has been named the No. 7 prospect in the system. That’s a rise of four spots for the southpaw, who was No. 11 on our list a year ago.

It was yet another brilliant season for Bresnahan who, along with the recently-traded (and recently-debuting) Nate Furman, came to the Giants in the 2024 Alex Cobb trade. Bresnahan, who turned 21 over the summer, was an overslot 13th-round selection out of high school in the 2023 draft, and immediately set to work impressing: in his first full season, he was named Pitcher of the Year in the Complex League. And then, last year, his first full season in the Giants organization, he was named Pitcher of the Year in the Low-A California League.

So there were some lofty expectations heading into the 2026 season, with Bresnahan moving up to High-A Eugene. But unfortunately, he hit a quick roadblock, as he suffered an injury during Spring Training, and was not healthy when the season began, and didn’t make his debut until late April, in the Emerald’s 21st game of the season.

Bresnahan then spun the tires a little bit as he tried to catch up to players who were more in rhythm, and had had healthy camps. His ERA flirted with the fives, and after his ninth start of the year, in mid-June, he had a very pedestrian 4.58 ERA. It’s funny: in my Minor League recaps, I remember quipping a few times that, between his delayed start to the season and his struggles over the first few months, he was going to need an absurd stretch of starts if he wanted to keep his Pitcher of the Year streak intact.

An absurd stretch of starts was precisely what followed. Bresnahan dominated his next five starts, allowing just 13 hits, seven walks, and and three runs in 29.1 innings, with 35 strikeouts. He came slightly back to earth eventually, but continued pitching brilliantly through the end of his run with Eugene, ending his time in Oregon with a 2.92 ERA, a 4.32 FIP, and 118 strikeouts to 38 walks in 98.2 innings.

And yes, he won Pitcher of the Year honors for the third year in a row.

Bresnahan earned a late-season promotion to AA Richmond, where things were a little rockier, which is quite understandable. In three starts, he had a 5.06 ERA, a 3.60 FIP, and 17 strikeouts against seven walks in 16 innings. He seemed to quickly adjust to the level, though, as his third and final regular season outing was dominant: he pitched seven shutout innings with seven strikeouts and just five baserunners (though his last appearance, made in the playoffs, didn’t go so well).

2027 will be a huge year for Bresnahan, as the AA (and potentially AAA) introductions are really where we start to see whether a prospect of his talent level can be a quality starter, or if they’ll end up a spot starter or a bullpen piece. Bresnahan has a mid-90s fastball that has a lot of break and extension, which he pairs with a delightful kick change. He does a great job of limiting hits and accumulating strikeouts, though gives up a fair amount of home runs which is something he’ll want to work on at higher levels.

If you’re anywhere near Virginia, I recommend grabbing some tickets for Richmond next year. Bresnahan is the third pitcher on our list, and it’s likely that the two names ahead of him (righties Jackson Flora and Ramon Marquez) will be joining him in the Flying Squirrels’ rotation when the 2027 season kicks off. And won’t that be fun!

Now, let’s add to our list! As a reminder, both voting and nominating takes place in the comment section.

The list so far

1. Josuar González — SS
2. Jackson Flora — RHP
3. Luis Hernández — SS
4. Jhonny Level — SS
5. Ramon Marquez — RHP
6. Bo Davidson — OF
7. Jacob Bresnahan — LHP

Note: Clicking on the above names will link to the CPL where they were voted onto the list.

No. 8 prospect nominees

Carson Bolemon — 19.7-year old LHP — yet to debut

ArgenisCayama — 20.1-year old RHP — 4.87 ERA/4.27 FIP in Low-A (57.1 IP)

DakotaJordan — 23.5-year old OF — .879 OPS/125 wRC+ in High-A (355 PA); .697 OPS/87 wRC+ in AA (88 PA)

GavinKilen — 22.7-year old SS — .811 OPS/112 wRC+ in High-A (349 PA); .811 OPS/112 wRC+ in AA (143 PA)

Note: Each player’s first name links to their Baseball-Reference page, and their last name links to their Fangraphs page.All stats are from the 2026 season.

Jake Bauers and the Boston Red Sox have agreed to terms on a 4 year, $58 million deal, per multiple reports.

That is a substantial payday for Bauers, and one that no one would have thought possible a year ago, when he was coming off an age 29 season where he slashed .235/.353/.399 in 218 plate appearances as a first baseman/left fielder. For his career up to that point, he had 1962 plate appearances with a .211/.307/.365 slash line and a -1.2 bWAR in stints with the Rays, Guardians, Mariners, Yankees and Brewers. Famously, he said he was going to retire after the 2024 season, but his wife’s pregnancy resulted in his sticking around for the health insurance.

In 2026, however, Bauers blew up. A big part of the success for the World Champion Milwaukee Brewers was that Bauers put up a .266/.389/.484 line, with a .381 wOBA and a .371 xwOBA. It was perfect timing for Bauers, who had the requisite service time to then hit the free agent market.

So Boston has a new power hitting first baseman, and the Brewers see a player development success story move on elsewhere. There’s definitely an element of risk here for the Red Sox, given Bauers’ age and his lack of success prior to 2026. Kudos to Bauers for sticking it out and cashing in.

Matt Chapman matches mind-blowing Giants stat last achieved by Willie Mays originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Matt Chapman quietly has been one of the hottest hitters for the Giants over the last month.

In his last seven games, for instance, San Francisco’s star third baseman has averaged .609/.645/1.217 with four home runs.

More impressively, Chapman has also reached base 20 times with 16 RBI in that same seven-game span. Hall of Fame outfielder Willie Mays was the last Giants player to accomplish such a feat in May 1958, per OptaSTATS.

Chapman especially played an integral part in the Giants’ historic comeback from an eight-run deficit Wednesday against the Washington Nationals.

In San Francisco’s miraculous 11-10 win over Washington, Chapman recorded four hits, three RBI and two home runs, including one in the eighth inning that started the Giants’ comeback.

Along with getting his rhythm back at the plate, Chapman has been credited for his leadership throughout San Francisco’s disappointing 28-41 start to the 2026 MLB season so far.

“Chapman has been such a great leader,” rookie Bryce Eldridge told reporters Wednesday. “He’s been awesome to me, picking me up when things aren’t going well for me. [I’m] very grateful for him. He had a whole lot of faith that we were going to win that game.

“He’s a stud. He’s been a great leader for us. No matter what the situation is, we’ve always got faith that we can win the game.”

Following a slow start to the season, averaging .227/.301/.305 with 12 RBI and one home run in his first 37 games, Chapman has turned it up in his last 31 games, slugging .306/.397/.541 with 25 RBI and five home runs.

Along with Jung Hoo Lee, Bryce Eldridge and Luis Arraez hitting at such a high clip, Chapman and the Giants still have plenty of opportunity to earn more victories and turn their season around.

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