Category: Baseball

Rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic were announced on Thursday, including nine Dodgers playing in the tournament, spread across seven countries.

Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are the headliners, both playing for Japan as they did in 2023. Ohtani will hit but won’t pitch, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said during Dodgers Fest on Saturday at Dodger Stadium.

Ohtani likely wouldn’t have been covered by insurance to pitch in the WBC, an issue affecting several players across the sport who were denied coverage based on injury history, age, or both. Roki Sasaki won’t pitch for Japan after he missed four months on the injured list in 2025, for instance.

Newly retired pitcher Clayton Kershaw was denied insurance coverage for the 2023 WBC, but is back this time around for the United States, as there is no major league salary to insure. The soon-to-be-38-year-old knows his role will be limited on a stacked USA pitching staff that includes reigning Cy Young Award winners Tarik Skubal and Paul Skenes.

“I just want to be the insurance policy. If anybody needs a breather, if they want me to pitch back to back to back, or if they don’t need me to pitch at all, I’m just there to be there,” Kershaw said on MLB Network in January. “I just want to be a part of this group.”

Will Smith is back for his second World Baseball Classic, sharing catching duties with Mariners All-Star Cal Raleigh.

Edwin Díaz will pitch for Puerto Rico for his third World Baseball Classic, having also pitched in both 2017 in 2023. Three years ago, he suffered a torn patellar tendon in his right knee while celebrating a Puerto Rico win in the WBC, which knocked him out for the entire 2023 MLB season.

Hyeseong Kim will play for Korea in his second World Baseball Classic. He played in the 2023 WBC alongside Tommy Edman, whose mother was born in South Korea.

Other Dodgers minor leaguers in the World Baseball Classic include infielder Jake Gelof, a second-round pick in 2023 who played last season for High-A Great Lakes; Antonio Knowles, a 2021 draftee pitching for Great Britain who got to Triple-A Oklahoma City last season; and pitcher Shawndrick Oduber, from Aruba and pitching for Netherlands after appearing in 29 games last year for High-A Rancho Cucamonga.

Dodgers third base coach Dino Ebel is coaching third base for Team USA, reprising his role in the 2023 WBC. Jair Fernandez, back to manage Great Lakes this season, is hitting coach for Colombia in the WBC, just as he was during 2025 qualifying. Double-A Tulsa hitting coach Blake Gailen is the hitting coach for Israel.

Placido Polanco and Joel Peralta, both special assistants in the Dodgers front office, are part of the Dominican Republic coaching staff.

Notable Dodgers absences from the WBC include Freddie Freeman, who played first base for Canada in 2017 and 2023 but withdrew for personal reasons this year; shortstop Mookie Betts, whose wife is expecting a baby in March; infielder Miguel Rojas, who was declined insurance; and current free agent Kiké Hernández, who won’t play for Puerto Rico while recovering from left elbow surgery in November.

Dodgers on 2026 World Baseball Classic rosters

• United States: catcher Will Smith, pitcher Clayton Kershaw
• Japan: designated hitter Shohei Ohtani, pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto
• Puerto Rico: closer Edwin Díaz
• Korea: infielder Hyeseong Kim
• Great Britain: pitcher Antonio Knowles
• Israel: infielder Jake Gelof
• Netherlands: pitcher Shawndrick Oduber

The rosters for the 2026 edition of the World Baseball Classic have been revealed and as it turns out, Ronald Acuña Jr. won’t be the only Atlanta Braves representative at the WBC. In fact, Acuña won’t have to wait too long to see a few of his teammates turn into opponents during Pool D action in Miami, Florida.

The Netherlands will have three Braves players on their squad for the WBC. Ozzie Albies, Jurickson Profar and Chadwick Tromp will be representing Honkbal as part of the Dutch squad. Curaçao is part of the overall Kingdom of Netherlands, so that explains how they’re eligible to put on the Oranje crowns, as usual.

They’ll also be led by Andruw Jones in the dugout. This has already been an eventful offseason for Jones, as the Braves legend recently completed a ballot comeback by making it into the Baseball Hall of Fame despite starting with the lowest first-ballot votes of any player who eventually earned induction. So if you’re a Braves fan who may not have any particular rooting interest outside of your particular country of origin or the United States, this oughta be the team you root for during this year’s WBC.

Check out Team Netherlands’ #WorldBaseballClassic roster 🇳🇱

FULL ROSTER: https://t.co/ZMPMPmJoUspic.twitter.com/1sFjmSSQFP

— World Baseball Classic (@WBCBaseball) February 6, 2026

As I mentioned earlier, Ronald Acuña Jr. won’t have to wait long to lock horns with his teammates. Venezuela is set to face off against the Netherlands at high noon on Friday, March 6. If you’re into the WBC then that’s definitely a game to circle on your calendar just based off of the Braves representation, alone.

