Category: MLB

The Washington Nationals had a great offensive season in 2026. They finished tied for 3rd in OPS, 6th in homers, 3rd in runs, 4th in doubles, 12th in average and 3rd in slugging percentage. That production did not go unnoticed. Stars James Wood and CJ Abrams were both nominated for Silver Sluggers. The Nationals were also nominated for the best offensive team in the National League.

While I am happy for Wood and Abrams, the team award is what has me most excited. For the Nats to be nominated alongside the Dodgers, Cubs and Brewers is a great achievement. Those teams have been developing into offensive machines for years now. In Paul Toboni’s first season running the Nats, they are now in that company.

Obviously the players deserve a lot of credit as well, but this is a huge player development win. The Nats have star players like Wood and Abrams, but it takes more than that. This award is due to guys like Keibert Ruiz, Jacob Young, Andres Chaparro, Curtis Mead and Luis Garcia Jr. all taking big steps in the right direction.

There are plenty of teams who had bigger names in their lineup. However, most of those teams could not match the Nats success at the plate. Based on the numbers, the Cubs will probably win this award, but to even be nominated is a huge win for the Nationals organization.

On to the players, I think both Wood and Abrams have strong Silver Slugger cases. Abrams filled up the statsheet in 2026. He led all NL shortstops in home runs, RBI and stolen bases. Abrams broke the Nats record for homers by a shortstop before July was even over.

For the season, Abrams hit .261 with 33 homers, 34 steals, 106 RBI and an .834 OPS. Doing that as a shortstop is wildly impressive. If you got those numbers from a first baseman or left fielder, they would still be in the Silver Slugger mix.

The race between Abrams, Elly De La Cruz and Otto Lopez will be hotly contested. In my opinion, Abrams and Elly are neck and neck for this award. De La Cruz’s red hot finish to the season might get him over the line, but both had tremendous seasons.

I also think James Wood has a decent chance of picking up hardware. Like Abrams, I think this one could go either way. He was the best offensive outfielder in the NL for the first half. However, he slowed down after the All-Star break and missed about a month.

Even with that context, Wood still had the second best OPS in the National League at .891. He hit 30 homers, scored 106 runs, stole 21 bases and drove in 77 runs. When Wood was at his best this season, he was an unstoppable force that pitchers had no answers for.

We will see if that elite first half is enough to get him silverware. When I look at the numbers, I tend to think it should. Besides Pete Crow-Armstrong, all the other candidates are pretty close together. Fernando Tatis Jr. had a great second half, but also went about two months without homering. Like Wood, Corbin Carroll and Jordan Walker had rough second half numbers, but were not as good as the Nats slugger in the first half.

The winners will be announced on November 17th, so that will be something to look forward to. It would be a real shame if no Nats got rewarded with a Silver Slugger given the offensive season the team had. I tend to think Wood will get over the line, but we will find out in a couple weeks.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are a team to keep an eye on during free agency this offseason, as they look to take that next step toward making their first postseason appearance since 2015.

Their 82-80 record this past season provides hope for the future and makes them an intriguing team for free agents to sign with. One player that could be on their radar is San Diego Padres first baseman Ty France.

“The Pirates have more than $20 million coming off the books from 2026, just between Brandon Lowe (who has a qualifying offer to decide on) and Marcell Ozuna. A portion of that could be reallocated to France, in hopes that he can help them build on their first winning season since 2018,” Bleacher Report contributor Tim Kelly wrote.

France, 32, was an All-Star in 2022 with the Seattle Mariners, who he helped reach the playoffs for the first time in 21 years. In the years to follow, France’s career took a bit of a downswing, which led to him being designated for assignment by the Mariners in 2024. While he struggled and bounced around the league with the Cincinnati Reds, Minnesota Twins, and Toronto Blue Jays, he ended up having a breakout year for the Padres in 2026.

He had a career-high 4.5 wins above replacement while participating in 133 games for the club. He batted .295 with 21 home runs and 72 RBIs, making him one of the top free-agent first basemen on the market.

France would be a strong upgrade compared to Spencer Horowitz, who played 114 games at first base for the Pirates this past season. If Pittsburgh wants to take that next step, they need to be aggressive in free agency, and signing France could be the move that helps them get closer to their goals.

BD community, what are your thoughts on the potential of signing France? Let us know in the comment section below.

Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong has already taken home three awards this offseason — Player of the Year from Baseball America and the Players Choice Awards, and a Gold Glove.

Thursday, Louisville Slugger announced “finalists” (really just the top vote-getters) for its Silver Slugger awards.

PCA and Seiya Suzuki were finalists for the NL outfield awards. There were seven “finalists” and three will be chosen (regardless of position). The other four: Corbin Carroll, Jackson Chourio, Fernando Tatis Jr., Jordan Walker and James Wood.

Alex Bregman and Max Muncy were the two “finalists” at third base.

It’s entirely possible that all three Cubs “finalists” will win Silver Sluggers this year. For Suzuki and PCA, it would be their first such award. Bregman won a Silver Slugger in 2019 with the Astros and 2026 was clearly his best offensive season since then.

The winners of the 2026 Silver Slugger Awards will be announced on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger were officially announced as American League Silver Slugger Award finalists. Award creator and sponsor Louisville Slugger announced the finalists on Thursday morning, with the winners to be revealed on November 17th.

The Silver Slugger Award was created in 1980 to recognize the best hitter at each position in their respective leagues, with the award recently expanded to be given to a utility player as well as one for the best offensive team in each league. Unlike many of the other year-end honors including MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year, the Silver Slugger is not decided by the BBWAA. Instead, coaches and managers from each team cast votes for the winner and are not allowed to vote for players on their own teams.

