Category: Baseball

Dylan Beavers played his way into Baseball America’s Top 100 prospect list with a strong 2025 season. The former first-round pick slashed .304/.420/.515 over 94 games at Norfolk before finally earning a promotion in the middle of August. Baltimore could have called up Beavers sooner, but the organization waited to preserve his rookie eligibility for the 2026 season. The move could have yielded Baltimore a Prospect Promotion Incentive (PPI) draft pick if Beavers won the Rookie of the Year award last year. That did not happen.

Beavers provided reason for optimism with a strong close to the 2025 season. The rookie posted a .375 on-base percentage over his first 35 big league games. Beavers tallied four home runs and five doubles, but he also walked 26 times in 137 plate appearances. The numbers led to plenty of Moneyball “he gets on base” memes throughout the month of September.

Beavers failed to carry that momentum into the 2026 season. His .228 batting average actually represented a one point increase, but his OBP dropped to .307. His plate appearances increased by 226, but he only walked nine more times. The drop led to a below-average 93 OPS+ in 2026.

The Rookie of the Year award was always a long shot, but Baltimore hoped to see continued success from the 25-year-old. Instead, his lack of progress represented one of the many failures in the outfield. Colton Cowser shined defensively but struggled for extended stretches at the plate. Taylor Ward lost his power. Tyler O’Neill continued to fall short of the performance his contract should demand. Heston Kjerstad never arrived, and we saw more of Leody Taveras than we ever expected.

Beavers posted pedestrian numbers in April before suffering a strained oblique in mid May. The injury cost Beavers six weeks and prevented the outfielder from establishing an everyday role in Baltimore’s disappointing lineup. The injury may have impacted his defense, but Beavers looked below average out there all season. There’s plenty of reason to believe that Beavers could bounce back at the dish next year, but the team will also look for an improvement in the grass. He posted a -9 Outs Above Average and -8 Defensive Runs Saved over 660 innings in 2026.

The numbers weren’t there at the end of the season, but Beavers displayed something that can’t be taught—an ability to rise to the occasion in the biggest moments. Beavers delivered a pair of walk-off hits in 2025 before adding two more last season. According to Yahoo Sports, Beavers’ four walk-off RBIs tied for the most by any player in his first 110 games since the stat became official in 1920. Funny enough, Christian Encarnacion-Strand is one of five other players to match the number with four walk-off hits in his first 110 games.

The Orioles just threw in the towel on Kjerstad, but the team still believes in Beavers. There is clearly room to upgrade the outfield in free agency, but the team desperately needs Beavers and Cowser to take a step in the right direction. O’Neill, Christian Franklin, and Rece Hinds remain in the organization. Blaze Alexander can play some center field, and Enrique Bradfield Jr. should receive an opportunity at some point next season.

Where does that leave Beavers? He could easily start on Opening Day in either of the outfield corners. The team should probably stop attempting to play him in center field, but he still has time to develop into an average corner outfield defender. There’s some pop in the bat (nine homers in 2026), but a return to his patient approach could lead to more at bats at the top of the order.

Beavers probably shouldn’t be Plan A on a team hoping to reach the postseason, but he could develop into that by the end of the year. Looks for the Orioles to make external additions to the outfield while keeping Beavers in the picture for 2027 and beyond.

Every winter, the front office scours the free agent and trade markets, looking to add a couple of relatively unknown and underperforming arms to send to the Matt Blake Relief Pitcher Factory, in the hopes of developing the next Luke Weaver or Paul Blackburn. Last winter, that pitcher was Angel Chivilli. Acquired from the Colorado Rockies in exchange for minor league first baseman T.J. Rumfield — a superfluous bat who was blocked at the Major League level by Ben Rice — Chivilli boasted a less-than-stellar Major League stat line, with a 6.18 ERA in 73 games across two seasons. However, his young age (he debuted at 21, and 2026 was his age-23 season) and lively fastball supplied optimism that he would be the next Matt Blake success story.

Alas, injuries derailed any chances of Chivilli making a true impact at the Major League level this past season. Even so, during his stints in the Bronx, he flashed enough to understand why the Yankees sought him last winter, and for fans to hope that he could be major part of the big league bullpen over the next couple of years.

Grade: Incomplete

2026 Stats (Yankees): 15 games, 16.2 IP, 3.78 ERA (113 ERA+), 5.74 FIP, 4.79 xFIP, 21.9 K%, 9.6 BB%, -0.2 fWAR, 0.1 rWAR

2027 Contract Status: Entering third year of pre-arbitration eligibility

Following an inconsistent showing in spring training, Chivilli began the 2026 season with the Scranton RailRiders. He immediately began to dominate, and after 8.1 scoreless innings in Triple-A, earned himself a trip to the Bronx when the Yankees needed some extra bullpen arms in the middle of April. Unfortunately for him, after just two appearances, he found himself on the injured list with right shoulder discomfort. The injury kept him off the mound for more than six weeks, as he would not return to the mound until June 10th.

For the second time that season, though, Chivilli did not remain in Scranton for long. After a dominant stretch in which he allowed just two runs in 8.1 innings, he received the call back to the Bronx on July 5th. Over the next month, he became an integral part of the Yankees bullpen, tossing 12 consecutive innings without allowing an earned run, during which time he limited opposing batters to a .146/.196/.167 slash line and struck out a batter per inning. He slowly climbed the bullpen’s circle of trust, and with the Yankees trying to find some reliable setup arms behind Paul Blackburn and Brent Headrick, the Yankees sent him in to protect a one-run lead with a runner on third following the Yankees’ six-run inning on August 4th against the Cardinals.

