Category: MLB

Welcome to another week everyone!

The A’s have their President now after the hiring of Taylor Smith. The young front office executive is set to begin filling out his ranks and install trusted advisors around him. He’ll certain need them since he’s younger than most POBO’s in the sport ever were when they got the big job. Fingers crossed that lack of experience doesn’t come back to bite us. Of course it might all be boot for the foreseeable future if there is indeed a lockout, which would begin December 1st. That’d give Smith just about one month to execute any trades or deals before getting sidelined.

While Smith is still preparing for his first offseason at the helm, the Brewers and Rays are in Tampa Bay to continue the World Series tonight. Milwaukee is up 2-0 in the series and could essentially clinch the series tonight with a win. Tampa Bay’s season is suddenly on life support after dropping a pair in Milwaukee but they’re back home. With their backs up against the wall expect to see a desperate Rays squad this evening.

For Tampa, they have veteran Freddy Peralta getting the ball for this critical contest. Peralta has looked like a completely different pitcher than the guy playing with the Mets earlier this season. He’s just the latest in a long line of pitchers that suddenly put everything together once in Tampa Bay (hopefully Taylor Smith brought some of those ideas with him to Boston and then to us). Tonight is the biggest start of his career and the Rays will ask him one more time to get them to the sixth inning with at least a tied game.

The Brew Crew meanwhile will ask a rookie tonight to put them one win away from their first championship. Lefty Robert Gasser is getting the call for his third postseason start and though he’s a rookie he hasn’t looked overmatched or unprepared in the postseason. After an overall solid season Gasser has stepped up his game, allowing just one run on a solo home run against the Padres in the NLDS. That said, manager Pat Murphy has demonstrated he’s not scared to go to the early hook when his starter doesn’t have it.

Runs could be at a premium tonight. First pitch is at 5:00 Pacific time, where we’ll have the Game Thread ready for you guys. Who do you want to see taking tonight’s contest? Personally I’d love to see the Rays mount a comeback and make this a series again. And one thing that players are suddenly realizing? The ball is the same color as the Rays’ roof. Will that come into play over the next couple games?

Have a great start to your week A’s fans.

A’s Coverage:

• Optics vs. Infrastructure: Taylor Smith’s First Dilemma
• Athletics Hire Taylor Smith As Next President of Baseball Operations
• A’s bring in Taylor Smith to run baseball operations
• On New PBO Taylor Smith: What’s In A Number?
• A’s Considering Hiring GM Under Taylor Smith
• Trade Candidate: Shea Langeliers
• The five biggest questions facing the A’s this offseason
• Inside the A’s State-of-the-Art Las Vegas Ballpark
• Pitching prospect Huggins growing his game with the help of this A’s Hall of Famer
• ’Be a sponge’: No. 19 prospect leads A’s Fall League group with do-it-all mentality
• A’s LHP prospect Richardson shows off health and resiliency during Fall League homecoming
• Zack Of All Trades Tries To Get One More Win: In Court
• Important Dates For The Athletics This Offseason
• 12 A’s Players Out of Options Heading Into 2027
• How MLB’s Proposed Changes Would Impact the A’s
• A’s part ways with assistant hitting, quality control coaches
• After an outfield collision left him paralyzed, every gain in rehab is a big win for A’s Ryan Lasko
• Why 2027 Athletics Will Be Completely Different Team
• 2026: Year Of The “Didn’t See That Coming!”
• A’s Hoping Luis Severino Chooses to Stay
• Where the A’s Plan to Use Zack Gelof in 2027
• Drafting The Top AL Graduated MLB Prospects From 2026
• Devin Taylor: Athletics 2026 Minor League Player Of The Year
• Athletics 2026 MLB Draft Report Card
• Henry Bolte Is the A’s Next Budding Star
• Determining Athletics’ Offensive MVP for the 2026 Season
• 2027 Infield Landscape Ever Changing
• Get the best of Athletics Nation on the new SB Nation app

MLB News & Interest:

• Brewers-Rays World Series Game 3 FAQ (Monday, 8 ET, FOX/FOX One)
• How the Rays can send the World Series back to Milwaukee
• Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski sets WS velocity record on first pitch
• Rocco Baldelli Withdraws Name From Mariners’ Managerial Search
• Stephen Vogt back to Guardians in ’27, shuns Mariners rumors
• Manfred: Rays-Brewers World Series good for game, but salary cap still needed
• Hideki Matsui hired as manager of Japan’s Yomiuri Giants
• Quinn Priester On Track In Recovery From Thoracic Outlet Surgery
• Today in Baseball History

Best of X:

If the wallet really does open up, we’ll be adding lots of pitching:

ICYMI:

Update from the AFL:

How different would things been if the A’s had taken Lance Berkman in the 1997 Draft?

This season was an interesting year for Kyle Isbel. The Royals’ primary center fielder since the 2023 season, he took a step back at the plate after a career year in 2025. The defense was still borderline elite.

Kyle Isbel lost nearly two months of the season when he suffered a left plantar fasciitis injury in early June. He didn’t get back to the big-league squad until early August. I think that is a somewhat important caveat before grading his season in totality.

We will start where Isbel has always seemed to shine, with his glove. Despite missing nearly two months of the season, Isbel still had a +7 in Outs Above Average, which indicates elite range. His arm value is still subpar at -2. His jumps on balls are also still elite, so his first steps are great. Isbel did have an uncharacteristic four errors this season.