This is Ben Rice’s second straight appearance as a finalist for the award, getting nominated in the utility category last year before losing out to Zach McKinstry of the Tigers. Despite splitting reps between first base and DH, Rice earns the nod in the DH category this year. Rice led all Yankees position players with 4.2 fWAR this season, finishing third in MLB in slugging (.534) fifth in wRC+ (149) and seventh in home runs (41). Overall, he slashed .264/.363/.534 while also adding a team-high 105 runs and 97 RBIs in 154 games. Should he win, this would be Rice’s first major award of his career — but given his competition, he’s probably a long shot.

As for Bellinger, this is also his second straight nomination as a finalist for the award, missing out last year to Aaron Judge, Byron Buxton, and Riley Greene. Bellinger has already secured two pieces of hardware this offseason, winning the AL Gold Glove Award and the Fielding Bible Award in left field. Despite missing a month to a hamstring injury, Bellinger still finished third among left fielders with 3.5 fWAR and fifth in wRC+ (115). In 121 games, Bellinger slashed .264/.338/.429 with 17 home runs, 73 runs scored, and 73 RBIs. Should Bellinger be voted winner on November 17th, it would be the third Silver Slugger award of his career, the other two coming in 2019 and 2023.

As for the rest of the AL nominees, Dillon Dingler and Carter Jensen are finalists at catcher. Pete Alonso and Willson Contreras are first base finalists after both finished in the top-six in MLB in wRC+. Kody Clemens and Chase Meidroth are the second base finalists. Finalists at short include AL MVP finalist Bobby Witt Jr., likely AL Rookie of the Year Kevin McGonigle, and Zach Neto. At third base is AL MVP finalist Junior Caminero and Miguel Vargas, the pair finishing tied for 12th in MLB in fWAR.

The outfield finalists joining Bellinger are Mike Trout, Wilyer Abreu, Randy Arozarena, Chase DeLauter, Jac Caglianone, Chandler Simpson, Riley Greene, and Tristan Peters. It’s a tight group and Bellinger might well end up outside the top three. Rice also has tough competition at DH with likely AL MVP Yordan Alvarez named as the other finalist. Rounding out the finalists are McGonigle, Sam Antonacci, and Ezequiel Duran at utility, while the Astros, Rays, Twins, and White Sox are your team finalists.

Over on the NL side of the award, Hunter Goodman and Gabriel Moreno are finalists at catcher. NLCS MVP and World Series winner Jake Bauers is joined by Alec Burleson, Rafael Devers, and Matt Olson as first base finalists. NL MVP finalist Brice Turang and Brandon Lowe are finalists at second base. Elly De La Cruz was snubbed as an NL MVP finalist, but is nominated for this award alongside CJ Abrams and Otto Lopez at shortstop. Alex Bregman and Max Muncy are your third base finalists.

In the outfield, presumptive NL MVP Pete Crow-Armstrong leads the way, accompanied by Jackson Chourio, Corbin Carroll, Seiya Suzuki, Fernando Tatis Jr., James Wood, and Jordan Walker. NL MVP finalist Shohei Ohtani is joined by Kyle Schwarber as DH finalists. Finally, Bauers and Tatis are joined by NL Rookie of the Year finalist Sal Stewart in the utility category while the Brewers, Cubs, Dodgers, and Nationals are your team finalists.

Best of luck to Ben and Cody!

The Baltimore Orioles went into 2026 with a ton of optimism. They had a core of talent, a couple of high ranking prospects on the cusp, and signed a big veteran bat in Pete Alonso to give them some feared thump in the lineup. However, the 2026 Orioles mostly limped along through the season, rotating between 500 baseball to 9 games below at their worst, finishing with a 79-82 record, good for 4th place. We talked to Tyler Young of Camden Chat about their takeaways from the 2026 season and what the Orioles can look forward to in 2027.

With the 2026 season in the rearview mirror, what do Orioles fans think are the key takeaways, both good and bad on the season?

I think the big takeaway from most in the fan base is that there is something deeply flawed about the front office. There are just too many things not working out for it to be a coincidence. The homegrown hitters have regressed, the former top prospects aren’t living up to the hype, major injuries hit right at the start of spring training every year, and the team has consistently under-performed its perceived talent level ever since the all-star break in 2024. Many fans want Mike Elias, the team’s president of baseball operations, gone. Instead, the ownership group is committing to increase the size of the front office and has already hired a GM (Jared Banner) under Elias that will be responsible for solving some of those issues I mentioned earlier, while Elias focuses on talent evaluation. It’s good that they are doing something, but it’s unclear how much it will move the needle. On the field, it’s all pretty negative, though I think most fans are cautiously optimistic on the pitching side of things. There is organizational stability in that area, and the club does seem to get the most out of the talent they have on the mound.

What would you consider the team front office’s priority to be this offseason (assuming we’ll have baseball like normal next year)?

Outfield help probably needs to be the top priority. Colton Cowser is the only name you can pencil in with any confidence, and I’m not even sure they want him to play against left-handed pitching. There is speculation that they could convert one of their infielders to play in a corner spot. Coby Mayo is a candidate there, but others think Jackson Holliday could do it as well. The front office probably still needs external help in any case. Starting rotation additions are number two.

Who would be the key players targeted in Free Agency or by trade for the team this offseason, and likewise, is there any players you expect to be traded by the team?

