LAS VEGAS – To make a point about why a salary cap was not only unnecessary but also detrimental to baseball, the sport’s most influential agent offered the example of a team that went “from the outhouse of bankruptcy to the penthouse of world championships.”
The Dodgers have often been cited as a reason there should be restrictions on how much franchises should be able to spend on players, but Scott Boras claimed the opposite was true.
In Boras’ view, they are a credit to baseball’s current free-market system.
Scott Boras speaks at a news conference during Major League Baseball’s general manager meetings Wednesday, Nov. 11, 2026, in Las Vegas. AP Photo/John Locher
The Dodgers were taken into bankruptcy in 2011 by their owner at the time, Frank McCourt. The following year, they were sold to Guggenheim Baseball Management for a then-record $2.15 billion.
Fueled by record spending, the Dodgers quickly reclaimed their place as one of the league’s signature franchises.
Under their current owners, they have acquired a number of the sport’s most popular players, including Shohei Ohtani.
They have reached the playoffs in each of the last 14 years.
They have won the World Series three times in the last seven seasons.
“The revenues of this system and their ownership from bankruptcy to near billion in revenues should be a model for what freedoms do to allow a process, capital, intellect, hiring of executives, all of that culminates in something that has been dramatically beneficial to the league,” Boras said.
In what has become a General Managers’ Meetings tradition, Boras addresses reporters in large part to drum up interest in his clients who are free agents. He did some of that on Wednesday, as he represents the market’s No. 1 player in Tarik Skubal.
However, Boras also devoted plenty of time addressing the push by franchise owners to implement a salary cap. Fervent opposition by the players’ union is expected to result in a prolonged work stoppage that should start on Dec. 1, when the current collective-bargaining agreement expires.
Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani celebrates a three-run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Los Angeles. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The Dodgers were mentioned several times.
“Fans are telling you they love competitiveness and they love owner genius,” Boras said. “When you’re in a market where your franchise is bankrupt, and you attract owners that have the wherewithal to come in and correct what’s going on to make their franchise competitive, to have new ideas, to do all those things, this is why we want to keep our doors open, so that the next idea, the next generation of owners, has the freedom to come here.”
In other words, the Dodgers couldn’t have done what they’ve done if a salary cap were in place.
Of course, that’s also the argument made by salary-cap advocates, who say the Dodgers’ market size provides them with an unfair advantage because they can generate more revenue than the majority of other teams.
Los Angeles Dodgers chairman Mark Walter speaks during a press conference at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Wednesday, March 25, 2026. MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Which was why Boras also mentioned the San Diego Padres, who were purchased by a group that included the late Peter Seidler for $800 million in 2012.
“We’ve seen what Peter Seidler did in San Diego, a market that is wholly held by everyone to be a small market,” Boras said.
Seidler invested heavily in the team’s roster. They have reached the playoffs in five of the last seven years, and the market has responded. The Padres, who drew 2.2 million fans in 2021, have drawn more than three million fans in each of the last four seasons.
The Padres were sold for a record $3.9 billion this year.
Boras posited that a system without a salary cap results in a greater variety of team-building philosophies throughout the game.
“These are the things that fans enjoy, that everyone enjoys, that the mystery of the game is so complete, where we have a diverse approach to championship play,” he said.
DENVER, CO - SEPTEMBER 18: Colorado Rockies center fielder Jake McCarthy (31) runs and slides into third base after his triple in the sixth inning during a game between the Seattle Mariners and the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field on September 18, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Dustin Bradford/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Good morning, Purple Row!
Here’s what’s going on with the Colorado Rockies and the rest of Major League Baseball.
Jake McCarthy’s season was one of the lone bright spots for the 2026 Rockies. Paul DePodesta and the front office chose not to convert that bounce-back production from McCarthy into pitching at the trade deadline, but Thomas Harding speculates that they could look to do so this offseason. Harding argues that McCarthy provides the front office with flexibility. If the Rockies don’t find the deals they want, they can simply hold onto him and allow him to prove that last season was not a fluke.
Everyone knows that the Rockies need to improve the pitching talent in the organization. The question has just become how best to acquire that talent. Drew Creasman argues that overpaying for the top of the market on one or two high-priced starters is not the best path forward. Instead, Creasman argues that the Rockies should be casting a wide net, bringing in a multitude of new arms, and getting creative in order to give them all a chance to accrue innings before seeing what sticks.
The Houston Astros have found their new manager. Brad Ausmus comes with a wealth of experience, including his ten seasons as a catcher for the Astros as well as a four seasons as a manager for the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Angels. Most recently, Ausmus has served as the New York Yankees bench coach for the past three seasons.
The Detroit Tigers have gotten the ball rolling on free agency on Tuesday night by signing former Cincinnati Reds closer Emilio Pagán. The one-year, $11.5 million deal was not the first Major League contract signed this offseason, but it is the first for over $2 million. Pagán joins as a potential replacement for Kenley Jansen who served as the Tigers closer in 2026. Brandon Day posits that the Tigers could stand to continue adding to the back-end of the bullpen beyond this signing.
The Women’s Professional Baseball League has officially confirmed that a second season is planned for 2027! The league has put out an explainer about how the offseason will work. Roster construction will be split into three distinct sections:
Exclusive Player Re-signing Window: Teams may re-sign up to 10 players from their 2026 roster and must come to agreements with those players by November 20, or they will be entered into the draft.