OK, Isbel is awesome in the field. We’ve known that. Let’s move to the offensive side of things. Through 100 games and 294 at-bats this season, Isbel’s final slash line was .224/.268/.323. He hit nine doubles, a triple, and six homers. Isbel struck out the same number of times this season as last season, 74, but in 74 fewer at-bats. He also walked just 15 times, which was down by eight from the previous season. He was 6-for-6 stealing bases this season.

After having a career year at the plate in 2025, when Isbel slashed .255/.301/.353 with 16 doubles, four triples, and four homers while driving in 33 runs, the soon-to-be 30-year-old outfielder took a step back. It was Isbel’s worst batting average, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage since the 2022 season.

His sacrifice numbers were down, and he hit into a career-high eight double plays. For the first time in his career, Kyle Isbel was a negative-WAR player. He finished at -0.4, whereas in each of the last three seasons, Isbel had been worth 1.6 WAR or more. Again, he missed a lot of time with a painful injury, but it wasn’t a good output.

Isbel, who has been a platoon-type bat in his career, slashed .248/.296/.356 against righties in 222 at-bats. Against lefties, his slash line was .153/.176/.222 in 72 at-bats. Going back to the injury, Isbel slashed .244/.298/.354 in 56 games in the first half. In the 44 games he played after returning from injury, he slashed .200/.228/.285.

With the 2018 third-round pick aging and his production down last season, do the Royals move on? Do they try to flip him, sending him somewhere else to be a fourth outfielder? Or do they keep him as the fourth outfielder here in Kansas City and give guys like Tyler Tolbert or Carson Roccaforte the keys?

I could see the Royals doing either of those things. Heck, I won’t be surprised if Isbel is pretty much the everyday starting center fielder for the first couple of months. I’ll always like Kyle Isbel, but his time in Kansas City might be over.

How would you grade Kyle Isbel’s 2026 season?

Carson Kelly has to be one of the best value free-agent signings by the Cubs in recent memory.

Signed to a two-year, $11.5 million deal before the 2025 season (that was two years at $5 million each plus a $1.5 million buyout), Kelly batted .249/.333/.428 with 17 home runs in 111 games last year, producing 3.5 bWAR, his best MLB season. He was also excellent defensively, throwing out 34.1 percent of runners trying to steal.

In 2026, Kelly was still very good, though not quite as good as in 2025. He batted .258/.336/.376 with 10 home runs in 120 games, good for 1.9 bWAR. As noted in my recent article summing up the first year of ABS challenges, Kelly was also one of the best catchers in those challenges in 2026.

Kelly and the Cubs have a mutual option for 2027 for $7.5 million (or that $1.5 million buyout). Kelly is 32 (turns 33 next July) and might not have a better choice than to return to the Cubs for another season. Mutual options are almost always turned down by either team or player, but this is one where it might benefit both parties for another year of Kelly paired with Miguel Amaya.

Why is this? Amaya turns 28 in March. He had a pretty good year with the bat and throwing out runners (28.9 percent) but I don’t think he’s quite ready to take on the role as full-time catcher with (perhaps) Owen Ayers as his backup. Ayers, I believe, still needs more Triple-A development time. The Cubs did have Ayers join the team for the final week of the 2026 season just to observe and learn, but that doesn’t mean he’d be ready to become a MLB backup catcher right away in 2027.

So my feeling is this: Bring back Kelly on that $7.5 million option, if he’s willing, or perhaps tear it up and offer him a bit more, with some sort of vesting option/buyout for 2028.

Would you do that?

Hayden Senger’s major-league tenure was brief in 2026. He remained on the 40-man roster all season; however, he was only recalled from Triple-A one time. On May 13, Francisco Alvarez tore his meniscus, which resulted in Luis Torrens taking over as the starting catcher and Senger becoming his backup. Senger played in seven games over a period of 27 days, making his stats and metrics somewhat irrelevant due to such a small sample size.

However, a couple notable things happened in those seven games. In his first game this season, on May 14, he dropped down a bunt for a safety squeeze to score a run. Senger also hit his first major-league home run on May 30. The same day, he was Christian Scott’s battery-mate for Scott’s first major-league win. The two had worked together in lower tiers of the Mets organization for quite a while, and it was nice to see them enjoy success together.

Overall, though, Senger’s time with the Mets was brief and somewhat unmemorable, in the best possible way. He did his job, covered for an injured teammate, and did not stand out as terrible on a team that was pretty bad. His walk-up song was “Hold the Line” by Toto, and he did that when he was asked to play. He was sent back down to Triple-A when Alvarez returned from the IL on June 9, but it’s still worth noting his big-league stint, given the difficulty the Mets had in replacing injured players this year.

For nearly two full years, Tim Hill was one of the most reliable relievers in baseball. From when he joined the Yankees on June 20, 2024 until May 19 of this year, he made 128 appearances, 11th most of any pitcher in baseball. Of the 10 relievers who threw more innings, only two managed to best his 2.48 ERA. Trading on a 68.3-percent groundball rate — nearly five percentage points higher than any other pitcher — the southpaw held his own against righties while completely neutralizing lefties.

Hill’s mid-30s career renaissance was a boon to the Yankees, who picked him up from the worst team in baseball for nothing and leveraged him in various roles as a key piece of their bullpen formula. “He’s a gamer,” manager Aaron Boone said. “He’s a dog. He is fearless. He’s really competitive and just an awesome teammate, someone that’s been a lot of fun to be around.”

Then the other shoe dropped.