I do think a reunion with Trevor Rogers makes sense. As of this writing, they have extended him the qualifying offer, which Rogers will probably decline. He’s been the team’s best pitcher over the last two seasons, and has seemed to enjoy his time in Baltimore. If that doesn’t come through, I would expect them to make a hard push for Reid Detmers in a trade. The Orioles and Angels have made several deals since Elias arrived, and Elias likes trading for pitchers with years of control left. It would be expensive, but might be worth it. Recent reporting indicates that the Orioles are open to trading anyone but Pete Alonso this offseason. I just don’t know how much value anyone outside of Gunnar Henderson really has, and even he has been less than what they expected recently. They probably need to figure something out at third base with Mayo, Jordan Westburg, and Christian Encarnacion-Strand all in the mix. One of them could be packaged up to solve a problem elsewhere.

Going into spring, which prospects, if any, look like they’ll have a real chance to start the year with the major league club?

Enrique Bradfield Jr. probably has the best chance. Outfielder, former first-round out of Vanderbilt. Super fast, great glove, no pop in the bat. He’s not a “Top 100” type, but it’s a skillset that could help this team, even if his playing time is sporadic. They need outfielders, and he is the next one up. Trey Gibson might break camp with the big league team too. He spent some time in Baltimore in 2026 as a spot starter. Could battle for the fifth spot in the rotation. And Luis De Léon is another pitcher to watch. They speed-ran him through Triple-A to help out of the big league bullpen near the end of ’26. They probably want him to spend more time in the minors as a starter for now.

What would team fans consider the elements of a successful 2027 season going forward, whether it is just positive steps forward all the way to winning the World Series?

This needs to be a winning baseball team in 2027, and in this version of the American League that should mean a playoff berth. How they get to that point is harder to say, but I think it starts with the offense. The rotation is serviceable, and the bullpen has some sneaky depth. It was the lineup that failed to live up to expectations last year. Outside of Alonso, and a late-season surge from Mayo, the group was disappointing. They need more out of guys like Henderson, Holliday, Cowser, Samuel Basallo, and the return fo Jordan Westburg. If that means a top five-ish lineup, they will be in a good spot.

And a fun little exercise; you’ve been named GM for the Orioles. Tell me the four biggest (and at least vaguely realistic) moves you make this offseason? 

– Re-sign starter Trevor Rogers. There is a good relationship there. He flourished in Baltimore, and the Orioles need him (or someone similar) in the rotation. Plus, the projected contract is pretty palatable. 
– Trade for outfielder Steven Kwan. The Orioles have no lead-off hitter, and they sorely need better outfield defense. Kwan solves both problems.
– Sign catcher Tyler Stephenson. It seems like they want Basallo to catch less often, and Carlos Narváez was an offensive disaster last year after coming over from Boston. They need a dependable option behind the plate.
– Sign starter Kevin Gausman. Elias loves signing veteran starter pitchers to one-year deals. He does it every winter. Gausman isn’t what he once was, but he stays healthy and gives his team a chance to win. That’s a perfect back-end arm for a team looking to survive a season. Baltimore being a return to where Gausman began his big league career is a nice added bonus from the fan perspective.

Thanks Tyler!

A serious bout of catcher injuries struck the Atlanta Braves during the first half of the season, and desperate times called for desperate measures. One of those measures, of the band-aid variety, ended up being Austin Wynns, who spent two weeks with the club in June and appeared in six games.

How Acquired

The Braves added Wynns in the middle of the season, while both Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy were down with injuries. They sent cash considerations to the Angels in exchange for Wynns’ services, and designated longtime third-string catcher Chadwick Tromp in a corresponding move. The reasoning was a bit weird, though it was all meant to be a temporary fix anyway: Sandy Leon was getting the bulk of playing time anyway, so the Braves opted to acquire a backup-to-Leon instead of using Tromp in that role for whatever reason.

One silly thing about the Wynns acquisition is that the Braves kind of prompted it with their own DFA of Jonah Heim earlier in the season. The Athletics, who acquired Wynns in a midseason trade in 2025, DFAed him three days after trading for Heim. He was released and signed with the Angels, but didn’t get promoted to their big league team. Three weeks later, the Braves traded cash considerations (which is what they received for Heim) to Anaheim for Wynns.

What were the expectations?

There weren’t any real expectations, to be blunt.

Coming into 2026, the 35-year-old Wynns had a career 74 wRC+ that featured a pretty sizable xwOBA overperformance (.282 wOBA, .265 xwOBA) in 783 career PAs spanning parts of six major league seasons. He had never topped 180 PAs in a single season, nor 1.0 fWAR. He came kind of close in 2025 riding a massive xwOBA overperformance (.365 wOBA, .295 xwOBA), though. He also wasn’t highly regarded defensively, with just one good defensive year (2023) behind the plate and some substantially below-average performance in other seasons.

He wasn’t doing much of anything in 2026, either — a -47 wRC+ (yes, a negative sign) in 43 PAs in Sacramento before getting released. Basically, the Braves acquired a guy who had 0.6 career fWAR in 826 PAs at the big league level.

While it’s not entirely clear what the Braves were thinking in swapping Tromp for Wynns, it was a fairly inconsequential shuffle to try and survive until Baldwin and Murphy returned.

2026 results

Wynns was only with the Braves for two weeks, acquired on June 3, recalled on June 4, and granted free agency on June 16, the day after Baldwin returned from the Injured List.

During his time in Atlanta, he appeared in six games and was 1-for-14 at the plate. He had just one single and no walks, leaving him with a sad .071/.071/.071 slash line that was somehow even worse than his -47 wRC+ with the Athletics. In what would be his final game with the team, he went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts against the Mets. It wasn’t much better behind the plate, where he allowed six stolen bases and didn’t throw a single runner out, and lost nearly a run of defensive value despite barely playing, even after accounting for the massive catcher positional adjustment. In total, he put up -0.3 fWAR in 14 PAs, which by far his worst stint-with-a-team-in-a-season of his career, small sample size and all.

