KANSAS CITY, MO - SEPTEMBER 27: Lucas Erceg #60 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates after defeating the Cleveland Guardians at Kauffman Stadium on Sunday, September 27, 2026 in Kansas City, Missouri. (Photo by Tanner Gatlin/MLB Photos via Getty Images) | MLB Photos via Getty Images
The Royals have a lot of work to do this offseason to get back to contention. One of the first things they will need to do when the offseason officially begins after the World Series is determine which arbitration-eligible players should be tendered a contract.
MLB Trade Rumors has released its annual arbitration salary projections for this offseason, providing a bit of a clue as to what teams should expect. The Royals have 11 arbitration-eligible players.
Dobnak has a $6 million club option, but if the Royals decline it and pay the $1 million buyout, he would become subject to the arbitration process. He had previously signed a long-term deal with the Twins that paid him $3 million in 2026 before they let him go, which may not be properly factored by MLB Trade Rumors’ model.
The Royals will certainly tender Lynch and Massey after their career-best seasons. Erceg is a decent bet to be tendered after he finished the season strong following some adjustments in the minors. Pearson showed flashes of brilliance, albeit inconsistently, but J.J. Picollo spoke as though they had him in their plans for next year. Anthony Gose gave up just one run in 13.2 innings after the Royals signed him, but he will be 36 years old next year.
The Royals will have an interesting decision on Kyle Isbel. His defense has carried his below-average bat in past seasons. But his offensive numbers really dropped this year, and his salary is enough that the Royals will have to at least consider if he is still worth rostering. Alex Lange had a 6.75 ERA, highest among all qualified relievers. Alec Marsh and James McArthur both missed the entire season with injuries, and Mears missed most of the season with an injury as well.
Under the current system, players are eligible for arbitration once they accrue at least three or more years of service time (plus certain “Super Two” players) but are not yet eligible for free agency. Clubs have to decide whether or not to “tender” the player a contract. If a player is “non-tendered”, they become free agents who can sign with any team.
If the player is tendered, the two sides negotiate on a salary, and if they are unable to come to an agreement by February, each side submits a figure to an independent arbitrator. The arbitrator will pick a side to win, and cannot split the difference. Salaries depend largely on service time. Players cannot receive more than a 20 percent pay cut.
Contracts for arbitration-eligible players used to be non-guaranteed, meaning they could still be cut in spring training without teams obligated to pay the entire salary, but now those contracts are fully guaranteed. Of course, all of this could change under the next collective bargaining agreement, to be worked out in negotiations this offseason.
The Royals currently have seven players under contract for just under $90 million, and are expected to pick up the $2.5 million club option on Tony Gonsolin. The team will likely have around $30 million freed up from the payroll to spend this offseason, according to owner John Sherman.
The deadline to tender or non-tender players is typically near the end of November.
ATLANTA, GA - OCTOBER 3: Isaiah Drake #93 of the Atlanta Braves hits a triple during the Atlanta Braves post-season workouts at Truist Park on October 3, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The Desert Dogs dropped to 0-2 on the season after falling to the Scorpions 5-2 on Sunday. After each Braves prospect pitched in the league opener, it was Owen Carey and Isaiah Drake who got the start for the Desert Dogs.
The Desert Dogs got on the scoreboard first in the second inning with Isaiah Drake singling with one out, stealing second, and coming into score on a Wyatt Sanford single. It was a nice return to the game for Isaiah who has been out since June 27th due to injury. Drake took a center cut 93 MPH fastball and hit it to the shortstop but beat out the throw for the single. In Drake’s second at bat he wasted no time, swinging at the first pitch, and grounded out to the first baseman. He would then get on base a second time, this time via a fielding error by the second baseman. His final at bat came in the eighth inning when he grounded out to third. Overall on the game Isaiah made strong swing decisions in his return to competitive baseball. He swung at two pitches at the top of the zone that resulted in outs.
Owen Carey’s night didn’t start as strong as Isaiah, as he popped up short with the bases loaded after chasing a changeup away. It came after he protected the inside of the plate on a slider inside. In his second at bat, Owen missed on a center cut fastball and popped up to short. Owen’s third at bat came with runners on first and second and he swung at the first pitch again, a sinker high and in but in the zone, and grounded out to short. His final at bat came in the bottom of the seventh where he drew a four pitch walk. Overall, Owen was aggressive in the zone and while he only reached base one time, the swing decisions were there.
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 16: General Manager Zack Minasian of the San Francisco Giants looks on at Scottsdale Stadium on February 16, 2026 in Scottsdale, Arizona. (Photo by Andy Kuno/San Francisco Giants/Getty Images) | Getty Images
“Something I was looking at the other day,” Minasian stated, “the ninth inning obviously has been a huge issue. Our bullpen ERA, when you take out the ninth inning — I think the last time I looked was a couple of days ago — sixth in baseball.”
So, let’s apply that to the whole team and see what we get.
When you take out…
Rafael Devers’ first month, he was the fourth-best hitter in MLB
His 158 wRC+ trails just PCA (171), Yordan Alvarez (169), and Pete Alonso (161). Wow! Great recovery from .207/.248/.289 to start the season. Way to make jagweeds like me eat manure. His 35 home runs over this same stretch are the third-most in the sport, too, behind only PCA and Alonso. He was every bit the middle of the order threat Buster Posey envisioned for a good Giants team he didn’t know how to build in 2026.
