Category: MLB

Red Sox outfield preview: How will the logjam shake out? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Red Sox should have prioritized finding a solution to their outfield logjam during the offseason. But with one month left until Opening Day, the issue remains unresolved.

It’s a similar situation to last year, when the Red Sox entered the season with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu as their starting outfielders. Top prospect Roman Anthony was knocking on the door to the big leagues, and Masataka Yoshida spent most of the season on the injured list before returning as the club’s primary designated hitter.

This time, Boston has four starting outfielders on its roster in Duran, Rafaela, Abreu, and Anthony. Yoshida is healthy, but with several OFs and DHs already on the roster, where does he fit in?

We’ll get into that, and everything else you need to know about the 2026 Red Sox’ outfield situation, in our preview:

Roman Anthony

2025 stats: .292/.396/.463, 8 HR, 32 RBI, 84 SO, 40 BB (71 games)

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Roman Anthony will have plenty on his plate in his first full big-league season. The former No. 1 prospect is expected to be the heart of the Red Sox offense with Alex Bregman no longer in the picture. That’s a lot of pressure to put on a 21-year-old, but he showed as a rookie that he’s up for the task.

Anthony finished third in the AL Rookie of the Year race after posting an .859 OPS and amassing a 3.1 WAR in 71 games. He missed the final month of the season with an oblique injury, so health is one of the very few question marks surrounding him heading into 2026.

Manager Alex Cora announced Anthony will be his leadoff hitter to start the new season. He slashed .336/.439/.564 with six homers in the leadoff spot last year.

Anthony is expected to spend most of his time in left field. Cora stated last season that he would prefer not to use him as a designated hitter.

Wilyer Abreu

2025 stats: .247/.317/.469, 22 HR, 69 RBI, 101 SO, 40 BB (115 games)

Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Abreu has been the subject of trade rumors in the last two offseasons due to the outfield logjam. All signs point toward him returning for 2026, and he’ll be an X factor.

With back-to-back Gold Gloves, Abreu has established himself as one of the best defensive right fielders in the game. He’ll look to bring home the hardware for the third straight season while taking another step forward at the plate.

Abreu was one of the Red Sox’ best hitters in 2025, but there’s room for improvement. He should get more opportunities against left-handed pitchers after taking only 61 at-bats against southpaws last year. If he starts hitting lefties, he could put up some seriously impressive numbers in 2026.

Ceddanne Rafaela

2025 stats: .249/.295/.414, 16 HR, 63 RBI, 117 SO, 28 BB (156 games)

Brian Fluharty/Getty Images

Rafaela is reminiscent of Jackie Bradley Jr. as an elite defensive center fielder who’s streaky at the plate. He took a noticeable step forward offensively in 2025, though, with better numbers across the board while cutting his strikeout total from 151 to 117.

There was some talk about Rafaela playing second base this season to clear up the outfield logjam, but that no longer makes sense with infielders Caleb Durbin and Isiah Kiner-Falefa now in the mix. It was never really a good idea in the first place, as Rafaela’s exceptional defense in center field is far too valuable.

Rafaela will look to improve his chase rate, which has been among the league’s worst over the last two years. While plate discipline isn’t his strong suit, Rafaela was one of Boston’s most clutch hitters in 2025 with multiple walk-off homers and a walk-off triple.

Jarren Duran

2025 stats: .256/.332/.442, 16 HR, 84 RBI, 169 SO, 60 BB (157 games)

Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

Like Abreu, Duran has been mentioned in trade rumors often over the last two offseasons. Moving him was the most sensible route to clearing the outfield logjam, but Craig Breslow & Co. didn’t get what they were looking for in a potential deal for the 2024 All-Star Game MVP.

While Duran was still one of the Red Sox’ best hitters in 2025, his production fell off significantly from his All-Star campaign. He also took a step back defensively in left field after an impressive season in center.

This year, Duran will likely be the odd man out in the crowded outfield and spend most of the season as Boston’s DH. As he recently stated, he’d “be the fastest DH in the league.”

Masataka Yoshida

2025 stats: .266/.307/.388, 4 HR, 26 RBI, 24 SO, 10 BB (55 games)

Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

For the second straight year, the Red Sox’ outfield logjam has blocked Yoshida’s path to consistent playing time. Even if the club felt confident enough to play him in the outfield, there are four players ahead of him on the depth chart. And with Duran expected to serve as the primary DH, Yoshida is projected to come off the bench if the team can’t find a trade partner for him before the season.

