Category: MLB

Given the Mets' need to dramatically improve their starting pitching, team defense, and cohesion on offense, they're going to have to attack the offseason from all angles.

That means diving head first into a free agent market that is short on big headliners, but has plenty of intriguing options.

While New York has a need at first base with Pete Alonso again a free agent, and could seek an upgrade at third base and/or second base, it can be argued that those answers can easily be found via free agency. As can a mid-rotation starting pitcher and relief help. 

When it comes to finding a starting pitcher who profiles near the top of the rotation, though, the prediction here is that the Mets will find that pitcher via the trade market.

Combine the Mets' need for top end pitching, the arms expected to be available via trade, and the fact that New York has one of the best farm systems in baseball, and you get a perfect storm.

That's why all the trade targets listed below are starting pitchers.

Here are the ones the Mets should be going after this offseason, ranked:

5. RHP Paul Skenes

Skenes would be at the very top of this list if there was a belief that the Pirates were likely to trade him this offseason. 

But when you pair Skenes' years of team control remaining (four more seasons, through 2029) and Pittsburgh's seeming reluctance to either spend enough to be a contender or maximize Skenes' value on the trade market in order to try to contend in a different way, a deal at this point seems unlikely. 

But every team with World Series hopes in 2026 should be calling the Pirates about Skenes anyway.

If offered a package that was truly outrageous, you would think Pittsburgh would have to at the very least consider it.

For example, the Mets should have Nolan McLean off limits in any other possible trade for a starting pitcher. In a deal for Skenes, McLean would be a must for the Pirates to even consider it. 

In a world where the Mets offered McLean, Jonah Tong, Jett Williams, and more, could Pittsburgh start to bend on Skenes? Probably not, when you take into account the fact that the Pirates have been unable to get out of their own way for the better part of 30 years. But it can't hurt to try!

4. RHP Freddy Peralta

In recent years, the Brewers -- often under strict payroll constraints -- have traded some of their most valuable players when they've gotten close to free agency.

They did it with Corbin Burnes during the 2023-24 offseason and Devin Williams last offseason. At the 2022 trade deadline, the Brewers dealt Josh Hader to the Padres when he still had a year and change of team control remaining.

Could the same kind of plan be in store regarding Peralta?

Peralta, who is about to enter his age-30 season, has an $8 million team option the Brewers will obviously pick up. But what happens with him after that is in question. 

Coming off a season where he had a 2.70 ERA and 1.07 WHIP while striking out 204 batters in 176.2 innings, Peralta's value will be sky high. And Milwaukee is positioned to cash in if he's made available. 

3. RHP Sandy Alcantara

It was a struggle for Alcantara during the first half of last season in what was his first year back after having Tommy John surgery.

Ahead of his start on July 23, Alcantara posted a 7.14 ERA in 97.0 innings pitched. 

But from that start through the end of the season, Alcantara turned it on.

In 12 starts over 77.2 innings from that point, Alcantara had a 3.13 ERA. Along the way, he completed 7.0 innings seven times.

Alcantara has two years to go until hitting free agency. But it would be wise for the Marlins, whose core of young pitching includes Eury Perez and Edward Cabrera, to deal the former Cy Young winner this offseason in order to maximize his value.

2. RHP Joe Ryan

Ryan had the best season of his career in 2025, posting a 3.42 ERA and 1.03 WHIP while striking out 10.2 batters per nine in a career-high 171.0 innings. He has always missed lots of bats (his career strikeout rate is 10.1 per nine) and his four-seam fastball (which he uses about half the time) has graded out as one of the best in baseball each of the last four seasons.

The big question here is whether the Twins would trade Ryan, who has two more years of arbitration remaining and will be very inexpensive (he made just $3 million in 2025).

