CLEVELAND - JUNE 13: Brian Reith of the Cincinnati Reds pitches against the Cleveland Indians during the MLB game on June 13, 2004 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Reds 10-8. (Photo by John Reid III/MLB via Getty Images)
The Twins announced this morning that they named Brian Reith as their next pitching coach, replacing Pete Maki who was let go following the end of the 2026 season. They also promoted Ben Myers to the Big League training staff after spending the past few years with the St. Paul Saints, the Twins Triple-A affiliate.
Welcome to Twins Territory, Brian and Ben!
We have announced the hiring of Brian Reith as our pitching coach and Ben Myers as our Assistant Athletic Trainer pic.twitter.com/iUWMGC8rHw
Reith, 48, has been the pitching coach for the Tampa Bay Rays’ Triple-A affiliate for the past five seasons. Reith is a former sixth-round pick by the Yankees, but went on to throw just 128 innings with the Reds from 2001-2004. He then made the rounds through the Indy and international circuit before settling into coaching.
When looking for a new pitching coach, there are few organizations you want to resemble more than the Rays. Plus, with a half-decade of experience with their AAA team, he was an ingrained part of Tampa’s development process and the many iterations they’ve gone through over the years. Reith has actually already coached the Twins’ two best pitchers, spending a lot of time with Taj Bradley and Joe Ryan as they were coming up through the Rays system.
Reith inherits a unique challenge in Minnesota, with a mix of talented veterans (Ryan, Bradley, Pablo Lopez, Jeff Hoffman) and exciting young pitchers that still need some work (Connor Prielipp, Zebby Matthews, Kendry Rojas, Mick Abel, Andrew Morris). However, if Reith can get some more consistency from the vets and help the kids take a step forward, the Twins will have as talented a pitching staff as anyone in baseball (outside of the endless money pit that is the Dodgers and whatever 6th ace they sign this offseason).
Welcome to Minnesota, Brian! Hope you still have some winter gear lying around somewhere because April baseball is frigid up north.
GLENDALE, ARIZONA - SEPTEMBER 20: Marvin Harrison Jr. #18 of the Arizona Cardinals walks off the field after his teams 7-31 loss against the Seattle Seahawks at State Farm Stadium on September 20, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NFL. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cardinals fans and fans across the country.
The Arizona Cardinals made news last week, for their unorthodox handling of the trade of Marvin Harrison Jr. I don’t think people were too surprised by the trade, but the way they went about things was a little different than we have ever seen before.
That being said, the trade is done, Marv is now a Houston Texan, and the Arizona Cardinals also sent along a 2027 sixth round pick.
In return they received a 2027 second round pick and a 2027 seventh round pick.
So the question is, how would you grade the trade instantly?
We will be able to look back on this move in a year, maybe two and see if Marv figures it out, or if the Cardinals were smart ala Josh Rosen and were able to get something of value for a failed player.
Of course, part of getting something will be turning that pick into something of value, and there are questions if that is something that can be done by this regime as well.
But all of that comes later, for now, how do you grade the overall trade?
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - JULY 07: Brooks Lee #22 of the Minnesota Twins throws against the Cleveland Guardians on July 7, 2026 at Target Field in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Brace Hemmelgarn/Minnesota Twins/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Twins third baseman Brooks Lee was named a finalist for a Gold Glove award at third base. The positional specification is important since Lee opened the season as Minnesota’s starting shortstop.
Lee is unlikely to bring the hardware home, as the Red Sox’s Caleb Durbin lapped the field in most defensive metrics at third base, but it’s a testament to the work he and the Twins did with Lee in the middle of the season. Lee spent the first month as the worst defensive shortstop in baseball and then became a true asset at third, a remarkable turnaround. Lee was +8 in DRS, +6 in OAA, and +5 in FRV despite just playing 110 of his 156 games there.
No other Twins were named finalists, though I would make a compelling case for Kody Clemens in the utility spot. While he wasn’t outstanding at any individual position, there are very few players who can provide above-average defense at all three outfield positions, second base, and first base. Byron Buxton would almost definitely be a finalist as well had he played a full season, even as he’s lost a step in his mid-30s.
