Category: Baseball

Happy President’s Day, Camden Chatters! If you’ve got the day off from work today, I hope you use it wisely. I plan to do some relaxing.

We are now just four days from the first Spring Training game of the season. This Friday, the Orioles kick off their Grapefruit League season at home against the New York Yankees. The game will be televised on MASN, the first of 20 exhibition games they’ll show this season. Even though the game means nothing, it’ll sure be nice to see the guys out on the field for the first time.

So far, the bad news out of spring training is the injuries to both Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg. Westburg plans to be back before Opening Day, but I never trust an oblique injury. With Holliday guaranteed to be out beyond the start of the season, that opens the door for Coby Mayo. Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle are the odd men out on the roster since Pete Alonso joined the team. But Mayo has been working out at third base and, if he can make it work, could find regular playing time. I personally believe the ship has sailed on Mayo being a third baseman, but I would love to be wrong on that.

And speaking of Mayo and Mountcastle, they are both on the trade block, according to the latest from Ken Rosenthal. In a story for The Athletic yesterday, Rosenthal stated that the Orioles are exploring trades for both players, “according to a person familiar with their thinking.” That is a pretty nebulous way to describe a source, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the Orioles would probably like to move at least one of these two players.

The problem with that, of course, is that neither of those players seems likely to bring back much of value. Mountcastle is coming off a year in which he was both injured and bad. He has just one year until free agency, and frankly, it was a little surprising when the Orioles tendered him a contract in the first place. Even if the Orioles could not get much of a trade return for Mountcastle, it could still be worth it to open up a spot on the roster when there is currently a logjam at first base and DH.

As for Mayo, it feels like his potential is worth more than trade value. He’d bring back more than Mountcastle, but being that his future value is unproven, whatever would come in trade return would likely be the same. I am personally not ready to give up on Mayo as a major leaguer. I really want to see him hit some dingers as an Oriole.

Links

Orioles’ Bradish on innings limit; Albernaz on rotation; Ward, Kowar report – Baltimore Baseball
It makes sense for Kyle Bradish to be on an innings limit, but it’s just another reminder of the the question marks surrounding this year’s rotation.

Eflin on Orioles’ rotation: We’re all gonna push each other, we’re all gonna be competitive – MASN Sports
Speaking of the rotation, Zach Eflin invites you to join the hype train.

Orioles’ Heston Kjerstad fully healthy, declines to detail 2025 absence – The Baltimore Banner
Heston Kjerstad has had a difficult and disappointing career so far. I know I’m not the only one who has stopped expecting something from him. But if he can come back and make something of his career, I’d be thrilled for him.

Today’s guest: The O’s Anthony Villa – Steve on Baseball
Steve Melewski’s latest podcast episode features the Orioles’ Director of Player Development.

Birthdays and History

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have four Orioles birthday buddies, including Terry Crowley (79). Crowley had a 15-season Major League career and spent 1969-1973 and 1976-1982 with the Orioles. Crowley was never an everyday player, and for many seasons he functioned almost solely as a pinch hitter. From ‘77-‘81, he had a .314 batting average as a pinch hitter.

When his playing career ended, Crowley moved into coaching. He served as the hitting coach for the Orioles from 1985-88, then returned for a second stint from 1999-2010. He was with the team in an advisory capacity from 2011-2018.

Also celebrating today are former Orioles Jorge Rondon (38), Tommy Milone (39), and Eric Byrnes (50).

Not much happened on this day in Orioles history, but on this day in baseball history:

• In 1952, Honus Wagner retired at age 77 after 55 years in Major League baseball as a player and coach.
• In 1989, Orel Hershiser became the first player to make at least $3 million per year with his three-year, $7.9 million contract with the Dodgers.
• In 2004, the Texas Rangers traded Alex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees. Rodriguez was just three years into the 10-year contract he signed with the Rangers.

Happy President’s Day, Camden Chatters! If you’ve got the day off from work today, I hope you use it wisely. I plan to do some relaxing.

We are now just four days from the first Spring Training game of the season. This Friday, the Orioles kick off their Grapefruit League season at home against the New York Yankees. The game will be televised on MASN, the first of 20 exhibition games they’ll show this season. Even though the game means nothing, it’ll sure be nice to see the guys out on the field for the first time.

So far, the bad news out of spring training is the injuries to both Jackson Holliday and Jordan Westburg. Westburg plans to be back before Opening Day, but I never trust an oblique injury. With Holliday guaranteed to be out beyond the start of the season, that opens the door for Coby Mayo. Mayo and Ryan Mountcastle are the odd men out on the roster since Pete Alonso joined the team. But Mayo has been working out at third base and, if he can make it work, could find regular playing time. I personally believe the ship has sailed on Mayo being a third baseman, but I would love to be wrong on that.

