BRADENTON, Fla. — Foundation. That’s what the back end of the Phillies’ starting rotation could use.
Developed, organizational pitching depth, to be exact.
MLB Pipeline recently released their Top 30 prospects for each club. They ranked the Phillies’ system 20th.
Outside of Andrew Painter, the club has just two starters in that top 30 who have thrown a pitch at Double-A or higher: Moises Chace (No. 10) and Friday’s starter against Pittsburgh at LECOM Park, Jean Cabrera (No. 15).
If one of their five starters goes down — or six when Zack Wheeler returns — there is no clear, definitive option waiting in the wings.
Enter Cabrera?
He threw 50 pitches against the Pirates, striking out three over 2 1/3 innings. He’s not overpowering. His fastball sits in the low-to-mid 90s.
The concern last season was his control, which ballooned to a career-high 4.0 walks per nine innings, and it’s what he’s keenly focused on this spring.
“I felt pretty good today,” Cabrera said. “We tried to work on the sweeper a little bit, and when I saw I wasn’t getting there, I was able to go to my secondary pitches and command them. So I could attack with those too.”
His best season came in 2024 as a 22-year-old, split between High-A and Double-A. He posted a 3.80 ERA, issued just 33 walks in 106 2/3 innings and struck out 110. Friday was another chance to see what the Venezuelan right-hander can do.
“I feel like it’s time,” Cabrera said. “Spring training is well under way and I feel like they want me to ramp up and progress with my arm.”
Listed at 6-foot, 145 pounds (which may be outdated at this point), Cabrera doesn’t carry the typical frame of a big-league starter, something his Phillies teammates have jokingly pointed out.
But those same teammates have been a resource. On the pitching side, he’s leaned on Jesús Luzardo and Cristopher Sánchez, absorbing how they prepare and building a routine of his own.
“It’s been more about creating the habit of having a routine and being ready for games,” Cabrera said. “You never know when you’re going to be needed, and whenever you are, you have to be ready.”
The veteran arms have also encouraged him to add some physical weight to handle the rigors of a full big-league season.
“They feel like I’m a good pitcher and that I have what it takes to pitch at that level,” Cabrera said. “They want me to gain some weight in order to be ready and healthy for 30 starts and 200-plus innings. Who doesn’t want that?”
Rob Thomson has seen the growth.
“Cabrera is a guy that’s getting better and better,” he said. “His changeup was excellent and his fastball just keeps improving. He has pretty good command out there.”
It remains to be seen where Cabrera breaks camp, but it may be too early to pencil him in as a reliable back-end option.
Where else can the Phillies turn?
It won’t be Chace. After a strong start to his 2025 campaign with a 3.24 ERA in six starts at Reading, he underwent season-ending Tommy John surgery in June.
Their ten other pitchers in the Top 30 are not close to being big-league ready. The closest?
Gage Wood.
Their first-round pick a year ago has the makeup and confidence of an arm that could move quickly. The issue is that Wood made just 13 starts in his collegiate career at Arkansas, with his other 42 appearances coming out of the bullpen.
The organization won’t rush him into a rotation role this year, though he could pitch his way into a bullpen spot.
The Phillies are looking to stretch out Bryse Wilson as a swingman. The eight-year veteran has found most of his success in long relief. The last time he made more than ten starts in the majors was 2022, when he posted a 5.52 ERA with Pittsburgh.
He’s made a pair of scoreless two-inning outings this spring, and Thomson has taken notice.
“I like Bryse Wilson,” Thomson said. “He can really pitch. He’s not gonna break a radar gun, but he can put some command on the baseball and keep people off balance.”
Thomson also mentioned Alan Rangel as another name, who made a number of appearances out of the bullpen last season.
In other words, it’s thin.
At the onset of the offseason, Dave Dombrowski mentioned the club was still prioritizing starting pitching depth. No moves have been made, and Thomson is noncommittal on whether that will change.
“I don’t know,” Thomson said. “We’ll see how things go the rest of the way. If we’ve got eight right now, I feel fine about that.”
There is a notable positive on the horizon, though.
All indicators suggest Wheeler is ahead of schedule. He has looked strong in his bullpen sessions and remained optimistic about his recovery from thoracic outlet syndrome decompression surgery.
A timeline still hasn’t been set, but when he returns, the Phillies will have a competition for the fifth rotation spot between Taijuan Walker and Painter.
That doesn’t change the lack of developed arms behind them. Signing a veteran like Nestor Cortes to a league-minimum or minor league deal addresses this season, nothing more.
When the draft comes around, the conversation about investing in pitching will only get louder.
A trade for a young, controllable starter, one that wouldn’t significantly add to their luxury tax burden, currently sitting at the 110 percent penalty threshold, wouldn’t be a surprise.
Oct 11, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Chad Patrick (39) reacts in the seventh inning against the Chicago Cubs during game five of the NLDS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images
The Brewers return to Cactus League action Friday after an exciting 10–8 victory over the Colorado Rockies. Today’s game pits Milwaukee against the Arizona Diamondbacks for the first time this spring.
Chad Patrick is on the mound for the Brewers on the heels of Pat Murphy’s declaration that Patrick “will be in the rotation” to start the year. The right-hander showed up when called upon last year, putting up a 3.53 ERA in the regular season and a 2.00 ERA in six playoff games. Also scheduled to pitch today for the Crew are Jared Koenig and Peter Strzelecki. Pitching for the Diamondbacks is lefty Mitch Bratt, who had a 3.38 ERA in Double-A last year.
Today’s lineup is one you’ll probably never see in the regular season. Jake Bauers is leading off followed by Brandon Lockridge and Christian Yelich, who homered and reached base three times in his spring debut on Wednesday. A trio of offseason acquisitions — Akil Baddoo, Reese McGuire, and David Hamilton — will follow Yelich. Prospects Luis Lara and Jesús Made are hitting seventh and eighth, respectively. Hitting ninth and playing second base today is Greg Jones, who the Brewers signed to a minor league contract in the offseason.
Today’s game will be broadcast via radio on WTMJ 640 and the Brewers Radio Network. First pitch is set for 2:10 p.m.
AUSTIN, TX - APRIL 25: Texas pitcher Ruger Riojas (13) smiles as he leaves the field after closing out an inning during the SEC college baseball game between Texas Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies on April 25, 2025, at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin, Texas. (Photo by David Buono/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
One of two remaining unbeaten teams nationally, the No. 3 Texas Longhorns face off against the USC Upstate Spartans for the first time this weekend at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin as head coach Jim Schlossnagle’s team plays its final series before SEC play starts next week when the Ole Miss Rebels trip to the Forty Acres.
The weekend series marks the end of a nine-game road swing for the Spartans and the program’s first trip west of the Mississippi River as USC Upstate arrives with a 7-7 record in the midst of a two-game losing streak and at 4-6 on the road this season helmed by second-year head coach Kane Sweeney.
Last year, the longtime Spartans assistant led USC Upstate to its first-ever Big South regular season and tournament titles behind a powerful offense that ranked second nationally in hits (685) and runs (569), third in scoring (9.5), seventh in doubles (140), 10th in batting average (.315), and 19th in HBP (114), home runs (101), on-base percentage (.418), and slugging percentage (.524).
The head coach’s brother, Johnny, is the team’s standout designated hitter who was a first-team All-American last season with a slash line of .345/.500/.701 with 15 doubles, 18 home runs, and a program-record 82 RBI.
This year, the Spartans are still hitting well at .296 as a team, but don’t have a ton of power with 11 home runs — no player has more than two home runs on the year. Third baseman Jake Armsey is the team’s leading hitter at .354 with 10 RBI and 13 walks while center fielder Henry Zenor bats .333 with a team-high 13 RBI.
On the mound, the probable starters are left-hander Chris Torres (0-1; 8.25 ERA), right-hander Brent Stukes (2-1; 6.28 ERA), and right-hander Max Bianchini (1-1; 7.43 ERA) for a staff that has struggled on the way to a 6.03 ERA and 1.56 WHIP, allowing 18 home runs and 31 doubles. Redshirt freshman right-hander Jacob Kirby has started his career with four successful outings, posting a 0.00 ERA over 12.0 innings, striking out seven while limiting opponents to a .171 batting average.
The weekend rotation remains the same for Texas with senior right-hander Ruger Riojas (3-0, 1.12 ERA) takes the mound after a sensational start to the season — the UTSA transfer ranks fourth nationally with 30 strikeouts, recording at least nine in all three of his outings, including a career-high 11 in last Friday’s win over Coastal Carolina. Opponents are only batting .127 against the 6’0, 195-pounder.
The Horns have looked like a complete team early, outscoring its 12 opponents 109-22 with the help of a pitching staff that has allowed only 19 earned runs in 100 innings with the country’s second-best ERA (1.71) and WHIP (0.94), ranking 10th in OPS (1.012) and 13th in average (.330) nationally, and boasting a .988 fielding percentage that is tied for seventh-best nationally.
The start times are 6:30 p.m. Central on Friday, 2 p.m. Central on Saturday, and noon Central on Sunday, although storms forecast for Saturday afternoon could impact the game. All three games air on SEC Network+.
J.T. Ginn will take the mound for today’s Spring Training matchup against the Colorado Rockies at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa. | Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images
As we head into the third weekend of Spring Training, the A’s are at home to face off against the NL West’s Colorado Rockies. The teams will go at it at Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, Arizona today at 12:05 PST. The 4-7 A’s have had some life in their bats this past week, scoring 40 runs since the calendar turned the page to March. And while I’m the first to say those run totals are meaningless in the big picture of things, it also fuels my belief that the offense is going to produce, and the success or failure of this 2026 club will rest upon the arms of the pitching staff.
J.T. Ginn will get the first shot at the Rockies today. He’s got a win with two starts and five innings this spring without giving up a run. He’ll go up against Chase Dollander for the Rockies. Dollander has also started two games and gone four innings with a 2.25 ERA.
Jeff McNeil falls into the leadoff spot today since Nick Kurtz isn’t in the starting lineup. I think many of us assumed this would be the reality even when Kurtz was playing. It will be interesting to see if this is a change just for today or a sign of the future batting order.
Dollander will face this lineup for the A’s today:
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 15: Pitcher Chase Dollander #32 of the Colorado Rockies delivers a pitch during live batting practice at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick on February 15, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Kyle Cooper/Colorado Rockies/Getty Images)
It’s been a little bit of a tougher week for the Colorado Rockies in the pitching department this past week. Offense across the league has been making an impact in the Arizona weather, and Rockies pitching has fallen into some old traps as they try to work through new pitches and find command.
Chase Dollander (0-0, 2.25 ERA) is one such pitcher trying to find himself in camp early on. While Dollander’s numbers are solid enough in the four-inning sample size, it’s clear that he’s been having trouble putting hitters away once he gets to two strikes. Lengthy at-bats and deep counts have shown he needs to dial things in and find a way to put hitters away with the strikeout. Still, he’s getting ground balls, and there is improvement as he battles for a roster spot.
J.T. Ginn (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will take the ball for the Athletics. Through two starts, Ginn has allowed just one hit over five innings with five strikeouts and two walks. The 26-year-old righty appeared in 23 games, including 16 starts, with the A’s last season while posting a 5.08 ERA in 90 1/3 innings. He’s off to a strong start in camp, but his command was a little iffy last season, meaning the Rockies can try to continue working on their plate discipline in this game.
TOKYO, JAPAN - MARCH 19: General view of the Tokyo Dome during the pre-game ceremony prior to the MLB Tokyo Opening Series between Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs at Tokyo Dome on March 19, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Gene Wang/Getty Images) | Getty Images
If it is not obvious, the Dodgers and the United States are merely borrowing Shohei Ohtani, as most recently evidenced by Ohtani’s recent batting practice session at the Tokyo Dome in preparation for the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
With that in mind, in November 2025, MLB announced a documentary film about the 2025 Tokyo Series, titled Homecoming: The Tokyo Series. The documentary is billed as an examination of baseball in Japan with intersecting stories involving the five Japanese players who participated in the 2025 opening series: Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga, and Seiya Suzuki.
Baseball might be America’s pastime, but it is also an omnipresent part of everyday life in Japan.
Never was that more clear than during Major League Baseball’s Tokyo Series between the Cubs and Dodgers that opened the 2025 regular season this past March. That two-game series — headlined by Japanese superstars Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga and Seiya Suzuki — and the impact of baseball all around the country is the focus of a new documentary that will be coming to movie theaters soon.
“Homecoming: The Tokyo Series” celebrates the intersection of culture and global sport, illuminating how baseball unites beyond borders. Produced by Supper Club and in coordination with MLB Studios and BD4, Banijay Americas’ premium documentary label, the documentary will be shown in theaters on Feb. 23 and 24, distributed by Fathom Entertainment.
The documentary had a two-day limited theatrical run in theaters in late February 2026. For those who missed the documentary in theaters, CNN announced that the network would exclusively bring the documentary to its new streaming offering on March 27.
As we have covered, the 2025 Tokyo Series was both a massive cultural event in Japan and a runaway financial hit, leaving the sport wondering when Tokyo Series 2: Electric Boogaloo will happen with the Cubs and Dodgers.
There has been only one review of the film by Shikhar Verma of High on Films, who rated the film 3.5 out of 5. True Blue LA was provided with a screener of Homecoming: The Tokyo Series, and I watched the 90-minute documentary twice for this review.
Review of Homecoming: The Tokyo Series
The film barely scratches the surface of what it was like to experience the 2025 Tokyo Series. If I had to describe the film in a single sentence, it would be “atmospheric but light in substance.”
This criticism is not to say that the documentary is bad or not worth watching. The documentary suffers greatly from not deciding on a focal point, of which there are many. If you want a coherent story or narrative from this documentary, you will be disappointed. Here is how the film was described in its theatrical release:
Homecoming: The Tokyo Series explores Japan’s deep bond with baseball, culminating in the 2025 MLB Opening Day games in Tokyo as hometown heroes Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Shota Imanaga, and Seiya Suzuki return to where their baseball dreams began. Through the lives of those shaped by the game, the film reveals how baseball bridges generations, connects nations, and reflects the balance between tradition and modern life. More than a chronicle of a sporting event, it is a portrait of a nation’s enduring love for baseball and the pride of watching its stars come home.
I would have loved to have watched that film, because the film I watched does not match this synopsis.
What happens when you do not pick a lane
The best way to describe Homecoming: The Tokyo Series is a mish-mash of two films with little overlap. If Director Sterman could pick a lane, I think the documentary would be infinitely more coherent.
On the one hand, you have a series of slice-of-life vignettes between a mother and adult son, Yasuko and Toru Tanahara, running a youth baseball team in Osaka, a player on the team and his father in Osaka, respectively Kanato and Shogo, superfan and salon owner, Hironobou Kanno, in Oshu (Ohtani’s hometown), owner of a glove restoration business, Re-Birth, Tomohiro Yonezawaya, in Ota (a ward inside Tokyo), master craftsman of bats for Mizuno, Tamio Nawa, in Yoro, discussing their individual stories and love affairs with baseball in Japan.
None of these threads end up at the Tokyo Dome to watch the Tokyo Series, or even overlap, which is a shame given the passion involved and appropriateness of the conclusion, considering the gravity of the homecoming happening in the literal background. The closest we get to an overlap of our cast and Tokyo Series is when Mr. Kanno is shown watching Game 2 of the Tokyo Series at home. Given how little the Tokyo Series is discussed or covered in this portion of the movie, you can excise it entirely and still have a lovely, atmospheric documentary on Japanese baseball, both in its place in Japanese culture and history.
To play Devil’s Advocate for a moment, tickets to the Tokyo Series were notoriously hard to get, even with all the efforts made to make the tickets available for Japanese locals. The face value for my Game 1 ticket was 32000 yen (about $212.84). Even with an anti-scalping law on the books, I paid exponentially more; therefore, gathering tickets for as many subjects as the film had was likely not feasible.
In the film’s other part, you have American expatriates like Jason Coskrey of The Japan Times, Jim Allen, a longtime freelance columnist, and Meghan Montemurro, Cubs domestic beat writer for the Chicago Tribune, discussing the nuances and characteristics of Japanese baseball with the backdrop of the Tokyo Series. In what had to be a logistics-driven decision, this portion of the film is largely Cubs-centric, with Montemurro going to the Cubs’ team dinner before the series and an off-site visit to a Japanese elementary school with former Cubs Derrek Lee and Kosuke Fukudome on March 19.
However, the inarguable main story of the Tokyo Series is Ohtani’s return to Japan, but the documentary is either unwilling or unable to give the topic the attention it deserves. Ohtani in Japan is a cross between The Beatles, Michael Jordan, and Babe Ruth: a blend of cultural zeitgeist and omnipresent history. One cannot overstate the imprint Ohtani has made and continues to make in Japan. One can see this impact in the sheer volume of advertisements in which Ohtani appears, which is not surprising given that he made $100 million from advertisements last year, leading all athletes worldwide in 2025.
Put another way, in the days leading up to the Tokyo Series, thousands of fans filled the Tokyo Dome just to watch the Dodgers and Ohtani practice. Not play, practice.
Per Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register on March 14, 2025:
MLB put tickets on sale for Friday’s workouts at the 55,000-seat facility known as “The Big Egg” and capped the crowd at approximately 10,000. Tickets priced at 2,000 yen (about $13) were gone within an hour and 10,507 showed up to watch their favorite team – say it in your best Allen Iverson voice – practice.
The Dodgers’ Tokyo Series opponents, the Chicago Cubs, worked out earlier in the day Friday in front of a much smaller crowd. For the Dodgers’ workout, the fans showed up, indeed painting the lower level of the seating area in Dodger blue.
A group of Japanese fans seated behind the Dodgers’ dugout were so ardent in their support they called out the names of players as they jogged out of the dugout onto the field, regardless of their stature – from All-Star outfielder Teoscar Hernandez to relief pitcher Anthony Banda…
When the star of the show, Ohtani, emerged from the dugout to do some running drills – he rarely takes batting practice on the field and didn’t Friday – his appearance drew a gasp from the crowd and then loud applause. His every move on the field during his brief appearance was shown on the large video board in center field.
“I really feel the excitement of the country with the games being played here,” Yamamoto said.
One would be oblivious to these facts if relying solely on Homecoming: The Tokyo Series. With no disrespect to Yamamoto, Sasaki, Suzuki, or Imanaga, if any or all of these players were not present, the Tokyo Series would have still gone on with nary a blip. Not so for Ohtani, as he’s that central to the overall narrative.
While Tokyo was gripped by Tokyo Series fervor, folks recognized my Dodgers cap and surmised I was there, even though I was as far away as Kumamoto. The U.S. equivalent is someone being able to figure out what you are doing in the country based on your appearance in Portland, Oregon, or Salt Lake City, Utah, for a contemporaneous event at Dodger Stadium.
In the documentary, Ohtani’s hometown is briefly featured, and a snippet of the media day press conferences is included. Accordingly, Ohtani’s absence is omnipresent in the documentary, except when the actual Tokyo Series is shown. In the vignettes about Japanese baseball, his absence, except as a figure of admiration or motivation, makes sense, since famous athletes are generally not daily fixtures in our everyday lives.
But for the portion of the film focusing on the lead-up to the Tokyo Series, it is an utterly inexcusable decision.
To further illustrate this point, imagine a hypothetical documentary about the 2025 World Series, but set from the Toronto Blue Jays’ point of view. Further imagine that the focal point was not Vladimir Guerrero Jr. or Ernie Clement (who both had a stellar series), or even Jeff Hoffman (the tragedy of the closer who blew it), but rather Kevin Gausman (the pitcher who got beat twice) or Brendon Little (he was there largely as an observer except for one solitary moment).
This hypothetical documentary would be a confusing watch because of an inherent flaw in its construction stemming from the wrong focus; instead, say MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto. Anecdotally, I saw far more Dodgers gear and fans than Cubs fans, and if pressed to estimate, I would put the split at around 85/15 in favor of the Dodgers during the weeks I was in Japan.
Homecoming: The Tokyo Series has the same faulty construction of viewpoint; whether to make the Cubs the focal point of the Tokyo Series coverage was a choice between logistics and directorial discretion, and it remains open.
Playing fast and loose with the truth
Ultimately, the documentary’s odd lack of focus is not its only flaw. In many ways, the regular-season games between the Dodgers and the Cubs are arguably an afterthought. The fact that Ohtani et al. returned to Japan to play games is more important than the actual results, which saw the Dodgers sweep.
The real story is that the Tokyo Series happened at all and, in general, was a celebration of and for Japan. Accordingly, Japanese players are becoming more common in MLB. To its credit, Homecoming: The Tokyo Series gets these facts correct during this portion of its runtime.
However, Coskrey, Allen, and Montemurro discuss the unique characteristics and energy of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), which is generally a loud, musical, and energetic affair. Japanese baseball can almost be thought of as a martial art, with an emphasis on small-ball fundamentals over the three-true outcome currently embraced in MLB.
This rowdy energy from the crowd was certainly present during the exhibition games between the Dodgers, Cubs, Tokyo Giants, and Hanshin Tigers.
It is worth noting that the Tigers won both of their exhibition games against the Cubs and Dodgers by shutout. And one would expect that energy to be present during the actual Tokyo Series, except it was not.
In a decision to fudge with the facts to support the narrative that NPB is loud and rowdy, Homecoming: The Tokyo Series decides to play fast and loose with the facts, pumping in crowd noise during the game sections and weirdly festishing the pregame activities by playing around with the chronological order of things.
First, while the exhibition games did live up to NPB’s reputation, the Tokyo Series had more in common with COVID-era baseball or The Masters through the aggressive, omnipresent silence from the crowd for most of the series, especially Game 1. This observation is not criticism, as the crowds were respectful and excited when any of the Japanese players played.
The first at-bat of the season was Shohei Ohtani. One would expect this crowd to be rowdy in rapturous joy. Instead, the atmosphere was generally quiet, rapt awe, as demonstrated below, which persisted for large portions of both games. Generally, fans did loosen up as the games went on, but it was a far cry from what I had come to expect from an NPB stadium.
As an aside, fans watching Ohtani practice and play at the Tokyo Dome now have loosened up considerably, even though restrictions on amateur or non-official videography and photography have emerged.
The oddest thing about seeing Ohtani in Japan is that instead of the stadium getting ear-splittingly loud when he steps into the box, it’s almost deathly silent. And THEN the oendan kicks in. pic.twitter.com/leNFBK7Ubg
I was expecting a rowdy, NPB-like atmosphere with bands, chanting, singing, and general tomfoolery over two days. Instead, I got two nights at The Masters.
The observation is not a criticism but a realization that I had an imperfect understanding of Japanese baseball fans. If you wanted to experience what NPB is known for in the Tokyo Series, your best bet would have been to watch the exhibition games against the Hanshin Tigers or Yomiuri Giants.
In my observation, the local fans were far more invested in the returning players, most notably Shohei Ohtani. They would react when any of the five returning Japanese stars were in the game or in a pinch. The rest of the time? Not so much.
During the highlights of Game 1, Homecoming: The Tokyo Series makes the bizarre decision to show the pregame festivities of Game 2, featuring taiko drums and traditional Japanese garb, as if they were part of Game 1, which is factually incorrect.
Game 1’s actual festivities? A celebration of baseball and Pokémon, complete with five-foot-tall Pikachu wearing road grey Los Angeles jerseys and home white Chicago jerseys. Each starting player was introduced with both his name and an associated, unique Mega Pokémon. For example, Ohtani had Mega Garchomp, Pete Crow-Armstrong had Mega Lucario, and Max Muncy had Mega Gengar.
Eventually, Homecoming: The Tokyo Series uses footage from Game 1, where you can see the Pikachus in the background, so there was no reason to fudge the timeline of events.
Final Score
For what it’s worth, Homecoming: The Tokyo Series never rises to meet the sum of its parts, which is a disappointment. Those unaware of the film’s faults will likely leave cinemas wondering what they just watched.
The film promised a story worth telling that I would greatly like to see on the screen someday. For its scope, the film has only generalities and slice-of-life vignettes rather than a cohesive narrative, much to its detriment.
For those who wish to re-experience what it was like in Tokyo during those days, I would recommend visiting my previously submitted essays, the Talk Dodgers to Me podcast’s Tokyo episode on the adventures of hosts Melissa Myer, Jaclyn Ruiz, and Aly Parker, and journalist Molly Knight’s Substack essays on the topic.
Cascade, Iowa-born Colin Rea is a well-traveled player, having had stints as a Padre, Marlin, Cub, Brewer, and Cub again. In seven years in the majors, he’s amassed a 1.9 bWAR (4.4 fWAR), a record of 37-27, a 4.41 ERA, 91 home runs, 182 bases on balls, 493 strikeouts, and 2 saves in 126 games, with 103 of them being starts.
He didn’t play very much with San Diego, who picked him in the 12th round in 2011, and was injured after going to Miami in 2016. He didn’t play in 2017-2019, resurfacing with the Cubs in 2020, where he didn’t really distinguish himself but showed enough for the Brewers to pick him up for the 2021 season. He spent 2022 in Japan and returned to Milwaukee, where he pitched quite a bit, and turned in decent seasons — especially his 2024 season, when he posted a 16-7 record, with a 4.29 ERA and 1.9 bWAR (0.8 fWAR).
He pitched for the Cubs in 2025, turning in an 11-7 record with similar statistics, and is expected to once again post similar stats, with his innings count is expected to be about half of that of the previous three years, in the 80 to 85 range, providing insurance against injury to the members of the Opening Day rotation. He is not expected to start as often as previously. (The exception is ZiPS, who expect overall similar performance.)
His SO/9 is usually in the 7-7.5 range. He doesn’t walk too many people, doesn’t give up a ton of home runs, and can be depended on to keep his team in the game. Most of his WAR stems from the last three years, lending credence to the view that his time in Japan really helped his cause. He’s 35, will be 36 in July, and who knows how much more time he has in The Show, but for now, he’s a perfectly cromulent sixth or seventh man, paired with Javier Assad, who fills a similar role.
Rea has all the pitches. He throws a four-seam fastball that sits 94-95, and in 2025 also fired a splitfinger, a sinker, slider, sweeper, curve, and cutter, in order of frequency. He throws a lot of first-pitch strikes.
MIAMI, FL - MARCH 05: Julio Rodríguez #44 of Team Dominican Republic films on his camcorder during the 2026 World Baseball Classic workout day at loanDepot park on Thursday, March 5, 2026 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Kelly Gavin/WBCI/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Almost nine years ago to this day, I wrote about the history of the World Baseball Classic, fearing its end and opining for its more thorough embrace. I opened with this:
The World Baseball Classic (WBC) should, ostensibly, be important. It’s a huge tournament that occurs only once every four years and features some of the best Major League Baseball talents and national stars, all competing to best represent their country. The preliminary rounds take place throughout the world, which theoretically should make them more accessible to a wider audience, and a number of MLB’s greatest international talents first gained fame on the Classic’s stage.
So why is it nearly impossible to find in-depth information on the WBC? What is the fate of the World Baseball Classic beyond 2017? Would changes to the tournament give it greater success, and is it even worthwhile to implement those changes? Why have they considered ending the WBC after this year?
Reporting to you now from 2026, I’m blown away by how different things are. There is no shortage of content or information about the WBC; many of the game’s biggest stars are competing; there were exhibition games all over the world against MLB teams. Heck, you can watch the games with relative ease and even hear some good announcers while you watch! It is an unmitigated joy to witness global baseball elevated in this way.
Here at LL, our intent is to create some game threads for the tournament, where you can caterwaul to your heart’s content about anything from Eduard Bazardo facing Andruw Jones’ son, Fernando Tatis Jr. looking radiant in the República Dominicana colors, Cal Raleigh catching Tarik Skubal or any number of other beautifully absurd WBC phenomena. But in the meantime, we thought it might be helpful to assemble a one-stop shop for all your WBC links and information. Enjoy!
Brilliant Meet at the Mitt podcast listener Josh was inspired by our WBC talk in the latest episode and created this incredible site that allows you to easily click on an MLB team and see which players will be playing for which countries – and to then see what players might be playing on any given day. Plus a link to Gameday for said game. PLUS which network the game is being broadcast on!
It’s truly amazing.
Since this is a volcano blog Mariners site, here’s a quick (there are 16, tied for first-most in MLB, plus two in the pitching pool for later play, italicized) list of M’s players and their teams.
Pedro Da Costa Lemos – Brazil
Josh Naylor – Canada
Guillo Zuñiga – Colombia
Michael Arroyo – Colombia
Julio Rodríguez – Dominican Republic
Luis Castillo – Dominican Republic
Charlie Beilenson – Israel
Dominic Canzone – Italy
Miles Mastrobuoni – Italy
Dane Dunning – Korea
Andrés Muñoz – Mexico
Randy Arozarena – Mexico
Dylan Wilson – Netherlands
Abdiel Mendoza – Panama
Cal Raleigh – USA
Gabe Speier – USA
Eduard Bazardo – Venezuela
Jhonathan Diaz – Venezuela
Pool play began March 4 and runs until March 11. Quarterfinals and semifinals happen March 13 to 16 and the championship game is on March 17 at 5 p.m. PT. Here’s a simple link to the schedule.
Pool A (San Juan, Puerto Rico): Puerto Rico, Panama, Canada, Cuba, Colombia
Pool B (Houston): USA, Brazil, Italy, Great Britain, Mexico
Pool C (Tokyo): Japan, Chinese Taipei, Korea, Australia, Czechia
Pool D (Miami): Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Netherlands, Israel, Nicaragua
Curious about the rules within the tournament? Here’s a remarkably thorough breakdown of everything from player eligibility, to pitch limits (because yes, there are pitch limits. Gotta protect from The Sog), to tie break scenarios.
Michael Clair, of MLB.com, has been covering baseball on a global scale for many years now (including a brilliant book about Czechia’s magical 2023 WBC run) and has a great archive of articles and is an excellent follow on whatever your preferred platform may be.
Need some background music to get yourself jazzed for the WBC? Great news, they just dropped their first-ever WBC Soundtrack.
CLEARWATER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Justin Crawford #80 of the Philadelphia Phillies follows through on a swing against the Miami Marlins during the third inning of a spring training baseball game at BayCare Ballpark on February 27, 2026 in Clearwater, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
When Justin Crawford started out Grapefruit League games with a few strong games, there was a distinct sentiment that the rookie should not only be in the team’s starting lineup, but he should be batting at the very top of it from day one.
I understand the sentiment, because based on his performance in the minors last year, he is well suited to the leadoff spot. He had a .411 on-base percentage with 46 stolen bases.
The sentiment makes less sense when you remember that the Phillies already have a good leadoff hitter in Trea Turner, who is also very fast and won a batting title in 2025. But the move isn’t really about getting Turner out of the leadoff spot as much as it is getting Alec Bohm out of the cleanup spot.
One of the biggest narratives of the offseason was getting protection in the lineup for Bryce Harper in the three-hole. (This narrative has been partly fueled by Harper himself.) It’s clear that most people do not think that Bohm and his 15 home runs a year power belong in the cleanup spot, even though as has been written, the notion of what a “cleanup hitter” is has changed over the years.
Let’s take a look back to 1998. Back then, lineups were generally constructed as such:
Fastest guy on the team batted leadoff
Second was a guy without much power but usually put the ball in play
Three-hole was the overall best hitter
Cleanup was the biggest power hitter
Batting fifth was the second biggest power threat
The Phillies of that year had a young shortstop named Desi Relaford. Normally, manager Terry Francona (exhibit A for never hiring a rookie manager) batted Relaford low in the lineup. But Relaford theoretically matched the expectations of a two-hole hitter, so every once in a while, Francona would try him out in that role.
It generally didn’t go well. In 21 games batting second that season, Relaford put up a .144/.179/.189 slash line. I’m not sure if the move caused Relaford’s downfall, or he was always destined to fail. He batted almost exclusively lower in the lineup the following season and continued to hit poorly. (He was eventually moved to help make room for another shortstop prospect named Jimmy Rollins who actually did succeed at the top of the lineup. To his credit, Relaford had a couple of decent seasons as a utility man for the Mets and Mariners a few years later.)
Last year, the Phillies similarly tried to get a new hitter into the mix at the top of the order. From April 11 to the first week of June, Bryson Stott was the team’s primary leadoff hitter. It went well at first, but soon, Stott’s production cratered. He went into a slump that lasted three months, even after he was moved out of the leadoff spot.
bryson stott after the first week of the season and bryson stott hitting leadoff. what are we doing here pic.twitter.com/rSTofkMFA2
Did the lineup switch cause Stott’s slump? On one hand, he hit poorly throughout most of 2024 as well, so it isn’t like a lengthy slump was completely out of character. On the other hand, it’s possible that he was pressing a bit, trying too hard to justify his spot in the lineup? Or maybe he tried to be too patient at the plate, which isn’t necessarily a great strategy for a hitter with proven trouble hitting elite fastballs.
That is why I don’t necessarily want to rush Crawford to the top of the lineup. He’s got enough pressure as a rookie starter for a playoff contender. It isn’t that imperative to get Bohm out of the top four spots in the lineup to potentially harm a young player’s development.
Perhaps Crawford will start off the season strongly and replicate his minor league performance with the Phillies. If that happens, I could see them being tempted to move him up, especially if the Phillies’ offense isn’t doing well overall. But to avoid Crawford being another Desi Relaford, they need to be sure he can handle it, and the leash should be very short.
BRADENTON, FL - FEBRUARY 26: Minnesota Twins center fielder James Outman (30) bats against the Pittsburg Pirates on February 26, 2026, at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Florida. (Photo by Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Twins’ two best hitters this Spring have been, unquestionably, Alan Roden and James Outman, two players who were on the outside looking in coming into Spring Training. Roden has options remaining and may find himself in AAA to start that season anyway, but Outman can’t be sent to the minors without passing through waivers, where his defense and base running would almost definitely get him claimed. Too many outfielders is a good problem to have, but it’s a problem nonetheless. Let’s break it down by positions.
Locks (4): Joe Ryan, Bailey Ober, Simeon Woods Richardson, Taj Bradley
In contention (2): Zebby Matthews, Mick Abel
Out (9): Pablo Lopez (IL), David Festa (likely IL), Andrew Morris, Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas, John Klein, Cory Lewis, Trent Baker, Christian MacLeod
Pablo is out for the season while Festa will miss the first couple weeks after a slow buildup in wake of his shoulder injury/thoracic outlet syndrome that cut his 2025 short. With Festa’s funky delivery and history of shoulder problems, I wouldn’t be surprised if he moves to the bullpen full-time when he returns, but until the playing time or statements from team officials makes that official, he’s a starter. Bradley was likely a lock before the injuries, but now he’s unquestionably in the rotation. Ryan, meanwhile, sounds like he’s on track for Opening Day after back tightness forced him out of his first Spring Training start.
That leaves Zebby and Abel fighting for the final opening day slot. Abel has been better this Spring, but Matthews has the experience edge and has had more consistent flashes against MLB hitters. Whoever loses out will undoubtedly see plenty of time with the Twins throughout the season.
Marco Raya was removed from the list completely after officially moving to the bullpen full-time.
Relief Pitchers
Locks (6): Taylor Rogers, Justin Topa, Cole Sands, Anthony Banda, Eric Orze, Liam Hendriks
In contention (11): Kody Funderburk, Travis Adams, Connor Prielipp, Kendry Rojas, Marco Raya, Andrew Chafin, Julian Merryweather, Matt Bowman, Dan Altavilla, Cody Laweryson, Grant Hartwig
Out (3): David Festa (likely IL), Matt Canterino (IL), Andrew Bash, Raul Brito
Hendriks made his first appearance of Spring Training and looked relatively strong coming off of his injury-riddled season. I think he will be on the roster as long as he looks relatively effective. The Twins’ new plethora of lefties also earns Funderburk a demotion due to the crime of having options remaining. From quotes made by both manager Derek Shelton and GM Jeremy Zoll, it sounds like they would really like to bring Chafin with them out of camp, and I don’t think it’s strategically smart to carry 4 lefties, especially with all but Funderburk being relatively ineffective against righties.
I would still expect the Twins to trade an outfielder for a right-handed reliever around the roster deadline, meaning Funderburk, Adams, and less likely Raya, Merryweather, Bowman, and Altavilla are competing for the final bullpen spot. Bash and Brito were already reassigned to minor league camp.
Catchers
Locks (2): Ryan Jeffers, Victor Caratini
In contention: none
Out (6): Alex Jackson, David Bañuelos, Ricardo Olivar, Noah Cardenas, Patrick Winkel, Andrew Cossetti
No changes. Barring injury, we’re locked and loaded at catcher.
Infielders
Locks (5): Josh Bell, Luke Keaschall, Brooks Lee, Royce Lewis, Kody Clemens
In contention (5): Ryan Kreidler, Eric Wagaman, Tristan Gray, Orlando Arcia
Martin is only out of the infield mix because he’s gotten all of his work exclusively in the outfield this Spring. He’s still in the mix for an outfield spot. Other than that, there’s been no clarity at all on who has a leg up between Kreidler, Gray, and Arcia for the backup SS role. Arcia looked like the early favorite, but he was one of the worst hitters in baseball last season and Kreidler/Gray have gotten more of the SS reps over the past week.
Wagaman is a mainstay in nearly every Spring lineup and absolutely has a role as a do-it-all platoon bat at both infield and outfield corners. I think the Twins would like to bring him out of camp, but he has options remaining while players like James Outman and Trevor Larnach do not.
Outfielders
Locks (4): Byron Buxton, Matt Wallner, Trevor Larnach (for now), Alan Roden
Near locks (2): Austin Martin, James Outman
In contention (1): Eric Wagaman
Out (6): Emmanuel Rodriguez, Gabriel Gonzalez, Hendry Mendez, Kyler Fedko, Walker Jenkins, Kala’i Rosario
As mentioned above, there’s a weird confluence of scenarios between the infield and outfield groups where you have to factor in options remaining, ability to play multiple positions, and off-field factors. For example, Kreidler can play CF, so if he wins the backup SS job, does that make it more likely that the Twins try to trade Outman or option Roden or Martin to St. Paul? It’s hard to untangle everything.
But let’s do our best. Roden has options remaining but has had SUCH a standout Spring that I don’t think you can keep him off the roster, increasing the need to find a Larnach trade partner. It’s also possible that Larnach could pass through waivers unclaimed and sit in St. Paul until the Twins need him, but that would be pretty disrespectful to a perfectly fine player who has been in the organization for a long time. We’ll keep him on the roster and deal with the fallout.
Final Roster Projection
Bold = New addition from 1.0
Asterisk = Camp battle
SP (5): Ryan, Ober, SWR, Bradley, Matthews*
RP (8): Rogers, Topa, Sands, Banda, Funderburk*, Orze, Hendriks, Chafin*
C (2): Jeffers, Caratini
IF (6): Bell, Keaschall, Lee, Lewis, Clemens, Gray*
OF (5): Buxton, Wallner, Larnach, Martin*, Roden*
The Twins want Chafin, so he escapes with a role barring another addition. They do, in fact, bring 4 lefties thanks to Fundy’s ability to get righties out. Abel has been better this Spring but the Twins have historically treated the rotation as a seniority battle more than results, and neither has a great track record at the MLB level anyway. Gray retains his hold on the backup SS role while Roden and Martin can feasibly play CF well enough to put Outman on the waiver wire.
Detroit Tigers first baseman Josue Briceño practices during spring training at TigerTown in Lakeland, Florida, on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. | Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
SARASOTA, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 16: Chris Bassitt #40 of the Baltimore Orioles pitches during practice at Ed Smith Stadium on February 16, 2026 in Sarasota, Florida. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Baltimore Orioles/Getty Images) | Getty Images
After a week where it’s been light on televised Orioles spring training action, the Orioles are back on MASN for their home contest against the Cardinals on Friday afternoon. As a bonus, those who are out of market can check this one out on MLB Network if they have the ability. Tough luck if you are limited to radio, though. There isn’t one of those. The flagship stations are mostly not interrupting their weekday afternoon programming for spring training games.
Orioles lineup
Blaze Alexander – SS
Taylor Ward – LF
Adley Rutschman – C
Pete Alonso – DH
Ryan Mountcastle – 1B
Colton Cowser – CF
Heston Kjerstad – RF
Coby Mayo – 3B
Thairo Estrada – 2B
Chris Bassitt is the starting pitcher for this game. Other pitches expected to see action today are: Albert Suárez, Yennier Cano, Jean Carlos Henriquez, Josh Walker.
It’s obviously not going to be an Opening Day clone for the lineup as long as Gunnar Henderson is away with Team USA for the WBC. I think we’re pretty close, though. Seven of the nine players here are definitely expected to see regular MLB time with the team and the other two – for my money, Kjerstad and Estrada – could end up as reserves on the Opening Day roster, depending on how the team decides to evaluate its options.
Ahead of the game, manager Craig Albernaz was asked a variety of questions about his pitching staff and did not offer any definitive replies:
Taking these answers at face value, he hasn’t made decisions yet. I suspect he has an inclination towards what he is going to do and he’s just choosing not to reveal what that is yet, since something could easily happen to change the plan over the next couple of weeks. I have my doubts that either a six man rotation or piggybacking is really on the table. But the Orioles have surprised me before and will surprise me again.
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - JULY 13: A bat engraved for Kade Anderson, selected third by the Seattle Mariners, is seen in the first round during the 2025 MLB Draft at Coca-Cola Roxy on July 13, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For many players and countries, the most important baseball of the year is going in earnest right now. The World Baseball Classic, which you can get caught up on the details of right here courtesy of Isabelle, is in its first full day, with games watchable on the various FOX/FS1/FS2 outlets, as well as free on Tubi. However, down in Arizona, the Seattle Mariners sans stars are providing a healthy mixture of their present and future. Unfortunately, if unsurprisingly, it’s a radio only effort from the Texas Rangers.
Kade Anderson will take the bump today, likely to go closer to three innings as he builds up alongside the other starting pitchers.
Feb 14, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Michael McGreevy (36) delivers a pitch during a spring training workout at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
The St. Louis Cardinals who didn’t depart for the World Baseball Classic will take the field today starting at 12:05pm central against the Baltimore Orioles at Ed Smith Stadium. According to MLB.com, Michael McGreevy will start the game for the Cardinals while it’s Chris Bassitt on the mound for the Orioles. The St. Louis Cardinals website says the game will be available on the MLB Network.
NEW YORK, NY - JULY 27: Francisco Cervelli #29 of the New York Yankees reacts after tagging out Dan Johnson #16 on a throw from right fielder Zelous Wheeler #45 after Munenori Kawasaki #66 of the Blue Jays singled in the fourth inning during a MLB baseball game at Yankee Stadium on July 27, 2014 in the Bronx borough of New York City. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The backup catcher is a fickle creature. Outside of an occasional opportunity to warm up pitchers in between innings, or perhaps to enter in the late innings after their manager mercifully pinch-ran for the starting backstop, they might only be seen once a week when they draw a start. Like a backup quarterback in the NFL, they can range from promising youngsters to sage veterans but invariably fade into the background as long as the starter is healthy.
Well, nearly invariably. Francisco Cervelli couldn’t fade into the background if he tried.
Francisco Cervelli Born: March 6, 1986 (Valencia, Venezuela) Yankees Tenure: 2008-14
Francisco Cervelli was born in Venezuela to an Italian father and Venezuelan mother. “The economy was good in Venezuela in the ‘60s or ‘70s,” Cervelli said of his father’s family’s emigration. “It was really good, so they just tried to make a new life.” He grew up playing middle infield and pitching, but the Yankees saw a future catcher in his build when they signed him as a 16-year-old. “I love it,” he would later say of his transition to catching. “I feel like I was born to do it. I just didn’t know before.”
Cervelli quickly worked his way through the Yankees’ system, appearing in only 21 games at Double-A (and none at Triple-A) before briefly getting the call to the Show in 2008. That offseason, he began to make a name for himself around the game as the catcher for a surprisingly potent Team Italy in the World Baseball Classic. After an upset 6-2 victory over Canada in the first round, Team Italy’s skipper — no less a source than Hall of Fame backstop Mike Piazza — raved about the youngster.
“He’s so talented back there, you can’t say enough,” he told the press. “His enthusiasm from the start of the game was just sky-high. He hustled. He’s got an amazing arm. I’m jealous — in a good way — because I see a player with a great future ahead of him.” This opportunity to face big-league competition with high stakes made an impression on Cervelli. “It helped me,” Cervelli said the following season. “How to call important games, how to concentrate hitter by hitter, pitch by pitch, everything.”
In 2009, with veteran catchers Jorge Posada and José Molina both missing time to injury, the 23-year-old once again found himself with the Yankees for large swaths of the season. He displayed a proficient hit tool, batting .298 in 101 plate appearances, and on June 24, 2009 in Atlanta, his first career homer helped light a spark for the club, which was in a slump and had just been addressed rather pointedly by GM Brian Cashman in a closed-door meeting.
Cervelli displayed a knack for both the physical and mental sides of his position, earning quick acclaim for his defense. “I think he receives the ball well, I think he blocks the ball well, I think he throws the ball well,” his manager, Joe Girardi, said. “He’s very mobile back there, so on bunts and slow-hit balls, he’s able to do that. I think he works very well with the pitchers. From a technical standpoint, there’s not a whole lot more to do.”
Cervelli ended up making the Yankees’ postseason roster but, with both Posada and Molina healthy, he drew no starts. Still, in a season that was characterized by the renegade exuberance of newcomers like Nick Swisher and A.J. Burnett, the passionate catcher emerged as a fixture in postgame pie celebrations and a key source of energy on the bench — also chiming in with one of the many walk-offs.
The following spring, Cervelli suffered a concussion. It was his second in four months and, by his own accounting, he had already taken at least 10 blows to the head over the course of his career. He was fatalistic about concerns around the repeated head trauma. “I think that things are going to happen, they’re going to happen, and that’s it,” Cervelli said. “I have to understand that and keep playing baseball. That’s my opinion.” As a concession to concerns around his concussion history, he began wearing the larger S100 batting helmet with a flap which would become soon standard but which earned him some David Wright-esque chiding at the time as “Gazoo” in reference to the Flintstones character.
Cervelli would stick in the bigs in 2010 and, by the end of the year, became A.J. Burnett’s personal catcher, an arrangement that would continue into the postseason. The future looked bright for the talented two-way catcher, particularly after the Yankees moved Posada to DH full-time, opening a possible path to increased playing time. But, after breaking his foot in the spring, Cervelli would cede reps to the just-signed Russell Martin, who ended up an All-Star while his backup was limited to 43 games.
With the team seeking more depth at catcher in 2012, the Yankees traded for Chris Stewart before the season and sent the 26-year-old Cervelli down to Triple-A. Cervelli reportedly exited the meeting in which he was informed of the demotion with red and watery eyes. “I don’t understand their reason,” Cervelli said. “I think you have to ask [GM Brian] Cashman or somebody else. Maybe they think the other guy is better than me right now.” The controversial decision to sideline the popular Cervelli was not only hard on him. “This was as tough as I’ve had to do,” Girardi said of breaking the news to Cervelli. He’d appear in only three games with the Yankees in what amounted to a lost season, made only more difficult by the fact that the Triple-A team didn’t really have a consistent home that year due to ballpark construction in the Scranton area. Cervelli was essentially on a season-long road trip.
Despite this setback, the spirited Cervelli would not relent. In 2013, with Martin gone, he won the starting job and slashed an impressive .269/.377/.500 through the season’s first month. Once again, it appeared his time had come. And, once again, injuries dashed those hopes. After that first month, he broke his hand on a foul tip behind the plate and then suffered an elbow injury during the recovery. Worse, Cervelli was caught up in the Biogenesis PED investigation that more famously ensnared Alex Rodriguez; the catcher was suspended for 50 games, officially ending his season.
Cervelli reported to spring training with a clean slate in 2014, firmly knowing his role as a backup to free-agent signing Brian McCann. He appeared in just 49 games but hit .301 with a 127 OPS+, easily his best showing yet among his four 100-PA seasons to date.
That offseason, Cervelli was traded to the Pirates for lefty reliever Justin Wilson. By the time he departed the team that had signed him as a teenager, he was the organization’s longest-tenured player. In his new uniform, Cervelli finally stayed healthy long enough to realize his potential, slashing .295/.370/.401 in 130 games and finishing second to Buster Posey among all catchers with 5.9 fWAR with a talented Pirates squad that won 98 games and a Wild Card spot (the Bucs’ most recent playoff appearance).
Extended on a rare eight-figure deal by Pirates standards, Cervelli would spend parts of four more seasons in Pittsburgh, remaining largely effective while healthy. Following brief stints in Atlanta and Miami, the 34-year-old was forced to retire after his seventh concussion at the MLB level alone. Cervelli has since gone into coaching, including succeeding Piazza as Team Italy’s manager in the upcoming World Baseball Classic.
While Francisco Cervelli never stayed healthy long enough to become the Yankees’ true starting catcher, what could have been should not take away what he provided. Cervelli was a reliable contributor on both sides of the ball whose passion for the game shone through every time he took the field, providing energy and verve to veteran squads throughout his time in New York.
See more of the “Yankees Birthday of the Day” series here.