In the midst of an incredibly disappointing 2025 season, Minnesota had a fire sale, trading 10 players from the big league roster. That included Carlos Correa, Griffin Jax, and elite closer Jhoan Duran, who -- like Ryan -- has two more years of arbitration remaining and will be wildly inexpensive in 2026 (he made just $1.3 million this past season).

The Twins can definitely get a haul for Ryan this offseason, and it would behoove them to take advantage of that as they embark on some form of a rebuild.

1. LHP Tarik Skubal

Skubal is set for free agency after 2026, so the Mets -- and any other team expecting to contend next season -- should be on the Tigers' case about him.

Would it be surprising if Detroit traded the best pitcher in the American League fresh off back-to-back Cy Young seasons? Perhaps.

But what makes this intriguing is that when the Tigers attempted to extend Skubal, it was reportedly not just a non-competitive offer, but one that was relatively insulting. And owner Christopher Ilitch gave a bit of a weird answer recently when asked about a possible Skubal extension. The 28-year-old left-hander is repped by Scott Boras.

Even with just one year left on his deal, it would likely take a King's ransom to pry Skubal from Detroit.

For the Mets, that could mean trading Jonah Tong and/or Brandon Sproat along with Jett Williams or Carson Benge. For a talent like Skubal, though, that's simply the cost of doing business. 

After tense 2025, should the Phils move on from Castellanos? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Few players in Philadelphia sparked more conversation in 2025 than Nick Castellanos. Now, entering the final year of his five-year, $100 million deal, the focus shifts from his performance to his future with the Phils in 2026.

A season blemished by tension

Castellanos’ frustration boiled over multiple times last year.

On June 16 against the Marlins, Phils manager Rob Thomson pulled him late for defense — a move that led to what the skipper later called “an inappropriate comment” from Castellanos and a one-game benching. The decision snapped a streak of 236 consecutive starts.

“I wasn’t happy about it,” Castellanos said afterward. “I spoke my mind, and he said I crossed a line.”

The situation didn’t improve after the trade deadline. When the Phillies acquired Harrison Bader from Minnesota, the outfield suddenly became crowded — Bader, Brandon Marsh, Max Kepler and Castellanos vying for consistent at-bats.

On August 20, Castellanos even told reporters that Bader was “pretty frustrated” with his part-time role, a strange comment given the two were competing for playing time.

A week and a half later, when Thomson again replaced him defensively, Castellanos voiced disappointment about the lack of communication between the two. “I don’t really talk to Rob all that often,” he said. “The communication over the years has been questionable, at least in my experience.”

Even during the postseason, the frustration lingered. After the Phillies’ Game 2 loss to the Dodgers in the NLDS, Castellanos commented on the energy at Citizens Bank Park:

“When the game is going good, it’s wind at our back, but when the game is not going good, it’s wind in our face. The environment can be with us and the environment can be against us.”

That quote reflected how his tone to the manager, the media and the fans worked against his favor this season.

Through it all, the production simply wasn’t there in his 13th professional campaign. Castellanos finished with a .250/.294/.400 slash line, 17 home runs and a -1.0 WAR. Defensively, he ranked last among qualified outfielders with -12 outs above average and -90 defensive runs saved since 2016, the worst total in baseball over that span. Each of those stats are calculated based on the “average” player showing just how substandard his defense has been.

The path forward

Castellanos is still owed $20 million in 2026. For a player now best suited for a designated-hitter role, that salary is a financial burden given his below average run production at the plate. The Phillies could try to trade him, eating part of his remaining salary, or, if no trade partner emerges, designate him for assignment and absorb the entire cost.

There’s reason to expect the front office to explore those options. Dombrowski said at the season’s end, “We’ll see what happens. I’m not going to get into specific players.”

With younger outfielders like Otto Kemp, Johan Rojas and top prospects Justin Crawford and Gabriel Rincones Jr. nearing solidified roles on the big league roster, the willingness to retain a declining veteran has faded – especially one who injected tension in the clubhouse.