And speaking of Mayo and Mountcastle, they are both on the trade block, according to the latest from Ken Rosenthal. In a story for The Athletic yesterday, Rosenthal stated that the Orioles are exploring trades for both players, “according to a person familiar with their thinking.” That is a pretty nebulous way to describe a source, but it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that the Orioles would probably like to move at least one of these two players.

The problem with that, of course, is that neither of those players seems likely to bring back much of value. Mountcastle is coming off a year in which he was both injured and bad. He has just one year until free agency, and frankly, it was a little surprising when the Orioles tendered him a contract in the first place. Even if the Orioles could not get much of a trade return for Mountcastle, it could still be worth it to open up a spot on the roster when there is currently a logjam at first base and DH.

As for Mayo, it feels like his potential is worth more than trade value. He’d bring back more than Mountcastle, but being that his future value is unproven, whatever would come in trade return would likely be the same. I am personally not ready to give up on Mayo as a major leaguer. I really want to see him hit some dingers as an Oriole.

Links

Orioles’ Bradish on innings limit; Albernaz on rotation; Ward, Kowar report – Baltimore Baseball
It makes sense for Kyle Bradish to be on an innings limit, but it’s just another reminder of the the question marks surrounding this year’s rotation.

Eflin on Orioles’ rotation: We’re all gonna push each other, we’re all gonna be competitive – MASN Sports
Speaking of the rotation, Zach Eflin invites you to join the hype train.

Orioles’ Heston Kjerstad fully healthy, declines to detail 2025 absence – The Baltimore Banner
Heston Kjerstad has had a difficult and disappointing career so far. I know I’m not the only one who has stopped expecting something from him. But if he can come back and make something of his career, I’d be thrilled for him.

Today’s guest: The O’s Anthony Villa – Steve on Baseball
Steve Melewski’s latest podcast episode features the Orioles’ Director of Player Development.

Birthdays and History

Is today your birthday? Happy birthday! You have four Orioles birthday buddies, including Terry Crowley (79). Crowley had a 15-season Major League career and spent 1969-1973 and 1976-1982 with the Orioles. Crowley was never an everyday player, and for many seasons he functioned almost solely as a pinch hitter. From ‘77-‘81, he had a .314 batting average as a pinch hitter.

When his playing career ended, Crowley moved into coaching. He served as the hitting coach for the Orioles from 1985-88, then returned for a second stint from 1999-2010. He was with the team in an advisory capacity from 2011-2018.

Also celebrating today are former Orioles Jorge Rondon (38), Tommy Milone (39), and Eric Byrnes (50).

Not much happened on this day in Orioles history, but on this day in baseball history:

• In 1952, Honus Wagner retired at age 77 after 55 years in Major League baseball as a player and coach.
• In 1989, Orel Hershiser became the first player to make at least $3 million per year with his three-year, $7.9 million contract with the Dodgers.
• In 2004, the Texas Rangers traded Alex Rodriguez to the New York Yankees. Rodriguez was just three years into the 10-year contract he signed with the Rangers.

RIP Steve Bechler, Gary Carter,and other stories.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.

“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.

Today in Baseball History:

• 1930 – Judge Landis rules that the Cards cannot farm out C Gus Mancuso to the Rochester Red Wings. Forced to keep him by the commissioner’s edict, the Cardinals finds it pays off when regular C Jimmie Wilson is injured and Mancuso bats .366 in 76 games. (2)
• 1952 – Hall of Famer Honus Wagner, 77, retires after 40 years as a major league player and coach. He receives a pension from the Pirates and the number 33 he wore as a coach will be the first to be retired in Pittsburgh. (1,2)
• 1956 – Major League owners announce that the players’ pension fund will receive 60 percent of World Series and All-Star Game radio and TV revenues. (2)
• 1980 – While taping separate interviews at KNBC-TV studios in Burbank, CA, Giants coach Jim Lefebvre and Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda trade punches after a brief argument, leaving Lasorda with a bloody lip. Lefebvre had been a Dodger coach in 1979 until he was fired by Lasorda. (2)