April, August, and September, the lineup was 7th in MLB
The team wRC+ of 108 tied with the Cubs and Rangers, and that trio trailed only the Nationals (116), Pirates (112), Dodgers (110), and Brewers (109). They were only 9th in home runs (105), but back to #2 for Isolated Power. Okay, just 13th in runs scored, but they play in a tough park! Unfortunately, the team was only 34-46 during this remarkable stretch of hitting. BUT!
Some of the 7 walk-off losses from 5/1-8/1, they’d be 37-42
Look, the Giants probably should’ve settled on somebody else for the 9th inning rather than Caleb Killian. Let’s extract him from a couple of those scenarios and let’s not use Matt Gage to flip around Ketel Marte. There are three games we can safely return to the Giants (2 blown saves and one blown tie).
Now, this flip doesn’t really do much in terms of what happens this season (the trade deadline, the injuries, the losing), but they’d have been 50-60 on the morning of August 2nd and that is a psychologically better place than the 47-64 they actually sported.
Now, looking at that, “get a closer” seems like a pretty obvious solution. I would argue that “trying an opener more often” would also help, but that 5th inning definitely screams, too, “have a quicker hook.” But all this really tells us is that major league lineups are difficult to navigate, even if the pitchers have the advantage these days. The Giants don’t help themselves by staffing up with remarkably similar arsenals. Lots of 94 mph sinker-slider dudes.
Randy Rodriguez, Camilo Doval, and Trent Harris figure to be good tweaks to the mix heading into next year, but some creativity in deployment is needed, too. That doesn’t mean running Keaton Winn out there for a third inning or for a third consecutive day, but it’s hard to look at this one big thing and argue that the Giants are extremely far away from figuring out the pitching staff. They don’t need to spend $20-$30 million on the bullpen. Now, I doubt they have the creativity needed to properly sort it out, but there you have it.
Logan Webb’s starts against the AL East, his ERA drops to 3.66
While he’s certainly The Perfect Giant, the ace of the staff, and a world-class starting pitcher, maybe he’s just not good against the American League East. Maybe his stuff and pitch arsenal is just batting practice for those hitters. He gave up 20 earned runs in 4 starts against the Yankees, Orioles, Blue Jays, and Red Sox. Take those out and his season is much more in line with the Logan Webb we’re used to — he still gets injured and still doesn’t pitch well enough to merit Cy Young consideration or not have concerns about his skills going into next season, but his season his 4.31 ERA doesn’t happen. (A reminder that he still wound up with a 3.1 fWAR despite just 160 IP).
Sal Stewart, Bryce Eldridge becomes a top 3 NL RoY candidate
He doesn’t win, of course. Not with Carson Benge (4.3 fWAR), JJ Wetherholt (4.6), and Nolan McLean in front (3.5). Eldridge’s 1.8 fWAR and 17 home runs are very nice for a 21-year old, but hardly spectacular when compared to the field. Benge has 20 and plays RF (occasionally CF) while Wetherholt has 17, t00, but plays shortstop. McLean is the Mets’ ace and was 15th in MLB in ERA (3.16). But this is very funny to imagine. Sal Stewart would have to be taken out by some sort of scandal to not win. He hit 32 homers and drove in 111.
All other positions, then Drew Gilbert is the 26th-most valuable player in the National League
That’s right. If we only looked at the outfielders, then Drew Gilbert would be a top 30 player with his 1.7 fWAR and triple slash of .238/.330/.394. He rates as a good defender, too, which means the Giants have run into some good luck with Harrison Bader’s extended injury time. Jonah Cox might not be able to hit, but an acceptable platoon of he and Drew Gilbert can handle center field for the Giants for a part of next season.
Remove Patrick Bailey, the Giants’ catcher corps is better than the Guardians’
Somehow, the Giants with better catcher defense than the Guardians. They traded away their Gold Glover and got better. Their 8.8 Defensive Runs Above Average was the Guardians’ lowest total of the last 5 seasons. The Giants’ 10.2 was their second-lowest after 2022 (2.8).
Jung Hoo Lee’s first 4 series and final 13, he’s a top 30 hitter
Like the rest of the offense, it took a bit for JHL to get going. He hit just .143/.224/.214 in 49 plate appearances against the Yankees, Padres, Mets, and Phillies. Those would be tough matchups for any hitter, but especially a guy who is still adjusting to the league and an MLB workload. From April 10 to August 5 he slashed .322/.353/.476 (131 wRC+) and just landed on the front page of hitters. The .338 BAbip and 2.0 fWAR should tell you that he’s contact and average-at-best defense, but you can’t take away the success he had in those 377 PA.
The relief pitching, the starting staff is playoff-caliber
Now, even though Zack Minasian laid out how parts of the Giants’ bullpen was above average, if you forget that the ‘pen exists at all (just 0.4 fWAR in value, after all), the starting staff, despite a 40-65 W-L record and just 9.4 fWAR in value (20th in MLB), stats out better than White Sox, Cubs, Padres, and Astros. Also better than the Diamondbacks, who just missed the postseason. Does this mean that an improved bullpen with a fringe-y rotation and 7-10% better than league average lineup could sneak into the Wild Card next postseason? Mr. Minasian would say yes.
