SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 24: Jose Altuve #27 of the Houston Astros bats against the Athletics in the top of the third inning of a major league baseball game at Sutter Health Park on September 24, 2025 in Sacramento, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Jose Altuve and Lance McCullers Jr. will each make their Grapefruit League debuts today.
The Houston Astros (1-4-1) take on the Washington Nationals (4-2-1) in Grapefruit League action.
RHP Lance McCullers Jr. is set to make his 2026 Grapefruit League debut. He made his return to the mound in 2025 after missing the entire 2023-24 seasons due to a right flexor tendon injury that required surgery. He worked around four IL stints to go 2-5 with a 6.51 ERA (40ER/55.1IP) and 9.92 SO/9IP through 16 games (13 starts).
Feb 27, 2026; Port Charlotte, Florida, USA; Toronto Blue Jays manager John Schneider (14) talks with catcher C.J. Stubbs (50) and first baseman Riley Triotta (87) on the mound during the second inning against the Toronto Blue Jays at Charlotte Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images
Jays 5 Rays 6
The Jays are now 1-5 with a tie, this spring.
It wasn’t a good day for Eric Lauer. He went 1.2, allowed 3 hits, 3 earned, hit a batter, and gave up 3 earned. It is early, but if he wants a starting rotation spot, he should give up less runs than innings.
Other pitchers:
Connor Larkin: Gave up 1 hit, 1 walk before getting the last out of the second inning. He had a
Braydon Fisher: 2 hits, 1 earned on a home run, 1 strikeout in his inning.
Mason Fluharty: 4 hits, 1 earned, 1 k in his inning.
CJ Van Eyk: 3 innings, 1 hit, 2 walks 2 strikeouts. The star pitcher of the day.
Jorge Alcala: 1 inning, 1 hit, 1 earned.
Hitters, starters:
Nathan Lukes: 0 for 3, 2 strikeouts. .111 BA on the spring.
Davis Schneider: 0 for 3, strikeout. .125.
Addison Barger: for 3, strikeout. .000.
Jesus Sanchez: o for 2, walk. .143.
Eloy Jimenez: 0 for 2. .417.
Leo Jimenez: 1 for 2, 1 RBI, 1 k. .333.
CJ Stubbs: 0 for 1, k, hit by pitch. .333.
Ben Cowles: 0 for 2. .000.
Riley Tirotta: 0 for 2. .182.
Others:
Jonatan Clase: 0 for 2, k. .000.
Carlos Mendoza: walk.
Yohendrick Pinango: 0 for 1. .125.
Rafael Lantigua: 1 for 1, RBI. .556.
RJ Schreck: 0 for 1. .200.
Arjun Nimmala: 1 for 1, double, walk. .333.
Geovanny Planchart: 0 for 2. .000.
Josh Kasevich: 0 for 2. .444.
Sean Keys: 1 for 2, k. .182.
I’d like to see the batters doing better.
Tomorrow, the Jays are doing the split squad thing. Some are traveling to Tampa to play the Yankees, with Jose Berrios starting. Some are staying in Dunedin, with Dylan Cease starting. The later will be on Sportsnet. The former is on YES, and we’ll be able to watch MLB TV.
JUPITER, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 27: Mj Melendez #1 of the New York Mets celebrates in the dug out after hitting a home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning of a spring training game at Roger Dean Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Jupiter, Florida. (Photo by Rich Storry/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Mets decimated the Cardinals in a victory on the road in Jupiter this afternoon, and Freddy Peralta started his Mets tenure about as good as one would have hoped.
Freddy Peralta threw 29 pitches in three perfect innings, collecting three strikeouts in his appearance.
Devin Williams made his first appearance as well, going one inning and giving up one hit. That hit was a solo home run to top Cardinals prospect JJ Wetherholt.
Justin Hagenman went three innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out four.
Huascar Brazobán and Brett Banks each threw a scoreless inning to finish the game.
MJ Melendez was the offensive star of the game, going 2-for-3, both hits being home runs and driving in four runs.
AJ Ewing had another great appearance, going 2-for-2 with a home run, two RBI and a walk.
Cristian Pache went 3-for-3 with a double, and he scored twice.
Juan Soto went 1-for-3, hitting a double off Quinn Matthews.
Austin Barnes went 1-for-3, hitting a two-run double.
Kevin Parada went 1-for-1, driving in two runs and walking twice.
The Mets will be back in action tomorrow afternoon at 1:10 PM EST, taking on the Washington Nationals back at Clover Park. Tobias Myers will make his second appearance of the spring, and his first start. You can actually watch that game on television, as it’s being broadcast on SNY.
Recap disclaimer – this may be more a random observations list than a specific blow-by-blow of the game. Spring training results are unimportant, right? It’s the process, after all.
Game Recap
Juan Soto and the Mets take the Cardinals by an 14-3 score. Cardinals use 11 pitchers to cover 9 innings, giving up 3 HR along the way, coupled with 9 walks. Offensively, youngsters Wetherholt (HR), Church, Davis and Saggese (all doubles) contributed extra base hits.
Pre-Game Notes
From my wanderings around the back fields, looking at schedules, etc.
Kind of a down day this morning at camp. Things will pick up later. I think this is day#3 for MiLB players, and there are lots of indoor meetings … As I write this, they are having an all-hands meeting that includes how to handle oneself on social media.
MiLB pitchers on the rehab list are Moran, Santos, King, Dutkanych, Clarke
Planning to get to sim game thrown by P. Graham along with live BP by Crossland and E. Young. Also of note, Dustin May is scheduled up for a sim game with Ivan catching. B. Holiday throws a rehab BP, so he is progressing.
Urias makes his first game appearance today at second base. JJW at DH. Saggese indeed starts in CF. Q. Mathews to start, followed by Pushard and others. Rodriguez part of the group of MLB game backups.
I try not to sweat the little details at the edge of the roster so early in camp, but I am rubbing my chin wondering who the backup 1B is really going to be, especially if Burly got hurt.
The Manager’s Corner (pre-game)
May is on a personalized plan to ramp up to Opening Day. With some guidance from Cardinals on suggestions for prepping to go pole-to-pole.
Talked a bit about Sags in OF a bit. What they look for, even if no balls are hit in his direction.
Game Observations
Rough start in the first inning for Mathews. HBP, walks and general command issues lead to an early run. The stuff appears sharp but the command a bit flighty. It is still February, so no worries. The second inning was better, although the pitch count got a little high and Bedell needed to contribute a pitch to end the inning. Sharp third inning to finish his outing.
Pushard relieves, greeted by a solo HR. Mets up 2-0. Church brings back a potential second HR in RF with those tricky wind currents out of the SE helping knock it down.
Peralta looks sharp for the Mets (shocking, I know!). Followed by Devin Williams in the 4th. Wetherholt greets him with a first pitch HR to RF. The ends the shutout AND the no-hitter. A no doubter at 422 Ft. into the breeze.
Pushard, Bruihl and Davila picked up the middle innings, with likewise middling results. Fernandez was very workmanlike.
I though Soriano was sharp, but some serious infield hijinks created an unearned run. I believe each of the five players on the infield contributed to the misadventures. Tough inning. Learning points all around.
Got to see a seventh inning rotation of batters that included Baez, Rodriguez and Chase. Got to wondering if we might see that again soon. They made some noise. There is some thump there.
Hence got in 27 pitches. Some hard-hit balls resulted in a not great line of 3 R, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR. It’s good to see him pitching (healthy). Velo up around 96, but the common spring phenomenon of flighty command complicated his inning.
Love finishes the ninth after Hales hits his limit.
The Manager’s corner (post-game)
He liked JJWs approach. 422’ to CF off Williams cutter. Has good power, but not at the expense everything else (contact, all fields. etc.).
Likes the flexibility Urias brings. Does little things well.
On Dustin May, a plus. Good life to the pitches. In a good spot. Needs to figure out what the progression for him is.
4pm CT on D1Baseball (and they’re trying to get $30 for it)
After a 6 game stretch of beating up on EMU, Marist, and Evansville, the Diamond Dores travel to the I Like Ike Live Like Lou Las Vegas College Classic (I have no idea what this refers to and I refuse to look it up), where yet another bullshit one time use streamer (this time something called D1 Baseball) is trying to take money ($30?!?!) from you after you already pay over $300 to ESPN to watch these damned regular season baseball games. Must be nice to live like Lou, but for the rest of us, these damned streaming sports tariffs are nickel and dime-ing (well, more $20 and $10-ing) us into the poor house.
At least FloSports pretends to do something for the rest of the month or year that you’ve purchased (though that something is basically college wrestling practices). This one? Just for this mini-tourney. I’ve had enough. You will get my $30 when you pry it from my cold, dead hands.
…anyway, though I highly suspect very few if not none of you will see any of these games, the Diamond Dores are about to face a bit of a test, as they go against UC Irvine Friday, Arizona Saturday, and Phil Knight’s own Faber College Sunday.
Knowledge is good.
While all three teams we will face are currently unranked, they are all traditionally good baseball teams. Will we continue mashing the ball against tougher competition, or will we return to the hot-and-cold play from the first series of the year? I’d like to tell you I’ll be able to see the answer, but I’ll likely just be checking in on the stat tracker and/or listening to the radio.
On the Mound
Friday @ 4:00pm on Yet Another Bullshit Single Use Streamer
Vanderbilt #39 Jr. RHP Connor “The Spice” Fennell (1-0; 3.48 ERA)
vs. UC Irvine #28 Jr. RHP Trevor “Why Don’t You Take a Seat Over There?” Hansen (2-0; 1.88 ERA)
The Lineup
*Will update when posted (unless, you know, I’m driving home).
ARLINGTON, TX - FEBRUARY 23: Wyatt Novara #22 of the Michigan Wolverines pitches against the Arkansas Razorbacks during the 2025 Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field on February 23, 2025 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Gunnar Word/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Michigan Wolverines have faced a gauntlet so far this season in two weekend tournaments, and they have fared well. Michigan is 4-3, with three of those four wins coming against ranked teams. The Wolverines also won their opening weekend tournament in Surprise, Arizona, which was, well…a surprise.
Michigan wasn’t predicted to be great this year, but the results of the first two weekends are promising. The three losses have come to No. 19 Oregon State (in extra innings; the Wolverines beat the Beavers in their other matchup), No. 21 Florida State and Kansas State.
The Wolverines will once again be somewhere warm this weekend, as they will head to California to take on San Diego in a three-game series. Let’s take a closer look at this weekend’s matchup.
San Diego this season vs. last season
San Diego was one of the best teams in the WCC last year. The Toreros finished 28-30 overall record and a 19-5 conference record. They made it all the way to the WCC Championship with a spot in the NCAA Tournament on the line, but St. Mary’s ended up earning the auto bid.
The Toreros are off to a hot start in 2026, as they are 6-1 with wins against Charlotte (twice), Long Beach State, Utah, Creighton and San Diego State. The lone loss came against Charlotte.
San Diego’s record is impressive, but it has not been tested like Michigan has. The Toreros have zero ranked wins to Michigan’s three, so the difficult schedule the Wolverines started with could end up giving them an advantage.
Players to watch
Offensively, San Diego has three players who are hitting .300 or better so far, and all three have started all seven games. Outfielder Aden Howard is leading the way for the Toreros so far, as he is hitting .345 to start the year. He is 10-of-29 with one double, three triples, one home run and seven RBIs.
Catcher Jayden Lobliner is also having a hot start to the season, as he is 9-of-3o (.300) so far. He also has some pop in his bat, as three of his nine hits have been home runs. Lobliner can turn a mistake into runs very quickly. He has 10 RBIs on the year. Lastly, infielder Gabe Springer is hitting .300 as well. He has three doubles, one triple, one home run and six RBIs to start the season.
It’s hard to know what a pitching rotation will look like for a weekend series in college baseball, especially this early in the season. But Michigan will likely face Kyle Bade, Diego Gutierrez and Drake Frize, three guys that all have two starts under their belts this season.
Bade has been the best of them so far, tossing nine innings pitched and giving up three earned runs. Gutierrez has been solid as well, giving up four earned runs in 10 innings pitched. Frize has struggled a bit, as he has given up seven earned runs in nine innings pitched.
Overall, this will be another tough test for Michigan, but this is a winnable series. Programs out west are always solid, but the Wolverines have already notched a few impressive wins this season.
Series schedule
Game 1: Friday 2/27 @ 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Game 2: Saturday 2/28 @ 9 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Game 3: Sunday 3/1 @ 4 p.m. ET, ESPN+
Looking ahead
Michigan will be out in California for a while, as the Wolverines have another series next weekend against Pepperdine. In between Pepperdine and San Diego, however, Michigan will have a mid-week clash against Cal State Northridge on Tuesday. The Matadors are 5-3 to begin the year with wins against Seattle (three times), St. Mary’s and Cal Baptist.
Shohei Ohtani left his Dodgers teammates to be with Team Japan as it prepares for the World Baseball Classic. JIJI PRESS/AFP via Getty Images
Just before Samurai Japan took on the Chunichi Dragons in a WBC tuneup at Vantelin Dome Nagoya, Ohtani stepped into the box for some batting practice and ripped ball after ball after ball into the seats.
The thousands in attendance — including fellow baseball players — all paused what they were doing to watch the show, and video captured from inside the venue shows nearly everyone was stunned.
In fact, some on the field even pulled out their phones to document the four-time MVP’s session at the dish.
At points, several on the Dragons roster let out audible gasps seeing how far Ohtani was putting baseballs.
Shohei Ohtani’s batting practice left onlookers stunned in Japan on Friday. Chunichi Dragons
When Ohtani wrapped his time at the dish, he received an applause usually reserved for a Home Run Derby contestant.
Ohtani will officially take the field for Team Japan in the WBC when his team kicks off its tournament run on March 6 against Chinese Taipei.
While he isn’t scheduled to pitch in the event while trying to preserve his arm for the 2026 MLB season, it’s clear there will be more than a few fans tuned in to watch his at-bats.
Feb 17, 2026; Surprise, AZ, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher MacKenzie Gore during media day at Surprise Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images
Today the Texas Rangers are back to playing only one spring training game. That game will be played from Camelback Ranch in Glendale, AZ where the Rangers will take on the Chicago White Sox.
LHP MacKenzie Gore is set to take the mound for Texas opposite RHP Erick Fedde for Chicago.
Today’s Lineups
RANGERS
WHITE SOX
Evan Carter – CF
Miguel Vargas – 3B
Jake Burger – 1B
Kyle Teel – C
Josh Smith – 2B
Colson Montgomery – SS
Michael Helman – LF
Austin Hays – RF
Alejandro Osuna – RF
Andrew Benintendi – LF
Cameron Cauley – SS
LaMonte Wade – 1B
Jose Herrera – C
Sam Antonacci – 2B
Rafe Perich – DH
Brooks Baldwin – CF
Luke Hanson – 3B
Dustin Harris – DH
MacKenzie Gore – LHP
Erick Fedde – RHP
Chicago has a radio and video feed for this one, otherwise you’ll have to follow along on Gameday. First pitch from Camelback Ranch is scheduled for 2:05 pm CT.
Erik Fedde’s first shot at staying out of street clothes in 2026 comes today vs. Texas. | (Photo by Rayni Shiring/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
The White Sox have three split-squad game days this spring, including the Prospect Breakout game vs. the Dodgers. And, lucky you, today is the first! There no Munetaka Murakami today for the Sox — or for any time in the near future, as he has departed to join Team Japan in the World Baseball Classic.
Leading off at 2:05 p.m. CT is the Camelback Ranch game, hosting Texas:
Old friend and apparent heir apparent to the No. 5 starter spot, Erik Fedde, gets his first look of the spring. The impressive Sam Antonacci gets another start, in the 6-spot, continuing to get a long early look from the Sox.
The game is on White Sox radio (WMVP-AM 1000) and also on something called CWS Video. I presumed that meant a webcast, but at the moment I’m not certain that’s so. But still THIS is the game with actual White Sox broadcast coverage, in some form.
Over in Phoenix, Sean Burke takes the ball for the second time this spring, hoping to stay perfect through his two or three frames:
Slugging star shortstop Tanner Murray takes the 6-spot in this one, as the two lineups for today are equally strong (or weak, depending on your take). This ballgame is a Cactus League ghost on the White Sox side, with only Gameday and Brewers radio to confirm its existence.
Phoenix, AZ - February 17, 2026: Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto (18) at the 2026 Dodgers spring training at Camelback Ranch, Phoenix, AZ on February 17, 2026. (Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The Dodgers look to make it a 7-0 start this spring, as they are on the road to take on the San Francisco Giants at Scottsdale Stadium. Yoshinobu Yamamoto makes his final spring start against left-hander Robbie Ray.
Feb 26, 2026; Dunedin, Florida, USA; Fans wait for autographs while holding baseballs before the game between the Toronto Blue Jays and the Florida Marlins during spring training at TD Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images | Jonathan Dyer-Imagn Images
Last Thursday, I put up an open thread, saying that I was going to do so every Thursday so we could have a place to talk about whatever was on our minds. And then, Yesterday, I totally forgot about that.
So this week, it is a Friday Open Thread.
You can discuss anything you like (barring, you know, politics and religion). It doesn’t have to be baseball, but it can be if you like.
At the moment, the thing on my mind is: There are a lot of places on this planet where, if you go to bed and it is +10 C, you will not not wake up to 5 inches of snow on your driveway the next morning. Why do I live in one of those latter places?????
Nimmala started 2025 on fire with High-A Vancouver, hitting nearly .290 and looking like he was ready to take the next step. But as the season wore on, the hot start simmered, and he struggled to maintain that early production over the final two-thirds of the year. Now 20, he enters 2026 with a chance to find more consistency and build on his flashes of promise. Double-A is next, and if he can carry his early-season form across a full campaign, Nimmala could begin to establish himself as a reliable everyday shortstop.
Arjun is 20 this year. I don’t know critical season? It would be great if he blew the doors off of the season and forced the Jays to put him active roster next year. But I don’t think the Jays will give up on him if he has a terrible year.
I don’t know, it is a critical season for Yariel Rodriguez. I guess it depends if you call him a prospect or not. Now Yariel is making a lot of money, so this season is critical for his baseball career, if not his bank account.
Ricky Tiedemann? He’s number 5 on FanGraphs list of top Blue Jays prospects, but he’s 23 now and coming off Tommy John surgery. I’m going to discount the soreness they told us about the other day. He’s just off Tommy John, there is going to be soreness. But, if he’s going to have the MLB career we thought he was going to have, he’s going to have to get it on track again.
If you want a non-baseball topic? What are you watching? I’m watching West Wing (again). I watch it every two or three years. I like the writing and the acting. I like the idea of smart people talking about big decisions. I like the idea that the people who make the big decisions care about the people those decisions are going to effect.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 23: Seth Lugo #67 of the Kansas City Royals pitches during the first inning of a spring training game against the Chicago Cubs at Surprise Stadium on February 23, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hello and welcome to week two of Spring Training. I was going to write up a separate “perfectly reasonable reactions” post as I usually do at this time of Spring Training but there’s just too much going on this year, so I’m going to hit you with some bullet points here, instead:
Josh Rojas has already socked a couple of dingers, and while it seems unlikely he’ll make the roster, if he keeps it up, he positions himself to get an early chance somewhere this year.
Helcris Olivárez seems to be making a case to join the roster as a left-handed reliever. He’s already appeared three times after signing as a minor league free agent, and the book on him was that he had big stuff, but he couldn’t get it near the strike zone; he’s been keeping it near the strike zone so far this spring. He might not make the Opening Day roster but he figures to be among the guys rotating between Omaha and KC if he can keep this up.
Jac Caglianone continues to terrorize the Cactus League. launching a mammoth home run one day and a 120.2 MPH double yesterday. Once again, he seems to have little to prove anywhere except at the big league regular season level and he seems destined to get another shot, this year. Let’s hope it goes better the second time.
Carter Jensen is holding up his end of the Carter and Cags duo with a 1.222 OPS so far including a two-run bomb yesterday. Yesterday was really fun for fans of the non-existent western mystery series that the two seem to have come from, as there were two separate innings where they each collected a solid hit and an RBI.
Finally, Michael Massey entered the spring battling for a roster spot but as good as he has looked early, he might now be fighting for India’s starting job at second base. We’ve talked a lot about how India might bounce back this year, but it’s worth remembering that Massey isn’t without his prior big league success, either.
Anyway, here is today’s lineup:
I’m probably wrong, but this is the first time I remember EVER seeing Bobby hitting leadoff. Maybe Quatraro wasn’t blowing smoke when he suggested the shortstop might be leading off for the team this year. It may only be a trial to see how Bobby feels about doing it in practice and he may decide that, no, he really does hate it. But it’s interesting to at least consider it. Batting Isaac Collins fourth probably means nothing, but it’s also very interesting as a lot of the discussions around the Royals have been about how Maikel Garcia can’t lead off because Collins and India, the other two primarily considered candidates, can’t hit in the middle, and he can.
Bailey Falter is getting the start for today, but here are the other pitchers the Royals have included in their game roster and could pitch:
Nick Mears
Hector Neris
Dennis Colleran Jr
Oscar Rayo
Daniel Lynch IV
Carlos Estévez
Andrew Pérez
Aaron Sanchez
Steven Zobac
Hunter Patteson
Rayo, Pérez, and Patteson are probably the guys who only pitch if someone can’t get out of their inning before they hit a limit. Everyone will be keeping a close eye on Estévez’s velocity as it was way down in his first Spring appearance, but that’s hardly the first time that’s been true of the closer, including last year when he ended up doing just fine for himself.
Today’s game can be heard online at royals.com or through the At Bat app. It’s also available on the radio on 1660 AM in Kansas City.
No. 1 was a two-year, $40 million contract with the Diamondbacks. No. 2, at least on paper, seemed better.
When it came down to the Padres and Diamondbacks for Merrill Kelly this offseason, he said he chose Arizona due to California’s tax laws. Getty Images
It was a three-year, fully guaranteed deal with the Padres that appeared to have a similar average annual value.
Kelly, though, chose the former — and during a sitdown interview with Foul Territory’s Scott Braun and A.J. Pierzynski this week, he explained the decision was almost entirely due to the Golden State’s tax system.
“I don’t think it’s any secret on how much money you get taken out of your pocket when you go to California,” the 37-year-old right-hander said.
There were, of course, other factors that pulled Kelly toward Arizona. He went to high school at Desert Mountain in Scottsdale and played collegiately at Arizona State.
Merrill Kelly reveals he had a three-year offer from the Padres on the table.
And, the father of two young kids has called the Phoenix area home while logging innings for the Snakes in each of the past seven seasons.
“Coming back here,” he admitted, “it was always the priority.”
But after Pierzynski jokingly told him he was “the first person ever that’s been offered a bunch of money to go live in San Diego and said no,” Kelly made it crystal clear that giving away a significant portion of his income to a state government was ultimately a dealbreaker for him.
“I love San Diego,” Kelly said. “It’s just, like I said, they take too much money out of my pocket, man. The taxes over there are a different level.
“We had my numbers guy run the numbers, and it just made more sense to come home.”
Merrill Kelly has logged innings for the Diamondbacks in each of the last seven seasons. Allan Henry-Imagn ImagesDiamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly throwing a pitch during a game at Yankee Stadium. Bill Kostroun/New York Post
If he had opted for the Padres’ offer, Kelly was likely staring down a state income tax in the ballpark of 13 percent. A far more palatable 2.5 percent state income tax rate was part of his Diamondbacks deal.
“It worked out best for us because that was honestly our second choice,” Kelly said. “It was between here and San Diego going into the offseason. San Diego was really the only place that, if we did go somewhere, that was probably high on our list if we weren’t in Arizona. It’s like, ‘All right, let’s just hop over and take a short, six-hour drive to San Diego.’
“But, yeah, the desert is home. I guess we’re not ocean people.”
The Padres — who told The California Post on Friday, when asked for a statement on Kelly’s remarks that they “do not comment on contract negotiations” — could have certainly used the pitcher’s arm on their roster this season.
In 184 innings last year (split between the Diamondbacks and Rangers following a trade at the MLB’s summer deadline), he boasted a 12-9 record with a 3.52 ERA and 167 strikeouts.
Baseball Reference projects him to own a 10-7 record with a. 3.79 ERA and 145 strikeouts in 2026, though Kelly did confirm this week the start of his season will be delayed due to a back injury.
The Padres will now head into ’26 with a starting rotation anchored by Michael King, Joe Musgrove and Nick Pivetta — and a big wonder of what if California’s tax laws were just a little less strenuous.
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PEORIA, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 24: Lazaro Montes #99 of the Seattle Mariners rounds third en route to scoring during the fifth inning of the spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on February 24, 2026 in Peoria, Arizona. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Happy Friday! We’ve got a whopping seven games of Mariners Spring Training under our collective belts and it’s high time to foolishly prognosticate! Here are some prompts:
What is your favorite Spring Training story line that is emerging so far?
What player’s performance has surprised you so far? Who hasn’t thrilled you yet?
What player is your pick to unexpectedly make the Opening Day lineup out of camp, both position player and pitcher?
Who will lead the team in Spring Training dingers?
Who willl lead the team in Spring Training hits?
Are you going to any Spring Training games or have you been there already?
Sound off in the comments, make some BOLD and outlandish predictions, and let’s get ready for another 3 weeks of practice baseball.
Peoria, AZ - February 22: Sung-Mun Song #24 of the San Diego Padres bats against the Los Angeles Dodgers during a spring training game on February 22, 2026 in Peoria, AZ. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
San Diego Padres at Colorado Rockies, February 27, 2026, 12:10 p.m. PST
Watch: None
Location: Salt River Fields at Talking Stick – Scottsdale, AZ
Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
Remember Gaslamp Ball is basically a non-profanity site
Out of respect to broadcast partners who have paid to carry the game, no mentions of “alternative” (read: illegal) viewing methods are allowed in our threads
GB community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!
