Category: MLB

On Saturday, the San Francisco Giants made what will likely be their last major move of the 2025-26 offseason, agreeing to a one-year deal with three-time All Star Luis Arráez and his preternatural left-handed contact abilities. It was a move that not many saw coming, but after failing to swing a trade for Nico Hoerner or Brendan Donovan — despite the latter feeling like a lock for much of the offseason — the Giants pivoted.

Arráez is the embodiment of a player that people have varying opinions about, as evidenced by the fact that our newser on the signing is currently sitting at more than 850 comments. He has an old-school skillset that analytics mostly hate, and that means some people love him and some people hate him. He does some things great and some things horribly — it’s not an exaggeration to say he might be both the best and worst player in the Majors in multiple areas — and that means some people think he’s a great signing and some people think he’s an awful one. He represents a notable move the Giants made when none was expected, but not the move that fans were hoping for, and that means that some people are excited by the deal and some people are annoyed by it.

You can read more of my opinions here, but I’m interested in yours. So let me help you out with a very non-comprehensive list of some of the pros and cons of the Giants signing Arráez to be their second baseman.

Some of the good

• He has the best bat-to-ball skills on the planet.
  • It’s not even close.
  • Like, he’s in the first tier all by himself.
  • And no one is in the second tier.
  • Maybe there’s a name or two in the third tier.
  • Maybe.
• He almost certainly makes the Giants offense better.
• He provides his offensive value in a way that is otherwise entirely foreign to the Giants roster, and versatility is a good thing.
• He annoys the holy heck out of opposing pitchers.
• He’s a good clubhouse guy.
• He takes the pressure off of Casey Schmitt.
• He gives the Giants an honest-to-goodness lineup where they have a starter at every position with no timeshares.
• He’s only 28.
• The Giants now employ Ron Washington, who works wonders with infielders.
• There’s no such thing as an awful one-year deal.

Some of the bad

• His defense is almost as bad as hit contact skills are good.
  • I don’t know how to explain how bad his defense is.
  • Like, the Padres moved second baseman Jake Cronenworth to first base because he was so bad defensively at second base and then moved him back to second base so they could put Arráez at first base rather than let him play second base.
• The Giants have a ground ball-heavy staff, and no pitcher in baseball induces more ground balls to second base than Logan Webb.
• You love Logan Webb, and you want him to have good things, and you’re really, really, really, really tired of the Giants finding ways to lose games when he pitches well, which is usually because they can’t score runs but now maybe it will be because they can’t field ground balls and we’ll have to enter “Webbing” into the vernacular as a Caining that occurs through the fault of the infield defense.
• Both his raw numbers and underlying metrics have been in a steady decrease for a few seasons.
• By the advanced metrics, he was a league-average hitter in 2025.
• He has non-existent power, to the point where there’s a decent chance that Rafael Devers might have more home runs in one series at Coors Field than Arráez will have all year.
• He doesn’t draw walks.
• He is shockingly slow and, as a result, struggles to go first to third on singles or first to home on doubles, and as such scored just 66 runs last year despite leading the league in hits and playing on a team with an above-average offense.
• He means you’re going to watch less Casey Schmitt and Christian Koss, though that may end up being a good thing.

There’s more good than I mentioned. There’s more bad than I mentioned. I could do this all day. Your turn, though.

We’ve got a ton of Royals links for today’s Rumblings. Let’s get to it.

The Royals announced yesterday that the broadcast partner for the 2026 season will not be Fanduel Sports Network Kansas City. It will be Royals TV.

The Royals announced their games will be produced and distributed by Major League Baseball on the newly dubbed Royals.TV for the 2026 season. Fans will be able to watch on cable, satellite television and the MLB app.

The team also said that some games will be shown on over-the-air options.

Cullen Maxey, the Royals’ president of business operations, said a handful of the team’s games will be broadcast as an over-the-air option in Kansas City. It’s the second consecutive season that games will air on KCTV (Ch. 5) and possibly KSMO (Ch. 62).

Royals chairman and CEO John Sherman confirmed Saturday that the team’s opener, which is March 27 against the Braves in Atlanta, will air on KCTV. First pitch is at 6:15 p.m.

Anne Rogers has the lowdown on the TV situation.

Fans who live inside the Royals’ home television territory can purchase a Royals.TV in-market streaming package through MLB.com or the MLB app for $19.99 per month or $99.99 per year. Subscriptions for the 2026 season will be available later this month, before Spring Training games begin on Feb. 20.