• 2003 – His body temperature having soared to 108 degrees, Orioles 23-year-old pitching prospect Steve Bechler dies of multi-organ failure after a spring training workout. Early speculation is the expectant father’s death may have been caused by ephedrine, a dietary supplement linked to heat stroke and heart attacks. (1) Malcolm Allen of SABR wrote this up.
• 2012 – Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter dies of brain cancer in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. After becoming a perennial All-Star with the Montreal Expos, Carter led the New York Mets to a World Series title in 1986. (2)
• 2015 – U.S. District Court Judge Darrin Gayles sentences Anthony Bosch, the man behind the Biogenesis PED scandal, to four years in jail for masterminding the operation that led to a dozen major league players receiving suspensions of 50 games or more. Ironically, the poster boy for the guilty players, Alex Rodriguez, issues a handwritten apology to fans today as he is about to head to spring training with the Yankees following the end of his suspension, but the text does not go into any detail besides expressing general regret for his trespasses. (1) More about this here.
• 2022 – After a short deliberation, the jury in the trial of former Angels employee Eric Kay, accused of supplying the drugs that led to the overdose death of P Tyler Skaggs in 2019, returns a guilty verdict. Kay now faces a minimum jail sentence of 20 years. (1) The straight dope from the DoJ.

Cubs birthdays:Carl Lundgren*, Ray Harrell, Don Eaddy, Don Landrum, Bobby Darwin, Barry Foote, Mike Hubbard, Eduardo Sánchez.

Today in history:

• 374 – Ninth recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet
• 600 – Pope Gregory the Great decrees saying “God bless You” is the correct response to a sneeze.
• 1568 – Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II agrees to pay tribute to the Ottoman Empire for peace.
• 1776 – First volume of Edward Gibbon’s seminal work “The Decline and Fall of Roman Empire” published.
• 1815 – Treaty of Ghent ratified by the US Senate and signed by President James Madison ending War of 1812, over a month after it was signed in Europe.
• 1840 – American Charles Wilkes discovers Shackleton Ice Shelf, Antarctica.
• 1876 – Sardines first canned by Julius Wolff in Eastport, Maine.
• 1896 – First US newspaper comic strip, Richard Felton Outcault’s “The Yellow Kid,” is published in William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal.
• 1923 – Howard Carter opens the inner burial chamber of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb and finds the sarcophagus.
• 1933 – US Senate accepts Blaine Act: ending prohibition.
• 1969 – Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash record an album; it is never released****Yes it has been, at least in part. Here, enjoy a track:

• 1978 – First Computer Bulletin Board System (Ward & Randy’s CBBS, Chicago).

Common sources:

• (1) — Today in Baseball History.
• (2) — Baseball Reference.
• (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.
• (6) — Wikipedia.
• (7) — The British Museum
• (8) — For world history.

*pictured.

Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.

RIP Steve Bechler, Gary Carter,and other stories.

On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Bleed Cubbie Blue is pleased to present a Cubs-centric look at baseball’s colorful past. Here’s a handy Cubs timeline, to help you follow the various narrative paths.

“Maybe I called it wrong, but it’s official.” — Tom Connolly, HoF Umpire.

Today in Baseball History:

• 1930 – Judge Landis rules that the Cards cannot farm out C Gus Mancuso to the Rochester Red Wings. Forced to keep him by the commissioner’s edict, the Cardinals finds it pays off when regular C Jimmie Wilson is injured and Mancuso bats .366 in 76 games. (2)
• 1952 – Hall of Famer Honus Wagner, 77, retires after 40 years as a major league player and coach. He receives a pension from the Pirates and the number 33 he wore as a coach will be the first to be retired in Pittsburgh. (1,2)
• 1956 – Major League owners announce that the players’ pension fund will receive 60 percent of World Series and All-Star Game radio and TV revenues. (2)
• 1980 – While taping separate interviews at KNBC-TV studios in Burbank, CA, Giants coach Jim Lefebvre and Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda trade punches after a brief argument, leaving Lasorda with a bloody lip. Lefebvre had been a Dodger coach in 1979 until he was fired by Lasorda. (2)

• 2003 – His body temperature having soared to 108 degrees, Orioles 23-year-old pitching prospect Steve Bechler dies of multi-organ failure after a spring training workout. Early speculation is the expectant father’s death may have been caused by ephedrine, a dietary supplement linked to heat stroke and heart attacks. (1) Malcolm Allen of SABR wrote this up.
• 2012 – Hall of Fame catcher Gary Carter dies of brain cancer in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. After becoming a perennial All-Star with the Montreal Expos, Carter led the New York Mets to a World Series title in 1986. (2)
• 2015 – U.S. District Court Judge Darrin Gayles sentences Anthony Bosch, the man behind the Biogenesis PED scandal, to four years in jail for masterminding the operation that led to a dozen major league players receiving suspensions of 50 games or more. Ironically, the poster boy for the guilty players, Alex Rodriguez, issues a handwritten apology to fans today as he is about to head to spring training with the Yankees following the end of his suspension, but the text does not go into any detail besides expressing general regret for his trespasses. (1) More about this here.
• 2022 – After a short deliberation, the jury in the trial of former Angels employee Eric Kay, accused of supplying the drugs that led to the overdose death of P Tyler Skaggs in 2019, returns a guilty verdict. Kay now faces a minimum jail sentence of 20 years. (1) The straight dope from the DoJ.