At least the baseball gods threw him a bit of a bone: after he rejected the Braves’ outright assignment and became a free agent, he signed a minor league deal with the Rangers, spent a month playing in their minor league system, and then got promoted for a month on the big league roster. In 32 PAs in Arlington, he somehow managed a .312 wOBA with a .195 xwOBA, and his defense improved-ish. All in all, Wynns finished 2026 with -0.7 fWAR in 89 PAs, but it would’ve been worse without that stint in the Lone Star State. The Rangers outrighted him in August, and he once again elected free agency, and spent the tail end of the season in the minors with the Cubs.

It wasn’t a fun season for Wynns, as he tied his career-worst in fWAR, had a sub-100 PA season for just the third time, and had a career-worst wRC+ (2).

What went right?

Per Statcast, his defense was commensurate with being in the 73rd percentile in blocks above average? That’s about the only good thing you can say for his season, and it’s largely negated by the fact that he was below average in caught stealing above average, framing and pop time.

In somewhat fitting fashion, Wynns’ “best” game as a Brave was the beginning of their downfall — that 6-5, extra-inning loss to the White Sox. Wynns’ hit was a one-out single that put runners on the corners on with one out while the Braves already had a one-run lead. They didn’t end up scoring in the frame, in part due to a fielder’s choice that threw the runner trying to go home out, and, well, you know how that game and the rest of June went for the Braves.

What went wrong?

Not to be harsh, but, pretty much everything. He wasn’t expected to be a plus bat but one could have at least hoped he could’ve improved on his -47 wRC+ from earlier in the year. That’s how you get a career-worst year.

If you had to pick a specific game from his six as a Brave, well, the day after that horrible loss to the White Sox, Wynns really faceplanted. He flew out with the bases loaded and two out in the second. Then he flew out with the go-ahead run on second and two out in the fourth. Then, after the leadoff man reached in the seventh and Wynns represented the tying run, he lined out. He didn’t get another chance in that game, as Eli White pinch-hit for him and drew a walk in the ninth, representing the tying run, but the Braves lost that game, 2-1.

2027 Outlook

With Wynns set to turn 36 in December, it seems quite possible this is the end of the road for his major league career. He may get another chance with a team if they pick up a rash of catcher injuries, but it’s hard to imagine that would be the Braves again. There are also enough catchers out there on the waiver wire that a guy who neither hits nor fields the catcher position particularly well doesn’t seem like anyone’s first choice, but… the Braves did deliberately acquire him last year, so you never know.

This morning, the Silver Slugger finalists were announced and the Arizona Diamondbacks have two: catcher Gabriel Moreno and outfielder Corbin Carroll.

Caroll won the award in 2025 and is looking to add to his awards collection. The 26-year-old slashed .239/.328/.467 with 22 home runs in 156 games this year. He also knocked 33 doubles and an MLB-leading 17 triples.

He faces some stiff competition, though, as he is up against Jackson Chourio (Milwaukee Brewers), Pete Crow-Armstrong (Chicago Cubs), Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs), Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres), Jordan Walker (St. Louis Cardinals) and James Wood (Washington Nationals). Three of them will take home honors.

Moreno is a two-time Gold Glove winner, but has not yet added Silver to his trophy case. The 26-year-old had an outstanding year at the plate, winning the National League batting title with a .311 average. He also posted an .874 OPS with 16 home runs, alongside one triple and 33 doubles of his own — tying him with Carroll for the team lead.

Moreno faces stiff competition, as he is up against Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman, who is the reigning winner. Goodman finished the season with 41 home runs plus a .245 average and .839 OPS.

The winners are set to be announced on Tuesday, November 17.

In case you missed it, the Mariners introduced manager Jason Kanzler in a press conference Wednesday afternoon at T-Mobile Park…and so begins another chapter for the team under the leadership of President of Baseball Operations Jerry Dipoto.

After a roughly month-long search, the Mariners tapped Kanzler who, despite having coached with the Astros and more recently served as the farm director for the Cubs, has never been a manager. Some fans and critics of the team may have hoped for more of a known figure to head the clubhouse, especially considering neither of the first two managers under Dipoto had managerial experience either.

I admittedly haven’t formed a strong opinion on the hire. A lot of this probably sources from lack of information on Kanzler, plus my own default belief that a manager only matters so much. There also weren’t many names publicly considered, and one of those few withdrew their name from contention. The early skepticism that the hire may evoke for some is largely understandable — a 36-year-old with a unique background but lack of managerial experience is a pretty big question mark for a team that’s not only coming off a 76-win season, but also desperate to take advantage of the core that’s taken them closer to a World Series than they’ve ever been. That said, I went into viewing the introductory press conference with an open mind; he’s the new manager, regardless of any opinion I might have before I ever see him leading the team from the top step.

Personally, the thing that struck me most from Kanzler’s first public appearance was his thoughtful answers to the questions from the media. In LL’s Build-a-Manager piece, I talked about modern managers functioning as baseball’s version of a middle manager. From this standpoint, a strong ability to communicate may be the single most essential trait for someone new to the role. Whether it be relating with the players, working with the front office and coaching personnel to optimize in-game decisions, or speaking with the media, communication is always going to be at the forefront. Kanzler, regardless of the level of success he will eventually find in Seattle, seems ready to excel in this aspect of the job. Success on the field will need to accompany, of course, but Wednesday’s presser nonetheless marked a promising start to his tenure.

The full press conference is linked here if you haven’t seen it already. With that, here’s today’s discussion prompt:

What is your first impression of Jason Kanzler following his introductory press conference? Has your opinion on the hire been swayed?