Lee still has a ways to go offensively, with most advanced metrics painting 2026 as a lucky turn, but he showed meaningful strides on that side of the ball as well with an improved approach that led to more power in spurts. However, a league-average bat with top-end defense who can swipe 10-20 bags a year is still an immensely valuable player. Just look at Durbin’s WAR totals the past couple years, for example.
Regardless, it’s a well deserved honor for a player that has worked hard to get where he is after a tough start to his career. Congrats, Brooks!
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 13: Shawn Armstrong #43 of the Cleveland Guardians exits Game Two of the American League Championship Series between the Cleveland Guardians and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 13, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Mike Carlson/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Derek Law Elects Free Agency Thanks to be one of the many injured arms the team carried, the Diamondbacks almost never got to know him before he bounced.
Three Big Mistakes from 2025-26 Offseason and How to Avoid Repeating Them Avoiding repeating the mistakes should be incredibly easy as the pitchers are now in recovery, Zac Gallen is gone, and first base now has a plethora of candidates that do not require Arizona wishing on a magic lamp that Goldschmidt would ever return to Arizona.
But in all seriousness, the game has moved forward five hours, so plan accordingly.
What This Year’s Playoffs Say About Baseball’s Future With all due respect to Jess Passan, the playoffs say almost nothing at all about the future of the game. The battle lines have been drawn and both sides have decided to dig in deep. Nothing short of an utter catastrophe will change things at this point. Meanwhile, posts like the one below are missing the point (almost certainly intentionally).
The most likely outcome in Major League Baseball right now is that we’ll have a Brewers-Rays World Series and the owners are going to shut down the sport while telling uneducated fans that only a salary cap can let small market teams compete pic.twitter.com/I48GL8Qbbd
SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 07: Brice Turang #2 and Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrate the 3-1 win against the San Diego Padres in game four of the National League Division Series at Petco Park on October 07, 2026 in San Diego, California. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the 70th time, Major League Baseball has announced its Rawlings Gold Glove finalists, listing three players at each position. Brice Turang (second base) and Jackson Chourio (left field) have been named finalists for the Brewers.
During the 2026 regular season, the Brewers were above league average when it came to fielding percentage. As a team, they allowed the seventh-fewest errors in all of baseball with 72, while playing the second-most innings on the field.
Of course, whether Chourio or Turang wins the Gold Glove depends on the voters. A unique aspect of this year’s second base Gold Glove competition is that all three finalists are from the National League Central. Turang joins Brandon Lowe of the Pittsburgh Pirates and then standout rookie JJ Wetherholt.
Starting at the top, only one second baseman in the NL played more than Turang, and that was Ozzie Albies. Now, fielding percentage and errors are one and the same, as Turang finished fifth among second basemen in the NL as he committed five errors this season, which equates his fielding percentage to .992. Now, the lone category that Turang leads in, and by a decent margin, is dWAR (defensive wins above replacement). dWAR estimates how many wins a player contributes to their team based on their defensive performance compared to a league-average fielder. Out of the finalists, Turang leads the group by 1.1, with Wetherholt in second, and Lowe behind.
Turang is no stranger to the Gold Glove award as he’s been a finalist for the third season in a row, but has not won one since 2024, when he also won the Platinum Glove. While the Brewers have acquired players with multiple Gold Gloves, there have only been two Brewers players who have won multiple while wearing the ball and glove: Cecil Cooper and George Scott. Turang has the opportunity to become the third Brewers player to win multiple.
While the Brewers continue to write history, Chourio looks to further cement his legacy as a Brewers great. If Chourio wins the Gold Glove, he’ll become the first-ever left fielder to win the award for the Brewers. All-time, the Brewers have had four outfielders win the award, most recently Sal Frelick in 2024 as a right fielder.
Chourio will be joined by Ian Happ of the Chicago Cubs and Daylen Lile of the Washington Nationals. While comparing the stats to the other left field finalists, Chourio ranks first in dWAR with 1.0. Happ follows with a 0.6 dWAR, while Lile finished the season with a 0.1. While looking at the less complex statistics, Chourio leads all of the NL in fielding percentage with a perfect 1.000, with zero errors committed. Perhaps one slight against Chourio in the voting chances is that he had the six most chances among the qualified players.