Matt Quatraro commented on various topics at a press conference (video).

Kansas City Royals manager Matt Quatraro said at a press conference the team expects to be competitive this season as key pitchers return to health. Quatraro also discussed adjustments to the outfield wall, including moving it closer, and how the changes could impact play at Kauffman Stadium.

Salvador Perez was interviewed as well and said he wanted to retire with the organization (video).

Kansas City Royals catcher Salvador Perez agreed to a two-year contract extension that keeps the franchise star in Kansas City through the 2027 season. Perez, who said he wants to retire as a Royal, comes off an MLB season with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs.

I feel like the true news of the day was buried several stories down here. Vinnie Pasquantino was an actor.

Vinnie Pasquantino also has a bit personality: charismatic and animated with a certain gift for delivery and comedic timing. Those traits help explain why the undersized childhood version of him was in demand not yet as a baseball star but as an actor who played hobbit Bilbo Baggins in a “Lord of the Rings” middle school play.

Vinnie, if you’re reading this, my wife, who is intimately involved in the community theater scene in Kansas City, could find you some roles.

He’s also very excited to play for Team Italy in the WBC.

“I get asked about it all the time,” Pasquantino said. “That’s the question that I get asked the most when I meet somebody new. ‘Oh you play for Team Italy, don’t you?’”

But the Royals first baseman is more than happy to wax poetic about the WBC. His passion for it has become impossible to ignore. Pasquantino left the 2023 Classic with newfound appreciation for his ancestry, and he jumped on board for the ‘26 tournament the second he was offered the chance to do so.

Kevin O’Brien at Royals Keep analyzes Noah Cameron’s chances at regression in the upcoming season.

Safe to say, Cameron did everything in 2025 to prove that he belongs in the Royals rotation in 2026 and beyond. That said, there were a couple of minor red flags from the past year that could affect his outlook for the upcoming season, based on surface-level metrics alone. 

While he posted a sub-three ERA, which is pretty elite, his xERA was 4.08, his FIP was 4.18, and his xFIP was 4.08. Those aren’t bad metrics by any means, especially for a No. 4 or No. 5 starter in the rotation. At the same time, each of those indicators has a difference of over 1, which is a significant gap. Add that with a .241 BABIP and 84% LOB% (strand rate), and it seems likely that Cameron will be unable to sustain his 2025 numbers into 2026, especially with the new park dimensions at Kauffman Stadium.

Jim Bowden gives offseason grades and predictions ($).

Key takeaways: The Royals have had a solid but not spectacular offseason. Their best moves upgraded their outfield depth (with Lane Thomas and Isaac Collins) and improved the left side of their bullpen (Matt Strahm). They also deserve praise for third baseman Maikel Garcia’s contract extension. Extending Matt Quatraro, one of the best young managers in baseball, was another smart move. His stock has risen in the industry.
Biggest question: What impact will the Royals’ new outfield dimensions have on their offense? Will it help them win more games, or just help both teams — home and away — hit more home runs? And how will it affect their pitching staff?
Season prediction: First place

Ready for yet another stadium piece?

Proponents say Washington Square Park would be a good landing spot for the Royals in part because the team could strike deals with parking owners in greater downtown — as the team meant to do in the East Crossroads — instead of building costly garages. Thousands of spaces are in nearby garages and surface lots used by Crown Center’s office tenants and retail patrons, meaning the Royals could negotiate with owners the Hall family about game-day use. The team also could work with the Halls on potential mixed-use development of unused lots in Crown Center or on reconstruction needed for The Link pedestrian walkway, part of which runs above Washington Square Park to connect the complex’s buildings and shops.

Caleb Moody at Kings of Kauffman reflects on quotes from Royals brass from Royals Rally.

Daniel Epstein at Baseball Prospectus writes about some tweaks that a certain Royals rookie could make ($).

The Mariners traded for St Louis Cardinals outfielder Brendan Donovan.

Other teams also left their FanDuel deals in favor of MLB for broadcasting.

Punxsutawney Phil emerged and said the US South will continue to receive snow until morale improves.

Elon Musk combines two of his companies, SpaceX and xAI, into one for some reason. Probably so he can eventually combine it with X/Twitter and own the rights to XXX. Or something.

We unearthed more old stuff in Greece.

Would you like to watch videos, but from the point of view of a BEAR????