In other news, Team USA will have a little bit of Braves flavor in the dugout as well. Former Braves star catcher Brian McCann and former Braves manager and coach Fredi Gonzalez will be on (former Braves player, himself) Mark DeRosa’s coaching staff for the American team at the WBC. Both McCann and Gonzalez are listed as “Assistant Managers” on the official roster page for Team USA, so there’s that.

Free agents Julio Teheran and Eddie Rosario will be playing for Colombia and Puerto Rico, respectively, so there’s another couple of guys to root for here in Braves Country. I don’t think anybody around here is going to forget what he did for the Braves during the 2021 Postseason, right? Also, Julio Teheran needs no introduction around here as well, as he spent plenty of time pitching productive innings for the Braves over the course of his career.

So if you’re counting the coaches involved in this thing, there are plenty of guys who are either currently with the Braves or have been heavily associated with the Braves in the past participating in this year’s World Baseball Classic. If we don’t see either Team USA, the Netherlands or Venezuela (or even Colombia or Puerto Rico) make a deep run then here’s hoping that the four Braves players involved all have a healthy tournament as well so that they can be ready to go for the regular season. Are y’all looking forward to this? Will you be rooting for Team USA or will you be pulling for another country? Let us know!

xx Cubs will leave the Sloan Park complex in early March to take part in the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Here are all the North Siders who will participate.

Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong heads a three-player Cubs delegation to the USA team for the World Baseball Classic. New Cub Alex Bregman will also play for Team USA, as will left-handed starter Matthew Boyd. Former Cub Brad Keller is also on the USA team. And, former Cubs manager David Ross will be the bullpen coach for Team USA.

Other Cubs who will play in the WBC:

Seiya Suzuki will join Samurai Japan. Shōta Imanaga, though, will not pitch for his home country in this year’s WBC. Imanaga, as you might recall, started the 2023 WBC championship game for Japan against Team USA. Instead, Imanaga will stay back in Cubs spring camp, so he can take regular turns in the Cubs spring rotation.

Jameson Taillon will pitch for Team Canada. Both of Taillon’s parents were born in Canada, though the Cubs right-hander was born in Florida. Former Cub Owen Caissie, a native of suburban Toronto, will also be on the Canadian team.

Cubs minor leaguer Jonathon Long, who was the organization’s Minor League Player of the Year in 2025, will play for Chinese Taipei. Long’s mother is Taiwanese.

The right-hander most likely to be the Cubs closer this year, Daniel Palencia, will be part of the pitching staff for Venezuela’s WBC entry.

Javier Assad, who was a star for Team Mexico in the 2023 WBC, will pitch for his home country again. This season, though, he might wind up starting the year at Triple-A Iowa.

Cubs minor leaguer BJ Murray, who played for Double-A Knoxville in the Cubs system last year, will take the field for Great Britain’s WBC team. Murray was born in the Bahamas, part of the British Commonwealth.

There had been some rumors that Anthony Rizzo might play for Italy, but that’s not going to happen. Former Cub prospect Alex Maestri, who was in the organization from 2006-10 and went on pitch several seasons in Japan and Korea, will be Team Italy’s pitching coach. Team Italy will play an exhibition game against the Cubs March 3 at Sloan Park before heading to pool play in Houston.

Right-hander Yacksel Rios, who the Cubs signed to a minor-league deal this offseason, will pitch for Puerto Rico in the WBC. He pitched for the Phillies, Pirates, Red Sox, A’s and Mariners from 2017-23.

Lastly, Cubs catcher Miguel Amaya will compete for his home country, Panama.

You can find all the info about the WBC here, including pool groups and schedules. It all begins March 4. Personally, I’m excited. I love the WBC and so does Josh and he and I will have extensive coverage of this tournament.

The rosters for the 2026 World Baseball Classic have been announced and the Yankees are well represented.

Aaron Judge, the reigning AL MVP and Yankees captain, is the headliner for Team USA. The slugger will participate in the WBC for the first time and was named captain for his country as they look to win the tournament for the second time since the event -- which takes place every four years -- began in 2006. 

The Yankees will also see a pair of relievers represent their respective countries while one of the organization's top prospects will make his debut in the WBC. Elmer Rodriguez, the Yankees' No. 3 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, will pitch for Team Puerto Rico. Rodriguez, 22, was acquired by the Yankees from the Red Sox in the Carlos Narvaez deal, and he quickly rose through the ranks in 2025.

