Category: Baseball

After a special rookie season, including becoming the Mets rookie hit leader, Carson Benge is being recognized for his performance.

Benge was named a finalist for the National League Rookie of the Year Award on Monday night.

The 23-year-old dazzled in his first season in Queens, hitting .282 with a .776 OPS over 156 games. He became the first Mets rookie to record a 20-20 season, finishing with 20 home runs and 22 stolen bases, in addition to his 22 doubles, three triples, and 65 RBIs.

Not only did Benge impress at the plate, he was one of the best defenders in baseball. He was worth seven DFS and one OOA, plus he recorded 10 outfield assists (tied for sixth in MLB) and had a .982 fielding percentage.

Overall, Benge finished his rookie season with a 4.3 WAR.

The two other finalists for NL ROY are the Cincinnati Reds' Sal Stewart and the St. Louis Cardinals' JJ Wetherholt.

For those comparing stats, Stewart hit .263 with 32 home runs, 25 doubles, and 111 RBI, posting a 1.8 WAR. Wetherholt owned just a .242 batting average with 17 homers, 15 doubles, and 51 RBI, but was strong on defense with a .996 fielding percentage over 131 games to give him a 4.5 WAR.

The NL Rookie of the Year winner, voted by the BBWAA, will be announced on Monday, Nov. 9.

Cincinnati Reds infielder Sal Stewart has been named one of the three finalists for the 2026 National League Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award. That’s not just obvious conjecture, either – it’s on the books, as Major League Baseball revealed on Monday afternoon that Sal, New York Mets outfielder Carson Benge, and St. Louis Cardinals shortstop JJ Wetherholt will each finish in the Top 3 of voting turned in by the Baseball Writers Association of America this year.

Your 2026 @officialBBWAA NL Jackie Robinson Rookie of the Year Award finalists:

Carson Benge, Mets
Sal Stewart, Reds
JJ Wetherholt, Cardinals pic.twitter.com/lCjjJz9F2S

— MLB (@MLB) November 2, 2026

The writing had been on the wall for months that these three would likely end up the finalists, though each managed to make their way to this point in very different fashion.

Sal, of course, burst out of the gate with a fury in April, taking home NL Rookie of the Month honors after a torrid first month of the season. He hit a swoon mid-year, though, before once again rocketing to the same honor for the month of August to become the obvious frontrunner for the end of year award. He topped 30 homers and 100 RBI, thresholds that have made rookies virtual locks for winning in each season in which that has happened, though his September slump and defensive positional adjustment as a primary 1B has him lagging behind his peers in terms of WAR.

Wetherholt surged due to the latter, his defense at shortstop legitimately Gold Glove worthy. His offense doesn’t stack up as well next to Sal, but as a premium defender he’s already cemented a solid baseline value that may sway enough voters who lean on analytics his way. However, he finished the season in a slump (.619 OPS across his final 62 games) and even missed a pair of weeks due to injury in September.

If I were to be honest and remove my homer lense, I think it’d be hard for me not to suggest that it’s Benge that deserves the honor. His 118 OPS+ this season actually tops Sal’s 117 mark, and he did it while posting a 20/20 season that saw him hit .282 with a .346 OBP and solid positional defense all across the outfield. The former 1st round pick is, quite literally, precisely the kind of outfielder the Reds have been searching for over and over again for decades now, and the Mets stumbled right into him.

It’s a pretty classic stage for argument, really. The slugging 1B with piles of traditional counting stats. The defensive whiz whose value came from many places other than his bat. The all-around building block who does everything pretty well. And don’t forget that the team who’s rookie wins the honor gets draft pick compensation at the end of the 1st round of the 2027 MLB Draft (and the bonus pool money that comes with it)!

We’ll find out which one takes home the award next Monday, November 9th.

It’s official: Carson Benge has been named one of three finalists for the National League Rookie of the Year Award, along with the Reds’ Sal Stewart and the Cardinals’ JJ Wetherholt. The winner will be announced live on MLB Network on November 9.

The NL ROTY race is the most hotly contested of this year’s major awards cycle, with each of the AL awards having clear frontrunners and the other NL awards expected to result in a pair of unanimous decisions (the Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong for MVP and the Brewers’ Jacob Misiorowski for Cy Young). Stewart led the field in offensive counting stats, posting 32 homers and 111 RBIs, the most by a rookie since Pete Alonso drove in 120 for the Mets in 2019. Wetherholt, despite a late-season trip to the 10-day injured list that that hindered his chances, still managed to lead all NL rookies with 4.6 fWAR on the back of his 100th-percentile Fielding Run Value and 91st-percentile Baserunning Run Value). 