Division play is removed, the Giants are 48-60 (.444)
No, that’s not good, but it’s much better than the .401 winning percentage. They went just 17-35 against the NL West, losing every season series against their division rivals, including the Rockies. But if you take those games out, it shows they are still pretty rotten. Is it a starting point for improvement? Probably not.
The 8 worst players are removed, the Giants are 4 wins better
If you knock out Harrison Bader, Osleivis Basabe, Will Brennan, Jerar Encarnacion, Matt Gage, Carson Seymour, Philip Abner, and Ryan Walker.
Now, to some degree, Walker (-0.5 fWAR) and Gage (-0.8) were unforeseeably bad, but there was also the persistence factor, where the team kept playing them despite their effort demonstrating that the opposite action should be taken. Had the Giants invested more in the bullpen during the offseason or simply had better coaching then maybe their contributions could’ve been avoided or minimized, but here we are, left to simply delete them. Jerar Encarnacion’s -0.5 fWAR in just 17 games and 35 plate appearances is truly impressive.
At the end of the day, 4 extra wins doesn’t amount to much, but if you couple that with the maybe 3 you could get from the rescued blown saves, those combined 7 gives the Giants a 72-90 record. Still not good, but that’s the type of season where you can easily wonder, “If they’d invested more in the bullpen, gotten more out of Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser to start the season, and avoided a lot of those injuries, then maybe they could’ve amounted to something more?”
Oh wow, now I see the power of Minasianball. It can get you to believe anything!
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers has Gatorade poured on him by Garrett Mitchell #5, and William Contreras #24 after his game-winning two-run single against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Good morning! Two close NLDS games took the stage last night with the Milwaukee Brewers taking a 2-0 series lead and the Atlanta Braves evening their series at 1-1.
The Chicago White Sox take on the Cleveland Guardians at 2 PM this afternoon for the first ALDS Game 2, and the New York Yankees follow against the Tampa Bay Rays at 5 PM.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Sal Frelick #10 of the Milwaukee Brewers slides into home plate past Freddy Fermin #54 of the San Diego Padres to score the game-winning run during the ninth inning on a hit by Jackson Chourio in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by John Fisher/Getty Images) | Getty Images
For the second time in the National League Division Series the San Diego Padres have seen one of their top relievers surrender the lead and the game which has them on the brink of elimination.
Mason Miller was called on for a six-out save and he was one out away from securing a 3-2 win in the second game of the series, but the San Diego closer walked the bases loaded and then allowed a game-winning single to Jackson Chourio, which gave Milwaukee a 4-3 win and a 2-0 lead in the five-game series. Miller was not sharp in his outing but he had done enough to get through the bottom of the eighth and into the bottom of the ninth. The right-hander got a groundout to open the final frame, but then allowed back-to-back walks to Christian Yelich and Sal Frelick. Miller got Andrew Vaughn to fly out and the Padres were one out away from heading home with the series tied, 1-1. Gary Sanchez was called on to pinch hit and he too drew a walk off Miller to load the bases.
Chourio got an opportunity to win the game with a hit and on the sixth pitch of the at-bat, a 101 mph four-seam fastball, he hit a single just beyond the dive of second baseman Jake Cronenworth, which rolled to Jackson Merrill in center field. Yelich scored easily from third and Merrill threw home, but Frelick was able to slide in ahead of the throw and tag to give Milwaukee a come-from-behind walk-off win.
It was a crushing defeat for San Diego who saw Adrian Morejon surrender what proved to be a game-winning solo home run to William Contreras in the seventh inning of Game 1. Ty France had what looked like a go-ahead home run clang off a stadium truss which resulted in the ball being caught by Chourio and the Padres suffered a one-run loss.
After the result on Friday night, it was imperative that San Diego got a win and split the two games in Milwaukee. In an effort to to do so, Michael King started on the mound for the Padres and he delivered a solid performance that saw him go five-plus innings, where he allowed a run on three hits with no walks and six strikeouts. Yuki Matsui pitched 1.1 innings and allowed a run and was followed by Bradgley Rodriguez who pitch 0.2 innings without allowing a run.
The San Diego offense was held to just five hits with France accounting for two of those. Merrill, Luis Campusano and Samad Taylor accounted for the other three. The Padres left eight runners on base and were 2-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Two of the three runs scored by San Diego were unearned thanks to three Milwaukee fielding errors.
The Padres have an off day today before returning to Petco Park for what is now an elimination game on Tuesday. San Diego will try to keep its season alive with the help of the Friar Faithful on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.
Because the Mets traded or waived nearly all of their pending free agents (Brooks Raley, David Peterson, A.J. Minter, Freddy Peralta, Clay Holmes, and Luis Robert Jr.), the only notable pending free agent is Frankie Montas, whose two-year deal blew up due to a mix of injury and ineffectiveness.