Yoshida, 32, is difficult to move with two years and $37.2 million remaining on his contract. He’d have to be dealt in a salary dump, similar to what the Red Sox did when they traded reliever Jordan Hicks and pitching prospect David Sandlin to the Chicago White Sox earlier this offseason.

Kristian Campbell

2025 stats: .223/.319/.345, 6 HR, 21 RBI, 72 SO, 29 BB (67 games)

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Campbell’s rookie season got off to a hot start, and he was rewarded with an eight-year contract extension worth $60 million in April. Two months later, he was sent back down to Triple-A after struggling mightily both at the plate and at second base.

Looking ahead to 2026, it will be difficult for Campbell to earn a spot on the big-league roster. The club is using him primarily as an outfielder in spring training, and even though he’s still occasionally being worked out as an infielder, it’s hard to imagine he’ll see much time in Boston’s infield this upcoming season with a handful of middle infielders already on the roster.

Campbell is too talented not to get another shot with the big-league club, but it’s uncertain how or when that will happen.

Nate Eaton

2025 stats: .296/.348/.383, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 19 SO, 6 BB (41 games)

Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Eaton played in 41 games for the Red Sox last season, primarily in right field (16 games) and at third base (12 games). He also made a handful of appearances in center field and left.

While he may not make the Opening Day roster, Eaton offers value with his defensive versatility, and he wasn’t too shabby at the plate last season either. He’s a solid depth piece who should prove useful at points throughout the 2026 campaign.

The Cactus Crew still hasn’t been able to get their first win of spring training after losing a late lead against the Padres on Monday. Today they’ll be traveling again to face the not-Oakland-not-Las-Vegas-but-not-Sacramento Athletics.

Lefty Rob Zastryzny will get the start today for the Brewers. Righty Mason Barnett is the scheduled starter for the Athletics.

The lineup once again has a mix of some of the big-league regulars and some minor league fillers. Sal Frelick is leading off at DH followed by Brice Turang. Akil Baddoo, Blake Perkins, Tyler Black, and David Hamilton fill out the middle of the order while Reese McGuire, Luke Adams, and Greg Jones round out the bottom of the lineup. The Athletics will have a bunch of their starters in there, including Tyler Soderstrom and Jacob Wilson, who both were recently extended by the A’s.

After Zastryzny, the Brewers are expected to deploy fellow lefties Ángel Zerpa and Sammy Peralta, as well as right-handed prospect Coleman Crow, who was added to the 40-man roster earlier in the offseason.

First pitch in this one is slated for 2:05 p.m. CT and a radio broadcast is available on MLB.com.

New challenge unlocked

📻: https://t.co/Nvy2XgTrpf#ThisIsMyCrewpic.twitter.com/RFrrnwoAff

— Milwaukee Brewers (@Brewers) February 24, 2026

Today's 9 🙂‍↕️ pic.twitter.com/zyKlIZfMHT

— Athletics (@Athletics) February 24, 2026

Today’s game is available to watch as a webcast on Brewers.com for free.

Last year, the Yankees were ousted by the Blue Jays in the ALDS, after having finished second behind them in the AL East on tiebreakers alone. You’d hope that this season they have some revenge on their minds when it comes to Toronto. They probably don’t need to go all out to show it today, considering this is a spring training game.

While these two teams may have some battles later this year, today’s Yankees-Blue Jays game is about continuing the prep to the 2026 regular season.

On the mound today, we’ll see the spring training debut of Will Warren. Last season, Warren showed flashes of being a very good pitcher, he just couldn’t string together consistency. His final memory of 2025 was a tough one at the hands of these Blue Jays, who homered four times off Warren in relief of Max Fried in ALDS Game 2. Especially with some Yankees’ starters still recovering from injury to start the season, the team will probably be relying on him again this season, so we’ll see if he can show any good signs today.

Despite this being a road spring training game, the Yankees are actually sending out quite the strong lineup. Eight of the nine in the lineup will probably make the Opening Day roster, led by Aaron Judge, who’s playing right and hitting second today.

Toronto’s lineup is not as star-studded, but will include a couple names you know. They’ll send pitching prospect Grant Rogers to the mound to face the Yankees’ lineup.

Here’s everything you need to know on how to catch today’s action!

How to watch

Location: TD Ballpark — Dunedin, FL

First pitch: 1:07 pm ET

TV broadcast: Sportsnet (Toronto broadcast), MLB Network (out of market only)

Radio broadcast: Sportsnet.ca (Toronto broadcast)

Online stream: Gotham Sports App, MLB.tv

Heading to Dunedin for the Day 🌴#RepBXpic.twitter.com/9sg6UbZsXJ

— New York Yankees (@Yankees) February 24, 2026

Blue Jays vs. Yankees, anyone?