Benge, the most well-rounded of the bunch, led the majors in Arm Value and became the 18th rookie to record a 20/20 season (the first was former Mets World Series champion Tommie Agee). Benge bolstered his case by batting .321 with an .896 OPS over his final 48 games, and .396 with a 1.080 OPS over his 13 games.

Nolan McLean, who posted a 3.16 ERA with 194 strikeouts over 179.2 innings after his cup of coffee in the majors in 2025, will likely finish in fourth place — just shy of finalist status. McLean was named a Gold Glove Award winner on Sunday night, becoming the first rookie pitcher ever to win the award.

The 23-year-old Benge is the Mets’ first finalist for the Rookie of the Year Award since Kodai Senga finished as runner-up to the D-backs’ Corbin Carroll in 2023. Benge is also the first Mets position player to receive any votes for the award since Andrés Giménez, who finished tied for seventh in 2020. The Mets have had six winners over their 65-year history: Tom Seaver (1967), Jon Matlack (1972), Darryl Strawberry (1983), Dwight Gooden (1984), Jacob deGrom (2014), and Alonso (2019).

Today is the deadline for option decisions, as well as for reinstating players off the 60-day injured list. The Tigers just released their flurry of moves, most notably exercising their $10 million club option for 2027 on RHP Drew Anderson, and declining their 2027 option on RHP Kenley Jansen. They’ll pay the veteran closer, just two saves shy of becoming the third closer in MLB history to reach 500 for his career, two million to buy out the $12 million club option. In addition, they made a surprise move, signing RHP Jacob Waguespack to a one-year, $1.3 million guaranteed deal for 2027. Waguespack’s contract comes with an extra $200K in potential bonuses he can earn next season.

Probably the most surprising part of the Tigers decisions today was the fact that they reinstated seven of eight players from the 60-day injured list. The only player they didn’t reinstate was left-hander Bailey Horn, who had Tommy John surgery during the season and is expected to miss all of the 2027 season. He was placed on unconditional release waivers along with RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long.

The Tigers did reinstate OF Kerry Carpenter, OF Parker Meadows, OF Wenceel Perez, OF Matt Vierling, RHP Reese Olson, RHP Will Vest, and INF Trey Sweeney. OF Corey Julks was outrighted and is now a free agent, while RHP Yilber Diaz was designated for assignment.

Some of the players they kept still aren’t going to make it through the offseason, as the Tigers 40-man roster now stands full at 40 players. Keeping Carpenter, Meadows, Vest, and Olson were obvious moves, but hanging onto Matt Vierling yet again doesn’t appeal to me at all. Sweeney and Perez don’t really have much path to a future role either. And of course we have no real updates on any of their medical conditions.

The Tigers still have to add prospects Josue Briceño and Max Anderson to the 40-man soon, and so two more players will have to come off the 40-man to make that happen. And of course any free agent signings or claims of players who have to go on the 40-man will require a corresponding move to open a spot.

One real surprise here to me is Waguespack. He was certainly effective for the Tigers, putting up a 2.49 ERA, but the 32-year-old just doesn’t get many whiffs and isn’t notably good at limiting hard contact either. Yilber Diaz is still wild but has a lot hotter stuff and is six years younger.

Still, this is only temporary housekeeping, and further moves will alter the 40-man roster anyway. Waguespack is a little cheap insurance for now, until we see if there are major moves in free agency or whether everyone is largely waiting for the lockout. It still seems fairly likely that the Tigers will try to pursue a one-year deal with another starting pitcher for depth before the December 1 lockout. They’ve gone after a cheap depth starter early in the offseason with some regularity in the Scott Harris years.

The Detroit Tigers today made the following transactions:

– Exercised their 2027 club option for RHP Drew Anderson.
– Declined their 2027 club option for RHP Kenley Jansen.
– Signed RHP Jacob Waguespack to a one-year, $1.3 million guaranteed major league contract for the 2027…

— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) November 2, 2026

To make room on the 40-man roster:
– LHP Bailey Horn and RHP Sawyer Gipson-Long have been placed on unconditional release waivers.
– OF Corey Julks has been outrighted off the 40-man roster and is now a free agent.
– RHP Yilber Diaz has been designated for assignment.

Detroit's…

— Tigers PR (@DetroitTigersPR) November 2, 2026

The Astros finally have their new general manager, but the circumstances surrounding his hiring and the search for their next manager raise some familiar questions about who’s really calling the shots in Houston.

Astros fans, you finally have your new general manager in Randy Flores, but the entire process surrounding his hiring seems to reek of exactly what I warned you about before the offseason even began.

Jim Crane is still running the show, and I’m not convinced that’s about to change anytime soon.