The Brewers duo will try to become the 14th and 15th all-time Brewers players to win a Gold Glove. Winners will be announced on November 1st at 8:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 6: Daylen Lile #4 of the Washington Nationals catches a ball hit by Mookie Betts #50 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the seventh inning at Dodger Stadium on September 6, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Daylen Lile had a tremendous rookie year in 2025. However, he had a really tough time on the defensive side of the ball. This offseason, Lile made a major effort to improve defensively. That hard work paid off, as Lile is one of three finalists for NL Gold Glove at the left field position.
Lile will be going up against Brewers star Jackson Chourio and Ian Happ, who has won four straight Gold Gloves. I think Lile is a long shot to win the award, but the fact he is even a nominee tells you a lot about his defensive improvements. He has always had the athletic ability to be a good outfielder, but now he has the instincts as well.
When you dive into the numbers, Lile’s defensive turnaround is remarkable. In 2025 Lile posted -14 defensive runs saved, -8 outs above average and -10 fielding run value. This season Lile had 8 DRS, 1 OAA and 2 FRV. If there was an award for most improved defender, Lile would probably win it.
I remember last offseason around this time Lile posted a lot of workout videos and defense was the theme of many of them. One even mentioned the Gold Glove as a goal. That seemed like a far fetched idea at the time, but he is right in the mix after a great defensive season.
If I had to make a prediction, I think Happ is likely to win the award. Voters clearly gravitate to his skillset and he had another great defensive year. Happ posted 10 DRS, 2 OAA and 6 FRV in left field this season. By the numbers, this is Happ’s best defensive season since his first Gold Glove in 2022.
Back to Lile though, I think this improvement speaks volumes about his work ethic. You do not get this much better at defense by accident. This nomination came thanks to hard work, determination and a tireless drive to succeed.
If anything, Lile might have been too hyperfocused on his defense last offseason. With so much of his effort going to improving his defense, Lile fell into some bad habits at the plate this year. However, with his work ethic, I have confidence that those will be corrected. If Lile can combine last year’s offense with this year’s defense, he can be an All-Star caliber player.
When watching the games, there is one area where I think Lile improved the most. That would be his instincts at the wall. Last season, Lile had a really tough time making plays around walls. That flaw led to a lot of balls getting past him and not making tough catches at the wall. He just did not know what he was doing out there.
This season, he had great instincts at the wall. He made a few great diving catches and was good at keeping balls in front of him. There was a catch he made against the O’s in foul territory that really impressed me.
The play he made here was really similar to a catch he made last year against the Mets. While he made both plays, he was in much more control this season. Last year, he made the catch but had to be removed because he crashed into the wall so hard. He was much more aware of his surroundings this year.
Lile is a player I am very bullish on moving forward and a big reason for that is his determination. He wanted to get better at defense after 2025, and he did just that. With his proven ability to get better, I think he can clean things up offensively as well. Daylen Lile is a very likable and hard working player, so it is nice to see him get rewarded.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Will Smith #16 and Blake Snell #7 of the Los Angeles Dodgers talk on the mound during the first inning against the Atlanta Braves in game two of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 04, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Luke Hales/Getty Images) | Getty Images
On May 26, 2023, I had the unfortunate experience of sitting through a Noah Syndergaard start at Tropicana Field. Normally, Dodger baseball is fun, even in defeat, but this game was an exception. The Rays were getting on base and turning the game into a de facto track meet by bullying Syndergaard’s complete inability to hold runners on.
I even had to double-check my notes, but Taylor Walls stole second and third base on consecutive pitches.
Even with proper lighting on streaming that was oddly lacking at the venue, this game was not fun.
If I were at home for that game, I would have stopped and gone to do something else. It was this game where I coined the phrase “being trapped at the ballpark.” I spent all this time and effort to get to St. Petersburg, FL; I had clocked the game as a loss before I even touched down, and I still felt obligated to stay and watch a one-sided, dreary affair.
This anecdote is noteworthy now, because the Brewers have essentially been able to run at will on Dodger pitching in the NLCS. At the beginning of the series, I figured runs would be a premium.
Runs have been hard to come by for the Dodgers, but not so much for the Brewers.