Beyond that, it's possible Bo Bichette will opt out of his contract. But it would be an upset, considering that Bichette would be leaving $84 million on the table ($42 million each of the next two seasons) after posting a 97 OPS+ in order to join a free agent market that could be impacted by an expected lockout.
That means if the Mets are going to move on from any key pieces of their offense this offseason, it will almost certainly mean doing so via trade.
With that as a backdrop, a possibility exists where New York could consider dealing one of its catchers -- something there were rumblings about ahead of the trade deadline.
Francisco Alvarez is still very young (set to enter his age-25 season in 2027) and is under team control via arbitration for three more years.
Luis Torrens signed a two-year, $11.5 million extension during the 2026 season and is under contract through 2028.
With Torrens in tow, could Alvarez be dangled this winter? Should he be?
Francisco Alvarez / Imagn Images via Reuters Connect/Envato Elements/SNY Treated Image
WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO TRADE ALVAREZ
Alvarez remains wildly inconsistent both at and behind the plate.
After posting a career-best .787 OPS over 76 games in 2025, Alvarez appeared to be reaching a new level this past season. But then things took a turn for the worse.
The backstop entered play on Aug. 11 with a .786 OPS, but faltered badly for the remainder of the season. Over his last 31 games, Alvarez slashed .176/.224/.296 (.520 OPS) and struck out 48 times as he had serious issues laying off pitches out of the strike zone.
Overall, Alvarez fanned 129 times in 113 games in 2026. That isn't an outrageously high number for someone who often sells out for power, but it was the worst strikeout rate (30.7 percent) of his career.
Alvarez's chase rate was in the 35th percentile (via Baseball Savant), while he was near the bottom of the league in both whiff percentage and strikeout percentage.
His ability to block balls in the dirt was also near the very bottom of the sport, with Alvarez in the first percentile.
Meanwhile, Alvarez was limited to 113 games due to a meniscus tear in his right knee. But he also returned from that injury well ahead of his estimated timeline -- something that has been a trademark of sorts for him since reaching the majors.
Sep 4, 2026; New York City, New York, USA; New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) gestures after hitting a solo home run in the second inning against the San Francisco Giants at Citi Field. / Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images
WHY IT COULD MAKE SENSE TO KEEP ALVAREZ
While Alvarez can be a frustrating player at times, his potential remains tantalizing.
He is a player in his mid-20s with light-tower power, an incredibly strong work ethic, and a relaxed, effervescent personality.
And even though he has a tendency to swing and miss (and his strikeout rate bears watching) Alvarez seriously impacts the baseball. This past season, his barrel percentage (96th percentile), hard hit percentage (86th percentile), and average exit velocity (80th percentile) were all elite, with his bat speed (74th percentile) well above average.
Following the season, Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns referred to Alvarez's season as "probably up an down," but he praised the improvements he made defensively.
"The second half, Francisco behind the plate was really encouraging," Stearns explained. "I think his defense took a step forward behind the plate. His command of the pitching staff and game-calling took a step forward in the second half. Really a credit to him for not getting down and frustrated, and a credit to our coaching staff for getting him there."
The numbers bear out what Stearns noted, with Alvarez solidly above average in 2026 when it came to pitch-framing, pop time, and caught stealing above average.
There's also the contract status factor, with Alvarez under team control through 2029.
Entering his second year of arbitration, Alvarez will get a solid raise from the $2.4 million he made in 2026. But he will still be an absolute bargain.
New York Mets designated hitter Francisco Alvarez (4) hits a solo home run against the Toronto Blue Jays in the fifth inning at Rogers Centre. / Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images
VERDICT
Giving up on a player like Alvarez at this point would seem like a knee-jerk reaction to his end-of-season swoon.
Sure, the Mets have a very capable backup in Torrens, who is a terrific defensive catcher and would profile as a starter for a handful of other teams. But there's just no reason to shake things up.
It also needs to be noted how difficult it is to find catchers who produce like Alvarez has.
Despite his inconsistencies, Alvarez is an above average hitting catcher with the upside to develop into much more.
In a world where the Mets traded Alvarez, the backup to Torrens would likely be Hayden Senger -- meaning New York could roll with Senger (career 21 OPS+ in limited big league action) or find an Alvarez replacement in free agency or via trade.
Or they could just keep Alvarez, which should be a relatively easy call.
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 04: Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) holds the base runner on the bag during the National League Divisional Series game two between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Atlanta Braves on October 04, 2026 at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. (Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Dodgers and Braves shift their National League Division Series to Atlanta, tied at one game apiece. On the off day Monday, let’s look back a little more at the disappointing Game 2 loss by Los Angeles.
Blake Snell got only 11 outs on 90 pitches, and though he only allowed one run, the Dodgers used six relievers to cover the final 5 1/3 innings on Sunday. The Dodgers felt it was more rust than any lingering effects from the left groin discomfort that caused Snell to leave his start early on September 16 in Cincinnati.
“He just was fighting himself with his delivery all game,” Roberts said. “I think, in total, didn’t have fastball command, didn’t have slider command and the changeup wasn’t there. … It wasn’t the groin. He just wasn’t sharp tonight.”