Don’t get me wrong. Flores has an impressive background in scouting, player development and talent evaluation after spending more than a decade in the St. Louis Cardinals organization. He deserves an opportunity to prove himself, and I certainly hope he’s successful. But the way the Astros arrived at this decision raises some legitimate questions about how much authority their new general manager will actually have.

Let’s start with the hiring process itself.

Flores was reportedly among the early candidates interviewed for the position, but the search continued, creating the impression that Houston was looking elsewhere. Then came Milwaukee Brewers assistant general manager Matt Kleine, who certainly appeared to be Crane’s preferred choice.

After all, Crane practically paraded Kleine around like a brand-new toy at the Houston Sports Hall of Fame ceremony a few weeks ago. When an owner brings a potential general manager candidate to a high-profile public event like that, it’s hard not to believe he’s sending a message about the direction he wants to go.

Then, suddenly, things changed.

Kleine didn’t get the job, and the Astros pivoted back to Flores.

Why?

That’s the million-dollar question, and it’s one I believe deserves considerably more attention.

Was it because Kleine reportedly wanted the title of president of baseball operations rather than general manager? Was Crane unwilling to create that position or give someone that level of responsibility?

Or was it something I’ve been concerned about all along: that an established or highly regarded executive considering this opportunity would want the autonomy to run baseball operations without constantly looking over his shoulder at the owner?

We may never know exactly what happened behind closed doors, and I’m not suggesting Flores was an unqualified or undesirable choice. But the circumstances certainly make you wonder.

Because the biggest question surrounding the Astros hasn’t changed. It’s not who Jim Crane hires. It’s how much freedom he’s willing to give that person to do the job.

During Monday’s introductory press conference, Crane indicated that Flores would have full authority over baseball operations decisions.

That’s certainly what Astros fans want to hear.

The problem is that I find it extremely difficult to believe.

Crane has developed a reputation for being heavily involved in baseball operations, and his hands-on approach has become an increasingly significant part of the conversation surrounding this franchise. Whether it’s personnel decisions, roster construction or the influence of trusted advisors like Jeff Bagwell, the perception is that very little happens without Crane’s involvement.

And let’s be clear: Crane owns the team, spends the money and has every right to be involved. Nobody is questioning that.

But there’s a significant difference between an owner who provides financial resources and organizational direction and one who wants to have a substantial say in every major baseball decision.

If you’re going to hire someone to run your baseball operations department, you have to trust that person’s judgment and allow him to build the team according to his vision.

Otherwise, what’s the point?

Another interesting part of the press conference was Crane’s apparent belief that the Astros aren’t far away from being one of baseball’s better teams again.

Rather than suggesting a significant reset or organizational overhaul, Crane seems convinced that a few calculated moves can keep Houston competitive and potentially put the team back among the American League’s legitimate contenders.

That’s certainly an optimistic way of looking at a team that finished 81-81, has obvious deficiencies in the outfield, questions surrounding its starting rotation and a farm system that needs considerable improvement.

I’m not saying this team needs to be completely torn apart and rebuilt from the ground up. There is still plenty of talent on this roster, and with the right moves, the Astros can absolutely remain competitive.

But there’s also a difference between being competitive and being a legitimate World Series contender.

And that’s where the pressure on Flores begins immediately.

He’s essentially being handed a roster with significant holes while being told that the expectation is to get this team back among baseball’s best without taking a step backward.

That’s a difficult assignment for any general manager, particularly one taking over an organization with a strong-willed owner who has made it clear that winning now remains the priority.

Then there’s the other major piece of this offseason puzzle.

Who gets to pick the Astros’ next manager?

This might ultimately tell us more about the power structure of the organization than anything Crane said during Flores’ introductory press conference.

I find it particularly interesting that the Astros were already exploring managerial candidates before Flores was officially hired.

One of those names is former Astros catcher Brad Ausmus, who has longstanding ties to the organization and a close relationship with Jeff Bagwell, one of Crane’s most trusted baseball advisors.

Ausmus was reportedly at Daikin Park for discussions before the Flores hiring was announced.

Now, I’m not saying Ausmus wouldn’t be a qualified candidate. He’s managed at the major league level, understands the organization and has spent recent seasons working with the New York Yankees.

But if the Astros ultimately hire someone who has strong personal relationships with Crane and Bagwell, it’s fair to wonder whether that decision came from the new general manager or the people who were already running the organization before he arrived.

On the other hand, Flores has connections of his own that could make this search extremely interesting.

Take Albert Pujols, for example.

The former Cardinals superstar has expressed interest in becoming a major league manager and has already established himself as a successful manager in winter baseball. His previous discussions with the San Diego Padres reportedly involved demands that complicated the possibility of him landing that position.

Given Flores’ lengthy tenure with the Cardinals, it’s not difficult to imagine Pujols receiving consideration if he’s interested in the Astros job.