Cubs birthdays:Carl Lundgren*, Ray Harrell, Don Eaddy, Don Landrum, Bobby Darwin, Barry Foote, Mike Hubbard, Eduardo Sánchez.

Today in history:

• 374 – Ninth recorded perihelion passage of Halley’s Comet
• 600 – Pope Gregory the Great decrees saying “God bless You” is the correct response to a sneeze.
• 1568 – Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian II agrees to pay tribute to the Ottoman Empire for peace.
• 1776 – First volume of Edward Gibbon’s seminal work “The Decline and Fall of Roman Empire” published.
• 1815 – Treaty of Ghent ratified by the US Senate and signed by President James Madison ending War of 1812, over a month after it was signed in Europe.
• 1840 – American Charles Wilkes discovers Shackleton Ice Shelf, Antarctica.
• 1876 – Sardines first canned by Julius Wolff in Eastport, Maine.
• 1896 – First US newspaper comic strip, Richard Felton Outcault’s “The Yellow Kid,” is published in William Randolph Hearst’s New York Journal.
• 1923 – Howard Carter opens the inner burial chamber of Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun’s tomb and finds the sarcophagus.
• 1933 – US Senate accepts Blaine Act: ending prohibition.
• 1969 – Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash record an album; it is never released****Yes it has been, at least in part. Here, enjoy a track:

• 1978 – First Computer Bulletin Board System (Ward & Randy’s CBBS, Chicago).

Common sources:

• (1) — Today in Baseball History.
• (2) — Baseball Reference.
• (3) — Society for American Baseball Research.
• (4) — Baseball Hall of Fame.
• (5) — This Day in Chicago Cubs history.
• (6) — Wikipedia.
• (7) — The British Museum
• (8) — For world history.

*pictured.

Some of these items spread from site to site without being fact-checked, and that is why we ask for verifiable sources, in order to help correct the record.

As players report to Spring Training the Red Sox brass are showing their faces as well. And for some reason they are deciding to speak publicly.

While availability to the press is definitely a better than the Where In the World Is John Henry? (Do it Rockapella!) game that has been played the last few seasons, the continued attempts to spin things to their benefit just keeps reaching new levels of silliness. This shouldn’t be a story. This shouldn’t have been a press conference.

But we did get a press conference from Sam Kennedy yesterday. And instead of looking to the future in 2026 we got more of the same nonsense about the past. Specifically, we got this nonsense from Kennedy about Alex Bregman’s free agency:

“If Alex Bregman wanted to be here, ultimately he’d be here.”

First of all, in September the very same Sam Kennedy had no problem saying this about Bregman:

“That’ll all take care of itself. He wants to be here, we want him to be here, and I’ll leave it at that.”

It’s actually understandable for Kennedy to not know what was coming in September, well before Bregman opted out. Heck, all Kennedy needed to say in September was “let’s finish the season, we’re focused on getting to October.” That far ahead of free agency, why would the the Sox want to set expectations?

I’m not even that upset they didn’t sign Bregman. After another year of mixed performance marked by injury, 2025 was more proof that a long-term deal was a risky proposition. But that is entirely beside the issue. At the end of the day we know that the Chicago Cubs acquired his services for five years and $175 million. It’s believed the Red Sox topped out at 5/$165. Chicago offered a no-trade clause and Boston, presumably, didn’t.

The Cubs have Spring Training in Arizona, Boston in Florida. Was that a factor? Sure. Maybe. Many MLB players make a lot of sacrifices to be on the road most of the year. Maybe it was the extra $10 million. Maybe he developed a fear of Wally. But again, this isn’t the point.

Sam Kennedy didn’t need to set himself and the team up for this by saying “That’ll all take care of itself.” He could have ignored it. Why did Bregman sign a deal with the Red Sox that had opt-outs instead of the rumored deal with the Tigers? Because he was always opting out. After a year in Boston, maybe they’d be the top of his list but that’s it. If he really, definitely, wanted to stay in Boston for five more years, surely he could have arranged that.

It’s too bad. Because the Red Sox went out and added two staters (Gray, Suárez). They added some infielders (IKF, Durbin). Willson Contreras was acquired. They are getting a full season of Roman Anthony and Marcelo Mayer. Obviously those last two spent time on the IL but for Anthony especially that’s not the expectation.