In 27 games (26 starts), Rodriguez pitched to a 2.58 ERA and a 1.07 WHIP. He struck out 176 batters across 150 innings pitched through all three levels of the Yankees' minor league system.

Here is every Yankees player we know are participating for the various teams in this iteration of the WBC...

• Aaron Judge - USA
• David Bednar - USA
• Camilo Doval - Dominican Republic
• Austin Wells - Dominican Republic
• Amed Rosario - Dominican Republic
• Elmer Rodriguez - Puerto Rico
• Fernando Cruz - Puerto Rico
• Jazz Chisholm Jr. - Great Britain

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is set to run from March 5-17. 

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is upon us, and there are plenty of representatives for the Mets in this year's tournament. 

New York always has plenty of players participating in each WBC, for better or worse. Shortstop Francisco Lindor has represented his home country of Puerto Rico proudly -- although he won't play this time around -- while former reliever Edwin Diaz did the same, although that resulted in a lost season for the All-Star closer. The Mets hope that doesn't happen this time as they'll have their top prospect, Nolan McLean, participating this year. 

In addition, Clay Holmes will join McLean and play for Team USA, but the biggest name to play in the WBC will be Juan Soto.

The Mets slugger will rejoin team Dominican Republic as they look to capture the WBC championship. Soto participated in the 2023 tournament and showed out on the world stage. Through four games, Soto went 6-for-15 with three doubles, two home runs and three RBI. However, DR finished third in Pool D (behind Venezuela and Puerto Rico) and did not make it out of the group stage. 

Here is every Mets player participating for the various teams in this iteration of the WBC...

• Clay Holmes - USA
• Nolan McLean - USA
• Juan Soto - Dominican Republic
• Huascar Brazoban - Dominican Republic
• Mark Vientos - Nicaragua
• Robert Stock - Israel
• Jordan Geber - Israel
• Ben Simon - Israel
• Alex Carillo - Mexico
• Daniel Duarte - Mexico
• Nick Morabito - Italy
• Jared Young - Canada
• Daviel Hurtado - Cuba
• Jose Ramos - Panama
• Carlos Guzman - Venezuela

The 2026 World Baseball Classic is set to run from March 5-17. 

Shohei Ohtani and Japan will look to defend their World Baseball Classic crown in 2026, three years after defeating Team USA in an instant classic of a final, the country's third win in five editions of the international tournament.

Ohtani struck out then-Angels teammate Mike Trout to clinch that victory, and the now-Dodgers star has earned three more MVP awards and two World Series titles since the famous night in Miami. However, Ohtani won't pitch in the WBC and will just be used as a hitter.

Japan's squad also features MLB All-Stars including Yoshinobu Yamamoto (Dodgers) and Seiya Suzuki (Cubs) and two top players who are joining MLB this season in sluggers Munetaka Murakami (White Sox) and Kazuma Okamoto (Blue Jays).

Japan begins pool play in Tokyo on March 6.

Here's a look at Japan's squad for the 2026 WBC:

Japan World Baseball Classic roster

Pitchers

• Daichi Ishii
• Hiromi Itoh
• Yusei Kikuchi
• Koki Kitayama
• Taisei Makihara
• Yuki Matsui
• Yuki Matsumoto
• Hiroya Miyagi
• Taisei Ota
• Ryuhei Sotani
• Tomoyuki Sugano
• Kaima Taira
• Hiroto Takahashi
• Atsuki Taneichi
• Yoshinobu Yamamoto

Catchers

• Yuhei Nakamura
• Seishiro Sakamoto
• Kenya Wakatsuki

Infielders

• Sosuke Genda
• Kaito Kozono
• Shugo Maki
• Munetaka Murakami
• Kazuma Okamoto
• Teruaki Sato

Outfielders

• Kensuke Kondoh
• Shota Morishita
• Ukyo Shuto
• Masataka Yoshida
• Seiya Suzuki

Designated hitters

• Shohei Ohtani

Managers and coaches

• Hirokazu Ibata (manager)
• Makat Kanero (bench coach)
• Atsushi Nohmi (pitching coach)
• Kazuki Yoshimi (pitching coach)
• Yoshiyuki Kamei (first base coach)
• Eishin Soyogi (third base coach)
• Yoshinori Murata (bullpen coach)

Is Shohei Ohtani pitching in the WBC?

Shohei Ohtani confirmed that he will not pitch in the 2026 World Baseball Classic and will only be used as a hitter. Ohtani returned to the mound for the Dodgers in 2025 after missing all of 2024 as he recovered from an elbow injury – while hitting full time.