And then there’s a name I believe deserves serious attention.

Former Astros third baseman Morgan Ensberg.

Ensberg has spent years developing his managerial résumé in the minor leagues, including successful stops throughout the Tampa Bay Rays organization. He’s also someone who understands Houston, the expectations that come with playing here and what it takes to succeed in this market.

Perhaps most interestingly, Ensberg and Flores were teammates at USC, giving them a personal connection that could make him an especially intriguing candidate.

I wouldn’t overlook Ensberg as a legitimate sleeper in this process.

But regardless of whether the next manager is Ausmus, Pujols, Ensberg or someone else entirely, the hiring will provide an important early indication of just how much influence Flores actually has.

If Flores is truly empowered to run baseball operations, shouldn’t he have the final say in selecting the person who will be responsible for managing the roster he constructs?

Shouldn’t the general manager and manager share a philosophy about player development, roster usage, analytics and the overall direction of the team?

And shouldn’t that relationship be established without the owner or his closest advisors determining the outcome before the general manager even gets comfortable in his new office?

Those are reasonable questions, and they’re questions that aren’t going away simply because Crane stood behind a microphone and said the right things.

Look, I want Flores to succeed. Astros fans should want him to succeed. This organization has enjoyed an incredible run of success under Crane’s ownership, and nobody wants to see that championship window close permanently.

But this franchise is also at a crossroads.

The Astros have watched important pieces of their championship teams leave, their organizational depth diminish and their margin for error become increasingly smaller. They need strong leadership, smart personnel decisions and a clear plan for both the present and the future.

What they don’t need is another general manager who is held responsible for every failure while lacking the authority to make the decisions necessary to prevent those failures.

That’s ultimately my biggest concern.

The Astros didn’t just need to hire a new general manager. They needed to establish a clear direction and a structure that gives that general manager the best possible chance to succeed.

Maybe Flores is the right man for the job. Maybe he and Crane will develop a tremendous working relationship and prove all the doubters wrong.

I certainly hope that’s the case.

But after watching how this entire process unfolded, I’m not ready to simply take Crane at his word that things are going to be different.

The next managerial hire will be our first real indication of whether Randy Flores is running the Houston Astros’ baseball operations department or simply occupying the office while Jim Crane continues making the important decisions.

And believe me, that distinction matters.

Astros fans, stay tuned.

Because this offseason has only just begun, and something tells me the most interesting developments are still to come.

The BBWAA Awards Finalists have been announced which includes Cy Young, Rookie of the Year and MVP. The St. Louis Cardinals JJ Wetherholt has been chosen as a finalist for the Rookie of the Year award according to MLB Network. JJ’s 2026 stat line is impressive, but likely would have been greater if not for a wrist injury which plagued him during the second half of the season:

• Games Played: 139 (135 starts)
• Plate Appearances: 619
• At Bats: 537
• Hits: 130
• Runs Scored: 89
• Doubles: 15
• Triples: 0
• Home Runs: 17
• Runs Batted In (RBI): 51
• Walks: 64
• Strikeouts: 104
• Stolen Bases: 14 (1 caught stealing)
• Batting Average (AVG): .242
• On-Base Percentage (OBP): .339
• Slugging Percentage (SLG): .365
• On-Base Plus Slugging (OPS): .704
• WAR (Baseball-Reference): 4.5

Other finalists for the NL Rookie of the Year include the Cincinnati Reds Sal Stewart and Carson Benge of the Mets. The winner will be announced the week of November 9, 2026.

NL MVP Finalists include the Cubs Pete Crow-Armstrong, Shohei Ohtani of the Dodgers and the Brewer’s Brice Turang. NL Cy Young finalists include Jacob Misiorowski of the Brewers, Chris Sale from the Braves and Cristopher Sánchez of the Phillies. NL Reliever of the Year finalists are Jhoan Duran of the Phillies, Trevor Megill from the Brewers and Mason Miller of the Padres. NL Manager of the Year finalists include Don Mattingly from the Phillies, Pat Murphy of the world champion Brewers and Walt Weiss from the Braves.

According to every national baseball writer on the planet, the Twins have officially sent a qualifying offer to catcher Ryan Jeffers. Jeffers has until November 17th to decide whether or not to accept the one year, $23.15M contract.

Eight players received the one-year, $23.15 million qualifying offer today. The deadline to accept it is Nov. 17.

