Ben Clemens at FanGraphs wrote about the Mets fantastic offseason to this point.
MLB.com writer Mark Feinsand listed seven teams that won the offseason, and one of them is the new-look Mets.
David Adler put together a list of 10 players who could be this year’s versions of last year’s breakout stars, and there’s a budding young star of the Mets on the list.
Freddy Peralta had his introductory press conference yesterday, and made it known he’s ready to play under the bright lights of New York.
The Mets and infielder Grae Kessinger have agreed to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training.
Around the National League East
As always the Marlins have a host of new players this season and as such have to give them all new numbers (along with changing some current players’ numbers).
Around Major League Baseball
The Colorado Rockies have signed pitcher Patrick Weigel to a minor league contract.
It’s the season of prospect lists, and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN put out his own top 100 list.
MLB teams and technology firms are staring down the barrel of a potential disaster after the league failed to approve tracking technology vendors by the January 15th deadline.
Carlos Correa will not be participating in the World Baseball Classic this year, as he was unable to recieve insurance on his contract.
The Royals have narrowed their focus in their search for a location for a potential new stadium.
Aaron Judge will be returning for his second stint as the MLB The Show cover athlete, after first appearing on the cover in 2018.
There are still some major free agents available on the market, including some with the potential to turn teams into contenders.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts has thrown his hat in the ring to manage Team USA at the 2028 Olympics.
Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue
Lukas Vlahos graded the Mets trade for Freddy Peralta.
Steve Sypa is now in the midst of the top ten in his series of the top 25 prospects in the Mets’ system, and the latest installment focuses on an offense-first infielder.
Linus Lawrence returned with another Tuesday Top Ten, this time ranking the greatest Mets rookies.
This Date in Mets History
The Mets selected Ken Singleton third overall in the January draft on this day in 1967.
From Corey Seager, to Trea Turner, to Mookie Betts, the Dodgers had a carousel of options at shortstop from 2021 to the beginning of last season. It was Betts who stepped up in 2025 and ensured that the team had to look no further than inward as to which player would be their primary shortstop.
After putting in a full offseason of work to prepare for the position, Betts, in his first full season at the position, was one of the best defensive shortstops in all of baseball, with his 17 defensive runs saved leading all qualified shortstops last year. While he proved to be the team’s firm option for the foreseeable future, his offense on the other hand steeply declined.
2025 was undoubtedly the worst season at the plate for Betts, as he posted career-lows in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage, finishing the year four percent better than the league average hitter in terms of wRC+. Entering his second season as the Dodgers’ starting shortstop, the goal for Betts is to equate the amount of offseason work he puts in defensively and offensively rather than lean heavily into one facet, per Sonja Chen of MLB.com.
As general manager Brandon Gomes said at the Winter Meetings, he has “a little more bandwidth” to strike a more regular balance between his offensive and defensive work. The Dodgers have already seen how an offseason’s work can transform Betts in one aspect of his game. They’re counting on his hard work paying off this year as well.
Before Betts heads off to Camelback Ranch, he will be a coach at the NBA All-Star Celebrity game on Feb. 13 at Intuit Dome.
Links
Heading into spring training, the Dodgers have two catchers on their active roster, with Will Smith continuing to assume starting duties and Dalton Rushing serving as the replacement. Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register previews the Dodgers’ catching depth as pitchers and catchers report in two weeks.
Third base coach Dino Ebel spoke with David Vassegh of AM 570 about getting a front row experience for Miguel Rojas’ dramatic game-tying home run with one out in the top of the ninth of Game 7 of the World Series.
“I’ve been in some big moments and big games, where last year, Freddie Freeman in Game 1 hits the grand slam which we’ll never forget,” said Ebel. “When [Rojas] hit it, my hand went straight up. I knew it was gone.. When that ball went over the fence, it was just pure chills in my body… Him coming around third base was probably the best feeling I had just because he tied the game, giving us a chance to go into extra innings.”
“I’m very happy that they’ve kind of seen the light about the location at the Aspiria Campus,” Kelly, an Overland Park resident, said. “I don’t think it really would have worked to put that stadium there. I think we presented a lot of reasons why not and I hope we were a part of their careful consideration.”
When Chourio reached Low A last July, he became the first pitcher under age 18 in full-season ball since Julio Urías debuted in Low A in 2013. Chourio signed last January for $247,500, began in the Dominican Summer League, then moved to the Arizona Complex League, and between those two stops he walked one batter in 28 2/3 innings for a 0.9 percent walk rate. He finished the year in the Carolina League, where his walk rate soared to 4.2 percent (that’s sarcasm) and he did have real issues with men on base, giving up a .340/.389/.740 line in a small sample of 54 PA. He doesn’t look like a 17-year-old on the mound, certainly, with exceptional command of a three-pitch mix that includes a 94-97 mph four-seamer with some ride and natural cut to it, an upper-70s curveball that seems to drop off the table, and an 84-88 mph changeup with good fade that he almost exclusively used against lefties. He’s already stronger than his listed weight of 160, with a good lower half to maintain that velocity and perhaps add a little more as he becomes an adult. There’s obvious risk with any pitcher his age throwing even moderately hard, and he does have to pitch better from the stretch, but this is everything you’d want to see in a young pitching prospect, including the potential upside of 80 command.
Jensen was a local high school player the Royals gave a little over $1 million to in the 2021 draft. He has steadily improved defensively and in his bat-to-ball ability since then to be either average or just a tick below.
He has always been a strong athlete for a catcher with a plus arm, a good eye at the plate and above-average to plus raw power projection. Because he could be a reliable every-day catcher who offers offense that’s above league average, there’s some real upside for seasons of 3-plus WAR, possibly as soon as 2026, though I think he’ll land more often with a WAR that starts with a 2.
Last season, American Family Field ranked 22nd in Park Factor for hitters at 97. Kauffman Stadium was tied for sixth at 101. Moving in the fences will impact that further, potentially making The K a top 5 hitter-friendly park in 2026. Where The K plays well is where American Family Field doesn’t: Doubles and Triples. While Collins will likely see some drop off in home runs, I don’t expect it to be a heavy drop. He’d have lost 4 last season based on Expected Home Runs by Park, and with the fences moving in, that number would almost certainly be lower. If home runs remain relatively flat, and Collins sees a notable uptick in doubles and triples, he stands to actually be a much better power bat with the Royals. Throughout his minor league career, Collins showcased plenty of speed, and that speed should suit him well in The K, further boosting his production.
Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has suggested a local stadium financial package can be assembled without a public vote (although, as we’ve pointed out, residents may have a different approach.) There are rumblings in Jefferson City about requiring a local election, too.
The Kansas City Port Authority seems the most available option for a required local contribution to a stadium, if the Royals want Missouri’s help for the structure. Using Port KC for those subsidies would further inflame the public: Not only would there be no public vote, there might not even be a City Council vote on $500 million or more for the ballpark.
As has become common place in the past with free agents who are still available at the later stages of the offseason, the opportunity to secure shorter-term deals increases.
Given the Royals signing patterns when it comes to offensive free agents in recent years, while Arráez would certainly constitute a deviation from the norm skill wise, from a term perspective this would be right on brand.
Given Arráez’s limited contact-first offensive profile and his defensive shortcomings, despite some positional versatility, it’s reasonable to think that perhaps a one or two-year “prove-it” deal, like Ken Rosenthal described on Foul Territory on Tuesday, is what the market would dictate for him at this point in time.
When it comes to the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers and their payroll, Major League Baseball definitely has a problem. It’s been growing for years and, sure, the massive payroll is one component.
The main problem, though, is public perception. Perception is reality, as so many of us know all too well.
Major League Baseball is a business that is built solely on fan interest. If fan interest wanes, that’s a problem. The massive number of people complaining about how unfair baseball is and how it needs a salary cap and how the league is a joke because the Dodgers are automatically just going to win the World Series again in 2026 — because they bought it — is a problem.