No free rides
I wasn’t worried about Tarik Skubal or Yoshinobu Yamamoto, but clearly I was wrong. But Skubal and Yamamoto weren’t dishing out free passes, either. Blake Snell and, particularly, Tyler Glasnow are middling at holding runners in 2026.
Snell – 10 steals in 13 attempts
Glasnow – 14 steals in 17 attempts
Skubal – 4 steals in 4 attempts (with Los Angeles); 4 steals in 5 attempts (with Detroit)
Yamamoto – 6 steals in 10 attempts
It’s not 2023-Noah Syndergaard bad, but if the Brewers turn the base paths into a track meet, that favors their style of play.
Snell and Glasnow have to pitch better than they did previously in the NLDS. If they combine for another ten walks over the next 48 hours, any attempt at coming back in this series likely ends before it has a chance to get started.
Turns out, you can now run on Will Smith
Will Smith nabbed ten base stealers in the regular season in 49 attempts, for a 20.4% caught-stealing rate. The league average in 2026 was a 23.3% caught-stealing rate. It’s not terrible, but a far cry from when he caught 32 out of 96 would-be basestealers to lead all of baseball in 2024.
As an aside, for those wondering if Hunter Feduccia would fare better at holding the Brewers’ running game at bay, the answer is probably not.
In 2026, in 59 games with the Rays, there were 37 stolen bases in 49 attempts, which is a 24.5% caught-stealing rate. What’s the problem?
However, with the Dodgers, in 31 games, Feduccia has only caught two runners in 27 attempts. Technically.
One of those was on the last day of the regular season campaign, when Jack Dreyer picked off Scott Bandura with Feduccia never touching the ball.
The other, which is far more relevant to our discussion before Game 3, is that Feduccia’s other nabbed runner with the Dodgers was Jake Bauers of the Milwaukee Brewers on August 14, 2026.
HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - APRIL 27: Executive Producer Jeff Probst attends a red carpet event and FYC screening for the CBS Original series "Survivor" at Ovation Hollywood on April 27, 2024 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Michael Tullberg/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Recently, a young man from Chicago’s South Side went viral for his feelings about what happens if, or when, his White Sox lose. The sixth grader spoke straight from my soul when he said he would have “no heart for baseball” if the Sox lose. This has long been my relationship with baseball and the Yankees.
Frankly, when it comes to Major League Baseball, if it is not the Yankees, I have no desire to watch. Never have, never will. Call me an old-timer, but I would rather read about the outcome the next morning than try to enjoy another team winning in the moment. Unfortunately, like so many other times over the last 17 years, that means that after enjoying the fall weather until darkness forces me inside, I now have no baseball to enjoy.
This year, with a lockout looming and the longest championship drought of my fandom’s life, the darkness feels earlier than ever. The void that the NFL and betting app commercials are trying their best to fill still feels empty. I have never done a good job of preventing the Yankees’ elimination from souring me on sports for a bit, but this year, I have decided to try an unexpected way to fill the void.
If you did not know, Mike Pinsky is on Season 51 of Survivor. Why would a random man on a reality television show that has been running for over 26 years matter in this context? Well, you see, Pinsky just so happens to be the Yankees’ assistant director of baseball operations.
What is an assistant director of baseball operations? According to what has been released and what Pinsky himself has said on the show, his role involves advising general manager Brian Cashman on roster construction, assisting with contract negotiations, and helping evaluate trade and free-agent targets.
So essentially, Pinsky gets paid to do what we all do right here on our beloved Pinstripe Alley, but with a direct line to Cashman. In an interview with The Athletic, Cashman offered the kind of praise he might give to any player in the Yankees organization, calling Pinsky a gifted person and saying he believes Pinsky has what it takes to endure and win. Gotta love that Cashman just recycled the lines he has used to describe players year after year.
For those who are not familiar, Survivor is a game played on an island in Fiji that combines physical competitions and social manipulation to whittle a group of contestants down to a “Sole Survivor.” The show has really changed from a survival-like competition into something more like a chess match involving immunity idols, advantages, twists, and jury management. That means backstabbing or building relationships so well that people still vote for you to win at the end.