It would turn out to be Chivilli’s worst appearance of the season. He walked the first batter he faced, then a three-run homer, then a single, then another homer, then a single, then (mercifully) a flyout, and then another homer. Just like that, a 7-6 lead become a 13-7 deficit — and, unfortunately, Chivilli’s Yankees season would be over. In need of an extra arm after the trade deadline, the Yankees optioned him back to Scranton; two days later, he found himself on the Triple-A injury list with a posterior elbow injury, and although he did get a clean bill of health on September 21st, by that point, neither the RailRiders nor the Yankees opted to use him.

All in all, it wasn’t exactly a lost season for Chivilli: he was absolutely dominant in the Triple-A bullpen, and outside the six-run inning in which he was left out to dry, he allowed just three runs (only one earned) in 15.2 innings — good for a 0.57 ERA. Furthermore, his 32.6 whiff percentage would have ranked in the 93rd percentile, ahead of Tarik Skubal, Mason Montgomery, Zack Wheeler, and Luke Weaver. There’s reason for optimism here. Unfortunately, given the injuries, it’s hard to justify anything other than an incomplete grade at this time.

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See more of the Yankees Roster Report Card series here.

So I gather there was an election yesterday? Mark Texiera lost his run for Texas’ 21st district. We don’t talk politics on this site really, there’s enough to shout about just in terms of baseball, but I think we can all agree that the good people of Texas deserve better than a vile Yankee. Former Blue Jay Matt Shoemaker seems likely to be elected to his local school board, which is nice.

David Bell stepped down as assistant GM and VP of Baseball Operations. Bell joined the front office two years ago after a six year stint managing the Reds. He was one of three guys with the same job title, alongside Joe Sheehan and Michael Murov. His particular area of responsibility was apparently overseeing mental and physical development and contributing to major league strategy. It sounds like this was a personal decision, not a firing over the Jays’ poor on-field performance this past year. The team is apparently looking to find a replacement.

It’s always basically impossible to know what front office changes like this actually mean. The development pipeline has had a strong couple of years, but how much if any of that is attributable to Bell is impossible to know from the outside. Anyway, happy trails, David.

MLB pipeline has a nice little write up on 2023 first rounder Brandon Barriera. He seems to be in a good place, which is nice to hear. His Arizona Fall League performance wasn’t great, but I’m glad to see him at least reliably getting on the mound. At this point you can’t really call him a prospect, given how little he’s had the opportunity to develop over three mostly lost pro seasons, but he’ll get another shot in 2027 to see if he can get on track.

The big news, such as it is, is that MLB issued another proposal to the union. As with previous proposals, it’s based on a 50-50 split of “baseball revenue”, but the definition of that revenue is slippery. The union’s response was predictably unimpressed. It seems like we’re in the same spot we’ve been in for more than a year now: the owners insist on a cap, and the players insist they won’t accept one. Personally, I don’t necessarily hate the concept of a cap in theory. In practice, though, the owners’ long history of dishonesty and collusion makes it hard to believe it could be administered fairly. We’ll probably have posts digging into the fine points of league and union proposals as the winter goes on. God knows there won’t be much else to write about. Mostly I just want a 2027 season, but nothing we’ve heard has given me reason to be less pessimistic on that front.

Happy Wednesday, everyone!

We’re back with our first offseason pod! Darby and I share our final thoughts on the World Series, discuss Rays chances in awards season, including Taylor Walls’ first career Gold Glove. We then pivot to the Rays to-do list this offseason with the lockout looming, including shoring up the starting rotation, additions to the 40-man roster, and trying to bolster a roster that can help the team defend its American League title.

All podcasts are streamed live on our YouTube channel, and are also available wherever you get your podcasts (Apple and Spotify links below). If you love what we do on Rays Your Voice and would like to support the show, head on over to our Patreon, where even just $1/month helps us with recurring expenses.

Meet the Mets

Anthony McCarron made some bold predictions for the offseason for the Mets, Yankees, and beyond.

Tim Britton and Will Sammon compiled a group of things they’ve heard about the Mets offseason priorities, including getting pitching and where they stand in pursuing Japanese free agent Teruaki Sato.

Around the National League East

Alec Bohm is now a free agent, leaving a major question mark at third base for the Phillies.

Around Major League Baseball

The Yankees have largely dismissed criticism of the team and front office as “noise” and that may not be the wisest choice.

Rays owner Patrick Zalupski wrote a letter to the Rays fans following their loss in the World Series.

Erik Neander reiterated the Rays intention to have Drew Rasmussen leading their rotation in 2027.

ESPN put up their list of the top 50 free agents this offseason, along with some contract projections.

MLB’s latest CBA proposal includes phasing in a salary cap and floor in 2028, with increases in the payroll limits on both ends.

Delaying the salary cap until 2028 would allow for teams and the league to have time to figure out how best to implement the radical change.

MLB illustrated how the cap and floor would affect baseball by disclosing how many teams would need to change on either side of the limits.

The MLBPA responded to the MLB’s public announcement of their latest CBA proposal, reiterating their opposition to a salary cap.

Ian Browne took a look at what free agents could help the Red Sox for 2027 and beyond.

The Mariners have filled their managerial opening, hiring Jason Kanzler, who served as the Cubs director of player development over the last three seasons.

David Bell stepped down as the Toronto Blue Jays assistant general manager and vice president of baseball operations.

Shohei Ohtani’s home run in the NLCS could signal a strong season ahead in 2027.

The Angels are on the verge of a renaissance, and could send a message on their potential future even just by attempting to fill their front office opening with a big name.

There’s some competition for the title of best hitter in this free agent class, with seven strong contenders.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

The Amazin’ Avenue Offseason Plan Contest has officially kicked off!