The Athletic’s Jim Bowden still believes Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran and Arizona Diamondbacks second baseman Ketel Marte could be traded before Opening Day.
Happy Wednesday, everyone! We’re inching ever closer to Truck Day, which means we’re closer than ever to pitchers and catchers reporting. Baseball is almost back! We’re turning our attention to the World Baseball Classic today, as reports are out that Carlos Correa and Jose Altuve will both miss the WBC due to insurance issues. Bo Bichette has pulled out of Team Brazil, while Nolan Arenado joins Team Puerto Rico.
We’ve also got some offseason report cards, and some free agent speculation.
mini scoop: After MLB's seized control of the player tracking tech biz, the league missed its Jan 15 deadline for approving vendors. Teams don't know long they can use their tech to scout players. Some firms don't know if they'll have a baseball business once contracts expire.
If you arrived from the future to tell Yankees fans after the team’s embarrassing elimination in the ALDS last October that the only major external acquisition the team made was Ryan Weathers, you’d probably be burned at the stake.
It seemed inconceivable after the team regressed from a more competitive-than-it-appeared World Series defeat to getting decimated in the ALDS by the rival Blue Jays that they would have a quiet offseason. But aside from retaining several free agents, there has been almost nothing during this slow offseason that, frankly, revolved around the free agency of Cody Bellinger, who didn’t re-sign until after Scott Boras ran out of potential suitors to continue asking for seven years.
There is still time remaining for moves on the margins, but barring a surprising blockbuster trade, this is most of the roster we will have going forward. It’s disappointing and frustrating that a team that will yield a near-$400 million total payroll and luxury tax will have sat on its hands in this way, but how bad is it?
How bad is running it back? The 2025 Yankees were an inherently flawed bunch, but they weren’t lacking in talent. Aaron Boone said he believed this was the best team he had managed, and frankly, he might’ve had a point.
The total of 94 wins was less than the 2018, 2019, and 2022 teams achieved. However, those teams got to feast on dreadful teams in the basement of the AL East, or—in the case of 2022—rode a red-hot start and limped into the playoffs. The first two teams lacked a bona fide ace, although Luis Severino and James Paxton tried to masquerade as one at their best.
The 2025 Yankees had Max Fried, who finished fourth in Cy Young voting in an excellent, consistent season. They had a second All-Star hurler in Carlos Rodón and, by playoff time, unveiled a highly promising flamethrowing rookie.
When you compare the 2025 team to the 2024 team that won the pennant, you may find that the 2025 club was superior and just faced a tougher path. Juan Soto was irreplaceable for the Yankees, but the 2025 Bombers had Cam Schlittler pitching their Game 3s compared to Clarke Schmidt, who had not fully rounded into form after a midseason lat injury.
The 2024 bullpen was probably better thanks to the likes of Tommy Kahnle and Jake Cousins, but when you look at the lineup depth, it’s night and day. Alex Verdugo and Anthony Rizzo were so bad that they were out of a job on Opening Day of the following year, while their spots in the lineup were filled by Trent Grisham and Ben Rice.
Regardless of all of this, the results don’t lie. The Blue Jays embarrassed the Yankees in the ALDS, made some additions (although left fans wanting more), and the Yankees stood pat. How can that be acceptable?
Well, in re-signing Bellinger, Grisham, and steady platoon bat Amed Rosario, the Yankees will completely return the best offense in baseball in 2025. While the Dodgers’ addition of Kyle Tucker probably makes them the top lineup in baseball, the Yankees have the depth and high-end talent to replicate what they did last season.
According to FanGraphs’ Depth Chart projections, the Yankees are second in projected offensive WAR, slightly ahead of Toronto and behind the Dodgers. Here’s how the individual projections stack up:
Note that projections are inherently pessimistic due to all the things that can go wrong for a player. Ever since Judge ascended into another realm of hitting dominance, he’s easily cleared 200 on an annual basis. If he falls that far down, it would be a sign of Father Time catching up to the 34-year-old. There’s also reason to believe Rice will play more, Chisholm will produce more, and Grisham will produce similar to his 2025 levels due to his promising peripherals.
The holes in the lineup are on the left side of the infield, but neither is catastrophically bad on offense. There’s considerable upside in this lineup and a decent floor, even if some players regress.
At least offensively, running it back isn’t a bad thing. Sure, the team could’ve attempted to fill the remaining holes by pursuing the likes of Bo Bichette or Alex Bregman, but the two have awkward fits, whether it’s their hitting profile (Bregman) or declining athleticism and defense (Bichette).
One big feature that the offense will have on Opening Day that hasn’t been as much of a feature in the past, however, is a deep bench. While the last few seasons have seen the team give way too many at-bats to the likes of Oswald Peraza and DJ LeMahieu, everyone on the Yankees’ bench will have a true purpose in 2026. Rosario is a lefty killer, Domínguez brings speed as a pinch-runner and can reliably hit righties, the speedy, versatile José Caballero will already be in there to fill in for the injured Volpe, Oswaldo Cabrera should be back from injury and can play everywhere on the diamond, and J.C. Escarra is a superb defensive catcher.
The pitching side is where we can be more squeamish. Still, there’s upside in the rotation if the team can get better injury luck on that front. Rodón will miss Opening Day, but he’s stated that he plans on being ready to start building up in March, and that should put his timeline around May 1. Gerrit Cole may not be far behind.
With Cole and Rodón on the mend, the team will lean heavily on Fried and Schlittler while requiring decent length and reliability from Luis Gil, Will Warren, Ryan Weathers, and, in case of injury, Ryan Yarbrough. By the time summer roles around, the team could have the best problem imaginable in sports: too many quality starters.
Now, the biggest risk remaining is the bullpen, and there’s no sugarcoating that. David Bednar and Tim Hill will be reliable, but the team will be hoping for more consistent performance from the likes of Fernando Cruz and Camilo Doval and will be depending on Matt Blake’s annual “diamond in the rough” sweepstakes in spring. Could Rule 5 pick Cade Winquest be a candidate? Or will a non-roster invitee emerge like Lucas Luetge in 2021 and Ian Hamilton in 2023?
The Yankees will be entering 2026 with a higher luxury tax payroll than they did in 2025, despite not meaningfully improving the roster. As an old skipper often said, it’s not what you want, but the team the Yanks are running back has a real chance to perform better than they did last year.
As the Colorado Rockies prepare for spring training in a few weeks, there are still plenty of questions across the board for most positions. When it comes to the starting catcher, however, we know Hunter Goodman is going to be geared up behind the dish come Opening Day and deservedly so. Goodman’s All-Star season, which resulted in a Silver Slugger, while also being slightly above average behind the dish, has brought some stability and optimism for the foreseeable future. However, I can’t help but wonder: what’s the depth plan beyond Goodman for 2026?
Entering the year, the Rockies seem primed to just roll with Braxton Fulford as the backup catcher. In 38 total games with the big league team last season, Fulford slashed .213/.267/.324 with a home run and 16 RBI. After a strong showing in Triple-A Albuquerque, Fulford struggled to find a consistent footing in the big leagues. Understandably, not playing every day makes it tough for any hitter to find a rhythm at the plate, especially a backup catcher playing behind the 30-home run output of a player like Goodman. Still, he has plenty of potential, so there is time he can settle into his role from the get-go in 2026 as an average defensive catcher with some offensive upside if he can get things going.
But what comes after that?
After dropping former top catching prospect Drew Romo from the 40-man roster earlier this offseason, who is now with the Chicago White Sox amid his waiver-wire journey, the Rockies have no other catchers on the roster. Thus far, the only big league-experienced depth piece that has been added to the organization is Brett Sullivan.