Castellanos’ time in Philadelphia featured key postseason moments – his October in 2023 included six homers – and stretches of strong production. 

But after four playoff runs without a title, the Phillies may need to do what Castellanos once told the On Base podcast: “Help the team however it needs to be to win a World Series.”

In this case, the Phils may have to move on.

Schwarber, Sanchez named finalists for MVP, Cy Young awards originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The Phillies had a strong regular season in 2025, and it wouldn’t have been possible without some superlative individual efforts. But like their experience in the postseason, two of their stars will have to overcome some fierce competition to win the big trophies.

Designated hitter Kyle Schwarber was named a finalist for the National League Most Valuable Player award, and Lefty Cristopher Sanchez is one of three finalists for the NL Cy Young award.

Schwarber, a 3-time All-Star, played his best season by far, leading the NL in home runs with 56 and RBI with 132, both career highs. The closest he had ever come to winning an MVP award was last season, when he finshed 15^th in the voting. He is also a finalist to win the NL Silver Slugger.

Standing in Schwarber’s way are the other two nominees, both of whom had very strong seasons. Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers is in pursuit of his third straight MVP, and fourth in five years. He finished just behind Schwarber with 55 homers, and added 102 RBI and 146 runs scored, a mark which led the majors. He also started in 14 games, striking out 62 in 47 innings.

Juan Soto had a very good inaugural season with the Mets, leading the NL in walks (127), stolen bases (38), and on-base percentage (.396). He added 43 homers and 105 RBI, and scored 120 runs.

Like Schwarber, Sanchez also had a career year. The 28-year-old reached new personal bests in wins (13), innings (202), ERA (2.50), and strikeouts (212). He led NL pitchers in bWAR (8.0) and finished in the top five in ERA, innings, and Ks. Sanchez finished 10^th in Cy Young voting last season.

The other nominees along with Sanchez are Pirates ace Paul Skenes and Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Dodgers. Skenes led all of MLB with a 1.97 ERA, and finished just ahead of Sanchez with 216 strikeouts. Yamamoto, the World Series MVP, was largely unhittable, leading MLB in hits allowed per 9 IP (5.8), and striking out 201 in 173 innings.

The Cy Young awards for both leagues will be announced Wednesday, November 12, while the MVP awards will be announced the following day.

The Dodgers walked into a packed home stadium when their World Series parade was over, waving to an adoring crowd that viewed them as more than back-to-back champions.

They were beloved Angelenos.

Many of the players are on a first-name basis with the city, and if they aren’t, they’re identified by a nickname.

Freddie, Mookie and Shohei.

Yoshi and Roki.

Read more:Dodgers celebrate repeat World Series title with another downtown parade, stadium rally

Miggy Ro and Kiké.

Players who were once strangers are now extended members of hundreds of thousands of families.

Ordinarily, a team as old as the Dodgers would have to consider a roster makeover. Freddie Freeman and Miguel Rojas will be 37 by the start of the next World Series. Max Muncy will be 36, Kiké Hernández 35, Mookie Betts and Teoscar Hernández 34 and Shohei Ohtani 32.

But under these circumstances, how could the Dodgers think of breaking up their team?

How could they unload any of their superstars, regardless of how much they could decline in the next year? How could they not retain their key free agents, regardless of how old they are?

They can’t, they can’t and they can’t.

The Dodgers have to run this back — again.

“Obviously, we would love everybody to come back,” Freeman said.

Muncy has a $10-million team option for next season. The Dodgers have to pick it up.

Rojas and Kiké Hernández are free agents. The Dodgers have to re-sign them.

Freeman won’t be making the calls on his teammates, of course. The decisions will be made by president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, who was characteristically evasive when asked about the efforts the Dodgers would make to keep their out-of-contract players.

“Obviously, guys who have been here and been a big part of it start with a major upper hand,” Friedman said. “That being said, they’re free agents. They’ve earned the right to go out and talk to the 29 other teams as well.”