Steve Sypa reviewed Xzavion Curry’s confounding 2026 season with the Mets.

A Pod of Their Own returned with another new episode.

This Date in Mets History

The Mets, along with the rest of the league, had their first experience with free agency 50 years ago today, when the league’s first free agency period began.

Major League Baseball has created a new proposal that includes the implementation of a salary cap/floor system in 2028. The MLBPA quickly rejected this proposal in a statement on social media. The proposal is likely to become a major point of contention as MLB and the union prepare for negotiations ahead of the expiration of the current collective bargaining agreement. 

Braves News:

Our 2026 player review series continues with right-hander Rolddy Muñoz. 

How much free agent activity do you anticipate before the lockout?

MLB News:

Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Edwin Uceta underwent arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder last month. He is expected to miss the first couple months of the 2027 season. 

The Seattle Mariners have hired Jason Kanzler as their next manager. He has spent the last three seasons with the Chicago Cubs, working as their director of player development. 

From the Feed:

Which of these shortstops do you think would be best for the 2027 Braves?

We've talked here and here and here (and elsewhere) about the Mets' need to seriously address a starting rotation that was the main reason their 2025 and 2026 seasons went off the rails.

Specifically, New York left its rotation too short depth-wise both years, and also relied on too many expected bounce backs and what-ifs. They can't do that again in 2027, which means their offseason goal should be adding two legitimate starting pitchers to the rotation -- including one who profiles at the very top. 

With free agency open and a relative frenzy likely between now and the start of the expected lockout on Dec. 1, the easiest way for the Mets to address their biggest need is to turn to the free agent market.

Available there is Tarik Skubal, arguably the best pitcher in baseball. And since Skubal was traded during the season from the Tigers to the Dodgers, he won't be attached to the qualifying offer and the associated damaging penalties that would've come along with it for any team that signed him. All he'll cost is money -- lots of money.

Beyond Skubal are other strong free agent options, including Michael King and Clay Holmes, who should both do well in terms of average annual value but whose deals won't be in the same stratosphere as Skubal's.

As far as the trade market, there are a handful of very intriguing options who could be available.

The Mariners, rich with quality starters, could possibly dangle George Kirby and/or Logan Gilbert, who are both nearing free agency.

The Twins could listen on Joe Ryan, who is set to hit free agency after 2027.

Meanwhile, the Rays recently picked up the $20 million option for next season on ace right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who is one year away from free agency.

Tampa's head of baseball operations Erik Neandersaid on Tuesday that the team has "every intention" of keeping Rasmussen, but did not rule out a trade this offseason. And with that slightly open door will come speculation that the Rays could deal Rasmussen -- a tactic they've used many times when it comes to expensive players on the cusp of free agency (including recently with Tyler Glasnow and Brandon Lowe). 

With all that to consider, should the Mets strongly pursue a trade for Rasmussen? Here are the pros and cons...

PROS

Rasmussen has been a dominant force since his first real taste of the majors in 2021.

This past season for the Rays, he had a 2.67 ERA and a AL-best 0.91 WHIP. In 172 innings, Rasmussen allowed just 125 hits while striking out 174 batters and walking only 1.7 per nine. That followed up a 2025 campaign where he posted a 2.67 ERA and 1.02 WHIP in 150 innings.

The right-hander was also nails during Tampa's run to the World Series, allowing just seven runs in five starts across 28.2 innings. 

Rasmussen features mainly a four-pitch mix, utilizing a cutter, four-seamer, sinker, and changeup. In 2026, Rasmussen's pitching run value graded out in the 99th percentile. That included a fastball that was in the 99th percentile and an off-speed run value in the 93rd percentile. Hitters struggled to do much of anything against Rasmussen's main arsenal in 2026, slugging .360 or lower against his four most-used offerings. 

Meanwhile, a look at Rasmussen's advanced metrics via Baseball Savant reveal a pitcher who was above average to elite in most areas, including hard hit percentage, barrel percentage, chase percentage, xERA, and groundball rate. 

After missing most of the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to elbow surgery (more on that below), Rasmussen has made 30+ starts each of the last two seasons while featuring average fastball velocities that have sat right around where they were earlier in his career.

For the Mets, Rasmussen would be a true ace who can top their young, promising rotation that will also include Nolan McLean and Christian Scott.

While it would take a serious package to pry him away from the Rays, the cost the Mets would have to pay should be blunted by the $20 million Rasmussen is owed in 2027 and the fact that he's a one-year rental. 

Additionally, the Mets trading for Rasmussen would theoretically not preclude them from signing a big starter -- whether it's Skubal, Holmes, or King. 

CONS

The health concern when it comes to Rasmussen is real.

While he has been durable over the last two seasons, another major elbow injury could be ruinous. That's because the righty has already had two Tommy John surgeries (in 2016 and 2017) and underwent an internal brace procedure in July of 2023.

However, the Mets' risk would be low since Rasmussen is only under team control for one season. And they can further mitigate that risk by not only acquiring Rasmussen but by signing another high upside starting pitcher.

There is also the matter of cost.

New York's farm system looks a lot different today than it did a year ago, due in large part to graduations of a handful of the players at the very top and an influx of new talent during their recent trade deadline selloff. 

The top 10 of SNY's updated top 30 Mets prospects list is comprised mostly of position players, and it's fair to believe that Tampa would be looking for young, controllable pitching in a world where they made Rasmussen available. 

If Rasmussen hits the market and the Mets are interested, it's possible someone like left-hander Jonathan Santucci could intrigue the Rays. Jonah Tong, who had a breakout season in the minors in 2025 and showed promise in the majors late in 2026, might also pique their interest. But would the Mets be open to trading so many years of control of someone like Santucci or Tong in a deal for a one-year rental?