There is a lot to be excited about and the Sox brass are stepping on rakes. He wanted to make one more comment about Bregman, sure, I guess. But having it be his words from the fall in reverse and used to defend not re-signing their third baseman? Who is that for? What reasoning?

The Red Sox play Northeastern University on Friday and then it’s a rocket ship of major league opponents until Opening Day. Let’s just look ahead. This is a team to promote. If mistakes were made in the fall, that time has passed.

Hello and happy holiday Monday, folks. Very nice of the federal government to give Sam Kennedy and Larry Lucchino (RIP) their own dedicated holiday today.

Good news for ya: we officially get to see the Red Sox play some baseball this week! Boston’s first game of the spring, their annual tuneup against Northeastern University, will be held on Friday at Fenway South. I’m looking forward to the subsequent annual crash out on #SoxTwitter when Northeastern scores a run early—it’s something you can set your watch to at this point. First pitch against the Huskies is set for 1:05 eastern, and it’s ONLY……….ON NESN.

Grapefruit League play begins in earnest the following afternoon as we’ll take on the Minnesota Twins, the first of eight games against our fellow Fort Myers dwellers. Hopefully we begin our quest for the legendary Chairman’s Cup strong; I’ve personally heard from CBO Craig Breslow that getting that silverware back into the Fenway South trophy case is of paramount importance this season. It’s coming home, many are saying.

How excited are you to watch spring training baseball?

Sound off in the comments about how important a 2026 Chairman’s Cup win would mean to you, and why that triumph would be a more iconic moment in franchise history than David Ortiz’s walk offs in Game 4 and Game 5 combined.

Be good to each other and go Sox.

Hello and happy holiday Monday, folks. Very nice of the federal government to give Sam Kennedy and Larry Lucchino (RIP) their own dedicated holiday today.

Good news for ya: we officially get to see the Red Sox play some baseball this week! Boston’s first game of the spring, their annual tuneup against Northeastern University, will be held on Friday at Fenway South. I’m looking forward to the subsequent annual crash out on #SoxTwitter when Northeastern scores a run early—it’s something you can set your watch to at this point. First pitch against the Huskies is set for 1:05 eastern, and it’s ONLY……….ON NESN.

Grapefruit League play begins in earnest the following afternoon as we’ll take on the Minnesota Twins, the first of eight games against our fellow Fort Myers dwellers. Hopefully we begin our quest for the legendary Chairman’s Cup strong; I’ve personally heard from CBO Craig Breslow that getting that silverware back into the Fenway South trophy case is of paramount importance this season. It’s coming home, many are saying.

How excited are you to watch spring training baseball?

Sound off in the comments about how important a 2026 Chairman’s Cup win would mean to you, and why that triumph would be a more iconic moment in franchise history than David Ortiz’s walk offs in Game 4 and Game 5 combined.

Be good to each other and go Sox.

Good morning, all! The oh-so-gradual preparations for the 2026 MLB season keep coming along, and today marks another small hurdle. Pitchers and catchers have already been in camp since at least Wednesday, and all position players had to report by yesterday. Well, today is the first full-squad workout.

…

…

It’s OK. You don’t have to get too excited. You just have to hope no one pulls something. That’s the Golden Rule of spring training, after all. Just get to Opening Day with all your limbs intact!

Since the gang’s all here, let’s think about the less-heralded members of the gang who could take major steps forward in 2026. For our question of the day today, who are you eyeing to make said jump?

Hard-hitting Ben Rice and young gun Cam Schlittler stick out as potential quality picks, but maybe you consider them too obvious. That’s up to you! The “jump” doesn’t have to be from the same point of development.

There are other good young players to consider beyond them too, like 26-year-old offseason trade addition Ryan Weathers, who has shown nasty stuff in earlier years with San Diego and Miami. Fellow aspiring starter Will Warren has the potential for more as well, and reliever Camilo Doval could be a candidate to take a step back forward to his older All-Star form from Giants days gone by. At 28, he’s far from cooked. A number of prospects could be options as well: Elmer Rodríguez, Carlos Lagrange, Spencer Jones, Dax Kilby …. who ya got?

---

Today on the site, Jeff will tip his cap to former No. 3 overall pick Barry Foote on the Yankees Birthdays segment, and Nick will preview the aforementioned Doval’s 2026 campaign. Kevin will take a deep sigh and look back on the second DJ LeMahieu contract, and how the Yankees kind of shot themselves in the foot multiple times in that effort. Later, Madison will issue the latest mailbag prompt.