Signed to a minor league deal in December, Sullivan has played a total of 43 games at the big league level, with the majority coming in 2023 when he played 33 games with the San Diego Padres. The 31-year-old (32 in February) has hit .204 with a .250 on-base percentage and two home runs in 112 career plate appearances. Last season, he played three games with the Pittsburgh Pirates while spending the rest of the year in Triple-A. He’s been solid through his Triple-A career, slashing .261/.332/.432. As a left-handed bat, it gives the Rockies a much-needed alternative bat, and defensively, he’s been a generally average catcher behind the dish.
The Rockies don’t have an otherwise big league-ready catcher in the system, at least none that seemed primed to crack the Opening Day roster out of spring training. This leaves them to perhaps take a look at the free agent market and increase their depth and competition in camp, or afford them more time to develop their catchers.
Christian Vázquez
If the Rockies want a glove-first backup, then Christian Vázquez could be worth a look. Through his career, Vázquez has been a serviceable bat while rating as an above-average defensive catcher. His offensive numbers cratered during his three-year stint with Minnesota, but the glove remained elite behind the plate.
There could still be a way for his bat to pick up a little bit from the .189/.271/.274 slash in 214 plate appearances as he still has a keen eye at the plate, just not much oomph behind the bat, but the glove experience could be beneficial to help Goodman and the others progress. He wouldn’t have to play every day, since he is 35, and Spotrac projects his market value a little over $1 million, which is more than affordable for the Rockies for a cheap big league contract, or a split contract type deal.
Elias Díaz
How about a reunion with the Rockies’ starting catcher from 2021-2024? After strong offensive campaigns in 2023 and 2024 for Colorado, Díaz was released in August 2024 after injuries had sapped his trade value, and the Rockies needed to make space for other players. He signed on with the Padres for the rest of that season and re-upped for 2025 but the bat continued to regress.
However, the more that Díaz played in Colorado, the better his work behind the plate got and he continued that with the Padres. He ranked above average in blocking, caught-stealing average, and framing while ranking in the 87th percentile in pop-time. Adding Díaz once more could bring back some veteran experience behind the dish that could help answer the questions the new front office has with pitching at altitude. He’s also projected for a $2 million contract with is plenty affordable.
Austin Barnes
Back in November 2014, current Rockies general manager Josh Byrnes joined the Los Angeles Dodgers as the right-hand man of Andrew Friedman. One of the first trades the Dodgers made was sending a trio of players to Miami for four players, including a young catcher named Austin Barnes.
Over 11 years with the Dodgers, Barnes was a staple in the catching tandem, often serving as the personal catcher of future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw. His bat has never been his calling card, aside from a handful of solid seasons. Still, his elite plate discipline with a career walk rate of 11% has been a useful tool. Perhaps with Byrnes in the Rockies front office, the team could lure Barnes to the organization on a minor league deal. A career of working with high-profile pitchers, with his great reputation as a teammate and game caller, Barnes could be a useful addition to boost the Rockies.
Conclusion
The team has made it clear they don’t want to hand out positions to younger players out of necessity. If something should happen to Goodman or Fulford, even during spring training, what is the contingency plan? Perhaps Fulford could be better served playing every day in Triple-A while a veteran backstop helps at the big league level. They tried to do this with Austin Nola last season, but aside from a decent offensive showing in Triple-A, didn’t do much on either side of the ball to warrant an extended look.
The free agent market has plenty of players who could join as depth pieces in big league camp on minor league deals or cheap major league contracts, or perhaps the Rockies could look to trade for more catching. The point of talking about this is to bring up the fact that the Rockies need to strengthen their depth behind the plate.
Warren Schaeffer hopes to be more flexible with his lineup usage in 2026, giving him the ability to mix and match more. Despite new additions like Willi Castro and Jake McCarthy being repeats of players, Schaeffer doesn’t want to be confined to playing strictly by depth chart, even if there are players who are worthy of playing every day. It’s an interesting read and gives plenty of insight. Additionally, the Rockies want a left-handed hitter at first base.
If you weren’t aware, former Rockies GM Bill Schmidt landed with the Athletics in a scouting role. The writer believes the two sides could come together for a deal thanks to Schmidt’s knowledge of the Rockies’ system. Zach Agnos and Jaden Hill are mentioned as the two targets the A’s could look at with Schmidt’s influence.
The San Francisco Giants agreed to a deal with outfielder Harrison Bader on Monday, and that means a few things. Most of those things are good — for instance, it means that the Giants will now have a watchable outfield defense, and also that they’ll probably be better this year than they would have otherwise been.
But not everything is good news. Notably, signing Bader to an already full 40-man roster, means that someone else in the organization is going to get the uncomfortable phone call that they’ve been designated for assignment, and, two weeks out from Spring Training, they’ll find their career in limbo. We haven’t yet learned who that player is, but there are a few candidates.
Which brings us to the continued roller-coaster of Marco Luciano’s offseason. The former top prospect in the Giants system was, in a manner emblematic of his final few years with the organization, waived in December. He was claimed by the Pittsburgh Pirates, who eventually designated him for assignment. He was then claimed by the Baltimore Orioles, who also designated him for assignment. He stayed in the NL East though, after being claimed by the New York Yankees.
And on Tuesday, the Yankees became the fourth team this offseason to say goodby to Luciano, designating him — and pitcher Jayvien Sandridge — to make space for a waiver claim (pitcher Dom Hamel) and a free agent signing (star outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger).
It’s a sad merry-go-round, and hopefully one that comes to a stop soon. Presumably all of these teams are hoping to pass Luciano through waivers so that they can outright him to AAA and, who knows, perhaps the Yankees will be the team that succeeds at doing just that.
We’re hitting the really slow portion of the offseason with most of the big name free agents having signed already. I’m not even sure who is left other than Framber Valdez other than a billion pitchers looking for a team.
On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.
“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.
Kiki Cuyler* makes the Hall, and other stories.
Today in baseball history:
1888 – In Chicago, IL, 350 fans brave the weather to watch a baseball game on ice at Lincoln Park. Second baseman Fred Pfeffer of the Chicago White Stockings plays wearing a top hat. After two hours and five innings of play, the game is called. The “Spaldings” defeat the “North-Siders,” 7-6. (2)
1890 – In the first of many lawsuits filed against Players League members by their former teams, a judge refuses to grant an injunction against John Ward, president of the Brotherhood. His decision, echoed frequently by other judges, states that the “want of fairness and mutuality” in the standard National League contract, specifically the clauses relating to the reserve rule, “[is] apparent.” (2)
1907 – In an effort to reduce playing-date conflicts between their leagues, presidents Harry Pulliam of the National League and Ban Johnson of the American League meet to plan schedules. Conflicting dates are reduced to 27. (2)
1953 – Fred Saigh is found guilty of income tax evasion and is sentenced to a fifteen-month jail term, but will serve only five months at the federal prison in Terre Haute before being given parole for good behavior. The embattled Cardinal owner, under pressure of his franchise being taken away by MLB, puts in place a lucrative deal with a consortium that plans to move the team to Houston, but is persuaded to sell the team for less ($3.5 million) to Gussie Busch, when the Anheuser-Busch president persuades him that civic pride was more important than financial gain. (2)
1958 – Roy Campanella, driving home from his liquor store in Harlem, breaks his neck when his rented 1957 Chevrolet sedan hit a telephone pole in an early morning auto accident on Long Island. The 36-year-old Dodger catcher, who has won three MVP awards (1951, ‘53, ‘55) will remain paralyzed for the rest of his life. (2)
1968 – Goose Goslin, a former Senator and Tiger outfielder who retired with a career .316 batting average after playing in five World Series, and Kiki Cuyler*, a .321 career hitter who won four stolen base crowns for the Pirates and Cubs, are elected into the Hall of Fame by a unanimous vote of the Veterans Committee. Goslin believed his enshrinement in Cooperstown was helped by his interview that was shared in Lawrence Ritter’s 1966 book, The Glory of Their Times: The Story Of The Early Days Of Baseball Told By The Men Who Played It. (I recommend this book) (1,2)
1980 – Hank Aaron refuses an award from CommissionerBowie Kuhn honoring him for hitting his 715th home run. Aaron charges that baseball’s treatment of retired black ballplayers falls far short of what is needed. (1,2)
2009 – Aaron Heilman is traded for the second time this offseason when the Mariners swap the 30-year-old right-hander to the Cubs for utility infielder Ronny Cedeno and southpaw Garrett Olson. Seven weeks ago, the Mets dealt the much-maligned reliever to Seattle as part of a three-team trade that included the Indians. (2)
2013 – The Los Angeles Dodgers announce the launch of SportsNet LA, their own regional sports network on Time Warner Cable. The deal is a prelude to a long-rumored $7 billion deal that will award Time Warner broadcast rights for Dodger games for the next 25 years. However, the Commissioner’s office is concerned about the proposed deal, as its annual value is well above that used for revenue sharing purposes, which will result in the Dodgers pocketing a huge financial windfall if no adjustments are made. (2)
1521 – Emperor Charles V opens the Diet of Worms in Worms, Germany which lasts until May 25th; Produced the “Edict of Worms” which denounced Martin Luther
1807 – London’s Pall Mall is the first street lit by gaslight
1813 – Jane Austen’s “Pride and Prejudice” is published by Thomas Egerton in the United Kingdom
1985 – The charity single “We Are the World” is recorded by supergroup USA for Africa (Michael Jackson, Lionel Richie, Quincy Jones, Bruce Springsteen, Stevie Wonder, and other pop stars)
2017 – Australian Open Women’s Tennis: Serena Williams defeats older sister Venus Williams 6–4, 6–4 for her 7th Australian title and record 23rd Grand Slam event singles victory.
Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.
It is an assumption around the league that the Orioles’ offseason work is not done just yet. Specifically, they want to upgrade their rotation. Less specifically, if reports are to be believed, they seemingly aren’t settled on any one arm in particular.
Framber Valdez is considered the top pitcher left on the free agent market, and the Orioles have been connected to him for months now. Reporting indicates that the O’s have made an offer, although details on that are fuzzy. But it would seem that Valdez is hoping for a bigger, better offer to come his way.
Lurking in the background of those conversations is another free agent, Zac Gallen. A year ago, it seemed like the righty was poised to sign a big contract this winter. He was coming off of three straight years with an ERA of 3.65 or better, and had earned Cy Young votes in three of his previous five campaigns. But he struggled in 2025, compiling a 4.83 ERA, and saw his strikeout rate dip for the third year in a row. On top of that, he was extended a qualifying offer by the Diamondbacks, adding a layer of cost consideration to his free agency.
Even still, Gallen is a bonafide big league starter with an impressive resume. If the price is right, teams could be willing to take the risk that he will bounce back and get back to his lofty standards. After all, Gallen was much better in the second half of the year (3.97 ERA) than he was in the first half (5.40 ERA). Maybe he found something with his mechanics that he can lean on for a much better 2026 season.
Gallen’s free agency has been an adventure. Back in early December, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that Gallen was close to finalizing a deal with the Chicago Cubs that would pay $22 million per year. That was quickly refuted by ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Now, a month-and-a-half later, Gallen remains on the market.
The latest reporting on the pitcher comes from Jon Heyman. Appearing on MLB Network Tuesday evening, Heyman described the Orioles as “in on Zac Gallen,” alongside the Cubs, with a return to the Diamondbacks also on the table. That would be a rather new development for the O’s, who have only been tangentially linked to Gallen throughout the winter, as they have been to just about any pitcher with a pulse.
This could also be viewed as a broader negotiating tactic. The Orioles want Valdez’s camp to know they have other options. Gallen’s team might be trying to push the Cubs or Diamondbacks for an extra year or more money in their offers. In that way, the two sides can use each other without truly being involved or interested in one another.
Or maybe the Orioles do actually sign Gallen. Who knows. Please just let it be spring already and let me stop reading “rumors.” I’m all set!
Links
MLB Rumors: Zac Gallen Gets Latest Update with Potential Suitors | Yardbarker Just a re-link of the one mentioned above. Gallen is an intriguing arm. He will probably be cheaper than Valdez, and he is two years younger. But he is also coming off of a far worse season, and there are worrying trends in his pitch data. If the money makes sense, the Orioles could still sign him, but Valdez feels like their preference.
Latest prospect rankings and leftovers from Birdland Caravan | Roch Kubatko Oodles of quotes from the Birdland Caravan events that happened before the snow this weekend. There is a good energy around the team as spring approaches. The roster feels better. The players seem excited. The manager is giving off a good attitude. The vibes are immaculate.
Here is 2026’s All-Underrated Team | MLB.com A new Oriole and an old friend make appearances here. Taylor Ward is going to be an interesting player to watch. I admit that I haven’t caught many Angels games the last few years. But his stats show what sort of impact he can make in a lineup. You have to imagine that he will be putting his best foot forward as a 32-year-old in a contract year.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
Wesley Wright turns 41 today. The southpaw was limited to just two appearances for the Orioles in 2015 due to a lingering trapezius strain. He was released in July of that season.
This day in O’s history
1982 – The Orioles acquire outfielder Dan Ford from the Angels in exchange for third baseman Doug DeCinces and pitcher Jeff Schneider
2000 – Free agent pitcher Pat Rapp signs a one-year deal with the Orioles.
2026 baseball projections are out now, so I’m going to begin to take a look at how the crystal ball of statistical projections sees things for the coming year. Sure, we might lose one of our key players in Brendan Donovan, so I will probably do this again (plus ZiPS literally just came out a few days ago in its raw form), but I have grown wary of the thought of either keeping or watching Donovan go, so for now, I’ll just assume he’s going to stick around. Even though it would seem that he is going to be traded any day or week now…
But wait! I have some poll results from last week’s polls: 82% of voters said that it isn’t fair that Jim Edmonds did not make the Hall of Fame because he is practically just as good as his old teammate Scott Rolen, as well as the two most recent Hall of Fame inductees Carlos Beltran and Andruw Jones. 10% of voters said that he was straight up snubbed by the writers. Only 8% of voters thought that he fell just short and should not be in the Hall of Fame.
As far as the Nolan Arenado poll went, 32% of voters think that Nolan Arenado will fall just short of getting into the Hall of Fame, and that he has rapidly entered his decline phase. 27% of voters think that he’s so much on the cusp of induction that it is impossible to tell if he will make the Hall of Fame. 5% vote for duh, everyone knows Nolan Arenado and his legendary defense, it’s the Hall of FAME, he should be in. Then there was a split 18% of voters saying that he will make it in eventually, and 18% thinking that he should not even be considered for the Hall of Fame.
So VEB is pretty united in thinking Jim Edmonds should make it to the Hall of Fame, and in thinking Nolan Arenado probably won’t make the Hall of Fame. At least according to those two polls from last week. Now back to this week’s scheduled programming:
These are probably going to be the Cardinals key players (unless of course Donovan is traded, then who knows):
Click this link in the event that the embed link doesn’t work on wordpress.
So the early results are in and as you can tell, ZiPS and Fangraphs Depth Charts like the Cardinals starters ok enough, but the Bat X (another system that was actually pretty good when using it last season) makes our best 9 look a little weak. That said this will be one of the more difficult teams to project with so many unknowns and young players adding to the uncertainty. However, The Bat thinks our starting rotation will be better than some might expect. Albeit, nothing too impressive now matter how you slice it.