Randy Arozarena (Mariners)
Seiya Suzuki (Cubs)
Brandon Lowe (Pirates)
Trevor Rogers (Orioles)
Adrian Morejon (Padres)
David Bednar (Yankees)
Jake Bauers (Brewers)…

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) November 2, 2026

The qualifying offer is a one year deal based on the average of the top 125 MLB salaries. If players decline the QO, they will remain free agents eligible to negotiate with anyone in the league. However, the team that signs a QO player will forfeit a draft pick, while the team losing the QO player will gain one. The specifics of the picks lost or gained depend on whether teams pay the CBT or are revenue sharing recipients and the size of the contract the player receives. Players are only eligible to receive the qualifying offer if they have never received it in the past and spent the entire of the previous season on that organization’s roster (e.g. Tarik Skubal is not eligible since he was traded midseason).

In the Twins’ case, they would receive a pick immediately following the first round if Jeffers signed with another team for $50M or more. If he signed for $50M or less, the pick would fall after the second round and Competitive Balance Round B. However, Jeffers would be much better off taking the big, single season payday and re-entering the market next season rather than taking a multi-year contract for less than $50M, so you can bet on the Twins receiving an extra first round pick should Jeffers sign elsewhere.

If the Twins signed anyone else on that list, say Brandon Lowe to fill the hole at second base, they would forfeit their third-highest selection in the upcoming round, which would be their Competitive Balance Round A selection if Jeffers went elsewhere or their second round pick if he stayed. If they signed two players off that list (now we’re dreaming), both their third and fourth highest selections would be lost.

Jeffers is in an interesting position with the qualifying offer. By AAV, the highest paid catcher in the league is the Mariners’ Cal Raleigh at $17.5M. After him, Philly’s JT Realmuto checks in at $15M and the Dodgers’ Will Smith is third at $14M. So on the one hand, Jeffers would, at least briefly, be the highest paid catcher in baseball by nearly $6M. On the other, it’s a one year deal and a poorly placed foul tip could place any future earnings in jeopardy.

Looking at the usual mix of contenders, there also aren’t many that need a starting catcher. The Yankees absolutely would want Jeffers, and pursued him at last year’s trade deadline, but there have been questions in recent years about how willing the Steinbrenners are to run up their payroll beyond the current levels. The Blue Jays are set with Alejandro Kirk. The Red Sox and Rays picked up their long-term catchers at the 2026 trade deadline in Adley Rutschman and Liam Hicks, respectively. The Tigers have last year’s All-Star starter in Dillon Dingler, while the Rangers are reportedly looking to shed payroll this offseason. And on the NL side, really only the Cubs have a hole at catcher and money to spend, but they also have to rebuild their starting rotation on the fly after losing all five of their starting pitchers to free agency.

In reality, the best option for everyone involved might be a return to the Twins. Minnesota needs a bridge to Vahn Lackey and the pending lockout has some usual big market players behaving oddly. It’s why the Twins were able to sign Carlos Correa to a one year deal after the last lockout. Scott Boras is great at maximizing player earnings, and he’s smart enough to know that no one is touching a $20M+ AAV for a free agent catcher. Taking the QO and re-entering the market next year without the risk of losing draft picks is the best path to Jeffers getting the most money anyway.

Seems like a win/win to me.

Today was the deadline for teams to extend a Qualifying Offer (QO) to players set to become a free agent ahead of free agency opening and as expected, the Mariners have extended a QO to Randy Arozarena.

The QO is a one-year deal that allows teams to bid for a year of a player’s services should they not sign a longer-term deal, but the real benefit of it for teams is it entitles them to a draft pick if and when the player signs somewhere else. Only players who haven’t received a QO before are eligible, and players have to have been with the offering teams for a full season – so players who got traded midseason aren’t eligible. The draft pick position varies based on a team’s financials (revenue-sharing, luxury tax, etc.) and how much the player signs for, but is either after Competitive Balance Round A or B, or after the fourth round for luxury tax payors. The team that signs the free agent forfeits a draft pick, the position of which is again based on a team’s financials.

This year the QO was $23.5M, which is based off the mean salary of the 125 highest-paid players in MLB. Eight players received the QO today: Arozarena, postseason hero Jake Bauers (Brewers), David Bednar (Yankees), Ryan Jeffers (Twins), Brandon Lowe (Pirates), Adrián Morejón (Padres), Trevor Rogers (Orioles) and Seiya Suzuki (Cubs). It’s rare for a player to accept the QO, although the upcoming uncertainty with the looming lockout might impact players’ decision-making. This is a small group of QOs, relative to other years; 13 players received a QO last year.

That uncertainty likely won’t affect Arozarena, who should have plenty of suitors for the 31-year-old’s services after coming off a career-best season. Arozarena brought a power-speed combo this year, thumping 26 homers and stealing as many bases, but he also cut his strikeouts to a career-low (while still walking an above-average amount) with a balanced offensive approach that saw him use the whole field. Arozarena talked several times this year about adjusting his approach to focus more on hitting the ball all over and less on trying to pull everything for a home run; the result was his best offensive season in a full season as a pro. Arozarena also benefits from being arguably the best bat on the market in a class that’s heavier on pitching.