Muncy doesn’t have a choice to leave if the Dodgers exercise his option, but Rojas and Kiké Hernández have said they would like to return next season.

Whatever Friedman decides shouldn’t preclude the Dodgers from shopping on the free-agent market, with Kyle Tucker and Steven Kwan being potential additions to their outfield.

But the nucleus of the Dodgers would be even older than it was this year when their collective age presented a variety of problems.

Their 18-inning victory in Game 3 clearly diminished them more than it did the Toronto Blue Jays, who won the next two games. In retrospect, that should have been expected, as the Dodgers struggled to maintain consistency on offense over a grinding six-month regular season.

While Betts transformed into one of the league’s best defensive shortstops, he experienced a sharp offensive decline. Muncy was limited to 100 games because of injuries. Teoscar Hernández wasn’t close to being the same player he was last year.

There were times that even Ohtani started to show the effects of being on the wrong side of 30. Ohtani’s father acknowledged this reality in a congratulatory open letter he wrote to his son, which was published in the Monday edition of Sports Nippon.

“Shohei, you’re 31 years old,” Toru Ohtani wrote in Japanese. “I think that as a baseball player, you’re in your prime, but there will come a time when you have to decide between pitching and hitting. When you can’t pitch anymore, you can be an outfielder. I think that if you practice, you can definitely do it.”

Read more:Dodgers celebrate repeat World Series title with another downtown parade, stadium rally

That being said, the team has to be kept together.

A championship can force teams into sentimental decisions, as was the case last winter when the Dodgers re-signed Teoscar Hernández to a three-year, $66-million contract.

This winter, they will have to settle similar disputes between their hearts and minds. They should listen to their hearts.

The players deserve it. The fans demand it.

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The celebration had hardly begun, when Shohei Ohtani first voiced the theme of the day.

“I’m already thinking about the third time,” he said in Japanese, standing atop a double-decker bus in downtown Los Angeles with thousands of blue-clad, flag-waving, championship-celebrating Dodgers fans lining the streets around him for the team’s 2025 World Series parade.

Turns out, he wasn’t alone.

Two days removed from a dramatic Game 7 victory that made the Dodgers baseball’s first repeat champion in 25 years, the team rolled through the streets of downtown and into a sold-out rally at Dodger Stadium on Monday already thinking about what lies ahead in 2026.

With three titles in the last six seasons, their modern-day dynasty might now be cemented.

Read more:Photos: World Series champion Dodgers parade through Downtown L.A.

But their goal of adding to this “golden era of Dodger baseball,” as top executive Andrew Friedman has repeatedly called it, is far from over.

“All I have to say to you,” owner and chairman Mark Walter told the 52,703 fans at the team’s stadium rally, “is we’ll be back next year.”

“I have a crazy idea for you,” Friedman echoed. “How about we do it again?”

When manager Dave Roberts took the mic, he tripled down on that objective: “What’s better than two? Three! Three-peat! Three-peat! Let’s go.”

When shortstop Mookie Betts, the only active player with four World Series rings, followed him, he quadrupled the expectation: “I got four. Now it’s time to fill the hand all the way up, baby. ‘Three-peat’ ain’t never sounded so sweet. Somebody make that a T-shirt.”

For these history-achieving, legacy-sealing Dodgers, Monday was a reminder of the ultimate end goal — the kind of scene that, as they embark on another short winter, will soon fuel their motivations for another confetti-filled parade this time next year.

“For me, winning a championship, the seminal moment of that is the parade,” Friedman said. “The jubilation of doing it, when you get the final out, whatever game you win it in, is special. That night is special. But to be able to take a breath and then experience a parade, in my mind, that is what has always driven me to want to win.”

“[To] do this for the city, that’s what it’s all about,” first baseman Freddie Freeman added. “There’s nothing that feels as important as winning a championship. And if so happens to be three in a row, that’s what it is. But that’s what’s gonna drive us to keep going.”