Good morning, all! The oh-so-gradual preparations for the 2026 MLB season keep coming along, and today marks another small hurdle. Pitchers and catchers have already been in camp since at least Wednesday, and all position players had to report by yesterday. Well, today is the first full-squad workout.

…

…

It’s OK. You don’t have to get too excited. You just have to hope no one pulls something. That’s the Golden Rule of spring training, after all. Just get to Opening Day with all your limbs intact!

Since the gang’s all here, let’s think about the less-heralded members of the gang who could take major steps forward in 2026. For our question of the day today, who are you eyeing to make said jump?

Hard-hitting Ben Rice and young gun Cam Schlittler stick out as potential quality picks, but maybe you consider them too obvious. That’s up to you! The “jump” doesn’t have to be from the same point of development.

There are other good young players to consider beyond them too, like 26-year-old offseason trade addition Ryan Weathers, who has shown nasty stuff in earlier years with San Diego and Miami. Fellow aspiring starter Will Warren has the potential for more as well, and reliever Camilo Doval could be a candidate to take a step back forward to his older All-Star form from Giants days gone by. At 28, he’s far from cooked. A number of prospects could be options as well: Elmer Rodríguez, Carlos Lagrange, Spencer Jones, Dax Kilby …. who ya got?

---

Today on the site, Jeff will tip his cap to former No. 3 overall pick Barry Foote on the Yankees Birthdays segment, and Nick will preview the aforementioned Doval’s 2026 campaign. Kevin will take a deep sigh and look back on the second DJ LeMahieu contract, and how the Yankees kind of shot themselves in the foot multiple times in that effort. Later, Madison will issue the latest mailbag prompt.

Rejoice, San Diego Padres baseball is back!

Full squad workouts have begun in preparation for the 2026 season. And by the end of the week, we will have digested our first Cactus League clash. 

Not too many major league Spring Training camps have two legitimate stars like Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. beginning their work for the coming season. Each will continue to anchor the Padres’ lineup at the top of the order. Normally, we would be discussing their impact on the team’s success. 

Instead, all eyes will be on Ethan Salas, who is entering the crossroads of his pro career.

Why has Salas’ stock dropped?

No question, his stock has declined, as Salas is no longer atop the consensus top prospect lists. Baseball America ranked him No. 8 in their 2024 MLB prospect list. Now, Salas is ranked No. 90 in this year’s prospect list. Injuries and struggles at the plate have contributed to his demise.

So, not great news for Salas, who is the Friar’s top international free agent signing at 16 years old for $ 5.6 million. Despite all the uncertainty, the organization invited him to major league camp as a non-roster invitee.

Since his arrival, his offensive production has been disappointing. In three minor league seasons, Salas has a career batting average of .221, accompanied by underwhelming power numbers. He has 58 extra-base hits in 800 minor league at-bats. But what is more alarming is that he struck out in 22.5% of his plate appearances. It is not a bad percentage if you were a proven power-hitter. 

Last season, Salas hit .188 in 10 games at Double-A San Antonio. The 19-year-old missed the remainder of the season due to a stress reaction in his lower back. Thus, another lost season in his development.

The one constant in his up-and-down pro career has been his defense, as Salas is considered one of the top defensive catching prospects in baseball. Scouts have graded him with high marks (70-fielding and 60-arm) on their 20-80 grade scale. It is the reason why Salas is still in conversation as a potential major league call-up candidate.

What is next in Salas’ career?

The odds are high that Salas will begin the 2026 campaign in the minors. The Padres do not have a spot on the Opening Day roster for him, as all the competitors for the backup catcher role have a proven track record in the majors. 

You can argue that injuries have left him a shell of his former self. But Salas has an opportunity in the major league camp to show he can be productive at the plate and hopefully remain injury-free for the upcoming season.

It is not impossible to believe the Friars might be inclined to trade Salas before breaking camp. Nevertheless, other clubs may be reluctant to acquire him due to concerns regarding his offensive production. If the market for Salas is lower than expected, then let him develop in the minors. Hopefully, he fulfills his potential and becomes a more complete player.

It is not impossible to envision Salas turning his career around. He is young enough to improve offensively.

All the talk is over; Salas must prove he is a potential fixture in a major league lineup. He is at the crossroads of his Padres career; something has to give in 2026. 

Speculation about a contract extension for San Diego Padres President of Baseball Operations and General Manager A.J. Preller has been persistent this offseason. Multiple reports have stated that a deal between Preller and the Padres would be forthcoming but to this point nothing is done as of the team’s first full squad workout of Spring Training, Sunday.

Preller is entering the final year of his contract, making him a “lame duck” general manager. Questions about his future with the organization are to be expected but so far remain unanswered. Padres CEO Erik Greupner spoke with Ben Higgins and Steven Woods of “Ben and Woods” on 97.3 The Fan in October of 2025 about an extension for Preller.