They did something like that last offseason, when right-hander Brandon Sproat and infielder Jett Williams were traded to the Brewers for pending free agent Freddy Peralta. Could a repeat be in the cards, or is it smarter to simply fill the rotation via free agency only?

VERDICT

Go for it.

If the Rays make Rasmussen available, he would very likely be the best starting pitcher on the trade market. And the Mets should be greedy when it comes to bolstering a rotation that has been their undoing two seasons in a row. 

Pairing Rasmussen with Skubal would be seismic. But even if the Mets aren't the top bidder for Skubal, they could still transform their rotation by trading for Rasmussen and signing someone like King or Holmes.

Obviously, Masyn Winn and JJ Wetherholt should have been awarded gold gloves in 2026. Who is MLB fooling? they are only fooling themselves and fans who you could barely call baseball aficionados. Ok, they’re not real fanatics, if they are fooled that easily by shiny awards foolishly chosen.

Whoever determines the gold glove awards should be fired, all of them. Winn is better than Perdomo at Fielding Run Value, a metric on baseball savant provided to us by MLB. Even their own numbers cannot back up their decision making. Oh so, yeah, it was super close! Winn was better still, don’t be coy. By Fielding Run Value, Winn isn’t worse than Perdomo, MLB. Don’t lie.

Ok, so, how about OAA? Outs Above Average? Winn 19, Perdomo 16. Again, a lie coming from MLB and google AI. Gemini thinks that Perdomo lead the league and that is what it is telling people. Baseball Savant says otherwise, Winn leads in OAA. I don’t like illusions, I’m rather disillusioned.

Ok so why are you taking this so seriously, it was pretty close… Winn had one of the best arms at shorstop in all of MLB at 96th percentil. Perdomo was only 50th percentile, or as we say, rather mediocre. And who helped his team to be leader in ground into double plays turned because of an incredible arm? Masyn Winn, not whoever this Perdomo is. Sorry bud, but you were given a prize out of some other thing that is not called reality.

So yeah, you made the wrong decision there, Major League Baseball. But you often award the Gold Glove Award (a stretch to capitalize that) to the wrong person! How can we trust your decision making process? Oh yeah, you care more about hitting than defense. But this is a GLOVE award, you freak. Might as well just get rid of the silver slugger if the gold glove includes offense. And for what it’s worth, Winn lead all shorstops in Defensive Runs Saved, to add to the salt rub in the wound. Thanks for not doing the right thing again, MLB, NOT!

JJ Wetherholt was the leader in OAA. 100th percentile. And yet, MLB decided to rob Wetherholt too. The gold belongs in the St Louis middle infield, #MLB! The so called winner, Turang, is only 99th percentile. Brice has a very weak throwing arm too, weaker than JJ’s which is mediocre at least. So how is Turang a winner at defense here? DRS seems to favor Turang, but I ain’t buying it. Depends on where you look. Turang had more than twice as many errors as JJ, and yet not as rangey. I don’t see how you give Turang the gold glove unless you add in something other than defense.

So yeah, the Cardinals middle infield dynamic duo got robbed by MLB. They cannot defend their awards here, other than Turang played in more games. So if you want to ignore Turang’s weak arm, then there you go.

But Gold Glove historically has been a bit of a fluff award, not very real or to be taken seriously.

My hope is that Masyn will stop getting snubbed, and no more jobbery for JJ either. They’re legit gold glovers. Please don’t let them become players like…

• Ian Kinsler lost in 2014 to Jose Altuve, Kinsler at +19 DRS (Altuve +3)
• center fielder Franklin Gutiérrez put up a historically AMAZING season in 2009: +32 DRS… and didn’t win the gold glove
• Brett Gardner 2010: +34 DRS no recognition
• 2005 and 2006 AL shortstop: awarded to Omar Vizquel even though Adam Everett and Craig Counsell were far better defenders
• 2012 AL shortstop: Brendan Ryan should’ve won it as a Mariner with a 14.7 UZR, +19 OAA and +17 FRV… the gold glove went to JJ Hardy instead

Unfortunately, the Cardinals franchise is no stranger to Gold Glove snubbery, please add to the list in the comments! I’m not bitter, I’m bitter sweet! I still love baseball, but I wish they woud go by the book more when doing these awards, which seem to be more about favoritism and fame than about reality. Rookie of the Year will be more important, since it is tied to a draft pick. Hopefully they will get that one right. Defense is real.

Music Picks from 1999

Last week, I got the heavy metal out of my system, at least for 1999… so here are my top 20 music picks for the year ‘99! As it turned out, 1999 was a REALLY good year for music! ‘00 up next week…