📺 @Sportsnetpic.twitter.com/hn0OP0GSpc

— Toronto Blue Jays (@BlueJays) February 24, 2026

The Dodgers on Wednesday take a trip across the valley to play the Arizona Diamondbacks at Salt River Fields in Scottsdale.

Roki Sasaki makes his first start of spring training, trying to get off to a better start in his second year in MLB.

Zac Gallen, who re-signed with Arizona this month on a one-year deal, starts on Wednesday for the D-backs.

Wednesday game info

• Teams: Dodgers at Diamondbacks
• Ballpark: Salt River Fields, Scottsdale
• Time: 12:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

What a week, and it’s only Tuesday! This Tuesday morning was a momentous one within Braves Country as the team made back-to-back huge announcements. The first was that the long-rumored Braves TV network is real and figures to be spectacular. BravesVision will, in fact, be ready to go for the 2026 regular season and beyond.

On top of that huge news, the Braves proceeded to announce that they’d come to an agreement with Chris Sale on a contract extension that guarantees that he’ll be around here for 2027 along with a club option for 2028. Sale will now be getting paid $27 million for 2027 and then potentially $30 million for the season after that if all goes well.

Between the fact that the Braves are now once again masters of their own domain when it coms to TV and streaming and also the fact that they just made Chris Sale the highest-paid player on the team for 2027 (and very likely for 2028 if all goes well over the next two seasons), it’s pretty clear that we’ve entered into a new era when it comes to the Atlanta Braves and their position in baseball. The Battery has clearly worked out very well for this ballclub, and now they’ll have a self-owned and operated TV product to sell to distributors.

It’s pretty clear that finances won’t be a major issue for this franchise going forward. Now granted, it won’t be like they’re the Dodgers or the Mets where they can just hand out a blank check to anybody they want. If that was the case then we would’ve seen either Chris Bassitt or Lucas Giolito wearing a Braves uniform by this time during spring training. However, it does mean that if they want to go after someone in free agency and it makes even a moderate amount of sense, it’s totally feasible that this team could go out and make some splashes in free agency.

With that being said, it also means that their resources for keeping any of their core players via contract extensions should be expanded going forward. I think y’all know where I’m going with this.

The Braves still have some time left between now and the season where they’ll ultimately have to make sure this gets done, as they have a club option on Ronald Acuña Jr.‘s contract for both 2027 and 2028. With that being said, I do feel like any time before that 2028 season would be a great time to strike while the iron is hot and make sure that this guy stays here for as long as both parties deem it possible. I also know that this would be a very tricky undertaking, what with Acuña’s injury concerns and also the fact that he’ll be in position to try to maximize his earnings after taking the extremely team-friendly contract extension that he’s currently on. It’s not going to be as simple as “He’ll give the Braves a hometown discount” or “The Braves’ll just give him what he wants” and that’s something that needs to be acknowledged in any speculation that’s going on.

With that being said, the (well-earned) contract extension for Chris Sale raised an eyebrow from me for one reason and one reason alone (well, aside from the fact that Sale will be knocking directly on the door of Age-40 once 2028 rolls around): They’re going to be paying him $27 million for 2027 and potentially $30 million for 2028. As our friends over at Braves Today pointed out, the Braves have usually used $22 million as a sort of ceiling when it comes to their contract dealings. That number didn’t come out of nowhere, either — the one thing that Matt Olson, Austin Riley and Spencer Strider all have in common is that they’ll be getting paid $22 million for 2027 and 2028.

So, the fact that the Braves have broken that ceiling by $5 million for 2027 and $8 million by 2028 seems to indicate that that “ceiling” may no longer exist. Between that and the fact that the team only has $59 million committed to payroll (outside of team options) for the 2029 season, it feels like they could be eying that year as the one where they could potentially start Acuña’s contract extension and begin paying him what should/would be a substantial pay raise from what he’s currently bringing in. So really, 2028 could be the actual make-or-break year when it comes to either making sure Acuña stays around for a long, long time or if they’ll have to wave farewell to him like the handful of other former Braves stars who made their name here and made their real money elsewhere.

While those decisions in the past were painful, they were understandable in their own ways. Well, maybe the Freddie Freeman situation was the only one where it was truly a debacle but every other decision ultimately came down to dollars and cents. Again, this is purely speculation on my end but I do feel like the timing of the Chris Sale contract extension announcement immediately after the BravesVision announcement felt like a statement of intent from the franchise.