Grade: D+

2025 Statistics: 58.2 IP, 4.60 ERA, 25 K, 92 ERA+, 5.93 FIP, 3.8 K/9, 2.0 BB/9, -1.1 fWAR

2026 Contract Status: Free Agent

Largely a one-pitch pitcher, Hill occasionally mixes in a cutter and four-seamer but relies on his sinker more than 80 percent of the time. But what happens when opposing batters figure out a one-pitch pitcher’s one pitch? Beginning with a May 22 appearance in which he allowed four runs (three earned) to the Rays without recording an out, Hill lost his Midas touch.

Entering that game, he had a sparkling 1.37 ERA on the season. From that day on, it was an untenable 6.23. Hill’s trademark ground-ball rate was more than halved, and after allowing 11 homers through nearly two years in pinstripes, he allowed another 11 down the stretch. Eight of those came against his sinker, a pitch whose calling card is its ability to keep the ball in the yard. The 36-year-old’s implosion culminated in his being left off the Yankees’ Wild Card roster, a stunning turn of events considering his importance to the ‘pen just a few months earlier.

“That was the one we deliberated on,” Boone said at the time of the decision to carry fellow lefty Ryan Yarbrough over Hill. “Going with 10 pitchers, Yarbs gives us a little more versatility and some length coverage. How their lineup sets up, there are some better runs for Yarbs in this series. I expect Tim to play a big role if we’re able to move forward.” It was the kind of pabulum that rankles much of the fanbase about Boone’s approach to the media; when the Yankees did indeed move forward and had to select their ALDS roster, Hill remained in exile.

When the World Series concludes, Hill will be a free agent. He’ll turn 37 in February and, given his sudden unraveling this season, it’s fair to wonder where his future lies. Perhaps some team will see the elite ground-ball rate that was his hallmark before the collapse and take a flier to see if they can unlock it again; reliable lefty relievers are always a hot commodity. Don’t expect a reunion with the Yankees, though. They got a lot of mileage after what was a reclamation project for them, as well, when they claimed him off waivers from the White Sox back in ‘24. If they couldn’t help the veteran hurler get back on track for the last few months of last season, it’s time to give someone else a try.

See more of the Yankees Roster Report Card series here.

The San Diego Padres have plenty of work to do this winter. Team president of baseball operations and general manager A.J. Preller will need to revamp the team’s roster. His main concern is upgrading the starting rotation. Depending on the outcome of club/player options, Preller may need to fill all five starting rotation spots. 

Luis Gil’s time in New York may be ending

One potential trade candidate is New York Yankees starter Luis Gil. He appears to be the odd man out in their starting pitching depth. At best in 2027, Gil ranks eighth on their depth chart. 

The right-hander is not that far removed from winning the 2024 American League Rookie of the Year Award. Gil won 15 games in 29 starts; he struck out 177 batters in 151.2 innings pitched. 

At the time, the Yankees thought Gil would become a mainstay in the rotation. Instead, his career has gone downhill after suffering several severe arm injuries that limited his availability. Since 2024, he has made 20 major league appearances.

Gil’s injury timeline includes Tommy John surgery in May 2022 that sidelined him for the entire following season. This spring, he suffered a right lat strain that sidelined him for the majority of the first half. His time in the majors was limited; Gil was placed on the injured list later in the season with a right shoulder strain. 

Niebla could revive Gil’s career

The Padres are one of several teams linked to the starter. Preller has a track record of acquiring struggling starting pitchers and letting the Friars’ pitching coach, Ruben Niebla, work his magic. 

He creates an environment that allows them to reach their true potential. Niebla might recommend tweaking their delivery mechanics, altering their grip, or adjusting their pitch usage during a start. San Diego has become a destination for starters looking to revive their floundering career. 

Typically, Gil throws four pitches: four-seam fastball, slider, changeup, and sinker. The lat strain injury might have caused a mechanical flaw in his delivery that has sapped his velocity and pitch location. 

Gil’s four-seamer velocity dipped from 97 mph to 94 mph. Compounding his troubles, subpar command drove his walk rate up to 5.9% from 4.5% while lowering his strikeout rate from 10.1% to a dismal 5.6%. This lack of execution forced Gil to leave pitches high and hittable in the strike zone. 

Niebla can solve his pitching issues. Who knows, maybe Gil recaptures his rookie-of-the-year form and becomes a top-of-the-rotation pitcher again. 

Nothing is a guarantee, but the Padres and Yankees are ideal trade partners. 

For San Diego, Gil represents a low-risk, high-reward trade option. He is the perfect fit for the Friars

Padres News:

• Griffin Canning had a couple of bright spots this season, but he underperformed for much of 2026. What grade did he get from Gaslamp Ball’s Lincoln Zdunich?

Baseball News:

• The Tampa Bay Rays have work to do if they want to get the World Series back to Milwaukee.

• Freddy Peralta is ready to take the mound against his former team when the Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers meet in Game 3 tonight.

• Former Padres farmhand Robert Gasser will start Game 3 for the Milwaukee Brewers.

• Here are the standouts from Arizona Fall League play.

The Yankees need to make some changes to the roster, and the free agent market may not provide what GM Brian Cashman needs.

Cashman may have to dive into the trade market to find a third baseman, second baseman and other pieces to try to get the 2027 Yankees to the World Series.

It's been a while since Cashman made a substantial offseason trade, but the longtime exec usually surprises the baseball world, like he did when he picked up Juan Soto from the Padres ahead of the 2024 season. With Hal Steinbrenner putting a heavy emphasis on the team's offensive woes this past season, Cashman may need to wade into the trade waters to do it.

He does have a surplus of major league ready starters and former prospects that can entice a team or two, but which players should he target? 

Here's a list of five players the Yankees could consider in a trade this offseason...

Isaac Paredes

Paredes is one of the more underrated players in baseball, but Cashman should really consider bringing the 27-year-old in this offseason.