Japan World Baseball Classic schedule

Pool play – Tokyo Dome

• March 6 vs. Chinese Taipei
• March 7 vs. South Korea
• March 8 vs. Australia
• March 10 vs. Czechia

Knockout round

• Quarterfinals: March 13/14 in Miami
• Semifinals: March 15/16 in Miami
• Final: March 17 in Miami

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Japan World Baseball Classic roster 2026: Is Shohei Ohtani playing?

Pitchers and catchers report exactly one week from today with the rest of the squad following right behind them on Tuesday, February 17. Today, the Colorado Rockies announced their 2026 non-roster invitees.

They have chosen to invite eight pitchers and 12 position players, and 11 of the NRI’s joined the Rockies from different organizations. Below is a full list of the Rockies’ non-roster invitees, their PuRPs rankings (if applicable), and/or which organization they were part of last season.

Left-Handed Pitchers

• Konner Eaton (No. 28 PuRP, Pre-Season 2026)
• Adam Laskey (Miami Marlins)
• Parker Mushinski (Cleveland Guardians)
• Sean Sullivan (No. 9 PuRP, Mid-Season 2025)

Right-Handed Pitchers

• Valente Bellozo (Miami Marlins)
• John Brebbia (Boston Red Sox)
• Eiberson Castellano (Philadelphia Phillies)
• Brayan Castillo

Catchers

• Bryant Betancourt
• Cole Messina
• Kyle McCann (Athletics)
• Brett Sullivan (Pittsburgh Pirates)

Infielders

• Nicky Lopez (Chicago Cubs)
• T.J. Rumfield (New York Yankees)

Outfielders

• Drew Avans (Milwaukee Brewers)
• Cole Carrigg (No. 6 PuRP, Mid-Season 2025)
• Jared Thomas (No. 8 PuRP, Mid-Season 2025)

Utility Players

• Charlie Condon (No. 2 PuRP, Mid-Season 2025)
• Vimael Machín (Baltimore Orioles)
• Chad Stevens (Los Angeles Angels)

Workouts start next week, but the first game isn’t until February 20. Which of these players are you most surprised to see? Are there any players you think were snubbed? Let us know in the comments!

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Repetition is the root of commonality, but there was actually a time when the Dodgers weren’t seen as the prohibitive favorites heading into every playoff series. The stage was quite different back in 2013. Largely propelled by first-year impactful performances from Yasiel Puig and Zack Greinke, a Dodgers squad without the depth we’ve grown accustomed to returned to the postseason for the first time in four years to play a 96-win Braves team. After a playoff hiatus towards the end of the Brian Cox tenure, Atlanta was making the postseason for the third time in the last four years and was the more experienced team.

One big advantage the Dodgers had over the Braves in that particular series was in the form of high-end starting pitching. While Atlanta had a very successful campaign with the likes of Julio Teheran, Mike Minor, and Kris Medlen — the latter faced Clayton Kershaw in Game 1. Los Angeles had two established aces and a number three in Hyun Jin-Ryu that rivaled any team in that period. Now, the depth after those three was very shaky, which led Kershaw to start Game 4 on short rest even though Los Angeles had the lead in the series, but that’s getting ahead of ourselves.

Back then, when pitchers still hit, the Braves only trailed the Rockies in slugging percentage among National League teams, finishing the year at .402. Those numbers were a bit worse against southpaws, which made sense given how lefty-heavy that Braves team was at the top, with the likes of Freddie Freeman, Jason Heyward, and Brian McCann.

On the road, against a tough opponent, and at the height of his powers, coming off what would be crowned his second Cy Young win in the last three years, Kershaw dominated in a manner that we don’t even see from the aces these days, pushed well beyond the currently acceptable levels, finishing his outing with a whopping 124 pitches.

Setting the tone early, Kershaw finished the opening frame with bookend strikeouts against Jason Heyward and Freddie Freeman, utilizing that patented down-and-away slider to lefties to punch out Heyward and then blowing a heater by Freeman. Back then, the Kershaw had an easy 95-mph heater he could turn to, something he had to adapt to being without for the second half of his career.

Scoring in every inning between the second and fourth, the Dodgers took a commanding 5-0 lead that felt insurmountable with Kershaw on the mound, particularly with a couple of shutdown frames in the second and third. Trailing 5-1, the Braves had an opportunity to get back into things with Andrelton Simmons up, two on and two out, but once again, that slider bailed him out. Kershaw threw a down-and-in breaking ball to the Braves’ shortstop, who couldn’t help but swing on top of it, thus ending the threat.

Kershaw would leave that game with 12 punchouts, which would remain his career high in the postseason for many years until a marvelous eight-inning performance against the Brewers in 2020, in which he recorded 13 Ks, eventually helping the Dodgers win their first championship that year.

Starting a trend that would remain for the better part of Kershaw’s prime, the Dodgers’ ace was called upon to pitch on three days rest in Game 4 of this series, as the Dodgers hoped to avoid having to go back to Atlanta for a Game 5. Holding his own as he would routinely do in such instances, Kershaw tossed six strong with two unearned runs in a game ultimately decided in the late innings by a Juan Uribe go-ahead homer.

That Dodgers team faltered in the NLCS, but for where it was in its contention window, it had a decent run, and if it even got as far as the NLCS, it owed a lot of it to Kershaw, who played a humongous role in this series against an equally strong Braves team.

With the start of camp just a week away, the Yankees have announced their list of non-roster invitees to audition for a spot with the team this spring.

These 27 players not on the team's 40-man roster are attending and will play for a spot on the Opening Day roster or a spot in their minor league system. Seventeen of those players were signed to minor league contracts this offseason and consist of names who have played at a high level in the majors with other organizations already. Seth Brown and Paul DeJong are two of the more intriguing names on this list and could potentially break camp with the team as bench pieces.

For the other 10 players, they are a mix of minor leaguers who have been in the system, but not on the 40-man roster, acquired in the Rule 5 Draft or returned to the Yankees after playing for them in 2025.

High-profile prospects are also in this group, and have ranked highly in MLB Pipeline's list. George Lombard Jr. (No. 32), Carlos Lagrange (No. 79) will be there, while Ben Hess -- the Yankees' No. 6 prospect -- will make his spring training debut.

Spencer Jones and Elmer Rodriguez are already on the 40-man roster and will be attending.

Here are the 2026 Yankees non-roster invitees:

• INF/OF Seth Brown 
• RHP Dylan Coleman
• RHP Alexander Cornielle
• OF Kenedy Corona
• RHP Yovanny Cruz
• INF Paul DeJong
• RHP Drake Fellows
• RHP Bradley Hanner
• C Payton Henry
• RHP Adam Kloffenstein
• INF/OF Marco Luciano
• RHP Travis MacGregor
• INF/OF Ernesto Martínez Jr.
• INF Jonathan Ornelas
• C Miguel Palma
• C Ali Sánchez
• INF Zack Short
• RHP Brendan Beck
• LHP Kyle Carr
• RHP Harrison Cohen
• RHP Carson Coleman
• OF Duke Ellis
• RHP Ben Hess
• RHP Carlos Lagrange 
• INF George Lombard Jr.
• RHP Michael Arias
• C Abraham Gutierrez

Yankees pitchers and catchers are set to report Feb. 11 while position players report Feb. 15.

When the 2025 MLB Draft was approaching, Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle was hopeful to keep his standout catcher, Rylan Galvan, on the Forty Acres for another season.

Instead, the Buster Posey Award finalist signed with the Chicago White Sox after he was selected in the 13th round, sending Schlossnagle and his staff into the NCAA transfer portal to find an impact replacement.

That search turned into a resounding success story when Texas landed a commitment from star Notre Dame transfer Carson Tinney, also a finalist for the Buster Posey Award as the nation’s best catcher, and the only D1 Baseball All-American to enter the NCAA transfer portal last offseason.

“There’s never been a good baseball team with a bad catcher, ever,” Texas head coach Jim Schlossnagle said this week on the On Second Thought podcast. “We had to go get a great one and, luckily, Carson was out there and he had a real great interest in Texas.”

The program’s history of producing elite catchers was appealing for the 6’4, 240-pound Colorado product as he battles to place his name among the top players at the position in the 2026 MLB Draft — Just Baseball ranks Tinney as the No. 3 college catcher heading into the season.

“They proved to develop guys. They proved, obviously, to develop catchers,” Tinney said of his commitment. “I got along with the coaches very well. The area is great. And I was on campus, and it felt like the right place for me, so I pulled the trigger.”

A first-team All-American in 2025 by the NCBWA and Baseball American, Tinney elevated his stock with a breakout season, leading the Fighting Irish in batting average (.348), runs (52), homers (17), RBI (53), total bases (119), walks (34), on-base percentage (.498), slugging (.753), and multi-RBI performances (17) after battling injuries as a freshman that limited him to 15 starts in 28 appearances during which he batted .268 with three home runs and nine RBI.

In the batter’s box, Tinney’s prodigious pull-side power is elite, producing a top-10 average exit velocity in college baseball last season. This offseason, Tinney’s exit velocity has reached 112 to 114 miles per hour at Texas and up to nearly 120 miles per hour in training.

PR after PR after PR 🚨

Top college prospect Carson Tinney caps his PR streak at 119.5 MPH EV, landing #2 on the FL college leaderboard 💪 pic.twitter.com/Mn9zC26oMo

— Driveline Baseball (@DrivelineBB) January 2, 2026

“He has that big, big power — when he comes to the plate, the crowd is going to pay attention because you never know what you’re going to see,” Schlossnagle said.

WELCOME BACK, CARSON TINNEY! #GoIrish ☘️ pic.twitter.com/5TYXzYWbLg

— Notre Dame Baseball (@NDBaseball) February 15, 2025

Legend has it that @carson_tinney was reppin’ “𝐇𝐎𝐑𝐍𝐒 𝐔𝐏 𝐓𝐎 𝐋𝐄𝐅𝐓” before he even joined @TexasBaseball.

He’ll fit in perfectly in Austin. 🤘🏼⚾️😉pic.twitter.com/cGc6QHKMFd

— Occupy LF (@OccupyLF) June 23, 2025

“He gets ahold of that ball, it’s going a long way,” Texas sophomore left-hander Dylan Volantis said.

At Notre Dame, Tinney combined that power with the command of the strike zone expected from a catcher in drawing 34 walks for an on-base percentage of .498 and a solid strikeout rate of 25 percent. In comparison, Galvan had a strikeout rate of 35.5 percent, as he was more prone to take close pitches late in the count and swing and miss.

“He’s improved as an overall hitter, which is what he has to continue to do to be the draft pick that he wants to be and to be the hitter that we want him to be,” Schlossnagle said.

Since arriving on the Forty Acres, Schlossnagle praised the development of Tinney’s leadership ability and his improvement behind the plate after throwing out 17-of-25 attempted base stealers in 2025.

“He’s a really good catcher. He’s got unique receiving abilities. He throws well,” Schlossnagle said.

A little “and-one” on this caught stealing from Carson Tinney (@TexasBaseball).@carson_tinney nails the potential go-ahead runner in the seventh — batter’s interference and all.#Rollcapspic.twitter.com/EwciexiXsR

— 𝐁𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐬 (@BrewsterCaps) July 29, 2025

Longhorns pitchers like Volantis appreciate the big target that Tinney presents behind the plate and his coach in the Cape Cod league last summer praised the way that Tinney is able to frame pitches.

“He makes our pitchers better,” Jamie Shevchik said. “He steals strikes. There’s pitches that are probably two, three balls off the plate that he’s pulling back in and getting calls on.”

This is what a catcher’s system looks like.

Answers for whatever the game demands.

Simple. Fluid. Efficient. Consistent. Effective.

Build the system. Challenge the system. Refine the system.

Structure➡️Freedom@carson_tinney ⚡️📈 pic.twitter.com/Gxee6TwHdl

— Turner Pruitt (@turnerpru8) February 3, 2026

Despite adding 40 pounds since high school, when he reached 87 miles per hour throwing from behind the plate with a pop time of 1.80 seconds, Tinney has maintained his athleticism.

But no matter how much athleticism and toughness Tinney has, one certainty for the 2026 season is that he’ll suffer some knocks playing catcher and need some games off or at designated hitter to stay fresh, so he wasn’t the only important addition at the position.

With the departures of Oliver Service and Cole Chamberlain, backup options for Schlossnagle last season, landing a catcher with experience was paramount to allow some development time for signee Presley Courville.

Texas looked to the junior-college ranks to fill that need by signing San Antonio product Andrew Ermis, who made big strides as a hitter last season at Temple, improving his batting average from .255 to .338 with 10 home runs and 41 RBI. According to Schlossnagle, that offensive improvement has continued in Austin, but his floor is set by his advanced catching ability.

“He’s a really good catch-and-throw guy. I mean, really good,” said the Texas head coach.

The other certainty for the 2026 season is that if the Horns are going to make a run to Omaha, Tinney’s power in the middle of the lineup and play behind the plate will play crucial roles.

The Diamondbacks traded infielder Blaze Alexander to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday, Feb. 5, in exchange for right-handed reliever Kade Strowd and a pair of minor leaguers, a deal that represents the club’s biggest addition to its bullpen yet this winter.

Strowd, 28, enjoyed a strong debut in the big leagues last season, posting a 1.71 ERA in 25 games, allowing only one homer, walking 13 and striking out 24 in 26⅓ innings. He arrives in Arizona with six full years of club control.