• Boredoms – ‘Vision Creation Newsun’ beautiful, new, mindbending, spiritual, moving (Japan)
• Pinback – self-titled debut from the get to, Pinback was unmistakably Pinback. Defining sound. You could say they were emo, but that would be selling them short. They were so much more… (San Diego)
• Beck – ‘Midnite Vultures’ weirdo funky art rock extravaganza from a mainstream artist, a big sidestep for Beck but to me, one of his very best releases and a big showcase of his talent (LA)
• MF Doom – ‘Operation Doomsday’ alt hiphop masterpiece (London/NYC)
• Mr. Bungle – ‘California’ multi-genre sweeping production, top tier talented musicians, and american ingenuity, utter perfection (uh, California of course)
• Mouse On Mars – ‘Niun Niggung’ perhaps the most damn fun album on the whole list! (Germany)
• Stereolab – ‘Cobra And Phases Group Play Voltage In The Milky Night’ one of the most adventurous Stereolab listens and probably even better than the two more famous albums before it! Festive space-age French pop-progressive rock electronic music voyage! (France)
• Tom Waits – ‘Mule Variations’ circus blues Americana detour… the question is: What’s He Building In There? (California)
• Brant Bjork – ‘Jalamanta’ a really cool psychedelic desert rock solo release from Brant Bjork, a famous stoner rock drummer who also plays guitar and sings, this is one of his first trips away from the drumkit and I think it’s among his best non-Kyuss releases! (California)
• Monolake – ‘Interstate’ experimental electronic music that is really lighthearted and fun to listen to, still sounds futuristic even though this came out in 1999 (Germany)
• Coil – ‘Musick To Play In The Dark’ industrial ambient noise legends at their peak! if you like synths and sound effects and an interesting sonic experience, check it out. (London)
• Cerberus Shoal – ‘Homb’ mysterious, or mystical? Sounds like a tape from a lost culture. Highly recommended. (Boston)
• Sweep The Leg Johnny – ‘Tomorrow We Will Run Faster’ a really cool jazz/post-rock listen! I don’t know how to describe this other than I want you to hear it. (Chicago)
• Juno – ‘This Is The Way It Goes And Goes And Goes’ epic, melodic post rock ranging towards metal but not quite, but still awesome, hidden gem
• Maudlin of the Well – ‘My Fruit Psychobells… a Seed Combustible’ speaking of metal adjacent, this is also part prog rock, post-punk, and art rock
• Fiona Apple – ‘When The Pawn’ jazzy alt-pop from the top-notch singer-songwriter Fiona Apple! I was unfamiliar with this album, but I’m digging it quite a bit now!
• Nine Inch Nails – ‘The Fragile’ as far as good content goes, this is peak NIN since it’s a double album. In some ways surpassing The Downward Spiral, I would not rank it quite that highly, but as an expansive double album with new sounds, The Fragile works perfectly and NIN would never reach this level again after.
• The Magnetic Fields – ‘69 Love Songs’ this outdoes the double album! At nearly 3 hours of music, this is just a songwriting spree. But it’s surprisingly good considering how many freakin’ songs there are! Amazing.
• The Dismemberment Plan – ‘Emergency and I’ “Post-indie-post-hardcore-jazz influenced-electronic-influenced-modern pop” couldn’t have said it better (from the youtube comments section)

Those are my can’t miss albums of the week, thanks for reading! Hopefully JJ somehow wins rookie of the year to make up for the snubs!

Daniel Wright
Right-Handed Relief Pitcher
6´9´´
245 pounds
Age: 24
First Appearance on the South Side Sox Top 100
2026 High Level Charlotte (AAA)
Age relative to high level -3.2 years
SSS rank among all right-handed relief pitchers in the system 18
Overall 2026 season stats 2-1 ⚾️ 33 games (1 start, 10 finishes) ⚾️ 1 SV ⚾️ 42 1/3 IP ⚾️ 2.98 ERA ⚾️ 1.441 WHIP ⚾️ 39 K ⚾️ 7 BB ⚾️ 1.3 WAR

The Chicago White Sox took a flier on the right-handed reliever, selecting him in the 10th round of the 2025 MLB draft (No. 286) out of the University of Iowa.

Wright had an unconventional start to his baseball career. A native of Sergeant Bluff, Iowa, Wright was a multi-sport standout in high school in football, baseball and, yes, basketball, even earning himself a McDonald’s All-America nomination. After graduation, he initially pursued a career in college football, walking on as a quarterback for the University of Wisconsin before returning to baseball.

Prior to landing in Iowa City, Wright had stops at Iowa Western Community College and the University of Houston. With the Hawkeyes in 2025, he went 2–2 with a 3.41 ERA in 18 games, striking out 20 over 29 innings. The full college tour? He went 6–5, with 60 Ks, in 80 innings, over 49 appearances. Not exactly world-beater numbers, but he got the job done.

On the mound, the 6´9´´ righty features a fastball that sits 91–93 mph and can touch 95, complemented by a much more interesting mid-80s cutter/slider.

The 24-year-old spent all but one game with the Single-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers in 2026, usually working toward the back end of the bullpen in the seventh and eighth innings. His first full professional season got off to a rocky start, posting a 5.84 ERA in April over 12⅓ innings. But Wright settled in as the season progressed, including a stretch of seven consecutive appearances in May and June without allowing an earned run.

He even squeezed in a successful Triple-A cameo. Called up to Charlotte for one game on August 9, Wright picked up the win after handling the third and fourth innings, allowing one run on two hits, walking none and striking out two. Not a bad way to spend a day away from the Ballers.

Wright’s improvement after that rough opening stretch gives him something to build on heading into 2027. He will likely open the season with the Double-A Birmingham Barons, and a strong start could earn him a longer look with the Charlotte Knights.

Full 2027 South Side Sox Top 100 White Sox ProspectsStorystream

Free agency has officially begun, and the Dodgers are now on the clock to try to fortify their roster before the impending lockout.

Left-hander Tarik Skubal is atop the list of the most highly coveted free agents this offseason, and the Dodgers are not the only bidder for his services. Jeff Passan at ESPN reports that the New York Mets will compete with the Dodgers for the highest offer, while the Chicago Cubs want Skubal “badly.”

The two most obvious suitors are the two teams with the highest payrolls in baseball: The Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets. There are bound to be others. The Chicago Cubs badly want Skubal. They also are skeptical that they will be willing to compete at the sort of dollars Skubal is expected to get — well in excess of $300 million, potentially in the $400 million-plus range.