WPBL Draft 2027: Next year, all unsigned players, including those that played in 2026 as well as players who submit applications to join the league, will be available in a 10-round draft. There will be a draft combine prior to the draft for prospective players to show off their talent. After the draft, teams will have two weeks to come to contract agreements with selected players.
Free Agency: Any eligible players not selected in the draft or successfully signed by their drafting team will be granted free agency. Teams will be allowed to sign free agents up to their 20-player roster limit.
The league has yet to announce specific dates for the start of the season, but we now know there will for sure be at least one professional baseball league running in the United States next year.
Courtney Hawkins (right) ended up getting closer to Mat Latos than he ever did the major leagues. | (Photo by Jennifer Stewart/Getty Images)
1920 As a response to the Black Sox scandal that saw members of the White Sox throw the World Series in 1919, baseball owners unanimously elected Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the first baseball commissioner. Landis, a White Sox fan, took the job while insisting that he be given final authority over the players and owners.
Despite the acquittal of the Black Sox of any wrongdoing by a Chicago jury on Aug. 2, 1921, Landis banned all eight players from the game, permanently, in a statement made the very next day, August 3.
1959 He helped lead the White Sox to their first pennant in 40 years, and because of his contributions on the field and in the clubhouse Nellie Fox became the first member of the franchise to be named American League MVP.
Foxhit .306 that year with 191 hits, 34 doubles, 70 RBIs and 71 walks (as compared to only 13 strikeouts!) Fox also led the league in putouts, assists, total chances and fielding percentage for all second basemen. He also was named to the All-Star team.
Nelliegot 16 first-place votes from the Baseball Writers Association of America, and beat out teammate Luis Aparicio, 295-255. Pitcher Early Wynn, who’d win the Cy Young that season, finished third — giving the Sox the top three spots in the final voting.
1980 Two years removed from a career-saving stint with the White Sox that saw him leaving Chicago as the first two-time free agent in MLB history, Steve Stone capped off the season of his career by winning the AL Cy Young for Baltimore. Stone had already transformed his pitching approach via meditation and art of pitching/prep by the end of 1979. But in 1980, he leaned hard into his killer curveball, upping usage to more than 50% and willingly risking injury: “I knew it would ruin my arm. But one year of 25-7 is worth five of 15-15.”
Stone won 25 games, at one point won 14 in a row, and whittled his ERA to 3.23. His only career All-Star appearance was marked by three perfect innings.
1987 Richard Dotson headlined a five-player trade with the Yankees that also sent away fellow righthander Scott Nielsen and brought back outfielder Dan Pasqua, catcher Mark Salas and reliever Steve Rosenberg. It was the third White Sox-Yankees trade of 1987 and the eight transaction between the two teams since 1984.
To that end, Nielsen had been dealt to the White Sox in January 1987.
Overall, the trade was pretty much a zero save for the contributions of Pasqua to the White Sox (7.7 WAR over 630 games, slightly better than average), which while not overwhelming was the only significant production for any of the five involved in this swap.
1993 Prominent draft disappointment Courtney Hawkins was born, in Corpus Christi, Texas. The White Sox made Hawkins the No. 13 overall pick in the 2012 draft, the first high-schooler they’d used a first round pick on in 11 years. He showed immediate promise, slashing .284/.324/.480 with eight homers over 59 games in rookie, Low-A and High-A ball. Things quickly plateaued and stalled for Hawkins, however, as over six-plus years in the White Sox system he never moved past Double-A ball.
Four years after leaving the White Sox, Hawkins dominated indy ball, hitting 48 home runs in 127 games for the Lexington Legends of the Atlantic League — more than any player in the minors that year, affiliated ball or otherwise.
2020 It was a very strange baseball season, but one thing that didn’t change was the excellence of White Sox first baseman José Abreu. From start to finish of the abbreviated, 60-game season, the big slugger produced and because of that was named the American League MVP by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Abreu finished with 374 total points, beating out Cleveland’s José Ramírez. Abreu became the fourth White Sox MVP, joining Nellie Fox (1959), Dick Allen (1972) and Frank Thomas (1993-94).
Abreu’s 60 RBIs over 60 games led the AL for a second consecutive season. He finished second with 19 home runs, and fourth with a .317 batting average. He also ranked fifth with a .987 OPS, and was the only AL player to rank in the Top 5 in hits (76, first), RBIs, slugging percentage (.617, first), extra-base hits (34, first), total bases (148, first), home runs, average and OPS. A highlight of his season was six home runs in a three-game series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, including four straight over two games.
Oct 11, 2026; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays president Erik Neander watching workouts in preparation for the ALCS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Rays President, Baseball Operations Erik Neander was named Major League Baseball’s 2026 Executive of the Year during the annual General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas. Neander, who also earned the accolade in 2019, joined the Milwaukee Brewers Matt Arnold as the award’s only multi-time recipients since its inception in 2018. The winner is decided by a vote of executives from all 30 teams prior to the start of the postseason.
“I am both humbled and honored to be recognized by Major League Baseball and the executives who voted on the award,” Neander said. “This recognition deserves to be shared across our entire staff, as well as the players who left it all on the field. It’s our collective commitment that allows something like this to be possible. Our pursuit of a World Series is only heightened by our recent experience. We will be relentless in our efforts to bring a championship to the fans of Tampa Bay.”
The Rays finished the 2026 regular season with a 98-64 record, earning the No. 1 seed in the American League (AL) for the fourth time in franchise history (2020-21, 2010) while capturing their fifth AL East title (also: 2008). They swept the New York Yankees in the American League (AL) Division Series (3-0) and defeated the Cleveland Guardians, 4-2, in the AL Championship Series to make the third World Series appearance in franchise history, joining 2020 and 2008. The club’s 106 combined wins between the regular season and postseason surpassed 2008 (105) for the most in franchise history.
From the conclusion of last offseason through the beginning of 2026 spring training, Neander and his group added 12 new players to the Rays 40-man roster and completed 16 offseason trades involving nearly 40 players, including a trio of three-team deals. Before spring training, he signed left-handed pitcher Cam Booser, right-handed pitcher Nick Martinez, and outfielder Cedric Mullins in free agency and traded for outfielders Victor Mesa Jr. and Ryan Vilade — all five players made the Rays World Series roster. Ahead of the trade deadline, Neander acquired catcher Liam Hicks, AL Championship Series Most Valuable Player right-handed pitcher Freddy Peralta, and right-handed pitcher Tyler Wells, each of whom made key contributions during the Rays postseason run.
Every player on the Rays current 40-man roster has been acquired since Neander was appointed the club’s top-ranking baseball official, including 26 via trade. Additionally, the Rays farm system was rated No. 1 in the game by Baseball America in the publication’s most recent update in August, with seven Tampa Bay prospects ranked among the top 100 in baseball, highlighted by outfielder Theo Gillen (No. 5) and infielder Grady Emerson (No. 13).
The Rays have made the postseason six times during Neander’s 10 seasons at the helm (2017-26), with the club’s .557 winning percentage (846-672) in that span ranking third in the AL behind the Houston Astros (.585) and Yankees (.581). The Rays six postseason appearances since 2019 are sixth most in the majors, and they are one of three franchises to appear in multiple World Series since 2020 along with the Astros (two) and Los Angeles Dodgers (three).
A Virginia Tech graduate, Neander joined the Rays in January 2007 as a baseball operations intern and was hired full-time in October 2007. He was named senior vice president of baseball operations and general manager on Nov. 4, 2016, and promoted to president, baseball operations on Sept. 8, 2021. The Oneonta, N.Y. native is the eighth-longest-tenured head baseball operations executive with his current team by hiring date in the majors behind New York-AL’s Brian Cashman (Feb. 3, 1998), San Diego’s A.J. Preller (Aug. 6, 2014), Los Angeles-NL’s Andrew Friedman (Oct. 14, 2014), Toronto’s Mark Shapiro (Aug. 31, 2015), Seattle’s Jerry Dipoto (Sept. 28, 2015), Cleveland’s Chris Antonetti (Oct. 6, 2015), and Arizona’s Mike Hazen (Oct. 16, 2016)
BALTIMORE, MARYLAND - SEPTEMBER 20, 2026: A general view of the south entrance to Eutaw Street at the stadium prior to an interleague game against the Milwaukee Brewers and the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park on September 20, 2026 in Baltimore, Maryland. The Brewers beat the Orioles, 3-0. (Photo by Diamond Images via Getty Images) | Diamond Images/Getty Images
Hello, friends.
There are now 132 days remaining until Orioles Opening Day 2027. Or at least that’s what’s on the schedule. The owners are going to put the schedule in doubt in a few weeks when they initiate a lockout of the players.
In the news this week is a trickle of things coming out of the GM Meetings. Usually this event is a low-key affair with little media attention. However, with the looming lockout likely to wipe out next month’s winter meetings, many of the usual suspects in all areas of the game are beefing up their presence at these meetings. That includes agent Scott Boras, who showed up yesterday and did his usual court session where he makes a lot of puns and brow-beats teams who act too cheap to sign good players.
Ordinary years see contacts during the GM Meetings credited later as having laid the groundwork for signings or trades that are made weeks or even months later. This year, there won’t be months later, so if anything started to come together because of the meetings, we’ll see that happening over the next three weeks. Or more specifically the next 20 days, because that’s when the lockout will hit.
Will the Orioles do anything major before then? We can’t know until it happens! That’s a source of anxiety in the fanbase, including myself. On one hand, Mike Elias has to know that he’s got work to do going into next year, and he should be well aware that he isn’t going to have a big opportunity to fix the problems after the lockout ends. On the other hand, he’s a weird guy who tries to do things that he thinks are because he’s so smart and they end up looking pretty stupid both as they are breaking news and in the way that they work out.
The MVP award winners will be announced tonight. Maybe Pete Alonso will get a couple of tenth place votes or something like that. He probably deserves a couple.
Orioles stuff you might have missed
We are into the time of the offseason where diligent daily readers of Bird Droppings may see repeated links. Sorry! It’s not going to get better in December.
Boras thinks Orioles will stay aggressive in pursuing free agents (Baltimore Baseball) Boras has said nice things about the Orioles even in years where they don’t end up signing any of his major clients. One particular name brought up among the Boras clients in this year’s class is outfielder Randy Arozarena.
More potential Orioles free agent targets (Steve on Baseball) Subscription required to see the full list on this Substack. Steve Melewski is looking particularly at starting pitchers here.
Elias on trade buzz: Core players ‘very unlikely’ to be dealt (Orioles.com) He can say whatever he wants about it, but after Adley Rutschman got traded, I don’t think anybody is too precious to be traded and really we never know when Elias might have an idea that he can sidegrade or improve the present while also stocking for the future.
Two under-the-radar Orioles pitching prospects to keep an eye on (Orioles On The Verge) If getting excited about high draft picks is just too mundane for you, maybe you’re ready to dive in on an 11th round pick and an undrafted free agent from this year’s class.
Birthdays and Orioles anniversaries
Today in 1980, Orioles pitcher Steve Stone was named the AL Cy Young award winner after a season where he posted a 3.23 ERA while throwing 250.2 innings over 37 starts. The franchise’s most recent winner of the award likely benefited from leading the league with 25 wins, which gave him a slight edge in a less-thoughtful era of voting over Oakland’s Mike Norris, who pitched substantially better that season.
To no one’s surprise, no Orioles received any votes on this year’s Cy Young ballots. Former Oriole Bryan Baker received one fifth place vote, giving him an official placement of tied for eighth place.
For the first time this year, the BBWAA gave out Reliever of the Year awards in each league. No Orioles relievers got any votes for that either. Baker finished in third place in that balloting.
There are a few former Orioles who were born on this day. They are: 2025 pitcher Charlie Morton, 2005 outfielder Sammy Sosa, and 1955 pitcher Don Johnson.
Is today your birthday? Happy birthday to you! Your birthday buddies for today include: Revolutionary War naval ally Louis Antoine de Bougainville (1729), women’s rights activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815), Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat-sen (1866), actress Grace Kelly (1929), actor Ryan Gosling (1980), and actress Anne Hathaway (1982).
On this day in history…
In 1918, following the previous day’s armistice, the empire of Austria-Hungary dissolved and Austria proclaimed itself a republic. The new government immediately was subject to an attempted coup by Communists in the country.
In 1954, the immigration processing station at Ellis Island, New York ended its service after bringing over 12 million immigrants into the Port of New York dating back to 1892.
In 1969, news of the My Lai Massacre by American forces in Vietnam – committed the previous March – broke in the United States after having been uncovered by journalist Seymour Hersh.
In 1980, Voyager I reached its closest point to Saturn and photographed the planet’s rings, the first images ever transmitted to Earth from Saturn. The farthest human-made object from Earth, Voyager I is projected to reach a distance of one light-day from Earth in six days.
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And that’s the way it is in Birdland on November 12. Have a safe Thursday.
ST. PETERSBURG, FL - OCTOBER 27: Brice Turang #2 of the Milwaukee Brewers reacts to a double play in the sixth inning during Game Four of the 2026 World Series presented by Capital One between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Tampa Bay Rays at Tropicana Field on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 in St. Petersburg, Florida. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
After William Contreras claimed the top spot in our 2026 MVBrewers rankings, we’re back with the No. 2 spot, which goes to second baseman Brice Turang. Turang was just barely edged by Contreras in our voting for the No. 1 spot, and he instead falls to No. 2, where he received 56.8% of the 111 total votes (63 votes), easily beating Jacob Misiorowski (28 votes), Aaron Ashby (nine votes), Jackson Chourio (eight votes), and Jake Bauers (three votes).
Turang, who turns 27 next weekend, continues to get better every year. In his fourth major league season, he hit .268/.366/.450 with 21 homers, 19 steals, 37 doubles, 100 RBIs, and 102 runs scored across 151 games. He already picked up his second career Gold Glove after totaling 2.9 defensive WAR, second best in the majors behind only Tampa Bay’s Taylor Walls, and he figures to be a leading candidate for a Silver Slugger as well, though those aren’t announced until next week.
Beyond his strong regular season, Turang was also a valuable piece in the playoffs, even if he wasn’t quite as flashy as guys like Contreras. Across 13 games, he turned in a respectable .261/.404/.413 line with a homer, four doubles, four RBIs, nine runs, and a team-high 11 walks.
Turang’s 7.3 bWAR ranked third in the majors, behind only Pete Crow-Armstrong and Cristopher Sánchez, while his 5.9 fWAR put him ninth in the majors.
All of that means he’ll finish in the top three in NL MVP voting, as he was named a finalist last week. While Crow-Armstrong is a certainty to win the award, Turang could very well edge out Shohei Ohtani for second place, but we’ll have to wait until tonight to know for sure.
Looking at Turang’s Baseball Savant page, it’s clear that he’s a young star for Milwaukee. He ranks in the 98th percentile in fielding run value, including the 99th percentile in range with 19 outs above average.
While he hasn’t come close to his 50 steals from two years ago, he’s still an above-average baserunner, and he’s only gotten better at the plate, ranking in the 87th percentile in batting run value. That includes an 80th percentile xwOBA, a 90th percentile launch angle sweet-spot rate, an 80th percentile chase rate, and a 93rd percentile walk rate, all of which are exemplary of the Brewers’ style of baseball.
Turang has come a long way from being one of the worst hitters in the league in his rookie season (he ranked in the bottom 5% in exit velocity, xSLG, wOBA, xwOBA, and hard-hit rate). We’ll see if he can maintain his progression in his age-27 season next year.
We’ll continue these rankings on Monday with our No. 3 player. To weigh in on the voting, visit The Feed (note: the poll will be posted Thursday morning).
LAS VEGAS, NV - NOVEMBER 10: Philadelphia Phillies president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski speaks to the media during the 2026 MLB Awards week at ARIA Resort and Casino on Tuesday, November 10, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Today is the last day of the MLB general managers meetings in Las Vegas, marking the last major checkpoint before the anticipated lockout coming the evening of December 1st. Perhaps we’ll see some sort of flurry of activity as teams try to get some shopping done before the freeze.
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - JULY 24: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees reacts after a strikeout in the first inning during a game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on July 24, 2026 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Yankees had a moment to celebrate last night, as Cam Schlittler was officially crowned the AL Cy Young Award winner for 2026. Schlittler was the heavy favorite after a dominant end to what was a historic campaign, and the only real question was whether he would win it unanimously or not, and in the end he did. It’s the third time that a Yankee has unanimously won the Cy Young, Schlittler joining Ron Guidry in 1978 and Gerrit Cole in 2023. That he’s done so in his second season (and his first full season) in The Show is a remarkable feat, and it’ll be a treat to watch Cam in this rotation for years to come. Hopefully, next year’s offense does him better and both he and the Yankees can rack up some more wins.
We’ve got plenty to cover as award season continues to roll on, with the MVP announcement coming in later tonight. Before that though, Josh starts our day off with his thoughts on why the owners are so uniformly in pursuit of a salary cap and John delivers a report card for Max Fried fresh off his second season in pinstripes. Andrew goes into the history books with Carl Mays and the tragic highlight of his career on his birthday, and then Peter will discuss the ways that Cam Schlittler proved his skepticism wrong after the newly-minted Cy Young’s cup of coffee in 2025.
Questions/Prompts:
1. With Schlittler heading the staff entering next year, who do you expect to be the team’s No. 2 pitcher?
2. Who ya got winning AL MVP tonight? How about NL MVP?
DETROIT, MI - SEPTEMBER 26: Brandon Lowe #5 of the Pittsburgh Pirates throws to first during the game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park on Saturday, September 26, 2026 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Izzy Rincon/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Pirates extended a qualifying offer to second baseman Brandon Lowe, who has until November 17 to make a decision on that offer. He’s been projected to garner anywhere from a $45 million contract to a $150 million contract in free-agency. Although it would be in the Pirates’ best interest to resign Lowe, they may need to be thinking about their second and third options in case they can’t strike a deal with their best power threat.
Jazz Chisolm has emerged as a possible signing for the Pirates, and in a free-agency class full of second basemen, he is certainly the most unique. Chisolm is coming off of a difficult year with the New York Yankees where he was inconsistent and disruptive. However, it’s been made very clear that Chisholm will be looking to get out of New York, and maybe a more down to earth city like Pittsburgh is exactly what he needs. He’d fit into the young core well as a versatile defender who can play second and third, and adds another left-handed bat to the lineup.
Would Chisolm be too expensive though? Of all the players that will be mentioned he certainly has the potential to have the highest price tag, unless Pittsburgh can get him for a conservative prove-it type of contract.
Another possible option could be acquired from the cross state rival Philadelphia Phillies, as Luis Arraez is a pending free-agent. Arraez is a three-time batting champion and is as consistent as they come at the plate. It should be a priority for Pittsburgh to remain aggressive in creating a powerful lineup, especially after they completely transformed their offense for the better last winter. With Arraez you get a player who has experience at the big league level and can hit to all fields. He finished 2026 hitting .310/.345/.764 and had 64 RBIs.
One of the problems with this crop of possible replacements for Lowe is that there really isn’t anyone that can match the kind of power that he brings to the plate. As great as Arraez is, his six homers in 2026 is a major downgrade from Lowe’s 35.
In the Integration Era, Luis Arraez is 1 of 6 players to hit at least .290 in each of his first 8 seasons!
For the second consecutive year, Arraez hits free agency as one of the top available bats 💪 pic.twitter.com/t2h9nrhdWY
Jeff McNeil could serve as more of a bridge player if the Pirates were to sign him. At 35-years-old McNeil could be signed on a short term deal, and could give the Pirates a solid option at second while they continue to develop prospect line Termarr Johnson for a more longterm solution. Despite his age, McNeil still played in 144 games for the Athletics in 2026 and put up solid numbers. He maintained an above average .264 hitting percentage and had a .985 fielding percentage at second base. Although he doesn’t offer a long term solution for the Pirates, he does give them a solid contributor and leader in the locker room if Lowe departs.
There are of course several in house options that the Pirates could turn to as well. Nick Gonzales feels like one of the obvious first choices. Gonzales played primarily at third base in 2026 following the departure of Ke’Bryan Hayes, but has made most of his appearances at second base during his stint in Pittsburgh. He could certainly slide back over to the other side of the infield, but that of course leaves another vacant spot at third. With that being said, it’d be surprising if the Pirates did not pursue another third baseman this winter.
Jared Triolo is another option that the Pirates have in house and can get an affordable deal done with. Triolo is by far one of the most versatile defenders in baseball and is certainly capable of being an everyday second baseman for Pittsburgh. However, Triolo has largely been a liability at the plate. The beauty of what Lowe provided to the Pirates in 2026 was the dynamic power he brought on offense, and that’s a rare kind of pop for the position. Triolo just cannot match that kind of production.
The Pirates should exhaust all efforts to bring back Lowe, but it’s going to be easier said than done after the incredible season he just had and the money he’s likely to command. Although there really isn’t anyone that can match that kind of power at the plate, there are several second basemen in free-agency that could be suitable replacements if Lowe doesn’t resign with Pittsburgh.
Jul 12, 1991; Chicago IL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Chicago Cubs infielder Ryne Sandberg against the Houston Astros at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
We’ve reached the end of the week here at BCB After Dark: the coolest club for night owls, early risers, new parents and Cubs fans abroad. Come on in and sit with us for a while. Get out of the fall chill. We can check your coat for you. We still have a few tables available. The hostess can seat you now. Bring your own beverage.
BCB After Dark is the place for you to talk baseball, music, movies, or anything else you need to get off your chest, as long as it is within the rules of the site. The late-nighters are encouraged to get the party started, but everyone else is invited to join in as you wake up the next morning and into the afternoon.
Last night I asked you what the Cubs should do at catcher in 2027. A clear majority of 62 percent of you want the Cubs to re-sign Casey Kelly. Another 22 percent think the Cubs should let Kelly walk and go with Miguel Amaya and Owen Ayers as their catching tandem.
Here’s the part with the music and the movies. You’re free to join us there.
Tonight in honor of Veteran’s Day, we have the United States Air Force’s Airmen of Note, the official jazz band of the USAF. Also the best jazz big band your tax dollars can buy. I can’t think of many better things to spend that money on than a jazz band, personally.
This is “Hunting Wabbits,” a tribute to Looney Tunes written by Gordon Goodwin, who joins the Airmen of Note on the piano.
I don’t actually have a film to tell you about tonight. Sorry about that. So instead I’ll throw the floor open to you.
Since it’s Veteran’s Day, I’m asking you for your favorite war/military films. I doesn’t necessarily have to be about war. It can be a story of returning veterans like The Best Years of Our Lives. Or it could be a film just about life in the military like Private Benjamin. Or you could go the more traditional route like Saving Private Ryan or Patton.
Since Veteran’s Day started as Armistice Day, I’m going to recommend three World War I films. As you might guess, it’s hard to find many movies that glorify that conflict. All three of these are pretty anti-war.
The first is the Lewis Milestone-directed original adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front. I’ve seen the 2022 German version by director Edward Berger, and the 1930 version is a lot better. I’m really not sure why the 2022 version got so much praise. It’s not bad, per se, but adding that dry history lesson about the armistice talks (which also makes the Germans look like the victims in the war) and cutting out some key events from the book to make room was a pretty terrible decision. The 1930 version is in the public domain now, so you have no excuse to have not seen it already.
Another is director Jean Renoir’s 1937 film La Grande Illusion, which is French for exactly what you think it means. It features two terrific performances from Jean Gabin and Marcel Dialo. I’ve been clear before that I consider Gabin to be one of the greatest actors of the 20th Century. La Grande Illusion is about war, of course, but it’s also about so many other things.
Finally, no list of great World War I films would be complete without Stanley Kubrick’s 1957 masterpiece Paths of Glory, starring Kirk Douglas. That this film is loosely based on a true story makes it all the more horrifying. French soldiers who are sentenced to die by firing squad to serve as an example/scapegoat for a botched attack that should never have been ordered in the first place.
I’m not saying those three are my three favorite War/Military films, but I can guarantee were I to make up a list of the best such films, all three of them would be on it. So would Kubrick’s Dr. Strangelove and quite likely his Full Metal Jacket.
So tell us what your favorite war/military movies?
Welcome back to everyone who skips the music and movies.
I’m going to assume that Pete Crow-Armstrong is going to win the National League MVP Award later today. When you look at all the awards he has already won, the only question is whether or not it will be unanimous. I believe that it will be. Shohei Ohtani not having thrown a pitch after July 3 and his late-season fade means his contributions come up far short of PCA’s. Brice Turang had a fantastic season, but he’s going to have to be content with a World Series ring. I think the only way the award isn’t unanimous is if a voter votes against Crow-Armstrong out of spite.
When PCA wins later today, it will be the 13th time that a Cubs player has won the MVP Award and Crow-Armstrong will bee the 12th Cub to win the award. Ernie Banks won the MVP Award twice, of course, taking home the honor in both 1958 and 1959.
The winners were
1911—Frank Schulte
1929—Rogers Hornsby
1930—Hack Wilson
1935—Gabby Hartnett
1945—Phil Cavarretta
1952—Hank Sauer
1958—Ernie Banks
1959—Ernie Banks
1984—Ryne Sandberg
1987—Andre Dawson
2016—Kris Bryant
2026—Pete Crow-Armstrong (we assume)
So among those 12 seasons, which one is the best?
Here we run into some problems as our silly polling software only allows for six choices.
So I’m going to have to eliminate six of those seasons. First, because I don’t want Ernie Banks to be two of the choices, I’m eliminating his 1958 season. Banks had a higher bWAR in 1959, but that’s mostly because his defense rated out better that year. Best in the league, in fact. But I’m extremely dubious of all defensive evaluations done decades after the fact. But in truth, Banks’ 1958 and 1959 seasons are almost identical. The first season has a few more home runs and a little higher slugging. The 1959 season had a better on-base percentage and a lot more RBI, if you care about that. You could pick either year, but I’ll go with 1959 today. Maybe he would have won the Platinum Glove in 1959 if it existed. But if you think 1958 was better, just vote for 1959.
Next, Schulte is out. Schulte hit 21 home runs that year which is quite an accomplishment in the Deadball Era. He led the league in slugging percentage and OPS+. But the game in 1911 is so different that I can’t see how we can make a fair comparison.
The next player I’m eliminating is Cavaretta, who put up his numbers against mostly inferior wartime rosters. Yes, the soldiers started to return to lineups in July and August, but most of the season were against some of the worst competition ever fielded in the major leagues.
Sauer is out. He had a good year in 1952, winning the home run and RBI titles, but you’d be hard-pressed to find many people even back then who thought Hank Sauer was the best player in the league. He won the award on a three-way split in the vote where he got eight first-place votes, Philadelphia’s Robin Roberts got seven first-place votes and Brooklyn reliever Joe Black got eight-first place votes. Roberts or Stan Musial probably should have won the award.
Now come the hard choices. I’m sorry Andre, but you’re out. The decision to award the MVP to Andre Dawson in 1987 has been criticized for a few reasons. One, the Cubs were a last-place team and how valuable is a player on a last-place team? Second, recent understandings of the game have shown that while the 49 home runs Dawson hit that year were indeed very valuable, his pedestrian .328 on-base percentage wasn’t, nor were his creaky knees in right field. Dawson won the MVP that year, in part, because of the narrative of collusion and the blank check he had to give to the Cubs in order to get the team to sign him.
Finally, Gabby Hartnett is out. It came down to Hartnett versus Hack Wilson and while clearly Hartnett was the better player over the course of his career, Wilson hit a National League record 56 home runs, a record that would stand until 1998. His 191 RBI is still the major league record. That 177 OPS+ from Wilson is just too hard to ignore.
So the six players you can vote for in the “Greatest Cub MVP of All-Time Are as follows. Remember, OPS+ and WAR are adjusted for the era and environment the player competed in.
2016: Kris Bryant. .292/.385/.554. 39 HR. 102 RBI. 146 OPS+ 7.3 bWAR. Won World Series.
2026: Pete Crow-Armstrong. .280/.372/.570. 45 HR. 107 RBI. 41 SB. 156 OPS+. 9.8 bWAR. Platinum Glove.
So which one of these would you say is the Most Valuable Cubs’ Most Valuable? You don’t have to only use the numbers I provided here. You can use whatever criteria you want.
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ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 06: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves takes the field during the first inning of Game Three of the Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on October 6, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin D. Liles/Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Chris Sale finished third in the NL Cy Young voting, but could have plausibly finished first, given more innings (assuming the same production level). Sale continues his incredibly stretch in a Braves’ uniform as a late career renaissance driven primarily by good health, in contrast to his last number of years in Boston. Here’s hoping it can continue for another few years in the twilight of his Hall of Fame career.
PHILADELPHIA, PA - JULY 24: Cam Schlittler #31 of the New York Yankees walks in from the dugout prior to the game against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 24, 2026 at Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
MLB.com: In what should come as a surprise to nobody, Yankees ace Cam Schlittler won the 2026 American League Cy Young Award. Courtesy of an AL-leading 1.95 ERA, which ranks third in franchise history, he became the seventh Yankee to receive the honor, and the first since Gerrit Cole in 2023. Moreover, he was the unanimous selection, having broken away from his main competition, Dylan Cease, with a dominant finish to the season.
MLB Trade Rumors | Charlie Wright: As has been the case frequently in recent years, the Yankees head into the offseason looking for an upgrade at third base, as the most recent attempt to gain stability at the position, Ryan McMahon, struggled mightily both at the plate and in the field in 2026. To that end, the Yankees appear to have interest in former Phillies infielder Alec Bohm. A batter with a career OPS+ of 101, Bohm struggled mightily in his contract year, posting a .249/.315/.383 slash line (87 OPS+); unfortunately, in a week year at the position, he might just represent the closest thing to a sure thing — at least, on the free agent market.
NJ.com | Randy Miller: Speaking to reporters at the GM Meetings, Brian Cashman all but confirmed that the team will not be bringing back Jazz Chisholm Jr., listing Anthony Volpe, José Caballero, and Max Schuemann as options at the keystone next year. While he did not explicitly say the team had no interest in bringing him back, and in fact went very much out of his way to praise Chisholm’s ability on the field, work ethic, and character as a person, he did lump him in with Harrison Bader, Luis Severino, and Gleyber Torres — players who had lackluster contract seasons and who were, ultimately, not pursued in free agency.
New York Post | Greg Joyce: The Yankees staff will have quite the shakeup next season, as bench coach Brad Ausmus has been hired to be the next manager of the Houston Astros. The former catcher, who has spent the last three years in the Yankees’ dugout as Aaron Boone’s right hand man, had interviewed for both of Houston’s recent vacancies (GM and manager), and will now officially return to the organization he spent ten years with as a player.
The Athletic | Brendan Kuty: (subscription required) Ausmus will not be the only person departing the organization: earlier in the day, it was reported that hitting coach James Rowson had accepted a job as “offensive coordinator” with the San Francisco Giants. Soon after, The Athletic reported that Aaron Bates, who had served as co-hitting coach with the Los Angeles Dodgers since 2023, had emerged as an early favorite for the job within the baseball community.
LAS VEGAS, NV - NOVEMBER 11: William Contereras speaks to Greg Amsinger after winning the Flow Mayor Award during the 2026 MLB Awards presented by MGM Rewards at The Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Wednesday, November 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Mary DeCicco/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
Tonight was the yearly MLB Awards show. In addition to the All-MLB teams announcement, several other awards were announced at the show. Here’s a breakdown of the awards presented tonight.
Prior to the awards show, a new award that was introduced by the BBWAA this season is the Reliever of the Year award. Trevor Megill was named in the top three for the NL and ended up finishing third in the vote. Mason Miller of the Padres ended up taking the award as a unanimous winner, receiving all 30 first-place votes. Megill was on 27 of 30 ballots, earning two second-place and 11 third-place votes with 66 total points. Megill barely finished ahead of Adrián Morejón of the Padres, who received 64 points. Aaron Ashby (ninth place, six points) and Abner Uribe (12th place, two points) also received votes for the award. Miller also won the Trevor Hoffman NL Reliever of the Year Award that was presented during the awards show.
On the AL side, Louis Varland of the Blue Jays won the BBWAA AL Reliever of the Year Award. He barely beat Cade Smith of the Guardians, who finished second. While Smith was the only AL reliever named on all 30 ballots, Varland received 16 first-place votes to take the award. Bryan Baker of the Rays rounded out the top three. Baker also won the Mariano Rivera AL Reliever of the Year Award.
One Brewer took home some additional hardware. William Contreras earned the Flow Mayor Award, formerly known as the Entertainer of the Year Award. From his on-field celebrations to his style off the field, Contreras provided plenty of entertainment throughout this season. Contreras’ brother, Willson, presented him with the award, which is a diamond toothpick.
Though no other Brewers took home awards, they were represented on stage a few times. A few members of the Brewers were on hand as they celebrated their World Series win. Also, both Contreras brothers were on stage with Jackson Chourio to honor Team Venezuela as winners of the World Baseball Classic this spring.
While Brewers’ President of Baseball Operations Matt Arnold had a chance to take home another Executive of the Year Award, he didn’t win it this time around. Instead, it went to Rays’ President Eric Neander, who rebuilt the Rays from back-to-back losing seasons to the best team in the American League. He also oversaw the team as they had to rebuild following the damage from Hurricane Milton, which forced the Rays to relocate to Steinbrenner Field for a season. Neander did shout out Arnold in his speech, saying, ‘I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I never wanted to be you more.’
Looking at the other awards, Yordan Alvarez of the Astros was one of the big winners of the night. He took home three different awards: the AL Hank Aaron Award, AL Comeback Player of the Year, and Outstanding DH Award. Bobby Witt Jr. of the Royals won the Hustle & Heart Award. Going back to the NL, Pete Crow-Armstrong won the NL Hank Aaron Award, and Zack Wheeler took the NL Comeback Player of the Year Award.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - SEPTEMBER 25: Pete Crow-Armstrong #4 of the Chicago Cubs bats in a game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on September 25, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Matt Dirksen/Chicago Cubs/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Major League Baseball had their MLB Awards event tonight and that just means that the Awards for Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong just keep rolling in. Tonight Crow-Armstrong was named the winner of the Hank Aaron Award for the National League. The Aaron award goes to the best offensive performers in each league. Astros designated hitter Yordan Alvarez won the award for the American League.
In addition to winning the Hank Aaron Award tonight, Crow-Armstrong was also named as the center fielder fof First Team All-MLB team. Cubs third baseman Alex Bregman was named as the third baseman for the Second All-MLB Team.
The Hank Aaron Award is decided by a vote by a panel of Hall of Famers as well as a fan vote that accounts for 30 percent of the totals.
Crow-Armstrong becomes the fourth Cub to win the Hank Aaron Award, which has been handed out annually since 1999. Sammy Sosa won the inaugural award in 1999. Aramis Ramírez earned the award in 2008 and Kris Bryant took home the trophy in 2016.
So far, Crow-Armstrong has taken home the Hank Aaron Award, a Gold Glove for center field, the Platinum Glove, First Team All-MLB honors and The Sporting News’ Player of the Year Award. There’s only one more award to come, as well all expect him to be named the National League Most Valuable Player by the BBWAA tomorrow.
A pair of young Yankee stars were named to the official All-MLB Team at the MLB Awards Show in Las Vegas—one last serving of pomp and circumstance before a long and soon-to-be contentious winter. Newly-minted AL Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler was named to the All-MLB First Team at starting pitcher, while Ben Rice took home Second Team honors at designated hitter.
Schlittler, who was announced as the AL Cy Young winner a few hours prior to the ceremony, became the third Yankee starting pitcher to receive an All-MLB selection since their introduction in 2019 (in part as a way to salute full season production rather than just a good first half helping an All-Star selection). Max Fried was named to the Team in 2025; Gerrit Cole was previously a First Team honoree in 2023 and 2021 and a Second Team choice in 2020.
Schlittler’s prowess on the mound was unimpeachable in 2026, as he pitched to an AL-best 1.95 ERA in 193.2 innings.
Ben Rice is the first Yankee DH to receive an All-MLB nod. Rice made the All-Star team in 2026 behind a volcanic first half in which he was one of the best hitters in baseball. His overall statline cooled somewhat during the stretch run, in large part due to the prolonged absence of Aaron Judge, but he still finished with 41 home runs and 97 RBI, posting an .897 OPS (149 wRC+). Amazingly, despite the Yankees’ early dismissal from the playoffs in the ALDS, Rice’s four home runs were the most hit by anyone in the 2026 postseason.
Overall, seven Yankees were given All-MLB nominations. Luis García Jr. (1B), Jazz Chisholm Jr. (2B), Cody Bellinger (OF), David Bednar (RP), and Brent Headrick (RP) were put up for consideration in addition to Rice and Schlittler. With stiff competition throughout the league at those premium position groups, it’s perhaps not a surprise to see those latter five names fall short of selection. Bellinger, for his part, has a solid consolation prize in the form of the Platinum Glove he took home earlier in award season.
Below are the full First and Second Team All-MLB honorees:
Schlittler and Rice have already been linked to each other in several ways: their shared home state of Massachusetts, their modest prospect pedigrees at the time they were drafted, and their similarly-timed breakouts as stars in the Bronx. Now, they share All-MLB honors together in 2026. Here’s to more award-worthy campaigns from those two in the future!