Now, this show is not for everyone, but it does offer a chance to quickly strip away some layers and learn a lot about the players. The show is designed to make contestants uncomfortable and expose their generosity, arrogance, paranoia, patience, and resilience in a foodless vacuum.
The season’s fourth episode airs tonight, and spoiler alert: Pinsky, unlike the Yankees, is still alive. Our very own Mr. October. I am officially locking in, not necessarily because I think this somehow counts as a Yankees win if he pulls it off, but because I want to learn all I can. I want to know what Pinsky will do. How will he handle things? When is he going to reference work and apply it to the strategy of the game he is playing? Will he say the word “analytics”?
I mean, come on, what if he tells us how much the Yankees really depend on analytics in their decision-making? Pinsky has said there are parallels between the Yankees’ management structure and his experience playing Survivor. A fellow contestant compared playing with Pinsky to playing with a sponge, saying he spent his time soaking up information without giving anything back. Call me a sponge too, because whether it is fair, foul, or fruitless, I want to learn more about one of the personalities in the Yankees’ front office and its processes while hopefully being entertained once a week.
Realistically, I know we will not get Pinsky telling Jeff Probst about the Yankees’ salary restrictions or potential free agent targets. I also realize this sounds like a fan who is so starved for actual team success that they have been reduced to cheering for a front-office suit eating bugs on an island just to feel something in October.
But hey, here’s to hoping other fans enjoy watching whichever team wins the World Series. For me, I’ll support the last Yankee standing. I hope Pinsky has the time of his life and represents the organization well. At the end of the day, this is his individual journey and story, but it’s kind of cool to have a Yankee still alive in October, at least for now.
NEW YORK, NY - SEPTEMBER 08: TJ Rumfield #7 of the Colorado Rockies flips the ball during the game between the Colorado Rockies and the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 in New York, New York. (Photo by Michael Urakami/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
TJ Rumfield was named as a finalist among National League first basemen alongside Matt Olson of the Atlanta Braves and Ty France of the San Diego Padres.
Rumfield is one of five rookies since 1901 to have a season with at least 1,150 innings played at first base and seven or fewer errors, joining Todd Helton (1998), Travis Lee (1998, ARI), Freddie Freeman (2011, ATL), and Nolan Schanuel (2024, LAA). https://t.co/fJwmOpcZPo
Rumfield’s consistent glove work helped stabilize the Rockies infield all season, and it appears as though the that did not go unnoticed by people outside the organization. The 26 year old rookie played 139 games at first base this season, committed only seven errors, and collected six Defensive Runs Saved.
Rumfield faces stiff competition for the award as the other finalists, Olson and France, already have four Gold Gloves between them. Olson leads all NL first basemen in Outs Above Average with 11 whereas France leads in Defensive Runs Saved with 15.
Rumfield is the lone Rockie to have been named a Gold Glove finalist this season.
The winners are set to be announced on Sunday, November 1.
CLEVELAND — Game 3 of the AL Championship Series between the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians has been moved up to a 1 p.m. start due to the threat of rain in Cleveland on Thursday night.
Major League Baseball moved the start time up five hours in order for the series to remain on schedule.
The best-of-seven series is even at 1-1 after the Rays’ 3-1 victory. Cleveland took the series opener 7-3.
Tampa Bay will send right-hander Griffin Jax to the mound. Jax (8-10, 3.52 ERA) struck out four and gave up one run in two innings of relief against the New York Yankees in the Division Series.
Cleveland is expected to go with Gavin Williams (14-8, 3.76 ERA), who led the American League in strikeouts. The right-hander started Games 2 and 5 against the White Sox and tossed an inning in relief in Game 4. He had 24 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings, allowing two runs and six hits.
Game 4 still has a start time of 6 p.m. and Saturday’s first pitch is slated for 8 p.m.
ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 17: Evan Carter #32 of the Texas Rangers makes a catch during a game against the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field on September 17, 2026 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Gunnar Word/Texas Rangers/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Texas Rangers pitcher Jacob deGrom, outfielders Wyatt Langford and Evan Carter, and infielder/outfielder Ezequiel Duran have been named finalists for the 2027 Rawlings Gold Glove Awards. The full list of finalists in both leagues is here.