Let me know your thoughts down in the comments!

It shouldn’t come as a surprise, but Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman has been named a Silver Slugger finalist for the second year in a row. Goodman won the award in 2025, and is looking to become the first Rockie to win back-to-back Sluggers since Trevor Story did in 2018 and 2019.

This nomination comes on the heels of Goodman’s monster 2026 that saw him hit 41 home runs — the first Rockie to hit 40+ homers since Nolan Arenado in 2019 — and be named to the All-Star team for the second-straight year. He also hit .245 with a .839 OPS.

Goodman is up against Arizona Diamondbacks’ catcher Gabriel Moreno, who won the National League batting title with a .311 average and hit 16 home runs with a .874 OPS.

The winners are set to be announced on Tuesday, November 17.

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Ben Rice and Cody Bellinger were two of the Yankees' most consistent hitters in 2026, and they are being recognized for it.

The Yankees sluggers were named finalists for the 2026 Silver Slugger Awards. For the American League, Rice was nominated in the DH category, while Bellinger, naturally, is a finalist for the outfielders. 

Rice had his breakout season in 2026, smashing 41 home runs while slashing .264/.363/.534 with an OPS of .897. He was also voted to his first All-Star Game. If Rice wins, it will be his first Silver Slugger Award.

Yordan Alvarez, the front-runner for the AL MVP, is the only other AL finalist in the DH category.

As for Bellinger, he goes up against Cleveland's Chase DeLauter, Detroit's Riley Green, the White Sox's Tristan Peters, Boston's Wilyer Abreu, Seattle's Randy Arozarena, Kansas City's Jac Caglianone, the Angels' Mike Trout and Tampa Bay's Chandler Simpson in the AL outfield category -- three are selected each year. 

Bellinger had arguably his most well-rounded season with the Yankees, slashing .264/.338/.429 with an OPS of .768 to go along with 17 home runs. The former NL MVP has already won a Gold Glove this offseason and if he earns a Silver Slugger, it will be his third. The first came in his MVP season of 2019 with the Dodgers and again in 2023, his first year with the Cubs. 

Last year, the Yankees had three Silver Slugger wins. Jazz Chisholm Jr. won it for second base, Aaron Judge for the outfield, and the Yankees won Team of the Year honors. 

The Royals had a disappointing season as a team, but some individual players stood out and could be recognized this offseason. Bobby Witt Jr., Carter Jensen, and Jac Caglianone were named finalists for the 2026 Silver Slugger Awards, with winners to be announced on November 17.

The Royals are one of five teams with at least three finalists, joining the White Sox (four), Tigers, Brewers and Cubs (three each).

Witt is looking to make it three consecutive Silver Slugger Awards after winning in 2024 and 2025. No Royals player has ever won the award in three consecutive seasons, and the only AL shortstops to ever win the award three consecutive years are Cal Ripken (1983-86), Alex Rodriguez (1998-2003), and Derek Jeter (2006-09). Bobby hit .281/.359/.441 with 18 home runs, 33 doubles, 94 runs scored and 45 stolen bases in 143 games this season. His 7.0 fWAR ranked second in the majors, trailing only Pete Crow-Armstrong. Among American League shortstops, Witt led the position in hits, doubles, batting average, on-base percentage and stolen bases. He is up against Zach Neto of the Angels and Kevin McGonigle of the Tigers.

Jensen is a finalist after an impressive rookie campaign in which he hit .239/.323/.467 with 27 home runs, 35 doubles and 81 RBI in 149 games. Among AL catchers, he ranked first in runs scored and doubles, tied for first in home runs and second in RBI and walks. His 27 home runs set a Royals franchise record for a rookie, surpassing Bob Hamelin’s 24 in 1994. His 64 extra-base hits were also the most ever by a rookie catcher in major league history, breaking the previous record of 61 set by Mike Piazza in 1993. If Jensen wins, he would become just the second Royals catcher to earn the award, joining Salvador Perez, who has won five times (2016, 2018, 2020-21 and 2024). He would also become just the fifth rookie catcher to win a Silver Slugger, joining Benito Santiago, Matt Nokes, Craig Biggio and Piazza. He faces Tigers catcher Dillon Dingler.

Caglianone is a finalist after hitting .289/.340/.494 with 23 home runs, 32 doubles and 75 RBI. His .289 batting average ranked fourth in the American League, while his .494 slugging percentage ranked sixth and his .834 OPS ranked ninth. Caglianone hit .411/.429/.684 in the month of August and was named AL Player of the Month Caglianone also showed off his prodigious power, averaging 416 feet on his home runs and participating in the Home Run Derby. If Caglianone wins, he would become just the second Royals outfielder to earn a Silver Slugger, joining Willie Wilson, who won the award in 1980 and 1982. Three outfielders will be chosen, with Caglianone up against Wilyer Abreu of the Red Sox, Randy Arozarena of the Mariners, Cody Bellinger of the Yankees, Chase DeLauter of the Guardians, Riley Greene of the Tigers, Tristan Peters of the White Sox, Chandler Simpson of the Rays, and Mike Trout of the Angels.

Silver Slugger finalists and winners are selected by managers and coaches, who vote for players at each position in their league. Voting considers a combination of offensive statistics, including OPS, OPS+, home runs, RBI, batting average, total bases and runs, along with the voters’ overall impressions of each player’s offensive value.