All five runs the Dodgers scored in Game 1 came on home runs — two-run shots by Teoscar Hernández and Kyle Tucker, plus a solo shot by Mac Muncy. Then in Game 2 the Dodgers’ only two runs were on solo home runs from Freddie Freeman and Muncy. From Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times:
“We’ve to find a way to score some runs without hitting a home run,” added Freddie Freeman, who homered Sunday and has three hits in the series. “That’s our biggest thing right now. So keep getting guys on base and get that big hit.”
Freeman said the Braves have done a good job keeping the Dodger hitters off-balance by emptying their bullpen, sending in a fresh pitcher every couple of innings.
“It’s tough because you’re facing a different arm every single time you’re going up there,” Freeman said. “It’s different angles, different velocities, different things. So stringing hits together is very hard.
More from Roberts on Braves reliever Didier Fuentes, who retired 11 straight batters before Muncy homered in the ninth to pull the Dodgers within a run , from Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register:
“I think it was just the fastball,” Roberts said of Fuentes, who threw two scoreless innings against the Dodgers during the Braves’ three-game sweep in Atlanta in August. “Tonight you could see the fastball, it was 99, 100. There was a lot of balls we were just missing as far as lazy fly balls, and we just couldn’t hit the ball flat against him. Then he was mixing in his split once in a while.
“Tip my hat to him, two days off (since pitching in the Wild Card Series) and doing what he did was pretty impressive.”
Sep 21, 2026; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Yennier Cano (78) delivers a pitch during the seventh inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Jamie LeBlanc-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
The 2026 version of Yennier Cano was one we thought we might not see again. After a brutal 2025 season in which Cano was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk in late June and ultimately had a 5.12 ERA in 65 games, it looked like Cano’s run as an effective reliever might be over. But a resurgent 2026 put him back on track and even earned him a contract extension.
When Cano allowed the losing run in relief to the Texas Rangers in the second series of the season, it felt like an omen that Cano would suffer a similar fate in 2026 as he did in 25. But the omen wasn’t reliable, as he went on to allow just one run on four hits over his next 18 games. In fact, over his first 21 games, Cano pitched to a 1.06 ERA and allowed just seven hits and three walks in 17 innings. In a bullpen that suffered from injuries and ineffectiveness, a resurgent Cano was a welcome sight.
At the end of May, Cano had two consecutive rough games, including on May 29th when he coughed up two runs to blow a game that the Orioles had once led 5-0. But after that blip, he went right back to what he’d been doing so far in the season. He was aided by a ground ball rate of 62%, back up where it was before his unfortunate 2025 (and among the best in baseball). He also allowed just two home runs, which allowed him to get out of many jams. He cut his walk rate by over 3%; at 6.4%, it was the lowest since his outstanding 2023 season.
Just ahead of the trade deadline, Cano was rocking a 2.15 ERA and had re-established himself as one of the core members of the bullpen. Just days before the Orioles traded his bullpen mate Tyler Wells, they went a different direction with Cano. On July 31st, the Orioles signed Cano to an extension that covered his final two years of arbitration and gave the Orioles a club option for the 2029 season. The move gave Cano stability while giving the Orioles the ability to keep him longer if they desired.
Cano’s numbers after the trade deadline look pretty bad, but that all came down to back-to-back appearances against the Rays in which he allowed three runs in each. In one, the three runs he allowed were the difference in a loss. In the other, the team held on to win despite his three runs allowed. Cam Sanders had to relieve him to get the final out.
Over the years, the Orioles have tried Cano in the ninth inning and it has never worked out. In his career, Cano has a 5.27 ERA in 54.2 innings pitched. He’s been much more effective in the seventh or eighth innings, where he’s logged the most innings. In 2026, Cano allowed seven runs in 13 games in the ninth inning. Which is a lot! But all seven scored in three games.
Bottom line, it’s worth keeping Cano out of the ninth inning if possible. That is fine, because he thrives as a setup man. He held opponents to a sub-.550 OPS in those innings this year. What would be best for the Orioles is to build the 2027 bullpen around the idea that Cano can be a late-inning guy. I expect that Ryan Helsley will exercise his player option for next year. His presence (and hopefully that of Félix Bautista) will keep Cano where he has thrived.
Relief pitchers are volatile, and it’s hard to know what to expect from Cano going forward. But this season was a reassuring step in the right direction after a tough 2025. The Orioles showed faith in him with the extension with a 2.90 ERA in 68 games. A repeat performance in 2027 would be a welcome sight as the Orioles try to get back into contention.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Chris Sale #51 of the Atlanta Braves looks on from the dugout during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 04, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In some ways, it feels weird to re-litigate this after the Braves won in Game 2 without Chris Sale starting, but what happened feels so weird that I still can’t wrap my head around it.
We basically have two things in play:
First, Chris Sale has gotten extra rest ahead of many of his starts this season. He hasn’t started on the standard four days’ rest very much.
Second, Chris Sale appeared out of the bullpen to finish off the NL Wild Card Series win over the Phillies.
There was a logical world where that appearance functioned as a normal bullpen session, and Sale would’ve started on regular rest twice, once in NLDS Game 2, and once in NLDS Game 5, if needed. That seems like kind of a big deal, given that A) Sale is really good, B) Tyler Mahle would only appear once in the NLDS given the schedule, and C) the Braves don’t have any other starters.