This is the first year the Mariners have extended a QO to a player in over a decade; the last time was Hisashi Iwakuma in 2015, when the QO was valued at $15.8M. Iwakuma initially rejected the QO and was reportedly going to sign with the Dodgers, but the deal fell through and Iwakuma returned to the Mariners on a one-year deal with two option years. If/when Arozarena signs elsewhere, that will be the first time the Mariners receive draft pick compensation for losing a free agent. The Mariners do not pay the luxury tax and are a revenue-sharing recipient, so the pick would be either in Competitive Balance Round A (after the first round) or B (after the second round).

Players have until 1 PM PT on November 17 to accept or decline the QO, during which time they’re free to negotiate with other teams to get a sense of their market value.

The Dodgers are adding former Padres chief operating officer Caroline Perry to their leadership team, the organization announced Monday afternoon.

Effective Nov. 30, Perry will serve as executive vice president and COO, filling a position vacated by retiring longtime Dodgers executive Bob Wolfe, who is transitioning to an advisory role.

In addition, the Dodgers announced they promoted Royce Cohen to executive vice president and chief business officer, after he most recently served as senior vice president of business strategy. Cohen has worked for the Dodgers since 2014 and was a key figure in the formation of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, another one of Dodgers owner Mark Walter’s sports business endeavors.

Read more:Mark Walter, Josh Kushner agree on outstanding terms linked to $12.5-billion Lakers sale

“Caroline comes to the Dodgers with an exceptional record of service in baseball, and Royce has repeatedly proven his ability to be a step ahead in the sports business world,” Dodgers president and Chief Executive Stan Kasten said in a statement. “They both offer a level of knowledge and expertise that is truly enviable.”

Perry spent 16 seasons with the Padres, working her way up from associate general counsel. She became the highest-ranking female employee in Padres history when she was promoted to COO in 2023. She is also one of just three female COOs in Major League Baseball.

“It is a tremendous honor to join the Dodgers,” Perry said in a statement. “On the field, they have set an unparalleled standard of excellence in baseball under the current leadership. Off the field, their historic legacy, passionate fan base and service to the community speak for themselves. While I am incredibly grateful for my time with the Padres and for the colleagues who made those years so meaningful, I am excited to take my place with the Dodgers and to contribute to their continued success.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

The Colorado Rockies announced on Monday afternoon that they have hired Ethan Katz as their new pitching coach for the 2027 Major League Baseball season.

The Colorado Rockies announced today that they have hired Ethan Katz as the club’s Major League pitching coach. pic.twitter.com/otVNBLTFsr

— Rockies Club Information (@RockiesClubInfo) November 2, 2026

Katz, 43, was originally selected by the Rockies organization in the 26th round of the 2005 draft. A right-handed pitcher, he spent four seasons in the Rockies’ farm system from 2005 through 2008. During that time he posted a 2.79 combined ERA over 102 appearances—mostly out of the bullpen—and 177.1 innings.

He also played independent baseball in 2009.

His coaching career began at Harvard-Westlake High School in California, a school with prestigious baseball history. Katz was the pitching coach from 2009 to 2013 and coached multiple future MLB players, including pitchers Max Fried, Lucas Giolito, and Jack Flaherty.

Katz made the jump to coaching professional baseball starting in 2013, where he coached in the minor league system for the Los Angeles Angels and Seattle Mariners. He also served as the assistant minor league pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants in 2019.

The Giants promoted Katz to serve as their assistant pitching coach for the COVID-19 shortened 2020 season. That year the Giants held a team ERA of 4.64 with 488 strikeouts, 210 walks, and had opposing hitters slash .241/.322/.410 against them.

Katz was then hired by the Chicago White Sox as their MLB pitching coach starting in 2021. He served in that role through the 2025 season until being fired after three consecutive 100-loss seasons—including the year the White Sox set the modern era record for most losses in a single season in 2024.

In Katz’s first season with the White Sox, their pitching staff was one of the best units in baseball with a team ERA of 3.73—fifth best in the league. Their rotation was anchored by multiple American League Cy Young Award candidates including Carlos Rodón, Lance Lynn, Dylan Cease, and Lucas Giolito. Meanwhile, their bullpen featured the likes of Garrett Crochet, Laim Hendriks, and Michael Kopech.

Unfortunately, the White Sox saw diminishing returns over the next few seasons. Their 3.92 ERA in 2022 placed them in the middle of the pack, and in 2023 and 2024 their team ERA ballooned to 4.87 and 4.67 respectively. They rebounded somewhat in 2025 with a 4.26 ERA, but manager Will Venable and the White Sox front office decided to go in a different direction with their rebuilding club.