If Brendan Donovan leaves, the projections see him as our 2nd most valuable player at this point. Masyn Winn’s elite defense has made a believer of both ZiPS and Fangraphs Depth Charts, so that’s an encouraging sign. He should be our most valuable player, at least according to projections. Here’s where I’m going to disagree with the projections though…
I think Ivan Herrera will be our second most valuable player, even if Donovan stays. The projections think he will be about as valuable as Pedro Pages, but I think he can surpass that, even with The Bat X doubtful projection. No projection system has him cracking 3 WAR, but I believe he can do it. But on the other hand, this is the season where I will define my thinking of him… will he stick at catcher, and more importantly, can he play a full season?
Herrera staying healthy could be a huge boost for this team. Outside of Winn and Herrera, I don’t see much potential of an over 3 WAR season from anyone except JJ Wetherholt, who could win Rookie of the Year if he cracks 3 WAR. Sure it is possible he will cross that milestone this season, but I think it unfair to expect that from him in his first year. If Brendan Donovan somehow completes a full season in St Louis in 2026, sure he has a chance at cracking the 3 WAR barrier, but I wouldn’t bank on that.
The Pedro Pages projections are very solid but I’m not even sure that he won’t be traded still. So I don’t have much to say about that other than his defense carries him well. I’d like to instead focus on Lars Nootbaar: if healthy, he’s putting up at least 2 WAR this year. Not bad on such a mediocre team. Another bright spot is none of the projection systems think that Jordan Walker will continue to be a negative value MLB player. In fact, Fangraphs Depth Charts and The Bat X think he will be around a win over replacement level. So I guess that might be nice. For what it’s worth, ZiPS thinks Jordan is good for 14 home runs. Depth Charts and the Bat X say 16 homers. So he seems to be destined for 15+ home runs. I guess that would be ok.
If anyone besides Ivan Herrera can bring some offensive upside to the ballclub, it might be Alec Burleson. While ZiPS and The Bat X think that he will have trouble cracking the 2 WAR barrier, Fangraphs Depth Charts sees a little more potential than that, and I suppose if everything breaks Burly’s way, he’s another candidate for a breakout 3+ WAR season. It’s not really out of the question, given his track record of improving noticeably each year of his MLB career. He looked like he couldn’t hit in his cup of coffee in 2022. In 2023, he was a below average hitter. In 2024, he was an above average hitter. Then, in 2025 he raised his batting average and on-base percentage enough that he was awarded a Silver Slugger (I guess because he bounced around 1B, DH, and OF).
That tracks to a wRC+ of 56, 89, 106, and 124. Since he has went up by 18 wRC+ from 2023-2024 and also from 2024-2025, I guess that means he will hit at 142 wRC+ in 2026! Then we would have our best hitter.
What is perhaps most interesting about the starting pitching: Michael McGreevy is projected to be our best starting pitcher. Maybe this is his year. Maybe not, but I think 2 WAR from McGreevy is totally possible. Just behind McGreevy is Liberatore as #2, and for what it’s worth, The Bat sees both McGreevy and Liberatore as 2 WAR starters. I’m sure it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine Dustin May as another 2 WAR starter. His projections however range from 1.5 to 1.8 WAR.
What might be most surprising is Andre Pallante the solid #4 starting pitcher that the projections see. Heck, I’ll take 1.4 to 1.5 WAR from Andre Pallante! And then the other projected top 5 SP is Kyle Leahy at this point. Guess we will see what he looks like in Spring Training, because we now have Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins staring into the starting rotation. Perhaps those guys become middle relievers though. Or, it could be Pallante and Leahy.
Of all other pitchers possible to crack the starting rotation, ZiPS gives parlance to the idea that Quinn Mathews will be getting some innings, around 46 IP is what is projected. What are the breakdowns for Fangraphs Depth Charts projections on innings pitched? Leahy will get around 128 IP with Pallante (148), McGreevy (149), May (153), and Liberatore (157) shouldering most of the workload. Richard Fitts and Hunter Dobbins are projected at around 100 IP each to round out a top 7 in possible rotation arms.
The key components to the bullpen are projected to be Matt Svanson, JoJo Romero, Riley O’Brien, Gordon Graceffo, and Ryne Stanek all getting 60 or so innings. I think the bullpen could be a strength again this year.
What if we get lucky and we get the best projections from each system for each player? That line of thinking has us at 7 WAR production from Winn + Wetherholt, close to 6 WAR from the Herrera + Pages combo, close to 5 WAR from Burleson + Nootbaar, and if you get another 6 WAR from the trio of Donovan, Scott, and Walker, that doesn’t sound so bad does it.
And if things go well for the rotation, it’s not impossible that the top 7 innings eaters are worth 10 WAR.
Now worst case scenarios… Leahy fails at starting pitching and the rotation bottoms out at around 5 WAR total. Winn and Wetherholt both fail to pass 2 WAR. Donovan is gone. Alec Burleson’s 2025 season was a bit of a mirage and he hits like he did in 2024. Lars Nootbaar is hurt again. Herrera at catcher only causes confusion for the whole team and he doesn’t hit like he did last year. Victor Scott II is barely above replacement level because he can’t hit, and Walker is a failed prospect. Yes, that is a last place team, probably. And of course in this nightmare scenario, Gorman still never pans out.
Well I hope that was fun! It has both given me a little hope, and a glimpse into how bad this team could be. I almost didn’t even write about projections this year, because the highlights and entertainment value are likely to be to see how new players perform and grow, and to see how all this rebuilding and retooling pans out. It feels like more of a research and development team than one worried about win totals and WAR values. But in the coming weeks I plan on looking at the NL Central and sorting out how likely we are to finish ahead of any of the other NL Central teams. Hey, it’s not much, but finishing ahead of last place is definitely a goal of some sort.
That concludes the baseball coverage, now that I have finished writing about 2025 music in the past few weeks, I am about to start a new project that will take me all year probably. I have experienced life in over 50 years now, being born at the end of 1975. So I am going to go back and write about each year of my life, from the standpoint of music/arts/culture. And knowing me, it’ll be mainly about music but I’ll be throwing random movies and other things in, as well, just to keep it fun.
1975
I was born just after the end of the Vietnam War, and the founding of Microsoft in Albuquerque, New Mexico. SNL made its debut and Jaws was the big movie of the year. The first successful test flight of my favorite plane ever, the supersonic Concorde, occurred. The Rubik’s Cube was patented. Watergate was still on everyone’s minds. Benoit Mandelbrot coined the term fractal. But I wasn’t alive for most of that year.
As far as baseball goes, the Reds were in the NL West somehow and won 108 games, the Brewers were in the AL East, the Pirates were the best team in the NL Central, Rod Carew had a .359 batting average, the home run leaders were in the upper 30s in total, Frank Tanana threw 269 strikeouts, Hank Aaron passed Babe Ruth in career RBI, Lou Brock reached 2,500 hits vs the Padres with the birds on the bat on his jersey, Joe Morgan was the MVP, and the Reds edged out the Red Sox in a 7 game World Series. The Cardinals and Mets barely finished above .500 and were in the same division. They used to be a key rival for the Cardinals.
Always music-minded, I will now turn to some musical selections… the highest esteemed albums of that year were releases like ‘Wish You Were Here’ by Pink Floyd, ‘Blood On The Tracks’ by Bob Dylan, and Eno’s ‘Another Green World’. Those are all fine albums, but I am here to tell you about my favorites from 1975. Maybe you’ll hear a sleeper here that you didn’t know about… or not!
links to full albums on album title
Top 10 Albums from 1975
Mahavishnu Orchestra – ‘Visions of the Emerald Beyond’ I would argue that this is John McLaughlin’s most underrated album, only eclipsed by 1971’s ‘Inner Mounting Flame’. The heights are even higher on Visions of the Emerald Beyond, however! And it even gets downright funky at one point. Rock n Roll in its highest form, absolutely astonishing. Every time I hear this album I wonder how someone can be so good at guitar, while finding other musicians on that level… Let your spirit soar into the emerald beyond.