Houston has a club option to retain Paredes for just $13.35 million, which they certainly will, but that makes him all the more affordable as he enters the final year of his deal. And while the Astros won the AL West, they should consider moving the infielder when they can maximize his value, especially with what the Yankees can offer.

The Yankees have starting pitching to deal in Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, or Clarke Schmidt, and can potentially package Carlos Lagrange in a deal. 

Paredes slashed .262/.360/.447 with an OPS of .807 to go along with his 25 home runs on an objectively bad Astros team. He was an All-Star in 2025, but had a better year in 2026, posting career highs in batting average, OBP and games played (155). 

Paredes' defense is below average, though. He had a -3 OAA at second base in 2026, while being a -4 in 2025 and a -2 in 2024. Paredes is young enough to be coached up to play the position better in 2027, so there is potential upside if the Yankees could pry him away from Houston.

Zach McKinstry

Another infield option is McKinstry, who doesn't have the offensive ceiling that Paredes has but gives manager Aaron Boone a ton of versatility. 

McKinstry has started at third base (four), shortstop (19), second base (28) and in all three outfield positions, with 49 starts in right field. If there's a downside, McKinstry is a left-handed bat, making him redundant at third base, and potentially second base if Luis Garcia Jr. becomes an option at the position. (It would give the Yankees the option to trade Garcia to another team). But it's hard to overlook his ability to play multiple positions and is just one year removed from being an All-Star and a Silver Slugger.

While he slashed just .199/.288/.294 with an OPS of .582 -- to go with just four home runs -- his All-Star season saw him slash .259/.333/.438 with an OPS of .771 and 12 home runs, all career highs. 

Could McKinstry bounce back and be a good platoon option? It may not take much to get him from the Tigers, especially if the Yankees can dangle Jasson Dominguez, a young outfield prospect. 

CJ Abrams

The Yankees reportedly checked in on Abrams at this past deadline, and they should ask the Nationals for his services again.

Abrams is coming off a career year where he slashed .261/.336/.497 with an OPS of .833, to go with 33 home runs and 106 RBI. But this deal would only work if Abrams plays second base, which Washington began to transition him to at the end of 2026. He finished playing 14 games (12 starts) at the position and made every play hit to him.

He would be Jazz Chisholm Jr.'s replacement, and while not as good defensively, he was better offensively and hit better against left-handers. He batted .240 with eight home runs and 63 strikeouts in 192 ABs facing southpaws. It's better than Chisholm's .218, five home runs and 56 strikeouts in 147 ABs, but would continue to make the Yankees lineup susceptible to southpaws. 

Abrams is still an intriguing option, especially since it looks as if the marriage between the Nats and the infielder is heading toward a divorce.

Royce Lewis

Another intriguing name.

Lewis, a former No. 1 pick, has seen a lot of ups and downs with the Twins, and that continued this past season. Lewis was moved to first base, off of third, to improve the overall defense of the team, and that may have affected him at the plate. He hit .227 with 15 homers, 57 RBI, 16 stolen bases and a .667 OPS in 125 games, but he struggled so much at the start of the 2026 campaign that Minnesota demoted Lewis.

To Lewis' credit, he bounced back, batting .280 with 28 extra-base hits and an .842 OPS in his first 59 games following his call-up. But he hit .187 over his last 35 games with just six extra-base hits and a .468 OPS.

But it wasn't that long ago (2023 to be exact) that he batted .309 with 15 home runs in just 58 games. 

With experience at third and first base, and being a right-handed bat to complement Ryan McMahon and Ben Rice/Garcia Jr., the Yankees should see whether he's available. He has two more years of team control and could be a viable "buy-low" option for Cashman, to see whether they can get the 27-year-old back on track.

Twins could use starting pitching and outfield help, both the Yankees can provide.

Nolan Arenado

What is this, 2024? 

Feels like forever ago that the Yankees were connected to Arenado. Of course, New York went with internal options and eventually McMahon to play the hot corner the last couple of years, but the perennial All-Star could be available again.

The Yankees need a right-handed third baseman to pair with McMahon, and while Arenado isn't the Gold Glover at the position he once was, he's still very good. The last two seasons, he had a 2 OAA, the lowest of his career, but is still in the top 79th percentile, according to Baseball Savant. 

But the biggest development in a potential pursuit of Arenado is that his offense has rebounded.

In 152 games, he slashed .255/.331/.475, a big jump from his .237/.289/.377 in 2025. His .806 OPS and 30(!) home runs are Arenado's highest since 2022.

Should the Yankees expect the same production? No, but he's an upgrade over McMahon. And with Arenado in the final year of his contract, the Diamondbacks could look to sell high on the veteran and look to retool for another crack at the postseason.

Mets shortstop Francisco Lindor has been named the recipient of the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award.

"This is something when our kids grow up, they’re gonna look back and say my mom and dad were very cool because they were blessing others and helping others," Lindor said about receiving the award.

Lindor will be formally presented with the award before Game 3 of the World Series between the Brewers and Rays on Monday night at Tropicana Field. 

The Roberto Clemente Award is "the annual recognition of a major league player who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field."

The concept of honoring players for their philanthropic work was created in 1971 as the "Commissioner's Award." It was renamed to the "Roberto Clemente Award" in 1973 to honor the MLB legend who died in a plane crash on New Year's Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua.