Katz was hired by the Houston Astros to serve as their assistant pitching coach in 2026. The Astros had a difficult season, winning their division without a winning record and getting eliminated quickly in the post-season. The pitching staff held a team ERA of 4.45, a far cry from the staff that had been a top ten unit in baseball over the last few seasons.

The Astros terminated Katz alongside manager Joe Espada at the end of the season amidst rumors that Katz had been denied the opportunity to interview for a promotion with another team before being fired.

Katz will take over as the Rockies’ big league pitching coach under pitching director Matt Daniels following the firing of Alon Leichman earlier this off-season. Leichman was ousted after one season where the Rockies pitching staff held a league-worst 5.99 ERA.

Of the hire, Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said via text message, “We are very excited to add Ethan to our staff. We love the experience he brings in this role as well as his track record of getting pitchers better on a consistent basis. He is a tireless worker, and players rave about him across the league. Can’t wait to start working with him!”

This story has been updated to include a comment from Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer.

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Just in case anyone there was any doubt that this year’s free-agent class may be the weakest in at least a decade, Major League Baseball teams made qualifying offers to just eight players by the Monday, Nov. 2 deadline – the second-fewest in a full-season since the system was implemented in 2012.

Here are the players offered a $23.15 million qualifying offer by the deadline, including their salaries last season:

• Seattle Mariners outfielder Randy Arozarena; One-year, $15.65 million salary in 2026.
• Chicago Cubs outfielder Seiya Suzuki: Final year of 5-year, $85 million contract.
• Minnesota Twins catcher Ryan Jeffers: One-year, $6.7 million salary in 2026.
• New York Yankees closer David Bednar: One-year. $9 million salary in 2026.
• Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe: Final year of 6-year, $24 million contract.
• Baltimore Orioles starter: Trevor Rogers: One-year, $6.2 million salary in 2026.
• San Diego Padres left-handed reliever Adrian Morejon: One-year, $3.9 million contract in 2026
• Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Jake Bauers: One-year, $2.7 million contract in 2026

While a record four players accepted the qualifying offer a year ago – Shota Imanaga, Trent Grisham Gleyber Torres and Brandon Woodruff – which tied the player to the team for one year, it’s quite possible no accepts the offer this year, which has occurred four times previously. Just 18 of 157 players have accepted a qualifying offer since this system was implemented.

Free-agent starter Tarik Skubal was the biggest star not eligible for a qualifying offer by the Los Angeles Dodgers since he was acquired at the trade deadline from the Detroit Tigers. He is also expected to be the only player who’ll earn more than $200 million in free agency. Skubal is expected to command the most money given to a free-agent pitcher, exceeding Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s 12-year, $325 million deal.

Skubal headlines a group of premier free agents who were not eligible to receive a qualifying offer since they were either traded during the season or received a qualifying offer in the past. That list includes All-Stars Clay Holmes, Freddy Peralta, Luis Arraez, Michael King, Nick Martinez, Robbie Ray, Kevin Gausman Raisel Iglesias, Casey Mize.

The most intriguing qualifying offer decisions may be with Bauers and Morejon. Bauers, who hit 26 homers for the World Series champion Brewers, is coming off a one-year, $2.7 million contract; the qualifying offer will pay him twice as much as he’s earned in his entire career. Morejon is the game’s top setup man, who surely will want to be paid as a closer, but if he accepts the qualifying offer, he’ll be the highest-paid reliever in baseball for the 2027 season, eclipsing Dodgers closer Edwin Diaz’s $23 million salary.

Players must make a decision by Nov. 17 whether they plan to accept or reject qualifying offers.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Weak MLB free agent class produces just 8 qualifying offers from teams

The Texas Rangers have claimed righthanded pitcher Jose Butto on waivers from the San Francisco Giants, the team announced today. In addition, the team announced that outfielder Michael Helman has cleared waivers and been outrighted.

Butto, 28, has spent most of his career in the New York Mets organization. He appeared in one game in 2022 for the Mets, allowing seven runs in a four inning start, then appeared in nine games for them in 2023. After putting up a 2.55 ERA in 30 games in 2024, he was sent to the Giants as part of the package for Tyler Rogers at the 2025 trade deadline. Butto appeared in just three games at the beginning of 2026 before undergoing surgery to remove a blood clot from his right arm, which ended his season.

Butto is arbitration-eligible, though he is projected to make little over the league minimum. He is also out of options. He doesn’t throw that hard, doesn’t strike out a ton of batters and walks way too many guys, but he does get groundballs, so he has that going for him. He’s a cheap bullpen arm they can take to camp and see what happens.