Rush – ‘Caress of Steel’ I have a soft spot for this album, and another that I feel is undervalued in an even more famous prog rock band’s discography. It is worth listening to this album for the epic cut “The Necromancer” alone. While “The Fountain of Lamneth” gives us a taste of what’s to come on ‘2112’ and ‘Hemispheres’ with Rush’s first truly epic length prog rock songs. “Lakeside Park” and “Bastille Day” are two of Rush’s very best songs and are fan favorites… and “I Think I’m Going Bald” is a rare taste of comedy from the band, sounding like a stoned AC/DC. I always wondered how this album flopped while the ones after it succeeded, but I suppose timing is everything when you’re coming up with new ideas.
Yezda Urfa – ‘Boris’ If you have this album as the best album of 1975, I cannot argue with you there. This may be the most ambitious album of the whole list. It’s expansive prog rock sound is bigger than the genre. It stays completely authentic without sounding pretentious, despite its advanced musical nature, it shows restraint and wisdom. It gives you glimpses into the future, invents whole genres years before they exist without anyone knowing. The recording sounds very real, immediate, intimate. Energetic guitars, synthesizers, complicated bass parts, and tasteful but very dynamic and inventive drumming create a whole musical world to be enveloped in. Prog rock at its best. If that wasn’t enough, here are 27 minutes of bonus tracks!
Budgie – ‘Bandolier’ if you don’t know Budgie, well I’m hear to tell you that they are one of the best rock n roll bands of all time! This is not my favorite album by them but it is still so good that it is towards the top of my list! For fans of Led Zeppelin, early Rush, Blue Cheer, and Black Sabbath. The tightest riffs! Budgie is a key band to 1970’s rock if you have not heard of them. They have elements of prog but I’d file them under early heavy metal and straight up 70’s rock.
Frank Zappa – ‘One Size Fits All’ my prog rock extravaganza continues with The Mothers of Invention masterpiece ‘One Size Fits All’. I once did a project with some close music friends I’ve made over the years and they came to the conclusion that the album opener “Inca Roads” is the best Zappa song of all time. I wasn’t full in agreement with the majority but it is certainly one of his most impressive musical pieces, insanely complex and interesting. The whole album is really good though, flows from start to finish.
King Tubby – ‘The Roots of Dub’ I must admit I am not the biggest reggae fan… unless it’s true dub reggae! I love that shit. I first learned about it in my Sound Production class in college, and how King Tubby was one of the originators of the sound, which along with people like Brian Eno really started to push the idea of the studio as member of the band. The use of effects such as delay, echo, tape loops, and other studio tricks were employed by Tubby, who along with Lee Scratch Perry was ahead of their time in music production while using less equipment than many of their peers. Anyhow, ‘The Roots of Dub’ shows the beginnings of this style of music and is a bit more simple than some dub productions, but it’s also pure and happy music showing what you can do on a DIY budget. He then created his Hometown Hi-fi soundsystem and became one of the most inventive producers of all time.
Fripp & Eno – ‘Evening Star’ is an inspirational collaboration between two of the all time musical greats. If you like ambient music and/or drone, this helped write the book on it. You will hear some of the most beautiful and welcoming music imaginable in the world of ‘Evening Star’ as well as its more somber second half which comes down from the ecstatic highs. I know Eno also released ‘Another Green World’ and more in 1975, but I have to keep it prog adjacent with Fripp involved too! Haha, just kidding. I just like this album a lot and think it’s pretty sounding.
Black Sabbath – ‘Sabotage’ to me, this album came out after Black Sabbath peaked. It’s hard to believe that this is Sabbath’s 6th album, but maybe it explains that they were a little burnt out by the time ‘Sabotage’ was released. Putting out two albums in 1970, and then an album a year for three years after while touring a lot and partying like no men on earth before, might do that to you. Seeing Black Sabbath this low on my list kind of surprises me and probably you too, but it’s on here primarily because of how good the song “Hole In The Sky” really really is, and because of “Symptom of the Universe”. Even though I think of them as past their prime and burnt out already here, I still think of it as the last great Black Sabbath album. But holy moly Batman, the first 6 Sabbath albums have so many incredibly awesome songs that defined heavy metal.
Henry Cow – ‘In Praise of Learning’ a slice of avant garde prog that could be seen in the same league as maybe ‘Larks Tongues In Aspic’ by King Crimson with its use of space, free jazz outburts, sound experiments, but showing moments of all out frenetic musicianship and virtuosity. It’s a little bit pretentious but if you can get past that it’s doing a lot of things that few dare to accomplish. Elements of postmodern classical, avant jazz, prog rock, protest music, and experimentation. And in some ways it sounds like a precursor to no wave and post-punk that would come years later.
Betty Davis – ‘Nasty Gal’ I love how Betty does funk music and I love her voice. Just a fun listen that was pretty edgy for the times! While I prefer 1974’s ‘They Say I’m Different’, this is definitely a damn good follow up. There is a documentary about her that I definitely recommend watching. She was a controversial musician who just kind of disappeared before she got any more famous. Married to Miles Davis for a time but he got paranoid that she was having an affair with Jimi Hendrix! Which hastened the end of their marriage since she claims she wasn’t. She was a talented NYC enigma who just vanished.
And that right there is my Album of the Year 1975. I have this one on vinyl which I bought on a whim and remains one of my prized possessions!
All righty, one year down many to go! Now hopefully we will get more Cardinals news this week and keep the hot stove going, it’s still January but you know what February means! Keep on rocking in the free world if you can.
With Spring Training and the 2026 MLB season within sight, ESPN has released their list of the Top 100 MLB prospects for the upcoming season. Atop their list was the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konnor Griffin, who has been touted as one of the best prospects in recent history.
ESPN MLB Insider Kiley McDaniel compiled the list of prospects and cited that Griffin’s tools far surpassed any other prospect from this class and put him in the upper echelon of some of the best players in the game today.
“Griffin is the top prospect in baseball by a mile, and I almost put him in the 70 FV tier, which is the highest I’ll put any hypothetical prospect, as that means I expect him to be on MVP ballots with 5-plus WAR seasons every year,” McDaniel wrote. “If I move him to a 70 FV, that would put Griffin in the conversation with Bryce Harper, Mike Trout and other top prospects of this era.”
McDaniel went on to give Griffin pro comps to Fernando Tatis Jr. because of his frame and overall talent, as well as Bobby Witt Jr. because of his skills as a shortstop with a blend of power and speed that makes him dangerous both in the batter’s box and on the base pads.
Four Pirates prospects just cracked ESPN’s Top 100 for 2026 — and it starts at the very top.
Konnor Griffin is the No. 1 prospect in all of baseball, with Kiley McDaniel calling him “the best we’ve seen in a number of years” and putting him in Bryce Harper/Mike Trout territory… pic.twitter.com/sr1pxSX3uT
While these are still all projections for how good Griffin can be, McDaniel did note that to this point the game has not looked difficult for him and has excelled everywhere he’s been in his young career.
“We don’t currently know the limits of what Griffin can do on a baseball field, ranging from being the most talented player in his age group since early in high school to fixing what some swing gurus thought was a fatal flaw to his game in a matter of months,” McDaniel wrote. “Projecting him to make further adjustments seems like a formality now.”
Since Griffin stepped foot on the field for the first time as a professional, it was clear that he could be something special. The Pirates drafted him ninth overall in the 2024 draft as the best high school prospect in the class. He would make his pro debut in 2025 with the Bradenton Marauders. From there it was only a matter of time before the top prospect in Pittsburgh’s system was going to make a name for himself.
After 50 games with Bradenton, Griffin was called up to High-A Greensboro where he really started to establish himself as one of the best players in the world. He would be added to the National League Futures roster during the All-Star break, and would then pick up where he left off by being promoted to Altoona and helping them during their postseason run. The 19-year-old short stop finished the 2025 season with a slash line of .333/.415/.527 to go along with a .942 OPS, 21 home runs, 94 RBIs and 65 stolen bases.