Off Topic

Reports of my bike that I got a few weeks ago were greatly exaggerated. I took it in to get serviced at my local bike shop, and the guy there said it was probably a 2010s bike. Fair enough – the guy I bought the bike from said it was 1990s, but he did not seem like he had the best memory. Either way, the bike’s in great shape now and I’ve got it set up on the trainer in the basement. On the recommendation of one of the commenters here, I did immediately buy a couple pairs of Chamois shorts. A good investment indeed.

Your song of the day is Odd Socks by Keyframe.

Yimi García is a 35-year-old, right-handed relief pitcher.

The Blue Jays signed him to a two-year contract before the 2022 season, but then traded him to the Mariners in July of 2024, getting Jacob Sharp, a minor league catcher who hit .161/.271/.206 for the Fisher Cats last year, and Jonatan Clase, who we talked about a few days ago.

Then, the Jays signed him as a free agent again, in December of 2024, giving him $7.5 million a year for two years.

2025 didn’t go well for him. He went on the IL with right-shoulder impingement at the end of May, returned to the team on July 2nd, and then went on the IL again on July 5th, missing the rest of the season.

In the moments he was on the active roster, he pitched in 22 games, with a 3.86 ERA, 3 saves and 6 holds (he has 58 in his time with the Jays, and 90 in his career).

Yimi is one of those rare relievers who throws a lot of pitches. In 2024 he threw six pitcher:

• Four Seamer: 37.3% of the time, 96.5 mph.
• Curve: 19.5%
• Sinker: 15.8%, 95.8 mph.
• Sweeper: 13.1%
• Changeup: 9.5%.
• Slider: 4.7 %

It seems like a lot of pitches for a guy who has only made one start in his career. Generally, relievers (and their pitching coaches) will pick their two or three pitches most effective pitches and go with those. By wOBA, the Sweeper was his most effective pitch in 2024, in 2025 it was the curve.

Yimi was as good against lefty batters (.162/.279/.270) as righties (.179/.304/.256). In his career he’s been a fair bit better against RHB (.620 OPS, vs .719).

Steamer doesn’t think Yimi’s injury issues are going to carry over to 2026. It expects Garcia to pitch in 60 games, with a 3.60 ERA, 4 saves and 11 holds.

This post is part of a series of daily questions that we’ll ask the community here at Amazin’ Avenue throughout the month of February. We hope you find the questions engaging and that our prompts can spark some fun conversations in the comments. We’ll see you there and plan to have staff chiming in, too.

Which Mets player could surprise us with a 3-4 win season?

You want links? You can’t handle the links!

Phillies News:

• Justin Crawford poised to be the youngest Phillies outfielder in 46 years, and trying to improve via training from former MLB All-Star Eric Davis ($$)
• MLB.com ponders reasons why the ‘26 Phillies bullpen could be better
• NBCSN seems to have similar ponderings about the bullpen
• Also, what’s with the starting pitching? Do they have enough depth?

MLB News:

• Ol’ JimBow gives out his offseason grades ($$)
• Brendan Donovan was finally traded, this one to Seattle in a three way deal with Tampa Bay.
• The Big Hurt is having big feelings after getting snubbed by the White Sox for a BHM graphic ($$)
• Milwaukee Brewers to have games produced and distributed by Major League Baseball, they will be joined by the Cardinals, Reds, Royals and Marlins
• CBS puts out their Top 100 baseball prospect ranking

Good morning, Camden Chatters.

You wouldn’t know it from the current weather on the East Coast, but baseball season is fast approaching. In just one week, all Orioles pitchers and catchers will have reported to Sarasota for the start of spring training. The first workout is in eight days. Soon we’ll be inundated with reports of how every Oriole is in the best shape of his life and that it’s a great group of guys and the team is destined for glory. It’s the time of year that optimism abounds and there’s no evidence to the contrary (yet).

Even with the start of camp so close, it doesn’t feel like the Orioles are done tinkering with their roster, nor should they be. The bullpen, in particular, is one unit that doesn’t currently inspire confidence. The O’s did jump early this offseason to fill their closer spot, signing former All-Star Ryan Helsley, and reacquired Andrew Kittredge after dealing him last July. But ever since the Helsley signing, which was more than two months ago, the Birds have yet to add any other notable relievers.