“It’s always been the plan that the discussions around an extension for A.J. would take place at the beginning of the offseason as part of our review and evaluation,” Greupner said. “So those discussions have begun and we’re optimistic that A.J. will be our president of baseball operations past 2026.”

Now that February has arrived, Spring Training has begun and Preller still does not have a contract extension, the questions about his future with the team are becoming more prevalent and players are being asked for their thoughts on the situation. Manny Machado, who Preller brought to San Diego as a free agent in 2019, praised Preller and the work he has done with the Padres, adding his lack of an extension is “weird.”

“Yeah, it’s kind of weird,” Machado said. “They’ve been saying they’ve been working on it. Obviously, there’s a lot going on right now with the organization, but I think they’ll figure it out. At the end of the day, we all know the value of A.J. in this organization.”

It certainly cannot hurt Preller’s case for an extension if one of the locker room leaders who is connected to the team for the foreseeable future speaks on his behalf. To Preller’s credit, according to a social media post from Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union Tribune, when Preller was asked about Machado’s comments he said, “You give out a $300 million contract, usually you get those kinds of comments.”

Preller had the backing of another prominent player well before the media scrums on Sunday. Michael King who re-signed with the Padres in the offseason after testing the free agent market credited Preller for his desire to return to San Diego.

“I’d say the main reason I signed back here was because of Preller,” King said at Padres FanFest in January. “Knowing him as a GM, I know he is going to put a winning team out there every time I’m a part of this contract. I wanted to win throughout the duration of it, and I have the trust in him to do that.”

Machado had similar sentiments to King about Preller and his ability to put together a roster, and for good reason. Preller has been the architect of the most successful run in franchise history, which has included trips to the playoffs in four of the last six seasons.

“We do what we can with the team and he does his best,” Machado said. “Obviously, it’s been successful the last two years with what we’ve had to navigate. This year is nothing different.

“He’s made three moves (Saturday) in a matter of 24 hours and made our team drastically better and he’s going to continue to do that,” Machado added.

Preller has been one of the most active and aggressive general managers in baseball during his time in San Diego. He has shown a willingness to trade from the roster and the minor league system to acquire current players like Fernando Tatis Jr., Joe Musgrove, Yu Darvish, Jason Adam, Jake Cronenworth and more recently Mason Miller. He traded for players who have left the organization like Blake Snell, Juan Soto, Josh Hader, Dylan Cease and Luis Arraez. Not all the trades have gone in favor of San Diego, but each one has kept the Padres in the discussion of a team competing for a World Series championship.

“I think we all know that and we all have faith in him and know that he’s gonna want the best for this organization, the best for this team and he’s gonna try to put the best team out there to go out there and give us the best opportunity to win a championship,” Machado said Sunday.

Preller has also spent money, and this is an area where the part of the fanbase that was not upset about trading away prospects and potential, tends to stand up and make its voice heard. Preller initially signed Machado and then extended him for 11 years at $350 million, keeping him with the team until 2033. Preller extended Tatis Jr. on a 14-year $340 million deal in 2021 and Cronenworth on a seven-year, $80 million deal in April of 2023. Preller extended Jackson Merrill in 2025 with a nine-year, $135 million deal and gave shortstop Xander Bogaerts $280 million over 11 years in free agency in 2023.

Not all these contracts looked good at the time they were given out and some still do not look very good today. However, this offseason has shown the cost for star-level major league players is climbing rapidly and the contracts like the ones given to Cronenworth or Bogaerts may look better from one year to the next moving forward.

The farm system is depleted because of multiple trades over the past couple of seasons, but Preller has shown the ability to scout, identify and acquire talent that allows him to continue to make deadline deals year after year.

Depending on what you read or hear, the San Diego fanbase seems divided about Preller’s future with the Padres. He has his supporters and he has people who would happily pack his bags if it meant he could leave town faster. Preller has said he wants to be in San Diego, and the players seem to want him, too. Sooner or later a deal for Preller needs to get done and if it is not with the Padres, there is little doubt another team would not jump at the chance to bring him into their organization.

Major League Baseball is being extra cautious with the new Automated Ball Strike Challenge System going into effect this season.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that MLB broadcasts will not show whether a pitch is a ball or a strike on the on-screen strike zone in an effort to make sure no one can exploit the ABS system through on-air broadcast. 

However, in theory, that would have already been hard to do, and the change is one that likely would have gone unnoticed by viewers at home. 

