Category: Baseball

After a losing effort against the Guardians on Saturday afternoon, the Brewers are back at it with their first split-squad day of the spring. The road Brewer squad is in Glendale, where they’ll take on the Chicago White Sox, while the home team welcomes the Royals to American Family Fields of Phoenix.

In the road lineup, Joey Ortiz bats leadoff as the DH, followed by Andrew Vaughn, Akil Baddoo, and Tyler Black. Jeferson Quero makes his spring debut behind the plate, followed by top prospect Jesús Made at second base. Fellow top prospect Cooper Pratt starts at shortstop, Luke Adams starts at third, and Luis Lara rounds out the order in right field.

Logan Henderson starts on the mound in that one, with righties Carlos Rodriguez and Peter Strzelecki also scheduled to pitch behind him.

In the home game, Jackson Chourio bats leadoff and starts in left, followed by Gary Sánchez, who serves as the DH. William Contreras bats third and starts behind the plate, followed by Brice Turang, Sal Frelick, and Jake Bauers. New Brewer Luis Rengifo bats seventh and starts at third base, followed by center fielder Blake Perkins and Jett Williams at short.

Robert Gasser will start for the home squad, with fellow lefties DL Hall and Tate Kuehner also slated to pitch.

First pitch for the road game against Chicago is set for 2:05 p.m. CT, with the home game against Kansas City scheduled to begin at 2:10 p.m. The road game is also Milwaukee’s first televised spring game on Brewers TV, free for viewing (even in the blackout region). The road game will be broadcast on 94.5 ESPN Milwaukee and the Brewers Radio Network across the state.

The first two games of the Yankees’ spring schedule showcased the two hottest pitching prospects in the organization, Elmer Rodríguez and Carlos Lagrange. Today, a post-hype-prospect-turned-post-hype Major Leaguer gets the ball. Luis Gil will need a big spring to reestablish his place in the MLB rotation, especially with those two hotshots rising through the ranks. He’ll make his first start opposite Justin Hagenman as the Yankees host the Mets at George M. Steinbrenner Field.

Gil only threw 57 regular season innings in 2025 after his AL Rookie of the Year-winning campaign in 2024. While his 3.32 ERA was fine enough, his strikeouts plummeted and his 4.63 FIP indicated deeper issues. He made an unimpressive start in the ALDS against the Blue Jays and enters 2026 with far less buzz around him than the new kids on the block. Even with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón set to miss the first chunk of the season, Gil still might not be guaranteed a rotation spot; FanGraphs’ RosterResource currently has him fifth on the rotation depth chart behind Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and even new arrival Ryan Weathers (though the Yankees’ selection of Gil over Warren for a playoff start last October likely still reflects some internal thinking).

With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how he comes out of the gate following a long offseason. Will we continue to see Gil tamp down the fastball velocity as he did last season, in order to keep from running out of steam? Or will the urgency to win a spot and restore trust have him tossing fireballs right away? Of course, Gil likely won’t be built up to full velocity anyway, but we should still get a decent idea based on the numbers. As always, command and missing bats will be focal points as well.

Gil will be opposed by South Jersey native Justin Hagenman, who had his inaugural big-league cup of coffee after seven seasons in the Minors. The 29-year old right-hander posted a 4.56 ERA in 9 games with 23 K’s in 23.2 innings, not too shabby an introduction. We’re most likely looking at a depth reliever or swingman-type player here; he throws a lot of strikes but lacks a truly eye-popping offering. There may be an analogue to the Garden State in there somewhere.

It’s a packed lineup today for the Bombers. The full starting outfield—albeit with Aaron Judge at DH—will take their familiar top three spots in the lineup while Jazz Chisholm Jr. bats cleanup. Paul Goldschmidt will man the cold corner with Austin Wells behind the plate. Amed Rosario will play third base, former Rockie Yanquiel Fernández will be stationed in right field, and José Caballero rounds out the starting nine at shortstop.