The O’s, at the moment, seem set to rely on many of the journeymen and unproven arms who comprised their bullpen after the trade deadline last season. And that’s a major risk. Can the Orioles rely on the well-traveled Dietrich Enns and Rico Garcia to be as effective this season as they were in a two-month sample size last year? Will a guy like Kade Strowd take a step forward or be overexposed in regular duty? What happens if Helsley gets hurt or pitches like he did with the Mets (7.20 ERA)? Who would replace him as the closer? If Kittredge is injured or ineffective, who takes over the eighth-inning role? The Orioles might not be prepared for every contingency, but bringing in another reliable arm or two would go a long way to strengthening the whole bullpen.

The Orioles’ offseason got off to a fast start but has slowed to a halt as spring approaches. There’s still a little bit of time for Mike Elias and his staff to acquire a reliable reliever or starting pitcher. But if they want a new pitcher to be able to have a full spring training of preparation, they’d better act sooner rather than later.

Links

Putting together the Orioles’ 2026 bullpen – BaltimoreBaseball.com

Rich Dubroff maps out a potential Opening Day bullpen, and it reinforces the point I was just making. If Yennier Cano is penciled in for a spot, then I’m sorry, but that’s not a particularly good bullpen.

Orioles position preview: Rutschman, Basallo form high-upside catching duo – The Baltimore Sun

The key word here is “upside.” If either or both of them play like they’re capable of, the O’s could have the best catching situation in the division. But their 2025 performances for the Orioles don’t exactly inspire confidence.

As the Framber Valdez saga drags on, these are alternatives for the Orioles – The Baltimore Banner

Update: Framber Valdez still is not an Oriole. Will the O’s pivot for someone like Zac Gallen, Chris Bassitt, or Lucas Giolito, or will they roll the dice with the pitchers they’ve already got?

Orioles spring camp is near! Here’s what to know – MLB.com

Are you planning to attend O’s spring training but don’t know where or when the Orioles play or who’s on the team? That’s…a little weird, frankly, but this article will answer your questions.

Orioles birthdays and history

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! Seven former Orioles were born on Feb. 3, including second baseman and vibes guy Rougned Odor (32); right-handers Brooks Kriske (also 32) and Don Welchel (69); outfielder Fred Lynn (74); and the late righties Scott Klingenbeck (b. 1971, d. 2025) and Harry Byrd (b. 1925, d. 1985) and outfielder Jim Dyck (b. 1922, d. 1999).

On this date in 1994, the Orioles re-signed reliever Mark Williamson. The righty had spent his first seven years with the Orioles as a workhorse in the bullpen, throwing more than 80 relief innings in six of those seasons, including 100+ each from 1987-89. His career lasted just one more year, with 28 appearances in 1994.

And on this day in 2021, the O’s signed Mariners legend Félix Hernández as a minor league free agent. The former Cy Young winner, who hadn’t played since 2019, was a favorite to break camp in the Orioles’ rotation, but he got injured in his final spring training start and never pitched again. He became Hall of Fame eligible in 2025 and received 20.6% of the vote in his first year followed by 46.1% in his second, so he seems to be making progress toward induction.

Dave Gasper, Contributor

Hey everyone, my name is Dave Gasper and I’m incredibly excited to be joining the staff at Brew Crew Ball ahead of the 2026 season. Prior to this, I spent seven years as the Editor-in-Chief over at Reviewing the Brew, covering the team from the 2018 run to Game 7 of the NLCS through so many more moments that this team has made over the years. I’ve always strived to be a trusted voice on the Milwaukee Brewers, bringing in-depth analysis from my knowledge of the game and passion for this organization.

You may also know me from my work on what was formerly 97.3 FM The Game here in Milwaukee and state-wide on The Game Radio Network of stations. There I was the producer of No BS with Billy and Armen and then co-host and producer of D.N.D. in the mid-days.

Growing up, going to Brewers games with my dad, my Brewers fandom started in the lean years of the early 2000s, watching Richie Sexson and Geoff Jenkins be the best players on some really bad teams, losing 100 games a year. That’s made this run of success the team has had over the last several years that much more enjoyable not only to watch but to be able to cover as a member of the media.

I’m excited to bring you content going inside the Brewers clubhouse as well as diving into the farm system and providing my prospect rankings.

I’ve covered this team and been in the clubhouse through a couple of champagne celebrations already the last few years and hopefully there are a couple more champagne celebrations this year.