As for Helman, I’m reasonably certain he now becomes a free agent, due to how much professional service time he has.

The deadline for teams to tender qualifying offers to their pending free agents came and passed today at 5 p.m. EST. The Yankees reportedly tendered an offer to only one player, reliever David Bednar.

This was the expected outcome for the Bombers, but it’s still notable that Bednar was the only one they saw fit for a QO. It seemed very plausible ahead of the 2026 season that Jazz Chisholm Jr. would receive an offer as he headed into free agency, but an inconsistent campaign for the infielder convinced the Yankees to let Chisholm become a free agent without any restraints.

Bednar now has about two weeks (until November 17th) to decide whether to accept the $23.15 million QO, or to reject it and test the waters. The general expectation seems to be that Bednar will not accept the offer, though stranger things have happened, and it’s not unheard of for non-elite free agents who to flounder on the market after receiving and rejecting a qualifying offer. Accepting the offer would make Bednar the highest paid reliever in MLB on a per-year basis.

Though the Yankees got burned the last time a player accepted a QO (see: Grisham, Trent), they obviously wouldn’t be upset to see Bednar return on a one-year pact. Top-end relievers typically earn in the $20+ million range in free agency these days, and Bednar was a stabilizing force at the back of the Yankee bullpen for the last season and a half even as he progresses through his early-30’s.

If Bednar rejects the offer and signs elsewhere, the Yankees will be in line for draft-pick compensation. Bednar is one of eight players to receive the offer this year: Randy Arozarena, Jake Bauers, Seiya Suzuki, Trevor Rogers, Adrian Morejón, Ryan Jeffers, and Brandon Lowe all also received the QO.

The Mets made a number of roster moves this afternoon to officially kick off their offseason. Let’s talk about the additions first: The Mets signed infielder Christian Cairo to a one-year, split contract and also claimed right-handed pitchers Jack Anderson and Pierson Ohl off of waivers from the Twins and Rockies, respectively. And the team also signed infielder Kyren Paris to a one-year major league contract, only to designate both Paris and Cairo for assignment shortly thereafter.

Cairo, 25, came to the Mets organization late last season after being released by the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Phillies. He was drafted in 2019 and developed by the Guardians before electing free-agency at the end of 2024. Over three seasons at Triple-A, he’s batted .233/.361/.314 with eight home runs, seven triples, and 41 doubles. He’s logged innings at second base, third base, and shortstop. The financial terms of the split contract are unknown at this time.

Anderson, who will be 27 when the season begins, made his big league debut in 2026, pitching in relief for both the Red Sox and the Twins. He logged 12.1 innings over seven appearances, striking out 12 and walking three while surrendering ten hits. In the minors in 2026, he started 16 games and made 12 relief appearances.

Ohl, 27, was drafted by the Twins in 2021 before being traded alongside Eduoard Julien in January of this year. He made three starts and 11 relief appearances for the Twins in 2025. Ohl missed all of the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John Surgery in February.

Paris is entering his age-25 season next year, and he’s spent the entirety of his career thus far in the Angels organization. He’s made 263 plate appearances at the major league level with a 45 wRC+.

On the subtractions front, RHP Philip Abner and LHP Cameron Weston were claimed on waivers by the Orioles and Marlins, respectively. In addition, Eric Wagaman elected free-agency instead of accepting his assignment to Triple-A Syracuse.

If Abner’s name is unfamiliar, it is because the 24-year-old was claimed off waivers by the Mets on September 23 and did not play a single inning for the organization at any level. Weston was claimed slightly earlier (September 3), and the then-25 year old pitched in four Syracuse games in September.

Wagaman, 29, was claimed off waivers from the Twins in late April and provided a right-handed counterpart to Jared Young at first base for much of the year. His .191/.269/.319 batting line didn’t inspire much confidence, but in his limited playing time, Wagaman was not quite cromulent, but wasn’t a disaster.

Finally, Cristian Pache accepted his assignment to Triple-A, and three players were reinstated from the 60-day injured list: Tylor Megill, Reed Garrett, and Jorge Polanco. Pache was one of the myriad players brought in ahead of the 2026 season for depth and provided that, logging 15 appearances for the Mets while getting ample playing time in Syracuse.

Megill, 2022 Opening Day starter and starter of the 2022 combined no-hitter, underwent Tommy John in September of 2025 and missed the entirety of this last season. He made $2.5 million n 2026 and is arbitration eligible for the next two seasons. Garrett, like Megill, went under the knife in October 2025 and missed all of this season. He is also arbitration eligible and collected $1.3 million last year.

Everyone knows the story of Polanco, signed to a two-year, $40 million dollar deal, reportedly to play first base, but he only appeared in 37 games for the Mets and was dreadful in those appearances.