Take one walk around Camden Yards and you will see plenty of Gunnar Henderson and Pete Alonso jerseys. Fans love superstars and for good reason. There’s been plenty of talk about how the Orioles cannot get where they want to go unless Henderson returns to form. Alonso arrived in Baltimore and immediately delivered in the first year of his big contract, and the O’s will need that type of production if they hope to compete moving forward

At the same type, everyone knows that good teams require production from role players. Albert Suárez has been an unsung hero for the Orioles over the last few seasons. Aside from the stars, fans often gravitate toward players that were born around their hometown, attended the same college, or made an impact at their local minor-league affiliate. But every once in a while, supporters develop an irrational appreciation for a guy that doesn’t really move the needle for anyone else. That’s me with Cam Sanders.

The Orioles purchased Sanders from the Pirates on July 13 after Pittsburgh designated the righty for assignment. Shortly after the move, I reached out to a friend of mine that follows the Pirates closely. He was not exactly sad to see Sanders go. “If he can’t make it in this bullpen, he’s not going to make it anywhere.”

Baltimore optioned Sanders to Triple-A but recalled him less than a week later. The 29-year-old proceeded to earn his first career win and first career save in his first two appearances. Sanders recorded a pair of outs in a 3-2 victory over the Astros and closed out a dramatic 4-2 win in extra innings the following night. I became president of the Cam Sanders fan club overnight.

Baltimore optioned Sanders after his pair of decisions but brought him back on August 10. He went on to post a 2.40 ERA over 19 appearances in an Orioles uniform. Sanders struck out 27 and walked 10.

Sanders arrived in Baltimore with only 17 major league innings under his belt. He had signed with Pittsburgh as a minor-league free agent before making six appearances in 2025. It’s easy to see what the Pirates liked. Sanders averages 96 MPH with his fastball, and his strong slider leads to plenty of swing and miss. He pitched to a sub-3 ERA over 22 appearances at Pittsburgh’s Triple-A affiliate but failed to deliver at the big league level.

Sanders arrived in Baltimore with a golden opportunity to establish a role. The team entered the season with few established relievers, and both Keegan Akin and Ryan Helsley missed significant time with injury. Baltimore shipped Tyler Wells to the future American League champs, and Félix Bautista did not return until the end of the season.

Yennier Cano earned an extension, and Rico Garcia turned some heads, but there were plenty of innings to go around. Sanders, like teammates Grant Wolfram, Anthony Nunez and Josh Walker, set out to prove that he belonged in the big leagues.

The Orioles gave Alex Hoppe the same opportunity after acquiring the reliever and a pair of pitching prospects for outfielder Taylor Ward. Hoppe held a 5.79 ERA over 24 games with Seattle at the time of the deal.

Hoppe arrived with a triple-digit fastball, a slider, and a sinker. Baseball Savant also credited him with eight changeups in 2026, but the heater was the headliner. He demonstrated high-leverage potential with a 1.84 over 18 appearances with the Orioles. He recorded four holds, one save, and one win in Baltimore.

The Orioles will likely enter 2027 with at least some level of uncertainty in the bullpen. It’s unclear what Garcia will have for a sequel or if guys like Sanders and Wolfram can take another step forward. Hoppe and Nunez probably fit into a category of their own though. Both boast the type of high-leverage ceiling that could make an impact for years to come.

Hoppe will enter next season with two minor league options. He’ll head to Sarasota with an inside track on a bullpen spot but nothing guaranteed. The 27-year-old could grab the job and never let go. At a minimum, he’ll be an optionable reliever with high upside. Sanders also holds one minor league option.

Relievers are volatile from year to year. Baltimore’s front office liked both of these guys enough to add them to the mix. The front office has earned plenty of criticism over the years, but they’ve also identified several diamonds in the rough. Will either of these relievers qualify as another success story?

Before we begin looking ahead to 2027, OTM is looking back at 2026, highlighting some of the biggest, strangest, and most memorable moments of a memorable season. Today, we look at one of the most deflating trade deadline acquisitions of all-time.

The July version of the Red Sox were magic. Even in a harsh media city like Boston (I’ll admit it!), the “vibe” around the team was a stark departure from even a few weeks earlier. You’d have been hard pressed in the beginning of June to find anyone who’d justify trading future roster pieces for anyone who’d help the team compete, because it was clear the team could not compete.

That obviously all changed with the historic 15-game win streak. By the middle of the month, the team was squarely in “buy” mode, as a deep October run was, with the right pieces, very conceivable.

But we’ve seen this song and dance before. Just 12 calendar months earlier, Craig Breslow had “gotten uncomfortably aggressive” with his fellow front offices. The cynic in me would have loved to be a fly on the wall to see what Craig Breslow would classify as “uncomfortably aggressive,” but alas, the fruits of the deadline ended at Steven Matz and Dustin May. The Red Sox’s season would end at Yankee Stadium, and neither acquisition would be back to begin 2026.

The previous time the Sox had made the playoffs, the team acquired Kyle Schwarber, a deal that looked vastly less impressive after the team failed to acquire his services long-term in the offseason. The other acquisitions in 2021 were Austin Davis and Hansel Robles, which dims the shine of the Schwarber deal even further. The following year, with a playoff spot within reach, the team did a weird half-buy, half-sell stance, dealing longtime catcher Christian Vazquez and Jake Diekman and bringing in Reese McGuire (a notable downgrade behind the dish), Eric Hosmer and Tommy Pham. The team finished accordingly, in the cellar of the division. Point being, calls to win were met hollowly.