The broadcast will still show pitches in the strike zone box, but there will not be any definitive indication of what the right call is, which had been shown through a circle within the strike zone box that would be filled in to mark a strike or hollowed out to indicate a ball. 

“The change was made because that box will now be used for the ABS system, and MLB is doing everything it can to ensure no one can exploit it. In fact, the box will be shown in just one place in the ballpark: the broadcast booth,” the Sun-Times wrote in their report.

The change does appear to be superfluous, considering the short window of time that players have to challenge a ball or strike call. 

The batter, pitcher or catcher is the only one who is allowed to challenge and is not allowed any assistance in doing so, and the challenges must be made immediately, essentially making it impossible for anyone to try and cheat the system using the broadcast. 

The challenge is initiated by a player tapping the top of his head, and then an animation of the pitch in question is shown on the stadium videoboard and on the television broadcast. 

The ABS system has been tested in the minors since 2022 and was used during spring training last year. 

MLB voted to adopt ABS last September.

Major League Baseball is being extra cautious with the new Automated Ball Strike Challenge System going into effect this season.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that MLB broadcasts will not show whether a pitch is a ball or a strike on the on-screen strike zone in an effort to make sure no one can exploit the ABS system through on-air broadcast. 

However, in theory, that would have already been hard to do, and the change is one that likely would have gone unnoticed by viewers at home. 

The broadcast will still show pitches in the strike zone box, but there will not be any definitive indication of what the right call is, which had been shown through a circle within the strike zone box that would be filled in to mark a strike or hollowed out to indicate a ball. 

“The change was made because that box will now be used for the ABS system, and MLB is doing everything it can to ensure no one can exploit it. In fact, the box will be shown in just one place in the ballpark: the broadcast booth,” the Sun-Times wrote in their report.

The change does appear to be superfluous, considering the short window of time that players have to challenge a ball or strike call. 

The batter, pitcher or catcher is the only one who is allowed to challenge and is not allowed any assistance in doing so, and the challenges must be made immediately, essentially making it impossible for anyone to try and cheat the system using the broadcast. 

The challenge is initiated by a player tapping the top of his head, and then an animation of the pitch in question is shown on the stadium videoboard and on the television broadcast. 

The ABS system has been tested in the minors since 2022 and was used during spring training last year. 

MLB voted to adopt ABS last September.

It has been less than a week since the start of 2026 Spring Training arrived, and the it feels like the 2025 bad injury luck for the Braves never ended. It feels like every day comes with a new injury update, and while some may be positive, the negative updates seem to always be of significance.

Jurickson Profar spoke with the media for the first time, and it was revealed he had sports hernia surgery back in November. The good news is that is fully healthy now, which is certainly a positive for the lineup. The more significant news of the day was that Hurston Waldrep will be out indefinitely due to “loose bodies” causing soreness in his pitching elbow. The ligament seems to be fine currently, but this is another blow to the Braves rotation depth. The logic of adding another starter has now become a legitimate need, one the Braves likely need to address sooner than later.

Braves News

Profar also discussed his expected role with the Braves as DH heading into 2026 season.

MLB News

Bryce Harper of the Phillies discussed the offseason comments from GM Dave Dombrowski for the first time on

Sunday.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: The Yankees are in an interesting spot with outfielder Jasson Domínguez in 2026. Domínguez is still young enough and his development would be best served by playing every day. However, it’s difficult—at least as of right now (we’re still over a month away from Opening Day and it’s best to expected the unexpected with spring training roster health)—to make the argument that he’s in the Yankees’ best lineup since Aaron Judge, Trent Grisham, and Cody Bellinger patrol the outfield with Giancarlo Stanton at DH. That very well could mean that “The Martian” starts the year back in the minor leagues. Domínguez himself understands the dilemma, but is trying not to focus on the noise surrounding his status.

ESPN | Jorge Castillo: After suffering an elbow injury last July, Judge spent a lot of the stretch run hampered. While that didn’t really stop his march to the MVP, the Yankees’ captain definitely felt the effects while playing the field. Going into 2026, that shouldn’t be an issue. Judge is “fully cleared” be a full participant in workouts and will feature in several of the early spring training games before he heads to the World Baseball Classic on behalf of Team USA.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: We’ll double down on Hoch this morning. Carlos Lagrange is ranked as one of the top 100 prospects in baseball according to several outlets, featuring a high-octane fastball as well as a trio of tantalizing secondary pitches. He’s undoubtedly one of the most interesting players in the Yankees’ system. So far in spring training, he’s impressed the Yankees, not only on the mound but off it too.

By the way, in case you’re wondering, the man himself clarified how to pronounce Lagrange’s last name, since some people haven’t been getting it right: