Category: MLB

The National Baseball Hall of Fame has announced the candidates on the ballot for the Contemporary Baseball Era, and Sandy Alderson is among them.

Alderson was at one time a private attorney before becoming general counsel to the then-Oakland Athletics in 1981. After two years in that role, he took Billy Martin’s spot as the general manager of the A’s, and built teams that reached the World Series in 1988-1990. They took home the pennant in 1990.

During his first time with the Mets, Alderson was the executive vice president of baseball for Major League Baseball starting in 1998 and ending in 2005. He next took a job as CEO of the San Diego Padres until 2009. In 2011, he joined the Mets as their general manager.

During his time with the Mets, he had a limited budget to work with. Nonetheless, Alderson made moves such as extending David Wright, trading for Zack Wheeler, and drafting Jacob deGrom. In 2015, the Mets made it back to the World Series, only to lose in five games to the Royals. However, Alderson was named Executive of the Year in 2015. He remained in his role as general manager with the Mets until 2018

After a brief return to the A’s, Alderson returned to the Mets as the team president when Steve Cohen purchased the team. He transitioned to an advisory role in 2022. His career in baseball has been long and storied, thanks to a high baseball IQ, good business sense, and probably vampires, and his nomination to the ballot is well deserved.

This morning, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced eight nominees for its Contemporary Baseball Era Non-Player Ballot of 2027, which includes Managers, Executives & Umpires whose primary contributions to the game have come since 1980. It’s an extraordinarily Giants list and a reminder of just how good we’ve had it over the last 46 years: Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, and Brian Sabean are the Giants headliners, but one-time advisor Lou Piniella and former New York & San Francisco Giant Bill White are also on the list. Former Atlanta owner Ted Turner and manager Joe Maddon are also on the list. What are the chances someone we know makes it?

Well, let me first get this out of the way: Barry Bonds is not in the Hall of Fame specifically because of the PED use; but, I personally find that this makes the Hall illegitimate, especially since it went out of its way to alter its rules to keep him, specifically, out of it. But at the same time, Bonds Stands Alone, and his notable exclusion is both enough of a pock and enough of a distinction that I’m just happy to see these (to me, anyway) legends recognized one last time by the baseball community, and in baseball’s last, best way.

Dusty Baker

I think it probably took him until that World Series win for this to really become real. He’s 8th in career wins (2,183), was Manager of the Year three times, and has that world championship from 2022. There’s also DUSTINY, the toothpick, those wristbands, Darren Baker in the NLCS, managing Barry Bonds AND Jeff Kent, as well as starting Livan Hernandez in Game 7 of the 2002 World Series instead of Kirk Rueter — NO!

Noooo.

No… this is a happy time.

Deep breath.

Okay. Better now.

He also co-created high fives; so, yeah, put him in.

Bruce Bochy

Won three World Series in five seasons and is sixth in career wins, but then he came out of semi-retirement to add a fourth for good measure. He has been written about on this very website maybe, oh, 6 million times, so, please don’t interpret this brief blurb as anything other than a, “Well, yeah, obviously. Look at what he accomplished.” But when you put him next to Dusty Baker you really see the magnitude of their contributions to the game. Just these two guys. And not just for the Giants. But, bullpenning is basically the default setting for the postseason now thanks to Bruce Bochy — yes, it helped that he had the right personnel (we know what happened when he didn’t). It feels like we’ve been preparing for his inclusion for the last decade now.

Brian Sabean

Like Bochy, it feels like we’ve been preparing for his inclusion for a long time now. After news broke that the Yankees hadn’t renewed his contract to continue on as an advisor, I looked him up and was surprised to see that he’s now 70 years old. He has always occupied the Patrick Stewart part of my brain — this sort of ageless icon I just assume will always be there in old man form. If you think I’m giving him a short shrift, please note that he has been written about on this website, oh, 6 million times. Savvy Sabes, Sabey Sabes, “I Am Not An Idiot” Sabes… a legend.

In a perfect world, these three go in together. These three were the architects of joy for a lot of Giants fans for a couple of generations. But, we’ve been saying this about Kruk & Kuip for a longtime now and how they need to be inducted into the Broadcaster Hall of Fame together. We know beyond that situation that we live in a far from perfect world, to. But there are also some details that ground the doomerism in fact. Hall of Fame monitor/expert Jay Jaffe offers this analysis:

He then cites a piece written in 2022 about the candidate bottleneck created by these new rules. The Hall notes its committee formation and selection process:

Lou Piniella

The eight Contemporary Baseball Era finalists were selected by the BBWAA-appointed Historical Overview Committee from all eligible candidates among managers, umpires and executives whose most significant career impact was realized since 1980.

[…]

The Contemporary Baseball Era non-player ballot was determined this fall by the Historical Overview Committee, comprised of 11 veteran historians: Adrian Burgos (University of Illinois); Bob Elliott (Canadian Baseball Network); Steve Hirdt (historian); La Velle Neal (Minnesota Star Tribune); David O’Brien (formerly The Athletic); Jose de Jesus Ortiz (Our Esquina Media), Jack O’Connell (BBWAA); Jim Reeves (formerly Fort Worth Star-Telegram); Glenn Schwarz (formerly San Francisco Chronicle); Susan Slusser (San Francisco Chronicle); and Mark Whicker (formerly Southern California News Group).

The 16-member Hall of Fame Board-appointed electorate charged with the review of the Contemporary Baseball Era non-player ballot will be announced later this fall.

Without knowing who will make up the selection committee, it’s probably worth erring on the side of what makes the most sense. So, it’s not a given that the obviously deserving Giants-themed candidates are selected. As the Hall’s press release notes, “All candidates except Turner are living.” Lou Piniella, 83, has been battling with cancer off and on for a few years now — though, he’s been cancer-free recently and threw out a first pitch this past August. Sandy Alderson has also dealt with cancer-related health problems in the past decade. Bill White is 92 and just received the Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award from the Hall of Fame (partial speech here — but, warning, it’s a Facebook video link). And I’m discounting Ted Turner along with Joe Maddon, but probably at my peril.

I must also note another thing pointed out to me about this list:

I don’t know if that hurts or helps Dusty, Piniella, or Maddon, but it’s something to note! As Giants-centric as I feel this list is, Lou Piniella is a big deal in the world of baseball. Really, they all are, which is the entire point of the Hall of Fame! No matter who gets in, I always try to get people to realize that this is a great time in the baseball calendar to not just Remember Some Guys but to take another — maybe even last — opportunity to celebrate the genuine accomplishments of some memorable people in the game of Baseball.

Ahead of a crucial offseason, the Mets' farm system received a huge boost from what they acquired by being sellers at the trade deadline. 

Systems naturally go through ebbs and flows, and the Mets are in a unique spot where they graduated five big prospects in 2026: Nolan McLean, Carson Benge, A.J. Ewing, Zac Thornton,and Jonah Tong, who should not be forgotten about after flashing improved stuff in September.

The goal of a player development system is to produce major leaguers, and if you include Christian Scott, the Mets roster is becoming more and more homegrown. As you will read below, there are more prospects on the way who could make a real impact on the 2027 Mets. 

Successful player development in addition to spending on premium major leaguers is the model of how sustained success is achieved.

Here are the Mets' top 30 prospects for the 2026-27 offseason:

1. INF Jefferson Rojas

The Mets acquired Rojas from the Cubs at the 2026 trade deadline for Clay Holmes and Tyrone Taylor. He is a consensus top 100 prospect in baseball, ranked No. 68 by MLB Pipeline.

All Rojas did was hit upon joining the Mets organization. In 35 games post-deadline split between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse, Rojas hit .285/.338/.611 (.949 OPS) with nine doubles, 12 home runs, and 36 RBI.

Rojas came to the Mets being considered a hit over power type of player, but his power took a step forward this year and there is reason to believe it's real. He has shown above average exit velocities, and is up to 200 pounds. He has an aggressive approach at the plate, not walking a ton, but he also limited his strikeouts to a reasonable 17.3 percent.

Defensively, Rojas played shortstop, third base, and second base in the Mets organization. Scouts I speak to believe his best fit is third base, with his above average throwing arm. But he should be able to play second base as well.

Rojas, who is on the precipice of the big leagues, looks like an above average hit and above average power type of hitter with a chance to hit 20-to-25 home runs at the next level. Depending on how the offseason shakes out, it is possible Rojas gets an opportunity to compete for a starting job to open the 2027 season.

MLB ETA: 2027

2. LHP Jonathan Santucci

Santucci, the top pitching prospect in the system, is coming off a season where he led minor league baseball with 163 strikeouts in 125 innings pitched between Double-A Binghamton and Triple-A Syracuse on his way to being named the organizational Pitcher of the Year.

He earned a promotion to Triple-A after an excellent final 10 starts with Double-A, where Santucci posted a 2.54 ERA in 49.2 innings, allowing only 33 hits and striking out 67 in those final 10 Double-A starts.

Santucci hit an adjustment period in Triple-A, including going from the minor league ball to the major league ball. But he closed out the season on a strong note. Over his final four Triple-A starts, Santucci posted a 3.54 ERA in 20.1 innings with 25 strikeouts against just five walks.

Santucci is equipped with two plus pitches -- a fastball in the mid-90s that will touch 97 mph and an upper-80s slider that is his best swing-and-miss offering. Coming into the season, the changeup was the main pitch of focus, and he has found a grip that he is comfortable with -- but that changeup was just slightly surpassed by his low-mid 80s curveball. Santucci told me on The Mets Pod that the curve tunnels well off his fastball and slider.

An excellent athlete on the mound as a former two-way player, the Mets believe Santucci still hasn't scratched the surface of what he could become, since he is coming off only his second year as a full-time pitcher. With continued refinement of his third and fourth pitches and his command, Santucci looks the part of a future mid-rotation starter who should get the opportunity to enter the Mets' rotation mix some time in 2027.

MLB ETA: 2027

3. INF Mitch Voit

Voit was the Mets' first-round pick in 2025 out of Michigan. The Mets helped Voit remake his swing mechanics last offseason prior to his first full pro campaign. He had an adjustment when he started the season with High-A Brooklyn, where he got off to a slow start, posting a .696 OPS in April and .699 OPS in May.

Once the calendar flipped to June, things began to click. Voit was promoted from High-A to Double-A on July 27 and his numbers jumped even more, with him hitting .347/.430/.517 (.947 OPS) in 29 games at the Double-A level. This led to him being named the Mets' organizational Player of the Year.

While Voit may not possess much more than average hit and power tools, he does have bat speed, and his swing naturally leads to lofting the ball.

Voit is a plus athlete (45 stolen bases) and defender. Despite being a natural second baseman, the Mets played him a lot at shortstop in 2026. They have been impressed with his actions there, though scouts I talk to still believe second base is ultimately where he will end up long-term. He could be an everyday second baseman at the next level with a well-rounded skill set, and could push for opportunity in the majors in 2027.

MLB ETA: 2027

4. SS Sammy Stafura

The Mets received Stafura from the Pirates in exchange for Luke Weaver at the trade deadline fresh off a July in which he hit .358 with 14 home runs in 18 games. Unsurprisingly, he did not carry that level of performance over to the rest of the season with a new organization. With High-A Brooklyn, Stafura was fine, hitting .244/.357/.415 (.772 OPS) with two home runs in 21 games.

This trade was a situation of the Mets buying into plus-to-elite traits and working to improve one. Stafura has an aggressive approach, going up looking to do damage with at least above average raw power that found its way into games in 2026. He shows plus bat speed and exit velocities to back up his improving power.

With Stafura's approach, strikeouts are going to be a part of his game, and that's a fair part of his profile to criticize. There are some scouts who wonder if he will make enough contact to maximize his plus tools.

In the small 21-game sample size with the Mets, his strikeout rate was trimmed down to 24.5 percent, which is a tolerable number. If the Mets can help him keep that strikeout rate in that range or a little better, perhaps sacrificing a tiny bit of the "go for it" approach, that would play just fine.

Stafura is a plus runner, with sprint speeds that match what Cincinnati Reds shortstop Elly De La Cruz brings to the table. That athleticism shows on the basepaths as well as in the field, where I couldn’t find an evaluator who didn’t think he’d be able to stick at shortstop and be plus at the position. If needed, he has some experience at second base, and there’s little doubt that his athleticism would play in the outfield.

He has the ingredients of what could be an impact player at the next level as a plus athlete, plus defender, and the potential for plus power at a premium position, which doesn’t grow on trees. There are still real things to work on with his approach to maximize his tools, and that task is on the Mets player development group.

A big year in 2027 could have the soon to be 22-year-old Stafura cracking top 100 prospect lists.

MLB ETA: 2028

5. SS Elian Peña

Peña was the Mets' top international signing in 2024 for $5 million, which is the largest bonus the organization has given to an amateur international free agent.

One of the youngest players in the Low-A Florida State League, Peña more than held his own, slashing .271/.388/.397 (.785 OPS) with eight home runs in 96 games. The Mets have been most impressed with his advanced plan at the plate, with a 13.9 percent walk rate. He hit a little bit of a wall toward the end of the season where his strikeout rate rose to 21.4 percent, which is a higher number than should be expected from Peña’s skillset.

Peña struggled in his very brief stint at High-A, but the objective of that was just to get him a look at the level he will face in 2027.

Though it's not surprising given his age and need for some physical maturation, Peña has not impacted the baseball consistently from an exit velocity standpoint quite yet, though a max exit velocity of 109.1 mph shows there is ability to do it. With that maturation and perhaps some more aggressiveness early in counts, there is belief that there is more in the tank.

Defensively, Peña has played shortstop. However, as an average athlete with room for physical maturation, he is most likely to be a third baseman long term, which should work just fine with his above average throwing arm.

A baseline combination of advanced swing decisions, bat-to-ball skills, and power potential leads to an exciting prospect. Peña will play the entire 2027 season at 19 years old, starting back with High-A Brooklyn, and he has the chance to get to Double-A prior to his 20th birthday.

MLB ETA: 2029

6. SS Wandy Asigen

Asigen was the Mets’ top international signing in 2026, when he agreed to a $3.9 million bonus after breaking a verbal commitment with the Yankees. He was ranked as the No. 2 international free agent in the 2026 class by MLB Pipeline.

After a delayed start to his season in the Dominican Summer League due to a hamstring injury, the 16-year-old performed well with a .279/.470/.525 (.994 OPS) slash line and three home runs in 23 games.

Asigen has unteachable electric bat speed that has routinely generated plus exit velocities, peaking at 114 mph in games this season which is insane for his age.

He is a power over hit profile who will swing and miss, but there is 30 home run potential, especially as he physically matures.

Asigen is a plus athlete with the actions to handle shortstop, but scouts wonder if his arm will fit better at second base. Asigen, who will be 17 years old for nearly the entire 2027 season, is an exciting prospect who has the skillset to top this list if his success carries over stateside.

MLB ETA: 2030

7. 3B Jacob Reimer

Reimer has missed time in two of the last three seasons. He missed nearly the entire 2024 season with a torn hamstring, had a breakout 2025 season, but was limited to just 88 games in 2026 due to a groin injury.

When he is right, Reimer has an average hit tool with a good eye at the plate, and plus raw power that noticeably made it into games in 2025. He has played mostly third base, where he is a below average athlete with plenty of arm for the position. Scouts I have spoken to over the last couple of years still believe his best defensive home is first base, which would put additional pressure on the bat to play.

Reimer is Rule 5 eligible this winter, so the Mets will have to decide whether to add him to the 40-man roster or risk him being available in the Rule 5 Draft (if it even happens with the pending lockout). Reimer needs to stay healthy, but if he does, he has a chance to be a 20-to-25 home run corner infield bat.

MLB ETA: 2028

8. RHP Carson Wiggins

Wiggins was the Mets' first-round selection out of Arkansas in the 2026 MLB Draft in what I described as a home run swing type of pick. He missed the entire 2026 season recovering from Tommy John surgery, but is considered a healthy player who is ready to go heading into 2027. Wiggins had the best fastball in the draft and now has the best stuff in the Mets organization. When healthy, Wiggins averaged over 98 mph and touched 102 mph with his heater. He also has a wipeout slider, with one scout telling me he has two plus-plus pitches.

Wiggins is an excellent athlete on the mound -- just look up his high school basketball highlights on YouTube to see his athleticism. At the MLB Draft Combine, he showed the ability to spin a curveball, averaging over 2,700 rpm, while his changeup is behind the other offerings right now. Wiggins has been quite open that improving the curve and changeup are focuses of his entering his pro career.

There is a wide range of outcomes with Wiggins, with a real need to improve command. But the Mets believe there is frontline starter potential here if the package could be put together, which New York's pitching development group has proven the ability to do over the past few years. If the command doesn’t quite get there, being a closer is a realistic outcome given Wiggins' lethal fastball/slider combination.

MLB ETA: 2028

9. 2B Émilien Pitre

Pitre was the top prospect the Mets acquired from the Rays in the Freddy Peralta trade. The Quebec native grew up speaking exclusively French and began to learn English in high school and during COVID at a training facility in Ontario. He is now fluent in English.

He was named a breakout prospect by MLB Pipeline after slashing .306/.420/.427 (.847 OPS) in 118 games between Double-A (with both Tampa Bay and the Mets) and Triple-A Syracuse with six home runs and 80 walks to 58 strikeouts.

As you could deduce from the above, Pitre has plus bat-to-ball skills as well as plate discipline. Power and impacting the baseball is not much of a part of Pitre’s game, and at times the ball is hit on the ground more than you’d want to see, but he routinely works professional at bats.

Pitre is an average to a tick above athlete who may be nearly a second base only profile at the next level. He looks the part of a player who should hit for average, get on base, and avoid strikeouts with not a ton of impact on the baseball for extra-base hits, while not being a plus runner. That caps his upside, but there is everyday player potential here in a contact-based profile.

Pitre debuted in Triple-A late in the season, and between him, Rojas, and Voit, the Mets believe their long term second baseman is in-house already. Pitre should get the chance to compete for big league playing time in 2027.

MLB ETA: 2027

10. OF Aiden Robbins

Robbins was the Mets' third-round pick in the 2026 draft out of Texas. He had first-round buzz leading into the draft but fell due to questions about consistently hitting breaking balls and his future defensive home. His college career was a tale of two different players. He was a hit-over-power guy at Seton Hall, then he dominated the Cape Cod League, leading the league in batting average, slugging, and OPS. At Texas, Robbins became a power-over-hit player, doubling his two-year Seton Hall home run total (12) in one season with the Longhorns (24).

The Mets will look to find a blend of the two players offensively. Robbins is an average athlete and defender who might project as a left fielder at the next level, which puts pressure on the offensive profile coming together.

MLB ETA: 2029

11. RHP Jack Wenninger

Wenninger was a breakout prospect in 2025, but upon his promotion to Triple-A in 2026 things started to trend backward. His velocity and command backed up with the major league ball that is used at Triple-A. His fastball averaged 92-94 mph rather than the 95 mph he was averaging in Double-A in 2025. The splitter remains a plus pitch, and his slider is slightly above average, plus he'll mix in a sinker and sweeper. Wenninger's walk rate nearly doubled, from 7.6 percent in 2025 to 13.3 percent in 2026, but there is certainly still hope that he will adjust to the new ball and new level. Still, at this point it’s hard to project any more than a back-end starter.

Wenninger is Rule 5 eligible, so the Mets will have to decide whether to protect him or not. Entering year two in Triple-A, Wenninger could rebound and become a piece of pitching depth for the Mets in 2027.

MLB ETA: 2027

12. OF Nick Morabito

Morabito got into 19 games at the major league level in 2026 after posting a .742 OPS with 13 home runs and 42 stolen bases with Syracuse.

He has a roughly average hit tool with below average power, though his 13 home runs in 2026 are more than he had in 2024 and 2025 combined. Morabito is a plus runner and above-average fielder who can play all three outfield spots. He looks the part of a prototypical fourth or fifth outfielder and could get consideration in that role in 2027 if the Mets do not get a veteran to fill it.

MLB ETA: Already made it

13. RHP Gary Gill Hill

Gill Hill was the lone pitcher acquired in the Peralta trade. The 22-year-old was the Rays’ sixth-round pick in the 2022 MLB Draft out of JFK Catholic in Somers, N.Y. As mentioned above, the Mets targeted prospects at the deadline who had at least one plus trait to build around. Gill Hill’s is his plus control and command of a four-pitch mix, none of which are truly plus offerings, but are mostly average to a tick above. He has a fastball that ticked up after joining the Mets, sitting 94-95, topping out at 98 mph with a cutter, sweeper, and changeup that is a focus of the Mets’ pitching development system as he enters 2027.

Gill Hill looks like a high probability back-end starter or swing man. He is Rule 5 eligible this winter, so he will need to be added to the 40-man roster. If so, he stands out as a pitcher who could make his debut in 2027.

MLB ETA: 2027

14. OF Aidan Smith

Smith was the third player the Mets received from Tampa Bay in the Peralta trade. He had previously been traded from Seattle to Tampa Bay in the deal that brought Randy Arozarena to Seattle. In 2024, he looked like someone who was on the verge of becoming a consensus top 100 prospect in baseball. His last year and a half as a member of the Rays organization did not go as expected. In 2025 (.719 OPS) and the first half of 2026 (.672 OPS), it looked like Smith was heading in the wrong direction.

The Mets took a shot on the tools and upside that Smith provides in combination with the higher floors of Pitre and Gill Hill. In a small sample of 21 games, Smith was the best performer among prospects the Mets acquired at the deadline, hitting .321/.414/.524 with five home runs, 13 RBI, and 11 stolen bases.

Smith possesses above average raw power and is an above average runner who can play center field, where he has a strong throwing arm. That toolset does come with swing and miss (30.2 percent strikeout rate) that will need to be reined in.

Mets player development is getting a ball of clay in Smith, who I look at as an upside flier who will need some swing and approach tweaks to make more contact and try to maximize the above average tools he has.

MLB ETA: 2028

15. RHP Gabe Davis

Davis was the headlining piece of the Huascar Brazoban trade. The 2025 fifth-round pick of the White Sox was college teammates at Oklahoma State with Nolan McLean and Carson Benge. In 21.1 innings with Double-A Binghamton after the trade deadline, Davis posted a 2.53 ERA with 24 strikeouts against 11 walks, eclipsing 60 pitches in four of his six appearances.

He is a massive 6-foot-9, 235-pound right-hander who was a college reliever converted into a pro starter, but more in 50-to-70 pitch increments. Davis possesses some big stuff, with two plus pitches: a fastball that sits mid-90s and touches 100 mph, and an upper 80s slider that will reach the low 90s. He had some growth with the changeup this year, generating whiffs at an above average rate despite less usage, and he will mix in a curveball. Davis’ control has taken a step forward from what it was in college, but is still below average.

Most scouts I spoke to since the trade believe Davis’ future is in the bullpen, and he has the kind of stuff that could potentially fit in a high leverage role. But the Mets may continue to look to grow his pitch counts and see if starting/being a true bulk type of arm is possible.

MLB ETA: 2028

16. LHP Shane Sdao

Sdao was the Mets' fourth-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft out of Texas A&M. After a big 2024 season, he was positioned to be a high draft pick that year, but he ended up missing the season with Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2026, and statistically it wasn’t what he expected (7.03 ERA in 71.2 innings), but that did not change what scouts thought about him. His stuff got better as the spring wore on and he began to look more like himself late in the season.

The Mets believe there is physical maturation left on Sdao's 6-foot-3, 185-pound frame that could lead to an uptick in stuff. He is a pure strike thrower who has a four-pitch mix headlined by an above average, low-80s slider and fastball that will get up to 97 mph. Sdao also mixes in a curveball and cutter. He looks like a back-end starter with a chance for more if the stuff improves.

MLB ETA: 2029

17. RHP Luke Gabrysh

Gabrysh was the key piece in the Brooks Raley trade. The results from an ERA perspective weren’t great in the minors with the Phillies (5.14 ERA), but were better with High-A Brooklyn (3.38 ERA). And he looked better in his four starts with Double-A than the baseline statistics would suggest.

The Mets were buying the under-the-hood swing-and-miss stuff (121 strikeouts in 93.1 innings). And Gabrysh's Stuff+ graded out among the best in minor league baseball. Gabrysh has a starter’s build at 6-3, 200 pounds, with a five-pitch mix, throwing both a four-and two-seam fastball. His velocity ticked up this year, averaging 95 mph and up to 98. He also has a plus slider and mixes in a sweeper and a changeup that could use some work. With some refinement with his command and secondaries, the Mets might have identified an under the radar arm here who could be a future big league starter.

MLB ETA: 2028

18. 1B/OF Ryan Clifford

Clifford is the biggest faller on this list after a season that went in the wrong direction. In 115 games for Triple-A Syracuse, he hit .180/.277/.363 (.641 OPS) with 18 home runs and 56 RBI. In those 115 games, he struck out 174 times, which is a 37 percent strikeout rate. There naturally is an expectation of strikeout rates rising from Triple-A to the major leagues, so there is real concern about whether Clifford will make enough contact to hit at the big league level.

On the positive side, Clifford still hits the ball very hard, with his exit velocity and barrel numbers all grading out as plus-to-elite. Defensively, he played more outfield in 2026, but is still best as a first baseman. There simply needs to be a reduction in strikeout rate here for the bat to play at the next level. Clifford is Rule 5 eligible and should get the chance to rebound in Triple-A in 2027.

MLB ETA: 2027

19. LHP Daviel Hurtado

Hurtado was an international signing out of Cuba in 2023 for $500,000. The 21-year-old posted a 2.93 ERA in 21 games (18 starts) between Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn this season, with 89 strikeouts in 86 innings, with a 54.6 percent groundball rate. Hurtado is a strike-throwing, pitchability lefty up to 95-96 mph with two above average breaking balls in his slider and curveball. He will also mix in a changeup. Hurtado has a chance to be a back-end starter.

MLB ETA: 2029

20. 1B Cole Mathis

Mathis was the return from the Cubs in the David Peterson trade. The former second-round pick has battled some injuries since being drafted, having Tommy John surgery, an elbow sprain, and a wrist sprain. He got back into game action toward the end of the season and is currently playing in the Arizona Fall League. If he is right, it’s an average hit tool with above average raw power that he can utilize to all fields.

Mathis was a third baseman, but after the injuries, he has shifted to first base. If he can stay healthy and continue to grow offensively, he has a chance to be a second division regular at first base at the next level.

MLB ETA: 2028

21. 1B/OF Randy Guzman

Guzman is one of the most exciting power hitters in the system, with true plus power. He is an aggressive hitter who flashes elite exit velocities (109 mph 90th percentile EV and a max EV of 117.6 mph). He has swing and miss to his game and does not draw many walks. He also tends to chase -- struggling more with offspeed pitches and breaking balls. The growth of the hit tool is going to tell the story of what his offensive profile becomes, especially as he moves toward the upper minors.

It’s 30 home run type of power, but Guzman has to make enough contact to get there. He is a below average runner who has split time in the corner outfield spots, but he is likely a first baseman long term.

MLB ETA: 2029

22. C/OF Chris Suero

Heading into 2026, Suero was a prospect who had some helium as a riser, but he did not have the type of season that many expected, slashing .201/.347/.395 with 18 home runs in 114 games. He will take his walks (16 percent walk rate) and has above average power, flashing plus exit velocities. But there is concern on the swing and miss, with an over 29 percent strikeout rate.

On the defensive side, Suero was a hyper versatile player who played almost exclusively catcher this year, where he profiles as a below average receiver with an above average arm. He profiles as a backup who can occasionally play first base or the outfield. He is Rule 5 eligible this winter.

MLB ETA: 2028

23. RHP Will Watson

Watson entered the 2026 season as one of the top pitching prospects in the organization, and he struggled early on with stuff that ticked back. Meanwhile, he was limited to just 37 innings due to an oblique injury. When Watson is right, his fastball sits 93-95, touching 97 mph, with a slider, cutter and changeup. His command needs to take a step forward to become a possible back-end starter. Otherwise, he could potentially translate in relief, which is a role he filled while at college at USC.

MLB ETA: 2028

24. LHP Nicolas Carreño

Carreño was acquired from the Pirates for left-hander Josh Walker back in 2024. The 20-year-old posted a 3.42 ERA in 24 games (18 starts) across 100 innings this year with 124 strikeouts, split between Low-A St. Lucie and High-A Brooklyn. He is mostly a sinker/slider lefty, averaging 94 mph on a sinker that is up to 98. His mid-upper 80s slider is his most used pitch, throwing it more than 40 percent of the time. Carreño has dominated left-handed hitters to the tune of a .124 batting average against. Control and command can be an issue, which leads to likely a reliever profile.

MLB ETA: 2029

25. C Yovanny Rodriguez

Rodriguez was the Mets’ top international signing in 2024 for $2.85 million. The soon to be 20-year-old came stateside for the first time in 2026 and hit .259 with an .818 OPS and 13 home runs in 74 games split between the Florida Complex League and Low-A St. Lucie.

He profiles as an offensive-minded catcher who shows the ability to barrel the ball in the air to the pull side and posts well above average exit velocities. Defensively, he needs continued development as a receiver but has always had a plus throwing arm.

MLB ETA: 2030

26. INF Bruin Agbayani

Agbayani is the son of former Mets outfielder Benny, but he is an interesting prospect in his own right. Part of the A.J. Minter trade, he is a hit over power profile, though in the small sample size of games played he flashed some elite bat speed, which has Mets people thinking there could be more pop in the bat than he’s shown. Agbayani missed most of the season recovering from shoulder surgery and is currently playing in the AFL. Defensively, he likely fits best as a second baseman or a left fielder.

At just 19 years old, Agbayani could bounce back and is the type of talent who could move up this list in 2027.

MLB ETA: 2030

27. 1B/3B Billy Amick

Amick was acquired in the Minter trade. The 23-year-old former second-round pick has plus power with strong bat speed and exit velocities. He slashed .222/.328/.520 (.848 OPS) with 38 home runs in 122 games split between Double-A with the Twins and Mets and Triple-A Syracuse

Defensively, he has split reps between third base and first base, but he profiles more as a first baseman/designated hitter type. The question is whether he will make enough contact (161 strikeouts in those 122 games) to be able to consistently get to that power in Triple-A and eventually the major leagues.

MLB ETA: 2027

28. OF/SS Cleiner Ramirez

Ramirez was the Mets' second biggest international signing in 2026, signing for $1,372,500 out of Venezuela. He was named the Mets' organizational DR Academy Player of the Year after slashing .241/.357/.462 (.819 OPS) with 11 doubles, seven home runs, and 18 stolen bases in 41 games in the Dominican Summer League.

The 17-year-old does not currently present an elite tool, but he is average-to-above-average across the board. He played both center field and shortstop, with most scouts believing he is a more natural fit in the outfield. He is years away, but Ramirez is a prospect the Mets are excited about, and he should make his stateside debut in 2027, which is the first huge test for international prospects.

MLB ETA: 2031

29. RHP Ryan Lambert

Lambert was a top 20 prospect in the system heading into 2026, and he looked as good as any reliever in the Grapefruit League in spring training. The regular season did not go as Lambert and the Mets expected, though. Injuries and inconsistencies led to him falling off this list in the midseason update. He is now pitching in the AFL and his stuff is looking back to normal.

The command and control need improvement, but I think Lambert and his upper-90s fastball and swing-and-miss slider could make an impact in the Mets' bullpen in 2027.

MLB ETA: 2027

30. INF Marco Vargas

Vargas at one time was a top 10 prospect in the system before injuries and inconsistencies knocked him off of this list. He returned from injury to Double-A Binghamton in July, and in the last 35 games of the season, Vargas raked while slashing .331/.399/.463 (.891 OPS) with six doubles, two triples, four home runs, and 17 stolen bases. He is at least an above average defender up the middle at shortstop and second base.

While Vargas may never reach his everyday player upside, he might be a utility infielder at the next level. He is Rule 5 eligible and is a sneaky name who could get added to the 40-man roster.

MLB ETA: 2029

Former Guardians’ closer Emmanuel Clase and starting pitcher Luis Ortiz begin standing trial for their alleged involvement in a gambling scandal today. Sam Blum of the Athletic has promised updates on Twitter here.

Tanner Bibee won an AL Gold Glove yesterday.

For clarification on a point raised in the comments, Ben Lively is signed for a minor-league deal with the Guardians for 2027 BUT if a team wanted to take him in the Rule-5 draft (thereby guaranteeing him a spot on the active roster, they could do so). That’s pretty unlikely given he had an unspecified injury to end the season and given his age. Also… they aren’t going to have a Rule-5 draft this year, I am pretty sure.

Luke Hill and Welbyn Francisca have been performing extremely well for the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League, with Hill boasting a .999 OPS while playing second base and DH and Francisca a 1.237 OPS while playing shortstop and second base. You can follow along (weather-permitting) with the Saguaros box score tonight at 8:30PM ET here.

I was off last week so forgive me for rehashing old news, but I was struck watching the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate their first championship in franchise history while on the road at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg.

Milwaukee followed the 2024 Dodgers script in the World Series, with two close wins at home followed by a hope-crushing road win to go up 3-0 in the series. In both cases, a loss in Game 4 was followed by the series clincher in Game 5. The Brewers’ win was less in doubt than the Dodgers’ in 2024, but both achieved the same result, and shared another commonality.

Celebrating a championship on the road.

That’s been the norm of late, with only one team in the last 13 years has celebrated winning a championship in their home ballpark:

• 2014: Giants won Game 7 in Kansas City
• 2015: Royals won Game 5 in New York
• 2016: Cubs won Game 7 in Cleveland
• 2017: Astros won Game 7 in Los Angeles
• 2018: Red Sox won Game 5 in Los Angeles
• 2019: Nationals won Game 7 in Houston*
• 2020: Dodgers won Game 6 in Arlington, Texas^
• 2021: Braves won Game 6 in Houston
• 2022: Astros beat Phillies in Game 6 in Houston
• 2023: Rangers won Game 5 in Phoenix
• 2024: Dodgers won Game 5 in New York
• 2025: Dodgers won Game 7 in Toronto
• 2026: Brewers won Game 5 in St. Petersburg

*Every game of the 2019 World Series was won by the road team. Wild stuff
^Dodgers were the “home” team in Game 6 in 2020, but every game of that series was played at Globe Life Field in Texas

The only home team in the last 13 years to clinch a World Series was the Houston Astros, who beat the Philadelphia Phillies in six games in 2022, finishing things up at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

Every other title involved Major League Baseball setting up the celebratory stage on a field that was not that of the home team, though in the case of this year, Milwaukee fans traveled quite well and made the Brewers feel quite comfortable at The Trop.

The recent spate of road celebrations have titled the scales, such that in the history of the World Series, a road team clinched the Fall Classic 67 times compared to just 55 final-game home wins.

Winning any championship requires much more than merely the final game, obviously, and it feels like a pretty whiny thing to complain that a team isn’t winning its titles at home. Every title in itself is a gift, and should be appreciated in its own right.

But it’s still cool to clinch a championship at home.

When the Dodgers beat the New York Mets in the 2024 National League Championship Series, they finished things off at home, their first pennant-clincher at Dodger Stadium since 1988.

“I’ve been a part of three World Series teams and I’ve never been able to clinch at home,” Kiké Hernández said after the 2024 NLCS. “In 2020 we were wearing white when we clinched the pennant. But we weren’t at home, we were in Texas.”

The Dodgers clinched another pennant at home in 2025, sweeping the Brewers behind Shohei Ohtani’s three home runs and 10 strikeouts. Milwaukee returned the favor this year, making Dodger Stadium only the fourth ballpark in the divisional era to see a pennant clinched in three straight seasons.

“It’s always fun to clinch,” manager Dave Roberts said in 2024. “But to be able to do it at home is really special.”

The Dodgers have won three championships in the last seven seasons, but none were finished off at home in Los Angeles. They were technically the home team in Game 6 in 2020, but that was the pandemic-shortened season and the Dodgers played their NLDS, NLCS, and World Series games all at Globe Life Field in Texas. The home team and not at home.

Only once in the Dodgers’ history have they won a World Series at home. Their first title, in 1955 for Brooklyn, was finished off at Yankee Stadium in Game 7, and in 1959 in Los Angeles the World Series ended at Comiskey Park in Chicago in Game 6.

The second year of Dodger Stadium saw the only time the Dodgers clinched a World Series at home, as they swept the Yankees. Sandy Koufax struck out eight in a complete-game victory in Game 4 to close out the championship with a 2-1 win.

Other teams have won their titles at Dodger Stadium since the Dodgers last did so – the Yankees in Game 6 in 1978, the Astros in Game 7 in 2017 followed by the Red Sox in Game 5 the next year.

The Dodgers finished off the 1965 World Series in Minnesota, celebrated in 1981 at Yankee Stadium, and did the same in 1988 in Oakland, the latter courtesy of yet another Orel Hershiser complete game, before this latest run of three titles, all clinched while away from home.

But they haven’t won a World Series at home in a long time. Then again, hardly anyone has of late.

The Braves gave veteran infielder Kyle Farmer the opportunity to return to his hometown of Atlanta. They didn’t give him much of an opportunity to do much else, though, as Farmer spent most of the season on the big league roster but barely played.

How Acquired

The Braves brought in Kyle Farmer as a free agent in early February 2026 before releasing and then re-signing him in March. The nine-year MLB veteran had spent the 2025 season with the Colorado Rockies.

What were the expectations?

Farmer was added as an end-of-bench utility option that could provide infield depth, including shortstop. The Braves were potentially interested because of Ha-Seong Kim’s injury. Farmer also gave the team some additional outfield depth and, having limited MLB experience at catcher earlier in his career, was able to serve as the de facto third catcher when on the active roster.

As a player who’d seen action in 97 or more games in every non-2020 season since 2019, Farmer seemed to be in line to see a decent amount of action as a pinch-hitter and reserve. That said, he had an awful 2025 (-1.0 fWAR in 300 PAs), which interrupted a streak of fine-if-below-average performances in 2021-2024. Put those things together and he was projected to be above replacement-ish, but nothing resembling solid bench production or anything like that.

2026 Results

Farmer made the Opening Day roster but saw limited action until landing on the IL in mid-May. Limited action is kind of overselling it: in about six weeks, he got 15 PAs across ten games. He returned on July 4, got one PA across two games, and then was released on the 21st of the same month. He then came back on a minor league deal and returned to the big league club when rosters expanded on September 1, getting three PAs in two games down the stretch.

Add that all up, and he appeared in only 14 games during the season, his lowest total since debuting with the Los Angles Dodgers in 2017. He mustered only 19 plate appearances, slashing .222/.211/.278 (25 wRC+) with three RBI. Defensively, he appeared at third base, second base and shortstop and didn’t do anything to distinguish himself in a tiny sample. He finished 2026 with -0.1 fWAR, his second consecutive sub-replacement season.

What went right?

Farmer was able to spend most of the season on the big league roster — only about six weeks was he on a minor league deal — but otherwise it was a very quiet campaign for the 36-year-old. He only started one game: April 30 at home against the Detroit Tigers, when he went 1-for-3 as the team’s DH. That was the most WPA he earned on the season, too (0.03), as his second-inning single helped push across the first run of the game. If that wasn’t his most notable game, then it was probably his 1-for-3 performance against Cleveland on April 12 when he doubled and knocked in two runs after pinch-hitting for DH Dom Smith.

The fact that the organization kept him on the active roster while avoiding giving him playing time likely speaks to how the team valued his off-the-field contributions.

What went wrong?

After May 15, Farmer only appeared in four games with Atlanta — two in July and two in September. Given he only played in 10 of the team’s first 45 games, the lack of playing time stands out given he’d been a regular or highly-used reserve for the prior seven seasons. He went hitless for the remainder of the season after singling on April 30. Could the Braves have found a better use for his roster spot? That’s probably the biggest “what went wrong” with regard to his season, though given that the Braves won 94 games, it’s not a huge concern.

WPA-wise, his worst performance came during a meaningless contest against the Marlins on September 27. Farmer replaced Ozzie Albies and went 0-for-2, including a strikeout with two out and the tying run on base in the seventh.

2027 outlook

Atlanta has serious questions at shortstop with Kim unlikely to return after a disastrous season, and Mauricio Dubón a free agent. The team has multiple shortstop prospects, but they are all likely at least a season away. The team tends to hoard middle infielders at Gwinnett, so it isn’t out of the question that Farmer might return to the organization on a minor league deal if a better opportunity doesn’t come knocking, or if he doesn’t retire.

Farmer could serve minor league depth or in a big league role similar to the one he had in 2026 — and one Luke Williams held for several seasons — a utility man capable of handling shortstop as a reserve and serving as an emergency catcher. That said, it’s now been two years since Farmer actually provided any value to a team, and he’s now a half-decade removed from his one solidly average season, so, much like 2026 — if any team rosters him, it probably isn’t for what he can provide on the field.

Every offseason, Kansas City Royals general manager J.J. Picollo picks up the phone and tries to convince 29 other front offices that his prospects are worth more than they think. Or at least we hope he is this active.

On The Royals Rundown Podcast, we had Jeremy Greco play Picollo, while I served as the opposing general manager. We negotiated trades, and Jeremy wrote about his offseason plan in Playing Picollo Part 2. If you missed that episode, you can listen to it here.

The rules were simple. Jeremy ran the Royals with a shopping list of team needs. I played opposing GMs, and my only job was to protect my team and get a fair deal. No charity, no hometown discount, no pretending a Low-A reliever is a future closer because he’s wearing powder blue. While I am not a front office executive, I tried considering what holes my imaginary organization had, where their competitive timeline stood, and ultimately get the help they needed and could use.

We talked through six players. Four deals got done, two fell apart, and by the end Kansas City had a new rotation and a much thinner farm system. Here is the logic behind every call I made from the other side of the table.

All prospect rankings are from MLB Pipeline.

Reid Detmers (Angels): deal done

Royals get: LHP Reid Detmers

Angels get: LHP David Shields (#4), C Blake Mitchell (#5), RHP Jack Slightom (#12)

If you’re going to ask me for my best starter, you’re going to pay for my best starter. Detmers threw 185 innings with a 3.36 ERA, struck out 211, and was worth 4.2 WAR, and he comes with two more years of team control. His changeup generates whiffs like a buy-one-get-one coupon generates foot traffic, and he got better as the year went on, posting a 2.05 ERA after the All-Star break. Bring him to Kauffman Stadium, and he’s not a back-end piece, he’s likely the Royals’ Opening Day starter.

Jeremy’s opening offer leaned on Slightom and red-hot outfielder Angeibel Gomez. It was tough to reject, but Gomez is still far away from a big-league debut, so I countered with Shields, Mitchell, and Kendry Chourio. Neither of us was getting everything we wanted, so we met in the middle: Shields, Mitchell, and Slightom.

From the Angels’ chair, I liked it. I told Jeremy I felt I got the better end, and that the deal only swings back their way if both the arm and the bat miss. Jeremy’s response was that both carry red flags. That’s fair. It’s also exactly what a GM says after they’ve already hung up the phone.

The headline of this deal is not a single prospect, but rather two in Shields and Mitchell. Shields had an electric 2026 season, staying all year in the High-A Quad Cities rotation en route to the Midwest League championship. There are concerns about Shields’ velocity, but the then-19-year-old hurler had little problem this year against more experienced batters.

He is a starter through and through, and few pitchers are better poised to start their age-20 season in Double-A than Shields. While the minor-league run environment exploded this season, I looked at Shields’ 2.48 SIERA in valuing him. For comparison, Milwaukee Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski led MLB with a 2.35 SIERA this season. The results will not translate one-to-one from High-A to MLB, but they show how elite a pitcher Shields was in 2026.

A Midwest League All-Star

AND

The Midwest League Pitcher of the Year!

Way to go, David Shields! 👏 #RaisingRoyals👑 pic.twitter.com/Hmex4Ez9kJ

— Raising Royals (@KCRoyalsPD) September 16, 2026

The wild card here is Mitchell, the uber-athletic catcher with a polarizing batting profile. His 23 homers and 27 stolen bases in High-A this season put him in elite company, while his 131 wRC+ shows how much more productive he was than his peers However, the 34.1% strikeout rate is a huge red flag, even weighed against a 22.1% walk rate. That ratio would be among the better in MLB, but it was only tied for 212th among High-A batters alone. Add in his contact issues, and Mitchell feels like an all-or-nothing prospect Kansas City could move on from after the 2026 season. The Angels lack a clear top catching prospect better than Mitchell, so shoring up that position with an MLB hole to boot feels feasible.

Slightom is more of a wild card, not because of any flaws or red flags, but because he has yet to show what he can do in professional games. Kansas City liked him enough to give him an above-slot deal after drafting him this year in the second round, thanks to projectable stuff and a starter’s build. But with no affiliated action yet, the jury is still out on what Slightom will be. I looked at that build and his fastball, coupled with a unique delivery, and think there is a solid prospect there to work with on his secondary offerings. Here is a quick look at him down in Arizona.

Figured this would be a good battle. Kansas City Royals 2026 2nd rd draft pick Jack Slightom vs Padres 2026 free agent signing Josh Skowronski. Slightom gets Skronk here. pic.twitter.com/GDTxxpull7

— TheJerryEspinoza (@JEspinoza1634) August 27, 2026

Logan Gilbert (Mariners): no deal

My ask: 3B Josh Hammond (#3), UTL Nick Loftin (MLB), LHP Dash Albus (NR)

The Gilbert talks are where I learned the most about playing the other side. Jeremy kept offering pieces that made sense for the Royals to move. I kept asking for pieces that made sense for the Mariners to own.

Michael Massey was the easy no. Seattle’s middle infield is already a crowded elevator, with Cole Young, Brendan Donovan, Michael Arroyo and Brock Rodden all waiting for the doors to open. Adding another second baseman solves nothing. Third base is the real long-term hole, especially with Donovan hitting free agency after 2027. That’s why I pushed for Hammond.

I also wasn’t going to let Jeremy forget what they were buying. Gilbert has one year of control left and projects to make about $15.4 million in his final arbitration year. One year of an ace is still one year. I wanted Loftin, not Isaac Collins, and Jeremy wouldn’t budge on Loftin. The talks did not last long on Gilbert, but opened another door in Seattle.

George Kirby (Mariners): deal done

Royals get: RHP George Kirby

Mariners get: C Ramon Ramirez (#7), RHP Lucas Braun (#16), LHP Dash Albus (NR)

So we stayed in Seattle and changed the name on the jersey. I countered with Ramirez, Braun, and Albus for two years of Kirby, and Jeremy took it.

My pitch was simple. Kirby is coming off a down 2026, a 4.33 ERA in 174.2 innings, which is the only reason he’s available at this price. The Royals get a surefire rotation arm with two years of control, and the Mariners turn a pitcher in a dip into three young pieces. Jeremy walked away thinking they gave up very little in Braun and Albus. Sometimes the best trades are the ones where both sides think they won the coin flip.

Ramirez is the headline piece here for Seattle, banking on the still underappreciated catching prospect in the Royals’ system. While an injury took some time from him this summer, his High-A performance went well overall. Looking at his skills behind the plate from 2025 to 2026, I feel comfortable with him sticking as a catcher after some fielding and blocking concerns raised eyebrows last season. His bat is what will carry him, and the bat speed remains tantalizing after a 2025 injury saw his power decline following his return. He would join Seattle’s organization as a well-rounded alternative to Luke Stevenson, the Mariners’ current top catching prospect.

LVPB (Venezuelan Professional Baseball League) meet Ramón Ramírez! #RaisingRoyals👑 21-year-old slugger went 2 for 2 with a home run and a 2-run single and walked twice last night in his debut for @labarrabrava.

🎥 Beisbolplay on IG pic.twitter.com/sX2VWQSYNL

— Raising Royals (@KCRoyalsPD) October 23, 2026

The Royals need pitching depth heading into 2027, but if there was room to let Braun walk, I was going to take it. With youngsters Kade Anderson and Ryan Sloan pushing for MLB roles in 2027, there is a steep drop off to the Mariners’ next wave of pitching talent. Braun serves more as an insurance policy than a high-ceiling add, but with a 3.69 SIERA in Triple-A action last season, that is his best role in any organization. The control is his calling card, but Braun lacks a tool that screams MLB regular to me. Still, you carry insurance for a reason, and Seattle will likely need some on their supporting starting staff.

This was the second time I tried to get Albus, and I finally landed him for Seattle. Albus is not a top-30 prospect, but relievers rarely are. The 19th rounder from the 2024 MLB Draft now has two steady seasons in the Royals organization, pitching at least 55 innings each year. His jump from 13.8% K-BB% in 2025 to 21.4% K-BB% in 2026 gives him some helium. Albus was also among High-A’s best pitchers at inducing chase swings (39.8%, 98th percentile) and limiting in-zone contact (73.5%, 94th percentile). Those are not aberrations, but rather him improving on what he was strongest with at Low-A last season. Heading into his age-24 season, Albus should start next season at Double-A.

Nick Lodolo (Reds): no deal

My ask: LHP Justin Lamkin (8), OF Asbel Gonzalez (15)

Lodolo’s 2026 was a story told mostly by blisters. He finished with a 4.97 ERA in 108.2 innings. Look past that and you find a pitcher who, in his healthy 2025, posted a 3.33 ERA over 156.2 innings and 4.7 WAR. He has one year of control left at a projected $5.7 million, which is a bargain for a guy who can pitch like that when his fingers cooperate.

So I asked for Lamkin and Gonzalez, essentially the price of the 2025 version. Jeremy refused to pay 2025 prices for a 2026 Lodolo. I understood the logic. I also pointed out that they had just paid exactly that kind of price for a George Kirby coming off his own down year. Consistency is a lot to ask from a general manager. Apparently it’s even more to ask from a podcast host. This was also before Lamkin really started taking off in the Arizona Fall League, so my buy-low attempt on the Texas A&M alum fell short. Thank goodness for Royals fans.

Ryan Feltner (Rockies): deal done

Royals get: RHP Ryan Feltner

Rockies get: RHP Felix Arronde (#21), LHP Darwin Rodriguez (NR)

Feltner found a niche in piggyback and bulk relief work, and his changeup is the kind of pitch that looks better the farther it gets from Coors Field. He projects to make about $3.8 million in arbitration and isn’t a lock to be tendered. Getting him out of Colorado is a bet that he becomes something else. Plenty of pitchers have walked out of that altitude and found out who they really were.

Of every deal we made, this is the one I like most from the opposing side. Colorado turns a non-tender candidate into two arms. Kansas City gets a lottery ticket with a really good changeup.

An excellent outing from Ryan Feltner tonight.

6.0 IP
1 H
1 ER
2 BB
4 K

Jaden Hill will pitch the seventh for the #Rockies. @blakestbanterpic.twitter.com/5Ja6IJVrom

— Eli Whitney (@eliwhtney17) June 6, 2026

Arronde had a ton of helium coming into 2026, after pitching 128.2 High-A innings with a 2.80 ERA in that span. He was not a dominant strikeout pitcher, but adeptly limited home runs and induced ineffective contact in his 26 appearances. But the burgeoning minor-league run environment was a brick wall for him in 2026, where he jumped to Double-A and pitched his third consecutive 100-plus-inning season. The strikeouts ticked up, but the walk rate spiked from 8.1% to 11.2%. His home run rate was one of the worst in minor league baseball, allowing 2.14 home runs per nine innings, or 25 in his 24 total appearances. He was a consistent presence in the strike zone this year, and hopefully a repeat of Double-A this coming season gets him back on track.

Rodriguez is a nice-to-have in this deal as a guy who, like Albus, has factors that say he could develop into a big-league contributor in coming years. The Venezuelan pitched a career-high 115 innings this season, all at Low-A Columbia, with a 3.83 ERA, 3.55 FIP, and 3.54 SIERA all showing how consistent he was in Columbia. His control sets up a so-so arsenal well, somehow getting batters to chase at a 32.4% rate while only whiffing 23.5% of the time. He was a late starter to his professional career, but has been remarkably consistent over the past three years. High-A offers the next test, though, and his lacking stuff might be his downfall. But finding that next fastball shape for Rodriguez and honing the changeup, that is on my organization.

Darwin Rodriguez fans nine Woodpecker batters in 5.2 innings, a new career high for the Fireflies southpaw! 😎🔥 #LetsGlowpic.twitter.com/bH2rZVusUh

— Columbia Fireflies (@ColaFireflies) June 6, 2026

Dylan Crews (Nationals): deal done

Royals get: OF Dylan Crews

Nationals get: LHP Daniel Lynch IV (MLB), OF Sean Gamble (#10)

The first position player added in this exercise is banking on a blue-chip prospect benefitting from a change of scenery. Crews has the pedigree and a solid glove, but no track record of production yet. He hit .223/.289/.374 with an 82 OPS+ in 2026, good for 0.7 WAR. My honest projection is that he peaks as a 1- to 2-WAR player. Talent doesn’t win ballgames. Production does. But he would still serve as an improvement to the current Royals outfield and give the team room to add another impact bat in the outfield, where hopefully Crews would serve more as a supplementary role in center field or left as needed.

dylan crews is in the lab

full cut: https://t.co/jHGMpzFwS6 x @inovahealthpic.twitter.com/74yBFk1Fjj

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) October 26, 2026

What Crews does offer the Royals is cost certainty. He’s pre-arbitration through 2027 and under team control through 2030, and that matters for a payroll that just swallowed Detmers, Kirby, and Feltner. When the rotation gets expensive, a cheap outfielder with upside starts to look like a necessity.

Jeremy’s offer included Yandel Ricardo (#11 in the farm system). I swapped Ricardo out for Lynch and asked for Gamble and Lynch. The logic was based entirely on Washington’s needs. With Seaver King and Eli Willits holding down shortstop, Washington needs a future multi-position outfielder with some base power more than another infielder, and Gamble fits. Lynch fills a bullpen that needs left-handed arms, and with Washington’s recent track record of testing out pitching reclamation projects, I think the 2018 first-rounder would offer them a starting option that I know Kansas City fans do not want to see pitching against them.

Gamble’s season is a Rorschach test. He finished with a 72 wRC+ at Low-A as a 19-year-old, but he also stole 38 bases, including 12 in his final 23 games. His power ticked up late, too, with a .123 ISO from August on compared to .107 for the year. Squint one way and he’s a speedster still learning to hit. Squint the other, and he’s a young hitter starting to find damage. As the Nationals, I’ll happily take that ink blot.

He was exclusively in center field for Columbia last year, flashing his speed and reaction on plenty of highlight-reel plays. I am still interested in the versatile profile he had coming out of IMG Academy last year, but his future likely lies in center or left. The Nationals do have some outfield prospects, but like Gamble, all are far from the league. Luke Dickerson is a similar profile to Gamble, but is not a surefire guy to push Gamble off Washington’s radar altogether.

Sean Gamble lines a stand-up triple to the right field wall that scores Henry Ramos to give us a first-inning 1-0 lead. #LetsGlowpic.twitter.com/nEDB9k6Sju

— Columbia Fireflies (@ColaFireflies) May 27, 2026

The final tally

When the dust settled, five of the Royals’ top 12 prospects were wearing new uniforms: Shields, Mitchell, Ramirez, Gamble, and Slightom. In return, Kansas City added three starting pitchers and a cost-controlled outfielder. Taking that opposing general manager hat off after this exercise, I feel that is the aggressive stance Kansas City needs to take this offseason if they want to improve the big-league product, without hedging their bets on a litany of prospects who have not played above High-A.

But give Jeremy credit for what he didn’t move. They held on to Chourio and Gomez, the two best players in the system, and Hammond stayed put because he wouldn’t part with Loftin in the Gilbert talks. A front office can survive trading depth. It rarely survives trading the future, and all three have hopeful roles in the next great wave of Royals prospects.

There was a strange beauty in playing the other side of this equation. I was able to go get guys I want to see progress like Rodriguez and Albus, while adding prospects who would be likely top-ten additions to any system out there. Will our thought process come to fruition? Likely not, just like many free agent or trade predictions we will see over the offseason ahead. But that intent on Kansas City’s end is what needs to materialize if fans are to believe 2026 was an injury-fueled fluke rather than a return to the baseball purgatory Kansas City has occupied for much of my adult life.

It looks like Braves Country will be on Hall of Fame Watch once again this offseason, as another Atlanta luminary has been named to the Contemporary Baseball Era ballot for the 2027 class of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Former Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner has made the star-studded list of eight candidates for this year’s class.

Ted Turner joins a list that includes legends like Dusty Baker, Lou Pinella, Bruce Bochy, and Bill White. Sandy Alderson, Brian Sabean and Joe Maddon also made the list as well, so this is about as stacked of a ballot as you can get when it comes to former executives, managers and umpires.

As the linked article mentions, Turner was responsible for getting the Braves on TBS during his time as owner, which allowed for Atlanta’s games to be televised across the country on cable — hence the nickname of “America’s Team” during that time period. While Turner was known for that and some colorfully strange hijinks during his time as a hands-on owner, it was only after he took a more hands-off approach that the ballclub blossomed into the perennial contender that it is today.

Turner was the owner as the Braves became a powerhouse throughout the 1990s and with Bobby Cox, Chipper Jones, Andruw Jones, Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz already in the Hall of Fame from that era, it would only make sense if the owner joined them as well. It’s a shame that the honor is coming posthumously (assuming Turner gets into the Hall) but it would still be well deserved for one of the more forward-thinking and unique baseball owners of his time.

As usual, any given candidate must receive 75 percent of the vote from the 16-person panel to receive induction. We’re likely going to see multiple inductions on this ballot and hopefully Ted Turner is among them. We’ll see what happens once the votes are revealed on December 6.

UPDATE: Here’s Jayson Stark explaining the voting process

This is a loaded ballot filled with great names.

Just a reminder that the committee members only have 3 ballot slots apiece.

So mathematically it's almost impossible to elect more than two of these guys. https://t.co/9nebfENIg0

— Jayson Stark (@jaysonst) November 2, 2026

Former Mets general manager and team president Sandy Alderson has been named a candidate for the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Alderson was announced as one of the eight people named to the non-player ballot to be voted on by the Hall of Fame's Contemporary Baseball Era Committee when it meets on Dec. 6 in San Diego. 

Alderson's biggest success with the Mets came in 2015 as New York captured the National League pennant, and he was named Executive of the Year by Baseball America. In eight seasons under Alderson, the Mets made two postseason appearances and had a .485 winning percentage. 

Before coming to Queens, Alderson was the general manager of the Oakland Athletics (1983-1997), winning three straight American League pennants and the World Series title in 1989.

Alderson joins three other executives and four former managers, including Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Joe Maddon, former Yankees manager Lou Piniella, Brian Sabean, Ted Turner, and Bill White. The candidates come from a pool of people whose primary contribution to the game came since 1980.

Any candidate who appears on 75 percent of committee members' ballots earns their place in Cooperstown, with induction set for the summer of 2027. 

Former Royals outfielder Lou Piniella, who was Rookie of the Year with the team in 1969, is up for consideration in Cooperstown. The National Baseball Hall of Fame has announced eight nominees for the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee ballot for potential induction in 2027. The candidates are Sandy Alderson, Dusty Baker, Bruce Bochy, Joe Maddon, Lou Piniella, Brian Sabean, Ted Turner, and Bill White.

The Contemporary Baseball Era ballot features four managers and four executives for consideration in the Hall of Fame Class of 2027.

Results will be announced at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 6: https://t.co/ofvHWarX4Ipic.twitter.com/xZ8WpqqgkZ

— National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum ⚾ (@baseballhall) November 2, 2026

Sandy Alderson became the Athletics general manager at age 35 and built the team that won three consecutive American League pennants and a World Series title from 1988-90. Alderson later worked in the Commissioner’s Office as executive vice president for baseball operations before serving in the front offices of the Padres and Mets, where he helped lead both franchises to Postseason appearances.

Dusty Baker managed the Giants, Cubs, Reds, Nationals and Astros over 26 seasons, compiling 13 postseason appearances, 10 first-place finishes and a World Series title in 2022. A three-time Manager of the Year Award winner (1993, 1997, 2000) and three-time runner-up, Baker led his teams to the postseason in each of his final eight seasons as a manager. He was also a two-time All-Star as a player over a 19-year career with the Braves, Dodgers, Giants, and Athletics, and was a champion in 1981 with Los Angeles.

Bruce Bochy managed the Padres, Giants and Rangers over 28 seasons, compiling 2,252 wins while leading his clubs to nine postseason appearances, six first-place finishes and four World Series titles. The 1996 National League Manager of the Year, Bochy finished in the top three of the voting seven times. A former catcher who played nine seasons in the big leagues, Bochy is one of only six managers in history with at least four World Series championships.

Joe Maddon managed the Angels, Rays and Cubs over 19 seasons, winning 1,382 games while leading his teams to the postseason eight times. A three-time Manager of the Year Award winner, Maddon led the Rays to their first American League pennant and first winning season in franchise history in 2008. He later skippered the Cubs to their first World Series championship in 108 years in 2016.

Lou Piniella won Rookie of the Year with the Royals in their inaugural season of 1969. He spent five seasons with the Royals, part of an 18-year career that also included 11 years with the Yankees. He was an All-Star in 1972 with the Royals, and he finished his career with 1,705 career hits. After a stint in the Yankees front office, he got into managing, running the Yankees, Reds, Mariners, Devil Rays and Cubs over 23 seasons, winning 1,835 games and leading his teams to seven Postseason appearances. He won a title in 1990 with the Reds, and led the 2001 Mariners to an American League-record 116 victories. He was named Manager of the Year three times (1995, 2001, 2008).

Brian Sabean joined the Yankees front office and helped sign and develop many of the players who powered New York to four World Series titles from 1996-2000. He joined the Giants in 1997 winning three World Series titles in 2010, 2012, and his 2014 team defeated the Royals. His 18 years as Giants general manager marked the longest tenure in franchise history.

Ted Turner purchased the Atlanta Braves in 1976 and quickly established the team on the national stage by putting their games on his TBS television station, which was distributed to cable providers across the country and helped establish a new model for sports broadcasting. Turner owned the team as the Braves developed into a dynasty, winning 14 consecutive division titles from 1991-2005 in completed seasons, an MLB record.

Bill White spent 13 years in the big leagues as a first baseman and outfielder with the Giants, Cardinals, and Phillies. He was an eight-time All-Star, seven-time Gold Glove Award winner, and a World Series champion with the Cardinals in 1964. After serving as a broadcaster, White served as president of the National League from 1989-94. White presided over the addition of the Marlins and Rockies to the National League and helped consolidate the American and National leagues under one administrative umbrella. He was named the Hall of Fame’s Buck O’Neil Lifetime Achievement Award winner in 2026.

Candidates will have to appear on 75 percent of the ballots of the 16 voters, who have not yet been announced. The results of the Contemporary Baseball Era Committee vote will be announced on Sunday, December 6.

This year’s Royals Hall of Fame ballot features several players from the club’s memorable 2014-15 pennant-winning teams. Zack Greinke, Eric Hosmer, Ian Kennedy, and Mike Moustakas join the list as first-time candidates, joining carry over candidates Carlos Beltrán, Billy Butler, Lorenzo Cain, Wade Davis, Alcides Escobar, Kelvin Herrera, Greg Holland, and Joakim Soria.

Fan voting is now open for the Royals Hall of Fame Class of 2027!

Cast your vote now: https://t.co/7PX8YHHS7Cpic.twitter.com/97PIbJeCbv

— Kansas City Royals (@Royals) November 2, 2026

Here are the credentials for each candidate.

Carlos Beltrán

795 games, .287/.352/.483, 24.8 rWAR

Beltrán played for the Royals from 1998 to 2004, winning American League Rookie of the Year honors in 1999. He became just the eighth rookie in MLB history to score 100 runs and drive in 100 runs in the same season. He was named American League Player of the Week three times with the Royals and earned Player of the Month honors in April 2004. Beltrán finished among the league’s top ten in stolen bases three times during his Royals tenure and ranks eighth among all Royals position players in rWAR. His 164 stolen bases rank eighth in club history, and he converted on an impressive 87 percent of his attempts.

Billy Butler

1,166 games, .295/.359/.449, 12.5 rWAR

Butler was a first-round pick in 2004 who spent several years as the Royals’ designated hitter, including during their pennant-winning 2014 season. His best season came in 2012, when he hit .313/.373/.510 with a career-high 29 home runs, earning Silver Slugger honors. He also made his only All-Star appearance that year, playing in front of his hometown fans at Kauffman Stadium. Butler finished among the league’s top ten in doubles three times and ranked sixth in RBI in 2012. He is tied for tenth in club history in home runs, ninth in hits, and eighth in doubles. His .295 career batting average ranks sixth in franchise history among players with at least 1,000 plate appearances.

Lorenzo Cain

713 games, .289/.342/.421, 24.6 rWAR

Cain is appearing on the ballot for the first time after receiving a retirement ceremony from the club in 2023. Originally acquired from the Brewers in the Zack Greinke trade, Cain quickly developed into one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. From 2013 to 2017, he ranked third among all outfielders in Defensive Runs Saved with 75. His defensive brilliance was on full display during the Royals’ 2014 postseason run, when he hit .533 against the Orioles to earn ALCS MVP honors.

Cain made his first All-Star team in 2015 and finished third in American League MVP voting. That season, he ranked fifth in the league in runs scored (101), fifth in batting average (.307), third in defensive WAR (2.1), and fourth in overall rWAR (6.9). His dash home from first base on Eric Hosmer’s single in the deciding game of the 2015 ALCS against the Blue Jays remains one of the most iconic moments in franchise history. Cain ranks ninth in club history in career rWAR with 24.6.

Wade Davis

256 games, 3.39 ERA, 3.13 FIP, 6.6 rWAR

Davis was a starting pitcher in 2013, his first season with the Royals after being acquired from the Rays. But a move to the bullpen transformed his career, turning him into arguably the most dominant reliever in baseball. From 2014 to 2016, he appeared in 185 games and posted a remarkable 1.85 ERA while recording 47 saves. He struck out 33 percent of the batters he faced during that stretch. Davis was a two-time All-Star, received Cy Young votes in 2014 and 2015, and earned MVP votes in 2015. He recorded the final out of the 2015 World Series to clinch the championship for Kansas City. His 49 career saves with the Royals rank tenth in club history.

Alcides Escobar

1,245 games, .259/.292/.344, 8.2 rWAR

Escobar is another first-time candidate. A defense-first shortstop, he frequently hit near the top of the lineup for the Royals’ pennant-winning teams. Originally acquired from the Brewers in the Greinke trade, Escobar became an iron man for Kansas City, playing at least 155 games in six of his eight seasons with the club, including three seasons in which he appeared in all 162 games. He was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner in 2015, then hit .478 against the Blue Jays that fall to earn ALCS MVP honors. He also famously opened the bottom of the first inning of Game 1 of the 2015 World Series with an inside-the-park home run, setting the tone for the series. His 160 stolen bases rank ninth in club history, while his 1,208 career hits rank tenth.

Zack Greinke

266 games, 3.93 ERA, 3.76 FIP, 29.8 rWAR

Greinke was originally drafted by the Royals with the sixth overall pick in 2002 and made his major league debut in 2004. He quickly established himself as one of the team’s best young pitchers, but his breakout season came in 2009, when he won the American League Cy Young Award. Greinke went 16-8 with a 2.16 ERA and 242 strikeouts, leading the league in ERA and finishing sixth in MVP voting. He also earned his first All-Star selection that year. Greinke was traded to Milwaukee after the 2010 season, but returned to Kansas City in 2022 for two more seasons. His 29.8 rWAR ranks fourth among all pitchers in Royals history, and he remains the last Royals pitcher to win the Cy Young Award.

Kelvin Herrera

442 games, 2.75 ERA, 3.16 FIP, 10.6 rWAR

Herrera was a two-time All-Star who recorded four seasons with at least 70 appearances and an ERA below 3.00. He was a key member of the vaunted “HDH” bullpen trio alongside Wade Davis and Greg Holland. Herrera was particularly dominant in the postseason, posting a 1.26 ERA in 22 appearances while striking out 38 batters in 28 2/3 innings. He ranks sixth in club history in saves and third in games pitched.

Eric Hosmer

1,048 games, .284/.342/.439, 15.5 rWAR

Hosmer was the third overall pick in the 2008 draft and quickly became a cornerstone of the Royals’ rebuilding effort. He debuted in 2011 and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting. He developed into one of the best defensive first basemen in baseball, winning four Gold Glove Awards with the Royals. His best season came in 2017, when he hit .318/.385/.498 with 25 home runs and 94 RBI. He earned his first All-Star selection in 2016 and was named All-Star Game MVP after hitting a go-ahead home run in the eighth inning. But Hosmer’s most memorable moment came in the 2015 World Series, when his aggressive dash home on a ground ball to first base tied Game 5 in the ninth inning and helped the Royals eventually clinch the championship. His 127 home runs are tied for tenth in club history, while his 566 RBI rank ninth.

Greg Holland

394 games, 2.72 ERA, 2.61 FIP, 11.3 rWAR

Holland was an elite closer and a key member of one of the best bullpens in baseball. Drafted in the tenth round out of Western Carolina University, he made his Royals debut in 2010 and posted a 1.80 ERA the following season. By 2012, he had taken over as the team’s closer. Holland became an All-Star in both 2013 and 2014, earning Cy Young and MVP votes in each season. He recorded 46 saves in 2013 and 47 in 2014, finishing second in the American League both years. He allowed just one run in 11 postseason innings in 2014.

Holland recorded another 32 saves in 2015 but suffered an elbow injury late in the season that kept him out of the postseason. He eventually returned to Kansas City for another stint in 2020-21, appearing in 85 games. His 159 career saves rank fourth in club history.

Ian Kennedy

163 games, 4.48 ERA, 4.83 FIP, 6.3 rWAR

Kennedy signed a five-year, $70 million contract with the Royals following their 2015 World Series championship, becoming the team’s highest-paid player at the time. He delivered a solid first season in 2016, going 11-11 with a 3.68 ERA and 184 strikeouts in 195 2/3 innings. Kennedy found new life after moving to the bullpen in 2019, when he converted 30 saves with a 3.41 ERA, giving the Royals a reliable closer. He finished his Royals career with 163 appearances, including 86 starts, and was worth 6.3 rWAR.

Mike Moustakas

934 games, .251/.306/.430, 11.4 rWAR

Moustakas was the second overall pick in the 2007 draft and one of the key prospects in the Royals’ rebuilding effort. He debuted in 2011 and endured some early struggles, but developed into a productive power hitter and an important part of the Royals’ championship teams. He hit .284/.348/.470 with 22 home runs in 2015, earning his first All-Star selection. He had his best season in 2017, when he set a Royals single-season record with 38 home runs and earned another All-Star selection. Moustakas also provided one of the defining defensive plays of the 2014 postseason, making a spectacular catch while tumbling over the third-base dugout in the ALCS. He ranks ninth in club history with 139 home runs and 14th with 441 RBI. “Moose” returned to Kansas City for a retirement ceremony in 2025, signing a one-day contract to retire as a Royal.

Joakim Soria

427 games, 2.82 ERA, 3.03 FIP, 14.3 rWAR

Soria had two separate stints with the Royals, pitching for the club from 2007-11 and again from 2016-17. Originally selected from the Padres in the Rule 5 Draft, he developed into a two-time All-Star with Kansas City and received Cy Young and MVP votes in 2010. Soria finished among the league’s top ten in saves four times with the Royals, including a second-place finish in 2010 when he recorded 43 saves. He ranks third in club history in saves and fifth in games pitched.

To be eligible for the Royals Hall of Fame, a candidate must have spent at least three seasons with the club, accumulated a minimum of 1,500 plate appearances or 300 innings pitched, and been retired for at least three years.

Fans can vote here, with the fan vote counting as three electors. Other electors include members of the Royals Hall of Fame, Royals front office staff, Royals Associates with at least 15 years of service, and select members of the media. The online fan ballot will account for three full votes for each of the five candidates receiving the most votes. Any candidate receiving at least 75 percent of the vote will be elected and scheduled for induction during the 2026 Royals season. Eligible alumni who receive at least 10 percent of the vote can remain on the ballot for five regular-phase election cycles.

Last year, John Wathan was elected into the Royals Hall of Fame. Yordano Ventura is the only candidate from last year’s ballot that did not carry over to this years ballot. The Royals Hall of Fame includes Kevin Appier, George Brett, Joe Burke, Steve Busby, Ewing Kauffman, Muriel Kauffman, Mark Gubicza, Alex Gordon, Larry Gura, Dick Howser, Whitey Herzog, Bo Jackson, Dennis Leonard, Denny Matthews, John Mayberry, Hal McRae, Jeff Montgomery, Fred Patek, Dan Quisenberry, Cookie Rojas, Bret Saberhagen, John Schuerholz, Paul Splittorff, Art Stewart, Mike Sweeney, Cedric Tallis, George Toma, Amos Otis, Frank White, Willie Wilson, John Wathan, and Ned Yost.

The Tampa Bay Rays have officially parted ways with two veteran players that were integral to the team’s run to the World Series this past season.

On Friday, October 30th, the Rays announced that they had declined the mutual options for the 2027 season with RHP Nick Martinez and OF Cedric Mullins.

The Rays signed Martinez just prior to Spring Training to a one year, $9M contract with a $20M mutual option for the 2027 season; the Rays paid Martinez a $4M buyout after declining that option. The signing could not have worked out any better for Tampa Bay and Martinez as the veteran hurler delivered one of his best seasons and was named an All-Star for the first time in his career.

Overall the 36 year old compiled a 3.10 ERA | 3.96 FIP with a 15.1 K% and league leading 3.6 BB% over a career high, 180 IP. Off the field, Martinez’s leadership within the clubhouse was invaluable as he helped guide a young Rays team to their first postseasom berth since 2023. When the Rays reached the World Series for the third time in franchise history, Nick Martinez received the honor of starting Game One against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Early last offseason, the Rays signed the veteran Cedric Mullins to a one year, $7M deal with a $10M mutual option for the 2027 season. The Rays have declined that option and instead paid Mullins a $500K buyout.

Mullins wasn’t able to recapture the magic that had made him one of the top players in baseball while with the Baltimore Orioles several years ago. The now 32 year old Mullins had one of the worst offensive seasons in baseball in 2026 and also posted the lowest OBP% among qualifying players in a single-season for the Rays. Overall Mullins hit .205/.284/.344 with 15 HR and 21 SB, registering a 76 wRC+ (4th lowest of 135 players). Mullins did accrue 1.1 fWAR despite his lowly offensive production thanks to plus defense in center field, producing 11 Outs Above Average, which ranked 4th among 54 qualifying outfielders.

With the departures of Mullins and Martinez, the Rays will likely be on the hunt for new veteran additions to fill their respective roles on the team.

Against Chris Sale, with two outs in the ninth inning of game three of the National League Wild Card in Atlanta, Otto Kemp ended the Phillies season by swinging right over a slider.

Believe it or not, the Phillies had real hopes for Otto Kemp heading into 2026. He put up a .786 OPS against left-handed pitching in 2025, roughly 20% above league average, believe it or not. Kemp notably played through a fractured left kneecap and he needed surgery on his shoulder after the 2025 season.

He clearly checked the intangible boxes and showed some real ability at the plate. He slugged .411 with a 92 OPS+ as a rookie and did not look incompetent against right-handed pitching most of the time. Dave Dombrowski clearly liked what he saw, insisting he thought Kemp could turn into an everyday player but they settled on the short-side platoon LF spot.

He was never a good defender but he wasn’t completely unathletic and should hit lefties. Sounds like a perfectly acceptable platoon partner for Brandon Marsh, right?

Nope.

It was a disaster.

What went right?

Kemp made the opening day roster and the Phillies came into the season with him in mind so clearly something went fine in spring training, at least enough so the Phillies could maintain the course.

What went wrong?

After going 2 for 20 with nine strikeouts, a walk, and a hit-by-pitch, not to mention he was a disaster in left field, Kemp was optioned in the middle of the Phillies 10 game losing streak. Felix Reyes came in his place, hit a home run off Chris Sale but nothing else and would later get optioned.

Kemp would find himself back in the big leagues a month after his option, with another chance to prove he could platoon with Brandon Marsh in left field. He played in three more games, getting five at bats and didn’t record a hit.

With Marsh on a linsanity run against left handed pitchers, there was no place for Otto Kemp on the roster and he would not play for the Phillies for four months.

Until October, Kemp was put on the Phillies playoff roster after a rash of minor league injuries to end the season. The 2026 Phillies postseason roster for their series against the Atlanta Braves included Kemp, Rafael Marchán and Garrett Stubbs, along with Tanner Banks and Chase Shugart in the bullpen. Not that you would need to find a role for all 26 players in a three game series, but that is an insane amount of dead weight going into October.

Kemp would play when Don Mattingly hit him for Brandon Marsh against Chris Sale. It was supposed to be this way heading into the season and it would be the way the season ended. Kemp had no chance on a backfoot slider and the Phillies went home empty handed.

Final Grade: D-

Does Kemp deserve an F? Yes, but I don’t want to give it to him. He wasn’t supposed to be as miscast as a short-side platoon left fielder as he was and nothing worked but the role does have a level of variance to it that should absolve Kemp from an F.

Yesterday, the baseball world learned of the passing of Jerry Koosman, a member of both the 1969 World Champion and 1973 National League Champion New York Mets, at 83 year old. Koosman, a member of the Mets Hall of Fame and whose number 36 is retired by the Mets, is one of the most identifiable Mets from their first golden era.

Born in Appleton, Minnesota, the left-hander was discovered while in the military, and the Mets signed him one his service was over. He made his big league debut in 1967, but joined the Mets full time in 1968, going 19-12 with a 2.08 ERA and 178 strikeouts in 263.2 innings. Koosman finished second to Johnny Bench in the Rookie of the Year voting.

In 1969, Koosman had another fantastic season, and won two games in the ‘69 World Series, pitching 17 and two-thirds innings over two games, and was awarded the ball Cleon Jones caught for the final out of the game.

Koosman continued to be the Mets’ number two starter behind Tom Seaver, and he had a number of very good seasons as Met, including winning 21 games in 1976 and coming in second in the Cy Young voting in 1976. After the Mets’ terrible 1978 season, Koosman requested a trade and was traded to the Twins in exchange for Greg Field and, as a player to be named later, fellow Mets legend Jesse Orosco.

Over his 12 year Mets career, Koosman put up a 3.07, with a 140-137 record. He was an All-Star in 1968 and 1969.

After a fantastic year in 1979 for the Twins, Koosman’s career never quite hit those high marks again. After two and a half seasons with the Twins, two and a half for the White Sox, and two for the Phillies, Koosman retured after the 1985 season. He ended his career with 53.6 bWAR.

Koosman has the third most pitching wins in Mets history (140), behind teammate Seaver and Dwight Gooden. The Mets inducted him into their Hall of Fame in 1989 and retired his number in 2021. He was just the third Met player to have his number retired.

Koosman is survived by three children and four grandchildren.