With those great numbers came a great amount of individual accolades for Griffin. Baseball America named him the top Minor League player of the year and a Minor League All-Star. USA Today named Griffin the top Minor League player of the year as well. He was also named a Rawlings MiLB Gold Glove award recipient with other numerous All-Star nominations being claimed by Griffin as well.
It's Top 100 Day!
The article is stuffed with 25,000 words of tool grades, scouting reports, and notes on the metas that teams are using to find value in scouting and development https://t.co/Yztl4WCXOQ
With the way that the Pirates are currently constructed, Griffin has a very real chance at making an impact in the Major Leagues as early as this year. The Mississippi native was one of the several prospects to be non-roster invitees to big league Spring Training in Bradenton, and it’s speculated that his time with the Pirates will not end there this season. Even if he’s not in Pittsburgh immediately following Spring Training, there’s still a chance that he get’s called up at some point in the season.
McDaniel noted that given Griffin’s inexperience he might not be called up this early, but did cite that the “superstars almost always arrive ahead of schedule”.
“There’s chatter he could break camp as the every-day big league shortstop and possibly garner a bonus draft pick for the Pirates if he wins National League Rookie of the Year,” McDaniel wrote.“Add Griffin to Paul Skenes, with Bubba Chandler also breaking into the big leagues with front-line upside, and you can start to imagine how this team could electrify the Steel City.”
Free agency never really ends, as general managers are likely to tell you as the January cold gives way to the promise of Florida sunshine. Yet the pickings are getting ever slimmer on Major League Baseball's free agent market - especially the hitting side.
A pair of difference-making starting pitchers are still available, along with a decent swath of reliable, itinerant veterans who can pad out the middle or back of the rotation. But it's getting late late, as one might say, as teams aim to wrap up their dealmaking before camps begin opening Feb. 10.
Not sure if he’ll sniff the Max Fried rent district for lefty starters but it never hurts when you’re literally one of two on the market. Valdez is consistently right around 200 innings, has a championship pedigree and suppresses the home run ball. Not an ideal conclusion to his Houston era, but it’s also easy enough to hand him the ball and set your alarm clock for September.
2. Zac Gallen (30, RHP, Diamondbacks)
He led the NL in WHIP (0.91) and the majors in fewest hits per nine innings (5.9) in 2022, but regressed to 1.26 and 8.3/8.1 the past two seasons. He was much better once the trade deadline passed, posting a 3.32 ERA in his last 11 starts.
Giolito finally turned the page on a pair of injury-ravaged seasons to make 26 starts and post a 3.41 ERA, enough to comfortably decline his $19 million player option. Giolito completed at least six innings in 15 of his 26 starts, though he missed a playoff outing with elbow soreness.
4. Eugenio Suárez (34, 3B, Mariners)
Forty-nine home runs at age 34: What kind of a price do you put on that? Suarez, a free agent for the first time in his career, is about to find out. Suitors know what they’re getting: Punishing power, a ton of strikeouts, suboptimal defense at third but off the charts on the clubhouse affability index.
5. Chris Bassitt (37, RHP, Blue Jays)
A little high for the reliable righty? Well, consider that there are so few Chris Bassitts out there and this one just completed a three-year, $63 million deal with numbing consistency: 32 starts a year, a 3.89 ERA, nearly six innings per start. He topped that off with a selfless stint in the playoff bullpen, where he gave up one earned run in seven appearances.
6. Max Scherzer (41, RHP, Blue Jays)
He indicated after World Series Game 7 that he hadn’t thrown his final pitch, and he posted often enough in 2025 that the standard one year, $15.5 million deal should still be waiting for him.
7. Justin Verlander (43, RHP, Giants)
Those videos of Verlander and Scherzer playing bridge in the nursing home are gonna be wild 40 or so years from now. For now, though, they’ve got innings in their arms and for Verlander’s sake, hopefully he can find a home that’s both pitcher-friendly but also not totally lacking in run support: His 3.85 ERA resulted in a 4-11 record as he sits on 266 wins.
8. Luis Arráez (28, INF/DH, Padres)
Let the Arráez Rorshach tests begin. Do you see a singles hitter with a league average OPS? Or a magician with elite bat-to-ball skills? A three-time batting champion with three teams? Or a guy who can never justify his lack of slug despite all those one-baggers. Be interesting to see what the market thinks.
9. Nick Martinez (35, RHP, Reds)
More invaluable than his peripherals indicate, Martinez took the ball 82 times over two years in Cincy, including 42 starts, and amassed 6.3 WAR and a steady 3.83 ERA.
10. Jose Quintana (37, LHP, Brewers)
Can we at least spare this man the indignity of nosing around for a job in March?
11. Paul Goldschmidt (38, 1B, Yankees)
Until further notice, he remains a decent right-handed platoon option at first, the Yankees eminently pleased at the 1.2 WAR and clubhouse gravitas he provided.
12. Rhys Hoskins (33, 1B/DH, Brewers)
A bumpy couple of years in Milwaukee, where injuries and the emergence of Andrew Vaughn cut Hoskins out of the fun this past season. He struck out more than once per game as a Brewer but did salvage league-average OPS thanks to his power.
13. Zack Littell (30, RHP, Reds)
Littell completed the transition from swingman to full-fledged starter the past two seasons and this year reached 186 ⅔ innings with Tampa Bay and Cincinnati. Just 130 strikeouts might give suitors pause to believe he can repeat it, but Littell has proven himself as a reliable innings-eater.
14. Tomoyuki Sugano (36, RHP, Orioles)
A tale of three seasons for Sugano, who started strongly, faded badly and then made a mini-comeback to land almost exactly on the definition of "quality start": A 10-10 record and 4.64 ERA. Probably did enough to land another job stateside in 2026.
15. Michael Conforto (33, OF, Dodgers)
Will that beautiful left-handed swing again prove irresistible to a suitor? The Dodgers gambled $17 million that they could turn him into a weapon and he batted .199 and did not make the playoff rosters.
16. Marcell Ozuna (35, DH, Braves)
Last call for the full-time DH? The Braves couldn’t get rid of Ozuna at the trade deadline and now he’ll take his 21 homers to the market. Hit 40 and 39 homers in 2023-24, finishing fourth in NL MVP voting in ’24.
17. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (31, INF, Blue Jays)
Simple though his role may be, there’s simply not many IKFs out there, tasked with catching the ball, running the bases well and possessing the ability to fill in anywhere on the infield.
18. Austin Hays (30, OF, Reds)
Cincy was a solid fit for Hays, who smacked 15 homers in 380 at-bats. Still adept in a right-handed platoon role.
19. Patrick Corbin (36, LHP, Rangers)
Can still eat innings – 155 of ‘em in 2025 – and now with a little less pain, as he shaved his ERA from 5.62 his final year in Washington to 4.40 in Texas.
20. David Robertson (40, RHP, Phillies)
Used to be only Roger Clemens could get away with chilling out for a few months and then hopping aboard a playoff train. Robertson did so to some success in Philly; will he be up for the long haul next spring?
21. Tommy Kahnle (36, RHP, Tigers)
Leaving New York – where he’d posted a 2.38 ERA his past two seasons – was tricky for Kahnle, whose 4.43 ERA was his worst since 2018.
22. Daniel Coulombe (36, LHP, Rangers)
Was better before he got caught up in the Twins fire sale (1.16 ERA in Minnesota, 5.25 in 15 appearances in Texas) but on balance remains one of the most reliable and versatile lefty relief options available.
23. Walker Buehler (31, RHP, Phillies)
The arm is too good to give up on, even if the Red Sox had little choice but to do so after posting a 5.45 ERA and 5.89 FIP in 22 starts there. He fared a little better in a two-start look-see with Philadelphia, but he’ll clearly be in a short-term incentive-laden situation in 2025.