As the offseason winds down and early-arriving players begin ramping up for the 2026 season, it’s your turn, once again, to ask us at VEB your most pressing questions as we head into spring training. The Cardinals were able to move all of their no-trade-clause-wielding players on the roster and added a couple of veteran pitchers with high-octane stuff, and there were many other small moves in between. What position battles are you most intrigued to watch unfold in spring camp? Who is going to hit lead off for the Cardinals in 2026? Which Cardinals have the most to prove in 2026? We’re eager to hear from you, and we haven’t completed a reader mailbag episode since the end of October, when Cardinals assistant GM and head of player performance Rob Cerfolio joined us to answer your most pressing offseason questions.

Leave your questions in the comments section, and we will be sure to answer them on the next episode of the Viva El Birdos Podcast! This post will also act as an open thread for the day.

-Thanks for participating…?!

DRaysBay works best as a place for community and conversation. Accordingly, in the lead up to the new season, we are posting “Daily Questions” in the month of February. I look forward to seeing you in the comment section!

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Which player has your unwavering belief? Forget the performance on the field yesterday, you have your eyes set on tomorrow, knowing they can deliver if given the chance.

1988
Helping to spur an upset in the 1988 Caribbean Series, José DeLeón started the Series-opening win for his Escogido Leones. Just six days later, the White Sox traded the right-handed workhorse to St. Louis for Lance Johnson, Ricky Horton and cash.

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1996
To help fortify a comically-thin rotation (of the four core starters in 1995, just Wilson Alvarez and Alex Fernandez would remain with the team/stay healthy through 1996) the White Sox signed righthander Kevin Tapani to a one-year, $1.5 million deal.

After seven years in Minnesota compiling 19.1 WAR, Tapani was dealt to the Dodgers to help a playoff run. However, Tapani was horrible in the stretch for L.A., culminating in an NLDS that saw him appear in two games with just one-third of an inning pitched, scarred by three earned runs and four walks.

With Tapani’s value at low ebb, the White Sox struck with an extreme value signing — and it paid off wonderfully, as the righty put up a 13-10 record and a 3.2 WAR (tied for second-best of his career) in spite of some sloppy peripherals (4.59 ERA, 4.85 FIP, 1.385 WHIP).

Tapani’s relative success as a White Sox reclamation made the path forward even more curious. Despite not missing a start (he had 34, while No. 1 and 2 starters Fernandez and Alvarez finished with 35) and once pitching on three days’ rest, Tapani was accused of faking a hand injury by GM Ron Schueler, assuring the starter would not return.

Driving away Tapani and even the higher-profile hit of losing Fernandez to the Florida Marlins in free agency forced what would become the worst free agent pitcher signing in White Sox history: Jaime Navarro for four years and $20 million.

Tapani ended up signing a five-year, $23.5 million deal with the Cubs and put up a modest 7.2 WAR over the contract. Navarro would last just three years with the White Sox, compiling a catastrophic -3.7 WAR.

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2011
The White Sox announced the signing of Alexei Ramírez to a four-year, $32.5 million contract extension covering 2012-15, with a team option for 2016.

Ramírez was coming off of what would stand up as his greatest MLB season in 2010, with 5.6 WAR and his first career Silver Slugger. His defense comprised almost half of his WAR value; Derek Jeter winning the Gold Glove at shortstop that season further cemented the need for a change in the determination process there.

The Cuban Missile would go on to have four very productive seasons of the five his extension covered, making this a rare “perfect” meld, where performance largely matched compensation.

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2023
In a trade that stuck a blow against the Chicago trades, the White Sox sent reliever Theo Denlinger to Boston for reliever Franklin German. German had thrown in five games for the 2022 Red Sox, getting blown up for an 18.00 ERA. The 25-year-old nudged that ERA down a smidge in Charlotte for nine early appearances (7.15 ERA) but was waived on May 8; though catching on with the Reds and then again the Red Sox later that year, 2023 would be German’s last season of pro ball.

Denlinger, a blacksmith, struggled in Double- and Triple-A for the Red Sox and was released during the 2024 season. He surfaced for the Tecolotes de Los Dos Laredos of the Mexican League in 2025, putting up a 6.46 ERA there.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the MLB. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Pirates fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Last week’s question asked about the record for the Buccos. The last time the Pirates were .500 or better was 2018. However, the Bucs have one the league’s best pitching staffs, and after finally adding some offense, the Bucs seem poised to actually score some runs this season as well. Will all of that add up to finally getting over the .500 hump? Here’s what you had to say:

A full two-thirds of voters are taking the over .500 for the Bucs. Add in the 10 percent of you who think the team finishes right at .500, and that’s 77 percent of voters who think the Bucs will be .500 or better this year. That’s more optimism than we’ve had in a long time. Let’s hope the Bucs can meet our expectations.