Last November, the Dodgers’ first parade in 36 years was a novelty.

Much of the group had been part of the 2020 title team that was denied such a serenade following that pandemic-altered campaign. They had waited four long years to experience a city-wide celebration. The reception they received was sentimental and unique.

Now, as third baseman Max Muncy said with a devious grin from atop a makeshift stage in the Dodger Stadium outfield, “it’s starting to get a little bit comfortable up here. Let’s keep it going.”

“Losing,” star pitcher and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto added, in English, in a callback to one of his memorable quotes from this past October, “isn’t an option.”

Doing it won’t be easy.

This year, the Dodgers’ win total went down to 93 in an inconsistent regular season. They had to play in the wild-card round for the first time since the playoffs expanded in 2022. And in the World Series, they faced elimination in Games 6 and 7, narrowly winning both to complete their quest to repeat.

“I borderline still can’t believe we won Game 7,” fan favorite Kiké Hernández said in a bus-top interview.

But, he quickly added, “We’re all winners. Winners win.”

Thus, they also get celebrations like Monday’s.

As it was 367 days earlier, the Dodgers winded down a parade route in front of tens of thousands of fans from Temple Street to Grand Avenue to 7th Street to Figueroa. Both on board the double-decker buses and in the frenzied masses below, elation swirled and beverages flowed.

Once the team arrived at Dodger Stadium, it climbed atop a blue circular riser in the middle of the field — the final symbolic steps of their ascent back to the mountaintop of the sport.

Anthony Anderson introduced them to the crowd, while Ice Cube delivered the trophy in a blue 1957 Chevy Bel Air.

Familiar scenes, they are hoping become an annual tradition.

“Job in 2024, done. Job in 2025, done,” Freeman said. “Job in 2026? Starts now.”

The Dodgers did take time to recognize their newfound place in baseball history, having become just the sixth MLB franchise to win three titles in the span of six years and the first since the New York Yankees of 1998 to 2000 to win in consecutive years.

Where last year’s parade day felt more like an overdue coronation, this one served to crystallize their legacy.

“Everybody’s been asking questions about a dynasty,” Hernández said. “How about three in six years? How about a back-to-back?”

And, on Monday, all the main characters of this storybook accomplishment got their moment in the sun.

There was, as team broadcaster and rally emcee Joe Davis described him, “the Hall of Fame-bound” Roberts, who now only trails Walter Alston in team history with three World Series rings.

“We talked about last year, wanting to run it back,” he said. “And I’ll tell you right now, this group of guys was never gonna be denied to bring this city another championship.”

There was Game 7 hero Miguel Rojas calling up surprise October closer Roki Sasaki, on his birthday, to dance to his “Bailalo Rocky” entrance song; a request Sasaki sheepishly obliged by pumping his fist to the beat.

Yamamoto, coming off his heroic pitching victories in Games 6 and 7, received some of the day’s loudest ovations.

“We did it together,” he said. “I love the Dodgers. I love Los Angeles.”

Muncy, Ohtani and Blake Snell also all addressed the crowd.

“I’m trying to get used to this,” Snell said.

“I’m ready to get another ring next year,” Ohtani reiterated.

One franchise face who won’t be back for that chase: Clayton Kershaw, who rode into the sunset of retirement by getting one last day at Dodger Stadium, fighting back tears as he thanked the crowd at the end of his illustrious (and also Hall of Fame-bound) 18-year career.

“Last year, I said I was a Dodger for life. And today, that’s true,” Kershaw said. “And today, I get to say that I’m a champion for life. And that’s never going away.”

Kershaw, of course, is one of the few still around from the club’s dark days of the early 2010s, when money was scarce and playoff appearances were uncertain and parades were only things to dream about — not expect.

As he walks away, however, the team has been totally transformed.

Now, the Dodgers have been to 13 straight postseasons. They’ve set payroll records and bolstered their roster with a wave of star signings. They’ve turned the pursuit of championships into a yearly expectation, proud but unsatisfied with what they’ve achieved to this point.

“I think, definitionally, it’s a dynasty,” said Friedman, the architect of this run with the help of Walter’s deep-pocketed Guggenheim ownership group. “But that to me, in a lot of ways, that kind of caps it if you say, ‘OK, this is what it is.’ For me, it’s still evolving and growing. We want to add to it. We want to continue it, and do everything we can to put it at a level where people after us have a hard time reaching.”

Read more:Complete coverage: How the Dodgers won the 2025 World Series

On Monday, they raised that bar another notch higher.

“This parade was the most insane thing I’ve ever witnessed, been a part of,” Kershaw said. “It truly is the most incredible day ever to be able to end your career on.”

On Tuesday, the Dodgers’ long road toward holding another one begins.

“I know they’re gonna get one more next year,” Kershaw told the crowd. “And I’m gonna watch, just like all of you.”

Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Mets OF Juan Soto has officially been named a finalist for the 2025 National League MVP. 

The other two finalists are Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber. 

While Los Angeles’ two-way talent is viewed as the favorite by most around the game, Soto put up an awfully strong fight down the stretch in the first year of his historic contract in Queens. 

The 26-year-old was able to overcome a slow start and All-Star snub to finish with terrific numbers across the board.

He topped his career-high set just last season with the Yankees and was second on the team with 43 homers.   

Soto drove in 105 runs and drew a league-high 127 walks to help him finish with a .396 OBP and .921 OPS.

He also added a new dimension to his game with some help from first base coach Antoan Richardson, swiping a new career-best 38 bases, falling just two shy of the first 40-40 season in franchise history.  

This is Soto's third time being named an MVP finalist and his sixth top-10 finish across eight big-league seasons.  

The winner will be named at the MLB Awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 13 in Las Vegas.

Your 2025 @officialBBWAA NL Most Valuable Player Award finalists:

Shohei Ohtani
Kyle Schwarber
Juan Soto pic.twitter.com/G9vCuVIhlK

— MLB (@MLB) November 4, 2025

Aaron Judge had yet another historical year during the 2025 MLB season and, as expected, he's now being recognized for it.

The Yankees slugger was named one of three finalists for the American League MVP on Monday night, joining the Seattle Mariners' Cal Raleigh and Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez.

Judge, who's looking to take home his second straight AL MVP and the third of his career, hit 53 home runs and led the league in batting average (.331) for the first time in his career.

He helped the Yanks win 94 games and make the postseason for the second straight season, finishing second in the AL East to the eventual pennant winning Toronto Blue Jays.

Some of his other jaw-dropping stats from the 2025 season include:

• 9.7 WAR (league leader) / 10.1 fWAR (league leader)
• 137 runs scored (league leader)
• 124 walks (league leader)
• .457 OBP (league leader)
• .688 SLG (league leader)
• 1.144 OPS (league leader)
• 215 OPS+ (league leader)

Simply put, Judge was the best baseball player in the American League this season.

Raleigh is Judge's toughest competition for the award and will likely garner some first-place votes after smashing a switch-hitting and catcher record 60 home runs. He led the Mariners to an AL West title for the first time since 2001 and finished the year with a league-leading 125 RBI while hitting .247.

Ramírez, who is quietly putting together a HOF-worthy career, hit .283 with 30 homers and 34 doubles with 85 RBI, helping the Guardians win their second straight AL Central title and third in four years.

The winner will be named at the MLB Awards ceremony on Thursday, Nov. 13 in Las Vegas.

Your 2025 @officialBBWAA AL Most Valuable Player Award finalists:

Aaron Judge
Cal Raleigh
José Ramírez pic.twitter.com/UyWkwFktH5

— MLB (@MLB) November 3, 2025