We’re still a bit away from when this needs to be a super pressing issue for both the Braves and Ronald Acuña Jr. but for now at least, I feel like there’s more hope of both parties being able to make some serious headway on any potential contract extension now than there was before. It also feels like something that’s actually tangible especially if the TV network takes off like the Braves figure it could. If they’re essentially printing money from The Battery and any TV distribution deals then the money should be there. It all comes down to whether both parties want it to happen.

We’ll see what happens down the road — things could certainly get complicated if Acuña suffers another serious injury between now and serious contract talks or he has another monster season that causes tomorrow’s price to no longer be yesterday’s price. There’s no telling what the future holds but at least for now, Atlanta’s future with Acuña may not have as many financial hurdles as previously anticipated.

What are the expectations?

FanGraph Depth Chart projections show two Diamondback outfielders with above average power: Corbin Carroll and Lourdes Gurriel Jr.  (proj-SLG>.404 and proj-HR/PA>.031).  Because they are injured, their above-average power is not assumed.  What is assumed is they will play on the outfield corners when they return from the injured list.  The biggest question is who will play center field.

Ryan Waldschmidt and Jordan Lawlar are probably not ready to play full-time center field due to youth (each is 23 years old) and lack of experience in center field (Waldschmidt had 38 games at the AA level, and Lawlar had 3 games in the offseason).

On the other end of the age spectrum, this season may be the last chance for Jorge Barrosa and Alek Thomas to have a breakthrough performance.

Jorge Barrosa has good plate discipline but hits below his potential, especially last season.  His defense at center field is above average (2 OAA last season).

In the last four seasons, Alek Thomas had below average batting except for 2024 (when he had only 103 PAs).  His defense at center field was great in 2022 and 2023, then average and terrible in the last two seasons. 

The expectation is that Tim Tawa’s most valuable role is as a utility player off the bench.  Last season, he played 20 games at first base, 23 games at second base, 3 games at third base, 14 games at left field, 18 games at center field, and 3 games at right field. 

The following table shows FanGraphs Depth Chart projections for these outfielders.

What could exceeding expectations look like?

Corbin Carroll.  The foundation of exceeding expectations is that his defense continues to be exceptional (10 OAA last season).

Three projections predicted regression for Corbin Carroll’s batting.  They each projected his homers and hits to drop (the one exception expected him to have 5 more hits than last season). 

My 2026 Outlook was more optimistic.  One reason was that Carroll, at 25 years old, was younger than the typical peak in batter performance, which occurs between age 27 and 29.  My projection was 34 homers and 160 hits.  See this player review.

Then Corbin Carroll broke his hamate bone.  He may not be ready by opening day.  Also, his injury could possibly lower his batting power for months after his return.  If he exceeds his projection AND reaches my optimistic outlook, then he will have definitely have exceeded expectations.  If he again wins a Silver Slugger (like he did last season), he will have been truly extraordinary.

Ryan Waldschmidt. 

Among the six players, his batting projection is second best. Especially noteworthy is his projected on-base-percent. Despite an unorthodox swing, if his batting in the Majors reaches his high potential, that will be the foundation of exceeding expectations.  Building on that foundation, if despite his very limited experience in center field, his defense in center field is at least average (and perhaps above average), that will be the capstone in his exceeding expectations.   

“Along with assigning him a 50 FV, our prospect team wrote that the 23-year-old outfielder in the Arizona Diamondbacks system “does just about everything you want at the plate and he looks the part of a bat-first future regular in the box.” — David Laurila

Jordan Lawlar.

Last season, he injured his hamstring.  In the last couple seasons, he played fewer games than most prospects, which raised doubts about his ceiling.  Can he avoid injury?  Avoiding injury will be a third of him exceeding expectations.

Last season in the Majors, in 28 games his batting was poor (OPS+ of 51).  If his batting in the Majors reaches above average, that will be a third of him exceeding expectations. 

He has near-zero playing time in center field. If he can quickly learn the new position if he can almost reach average defense, while showing progress, that will be a third of him exceeding expectations.   

“I’ve heard Lawlar described as prospect bust, but I vehemently disagree with calling any player a bust based on a 108 game sample spread out over 2¼ seasons , especially a player with Jordan Lawlar’s prospect pedigree and strong track record in the Minor Leagues.” — C Wesley Baier

Jorge Barrosa.  The foundation of exceeding expectations is that his defense continues to be great (2 OAA last season).

Last season, he made an adjustment to his swing.  His FanGraphs projection for batting is the lowest of the outfielders that we are considering.   If he gets his swing right, and his batting reaches league average, that would be the main part of exceeding expectations.   