Then, at almost midnight three days prior to the 2026 trade deadline, that notion was turned on its ear. Connelly Early, a guy the team had in its rotation prior to some elbow inflammation, a guy on many top 100 prospect lists before the season started, a guy who very much fit the organization’s archetype of big lefty with velocity and bite on his fastball, and, truth be told, a guy who wasn’t pitching too badly (3.44 ERA, 93 strikeouts in 91 2/3 innings) was heading to Washington, a team who played two hour drive north of his Virginia hometown and a team fighting for a playoff spot in their (much more competitive) league. The return for this guy? Australian infielder Curtis Mead.

It seemed absurd at first glance. Until, that is, one remembered that Curtis Mead, after some early struggles (putting this lightly) in his career, had been hitting out of his mind with the Nationals to start 2026. He had 17 home runs and a .852 OPS. He had struggled with being patient at the plate but was getting better, and already didn’t strike out much. His arm strength is lower than average, but he had experience playing second base, which was a position of need for this team. If that didn’t pan out, there were a few different permutations the team could try out, which isn’t ideal for a team also in the middle of a playoff chase, but having everyday players to field who are plus bats is a good problem to have. Simply put, at the time, Early was 1) injured and 2) at a surplus, and Mead was 1) performing at a level where the team could be as “aggressive” as they’ve prided themselves on being to win baseball games and 2) played a position, maybe even two, of need.

Fast forward two nights. Sacramento against the Athletics, 9:40 first pitch for us over on the east coast. Curtis Mead is in the lineup. He’s batting second. He’s playing second. The team looked to have an everyday player. Enter the fourth inning. Mead against Jack Perkins. Perkins, a player who has a noted lack of command in his short career, lost control of his fastball, and Mead took it just shy of 95 miles per hour to the wrist. His bat flew away in reaction and Mead took his base. It was a scary moment, but it was also assuring to see Mead not exit immediately. The lurking cynic, though, wondered if this could be the start of a recurring issue. An inning later, Mead clearly looked uncomfortable in the field, and he exited the game. Initial imaging showed no fracture, but an MRI showed that Mead’s wrist, was, in fact broken. Mead went on the 10-day IL, but it was a foregone fact that he’d be gone for most of the rest of the season.

Make no mistake: this injury put the Red Sox at a new crossroads of the season and gave a Craig Breslow an even bolder challenge to put his money where his mouth was than the one he had accepted just three days earlier. He couldn’t throw his hands on and say “aw, shucks, we tried!” as the team was still in contention, and now, he didn’t have the luxury of using a surplus chip of an extra young rotation piece. He would have to get creative, and fast. It was, to be fair to Breslow, absolutely a raw deal. But how he reacted, and how the team gelled from that moment, could likely define the future of the season.

The Red Sox would upgrade their catcher position by trading for Adley Rutschman (and Jake Rogers) in exchange for Carlos Narvaez and a plethora of budding prospects. They’d also grab Erik Miller by dealing another injured everyday player in Marcelo Mayer, and would bring Eli White into the fold, a move I was convinced at the time would spell the end of Jarren Duran’s time with the organization, but Duran punched at his class to finish 2026. Breslow, though some debate on the effectiveness of deals lingered after a second consecutive postseason run would end at the hands of the Yankees, put a clear “bought” symbol next to his organization for the first time in almost a decade.

And it’s easy to imagine that at least some of this influence between throwing caution to the wind on the Rutschman deal especially was because of this perceived – and very tangible – urgency.

As with most moves the Red Sox have made in the last year or so, this move will effect them not just for this year, but for some time after. The myriad ways that sentence can be construed is intentional. It will, in Boston fashion, be evaluated with every gem Early pitches (and there will be plenty) and it will be maligned with every errant throw Mead makes over the course of the next five years. Because, yes, Mead is under team control until 2031. These transactions also don’t exist in a vacuum, and so it’s entirely possible that this deal will benefit both teams in the long run, just as the teams simply not ever picking their phones up might have, as well. It’s natural to think of what would have been, and just as natural to say that this trade was of little consequence in 2026, and that goes for either team, as Early made exactly one appearance with his new team following coming off of that injury. But the move, at the time, was absolutely of high consequence for Craig Breslow and his future with the Boston Red Sox.

Good morning.

Evan Grant writes that the Texas Rangers are on the other side of their big spender era and are now back on that player development grind.

MLB Trade Rumors’ AJ Eustace writes about how an improved changeup helped Jacob Latz ascend to become an unexpected All-Star closer in 2026.

And, if you happen to know players who played with Mike Minor or who finished top 5 in saves during the 2000s, you might do well at today’s Rangers Daily Walkoff!

Have a nice day!

A five-time All-Star, two-time Gold Glover, four-time Silver Slugger winner and a runner-up in both Rookie of the Year and MVP voting, Francisco Lindor is familiar with the spectrum of awards that are handed out late in the year.

For several reasons, the hardware he received in 2026 means a bit more.

“To me this honor, this award, it’s probably one of the most important awards in MLB,” said Lindor, the recipient of the Roberto Clemente Award. “Just because it’s not about myself. It’s about my family, my parents, how much they have instilled in me to give and share the blessings that I have had.”

The Roberto Clemente Award is bestowed upon the player “who best represents the game of baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field,” MLB says. The Mets’ star shortstop had been nominated for the humanitarian award in every year since 2023, and his fourth nod brought recognition that is particularly resonant for a Puerto Rico native.

The accolade is earned, with Lindor pouring time and money into endeavors from education to leadership in communities in Queens, his high school alma mater in Florida and his home island.

Through a partnership with New Balance, he annually provides hundreds of students with backpacks and school supplies. He has donated more than $1 million to Montverde Academy in Florida. New this season was “Lindor’s Leaders,” a leadership initiative for Bayside High School’s Sports Medicine Program.