Alden Gonzalez of ESPN is more optimistic about the chances of Skubal returning to Los Angeles for 2027 and beyond.

He truly seemed to relish his 2½ months in Los Angeles. He loved the culture, particularly being among so many established, veteran players who were singularly focused on winning. He became besties with Blake Snell, was awed by the organization’s resources and, overall, seemed to fit in seamlessly.

Buster Olney of ESPN shared his thoughts on what type of deal Skubal is projected for, noting that a deal for him would resemble Kyle Tucker’s current deal with the Dodgers compared to Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s record setting deal.

After two fantastic years of Shohei Ohtani in Dodger blue, the two-way superstar and still reigning two-time NL MVP award winner mired in a power drought in the second half and beyond that rendered him obsolete in the starting lineup. That was until he hit a towering three-run home run that gave the Dodgers their final runs of the 2026 postseason.

David Adler of MLB.com notes that Ohtani’s Game 4 home run in the NLCS could help him get back on track hitting-wise before the start of the 2027 season.

When we’re seeing Ohtani connect with the baseball with bat speeds like that, we know his swing is in the right place. Are we overanalyzing one home run? Maybe! But we think that one home run was a harbinger of what’s coming next year: the return of MVP-level Ohtani.

Good morning, Purple Row!

Here’s what’s going on with the Colorado Rockies and the rest of Major League Baseball.

Rockies news and links

Rockies Return RJ Petit To Tigers | MLB Trade Rumors

In case you missed it, 2025 Rule 5 pick RJ Petit was returned to the Detroit Tigers. Petit underwent Tommy John surgery in spring training and missed the entirety of the 2026 season. He had begun throwing in August, but the nature of the injury and the need for more roster space made it an easy decision to send him back to his original organization, where he can hopefully make his debut finally at some point.

Rockies Get Compelling Reason To Trade Top Asset This Offseason | Rockies on SI

The rumors of trading Hunter Goodman will again be a hot topic over the next few weeks. The team needs pitching, and Goodman is still the most valuable piece they have that could net them a couple of arms as needed. Whether or not they give in to that temptation remains to be seen, though.

Affected by Altitude Episode 231: Winter is Coming | Rocky Mountain Rooftop

On this week’s episode, Evan Lang and I discuss the Milwaukee Brewers’ World Series victory before breaking down the 40-man roster heading into the offseason activity. (This was recorded before moves were announced on Monday and Tuesday).

DNVR Rockies: What REALLY happened between the Rockies and pitching coach Alon Leichman

DNVR’s Christian Saez heard Alon Leichman’s side of the story as to why he was fired and heard the Rockies’ front office corroborate bits of the story. A lot of interesting stuff you can hear in the podcast episode below. To make a long story short, it came down to dysfunction.

Around MLB

MLB increases cap and floor in latest proposal, sets 2028 target | MLB.com

MLB made another CBA proposal centered around a salary cap. This time, they offered to implement the system in 2028 with a floor of $180.2 million and a cap set at $258.2 million that year. This comes along with all the other proposals included in other offers. Needless to say, the players didn’t like the idea.

Jason Kanzler hired as the 22nd manager of the Seattle Mariners | Lookout Landing

Our pals at our sister site, Lookout Landing, break down the news of the Seattle Mariners’ new manager, Jason Kanzler. It’s definitely an interesting hire that could also be a risky one for the Mariners.

Ranking ’26 rookies based on long-term value | MLB.com

Jim Callis runs through the rookies who graduated from the Top 100 prospects lists this year and assesses what their long-term value could be in MLB. There are a lot of talented rookies from that list, with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Konner Griffin expected to have the best long-term value.

This is the 2026 Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby field | MLB.com

The Home Run Derby for the Arizona Fall League will happen on Saturday and it includes a handful of intriguing power-hitting prospects, including Jack O’Dowd (HM PuRP) of the Rockies.

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Happy Wednesday, everyone. Two big things will be guiding our news roundups over the coming weeks: free agency, which should begin to heat up soon, and also the looming labor dispute between MLB and MLBPA, which was dealt an interesting blow today that we’ll delve into more shortly.

We’ll also take a look at the new choice for the Mariners’ manager, potential trade targets, and why the heck is Pat Murphy apologizing?

All that and more below, so let’s just jump right into it.

• Ben Clemens shares FanGraphs’ top 50 free agents for 2027.
• Thomas Harrigan breaks down all the 2027 option decisions.
• Daniel Kramer reports that Jason Kanzler will be the new Mariners manager.
• Checking in on all the newest hot stove rumors. (MLB)
• Here are the top trade targets of the offseason according to Karl Rasmussen.
• Jim Bowden assesses the biggest needs for all 30 MLB teams. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Direct from MLB. This will certainly go well.

With free agency already underway, and recognizing that Clubs will need a full offseason to operate within the cap and floor system, MLB is proposing to phase in the salary cap and floor in 2028

The projected cap and floor payrolls for 2028 would make 12 clubs increase payroll… pic.twitter.com/EfMErTa1Jo

— MLB (@MLB) November 3, 2026

• Here’s more information on the delayed salary cap from Evan Drellich. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Davy Andrews gets into the season’s pitching superlatives, starting with velocity, then moving onto, well, movement.
• Who are the best available bats on the free agent market? Thomas Harrigan looks at the top seven.
• The top 12 moments of the 2026 postseason. Story by Nick Selbe.
• Tom Verducci explains how the Rays’ home stadium helped the Brewers win the World Series.
• The MLBPA already has something to say about the new cap proposal.