American League Finalists

• Catcher: Dillon Dingler (Detroit Tigers), Carter Jensen (Kansas City Royals)First Base: Pete Alonso (Baltimore Orioles), Willson Contreras (Boston Red Sox)
• Second Base: Kody Clemens (Minnesota Twins), Chase Meidroth (Chicago White Sox)
• Shortstop: Kevin McGonigle (Detroit Tigers), Zach Neto (Los Angeles Angels), Bobby Witt Jr. (Kansas City Royals),
• Third Base: Junior Caminero (Tampa Bay Rays), Miguel Vargas (Chicago White Sox)
• Outfield: Wilyer Abreu (Boston Red Sox), Randy Arozarena (Seattle Mariners), Cody Bellinger (New York Yankees), Jac Caglianone (Kansas City Royals), Chase DeLauter (Cleveland Guardians), Riley Greene (Detroit Tigers), Tristan Peters (Chicago White Sox), Chandler Simpson (Tampa Bay Rays), Mike Trout (Los Angeles Angels)
• Designated Hitter: Yordan Álvarez (Houston Astros), Ben Rice (New York Yankees)
• Utility: Sam Antonacci (Chicago White Sox), Ezequiel Duran (Texas Rangers), Kevin McGonigle (Detroit Tigers)
• Team Award: Chicago White Sox, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, Tampa Bay Rays

National League Finalists

• Catcher: Hunter Goodman (Colorado Rockies), Gabriel Moreno (Arizona Diamondbacks)
• First Base: Jake Bauers (Milwaukee Brewers), Alec Burleson (St. Louis Cardinals), Matt Olson (Atlanta Braves), Rafael Devers (San Francisco Giants)
• Second Base: Brandon Lowe (Pittsburgh Pirates), Brice Turang (Milwaukee Brewers)
• Shortstop: CJ Abrams (Washington Nationals), Elly De La Cruz (Cincinnati Reds), Otto Lopez (Miami Marlins)
• Third Base: Alex Bregman (Chicago Cubs), Max Muncy (Los Angeles Dodgers)
• Outfield: Pete Crow-Armstrong (Chicago Cubs), Corbin Carroll (Arizona Diamondbacks), Jackson Chourio (Milwaukee Brewers), Seiya Suzuki (Chicago Cubs), Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres), Jordan Walker (St. Louis Cardinals), James Wood (Washington Nationals)
• Designated Hitter: Kyle Schwarber (Philadelphia Phillies), Shohei Ohtani (Los Angeles Dodgers)
• Utility: Jake Bauers (Milwaukee Brewers), Fernando Tatis Jr. (San Diego Padres), Sal Stewart (Cincinnati Reds)
• Team Award: Chicago Cubs, Los Angeles Dodgers, Milwaukee Brewers, Washington Nationals

Much of the focus this off-season for the Phillies (around the impending lockout, of course) will be how the team improves their lineup, baserunning and defense.

All of those areas are vitally important. No, they won’t transform themselves into the Milwaukee Brewers overnight, nor should they. But they do need to improve significantly in some vital areas in order to be a more consistent unit, and one that is capable of producing results against better pitching.

While that may suck up most of the oxygen in the room, no one should be sleeping on the bullpen. Sometimes, ‘pen moves can feel minor because oftentimes, you’re trading for a guy you’ve never heard of, or signing someone on a relatively inexpensive one-year deal.

One of Dave Dombrowski’s strongest moves last off-season was a trade with the Kansas City Royals in which he dealt away his best left-handed reliever, Matt Strahm, in exchange for right-hander Jonathan Bowlan.

The move was a gamble, in that Strahm had been a stalwart in the ‘pen since his arrival as a free agent ahead of the 2023 season. Over three years he posted a 2.71 ERA across 188 appearances and a 0.955 WHIP, earning an All Star berth in 2024, but Strahm’s stuff was fading by the end of 2025, and his time in Philadelphia ended when Teoscar Hernandez hit his go-ahead three-run home run off Strahm in Game 1 of the 2025 NLDS.

Strahm’s 2026 season was a disaster with Kansas City, perhaps the worst by any relief pitcher. It’s difficult for a reliever to get enough opportunities to compile -1.3 WAR, but his 7.32 ERA and 7.14 FIP were not fluky. Dombrowski’s timing was spot on.

But that doesn’t mean the Phillies didn’t miss vintage Strahm in their bullpen last year. They did. Dombrowski entered the season pinning his hopes on Jose Alvarado bouncing back from injuries and an 80-game PED suspension the season before, Tanner Banks repeating a surprisingly successful ‘25 season, and Tim Mayza or Kyle Backhus being the No. 3 lefty out of the ‘pen.

It didn’t work. The team’s 5.12 ERA from left-handed relievers was 2nd-worst in the Majors. They allowed a league-worst .277 batting average last season, and only four other teams saw their lefty bullpen options give up more home runs than the Phils.

So it’s no surprise they are entering this off-season desperate to make fixes. They re-signed their lone effective left-handed reliever, Tim Mayza, to a one-year deal. They’ll need at least one more, and maybe two.

The highest-profile arm is San Diego’s Adrian Morejon, who posted a 2.83 ERA and a 1.9 WAR last season for San Diego. Over the last three years, he’s been worth 5.6 WAR and has a 2.58 ERA in 211 games. He’s a high-velocity, high-strikeout pitcher who will get a big-money contract from someone. He’s the best relief pitcher on the free agent market and would form a dynamic 1-2 punch with Duran at the end of games.

Despite all that, there are a number of reasons why a Morejon signing is unlikely. MLB Trade Rumors is predicting a five-year, $80 million deal. Dombrowski has never given a relief pitcher more than a two-year contract since joining the Phillies. Not only that, Jhoan Duran is slated to make around $11-12 million in his final year of arbitration. It’s likely that, if Dombrowski is going to give a relief pitcher a big-money contract, it will be Duran. There is little chance the team will put that kind of cash into just two relief pitchers, and an even smaller chance the team will give Morejon a larger contract to be a set-up guy than their incumbent closer will earn this season. That could create some uncomfortableness in the clubhouse.

Phillies fans know Alex Vesia quite well. The 30-year-old long-time Dodger was a thorn in their side during the 2025 playoffs. Despite not being a hard thrower, his arm angle and delivery make him difficult for left-handers to hit. As such, he has a 2.45 ERA over the last three seasons, piling up 184 innings and 207 appearances. His overall numbers remain good, but his walk rate did jump to 13.5% a season ago, and there are worries any further loss in velocity could make him more homer-prone. Still, the two-year, $26 million contract estimated by MLBTR is more in line with what the Phils may be willing to pay their top left-handed option.

Another potential is Houston’s Steven Okert. As a 34-year-old, he came out of nowhere for the Astros in 2025 and, over the last two seasons, has a 2.58 ERA and 3.8 WAR in 136 games. He also doesn’t throw hard, averaging just 91.2 mph on his four-seam fastball. His specialty is generating a lot of infield flies. Last season he had a 28.3% strikeout rate and 6.1% walk rate, and despite his extreme fly ball tendencies, he’s managed to avoid getting deluged with dingers. His two-year contract is projected at $14 million.

The remaining relievers are all likely gettable on one-year contracts, so it could make sense for the Phillies to add multiples if they choose not to invest on the higher end. Sean Newcomb has had a terrific last two years, putting up 1.8 WAR and a 2.73 ERA for the Red Sox and A’s in 2025 and a 2.0 WAR/3.09 ERA in 60 games for the White Sox last season. His fastball averaged 94.4 mph last year, placing him in the 49th percentile, and he doesn’t generate much chase, but he’s a ground ball guy who was good against lefties (.632 OPS allowed) and right-handers (.637 OPS) last year.

Cincinnati’s Brock Burke has also had a solid two-year run, with identical 1.3 WAR seasons each of the last two seasons. In 2025 with the Angels, he posted a 3.36 ERA and last year for the Reds, he was the most used relief pitcher in the National League, with a league-leading 77 appearances, in which he put up a 2.30 ERA. He was in the 89th percentile in hard-hit rate, averaged 95.5 mph on his fastball and generated a 28.7% whiff rate that was in the 76th percentile. He will walk some guys (12.7%), but would be a terrific addition on a one-year deal.

Let’s talk a minute about JoJo Romero, the former Phillies reliever who became an extremely effective and consistent reliever for the Cardinals and, last season, for the world champion Brewers. Over the last four years, he has a 3.04 ERA in 212 games and, between St. Louis and Milwaukee, had a 3.36 ERA in 56.1 innings in ’26. He’s a sinker/sweeper pitcher with a lower-than-average fastball velo, but is an elite ground ball thrower, ranking in the 88th percentile with a 51.2% ground ball rate. While lefties actually did better against him than righties last year, he’s traditionally been very tough on left-handers. He will be just 30 years old in 2027.

There is also A.J. Puk. If the Phils are looking for a potential high-end guy on a cheaper deal, Puk is a good candidate for a potential bounceback. He didn’t pitch at all last year due to UCL surgery and appeared in 8 games in 2025. But from 2022-24 he had a 3.38 ERA in 182 games with 22 saves and 242 strikeouts in 194.1 innings. His Baseball Savant page for 2024 is littered with red, upper-tier numbers across the board. If he can be had on a low-cost, one-year deal, he’s absolutely a pitcher worth taking a chance on if the medicals come back clean.

The Phillies need to take this area of the team as seriously as fixing the offense. The blame for their postseason failures dating back to 2023 are evenly split between a non-functional offense and a bullpen that hasn’t converted a save opportunity since Game 4 of the NLDS against the Braves in ‘23 (Strahm).

Something curious is happening and I can’t quite figure out why. Ever since the World Series ended, there’s been a new source of smoke almost every day about the Red Sox trading for a shortstop. As best I can tell, it started on the morning of Halloween, when Rob Bradford made this post:

Two days later, Chris Cotillo of MassLive included an Elly De La Cruz trade in his list of bold Red Sox offseason predictions.

Then the following day, Jim Bowden — who should always be taken with a grain of salt — added CJ Abrams to the list of Red Sox trade targets along with doubling down on the De La Cruz rumors.

Now in the last 36 hours, there’s also been rumblings of the Otto Lopez rumors. Yesterday on the Felger & Mazz program, Jimmy Stewart even said he would prefer Lopez to De La Cruz because De La Cruz is “more sizzle than steak.”

This isn’t the first time the Red Sox have been connected to Lopez either. Back at the deadline, Jeff Passan even floated a deal that centered around Lopez and Liam Hicks from the Marlins before the Sox eventually landed on Adley Rutschman.

But as we’ve been learning recently, the Marlins don’t seem interested in playing ball here, so we’ll have to wait and see if this part of the conversation has any sticking power.

Anyway, while we’re waiting, I’d like to suggest a name I’d be interested in seeing as the new Red Sox shortstop going forward: Franklin Arias. (My sources indicate that Worcester is willing to move him for a far cheaper price than any of the trade packages involving De La Cruz, Abrams, or Lopez from Cincinnati, Washington, or Miami.)

But seriously, why are the majority of the Red Sox rumors out of the offseason gate centered around shortstop?

I understand why this was the case in July: Arias wasn’t ready for a postseason run in 2026, question marks surrounded Trevor Story’s return (something I got wrong), and Andruw Monasterio can’t hack defensively at short. So yeah, given what we thought the Red Sox might be able to do in October off the back of the 15-game winning streak, it made sense to go nuts.