“I didn’t go to college,” Lindor said over Zoom late last week. “My education comes through the lower school, middle school, high school, and through the people I’ve met in my life that have put me in conversations, that have put me in rooms to gain knowledge. And that’s kind of the thing I do with the high school and the Lindor Leaders.

“I have conversations with young people that are growing and going to be the next fathers, the next mothers of the world and the next engineers, doctors, and just having conversations with them.”

Among his other charitable efforts: financial support for Puerto Rico following hurricanes; a partnership with Dairy Queen and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals in support of Miracle Treat Day, helping raise money for local children’s hospitals; “Lindor Smile Tuesdays,” which educates local kids about dental hygiene; a collaboration with Seen, a nonprofit that aims to help families affected by disability and medical hardship and is especially personal for Lindor, who has a disabled stepsister.

With the award, Lindor follows in the footsteps of Clemente, a Puerto Rican star who died in a plane crash while trying to deliver aid to Nicaragua.

“I remember going to history classes in Puerto Rico for second, third, fourth grade,” Lindor said. “And you learn about the Indios, the Taínos, which are natives. You learn about Roberto Clemente, and you learn about Spaniards and Christopher Columbus. It’s so cool to sit here and to be recognized for going out there to the communities.”

Lindor is the first Met to win the award since Curtis Granderson in 2016 and fifth ever (also joining Carlos Delgado, Al Leiter and Gary Carter).

“To be part of a fraternity, a community that of all the recipients that have won this award, guys like Delgado, [Carlos] Beltrán, Edgar Martínez, guys that I grew up idolizing — the Molinas,” said Lindor, who was set to receive the award before Monday’s Game 3 of the World Series. “There’s so many big names that represented the game the right way on the field, but off the field they were even greater. And to be part of this community, it means the world.

“I’m super excited. I’m blessed. I’m honored. I’m humbled by it.”

This morning, Major League Baseball named Francisco Lindor the 2026 Roberto Clemente Award recipient. The Clemente Award, per the press release provided by MLB, is “the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field.” The press release also refers to the award as ‘Major League Baseball’s most prestigious individual player honor.“

This is Lindor’s fourth nomination as a Met for the Clemente Award.

Mets fans need no primer on the work Lindor does for the community, and as part of this award, presenting sponsor Capital One is donating $100,000 to SEEN Foundation. From SEEN’s website, the organization “advance[s] disability advocacy and self-advocacy by promoting access to text based Assistive Technology Communication supports.” Lindor and his wife, Katia, do work with SEEN, as well as many other charities in the New York area.

Lindor is now the fifth Met to receive the Clemente Award since its 1971 inception, following in the footsteps of Gary Carter (1989), Al Leiter (2000), Carlos Delgado (2006), and Curtis Granderson (2016).

Congratulations to Lindor, and read the full press release below.

FRANCISCO LINDOR NAMED RECIPIENT OF THE2026 ROBERTO CLEMENTE AWARD PRESENTED BY CAPITAL ONE

Mets Star Recognized for Extraordinary Contributions to Education, Youth Leadership, Disaster Relief in Puerto Rico and Support for Queens Youth

Presenting Sponsor Capital One Donates $100,000 to SEEN Foundation

Tampa, Florida – Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets has been named the 2026 recipient of Major League Baseball’s most prestigious individual player honor, the Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One. Deepening its commitment to the award’s impact, Capital One is donating $100,000 to SEEN Foundation in honor of Lindor’s achievement. Lindor was nominated by the Mets for his unwavering dedication to service, education, youth development and community leadership. Lindor will be formally presented with the Roberto Clemente Award at Tropicana Field before tonight’s Game Three of the World Series presented by Capital One. 

A devoted husband and father of three, Francisco’s greatest source of pride is his family. Whether on the field at Citi Field or in the community, he leads with humility, compassion and purpose alongside his wife, Katia. Katia serves as an active co-leader across the family’s philanthropic initiatives, working together with Francisco to design and execute outreach efforts, mentor young people and engage directly with local community organizations. As a proud Puerto Rican native, Francisco shares a connection to Roberto Clemente through their Puerto Rican roots and a commitment to making a difference beyond the game. With his selection, Francisco becomes the fifth recipient of Puerto Rican descent to receive the Roberto Clemente Award since its inception in 1971, joining a distinguished group of past honorees that includes Edgar Martinez (2004), Carlos Delgado (2006), Carlos Beltrán (2013) and Yadier Molina (2018). 

While recognized as one of baseball’s top players and a five-time All-Star; four-time Silver Slugger; two-time Rawlings Gold Glover and Heart and Hustle Award recipient, Francisco’s legacy, like Clemente’s, is defined by the lives they impact through service, generosity and leadership:

• Capital One’s $100,000 donation, presented in honor of Francisco Lindor, will directly support the SEEN Foundation, an organization with which Francisco and his wife, Katia, are working to make a meaningful impact in the lives of young people. The contribution will help advance SEEN Foundation’s mission and expand its efforts to empower youth, create opportunities and foster positive community impact. Through this donation, Lindor and Katia’s commitment to giving back will continue to support the organization’s work and help further its long-term impact in the communities it serves.
• Lindor’s Leaders Program (est. 2026) — Launched in partnership with New Balance, this year-long leadership development initiative for students in Bayside High School’s Sports Medicine Program focuses on mental health, communication, teamwork, and leadership. Lindor personally mentors participating students, equipping them with the confidence to lead in their schools and communities.
• Support for Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals — In 2026, Francisco partnered with Dairy Queen and Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals for Miracle Treat Day, raising critical funds for local children’s hospitals by donating directly to families in need $1 or more from every Blizzard Treat sold.
• Transformative Commitment to Education — A proud graduate of Montverde Academy, Lindor has donated more than $1 million since 2020 to build Lindor Hall, a two-story middle school building featuring state-of-the-art science and technology labs. He also established the Francisco Lindor Scholarship Fund to provide financial aid for students, remaining personally involved through mentorship, career guidance, annual PLAY BALL youth events, and equipment donations for the school’s baseball team.
• Disaster Relief and Advocacy for Puerto Rico — Deeply committed to his native Puerto Rico, Francisco provided essential financial support following Hurricanes Maria and Fiona, restored athletic facilities in his hometown of Caguas, and hosted youth clinics. He continues to partner with organizations including Team Rubicon, the Amazin’ Mets Foundation, Players for the Planet, and Rescate Playas Borinquen for ongoing recovery and environmental conservation.
• Serving the Queens Community — Through an annual back-to-school initiative with New Balance, Lindor provides hundreds of students each year with backpacks and essential school supplies. Now in its third season, Lindor Smile Tuesdays welcomes youth organizations to Citi Field for educational experiences promoting dental health, wellness, self-confidence, and mentorship.
• Growing the Game — Passionate about making baseball accessible and inclusive, Francisco regularly participates in the Mets’ Clinic for Champions with Special Olympics Florida and hosts the Lindor Clinic for Kids for local youth leagues and Boys & Girls Clubs.

The Roberto Clemente Award presented by Capital One is the annual recognition of a Major League player who best represents the game of Baseball through extraordinary character, community involvement, philanthropy and positive contributions, both on and off the field. The concept of honoring Major League players for their philanthropic work was created in 1971 as the “Commissioner’s Award.” It was renamed to the “Roberto Clemente Award” in 1973 to honor the Hall of Famer and 15-time All-Star who died in a plane crash on New Year’s Eve 1972 while attempting to deliver supplies to earthquake victims in Nicaragua. 

Lindor was selected from a list of 30 Club nominees by a distinguished panel that included Commissioner Manfred, Roberto Clemente’s children, Enrique, Luis, and Roberto Jr., former players (including former Roberto Clemente Award winners), journalists from MLB-affiliated network & media partners, MLB Network, FOX Sports, NBC, ESPN, TBS, Netflix and MLB.com, and a representative from Capital One. Additionally, each year, fans are given the chance to vote via MLBTogether.com/clementeaward. Lindor was recognized as a nominee on Roberto Clemente Day presented by Capital One, which was held on September 15^th throughout Major League Baseball. Each September since 2002, Major League Baseball has commemorated Roberto Clemente Day to recognize Clemente Award nominees and celebrate the Hall of Famer’s unforgettable legacy. 

With the World Series headed into its final week, the look ahead at the postseason is starting to clear up. Teams have probably about wrapped up most of their offseason meetings in preparation for this offseason where they decide which route they plan on taking for the season to come. That means decisions on tendering contracts and making qualifying offers.

For the Phillies, the biggest decision they have is whether or not they should be offer Alec Bohm a qualifying offer. If you aren’t sure, a team can offer a qualifying offer to a player that, should he accept it rather than go into free agency, entitles him to a large one-year deal before going back into free agency the following season. This year, that number has crested $23 million, which is insane to think about. Should the player not take the deal, he heads into free agency with something of an anchor on his back. Any team that signs that player will be forced to take on some penalties, those penalties varying depending on who signs him. The Phillies then would be compensated with some extra draft picks, presumably to spend them on low cost college relievers that don’t have great strikeout rates.

Seems like an easy decision until one thinks about the amount of money it would cost. While it’s mostly true there is no such thing as a bad one-year deal, there is a bad way to spend that money included in a one-year deal. Handing over $23 million to Bohm is probably one of those bad ways, but that’s where the question comes into play today: should the Phillies offer Bohm a qualifying offer this offseason? It would be nice to have that draft pick compensation once July rolls around, but the idea of tying up that much money on a player with a limited skillset seems not the best way to spend that much money.

Meet the Mets

An off-day in the World Series was the perfect time for Micah Noe to look back at the Gold Glove-nominated season of Luis Torrens.

A true reversal, the everyone’s favorite hot dogging sideline man Steve Gelbs took some questions of his own on the Mets’ YouTube channel.

Around the National League East

Equal parts remembering a Met and remembering a Guy, Danny Young was a member of the 2026 Atlanta Braves for a time.

Moving towards 2027, the Washington Nationals have up to five viable catchers and, of course, they gotta figure out what exactly to do with all of them.

Around Major League Baseball

You may have noticed the Tampa Bay Rays turning to dust before your eyes. The team is just as unhappy about it as you presumably are.

Naturally, the Rays and their players feel a comeback in their bones and, frankly, it wouldn’t shock me if it did happen.

Tonight in Game 3, Tropicana Field will host its first World Series game since Shea Stadium was technically an active ballpark.

Old Friend Freddy Peralta will take the mound for the Rays, taking on his…old friends.

On the other end, the Brewers always end up falling behind in the postseason and almost always end up making a comeback just as easily.

If you believe the Brewers, Brice Turang proclaimed himself a future Hall of Famer during initial contract negotiations. If you believe Turang, it never happened.

For Milwaukee fans, thinking of Bob Uecker during this series is ultimately more sweet than bitter.

Not even one of the longest shutout streaks in postseason history can keep Aaron Ashby from wanting to be a starting pitcher at one point or another in the future.

This Date in Mets History

On this date in 1998, the Mets signed Mike Piazza to the largest contract in Major League Baseball history.