How to watch

Location: George M Steinbrenner Field — Tampa, FL

First pitch: 1:05 pm ET

TV broadcast: Gotham Sports App, MLB Network (out-of-network only)

Radio broadcast: WHSQ 880AM & Audacy Mets Radio

Online stream: Gotham Sports App

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One of the things about having a more established team is there are fewer spring training roster battles. Backup catcher isn’t exactly the most glamorous position, especially when backing up one of the league’s more famous iron men, but it is one of the things we have to watch this spring alongside the yearly bullpen battle and the platoon obstacle course in right field. As a reminder, the candidates are:

• Andrew Knizner. Knizner has the advantage of being on the 40-man roster and earning actual guaranteed money no matter what happens this spring. He also has the backing of our own Connor Donovan, who came away from writing Knizner’s 40 in 40 with a newfound appreciation for the career backup.
• Jhonny Pereda. Pereda has the advantage of being on the 40-man roster, although he did not inspire the same strong feelings in ZAM that Knizner did in Connor. Pereda’s other advantage is he has an option year left.
• Mitch Garver. After saying earlier this winter that the team hadn’t had any conversations about bringing Garver back, Cal Raleigh apparently influenced the organization to bring back Garver on an MiLB deal after he went unsigned this winter. Garver has the advantage of knowing the system and the way he fits on this roster; he’s also enjoyed the most successful career out of any of the potential candidates, as a World Series champ with a Silver Slugger.

Then there are the non-roster invites currently in camp with the Mariners. Two are MiLB journeyman who have been with the Mariners in the past in Bryan O’Keefe and Nick Raposo, and three are homegrown prospects Josh Caron, Connor Charping, and Luke Stevenson. Jakson Reetz, another MiLB journeyman, rounds out this group. This crew is here mostly to catch because catchers make the spring training world go round – and gain experience in the case of the prospects – but there’s an outside outside outside chance O’Keefe, Raposo, or Reetz might have a late-career resurgence. Realistically, though, this is a three-horse race between Knizner, Pereda, and Garver. Given those options, which of the the three is your early spring pick to make the Opening Day roster? Really, what this question asks is: what do you see as the role of a backup catcher, and what traits do you value most in that position?

Mets lineup

1. Carson Benge – RF
2. Mark Vientos – 1B
3. Luis Torrens – C
4. Jared Young – DH
5. Christian Arroyo – 3B
6. Ryan Clifford – LF
7. Vidal Bruján – 2B
8. Cristian Pache – CF
9. Grae Kessinger – SS

Justin Hagenman – RHP

Yankees Lineup

1. Trent Grisham – CF
2. Aaron Judge – DH
3. Cody Bellinger – LF
4. Jazz Chisholm Jr. – 2B
5. Paul Goldschmidt – 1B
6. Austin Wells – C
7. Amed Rosario – 3B
8. Yanquiel Fernández – RF
9. José Caballero – SS

RHP Luis Gil

Broadcast info

First pitch: 1:05 PM EST
TV: MLB Network (out-of-market only)
Radio: Audacy Mets Radio WHSQ 880AM, Audacy App, 92.3 HD2

Game two of the spring schedule. I was up early and at the bar for the hockey, and that is all I’m saying about it. Though beer at 6:00 in the morning is surprisingly good.

The Jays have Fernando Perez as the starting pitcher. He was good in Vancouver last year, 3.05 ERA in 20 starts, and finished the season in New Hampshire.

Less regulars today, as the veterans don’t like to make the bus rides:

Go Jays Go.

Can the US stick it to Canada twice today? We’ll find out! First pitch at 1:05 PM.

Is it on TV?

You bet! NESN is three-for-three so far in the spring. Give it up for cable television, ladies and gentlemen.

What’s the lineup?

What should we watch for?

As Alex Cora himself said, this is pretty close to a regular season lineup. I didn’t expect to see a lineup quite like this so soon, but the WBC is speeding things up a bit this spring, so let’s go ahead and pretend this is a real game for the first few innings.

One of the biggest competitions we will see this spring is behind the plate. Top prospect and new Nat Harry Ford will be battling it out against Keibert Ruiz at camp. We will see who comes out on top, but for my sanity, I really hope it is Harry Ford. It would be the best outcome for Ford to win the job because he has more upside.

Keibert Ruiz has gotten chance after chance in his four plus seasons with the Nationals. However, he has never been able to put it together and has been regressing over the past couple of years. The bat first catcher is only hitting .235 with a .610 OPS over the last two seasons. When you combine that with awful defense, you get one of the worst regulars in baseball.

If it weren’t for his contract extension, Ruiz would probably have been non-tendered or DFA’d by now. However, he has that contract, so he is going to be on the team. His contract is not big enough to just promise him a starting role despite poor production. Ruiz is only making $5.375 million this year.