“In Reno, Barrosa is a borderline full-time starter with a high walk rate (11.8%) and a serviceable strikeout rate (20.8%). This sort of plate discipline and Barrosa’s acuity with the glove will almost certainly get him another look in the Majors in 2026.” — James Attwood

Alek Thomas.

He does not have a trend of improving every season.  If Alex Thomas bats like he did in 2024, and if he defends center field like he did in 2022 and 2023, then he will have exceeded expectations.

“At this point, expecting Thomas to anchor center field for a competitive Diamondbacks club feels optimistic. His tools suggest upside, but four seasons of stasis on offense and regression on defense tell a different story.”  — Jeff Irving

“While his [Thomas] OPS+ of 82 was a personal high, it still ranked Thomas 163rd of the 177 players to receive 450+ PA in 2025. With his defense also less impressive – there was no Gold Glove nomination for Thomas this season -he ended up basically at replacement level.” — Jim McLennan

Tim Tawa.  If he can bat so far above average that the Diamondbacks need him as an everyday player, he will have exceeded the expectation that he is most valuable as a utility player off the bench.

Summary.

As an everyday outfielder, any of these six players could most exceed expectations. 

Corbin Carroll seems the most likely to most exceed expectations. And I’d be thrilled if Ryan Waldschmidt was promoted this season and exceeded exectations. With good fortune, maybe two of these players could most exceed expectations.

The Houston Astros will return from an off day Monday to take on the New York Mets in another Grapefruit League matchup. The Astros dropped their first two spring matchups, falling to the Nationals and the Cardinals. Right-hander Jason Alexander will make his spring debut for Houston in Tuesday’s matchup. Righty Jack Wenninger will get the start for the Mets.

Alexander is a 32-year old right-hander who saw action with the Athletics and Astros last season. The Astros claimed him off waivers in May from the Athletics and he went on to make 14 appearances for Houston where he posted a 3.66 ERA and a 4.65 FIP in 71.1 innings. He’s in camp competing for an Opening Day roster spot.

Game Info

Game Date/Time: Tuesday, February 24, 12:10 p.m. CST

Location: Clover Park, Port St. Lucie, FL

TV: No Local Broadcast

Streaming: MLB.tv

Radio: KBME 790 AM / 94.5 FM HD-2

Up in Port St. Lucie.

⚾️: 12:10 PM CT | 1:10 PM ET
🎙️: @SportsTalk790#ChaseTheFight x @PalmBeachesFLpic.twitter.com/YjcJGtHaL7

— Houston Astros (@astros) February 24, 2026

This afternoon’s starters! ⚾️ #LGMpic.twitter.com/FJds68v6bW

— New York Mets (@Mets) February 24, 2026

Of note, Cam Smith will play centerfield today, with Joey Loperfido in right field. Shay Whitcomb will play 2B and Nick Allen will play 3B. 2B has been Whitcomb’s best position thus far, and Nick Allen has only played 5 career games at 3B. It would appear Astros giving Allen a look at 3B to see how well he can handle the position.

Everyone starting today at least has a realistic shot of being on the Opening Day roster except 1B CJ Alexander. Alexander is a 29-year old career minor leaguer with 25 MLB ABs. In seven minor league seasons, he is a .254 hitter with a .321 OBP and .776 OPS. Last season, he hit a combined .254 with a .335 OBP and .783 OPS across stints with the Scranton/Wilkes Barre RailRiders (IL – NYY), Las Vegas Aviators (PCL – ATH) and Oklahoma City Comets (PCL – LAD).

We know Tommy Edman will start the season on the injured list for some amount of time. That gives us one of the main (only?) position battles in Dodgers camp this spring training, with a handful of players vying for second base.

There are still four weeks of exhibition games to determine things, but thus far Hyeseong Kim has started at second base twice, and Alex Freeland starts there on Tuesday after a pair of starts at shortstop. If the Dodgers run a platoon at second with Edman out, Kim or the switch-hitting Freeland could take the bulk of at-bats against right-handed pitchers, with Miguel Rojas at the ready against lefties. Kim has the disadvantage of having a potential early runway of spring playing time cut short by his pending departure for the World Baseball Classic.

Non-roster invitees Santiago Espinal (started at third base twice so far this spring) and Ryan Fitzgerald (two games, one start at second so far; Tuesday is his second game and first start at third base) are also in the mix.

Again, this is way too early, but let’s take the pulse of where we are at right now. Who will win the second base job in Dodgers camp? We’ll check back later in spring

Game 1: Twins vs Orioles

First Pitch (CT):12:05
TV: NA
Radio: Audacy App
Know Yo’ Foe: Camden Chat

What to watch: Arcia, Gray, and Kreidler are battling it out for the backup SS/utility role. All three are in action this afternoon.

Twins	Orioles
SP: Andrew Morris	SP: Albert Suarez
1. Byron Buxton, CF	1. Leody Taveras, CF
2. Kody Clemens, 2B	2. Samuel Basallo, C
3. Josh Bell, 1B	3. Jeremiah Jackson, 2B
4. Trevor Larnach, LF	4. Coby Mayo, 3B
5. Victor Caratini, C	5. Heston Kjerstad, DH
6. James Outman, RF	6. Luis Vazquez, SS
7. Gio Urshela, DH	7. Ryan Noda, 1B
8. Orlando Arcia, SS	8. Will Robertson, RF
9. Tristan Gray, 3B	9. Reed Trimble, LF

Game 2: Twins vs Rays

First Pitch (CT):12:05
TV: NA
Radio: Rays – TB Audio
Know Yo’ Foe:DRaysBay

What to watch: Culpepper’s path to immediate MLB impact will be positional versatility, like Brooks Lee showed in his debut in 2024. This is his first professional start at a non-SS position.

Twins	Rays
SP: Christian MacLeod (LHP)	SP: Joe Boyle
1. Ryan Kreidler, SS	1. Ben Williamson, SS
2. Walker Jenkins, CF	2. Yandy Diaz, DH
3. Royce Lewis, 3B	3. Jonathan Aranda, 1B
4. Alan Roden, RF	4. Junior Caminero, 3B
5. Eric Wagaman, 1B	5. Cedric Mullins, CF
6. Emmanuel Rodriguez, DH	6. Jake Fraley, RF
7. Alex Jackson, C	7. Ryan Vilade, 2B
8. Gabriel Gonzalez, LF	8. Hunter Feduccia, C
9. Kaelen Culpepper, 2B	9. Justyn-Henry Malloy, LF

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Spring training marches on, and I'm eyeing three games on Tuesday, February 24.

The St. Louis Cardinals moneyline headlines my MLB picks alongside a pair of totals from today's slate.

Spring Training predictions for February 24

Pick #1: White Sox vs. Mariners - Over 11

-105 at DraftKings

George Kirby could still be an ace, but an uneven 2025 brought on by a delayed start due to injuries may linger a bit. At the very least, it may limit his exposure today.

With Anthony Kay on the bump for the Chicago White Sox in his return from overseas, I expect the Seattle Mariners' bats to come alive.

Given both scenarios, that has me eyeing the Over on a lofty total.

Pick #2: Cardinals moneyline

+102 at DraftKings

The St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals may compete with the Rockies for the worst record in the National League during the regular season, but that doesn't mean squat in preseason.

The St. Louis youth movement will be on full display, and I like the Cardinals at slight plus money opposite right-hander Cade Cavalli, who has yet to live up to his prospect hype for a variety of reasons.

I'm interested to see if Jordan Walker can finally play up to his potential, and if J.J. Wetherholt is as polished as he's touted to be.

Pick #3: Guardians vs. Dodgers - Under 10.5

-102 at DraftKings

The Los Angeles Dodgers clearly have enough thump in the lineup to clear this total on their own, but I am bullish on Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams and the bullpen behind him this season.

Beyond Jose Ramirez, Cleveland's offense is still a shambles, and until it can prove otherwise, I'll happily fade it.

This article originally appeared on Covers.com, read the full article here and view our best betting sites or check out our top sportsbook promos.

Texas Rangers lineup for February 24, 2025 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

We have a lineup that looks like what we might see on Opening Day, save for Alejandro Osuna playing in place of Brandon Nimmo, who is still doing his ramp-up, and Jacob Latz, who hopefully isn’t the Opening Day starters, as that would give me 2014 Tanner Scheppers, Opening Day starter vibes. Oh, and the 1B/DH spots would probably be switched.

Behind Latz, the Rangers are planning on having Carter Baumler, Austin Gomber, Alexis Diaz, Luis Curvelo and Patrick Murphy pitch.

The lineup:

Carter — LF

Langford — CF

Seager — SS

Burger — DH

Pederson — 1B

Jung — 3B

Smith — 2B

Higashioka — C

Osuna — RF

2:05 p.m. Central start time.

What's not to love about Pete Crow-Armstrong? The young, talented Chicago Cubs center fielder is somehow simultaneously super cool and fiery. Nicknamed simply PCA, he should be an entertaining and accomplished player to watch for many years.

And he's Southern California born and bred, the product of esteemed diamond factory Harvard-Westlake High.

So why oh why did these words come out of his mouth during an interview for a 4,500-word article published Monday in Chicago Magazine?

“I love Chicago more and more,” he said. “It’s just an incredible city. The people are great. They give a [crap]. They aren’t just baseball fans who go to the game like Dodgers fans to take pictures and whatever. They are paying attention. They care.”

The love of Chicago and Cubs fans? Understood.

The dissing of all Dodgers fans as photo-obsessed, uncaring whatevers? Laughable.

Read more:'Pretty healthy' Kyle Tucker content to fit in among Dodgers' galaxy of stars

The Dodgers became the first team to draw four million fans in 2025 and have exceeded 3.7 million paying customers every non-COVID season since 2013.

And it's a false narrative to suggest the devotion is merely a byproduct of back-to-back World Series titles and a star-studded lineup. Remember, the Dodgers didn't win a title from 1989 through 2019, a 31-year drought during which their attendance exceeded 3 million 25 times.

So, where did a baseball-loving future MLB star growing up in Sherman Oaks come to such a contorted conclusion?

Blame it on dad.

PCA penned a first-person article for the Player's Tribune in September that spelled it out:

"Growing up in L.A., my dad gave me a couple of rules. 1) I couldn’t root for the Dodgers. 2) I couldn’t root for the Cardinals.

"He’s from Naperville, just outside Chicago. He didn’t force me to be a Cubs fan, but let’s just say it was heavily encouraged."

Read more:Stephen Nelson is now part of Dodgers fans' memories. Here's how he keeps it in perspective

The Cubs won the World Series for the first time in 108 years in 2016. PCA was 14, and he and his dad, actor Matthew John Armstrong, watched Game 7 together on television. Dad cried.

"I don’t think I fully got it in the moment, you know?" PCA wrote. "I was like, Dad, don’t be weird … stop crying. But I’m sure almost every Cub fan of a certain age had tears in their eyes that night. And now, a bit older, I get it."

PCA signed with the New York Mets after being drafted 19th overall out of high school in 2020. He was traded to the Cubs a year later for Javier Báez, Trevor Williams and cash and swiftly rose through the minor leagues, making his Cubs debut in 2023.

Last season he broke out as a bona fide star, becoming the first MLB player to accumulate 25 home runs, 25 stolen bases and 70 runs batted in during the first half of a season. He also cemented himself as the top center fielder in the game.

PCA slumped during the second half and finished with 31 homers and 35 stolen bases to go with a .247 batting average. Although the fans might not have noticed with all the picture-taking and whatever, he has done well in six games at Dodger Stadium, batting .333 with a home run and five RBIs.

But according to his teammate and close friend Nico Hoerner, PCA feels at home in the friendly confines of Wrigley Field.

“That’s one thing that is very cool about him that not a lot of younger players get,” Hoerner said. “He couldn’t have more of an appreciation for the history of the game and playing in Wrigley Field. He’s excited to be a part of the city of Chicago in a way a lot of guys don’t really understand.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

No TV covereage today, but the game can be heard through the radio.

First pitch is 1:05 against the Minnesota Twins at Charlotte Sports Park.

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Boston Red Sox, February 24, 2025, 1:05 p.m. ET

Location: JetBlue Park, Fort Myers, FL

How to Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7

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The Pittsburgh Pirates are on the road today against the Boston Red Sox looking to grab a win.

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Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

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BD community, this is your thread for today’s game. Enjoy!

Prior to beginning this deserved evisceration, this author would like to clarify that she is not related to Angels GM Perry Minasian (so far as she knows). She is proudly related to Raffi Minasian, who, when pressed into attendance, scrolls on Instagram and asks every half inning when they’re going to throw hot dogs to him. 

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim should be extremely grateful to the Colorado Rockies for existing. Hopefully Bradley Blalock got a fruit basket, at the very least, because the Rockies pitching staff were often the only thing standing between the Angels arms and the very cellar of most FanGraphs leaderboards. They had the highest BB/9 rate of any team in baseball, ranked second-highest in HR/9, put up a walk rate of 9.9% and tallied all that into a cumulative 6.4 fWAR (29th overall). As John pointed out yesterday, they certainly weren’t helped by the worst defense in baseball, but it was much more Felix the Cat running while holding a bomb than Félix Hernández.

To address these issues, this off-season Minasian opted to employ a strategy inspired by Armenians at any family gathering, and many nerds online: Remembering Some Guys.