In response to the league's revised salary cap proposal, the MLBPA says "MLB owners continue to propose blowing up the current system and replacing it with one designed to line their pockets and increase their franchise values." pic.twitter.com/D8sIgMuFcR

— Evan Drellich (@EvanDrellich) November 3, 2026

• Jay Jaffe breaks down the big names on the Contemporary Era Hall of Fame ballot.
• Theo DeRosa shares who the finalists are for all the major season awards.
• Karl Rasmussen offers one offseason move every AL team should make (but won’t).
• Kiley McDaniel ranks contract projections and likely free agency moves.
• Pat Murphy apologized for his anti-Yankees comments during the Brewers’ World Series celebrations. (ESPN)
• Ken Rosenthal explains how the Angels could be on the cusp of a renaissance. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• In less stressful news, outfielders are getting better!

Wrote about how outfielders keep getting better and better and how we talk too much about Ks when we talk about batting averages declining.

We just had the lowest-ever BABIP on balls hit 200+ feet or more .. https://t.co/SZRbsK6brv

— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) November 2, 2026

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.

Good morning, baseball fans!

Yesterday, we took a look at all of the walk-offs from the 2026 San Francisco Giants season. Today, let’s take a look at the best strikeouts of the year, according to the team’s social media compilation below.

So grab your coffee, settle in, and enjoy!

What was your favorite strikeout moment from the 2026 Giants season?

1909
Skeeter Webb was born, in Meridian, Miss. The five-year White Sox player has the distinction of being one of the worst second basemen of all time, ranking as the 1,513th-best at the position per JAWS as of 2026. Aside from a one-game debut in 1932 for the St. Louis Cardinals in 1932, every season Webb played in the majors was a negative-WAR effort, including five years in Chicago that amassed -2.5 WAR.

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1959
White Sox pitching standout and central Black Sox World Series fixer Lefty Williams died in Laguna Beach, Calif.

Williams had just six games under his belt (1913-14) with the Detroit Tigers when the White Sox bought him out of the Pacific Coast League, where he’d spent 1915 killing it with the Salt Lake City Bees (33-12, 2.84 ERA in 418 2⁄3 innings pitched). Almost immediately he took on a regular load with the White Sox, averaging 287 2⁄3 innings pitched in his four full White Sox seasons (discounting 1918, part of which was spent in the shipyards as World War I service).

His numbers, though amazing by today’s standards, were average in pre-Live Ball times (for example, his career 3.13 ERA is actually just a 99 ERA+, a step below average). Still, in his two true, full-time starter seasons (1919 and 1920), Williams ran up 9.0 WAR, on the brink of All-Star level play — and at 27 years old, several peak seasons could still have been on the board for Lefty.

However, that all changed, as Williams lost a record three World Series games in 1919 and was unquestionably the player with the biggest impact on the thrown Series. While Williams had a -0.58 WPA for the series that was matched by Swede Risberg, his -24.38% cWPA far outpaced anyone else on the roster; in traditional numbers, the starter went 0-3 with a 6.61 ERA and eight walks against four Ks.

After his suspension by Charles Comiskey and subsequent banishment from baseball in 1921, Williams barnstormed and drank, often at the same time. He we worked in landscaping, and unlike co-conspirator Chick Gandil, never spoke of or professed his innocence over the Black Sox scandal.

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1965
“El Señor,” manager Al Lopez, resigned his position with the White Sox for health reasons. Perhaps the greatest manager in franchise history, Lopez had nine winning seasons in his nine full-time years as Sox manager. He won the 1959 American League pennant, and was coming off of back-to-back-to-back 90 plus-win seasons in 1963, 1964 and 1965. The Sox averaged 96 wins per season during that time span, and those seasons remain the best three-season stretch in team history. Lopez’s 840 wins are second-most all-time for the White Sox. His 11 years managing in Chicago combined with six in Cleveland earned him induction into the Hall of Fame as a manager in 1977.

Lopez had expressed a desire to retire from managing after each of those stellar mid-60s seasons. He moved into the front office as a team vice president, helping steer the manager search along with GM Ed Short and owner Art Allyn.

Yankees scout Mayo Smith and Sox coach Charlie Metro were early favorites to replace Lopez, the club had amassed a list of nearly two dozen possible replacements. Eddie Stanky would be named to replace Lopez on December 14, but Lopez would come back to manage the White Sox in 1968 … replacing Stanky.

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2012
Legendary Chicago Bulls announcer and Chicago native Jim Durham passed away in Tomball, Texas. Durham broadcasted play-by-play for the White Sox in 1988-89 and was a national baseball voice for ESPN Radio from 1998 to 2012.

Durham’s most memorable broadcasting call was for “The Shot” by Michael Jordan that upset the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs in 1989:

The inbounds pass comes in to Jordan. Here’s Michael at the foul line, the shot on Ehlo … GOOD!

(Johnny Kerr: THE BULLS WIN! THEY WIN!)

They upset the Cleveland Cavaliers! Michael Jordan hits it at the foul line!

(Kerr: WOOOH!)

101-100! 20,273 in stunned silence here in the [Richfield] Coliseum. Michael Jordan with 44 points in the game hit the shot over Craig Ehlo. What tremendous heroics we have had in Game 5, from both teams, what a spectacular series this has been. In my days in the NBA, 16 years, this is the greatest series I’ve ever seen!

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2023
After an utterly dismal 2023 season of -2.0 WAR that ranked in a tie for third-worst ever in White Sox history among position players, Tim Anderson was released. The club bought him out for $1 million rather than commit to Tim’s $14 million option for 2024.