But then, Sale didn’t start Game 2. A lot of discussion was focused on his bullpen appearance, and whether that was the culprit for knocking him back a game. Is that what happened? I have no idea. Or, would the Braves have knocked him back a game anyway for reasons that we aren’t privy to?
From reporting, it seems like it was a Braves decision and not a Chris Sale decision, which is not at all a surprise to me. There’s also some reporting that Sale wasn’t 100 percent heading into Sunday’s Game 2, but… it’s also unclear to me whether that would’ve been the case for him facing normal rest irrespective of the relief appearance.
Basically, I don’t expect anyone or anything to resolve this, but there seems to be this lack of a throughline between “Sale appeared out of the bullpen” and “Sale isn’t starting Game 2.” Maybe that throughline exists, or maybe Sale was going to get extra rest anyway.
The whole situation is just weird. In theory, the Braves’ odds of advancing are pretty dependent on how many Sale appearances they can cram into their remaining games. But, in practice, they could just out-slug the opposition, or even pull an NLDS Game 2, where they probably shouldn’t have won but did anyway.
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - OCTOBER 04: Jackson Chourio #11 of the Milwaukee Brewers celebrates the game-winning two-run single against the San Diego Padres during the ninth inning in game two of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 04, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Baseball brings both horror and odd silver linings from unexpected places. In just the last handful of days, Roman Anthony’s been handed both.
The first is the most obvious as the hand injury Anthony battled all year resurfaced and wrecked his first playoff appearance in merciless fashion. He now faces a long offseason of rehab and questions he won’t be able to answer for multiple months. In almost every way, the ending to his 2026 is cruel, harsh and final.
But leave it to the baseball gods to follow up that nastiness with an odd, but also rather ideal ray of hope. Enter Jackson Chourio, who yesterday came up in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 2 of the NLDS with the bases juiced and Mason Miller on the mound. After a highly entertaining battle, Chourio came through on a 2-2 pitch with this game-winner that sent the Brewer crowd into bedlam:
So what does that have to do with Roman Anthony? Well, just one year ago, Chourio faced a very similar set of frustrating circumstances that largely mirror what Anthony is dealing with today.
The curious correlations started back in July of 2025, when Chourio suffered a right hamstring injury on this triple against the Cubs:
Chourio was initially listed as day-to-day (that should sound familiar), but ended up missing several weeks (that should also sound familiar).
Now so far, the similarities are very rudimentary. Anthony, like Chourio, is a 22-year-old hitting stud born in 2004. Anthony, like Chourio, is an outfielder who plays predominantly in left but can move to other slots when the team needs it. Anthony, like Chourio, signed an 8-year contract extension. And Anthony, like Chourio, suffered a frustrating injury that started as day-to-day and then became something much, much more.
But here’s where the similarities get crazy. Do you know what happened shortly after Chourio went on the IL last year? His team went on a 14-game winning streak, which is wildly similar to the 15-game winning streak the Red Sox went on this summer.
Do you know the date Chourio came back from his injury last year? August 30th. Do you know the date Anthony came back from his injury this year? August 30th. Both Anthony and Chourio then proceeded to play in exactly 25 regular season games upon returning, and then had their old injury resurface in Game 1 of the postseason, where they each had to leave early. Here’s the Brewers announcing Chourio’s departure 12 months ago.
OF Jackson Chourio left today's game with right hamstring tightness. He will be further evaluated after today's game.
Now the difference is the 2025 Brewers went much deeper into the postseason than the 2026 Red Sox. So Chourio was actually in the lineup again in the NLCS, where he unfortunately had to leave another game with that reoccurring hamstring injury.
Jackson Chourio left the game after an awkward swing that appeared to potentially reaggravate his hamstring injury pic.twitter.com/DYBPouE1xM
Either way, if you check the social media archives, you’ll find hundreds of comments from dimwitted imbeciles calling Chourio soft, made of glass, uncompetitive, and questioning if he had anything to play for after the Brewers gave him an an 8-year, $82 million contract extension. Basically, you’d be reading the same trash many people are saying about Roman Anthony right now, which is suddenly oddly comforting in an extremely bizarre way after what Chourio did on Sunday.
Now unfortunately, there’s no guarantee the story keeps following the same set of parallel tracks, and even if it does, we have to wait a year to get the payoff. For now, Roman Anthony, Red Sox fans, and potentially the entire sport face a long, grueling winter ahead, and maybe even a delayed start to next season. (Chourio by the way also had a delayed start to his next season, but that was for a fractured hand, which given everything else here is kind of nuts.)
But at the very least, it’s nice to know the pot of gold is sitting out there somewhere. Chourio’s heroics provide a beacon of light in a moment filled with uncertainty and darkness. So even though it’s a million miles away and there’s no guarantee we ever get there, it can serve as our north star for the time being. Who knows? Maybe a year from now we can circle back and note one more satisfying similarity in this silly string of surrealness.
Port St. Lucie, Florida: New York Mets pitcher Freddy Peralta shares a laugh with fans during a spring training workout, February 20, 2026 in Port St. Lucie, Florida. (Photo by Alejandra Villa Loarca /Newsday RM via Getty Images) | Newsday via Getty Images
Chris Sale didn’t get the ball as he wished he would, but the legend of Ray Kerr grew once again as he technically outpitched Blake Snell and combined with almost-cycling Michael Harris II to tie the NLDS at a game apiece against the dastardly Dodgers.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 04: Ray Kerr #62 of the Atlanta Braves pitches during the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game two of the National League Division Series at Dodger Stadium on October 04, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images) | Getty Images
In the end, the Braves accomplished their goal. Through a dramatic 3-2 win over the Dodgers, the Braves won Game 2 and split the series in LA. Now the, the Braves have flipped home field advantage and will welcome the Dodgers to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4, with a fully rested Chris Sale and Tyler Mahle ready to go. It was a big gamble, but led by Ray Kerr and Didier Fuentes, the job got done.
Milwaukee, WI - October 3: Ty France #25 of the San Diego Padres reacts after popping out where the ball hit the roof in the ninth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers during Game One of the National League Division Series at American Family Field on October 3, 2026 in Milwaukee, WI. (Photo by K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune via Getty Images)
Good morning. This is the time of year that the news becomes outdated very quickly. There won’t be anything about last night’s Dodgers/Braves game because I’m writing this before it ended. And not much from the Brewers and Padres Game 2.
Will Sammon thinks that Rasmussen was “untouchable” in Game 1. (The Athletic sub. req.) Also with more behind-the-scenes stuff about Rasmussen’s gem and what was going on in the Rays’ dugout.
SURPRISE, ARIZONA - MARCH 18: Drew Waters #8 of the Kansas City Royals stands on deck during a Spring Training game against the Texas Rangers at Surprise Stadium on March 18, 2026 in Surprise, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images) | Getty Images
There’s another issue, though, that I hope the Royals will delve deeper into as they audit their processes.
Heck, maybe they could even form a task force for the cause:
Solve why so many of their seasons get wrecked within weeks.
Because it’s an ever-hovering albatross that deflates fans and typically has made for too much ground to make up.
Yes, the Royals have been above water through May in two of Matt Quatraro’s first four seasons as manager.
And, yep, the early stumbles are intertwined with broader reasons they do or don’t succeed through the course of a 162-game marathon. And, sure there’s a difference between causal and correlation.
But, geez, this happens over and over and over and over.
Precocious righthander Kendry Chourio pitched at two Class A levels as an 18-year-old. The Royals knew he was ready for the challenge because they observed his pregame routine of studying hitters, reviewing video and developing game plans. “He’s super disciplined (and) he’s very mature for his age,” Royals farm director Mitch Maier said. “Just by the example, he sets on how he takes care of business when he starts, and the poise which he performs with, he sets a good example for everyone who he’s around.”
DETROIT, MICHIGAN - OCTOBER 07: J.P. Crawford #3 of the Seattle Mariners celebrates after hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers during the sixth inning in game three of the American League Division Series at Comerica Park on October 07, 2025 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Duane Burleson/Getty Images) | Getty Images
I already know the reaction of the vast majority of fans reading this headline, which will produce some version of “Wait what?” I have legitimately not seen his name thrown out as a possible Cardinals target anywhere, and it’s understandable because he is technically a shortstop. In fact, there’s a strong possibility the only thing you really know about JP Crawford is that he was a l0ng-time Mariners shortstop. Probably didn’t even know he was a free agent, because why would you even bother to pay attention to the free agent shortstops.
You might notice that I said he was technically a shortstop. By virtue of standing at short when playing defense. Functionally speaking he deserves to no longer be called a shortstop, because is a very bad defensive shortstop. He has been worth -9 OAA or worse in four of the five last seasons and he’s been worth -25 OAA the past two seasons combined. This is despite the fact that he actually played 254 innings at 3B last year and only 720 innings at short. He’s been a bad shortstop for a while and this season, his numbers suggested he was on par with Jose Martinez in the outfield.
This is admittedly an extremely strange way to make the case for the Cardinals to sign someone, but I want to emphasize there is no team in baseball that will – or at least should – sign up for JP Crawford’s services with the intention of putting him at SS. Everyone is aware he is a bad defender. Crawford has to know that his numbers rate very poorly. He is a beloved Mariner and they were forced to put him at 3B. Colt Emerson got called up and at first Emerson was at 3B and Crawford was at SS, but well, by June, the positions switched. Emerson ended up getting hurt, so Crawford finished the year at SS, but hopefully message received.
He should and probably will be viewed as a free agent 3B and in that respect, he is a lot more appealing. He hasn’t played at 3B very long, but he now has 254 innings of experience and though it is an extremely small sample size, he rated as dead average. Now Crawford does have a weaker arm – it is 20th percentile according to Statcast. But it’s honestly not a huge difference between him and Thomas Saggese or Blaze Jordan. He threw it 80.2 mph on average, Saggese threw it 82 mph, and Blaze threw it 82.8. All were clearly below average arms. I don’t think it is a dealbreaker to have a weaker arm at 3B.
Crawford however is an above average hitter. He has a career 106 wRC+, which is pretty close to his 105 wRC+ on the 2026 season, which was achieved with a .253 BABIP and a .319 xwOBA compared to a .312 actual wOBA. His xwOBA and wOBA are nearly identical for his career. I would ordinarily not comment on a 7 point difference, but it sounds more appealing to sign a 110 wRC+ hitter than a 105 wRC+ hitter and… again low BABIP and same xwOBA as wOBA for career. There’s reasons to believe he was unlucky.
He doesn’t have quite as wide of a splits as I would hope, which is both a positive and a negative. It’s a negative because if he was worse against LHP, it’d be easier to maximize his production (and honestly easier selling point to platoon). It’s a positive because well it is better if he’s not unplayable against LHP. With his defense, he certainly was unplayable against LHP at SS, so I suppose it depends on how good his defense is at 3B, but a 98 career wRC+ against LHP is perfectly fine. He was actually better against LHP last year, which again I’d prefer to not be the case to convince him to platoon.
Which yes, that would be my hope with signing JP Crawford. The Cardinals have two right-handed options for 3B next season, neither of which were any good against the same-handed pitcher last season. Thomas Saggese had a 66 wRC+ (and 73 wRC+ career) and Blaze Jordan had a 51 wRC+ against RHP. I don’t hate the idea of those two getting a bunch of reps next year to see what they have, but for 75% of games, you at least appear to have one really bad hitter locked into your lineup with getting someone who can hit right-handed pitchers for 3B.
I also will add I think those two will still play plenty if you sign JP Crawford. There is of course all the games where they will play against a LHP, and they will come into many games when a left-handed reliever comes into the game. They will still start some games against RHP I’m sure – just the way a baseball season ends up going, someone will have injuries. But that’s kind of what those two should be against RHP – injury insurance, not the plan.
Another appealing aspect of Crawford – maybe the most appealing aside from his competence with the bat – I think he might have to sign a one-year deal. I don’t think he will be high in-demand from the market. He’s in no man’s land right now – a shortstop all his life, but nobody who will play him there – but a 3B without an arm and with not a whole lot of power (of course Safeco is terrible for power) is kind of difficult selling point. I know, I’m simultaneously making a case to not get him.
But that’s the thing in my mind. The Cardinals are trying to achieve a very delicate balance. I don’t think they are interested in a long-term solution at 3B, because maybe Rainiel Rodriguez will have to go there, maybe Jesus Baez looks like he should be called up in June. I could see them being uncomfortable with having literally no potential for any infielder to crack the starting lineup for a few years without an injury or a trade. At the same time, they want to improve at 3B for 2027 specifically, and I don’t think they really believe that Jordan or Saggese are future starting 3Bs. It’s a pretty big gamble that the Cardinals only improve at 3B because they literally could not get worse instead of improving to average or better.
Maybe Crawford is that delicate balance. A player you might be able to get for one year, that is an above average hitter, and yes a question mark on defense, but the early returns are positive. It could go really well. If he’s only a little bit below average at 3B and maintains his offensive consistency, he will be an above average player. He has been an above average player for most of his career at SS. He was 2.8 fWAR in 2025, so it isn’t ancient history either. He will be playing in his age 32 season, which for a one-year commitment isn’t super risky. If things go poorly, it’s not that hard to cut him. Hypothetically anyway. I don’t know what his market will be.
He will usually give you a good at-bat. He walks at a high rate and he doesn’t strike out all that much. He’s already used to playing in a park that doesn’t allow homers, I don’t think he will be too harmed by playing at Busch. He did hit 14 homers last year and he’s settled into a 10+ homer guy, so there is a little power, I don’t want to act like he’s David Eckstein. But power is not his strong point.
I know this is a boring signing. If you want to improve at 3B, this will not exactly excite people. I’m trying to be realistic. I don’t think the Cardinals will go international, and there’s not many great options. Crawford could be the boring, but effective signing to vastly improve 3B, admittedly because of how low the bar is, but still. He’s left-handed and a career 110 wRC+ hitter against RHP. I think it fits.
A not small caveat to all this is…. it is contingent on quite a few things to happen. Crawford has to actually be available for a one-year-deal, that there isn’t another team willing to give him more opportunities at SS, that there isn’t another opportunity for him to play 2B or 3B full-time instead of as a platoon option, and that the Cardinals believe Crawford could be fine at 3B defensively. It would not shock me if someone gives him two years, it would not shock me if another team would play him full-time instead of planning to platoon him, and it would not shock me if the Cardinals were not high on his defense at 3B. It would shock me if another team kept him at SS, he only lasted as long as he did at SS because he was the longest tenured Mariner who fans loved.
So yes, the chips have to fall right for this to work. I can think of a bunch of reasons for why this won’t happen. But the right version of this could work well for the Cardinals. They can delay the 3B question for another year while not sacrificing the on-field product. It is boring. I can’t imagine a lot of fans would be excited about this move.
But when the Mariners had the tribute for him on the last game of the season, Crawford to 3B occurred to me and it apparently occurred to nobody else, and I just want to throw this idea into the world more than anything. See what people think. He is not being treated as an option and he is an option. He is the not necessarily exciting option, but I wouldn’t mind seeing a solid hitter in the lineup against RHP next season. I don’t know I really want to believe in the best case scenario of this.