Notable Transactions

Out: LHP Brock Burke, LHP Tyler Anderson, RHP Kenley Jansen, RHP Connor Brogdon, RHP Kyle Hendricks, LHP José Quijada, LHP Andrew Chafin, RHP José Ureña
In: RHP Grayson Rodriguez, RHP Alek Manoah, LHP Drew Pomeranz, RHP Kirby Yates, RHP Jordan Romano, LHP Brent Suter, LHP Jayvien Sandridge, RHP Huascar Ynoa, RHP Shaun Anderson, RHP Nick Sandlin, LHP Tayler Saucedo, RHP Kaleb Ort, RHP Angel Perdomo, RHP Hunter Strickland

Italics = Minor League Deals with Spring Training Invite

Here to tell you the story of the Angels’ off-season additions is Jake, an aspiring screenwriter whose favorite films include Transformers, Transformers: Age of Extinction and Armageddon.

We open on Yusei Kikuchi in the weight room at Angels Stadium, sweat pouring down his face.

SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]

A screen recording of Grayson Rodriguez’s extensive injury history page, with the voiceover of Rodriguez telling a reporter that he didn’t go through a physical before being traded to the Angels.

SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]

Alek Manoah throwing 89 MPH fastballs in Buffalo, New York.

SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]

Jordan Romano’s entire 2025 season on 6.9x speed.

SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]

Soft focus zoom into the gray hairs of Kirby Yates’ beard.

SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]

Soft focus zoom into the gray hairs of Drew Pomeranz’s beard.

SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]

Soft focus zoom into the gray hairs that would grow in Brent Suter’s beard.

SMASH CUT [plus explosion sound]

This picture

Fade to black

Starting Rotation

Player	Age	Throws	IP	K/BB	ERA	FIP	WAR
Yusei Kikuchi	35	L	169	2.77	4.22	4.21	2.3
José Soriano	27	R	176	2.15	3.86	3.85	2.9
Reid Detmers	26	L	145	3.01	4.08	3.88	2.2
Grayson Rodriguez	26	R	122	3.13	3.95	3.87	2.1
Alek Manoah	28	R	104	2.07	4.75	4.74	0.8
Caden Dana	22	R	86	2.01	5.00	4.97	0.3

According to ZiPS, José Soriano is slated to be The Quiet Place of the rotation, with old friend Kikuchi as The Quiet Place II and Detmers rounding it out as Bumblebee. Beyond those three, it’s all just various iterations of The Purge.

There’s an argument to be made that the Angels’ 1-3 in their rotation represent the team’s most noble, respectful tribute to baseball in the 2026 season. The ceiling isn’t terribly high, but the holes are patched and it keeps you dry. But in 2026, you need more than three starting pitchers, and while Rodriguez, Manoah and Dana offer a little more clearance for your noggin, you’re going to need a few buckets handy in the event of a storm. It’s easy to see some upside here – Rodriguez had surgery in August to remove the bone spurs in his elbow that he claimed were the root of 2+ years of injuries and struggle, Manoah sat 93-94 in his debut Spring Training outing, Dana is still just a baby and Gregg Klassen is waiting in the wings like the Midwestern pitching version of Zach Neto. It’s also a thin line for competence and a generous promenade of risk.

Role	Player	Age	Throws	IP	K/BB	ERA	FIP	WAR
Closer?	Robert Stephenson	33	R	60	3.41	4.09	3.8	0.7
Closer?	Drew Pomeranz	37	L	58	3.15	3.93	3.91	0.7
Closer?	Kirby Yates	39	R	56	2.52	3.93	3.93	0.4
Closer?	Jordan Romano	33	R	57	2.83	4.25	4.14	0.2
Middle	Ryan Zeferjahn	28	R	63	2.12	4.46	4.58	-0.1
Middle	Brent Suter	36	L	60	2.47	4.51	4.46	0.0
Middle	José Fermin	24	R	52	2.20	4.38	4.43	0.0
Long	Chase Silseth	26	R	50	2.35	4.21	4.24	0.1
IL	Ben Joyce	25	R	42	2.66	3.56	3.58	0.1

I’m not here to pass judgement on my fellow 90’s babies, but I’m also not out there every day trying to hurl my arm around like a kid with one of those sticky hand toys. That’s a lotta 30-somethings in that table, to say nothing of the injury histories that get those names beeping like a metal detector being swept along the basin of the Trevi Fountain. This bullpen is the 2003 version of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre – the source material is haunting, but the remake lacks oomph or necessity.

To be honest, at this point I can’t tell if I’m more tired of making Michael Bay references or just considering the Angels franchise. It likely skews towards the latter, but I’ll take some blame myself. As the Halos know better than any, it’s tough to be a Michael.