Anderson left the White Sox with 16.2 WAR for his career, ranking 39th all-time among hitters and as the ninth-best shortstop in club history. He was Chicago’s first round choice in 2013, and matriculated to the majors just three years later. His natural shyness quickly gave way to a motormouth personality that tended to get under the skin of opponents. Anderson was a two-time All-Star, won one Silver Slugger, and finished seventh in 2020 MVP voting while in Chicago.

The gamble taken by the White Sox did pay off, as Anderson signed a one-year deal with Miami and had an even worse season in 2024, sucking -1.5 WAR from the Marlins in just 63 games played.

As it stands — it seems unlikely that Anderson will see the major leagues again — Anderson’s closest career comp, with a 93.7% similarity score, is Alexei Ramírez, who Anderson replaced at shortstop for the White Sox.

Good morning Birdland,

November is usually a “paperwork” type of month in baseball. Options getting accepted or declined. Qualifying offers and arbitration decisions going out. 40-man roster shuffling. The bigger stuff tends to happen later. But whether or not we can even get to those marquee moves all depends on if/when a new CBA can be agreed to. At the moment, it’s all up in the air. But we do have some news there.

Major League Baseball has delivered a proposal that makes a couple of headline changes from their last offer. First, the salary cap and floor system they wish to implement remains, but they have increased the threshold for both. Second, implementaion for those requirements would be delayed until 2028, giving teams one full season to become compliant.

The floor in this latest proposal has been lifted from $171.2 million to $180.2 million, while the cap has gone from $245.3 million up to $258.2 million. All of these numbers refer to the Competitive Balance Tax numbers. The Orioles CBT for 2026 was about $220 million. The Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, Phillies, Blue Jays, Padres, Red Sox, and Cubs would have some cutting to do. Twelve other teams would need to spend, at least a little, to reach the necessary payroll, including both the Brewers and Rays.

In addition, there were several other changes or agreements from the prior proposal:

• The period to hit free agency would be reduced from six years to five years for 30-year-old players
• The qualifying offer system would be eliminated, so no more draft pick compensation attached to free agents.
• Minimum salaries would increase from $780,000 to $1 million for players with at least two years of service, and up to $900,000 for players with less than two years.
• The Pre-Arbitration Bonus Pool will increase by 30% from $50 million in ‘26 to $65 million in ‘27, and then eventually to $75 million by the end of the CBA.
• The Prospect Promotion Incentive program will be expanded to allow prospects to earn their team up to two selections in their career (one domestic and one international)
• The number of times a player can be optioned in a season would be reduced from five to four and there would be no more fourth option years
• Weekly rosters would be implemented, preventing players from being optioned or outrighted during the “playing week”
• Changes to Rule 5 draft that would require players to be protected one year sooner, and would allow claiming clubs to option players to the minors.

None of this has been finalized, and it is entirely possible that much of this changes before an agreement is actually made. Many of these things are quite good for the players, but the continued presence of a cap is going to be a sticking point. Players do not want it. The owners clearly do. That single reason is why a lockout feels inevitable.

With that understood, it’s fair to say that this proposal feels more like public relations than it does a real offer from the league at this point. The changes read as very conciliatory and player friendly. And yes, there is certainly some good stuff in here. But it will be interesting to see if all of these stick should the proposed salary cap eventually be removed. Ultimately, that is the whole ball game.

Links

MLB increases cap and floor in latest proposal, sets 2028 target | MLB.com
Here are all of the details on the latest offer from the league. Younger players will probably like a lot of what is in here. More established, mid-tier players likely have serious concerns.

Notes on arbitration eligibles, Kjerstad’s exit and latest free agent projections | Roch Kubatko
It’s a shame how things worked out for Heston Kjerstad here in Baltimore. There is clearly offensive talent in him, but his health just would never cooperate for long enough to show it. Hopefully he gets a chance somewhere that can give him some extended big league at-bats to prove himself.

Improving Orioles rotation ‘absolutely on the menu’ | Orioles.com
Lather, rinse, repeat. The Orioles—and most teams, really—are always looking for pitching. The Orioles need an ace type, especially if Trevor Rogers does depart.

5 big-swing trade ideas for the Orioles to consider | The Banner
The headline is no joke! Some of these ideas would be a massive trades. Reid Detmers is mentioned, and he does feel like “The Guy” that Mike Elias would covet this offseason. Young, left-handed, under team control for a long time. It would be great. But he’s also coming off of a career-best season, and every other team sees the same thing. A deal would be expensive.

Orioles birthdays

Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!

• Johnathan Rodríguez turns 27 today. The outfielder played in seven games for the Orioles this past season, including several starts as the team’s clean-up hitter. It was a weird season.
• Larry Bigbie is 49 years old. The O’s first-round pick in 1999, Bigbie would play parts of five seasons in Baltimore from 2001 through ‘05. Then he was traded to the Rockies in a swap for Eric Byrnes.
• Doug Corbett is 74 today. The right-handed reliever appeared in 11 games out of the Orioles bullpen in 1987.
• The late Tito Francona (b. 1933, d. 2018) was born on this day. His MLB career began with the Orioles from 1956-57. After the ‘57 season he was part of a seven-player trade with the Chicago White Sox.

This day in O’s history

1975 – Jim Palmer wins his second Cy Young Award, coming off a season in which he led the AL in wins, shutouts, and ERA.

2002 – Orioles pitcher Rodrigo López finishes second in the voting for AL Rookie of the Year. He had a 3.57 ERA over 196.2 innings. Blue Jays slugger Eric Hinske finishes first.

2014 – J.J. Hardy, Adam Jones, and Nick Markakis are named Gold Glove winners at their respective positions. It’s the third straight year for Hardy and Jones, but it’s Markakis’ first win since 2011.