Along with deGrom, the finalists among the pitchers in the American League are Tanner Bibee of the Guardians and Jose Soriano, now of the Blue Jays. One would not normally expect a 38 year old managing various physical issues to be a Gold Glove finalist, but then, life is full of surprises. deGrom has never won a Gold Glove before.
Langford is a finalist in left field, going up against Cody Bellinger of the Yankees and Chandler Simpson of the Rays. Langford was +5 in Statcast’s Fielding Runs Value in 2026 between left field and center field, and +10 in DRS. compared to Simpson’s +3/+8 and Bellinger’s +8/+20.
Carter is up against Steven Kwan and Ceddanne Rafaela for the center field Gold Glove award. Carter is +9 in FRV and +6 in DRS, while Kwan is +7 and +17 while playing center and left roughly the same amount in 2026. Rafaela is at +16 and +21.
Duran is a finalist for the utility Gold Glove, along with Jose Caballero of the Yankees and Zach McKinstry of the Tigers. Duran played every position except for pitcher and catcher over the course of 153 games in 2026, with the bulk of his playing time coming at third base and shortstop.
HOUSTON — The Houston Astros have parted ways with manager Joe Espada after deciding not to renew his expiring contract.
The team announced the decision while also moving on from several members of his coaching staff. His contract is set to expire at the end of October.
“We are thankful for Joe’s hard work, his passion for the game, and for his commitment to the Houston Astros,” team owner Jim Crane said in a statement. “He represented the Astros and the Houston community in the most positive way. We wish he and his family the best moving forward.”
The move comes after the Astros overcame a plethora of injuries to win the AL West with an 81-81 record and become the first team in Major League Baseball history to reach the postseason without a winning record. They were then swept by the Chicago White Sox in two games at home in a Wild Card Playoff series.
The Astros now will be searching for a new manager and general manager after former GM Dana Brown was fired in August.
The Astros also parted ways with catching instructor Tim Cossins, game planning coach Tommy Kawamura, third base coach Tony Perezchica, assistant hitting coach Anthony Iapoce and assistant pitching coach Ethan Katz.
The team said bench coach Omar Lopez has been offered an opportunity to remain in the Astros organization in a new role.
The Astros are retaining pitching coach Josh Miller, first base coach Dave Clark, major league field coordinator Jason Bell, hitting coach Victor Rodriguez and longtime bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte.
It was the first managerial job for Espada, who was in his third year after being promoted from bench coach after Dusty Baker retired following the 2023 season.
Houston won the AL West in Espada’s first season in 2024 but was swept by the Detroit Tigers in the wild card playoff round. That series loss ended a streak of seven straight appearances in the AL Championship Series, and that included four World Series trips and titles in 2017 and 2022.
The Astros went 87-75 last season to finish second in the division and miss the playoffs, snapping a streak of eight consecutive appearances.
The 51-year-old Espada went 256-229 as Houston’s manager.
He’s been with the Astros since joining them as the bench coach in 2018. Espada, who was born in Puerto Rico, was the second Latino manager in franchise history, joining Cuban-born Preston Gomez, Houston’s manager from 1974-75.
Espada began his coaching career in the Marlins organization, working in the minors until moving to the big league club as the third base coach in 2010.
He remained with the Marlins through the 2013 season before taking a job as a special assistant to New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. He joined the Yankees coaching staff in 2015 and worked as their infield and third base coach through the 2017 season before coming to Houston.
Espada was drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the second round of the 1996 amateur draft and spent nine seasons in the minors. He advanced to Triple-A as a player, but retired at age 29 after failing to reach the majors before beginning his coaching career.
Benge will be competing with Corbin Carroll of the Diamondbacks and Seiya Suzuki of the Cubs for the award.
In his rookie season, Benge emerged as a game-changer in the outfield with both his glove and arm.
Benge was above average when it came to OAA (Outs Above Average), grading out in the 70th percentile, via Baseball Savant. He was at the very top of the league in arm value (100th percentile) and arm strength (99th percentile).
He also had 10 outfield assists, which was tops among all NL right fielders and third among all NL outfielders (Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages had 14 and Padres center fielder Jackson Merrill had 11).