24. Jon Gray (34, RHP, Rangers)
His 2025 was a wash, as a fractured wrist in spring training and shoulder neuritis limited him to six appearances.
25. Tyler Anderson (36, LHP, Angels)
Seemed like a quick three years in Anaheim, mercifully, where Anderson posted a good year, not-so-good and a so-so season. He’s coming off the last of those, the biggest bugaboo a career worst 1.8 homers per nine.
26. Miles Mikolas (37, RHP, Cardinals)
A bit of will-he or won’t-he involved with Mikolas, who may retire, though he’s never one to leave any innings on the table. Last year, he ate up 156 ⅓ of them, with a 4.84 ERA.
27. Miguel Andujar (30, INF, Reds)
A nifty revival for the 2018 Rookie of the Year runner-up, as he posted an .822 OPS with the A’s and Reds and positioned himself as a versatile righty platoon bat going forward.
28. Justin Wilson (38, LHP, Red Sox)
About as close to a LOOGY as one can get in this three-batter minimum era, as Wilson tossed 48 1/3 innings in 61 appearances, holding lefties to a .212 average.
29. Mitch Garver (35, C/DH, Mariners)
The bat continues to fade, but Garver did catch 43 games backing up the Big Dumper in Seattle.
30. Scott Barlow (33, RHP, Reds)
A throw-till-you-blow guy and well, Barlow hasn’t blown yet, his 75 appearances always a value to a team needing innings.
31. Martin Perez (34, LHP, White Sox)
Declined the player portion of his mutual option after a flexor strain limited him to 10 starts in 2025.
32. Starling Marte (37, OF, Mets)
His four years of meritorious, if injury-plagued, service in Flushing are over. But Marte should still retain some value as an extra outfielder.
33. Andrew McCutchen (39, OF, Pirates)
He’s not so sure about that open invitation to return to Pittsburgh, but has indicated he’ll run it back one more time, somewhere, in 2026.
34. Brent Suter (36, LHP, Reds)
If only for the post-clinch dance moves. For real, though, Suter never pitched more than 3 ⅔ innings last season but appeared in innings 1 through 9 at some point. Anytime, anywhere.
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — For many of the nearly 28 years since the Tampa Bay Rays held their inaugural game in St. Petersburg’s domed stadium, they have been looking for a bigger, better deal.
Tropicana Field’s location, across Tampa Bay from the much-larger population base in Tampa, attributed to low attendance through most of those years.
The Tampa Bay Devil Rays began as the most recent of Major League Baseball’s expansion teams, along with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They eventually dropped Devil from the team’s name and have carved a fairly successful path as a small-market team despite a low payroll and poor attendance.
Every few years, talks of a new stadium to replace the aging Trop evolved and dissolved, including a failed proposal to move to Tampa’s Ybor City district and an effort to remain in St. Petersburg that seemed on track until Hurricane Milton in 2024 shifted local priorities. Last March the Rays withdrew from a $1.3 billion stadium deal with St. Petersburg.
Now stadium talks are back on, though few details have been released by the team, which has a new ownership group with new plans for the future.
The Rays signed a nonbinding memorandum of agreement last week with Tampa’s Hillsborough College to build a multiuse facility on a 113-acre site along Dale Mabry Boulevard. The site is across the street from Raymond James Stadium, where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play, and in the shadows of George M. Steinbrenner Field, which is the spring training home to the New York Yankees.
When would the stadium be built?
Few details about the stadium, including whether it will have a roof, have been released by the team. It has said it wants a roof, which is almost essential to avoid long delays during Florida’s rainy season and spare fans the sticky summer humidity.
The team is continuing talks with officials in Tampa to get the deal completed. The agreement with Hillsborough College includes a six-month window for negotiations.
The Rays had been negotiating with St. Petersburg and Pinellas County for a new ballpark to be built adjacent to Tropicana Field. But the team in March withdrew from a $1.3 billion project to construct the new stadium, citing the hurricane and delays that likely drove up the proposal’s cost.Playing at Steinbrenner Field, which has a capacity of 10,046, the Rays had 61 sellouts and drew 786,750, down from 1,337,739 in 2024, when they were 28th among the 30 MLB teams and ahead of only Miami and Oakland. In 2025, the Rays were 29th in attendance, edging out the Athletics, who are playing home games at a minor league ballpark in West Sacramento, California, while a new stadium expected to open in 2028 is built in Las Vegas. The As drew 768,464 fans in 2025.
What happened to Tropicana Field?
Hurricane Milton struck Florida’s Gulf Coast in October 2024, ripping Tropicana Field’s roof to shreds.
The significant damage forced the team to play the entire 2025 season at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, which underwent a 120-hour makeover following the Yankees’ final spring training game to prepare for the Rays’ opening day.
Meantime, repairs got underway at the Trop, and the team is expected to be back in St. Petersburg for the 2026 season. The Rays are under lease at the Trop through at least the 2028 baseball season.
The destruction caused by the hurricane and rising costs of repairs and new construction in part led Stuart Sternberg to pull out of a proposed stadium deal with St. Petersburg last year and sell the team.
The stadium opened in 1990 at an initial cost of $138 million and featured what the team said was the world’s largest cable-supported domed roof, with the panels made of “translucent, Teflon-coated fiberglass” supported by 180 miles of cables connected by struts.
Playing at Steinbrenner Field, which has a capacity of 10,046, the Rays had 61 sellouts and drew 786,750, down from 1,337,739 in 2024, when they were 28th among the 30 MLB teams and ahead of only Miami and Oakland. In 2025, the Rays were 29th in attendance, edging out the Athletics, who are playing home games at a minor league ballpark in West Sacramento, California, while a new stadium expected to open in 2028 is built in Las Vegas. The As drew 768,464 fans in 2025.
What do we know about the proposed stadium?
So far, not a lot. Nothing has been made public about how much money the team’s ownership plans to contribute, or how much or even what they are asking from the city, county and state.
The new Rays ownership wants to create an atmosphere similar to Truist Park, where the Atlanta Braves play, which features a mix of shops, dining, living and work space outside the stadium. Again, few details have been publicly shared.
The memorandum-of-understanding with Hillsborough College also calls for creation of new campus facilities for the college.
Rays CEO Ken Babby said there is still a lot of work to be done.
“What I can say with certainty is that we believe with conviction that we’re going to be able to create a world-class work-live-learn-play development here in Tampa Bay, and we’re very, very encouraged and pleased by today’s outcome,” Babby said.
The team said in a statement that there are parking and access challenges at the location, but they will work through a comprehensive and collaborative process with Tampa, Hillsborough County, local law enforcement and planning experts to prioritize parking and overall mobility.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has said the state will not help finance the stadium. But he agreed to help facilitate the relocation of a juvenile justice facility on the property and added that the state could likely help pay for sewers and roads around the area.
Who are the new owners of the Rays?
Last September, a group led by Florida-based real estate developer Patrick Zalupski finalized a deal to purchase the team from former owner Stuart Sternberg. Forbes estimates his net worth at $1.4 billion.
Zalupski, the CEO of Jacksonville-based Dream Finders Homes Inc., is the team’s control person and a co-chair along with Bill Cosgrove, who is CEO of Union Home Mortgage in Ohio.
The team’s new CEO is Ken Babby. Babby is CEO of Fast Forward Sports Group, which owns the Triple-A Jacksonville Jumbo Shrimp, a Miami Marlins affiliate, and the Double-A Akron RubberDucks, a Cleveland Guardians farm team.
Sternberg took control of the team from founding owner Vince Naimoli in November 2005. He oversaw the rebranding of the team from the Devil Rays after the 2007 season.
The Rays won AL East titles in 2008, 2010, 2020 and 2021 and twice reached the World Series, losing to Philadelphia in 2008 and to the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.
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