Meanwhile, Ford has proven everything he has needed to in the minors. He hit .283 with an .868 OPS in Triple-A last year. Ford also showed increased power production and slightly improved defense. The only reason he did not see more time in the MLB was because of how good Cal Raleigh is. In other organizations, Ford would have been a starter for at least part of last season.

Ford is 23 years old with four full seasons in the minor leagues now. The Mariners brought him along slowly and developed him nicely. Now, it is time for the Nats to reap the rewards and unleash him. If Ruiz and Ford are playing at the same level this spring, the tie should go to Ford not Ruiz.

We have seen Ruiz get the benefit of the doubt for so many years now. He has lost that right, and Harry Ford now has the title of catcher of the future in DC. Ford has a level of athleticism and plate discipline Ruiz could only dream of. We saw some of that plate discipline yesterday when Ford walked and got an RBI base hit.

The whole reason the Mariners traded Ford was because they knew he was basically big league ready but they did not have regular playing time for him. Rather than letting him rot on the bench or AAA, they wanted to flip the asset while he still had value. For the Nats to see that and decide to roll with Ruiz over Ford would be silly. It would kind of defeat the point of the trade. Why trade for a blocked big league ready catcher if you are not going to play him?

This is not to say there should not be competition. If Ruiz looks way better than Ford, he should get the job. However, in this battle, the tie should go to Harry Ford. Back a few years ago, Ruiz was the high upside catcher the Nats were developing, now Ford is that guy. At this point, Ruiz’s development is a secondary concern to Ford’s.

There is going to be one twist in this competition though. At the start of March, Ford will be leaving camp to play for Great Britain. He is one of the stars of that team and is a co-captain. His parents are British, so this is a great honor for him, but it could give Ruiz an upper hand.

The time away from camp gives Ruiz more reps and opportunities. If he takes advantage of that, Ruiz could be in the driver’s seat of the competition. As a fan though, I am really rooting for Ford to win this competition.

The Nats catching situation has been such a disaster the last couple years, and Ruiz has been the biggest problem. He has not been the player Nats fans thought they were getting when he was a headliner in the Scherzer/Turner trade. Rather than establishing himself as a star, Ruiz has struggled on both sides of the ball and has not stayed healthy.

There is a reason trading for Ford was Paul Toboni’s first major move. He knew the catching situation was not good enough. Toboni bet on Ford to be the answer. If Harry Ford has a comparable or better spring than Ruiz, unleash the young man and give him his shot.

Tampa Bay Rays vs. Pittsburgh Pirates, February 22, 2025, 1:05 p.m. ET

Location: LECOM Park, Bradenton, FL

How to Watch: Sportsnet Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Pirates vs. Philadelphia Phillies, February 22, 2025, 1:05 p.m. ET

Location: BayCare Ballpark, Clearwater, FL

How to Listen: KDKA-FM 93.7

The Pittsburgh Pirates are splitting the team up, with half staying home to face the Rays and the other traveling to visit the Phillies.

Please remember our Game Day thread guidelines.

• Don’t troll in your comments; create conversation rather than destroying it
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BD community, this is your thread for today’s games. Enjoy!

Scottsdale, Ariz. – Mickey Moniak’s career has been defined by ups and down.

He was drafted first overall by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2016 MLB Draft and made his MLB debut on September 16, 2020, playing eight games in the COVID-shortened season. After bouncing up and down in 2021, Moniak broke his hand on April 7, 2022 and then bounced up and down until he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels at the deadline.

With the Angels, he continued to struggle in 2023 largely due to injuries. However, he played 124 games in 2024 and slashed .219/.266/.380 with 14 homers, but was eventually released on March 25, 2025.

The Colorado Rockies took full advantage of it, and signed him two days later.

Moniak broke camp with the Rockies, and ended up having a career year in 2025, slashing .270/.306/.518 with a career-high 24 homers.

But Moniak learned some lessons during the 2025 season, even if the Rockies were the worst team in baseball.

“I think, in general, [I learned that] success isn’t linear,” he said.

“Last year, with the season we had, obviously nobody was excited about it. Nobody was happy. However, I think that there was a lot of experience that was gained last year for a lot of young guys to then put us in a good situation this year to compete. And we talk about moving past ‘happy to be here’ and it’s time to win.”

Personally, Moniak made some adjustments to “build off what (he) did last year.”

“Obviously, I had the best year of my career,” he said. “But there’s a new coaching staff, a new front office – it’s a big turnaround here. So I’m just getting comfortable with them. We’re talking about what needs to be a focus going into this season in order to build off last year.

