02/13/26: Former New York Mets relief pitcher and now Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Edwin Diaz throws during day one of spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch Stadium in Glendale,...
PHOENIX – Edwin Diaz hasn’t thrown his first pitch for the Dodgers, but he has already envisioned what it would be like to be to throw the last one of a World Series.
“Of course,” Diaz said in Spanish.
The sound of the crowd. The celebration on the mound. The overwhelming emotions.
“I imagine it’s an incredible feeling,” Diaz said.
Former New York Mets relief pitcher and now Los Angeles Dodgers relief pitcher Edwin Diaz throws during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch Stadium. JASON SZENES FOR CA POST
In each of the three championships the Dodgers won in the last six years, the final out was recorded by a starting pitcher.
Julio Urias in 2020.
Walker Buehler in 2024.
Yoshinobu Yamamoto last year.
As a closer for nearly his entire 10-year career, Diaz has aspired to share that distinction with them. His chances dramatically improved in December when he signed a three-year, $69-million contract with the two-time defending World Series champions.
“Every person, every player dreams of winning the World Series,” the former Mets fireman said. “If they give me the opportunity and I’m the last person on the mound, it would be a dream come true.”
The plans are for Diaz to have that opportunity.
The three-time All-Star will be the Dodgers’ most established ninth-inning specialist since Kenley Jansen, the franchise’s all-time saves leader.
“It’s huge,” manager Dave Roberts said.
Edwin Diaz is seen during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch Stadium. JASON SZENES FOR CA POST
Last year showed why. The Dodgers had two closers in Tanner Scott and Kirby Yates, but neither of them pitched well. The late-inning instability forced Roberts to constantly move his relievers into different roles, with inexperienced arms occasionally forced into high-leverage situations for which they were not ready.
Injuries to the starting pitchers contributed to the relievers being overused, the Dodgers’ bullpen leading the majors in innings pitched.
Heading into the postseason, it looked as if the relievers might cost the Dodgers another championship. Ultimately, they were saved by the unexpected emergence of Roki Sasaki as a closer, as well as the heroics of Yamamoto.
Even before the Dodgers signed Diaz, they were hopeful the bullpen results would improve. Scott and Blake Treinen have recovered from their respective injuries. Evan Phillips, Brock Stewart and Brusdar Graterol are coming back from surgeries and expected to return at some point this season.
“This year, having everybody healthy and with a good reset, adding a guy like Edwin, with the young guys coming back, it will be good,” Treinen said.
As Treinen referenced, the Dodgers have some high-throwing youngsters, including Edgardo Henriquez, Justin Wrobleski, Jack Dreyer, Will Klein and Ben Casparius.
Left-hander Alex Vesia also returns after a season in which he pitched a career-high 68 games. The workhorse missed the World Series because of the death of his newborn daughter.
“Myself, being able to be a part of this bullpen is a plus,” Diaz said. “I came here to help this team win another championship. At the end of the day, if I do my job, we’ll be in good position.”
Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Edwin Diaz addresses the media. JASON SZENES FOR CA POST
From Roberts’ perspective, everything starts with Diaz
“I don’t think there’s one way to manage a ‘pen, but when you have a guy like Edwin Diaz as your closer, I do think it frees up the other guys, myself included,” Roberts said.
Because Diaz will pitch the ninth inning regardless of who’s batting for the other team, Roberts will be able to deploy the team’s other relievers more strategically based on specific matchups.
An example: The left-handed Scott can be unleashed against the portions of lineups containing the opponents’ best left-handed hitters.
“Being able to use Tanner in any inning of leverage is going to be good for him and going to be good for us,” Roberts said.
Roberts said he likes what Diaz brings to the team.
Watching Diaz from the opposing bench, Roberts said he found him to be fearless. In three postseason games against the Dodgers in the 2024 National League Championship Series, Diaz pitched 5 ⅓ scoreless innings with six strikeouts and a save.
“Not afraid,” Roberts said. “When he’s in the game, it’s an uncomfortable at-bat for lefties and righties. Just a great competitor.”
With Roberts as manager, matchups have dictated bullpen roles, especially in the postseason. Diaz said the team could deploy him however it sees necessary.
Edwin Diaz at spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch Stadium. JASON SZENES FOR CA POST
“I think that in the postseason, there aren’t any defined roles because there could be a situation in any inning and the manager will look at how to get out of that and win the game,” Diaz said. “Sometimes, the game isn’t won in the ninth inning. Sometimes, it’s won in the sixth or seventh.”
Still, Diaz acknowledged it would be special for him to pitch the final out of the final game.
“Of course, if they give me the opportunity to close the final game of the World Series, it would be an achievement for me,” Diaz said.
He has already pictured the scene in his head. He’s now ready to live it.
Steve Cohen has never been shy about flexing both muscle and microphone. This week, the owner of the New York Mets turned his attention west, toward the gold standard of spending and winning — the Los Angeles Dodgers — and more specifically, toward their newly signed closer, Edwin Díaz.
“They’re formidable,” Cohen said, measuring his words like a trader reading a volatile market. “They have the ability to spend, but so do I by the way.”
Translation: Don’t mistake Queens for small market humility.
Edwin Díaz speaks during his introduction as a new member of the Los Angeles Dodgers. AP
Cohen made it clear that while Los Angeles may collect All-Stars like beachfront property, he believes the Mets are built for collision, not comparison. The goal, he said, is to “meet them somewhere along the way in the playoffs.” That’s not hope. That’s a forecast, and a potential warning shot across the bow to the back-to-back World Series champions.
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But the sharper edge came when Cohen addressed Díaz’s departure. The Mets pivoted to Devin Williams after losing their All-Star closer, a move Cohen described as “really clever.” He even suggested New York’s offer to Díaz “might’ve been better,” raising eyebrows from Citi Field to Chavez Ravine.
Díaz, now wearing Dodger blue in Glendale, Arizona didn’t blink. “I was a free agent,” he said calmly. “The Dodgers did a great job recruiting me. At the end of the day, I chose to be here.”
And that’s the part that stings.
Because in today’s MLB arms race, money matters. Legacy matters more. The Dodgers sell rings. Cohen sells belief.
If October delivers Mets vs. Dodgers, it won’t just be payroll vs. payroll. It will be ego vs. ego — and one former closer standing in the middle of it all.
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 20: Mike Tauchman #18 of the Chicago White Sox drops the bat and starts to run during a baseball game between the San Diego Padres and the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on September 20, 2025 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Ben Hsu/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
With their final bench spot still in a bit of flux, the Mets made another addition to their very large group of players in camp, signing veteran Mike Tauchman to a minor league deal, according to Will Sammon of The Athletic. Tauchman, despite being on a minor league contract, will have a very open opportunity to make the team with a strong camp.
Tauchman, now 35 years old, has been around, as one could easily surmise. Originally drafted by the Colorado Rockies in tenth round way back in 2013, Tauchman worked his way up with a very strong minor league career until making his Major League debut with the Rockies in 2017. He spent the 2018 season shuttled between the Rockies and Triple-A Albuquerque, never finding his footing as a regular major league player.
That changed for him prior to the 2019 season, when he was traded to the Yankees and immediately became a strong contributor for them, hitting .277/.361/.504 (128 wRC+), earning 3.0 fWAR in just 89 games.
2020 and 2021 were not as kind to Tauchman, as a shoulder injury hampered him in 2020. He hit just .242/.342/.305 (79 wRC+) in the COVID-shortened campaign. 2021 was even tougher on him, hitting .181/.284/.283 (63 wRC+) between the Yankees and Giants.
In 2022, he took his talents to South Korea, playing for the Hanwha Eagles. He was excellent in Korea, hitting .289/.366/.430, earning himself a shot in MLB again, this time with his home state Chicago Cubs. He’s spent the last three years in Chicago, two with the Cubs (2023 and 2024), and one with the White Sox (2025), before hitting free agency this winter. He was remarkably consistent in those three seasons, earning a 108, 110 and 115 wRC+ in 108, 109, and 93 games respectively. He also grades out as bang average defensively per Outs Above Average, though he is more of a corner outfielder than center fielder nowadays.
Tauchman, being a solid-but-unspectacular Major League contributor will do wonders for the Mets bench, should he make the team. Recent signing MJ Melendez still has a minor league option, so they can afford to keep both in the organization if Tauchman hits the ground running. His ability to help in right field should Carson Benge struggle, and give Carlos Mendoza another option at DH should Brett Baty be in the field, makes his roster fit easy to envision. On top of that, Luis Robert Jr. has had his fair share of injury struggles in his career, and while Tauchman is not much of a center fielder anymore, he can provide cover in right should Benge have to shift over in case of an injury.
X-rays showing the left hand of a 17-year-old, photographed at a radiology practice in Friedrichshafen, Germany, 12 January 2018. Photo: Felix Kästle/dpa (Photo by Felix Kästle/picture alliance via Getty Images)
The news that Corbin Carroll had suffered a broken hamate bone in his hand was not the way the D-backs wanted to start spring training. I guess the good news – if there is any – is that the injury happened at the beginning of the pre-season, minimizing the amount of regular season time lost. Indeed, with almost six weeks between the injury and Opening Day, he may not end up missing much time, if any at all. However, there is a common perception that even after the player returns, the injury can have a negative impact, particularly in regard to their power. According to orthopedic sports surgeon Dr Deepak Chona:
“The amount of time varies, but generally projects to six weeks after returning. Most likely, this timing correlates with the recovery of grip strength and control of the bat. This dips after surgery (1) because of the generalized trauma/swelling to the muscles of the hand and (2) because the part of the bone (called the hook of the hamate) that they cut out to treat the fracture is involved in generating grip force as well.”
Is there statistical data to back up a drop in power? To see if there is, I used Fangraph’s Injury Report tool to find the occurrences of broken hamates in the majors over the last five years. There were seventeen, including some to names you might recognize – backup catcher James McCann suffered the same injury, while on the Mets in 2022. Three of those took place in September, and the players concerned didn’t return that year. So I excluded those from the sample, because they will have been well past the period of weakness described by Dr. Chona, by the start of the following campaign.
Firstly, the average date between the event and the player coming off the Injured List was 61 days. That’s a little longer than expected, but is skewed by two players who each spent more than a hundred days on the IL. Half the fourteen players returned in seven weeks or less – which fits in with the 6-8 week time-frame often reported – the quickest being Emmanuel Rivera’s 36 days. So there is a chance that Carroll could indeed be back on the active roster in time for Opening Day, though it is more likely he will miss some time. But what might his performance be like when he comes back?
To look at that, I took the final thirty games for each player (which may be partly or all from the previous season), and compared their numbers there, against the first thirty games after their reactivation (or up until the end of the year). Angel Martinez and Emmanuel Rivera had made zero and two major-league appearances respectively before suffering their fractures. On the other hand, Rafael Marchán did not appear in the majors at all in 2023 after coming off the IL, and Mike Trout played only one game post his injury. So I skipped all four of their numbers entirely, even though this does reduce our sample-size to ten.
I then took the quick and dirty approach of simply averaging the triple-slash lines plus OPS. To be entirely accurate, I should have weighted these by PAs, but life’s too short, and this isn’t a doctoral thesis, so I’m happy with a “good enough” approach. Again, I do caution that this is a very small sample, and every individual case is going to be different. Past performance is no guarantee of future production, and please consult with your financial advisor before making any decisions based on these numbers. But the results we have, are as listed in the table below:
Before hamate: .192/.268/.328 = .596 OPS After hamate: .217/.293/.358 = .651 OPS
Hence the disclaimer above. Because otherwise, I’m sure there would be a rush of players running off to get their hamate bones removed, in order to boost their batting average by 25 points. Hey, Tommy John surgery makes you throw harder, doesn’t it? But if we look in particular at the isolated power metric of ISO (slugging percentage minus batting average), it hardly changes: .136 before, and just five clicks higher afterward, at .141. With a sample size of less than three hundred games on each side, that doesn’t seem statistically significant. While Dr. Chona’s logic makes sense, over the past five years it doesn’t appear that hamate injuries have led to a decline in power post-procedure.
It is possible that this is a relatively recent phenomena, resulting from improvement in care after the operation and rehabilitation processes. We’ve seen this in regard to Tommy John, which was once seen as the kiss of death to a pitcher’s career, but is now “super easy, barely an inconvenience.” Ok, I exaggerate, but it does take time for broader perceptions to catch up with advances in medical technology and procedure. It is possible that, previously, hamate surgery did have an impact on player power, but that no longer seems – at least, necessarily – to be the case. Which is good news for Corbin Carroll and the Diamondbacks.
Jasson Domínguez is pictured during a Feb. 15 workout at the Yankees' spring training.
Observations from Yankees’ spring training on Monday:
Dom’ bomb
Jasson Domínguez, who has plenty at stake this spring as he tries to make a case to avoid going to Triple-A, homered off non-roster invitee Dylan Coleman in live batting practice.
Jasson Domínguez is pictured during a Feb. 15 workout at the Yankees’ spring training. Charles Wenzelberg / New York Post
Sick time
Ryan McMahon was in the clubhouse Monday morning and attended the team meeting before the Yankees held him out of workouts as he dealt with flu-like symptoms.
Caught my eye
Andy Pettitte arrived at camp and spent time chatting with Cam Schlittler on a back field.
In his role as a special adviser for the Yankees, Pettitte has been a valuable resource for Schlittler during his emergence as a key rotation piece.
Tomorrow’s schedule
The Yankees will hold their second full-squad workout.
Dodgers second baseman Tommy Edman forces out Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at second base during Game 4 of the World Series. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
Position players reported to spring training at Camelback Ranch for the Dodgers on Monday, but manager Dave Roberts revealed that the team will be without its versatile second baseman and utilityman Tommy Edman when it opens the season against the Arizona Diamondbacks at home on March 26.
The 30-year-old Edman underwent ankle surgery during the offseason after being limited to 97 games in 2025 in his first full season with the Dodgers.
“I think just looking at where his ankle is at, trying to play the long view that you don’t want to have any regression or setbacks," Roberts said. "So, how can we be methodical with it? Just for me, knowing that he’s just taking swings is enough. We’re not going to rush it. We want to put him in the best position, so I think it just kind of became [clearer] very recently.”
Edman will open the season on the injured list, something he is at peace with. He felt that a return before opening day was a bit ambitious, and that it would be better to err on the side of caution.
“That was always kind of a stretch, just due to the nature of the injury and the timing of the surgery and everything,” Edman said. “I think, having been out of the boot for a little over a month now, I was just kind of waiting to see how it progressed, and everything has gone exactly on-schedule. We were kind of leaving opening day open, just in case it happened to feel way better than expected. Everything’s on the expected schedule so far. As I get into more baseball stuff, I still have to work into the adaptation of volume. As the volume goes up, the swelling kind of increases a little bit, so I’ve got to take it slow and let the progress play out the way it was planned all along, instead of trying to speed it up.”
For now, Edman is slow-playing it.
“He took some swings a couple days ago, [from] both sides,” Roberts said. “He did some skipping, some light jogging, I think it was. He’s getting his body into baseball shape, so obviously he’s not going to be ready for the start of camp. He’s in that same bucket of, ‘When he’s ready, he’s ready.’ But each day, there’s been progress.”
Evan Phillips excited to be back
Days after signing a one-year contract to return to the Dodgers — despite being non-tendered earlier in the offseason — Evan Phillips expressed relief at being back.
“[The offseason] was quiet for a little bit,” Phillips said. “I leaned on my agent to be patient and trust that things were going to work out and we're certainly glad that we're back. It was definitely a very, very wild ride this offseason. It feels like I never left, so it's kind of weird to get all the handshakes and hugs, but it’s just another spring training to me. I'm certainly glad to be back in Dodger blue.”
Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes told reporters Sunday that Phillips should return to the Dodgers sometime in the middle of the season. He underwent Tommy John surgery last June.
“[I’ve been] doing long toss a few times a week, hoping to get on the bullpen or on the mound for a bullpen next month,” Phillips said. “I'll start that mound progression here in the next couple of weeks. I think, actually, Tuesday I'll throw off of the mound for the first time, but it won't be to a catcher or anything. It'll just be a catcher standing up and there's a slow progression, week by week. So [there will be] plenty of steps ahead that's going to keep me busy here in Arizona, but I’m definitely looking forward to that progression.”
PHOENIX –– The big position battle taking shape early in Dodgers camp this spring?
It’s over a part-time platoon role … at the bottom of the lineup … and for likely only the first few weeks of the regular season.
Such is the reality for this year’s Dodgers squad, which boasts All-Star talent around the diamond and little legitimate competition for regular playing time.
Tommy Edman of the Los Angeles Dodgers runs the bases after hitting a home run against the New York Yankees in the second inning during Game Two of the 2024 World Series at Dodger Stadium. Getty Images
When everybody is healthy, their starting nine is set. Only with news like Monday’s –– when manager Dave Roberts ruled out second baseman Tommy Edman for opening day as he recovers from offseason ankle surgery –– is there any true intrigue about how at-bats will be divided.
Edman’s absence to start the season is hardly surprising. The utilityman spent most of this winter rehabbing, after undergoing surgery in November to address an ankle problem that nagged him much of last season. And though he is back to baseball activities now, taking swings, doing light jogging and making daily progress, Roberts said the team will also be “methodical” with how it brings him back to full health.
“(We’re) trying to play the long view,” Roberts said. “You don’t want any regression or setbacks.”
Thus, the Dodgers will have to find alternative options at second base for at least the start of the year. Miguel Rojas will almost certainly factor into that equation, providing a veteran presence from the right side of the plate. But there could now be an opening for a left-handed-hitting platoon partner, too.
Feb 13, 2026; Glendale, AZ, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers second baseman Hyeseong Kim (6) gets ready to hit during spring training camp. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
In their rookie campaigns last year, both players had flashes of production, but their overall performance was marred by inconsistency. Entering this spring, both have been trying to display further growth in their still-developing offensive games.
Kim, an offseason signing from South Korea last winter, was called up to the majors in early May and hit .383 over his first 36 games, providing surprise pop to go along with his game-changing speed and smooth-fielding glove.
After that, however, he had a .175 average the rest of the year, struggling to adapt his swing to major-league pitching while also missing a month with a shoulder injury.
Alex Freeland of the Los Angeles Dodgers participates in a fielding drill during spring training workouts at Camelback Ranch on February 13, 2026 in Glendale, Arizona. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images).
Getty Images
“The swing changes we made last year, I would say I felt about 70% comfortable,” Kim, who could also see some playing time as a backup center field option, and will play in this spring’s WBC for South Korea, said Monday through an interpreter. “This offseason and spring training, we were able to recognize some of the other stuff that we needed to work on, so I’m working very hard to make those changes again this year.”
But, the 26-year-old added, “I was not satisfied last year. I found out some of the things that I needed to work on. So I just want to work hard and make sure that I make the roster right off the bat after spring training.”
Freeland, a former third-round draft pick and top prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system, had a similar debut experience.
He had a couple stand-out moments in his 29 big-league games, including home runs on back-to-back days during a key series against the San Diego Padres in late August. But on the whole, the switch-hitter batted just .190 while striking out 35 times in 97 plate appearances –– a sign, Roberts said, that the game “sped up” on the 24-year-old.
“Last year obviously didn’t go the way that I wanted, but I think everything that happened was something I can learn from,” Freeland said. “Not seeing success, I kind of got out of myself, instead of just taking it at-bat by at-bat. Got ahead of myself, let the failure get to me a little bit.”
Now, both players will have the chance to earn immediate redemption.
Though the Dodgers have several minor-league veterans who could factor into the second base picture, including Ryan Fitzgerald, Keston Hiura, Nick Senzel and former All-Star Santiago Espinal (whom Roberts revealed Monday had signed with the club as a non-roster invite), Kim and Freeland should have the inside track on the opportunity Edman’s injury has created.
The San Diego Padres will go into the 2026 season with a better roster than in 2025. It is already a better roster and president of baseball operations A.J. Preller isn’t done yet. He said so in his morning media scrum on Sunday.
It is not a World Series winning team as it currently stands. But it is good enough to compete for the first half of the season and Preller could still make improvements over the next few weeks and at the trade deadline this summer.
By July, we will have a better idea of which players in the minor leagues he can use as trade bait to complete the team. For those who don’t like the way Preller operates, you should probably get used to it. It was made public on Monday that he has been extended for multiple years.
Prospects are capital to Preller. If he falls in love with one, like he did Jackson Merrill, then we could see that player with the Padres. But otherwise, they are used to get players he feels the major league team needs.
The 2025 Padres won 90 games and started the season with Yuli Gurriel as DH, Jason Heyward in left field and Elias Diaz/Martin Maldonado behind the plate. Heyward and Gurriel were gone by May, but it was painful to watch until then. Diaz and Maldonado lasted until Freddy Fermin was acquired at the trade deadline when Diaz became the backup and Maldonado was released.
Here is a look at how the current roster compares to the one we saw in spring of 2025. Anyone would be hard-pressed to argue we aren’t in a better place.
Starting pitchers
This is the one area where the Padres, on paper, appear to be behind last season. With a starting group of Dylan Cease, Michael King, Nick Pivetta, Randy Vasquez, an injured Yu Darvish and Kyle Hart the Padres were taking a big swing with hoping that Cease, King, Darvish, Pivetta and Vasquez would carry them through, and Hart could be a depth piece. On paper that looked serviceable.
We didn’t know that Darvish had a torn UCL and Cease would be ineffective through parts of the year. We didn’t know that King would get hurt after being dominant for a couple months and Hart would flame out as a starter and be shuttled between the bullpen and Triple-A.
Pivetta stepped forward and carried the load for this team, allowing Stephen Kolek and Ryan Bergert to get starts and shine. Vasquez, who struggled early on and wasn’t sharp, came on late in the season and helped prop up the rotation.
It was a patchwork group who looked good to start the year but were injury-riddled and still managed to pitch the Padres to 90 wins (with a bullpen assist).
For 2026, Cease is gone and King is healthy. Joe Musgrove is back from Tommy John surgery and Vasquez looks to build on the step forward he took late last season. Pivetta has earned the front-of-the-rotation status that should come his way on Opening Day.
The rotation needs a fifth starter and depth. With the acquisition of Germán Márquez and Griffin Canning (not on roster yet), the Padres now have JP Sears, Márquez, Matt Waldron, Hart, Marco Gonzales, Triston McKenzie and Canning in competition for the fifth spot and depth for the rotation. This should make for an interesting spring to see who fills out the roster.
If last season’s pieced together rotation, with the help of their shut-down bullpen, was able to have a good season then this group should have an equal chance.
Bullpen
The Padres had Tom Cosgrove, Sean Reynolds, Alek Jacob, Ron Marinaccio, Omar Cruz and Juan Nuñez competing for bullpen jobs last season. The back of the bullpen had Robert Suarez, Jason Adam, Adrian Morejon and Jeremiah Estrada. Middle relief was Yuki Matsui and Wandy Peralta. Bryan Hoeing got hurt early and wasn’t a factor.
Suarez is now the set-up man for the Atlanta Braves. Of the other prior bullpen options, only Jacob and Marinaccio are still with the team.
For 2026, the Padres have Mason Miller to close. Adam, Morejon and Estrada are late-inning options, and a host of other contenders fill out and add depth to the bullpen.
Peralta and Matsui are likely locks with the team. David Morgan made a great first impression last season and earned a 2.66 ERA in 47.1 innings pitched. Bradgley Rodriguez was only in seven games but showed wipeout stuff with a 1.17 ERA.
Hoeing could be competing for the long-man role with Hart or Marinaccio. There are many other options with Preller adding Ty Adcock and Daison Acosta to the roster for the bullpen. Then there are the Padres minor league options with Garrett Hawkins and Francis Peña (not on the roster).
Non-roster invites in camp include Ethan Routzhan, Manuel Castro, Sean Boyle, Logan Gillaspie, Justin Yeager, Ryan Och and Evan Fitterer.
An area of deep depth for the Padres, the bullpen competition will mean someone who should be a big-league pitcher will either leave the team or be in the minor leagues.
With the news from Preller that Jhonny Brito will not be ready until May or June, that takes him out of the running but adds another arm for later in the season. He was recently moved to the 60-day IL.
Outfielders
The Padres did serious dumpster-diving last offseason to acquire over-the-hill major league players to fill out their roster. Gurriel, Heyward, and Maldonado all signed and made the opening roster for the team. Aging and largely ineffective Jose Iglesias still played good defense but added little with his bat. Ryan O’Hearn and Ramon Laureano didn’t come along until after the trades made at the deadline.
Connor Joe was signed to platoon at first base and the outfield but had nothing left and was traded to the Reds in May. The Padres used Brandon Lockridge, Tyler Wade, Gavin Sheets and Oscar Gonzalez to piece together left field and relief for Jackson Merrill when he was injured and Fernando Tatis Jr. when he needed a day off.
After acquiring Laureano, the Padres had a much improved outfield and he is retained for one more season. To add depth, the Padres have Bryce Johnson, Sheets (in a pinch), newly acquired Miguel Andujar and new signee Nick Castellanos as well as Tirso Ornelas.
Adujar and Castellanos are probably guaranteed to make the team as depth and DH options as well as platoon options for first base.
Jase Bowen, Carlos Rodriguez, Nick Schnell and Pablo Reyes were all minor league signs with invites to spring camp.
Infielders
The Padres have Manny Machado, Xander Bogaerts and Jake Cronenworth to provide good defense and reliable offense on the left side. Luis Arraez was the regular first baseman in 2025. Although an excellent contact hitter, he provides little else. His below-average defense and lack of power hampered the lineup during 2025.
Sheets is a power-hitting lefty first baseman who plays league average defense but has significant splits versus left-handed pitchers. A platoonmate for first base is an area of emphasis for Preller this offseason. Andujar plays first, Castellanos has started working out at first during the offseason and Preller added first baseman Ty France to the mix on Monday morning. Signed to a minor league deal, France has the best glove of the group with 10 OAA (outs above average) ranking for his range as an infielder. His overall fWAR for 2025 was 1.0.
There are multiple options now for the starting group in the infield and a stiff competition should take place for the right-handed platoon piece for Sheets at first base. Minor league sign Jose Miranda is a bounce-back candidate for the infield. Minor league depth includes Marcos Castanõn, Franciso Acuna, Nick Solak, Samad Taylor and Romeo Sanabria. All were non-roster invites to spring camp.
Catchers
Things get really interesting behind the plate in 2026. Freddy Fermin is the frontline catcher but has never been the top guy before and will need to ease into increased playing time to avoid what we saw last year after his trade to San Diego. With the wear and tear of playing almost every game, Fermin’s offense deteriorated significantly.
His pre-All-Star game average was .274 with a .354 on base. He was traded to San Diego and played more games those last two months than he had previously for any two months of his career. His post-All-Star average was .226 with a .259 on base.
All those numbers were a big improvement over the Diaz/Maldonado tandem the team started with, but it seems clear that to get the best out of Fermin he needs a solid backup catcher to give him time off.
The Padres are going all in on Luis Campusano this spring. Both Preller and manager Craig Stammen have stated that fact repeatedly. He is the No. 2 and will get a lot of playing time this spring to show what he can do on both sides of the ball. Campusano is out of options. This is his last chance to prove he can be a major league player with San Diego.
Behind Campusano are Blake Hunt and Rodolfo Duran. Both were mentioned by Stammen as compliments to the backup job. If Campusano washes out, those two will be the first options for the Padres.
Top prospect Ethan Salas will get lots of work this spring in a run up to his minor league season where he hopes to re-establish himself as a top prospect in baseball.
Bench
The Padres bench in 2025 consisted of Gurriel as the DH and fill-in for first base (he hit .111 before his release). Iglesias and Sheets provided infield depth with Sheets also filling in for Heyward in left field. Lockridge was the fourth outfielder. Maldonado was the backup catcher.
For 2026, the bench options are Castellanos, Andujar, Johnson, Ornelas, Campusano, Mason McCoy, France, Will Wagner and the newly acquired infielder Sung-Mun Song from Korea. Song was primarily a third baseman in Korea but has voiced a willingness to work all around the field for the Padres. He will get work at first base and the outfield, as well as at second and third base.
The only position Song hasn’t been mentioned for is shortstop. It isn’t clear who the primary backup at shortstop will be. Cronenworth is the most experienced player on the team at that position to back up Bogaerts.
As Bogaerts will be gone to the WBC for a lot of spring camp, we will see who gets the bulk of playing time for the Padres. McCoy and Wagner are both shortstops by trade and Wagner is left-handed. This could be the best opportunity for one of them to make the roster.
So there you have it. The floor of talent for this team far exceeds the one put on the field for the start of the 2025 season. The ceiling for this team is yet to be determined. Much will be discovered as the spring goes on and Preller continues to make adjustments to the roster.
The competition should be fierce and entertaining to see who rises to the challenge and pushes their way onto the 26-man roster for the 2026 Padres.
Yankees captain Aaron Judge spoke following Monday’s first full squad workout…
On this offseason…
Judge admitted it was brutal watching this offseason play out early on with the team not very active in free agency, and the uncertainty around Cody Bellinger’s future stretching in to the New Year.
“I see a lot of free agent’s out there, I see a lot of guys like the Bellinger’s, the [Trent] Grisham’s, the [Paul] Goldschmidt’s -- it was like let’s sign these guys right now and then start adding some more pieces because I’m seeing other teams around the league get better with trades and signings.
“It was tough there in the beginning, but I think once we solidified Bellinger back, we solidified Trent back as our centerfielder, then you add a guy like Goldy and some of the backend bullpen pieces like we’ve been doing, I think we’re in a good spot,” he said.
“But early on, it was definitely tough to watch, it’s like we’re the New York Yankees, let’s go out there and get the right people, get the right pieces and go out there and finish this things off -- it was frustrating, but I think we’re right where we need to be.”
Judge admitted that he did voice some frustration to the front office, particularly on retaining Bellinger, but is glad they were able to take care of business.
On the Yanks “running it back…”
While much has been made with this squad essentially running it back with the same roster that fell short last season, he loves the team as currently constructed.
“People might have their opinions on it, because we didn’t win it all last year and we fell short in the division series, but we get a chance to bring a lot of those guys back -- they’re impact players for us.
“You bring a guy back like Bellinger who can play all over the diamond, come up a big hit when you need him. Goldschmidt who is an MVP, has played all over, just what he brings not only on the field but in the clubhouse, he elevates with the young group we have,” Judge said.
“I’m excited. You get another year for the young guys to develop, bring back some big pieces, especially Grisham our center fielder who had a breakout year, so I’m looking forward to it. Then you add G Cole down the line with some other guys, I like our chances.”
On his elbow…
Judge was slowed down by a flexor strain in his right elbow towards the end of last season, but he’s back to 100 percent at the beginning of camp.
Oct 2, 2025; Bronx, New York, USA; New York Yankees outfielder Aaron Judge (99) heads for the dugout between innings during game three of the Wildcard round for the 2025 MLB playoffs against the Boston Red Sox at Yankee Stadium. / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
“It’s feeling great,” he said. “I haven’t had any issues so far, I think we’re ready to go. I’m out there throwing confidently, I’ve thrown to the bases a couple of times already, so no worries -- excited to get out there and have that confidence.
“That was the toughest thing for me last year, the pitcher working his butt off and the guys working their butts off, and a ball gets hit to me and it’s kind of like I had no shot -- so excited to get back out there and do my thing for the team.”
Judge is scheduled to play in “four or five” of the Yanks’ first nine spring games.
On leading USA in the WBC…
Judge is excited for the opportunity to captain USA in his first World Baseball Classic.
“The time is right,” he said. “In 2023 being a free agent I didn’t know where I was going to go, then coming back to the Yankees and being named the captain, I didn’t want to miss out on that first spring training being the captain, I wanted to be around the guys.
“The time is now to do it. USA came up a little short year, but it’s an exciting group of guys. [Mark DeRosa’s] got quite a squad he’s put together so far, so I’m looking forward to seeing what’s happened -- it’s pretty cool.”
He’s looking forward to a rematch with the defending champion, Team Japan.
“Definitely hoping to see them in the Finals,” Judge said. “They’re the reigning champs and they have a great squad coming back, so I think that’s why Team USA really bulked it up this year to go out there and take care of business.
“If they’re bringing back the same crew, it’s gonna be a heavyweight fight, that’s for sure.”
Judge began throwing a little earlier than usual, but he didn’t have to change his offseason routine too much to ensure he’s ready for USA’s opening matchup.
On what he’s working on…
Judge doesn’t have too much to improve after taking home his second straight MVP, but he’s been working on taking a step forward in one area of his game in particular.
“Baserunning’s on my mind this year a lot,” he said. “I saw a lot of guys around the league with 40, 30 stolen bases that you don’t normally expect to be running that much -- especially with how the game’s changed with the pickoffs and pitch clock.
“I think that’s one way we can utilize some of my skills a little bit more.
“With the lineup we have, this was probably the best offense in all of baseball last year -- if I can find a way to get myself in scoring position, if they're going to walk me or do something, then some good things are going to happen.”
Judge swiped 12 bases last season, just four shy of his career-high.
On the energy so far in camp...
Judge feels a different energy after the Yanks were knocked out by the division-rival Blue Jays in the ALDS last year.
"Any time you don't take it all the way and win the championship you get a bad taste in your mouth," he said. "I think guys are definitely motivated and ready to go, there's a different energy coming in, especially when you lose to a division rival like that where you're tied with the same record, they have the tiebreaker.
"The boys came ready to work, so I'm looking forward to changing that script and going all the way."
MESA, Arizona — By the time I got to the Cubs Sloan Park complex this morning, much of the activity had slowed down for the day. However, I do have some photos and video to show you. First, though, since this was the first full squad workout day for the team, Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts had a few comments after meeting with players:
Tom Ricketts: "It's about winning. All of this other stuff, it all leads to one thing and that's winning. We just have to put the kind of teams on the field that can be in the playoffs every year and get back on top." 🔥 pic.twitter.com/R6BTMOt2hP
It’s the usual thing he says every spring. This year, though, I think the team is in very good position to win.
After the catchers workout was done, Carson Kelly and Miguel Amaya stopped and signed autographs — for everyone waiting. There were a couple dozen kids waiting and the catchers obliged everyone.
So that’s a good thing.
Then, I went over to Field 1, where I had heard Ian Happ, Michael Busch and Alex Bregman were supposed to be hitting. But, I found out those three had been there earlier and were done for the day.
Instead, I saw some brief hitting sessions from Dansby Swanson and Kevin Alcántara, so I can share some videos of that with you.
That’s a very brief visit to Cubs camp today. There was actually a game going on at Sloan Park today. The Cubs (along with several other Spring Training parks) are hosting the Desert Invitational involving college baseball teams. Today’s Sloan Park game was Air Force vs. Kansas State — I saw quite a few fans dressed in KSU purple.
Tuesday is supposed to be a bit rainy and cool in the Valley so practices will likely be indoors. The Cubs’ first spring game will be Friday against the White Sox at Sloan Park at 2:05 p.m. CT. That game will be televised on Marquee Sports Network, with a radio broadcast on The Score.
It’s time to dive into the potential for the new season.
Spring training is here, and exhibition games will be on the schedule as early as the end of this week. With that in mind, it’s time to kick the mailbag back into high gear, and get back to answering your questions on a weekly basis. The Yankees are gearing up in camp, and have gotten some promising news so far with both Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodón aiming to get into Grapefruit League games by the end of spring. There are a couple of minor bumps to address, namely Ben Rice sitting out a couple of days with a sore neck, but they avoided dropping any major bombs on us in the first presser of the year so all things considered that’s a great start.
The floor is wide open for questions about this team. They’ve infamously decided to run it back with the roster that took them to the ALDS last year, plus or minus some bullpen tweaking, and they’ve got a bigger role in store for both Rice and Trent Grisham compared to the start of last year. Will their gamble to bet on themselves work out? Will they get reinforcements for the rotation earlier than expected, or is that a pipedream? Can Aaron Judge really be a superhuman for another consecutive year? If you have questions like these, or anything else on your mind, send ‘em in for a chance to be featured in our Yankees mailbag.
Answers will run on Friday afternoon. All questions received by the night of February 19th will be considered. You can leave your submissions in the comment section below or by e-mail to pinstripealleyblog [at] gmail [dot] com.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone spoke to the media following Monday's workouts in Tampa…
Carlos Lagrange 'excellent' in first live BP session
The first full-squad workout of camp began with rising prospect Carlos Lagrange on the mound for live batting practice, and he turned some heads with fans in attendance.
Facing the heart of the Yankees' lineup, Lagrange showcased his triple-digit velocity, inducing strikeouts of Aaron Judge and Cody Bellinger across a 49-pitch session.
While the appearance wasn't flawless for the right-hander -- he served up a monstrous home run to Judge on a fastball down the middle -- he ultimately got revenge by fanning the Yankees' captain on three pitches. The third-strike fastball reached 102 mph.
Lagrange also forced Giancarlo Stanton to ground out and pop out in at-bats before walking off the field with a changing-speeds punchout of Bellinger. The performance was met with cheers.
"I thought he was excellent. First one to go out there on first full-squad day," Boone said. "The crowd's full, he's facing the big boys. What I liked is, he was filling up the zone with it too. The stuff obviously jumps off the page at you. Thought he held his stuff, most importantly held his strike throwing. February, but really good to see him out there."
Lagrange, the No. 79 prospect on MLB Pipeline's latest Top 100 rankings, logged a 3.22 ERA with 104 punchouts over 78.1 innings in Double-A Somerset last season. Boone has compared the 22-year-old to former Yankees reliever Dellin Betances, based on his 6-foot-7 frame and blistering fastball.
The next step for Lagrange is to develop the "next layer" of strike throwing, according to Boone, but his overall makeup and leadership traits have grabbed the coaching staff's attention. Lagrange's composure against Judge and other Yankees sluggers was lauded, too.
"That's a big thing to walk in to, for a guy who hasn't been over here," Boone said. "It didn't seem like a big thing to him. He was just out there executing... After the homer, he really came back and executed. The chanegup is special. I thought the sweeper was a good pitch for him, got a lot of outs with it. Fun to watch all that unfold."
The Yankees will begin Grapefruit League action on Friday against the Orioles, and Boone said Lagrange has a very strong chance of starting the game in Sarasota.
Positive updates on Cam Schlittler, Anthony Volpe
Anthony Volpe took the next step forward in his recovery from offseason shoulder surgery, starting a hitting program on Monday that included some dry swings, per Boone.
With the expectation of Volpe missing at least all of April while rehabbing, utilityman Jose Caballero should see ample playing time at shortstop and create some in-season competition.
Meanwhile, Cam Schlittler is scheduled to throw off the mound on Tuesday, less than a week after revealing a minor back issue.
The right-hander was never shut down completely -- he threw on flat ground over the weekend and neither Schlittler nor Boone expressed actual concern about the mild injury.
"He was built up pretty good and we didn't shut him down at all," Boone said. "I don't think we thought it was a big issue, but more of one we wanted to get out in front of, just in case."
MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - SEPTEMBER 20: Zak Kent #61 of the Cleveland Guardians pitches against the Minnesota Twins in the ninth inning of game two of a doubleheader at Target Field on September 20, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Righthanded pitcher Zak Kent has been claimed off of waivers by the St. Louis Cardinals, it was announced today. The Rangers had designated Kent for assignment a few days ago to clear a 40 man roster spot for the newly signed Jordan Montgomery.
This is the second time this offseason that the Cardinals have claimed Kent, who was originally drafted by the Texas Rangers in 2019, and then traded to Cleveland for international bonus pool money at the end of spring training 2024 when the Rangers were opening 40 man roster spots for Jared Walsh, Wyatt Langford and Jose Urena.
Kent made his major league debut for Cleveland in 2025, but was placed on waivers in December, with St. Louis claiming him. The Cardinals then waived him in January, and Texas claimed him. Now he’s back with St. Louis, and I would wager he’ll be placed on waivers again towards the end of spring training when the Cards need a 40 man roster spot and teams are flooding the waiver wire with similar guys, making it more likely he goes unclaimed and can be outrighted.
Mar 2, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Josue De Paula against the Chicago White Sox during a spring training game at Camelback Ranch-Glendale. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Eric Longenhagen, Brendan Gawlowski, and James Fegan wrote up the prospects, a list that was expanded from 100 to 110 to account for the prospects with a Future Value rating of 50 (on the 20-to-80 scouting scale) or higher.
Three outfielders lead the Dodgers contingent represented here, with Josue De Paula ranked 17th, Zyhir Hope 41st, and Eduardo Quintero 43rd.
De Paula is ranked between 14th and 24th on prospect lists at FanGraphs, Baseball America, Baseball Prospectus, ESPN, The Athletic, and MLB Pipeline, with an average ranking of 18.5. Says FanGraphs of his future: “De Paula’s combination of present raw power and long-term physical projection give him a great shot to develop 40-homer raw power at peak, though it’s debatable whether his hitting skills are the kind that will allow him to actualize all of that raw thump in games.”
Other Dodgers to show up on the list at FanGraphs are shortstop Emil Morales ranked 61st and pitcher River Ryan at 107th coming back from Tommy John surgery. De Paula (48th) and Ryan (101st) are the only Dodgers returning from last year’s preseason ranking at FanGraphs.
Corey Seager attempted to defuse questions surrounding what has been described this winter as a “toxic” relationship with Marcus Semien, leading to his double-play partner’s offseason trade from Texas to the Mets.
The poor relationship between their shortstop and second baseman prompted the Rangers to take back Brandon Nimmo and $5 million from the Mets to shed the final three years and $72 million left on Semien’s deal, according to a Jan. 23 report by The Post’s Joel Sherman.
“I mean, I think that’s things that I heard in-house that people don’t know about, right, that’s just all speculation,” Seager said Monday at the Rangers’ spring-training facility in Surprise, Ariz. “Me and Marcus had a fine relationship, we both respected each other, we were both professional and we knew how to go about our business and try to accomplish a goal, and we did that in ’23, so like I said, you can’t take that away from us.”
Marcus Semien #2 of the Texas Rangers talks with Corey Seager #5 against the Cleveland Guardians. Diamond Images/Getty ImagesMets infielder Marcus Semien fields grounders during Spring Training. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
The middle infield duo teamed up with the Rangers via free agency ahead of the 2022 season, with Seager leaving the Dodgers for a 10-year contract worth $325 million and Semien bolting the Blue Jays for a seven-year deal worth $175 million. Texas captured the franchise’s first World Series title in 2023, but the team has posted a combined record of 159-165 the past two seasons, including a .500 finish last year.
The 31-year-old Seager, the MVP of the ’23 Series win over the Diamondbacks, was limited to 102 games in 2025 due to season-ending appendectomy surgery in August.
The 35-year-old Semien, a three-time All-Star, endured a down year offensively with 15 homers, 62 RBIs and a career-worst .669 OPS.
Still, the former shortstop also earned the second Gold Glove award of his career — both as a second baseman — with only two errors and a .996 fielding percentage. Semien’s defense was attractive to the Mets, who sought to improve their run prevention in the offseason.