Given how poorly Carroll's arm rated (he was in the first percentile in arm value), it's possible the race comes down to Benge and Suzuki, whose advanced numbers were elite across the board.
McLean is battling with Chris Sale of the Braves and Michael McGreevy of the Cardinals for the NL award at pitcher.
Torrens, who is seeking to become the first Mets catcher to ever win a Gold Glove, is up against Freddy Fermin of the Padres and Gabriel Moreno of the Diamondbacks.
Torrens' defense was elite in 2026, with his blocks above average (85th percentile), framing (86th percentile), caught stealing above average (89th percentile), and pop time (95th percentile) all near the top of the league.
The last Met to win a Gold Glove was Juan Lagares, who secured the award for center field in 2014.
HOUSTON, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 30: Manager Joe Espada #19 of the Houston Astros looks on in the first inning of game two of the American League Wild Card Series against the Chicago White Sox at Daikin Park on September 30, 2026 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Houston Astros/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I think this was expected, given that the Astros granted the Seattle Mariners permission to interview Espada for Seattle’s vacant managerial job. The interesting thing, though, is that a number of coaches — pitching coach Josh Miller, hitting coach Victor Rodriguez, first base coach Dave Clark, major league field coordinator Jason Bell, and bullpen catcher Javier Bracamonte will reportedly return for the 2027 season.
The Astros are not bringing back assistant hitting caoch Anthony Iapoce, assistant pitching coach Ethan Katz, third base coach Tony Perezchica, game planning coach Tommy Kawamura and catching instructor Tim Cossins. If Iapoce’s name sounds familiar, he was the Rangers’ hitting coach under Jeff Banister from 2016-18.
This is kind of weird. The Astros do not have a manager or general manager at this point, and in the normal course of things, you’d expect the team to hire a general manager, who would hire a manager, who would then assemble a coaching staff. As it is, the incoming general manager and the incoming manager will apparently be inheriting coaches that are already in place and that they will be expected to work with.
KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI - JULY 19: Vinnie Pasquantino #9, Bobby Witt Jr. #7 and Michael Massey #19 of the Kansas City Royals celebrate a 7-1 win over the Chicago White Sox at Kauffman Stadium on July 19, 2024 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images) | Getty Images
While the Royals may have struggled on offense at times this year, defense does not slump. The Royals flashed some leather in the infield this year, and today all four defenders were named finalists for Gold Glove Awards. Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Massey, and Nick Loftin are all up for the first award, while two-time winner Bobby Witt Jr. has a chance to repeat as top overall defender.
Bobby Witt Jr. won the 2025 American League Platinum Award for top overall defender. He led all American League players at all positions with +25 Outs Above Average. He led all American League shortstops with 71 double plays and Fielding Run Value with +17.
Vinnie Pasquantino was second among American League first baseman in Defensive Runs Saved with 7, behind only Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is also a finalist. Houston’s Christian Walker is the other Gold Glove finalist at first base.
Michael Massey was second among all American League second basemen in Outs Above Average at +11 behind only Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the Yankees and was tied for second in Defensive Runs Saved with 5 behind only Cole Young of the Mariners. He tied Young for the highest fielding percentage for anyone with at least 750 innings at .990, and his 68 double plays were second behind only Young. Massey is up against Young and Chase Meidroth of the White Sox, all of whom are seeking their first Gold Glove.
In his first full year in the big leagues, Nick Loftin was tied for fourth among American League third basemen in Outs Above Average with +6 and was third in fielding percentage for third basemen with 500+ innings at .982. Loftin is up against Caleb Durbin of the Red Sox and Brooks Lee of the Twins.
Winners will be announced on November 1 on ESPN. Here is how Gold Glove finalists and winners are determined, according to MLB.com:
To determine the winners at the nine standard positions, the 30 MLB managers and up to six coaches from each team vote from a pool of players in their league, excluding players from their own team. These votes comprise 75% of the selection total, with the SABR Defensive Index counting for the other 25%.
For the utility position, Rawlings collaborated with SABR to create a specialized defensive formula separate from the traditional selection process.
Here is a complete list of finalists:
American League
Pitcher: Tanner Bibee (Guardians), Jacob deGrom (Rangers), José Soriano (Angels/Blue JAayS)