“And I think a big one is just trying to stay in the strike zone as best I can,” he continued. “I’m naturally an aggressive hitter, and I think that’s one of my biggest strengths but also it’s a double-edged sword sometimes. So I’m just trying to really hone in on that.”

Moniak has been impressed with the new coaching staff, but made sure to shout out manager Warren Schaeffer, who served as the interim manager last year.

“First and foremost, bringing ‘Schaeff’ back was huge for us,” he said. “I think just what he brings to a clubhouse day in and day out, and what he brings to this organization… I think he’s the right guy for the job and the right guy to lead us.”

Moniak specifically pointed to Schaeffer’s “comfort” with young players as what makes him the right guy for this job.

“Knowing them and being comfortable with them, and vice versa – young guys being comfortable with him – I think is a great start,” he said. 

“And then obviously bringing in a lot of veteran guys to help bring experience to the clubhouse,” he continued. “I think experience is gained in one of two ways: It’s either you do it, or you have guys who’ve done it, and you can learn from them. So I think that was huge for us.”

And Schaeffer returned the sentiment, and not just being “a great left-handed bat that plays a good outfield.”

“[He brings] a good leadership quality that is very, very good,” Schaeffer said. “He’s a huge presence in that clubhouse, along with Kyle Freeland and [Antonio Senzatela]. He’s right up there with that.

“And you can’t really put a value on that,” he continued. “That’s an enormous value, and he’s a really good baseball player.”

Moniak hasn’t seen any spring action yet, but he’s using a more relaxed spring training to get ready for Opening Day.

“The number one [goal] is just making sure we’re going into the season healthy,” he said.

“This might be my first spring training where I’ve felt like I haven’t had to go out there and hit .300 to make a team. So just being able to use spring training to kind of work on some things and try some stuff, but ultimately, get ready to where we’re hitting the ground running on March 27.”

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The St. Louis Cardinals take on the Houston Astros for game 2 of Spring Training. For the Cardinals, Kyle Leahy is expected to start the game. Mike Burrows is expected to take the mound for the Astros today. If you’re a MLB subscriber, you can listen to the game via KMOX 1120 AM/104.1 FM and the Cardinals Radio Network.

Spring briefly sprang in the Twin Cities last week, with temperatures in the mid-50s and the promise of baseball on the horizon. Naturally, as the team congregated in Florida for their first workout of Grapefruit League action, so too did the nice weather congregate in a little place called “Somewhere Else.” So, it is with a fresh six inches of snow and a consistent streak of lows in the single digits that we northerners get to watch the first weekend of 2026 baseball, with a mixture of excitement and envy in our hearts.

If you are the kind of person who prefers the cold-weather months — such as myself — please feel free to re-read the entire opening paragraph but with your own adjectives substituted into emotional areas where they make more sense. It’s like Mad Libs, but much less restrictive. Plus, you don’t need a friend.

• Spring is a season of hope and ambition, which is why the Cleveland Guardians will be giving Steven Kwan some center-field reps this spring. I suppose if you win enough Gold Gloves in a defensive position without much prestige, somebody will get the idea that your talents might be better-utilized elsewhere.

• Cleveland minor-league Cam Schuelke turned some heads by turning his elbows and showcasing multiple release points in the same at-bat, which is kind of like if Pat Venditte only had one arm instead of two, but that one arm was actually two arms. Do you know what I mean?

• Here’s a fun one for Twins fans of a certain vintage — Alexei Ramirez will participate in the World Baseball Classic. Yes, as a player.

• By special request of NPB addition Munetaka Murakami, the Chicago White Sox will be adding bidets to the clubhouse in 2026. In line with my reference to Mad Libs from earlier, this is a situation where you, the readership, will be able to come up with something funnier as a collective. Feel free to brainstorm in the comments.
• The Sox also added Erick Fedde on a one-year deal, returning to the organization that brought him back from Korea, and signed Seranthony Dominguez to a two-year contract during which he is expected to be the closer.
• The Detroit Tigers are adding an orange alternate jersey, which feels right on paper but wants for a little individuality in real-life execution, as the kits could easily belong to either the Baltimore Orioles or San Francisco Giants, two teams who manage to distinguish their own orange-and-black palettes from each other. For Detroit, it’s proven a harder task, although we’ll have to wait for a little in-game action under the lights before passing too much judgment.
• Of course, new jerseys weren’t the only major on-field moves for the Tigers this month. They finally reunited with Justin Verlander, picked up Framber Valdez out of free agency, and lost an arbitration case that will see Tarik Skubal make $32MM this season.
• Finally, just because I like this kind of news, and not because I think you’ll be able to watch, the Kansas City Royals will be simulcasting their home opener over-the-air on KCTV5.