But now that 2026 is over and our eyes are centered on whenever baseball returns in 2027 (or beyond), why is Franklin Arias not the plan moving forward? He’s the No. 2 prospect in the sport! And just to be clear here, we’re not talking within the Red Sox system, we’re talking among all 30 teams in baseball. He is, BY FAR the best thing the Red Sox have going down on the farm right now (their only other guy in the top 100 is Justin Gonzales, who’s only played 18 games above High-A and ranks No. 71).

Any furthermore, I don’t think people truly appreciate how far Arias is tracking ahead of where Marcelo Mayer was in recent seasons. In Double-A Portland, Arias posted a .952 OPS in 380 plate appearances (many in horrible, wintry, early season conditions). Mayer meanwhile put up a .763 OPS in 524 plate appearances in Portland.

In Worcester, it appears a little bit closer (Arias has an .894 OPS there to Mayer’s .835) until you take into account that Arias achieved that line a full two years young than Mayer (his age 20 season compared to Mayer’s age 22 season). And also, by all accounts, the defense isn’t close either. Arias is far superiors.

So I guess my question is: Why isn’t Arias being hyped as the shortstop of the future? Did the Mayer experience just burn people to such a degree they now think Arias will turn out the same way because he plays the same position and that Roman Anthony will have the same personality because they were friends? I can’t believe I’m saying this, because the opposite is true 99 percent of the time, but I feel like this fan base is now underrating our potential future stars.

Franklin Arias turns 21 later this month. Roman Anthony will still be just 22 on Opening Day (if Opening Day happens on time), and the Red Sox control each of them for at least the next six seasons (probably more) at a reasonable price. Why isn’t this being hyped as the future or “the A-Team” if you want to get cute?

According to these rumors, the Red Sox need a shortstop and a big bat. Except for the fact, they may already have these things — Cost controlled, young, and with the ability to get better. Franklin Arias is already a better defensive shortstop right now than De La Cruz will ever be. Despite a disappointing 2026, Roman Anthony already has a higher career OPS than De La Cruz at the major league level, and is two years young.

So, I have to wonder, what are we even doing here? The last three teams standing in the MLB postseason this year ranked 22nd (Rays), 27th (Guardians) and tied for 28th / 29th (Brewers) in home runs. Other than Junior Caminero, who went deep 42 times, not a single other player on any of these teams had more than 26 home runs.

The Red Sox ranked 26th in home runs this year, so they fit right in, and while I understand and support the idea of more power in the lineup, I don’t think it needs to come from shortstop, and there’s no way in hell I’d give up on Anthony at this stage of his career.

But at the same time, these rumors aren’t coming from nowhere, so I have to wonder what’s going on. Are the Red Sox about to give up on a promising future mere moments away from when it’s about to pay dividends, because that’s largely what these rumors feel like in recent days. If that happens,, and either of these guys pan out elsewhere, I’ll be furious for years to come. There’s nothing worse than waiting years for something potentially great and then bailing on it last minute. If that happens, the dreams of the Red Sox future will quickly turn into a nightmare.

A pair of Dodgers are in the mix for a Silver Slugger Award in 2026. Max Muncy and Shohei Ohtani are one of two finalists at third base and designated hitter, respectively, in the National League, announced on Thursday morning.

Silver Slugger Awards, given annually to the top offensive players at each position in each league, are voted on by managers and three coaches from each team in their respective leagues.

Ohtani led National League designated hitters in on-base percentage (.377), OPS (.889), wRC+ (139), doubles (26) and stolen bases (11). Despite not hitting a home run after August 18 as he battled left knee and right biceps injuries, Ohtani’s 30 home runs still ranked second among National League DHs.

Ohtani started 134 games as designated hitter, and was one of only four NL players to start at least 100 games at DH this season, along with Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies (147 starts), Iván Herrera of the St. Louis Cardinals (108), and Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers (106).

Schwarber is the other NL DH in the top two in voting for a Silver Slugger Award. Schwarber tied for the major league lead with 45 home runs and hit .232/.354/.503 with a 130 wRC+, 20 doubles, 105 walks, 97 RBI, and 95 runs scored.

Ohtani has four Silver Sluggers on his mantel, including 2024and 2025 with the Dodgers in addition to 2021 and 2023 with the Angels. He was also a “finalist” at designated hitter in 2022 as well.

Muncy played in a career-high 149 games this season after two seasons with long stints on the injured list. He led all NL third baseman in OPS (.837), slugging percentage (.490), and wRC+ (129), hitting .252/.348/.490 with 29 home runs and a career-best 27 doubles.

Alex Bregman of the Chicago Cubs is the other NL third baseman in the top two of voting for a Silver Slugger Award. He hit .265/.355/.464 with a 128 wRC+, 28 home runs, 33 doubles, and 76 walks.

Muncy has not won a Silver Slugger Award, but he was among the top three in voting both in 2021 as a first baseman and in 2025 at third base despite playing in only 100 games.

Silver Slugger Awards have been around since 1980, and the only Dodgers third baseman to win one was Adrian Beltré in 2004.

Silver Slugger Award winners will be announced on Tuesday, November 17.

Morning, all!

Ezequiel Duran proved appointing himself The Solution wasn’t just empty talk by winning the Rangers’ Player of the Year award. Jacob Latz nabbed Pitcher of the Year.

Kevin Sherrington laments that the big money stars aren’t performing in a way that justifies their winning those awards every year.

Chris Young says he’s going to be creative this offseason, which he’s going to have to be if he expects to build a contender with the $20 million currently projected as available in the budget.