Strowd, who averages 96 mph with his fastball, pitches predominantly off his cutter, a pitch he threw 41.1 percent of the time. He also throws a sinker, curveball and sweeper.

The Diamondbacks are also getting two prospects: right-hander Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia.

In exchange, the Diamondbacks had to part with Alexander, who had a breakout second half after taking over at third base following the trade deadline. He hit .230/.323/.383 with seven homers while playing excellent defense at third base.

Alexander became somewhat expendable after the Diamondbacks acquired third baseman Nolan Arenado in a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals last month. The Diamondbacks still have infield depth in the form of Jordan Lawlar.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Diamondbacks trade Blaze Alexander for reliever in deal with Orioles

The offseason trudges onward, and while the Yankees have likely made their splash by bringing back Cody Bellinger, there is always more work to do. One potential move could be to add another right-handed bat on the infield to provide a counterbalance to their lefty-heavy lineup. It would be a supplementary move, though depth is certainly never a bad thing, and Ty France could fit that bill quite well for the Yankees.

The veteran has been a very good Major League hitter for stretches, and is coming off of his first career Gold Glove award. It would be risky to think his best days are ahead of him, but France could prove to be a valuable addition to plenty of teams around the league, a list that perhaps includes the Yankees.

2025 Statistics: 138 games, 490 PA, .257/.320/.360, 7 HR, 52 RBI, 92 wRC+, 10 Outs Above Average, 0.9 fWAR

2026 FanGraphs Depth Charts Projections: 78 games, 336 PA, .252/.321/.383, 8 HR, 38 RBI, 98 wRC+, 0.5 fWAR

Ty France came up to the big leagues in 2019, his age-24 season, with the Padres. After a brief but unconvincing stretch in his debut season, France began to make noise in the shortened 2020 season, where he managed a 133 wRC+ across 43 games between San Diego and the Mariners.

A year later, the right-handed hitting infielder was in full breakout mode. During the ‘21 season, his first crack at a real full-time role, France was a major contributor across 650 plate appearances in Seattle. During that stretch, he swatted 18 homers, reached base at a .368 clip, and maintained an impressive 129 wRC+. The next year, he was just as good in the same role, this time topping 20 homers for the first time, and even earning his first All-Star selection.

France was legitimately an All-Star level player over those three seasons, and although it was not that long ago, his stock has fallen significantly since then. 2023 was his last full season with the Mariners, and while he was still a generally above-average contributor with the bat, playing primarily as a first baseman with significantly diminished power at the plate, his production had become far less valuable.

Since then, France has bounced around teams (playing with Seattle and Cincinnati in ‘24, and splitting time between the Twins and Blue Jays last season), finding even less success with the bat. Between those two seasons since then, the first baseman has been a below average bat (90 OPS+), reaching base far less often and displaying significantly less power over that time. They are troubling trends, to be sure, but don’t necessarily tell the entire story with France.

In a rather surprising turn of events, France has at least turned himself into an elite defender at first base. In 2024, he was a 1st percentile defender, with -12 OAA, last season, he was 96th percentile (10 OAA), and took home his first Gold Glove award. If he’s able to maintain anything close to that level of prowess with the leather, along with his contact skills at the plate, his floor is certainly kept above water. This isn’t to mention any kind of bounce back in the on-base or power departments, which is not entirely out of the picture.

When it comes to the Yankees, there is definitely a plausible fit with France. They have been reportedly interested in the veteran’s services, and it’s not difficult to see why. A competent right-handed bat to compliment Ben Rice at first base, and to take over if Rice plays behind the plate, would be a luxury to the Yankees, and someone with France’s skillset could make a lot of sense.

Entering his age-31 season, the contact-reliant first baseman seems to be on the decline, but his ability to develop elite skills as recently as last season at least keeps the door open to continued production one way or another. France’s services would also be unlikely to break the bank, as he’s coming off consecutive underwhelming seasons, and may have to join his future squad in a complementary role. It would be a low-risk investment, and one that could make some sense for the Yankees.

Steve Gilbert was first with the news that Blaze Alexander is being traded to the Baltimore Orioles for relief pitcher Kade Strowd, and a pair of minor-league prospects. Strowd is a 28-year-old right-hander, who reached the majors for Baltimore last year, and impressed with a 1.71 ERA across 27 appearances. He struck out 26 across 24.1 innings, though his FIP of 3.40 was considerably higher. He doesn’t even have a year of service time, so Strowd comes with a lot of team control – he won’t even be arbitration eligible until 2029. It seems he could be the ‘bridge closer’ Mike Hazen spoke about getting, until A.J. Puk and Justin Martinez are ready to come back.

The prospects are right-handed pitcher Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia. Aracena turned 21 in December and spent last year in A- and High A-ball, after being traded to the Orioles from the Mets last July, in the Gregory Soto deal. All told, he had a 2.25 ERA across 92 innings, with a 114:51 K:BB ratio. Mejia is younger still, being just 20, and played almost all of 2025 in the Florida Complex League. He did hit quite well there, with a particularly impressed 16:26 K:BB ratio. That helped him to a triple-slash line of .274/.418/.411 for an OPS of .829 across 47 games. A long way to go for both men.

Alexander, of course, should be well-known – not least for having won the SnakePit’s 2025 award for Play of the Year. He played a total of 135 games since making his debut at the start of 2024. There had been consideration to him perhaps playing left-field this year, especially after the trade for Nolan Arenado gave the D-backs an everyday starter at third-base. But that option is no longer on the table. Alexander was definitely a fan favorite here though, and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors with the Orioles.

Strowd is a RHP that pitched well last season for the Orioles. In 25 games he had a 1.71 ERA, FIP of 3.40 and a WHIP at 1.101. He struck out 36, walked 15 and gave up 4 home runs.

The Diamondbacks are sending infielder Blaze Alexander to the Baltimore Orioles in exchange for pitchers Kade Strowd and Wellington Aracena and infielder Jose Mejia, source said. @SteveGilbertMLB had it first.

— Nick Piecoro (@nickpiecoro) February 5, 2026

Jose Mejia is a 19 year old from the Dominican Republic, he is in A-ball.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mejia-002jos

Wellington Aracena is a 20 year old RHP, also from DR, and is in A-ball. Now we get to hear Bert make Beef Wellington jokes again, should he reach the Majors.
https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=aracen000wel

The Orioles responded to missing out on starting pitcher Framber Valdez by trading for yet another right-handed hitter who can’t be optioned freely to the minors. MLB.com’s Steve Gilbert was first to report that the Orioles are swapping Kade Strowd to the Diamondbacks for Blaze Alexander. A pair of minor leaguers are also going to Arizona, reported by Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic: pitcher Wellington Aracena and infielder José Mejía.

Blaze Alexander has a cool first name and not very cool just about anything else. He’s now played in 135 big league games across two seasons and batted .237/.322/.366 in that time. He hit slightly better in 2025, getting the OPS over .700 though still counting as a below-average hitter, and provided enough defensive value across four different positions (mostly third base) that he was worth 1.7 bWAR in 74 games.

That’s not bad. That’s basically your Ramón Urías replacement. One might fairly observe that the Orioles could have just kept Urías and then not had to trade Strowd plus other guys in order to get Alexander. I don’t get paid to run a baseball team, so what do I know?

Strowd, 28, made a solid impression with the Orioles in the back half of last season, allowing a 1.71 ERA and 1.101 WHIP across 25 games. There were some markers of good fortune in the former 12th round pick’s results, particularly a .227 BABIP that is unlikely to be repeated in 2026 or beyond. He has typically had a higher walk rate than you’d like in the minors and that was true at the MLB level as well. It seems the Orioles thought this was the peak of his value.

Why they then also had to add Aracena and Mejía to the deal is beyond me. I would have been confused by this trade if it was Strowd for Alexander just on its own. I don’t even like Strowd.

Mejía is an infielder who received around a $400,000 signing bonus from the team three years ago. He hasn’t gotten higher than the Florida Complex League yet in his career. In 47 games there last year, Mejía batted .274/.418/.411.

Aracena was one of the players acquired when the Orioles sent Gregory Soto to the Mets last July. He was the #23 prospect in the Orioles system before being sent off in this trade. The 21-year-old righty Aracena finished last season with a 2.25 ERA and 1.087 WHIP in 23 games across two levels with the Orioles and Mets. He was striking out a lot of guys but also walking way too many guys, with a 5.0 BB/9 for the year.

Beyond the general “What in the heck?” reaction to this deal, my next thought is this probably shows that the Orioles have no plans of having Jeremiah Jackson back up any position on the infield dirt. This trade doesn’t happen if they have confidence in that outcome. The next thought after that is, who is actually going to pitch in this bullpen this year? Strowd seemed to have earned a spot based on how he pitched last year. Whoever’s taking his spot has proven even less than he has.

Or at least that’s how it looks to me. Mike Elias is a weird guy and he might have some more weird roster moves that nobody foresees between now and when things lock in for Opening Day. Maybe one of those moves will even appear good at first glance, or ever turn out to be good over any length of time.