Here are the lineups. For the Phillies:

For the Pirates:

Let’s talk about it.

Well today we have Atlanta’s first “home” game of 2026 Spring Training and we are treated to Chris Sale on the mound. Not only is a potential future Hall of Famer on the mound, but the Braves are rolling out what could be most of the Opening Day lineup.

The only member of the likely Opening Day lineup missing is Mike Yastrzemski, who homered in yesterday’s game. It’s February 22nd, so things are very subject to change, but I wouldn’t love batting Baldwin and Olson 2nd and 3rd like that, and would probably prefer swapping Olson with Profar, just to avoid stacking two lefties together like that. I also would probably have Olson in the 2 spot instead of Baldwin, but we’ll see how the lineup develops throughout Spring Training in Walt Weiss’ first season as manager. Today we are mostly hoping for health from everyone, maybe a few fun moments, and perhaps some cool prospect performances later in the game.

You can see both lineups below, as the Twins are leading off Byron Buxton and have former Brave Orlando Arcia starting at shortstop.

You can find today’s game on Gray TV, MLB.tv, or on the radio with 680 AM/93.7FM The Fan. Boy is it nice to have baseball back in our lives. Join us and discuss today’s game in the comments below!

Ah, can you hear that? The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowds, the Death Star siren as Cam Schlittler is about to fan yet another batter to end the inning? No, you can’t? Well, neither can I, because once again, it’s Sunday, and that means it’s snowing in New York City.

Fortunately, it’s a Sunday after February 20th, which means that, as Mother Nature covers up the mounds of dirty snow with fresh snow, we can load up the Gotham Sports App, listen to the YES music, and catch some Yankees play baseball. And since it’s Sunday, that also means it’s time for our social media roundup! What have our favorite ballplayers been up to during their busy week of camp? Let’s find out!

Media Day Shenanigans

This year’s media day was historic, as it was the first media day in which Yankees players were allowed to don beards in decades (remember, the Yankees did not end the ban until after media day, which meant we got a year of Austin Wells, Devin Williams, and others appearing on the in-stadium hype videos clean-shaven while donning facial hair). As always, we got a ton of behind-the-scenes videos from the day.

Question of the Day: Yankees Instagram Edition

Everyone’s favorite spring training social media activity, the Question of the Day, is back! We’ve got some fun stuff this week, as the Yankees were asked their go-to hot beverage.

We also got to see a little bit of YES Network-style shenanigans, as the team was challenged to roll a quarter between two forks, draw a circle.

Daily Shenanigans: YES Network Edition

Not to be outdone, the YES Network has posted its share of player shenanigans alongside its typical coverage of spring training. Sometimes, it was a second Question of the Day, as we learned whether the Yankees preferred the aisle or window seat on the airplane, as well as which Winter Olympic events they’re fans of.

Other times, we got to see individual players participate in something, as when Aaron Judge engaged in some art behind the plate.

We also got to see an intense game of Jenga.

Legendary Visitors

As always, some Yankees legends visited spring training this week, and as always, a number of Yankees players took the opportunity to not only learn from some greats, but also take some pictures with the players they watched in their youth.

This includes this great shot of the Yankees starting rotation with Andy Pettitte.

Mic’d Up

Several members of the Yankees were mic’ed up during workouts this week. Fernando Cruz got us started.

Big G took the microphone for media day.

Then, we had Jazz Chisholm Jr., who is always a hoot.

Last, and certainly not least, we got to hear Oswaldo Cabrera on the mic. The Yankees’ part-utilityman, part-human golden retriever missed most of last season due to a gruesome ankle injury, and in many ways, his absence sucked a lot of the energy out of the Yankees clubhouse. Seeing him not only on the field, but back to his old self, is a great sign.

Celebrating Black History Month

This week, the Yankees celebrated Black History Month by remembering the career of Curtis Granderson, who spent four years in the Bronx in the early 2010s.

Miscellaneous Photos & Highlight Reels

As always, spring training is a time where a bunch of pictures and highlight reels get posted to generate hype for the season. Here’s a couple of my favorites:

Some Final Valentine’s Day Posts

We wrap up this week’s post with some final Valentine’s Day posts.