Thanks for voting. We’ll be back soon with more Reacts.

Hello everyone! Welcome to our new Daily Question series for the month of February. With Spring Training around the corner, we want to hear what you think 2026 holds for your Minnesota Twins. Let’s get excited for baseball!

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Here’s the problem with trade articles. Because you can target nearly anybody, I end up spending hours just going through realistic possibilities. Rather than doing that this time around, let’s leave it up to you and see who you have in mind.

The way I see it, the Twins have two main needs with a few weeks to go. The bullpen is the glaring and most obvious one, but they also need a right-handed outfielder to pair with their bevy of lefties incapable of hitting a left-handed breaking ball.

Last note! Ideally, these trades need to remove some assortment of Trevor Larnach, James Outman, Matt Wallner, or Alan Roden from the roster. Those four are incredibly redundant and each has different strengths, but they all have the exact same weakness: they can’t hit lefties. Larnach is the one most likely to go, but Wallner has good trade value and could be the centerpiece for a team that is low on outfield power. Outside of that, you’re probably looking at a deal centered around a starting pitcher (or two) with one of the outfielders as a throw-in.

I’ll cover the more boring, but still distinct upgrades, options first. Here are a few teams and players that could work as trade partners off the top of my head:

• Boston Red Sox: they’ve had their eye on Joe Ryan for months, but maybe there’s a smaller trade to be worked out for one of the Twins’ lower level starters. Romy Gonzalez is a lefty masher who can play anywhere and they have some intriguing relief options as well.
• Tampa Bay Rays: They could use some offensive production and rotation depth to back up their quality top end of the roster. Something like Larnach and a lower-end (but MLB ready) pitching prospect could fetch the Twins either Edwin Uceta or Bryan Baker in the bullpen.
• Colorado Rockies: The Rockies, famously, are not a well run baseball team. Could we trick them into giving up Victor Vodnik?
• Philadelphia Phillies: The Phillies have maybe the worst projected starting outfield for a bonafide contender. Larnach would be a distinct upgrade for them and they have two excellent right-handed utility men that would be an upgrade for the Twins in Edmundo Sosa and Otto Kemp. If you want to get crazy and kill two birds with one stone, Wallner and Marco Raya could probably fetch you Orion Kerkering and one of the utility guys.
• Los Angeles Angels: my dream trade that won’t happen for various reasons is Zach Neto, who has quietly emerged as one of the best young shortstops in baseball over the past two seasons. It would cost a lot prospect-wise, but picking up Neto and bumping Brooks Lee into the Willi Castro-esque super utility everyday player would solve a lot of issues for this roster.

Let’s hear it: who (realistically) do you want the Twins to trade for? Dream big. Or small. The world is your oyster, and hopefully Jeremy Zoll’s too.

Continuing our February Daily Question series, we’re beginning today’s conversation with the question, “Which prospect are you most looking forward to seeing this spring?”

Adam gave a minor league season preview yesterday, and just last week I covered some of the non-roster players the Brewers are inviting to spring training, including top prospect shortstop Jesús Made.

While everyone will certainly be watching to see how Made matches up with other big leaguers, is he the prospect you’re most looking forward to seeing? Or is there another name on the list — Luke Adams, Tate Kuehner, Luis Lara, Brock Wilken, Cooper Pratt, and Jett Williams, just to name a few — who you’re more excited about?

What about players on the 40-man roster who we haven’t seen yet? Jeferson Quero? Brandon Sproat?

There are plenty of names to keep an eye out for come spring training in a few weeks. I personally am most excited to see Pratt and Lara, specifically for their defensive prowess.

Weigh in in the comments, and join us throughout the month as we keep these conversations rolling into spring training. Have a question you’d like to ask in a future BCB Daily Question? Drop one in the comments and we may use it later this month.

We’re three days into February, and by now you’re likely familiar with our new format to kickstart our days. The Yankee rotation was one of the focal points of the offseason right after the No. 1 priority of dealing with the outfield, and while they ultimately didn’t do much outside of adding some depth arms the starting staff will look a little different in 2026.

So with that being said, who will end up performing the best out of all of the Yankees’ options to start this season? They’re getting back their staff ace Gerrit Cole who could theoretically slide right back into the role, but there’s a couple of caveats. First, Cole is coming off of Tommy John surgery that cost him the entirety of last year, and he missed the first half of 2024 as well — you can hope that he merely avoided the surgery that he inevitably needed the next year, but none of that bodes well for Cole’s durability in the back half of his contract. So Cole is entering 2026 needing to get back into game form after a long time on the shelf, and he’s also going to miss at least the first month of the season to complete his recovery. That isn’t going to help his counting stats for an end of the year comparison, even if he does jump right back into Cy Young form when he does return to the mound.

That gives Max Fried a decent shot at taking the mantle for another year. The team’s big offseason signing last year delivered in Cole’s absence, finishing in fourth-place in the Cy Young voting after posting a 2.86 ERA and 4.8 fWAR over 195.1 innings. He’s the frontrunner to be the most valuable arm on the staff again as he enters 2026 healthy, though his performance last year was just a touch below the best of his career so it may be difficult for him to replicate that level of success in back-to-back seasons.

Similar to Cole, Carlos Rodón is starting the year on the shelf, giving him a bit of a disadvantage after he needed surgery in the offseason to remove some bone spurs. He is coming off of his best year in pinstripes in 2025, however, so he can’t be fully discounted should momentum carry him to new heights in his fourth season in the Bronx. Finally, the dark horse candidate to showcase a monster year is Cam Schlittler, the team’s breakout star at the end of last season. Schlittler impressed in his rookie campaign, posting a 2.96 ERA and earning 1.3 fWAR in just 73 innings of work, and his big coming out party came in Game 3 of the Wild Card Series where he delivered eight shutout innings to secure the victory. With the prospect of a full year on the roster coming up, Schlittler is poised for a strong sophomore season, and the delayed starts for some of the stalwarts of the rotation could guide him to the top should he remain healthy.

There’s no bad answer to have as your No. 1 entering October based on the resumes we’ve seen from each of them, but the tantalizing potential of a homegrown ace makes me lean me towards predicting Schlittler to top the list. Who would you say has the best chance to lead the pack this year? Let us know below.

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On the site today, we’ve got Nolan running through the state of the Yankees’ outfield depth entering this year, with the scale tilting heavily towards the major league and upper minors side of the system. Matt wishes a happy birthday to a man with an incredible name in Chicken Hawks, Jeff previews Cody Bellinger’s season with him back in the fold in left field, and Peter reflects on the strange circumstances that led to Rafael Soriano’s signing with the Yankees after the 2010 season.

CBS Sports | R.J. Anderson: The Yankees are one of several teams interested in Ty France, per MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo. The Red Sox, Mets, Padres, and Diamondbacks are among the first baseman’s other suitors. France slashed .257/.320/.360 last year in 138 games with the Twins and Blue Jays. This report comes on the heels of rumors that the Yankees have entertained a reunion with Paul Goldschmidt, indicating that adding a veteran, right-handed bat at first base to split time with the left-handed Ben Rice is a priority heading into spring training.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: With spring training fast approaching, Hoch provides an FAQ for the Yankees’ preseason operation. Pitchers and catchers are scheduled to report on February 11th, with position players following on February 15th. Fans can attend workouts at Tampa’s George M. Steinbrenner Field free of charge. Several promising youngsters will receive an opportunity to showcase what they can do against major-league talent, including the team’s consensus top prospect, George Lombard Jr., right-handers Elmer Rodríguez and Carlos Lagrange, and outfielder Spencer Jones. Spring games will begin on February 20th and, over the course of spring training, 25 matchups will be broadcast on YES Network or the Gotham Sports app.

Bronx Times | Keke Grant-Floyd: Through his namesake foundation, Jazz Chisholm Jr. has funded the development of a computer lab at an elementary school in the Morrisania neighborhood of the Bronx. The Yankees’ All-Star attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the lab at Community School 55, also known as the Benjamin Franklin Elementary School, where he explained the genesis for this endeavor. “I was raised in public school, and I’m a kid from the hood that didn’t really get as many opportunities as anybody else,” Chisholm said. “I want to be able to give kids all the opportunities that I can help with.” The Jazz Chisholm Foundation supports youth in New York, Florida, and the Bahamas.