Just over a month ago we learned that the Cincinnati Reds tried, and failed, to sign star shortstop Elly De La Cruz to a contract extension that would have made him “the highest paid Red ever.”

We don’t know if that meant by season. We don’t know if that meant by total dollar value. What we do know, though, is that there was interest from the club itself in forking over millions and millions of dollars to cement a cornerstone of their future – and even though it didn’t materialize with Elly, that could mean there’s money there to make it happen with the rest of the roster.

There’s always the chance that money was only earmarked in a way similar to the pursuit of Kyle Schwarber in free agency this winter, in that it was only ever going to get spent on a unique, franchise-altering player whose presence – both in the lineup and in jersey sales – would generate revenue in ways other players simply would not. Still, with the team’s commitment to developing their own players, we’ve reached the point in that life-cycle where locking down some of their core players to cost-controlled deals may make that as ‘sustainable’ as Nick Krall has preached for the last three plus years.

It’s still the same mentality that led them to sign Hunter Greene years ago, an anchor of their rotation right now and potentially through the 2029 season. Not only do they get him beyond his six seasons of team control through the arbitration process, but they both add on additional years of would-be free agency and now know exactly how much he’ll make each year (instead of leaving that up to the arbitration gods). For a cost-conscious team that typically operates on shoestring budgets, that’s a vital part of the process.

The question becomes where the Reds would turn from Elly at this juncture.

It doesn’t appear it will be to Tyler Stephenson, who’s entering his final season of team control before free agency. The team already inked Jose Trevino to a solid deal to be a part of the catching position for a few more years, and top prospect Alfredo Duno looks poised to mash his way to the big leagues as early as 2027.

On the pitching side, it doesn’t look like it will be Brady Singer, either. Like Stephenson, he’s in his final year of team control before free agency, and the Reds have drafted and developed Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder (and added Brandon Williamson via trade years ago) to help bolster the rotation going forward.

If an extension were to come for a part of their rotation, perhaps it would to Andrew Abbott, who has yet to reach arbitration despite already having 11.7 bWAR and 413.2 IP under his belt. As a somewhat unknown out of the University of Virginia, he only landed a $1.3 million signing bonus back in 2021, so perhaps he’s precisely the kind of player who’d jump at early guaranteed money instead of waiting four more years to fully cash in on a longer term extension. However, signing him after his All-Star season in 2025 might end up begin a case of ‘buying high’ if he’s never able to fully replicate such a stellar season.

The flipside of that, at least in terms of the rotation, would be with Nick Lodolo. He’s a former 1st rounder who banked a $5.4 million signing bonus and is already getting a big raise in his arbitration years, but he’s also a pitcher who still seems like he’s yet to truly have a full breakout season. With only two years of team control left, getting him to take his eyes off a lucrative free agency may be difficult, but he seems like precisely the kind of rare talent who has a season much bigger than he’s ever shown before within, and tying him down now may look like a huge bargain later.

On the position player side, there are endless options, and perhaps their collective trait of still being raw is why none of them are signed long-term. None of them, Elly included, seem to have had a season at all approaching their peak (aside from 30 year old TJ Friedl and, perhaps, Spencer Steer), so it’s hard to know just how much more they can continue to flourish.

Could Noelvi Marte develop into a star? The scouting reports have long suggested as much, but he’s also never played a full year, switched positions twice already, and has a PED suspension on his record.

Matt McLain had a small-sample breakout in 2023 that had a lot of question marks in its peripherals, but a litany of injuries and underperformance has hampered the highly touted former 1st rounder ever since. Sal Stewart, meanwhile, has all the upside in the world on top of an excellent first showing in the big leagues, but if the club is already willing to move him down the defensive spectrum, would they really want to jump at throwing a ton of money at a guy they only see destined to play 1B/DH?

It’s an exercise in mental gymnastics to process all the scenarios, but what’s clear is that this group of Reds that seemed ‘young’ just a season or two ago has now reached the point where all key parties involved are on the cusp of getting more expensive through the arbitration process anyway. And when that happens, the Reds are going to be forced to pick and choose which ones to keep around and which ones to trade away, as it will end up being far too expensive for their tastes to keep the entire band together. Sticking to that plan will require some contracts to be signed, and that’s going to need to happen sooner than later.

Which Red do you think is the best combo of deserving and timely to get the next big contract extension?