Category: Baseball

The Yankees of the mid-2000s were a team that had grown long in the tooth, particularly in the rotation. A team already leaning heavy on veterans: namely Mike Mussina, well into his thirties, and Randy Johnson, who had already blown out 40 candles. Ahead of the 2007 season, Johnson returned to Arizona, but the Yankees simply swapped out senior southpaws, bringing back a soon-to-be-35-year-old Andy Pettitte to take the Big Unit’s rotation spot.

So, what do you do when most of your best players are on the opposite side of 30? Sign a 44-year old starting pitcher a few months into the season. What’s one more?

Of course, said 44-year-old was Roger Clemens, one of the most prolific and dominant starting pitchers of all time. The Rocket had won a pair of titles with the Yankees in 1999 and 2000 before capturing the 2001 AL Cy Young Award. It seemed like he would retire a Yankee, as he told the media that ’03 would be his last season. But after the Yankees let Pettitte walk in free agency to the Astros, Clemens was convinced to change his mind and lead their rotation with Pettitte, just as he had in New York. It was a homecoming for the graduate of Houston’s own Spring Woods High School, and it turned out that Clemens had more in the tank, winning his seventh Cy Young in ’04 and having the case for another in ’05 with a league-leading 1.87 ERA for the NL champions.

Clemens kept considering retirement though, and despite pitching for Team USA in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, he chose to remain unsigned as Opening Day 2006 came and went. The Astros were determined to have him back, and on May 31st, they got their man on a prorated contract that also allowed him to skip certain road trips. Following another stellar season in his forties however, Clemens was again leaning toward retirement as he skipped Opening Day 2007.

Once more, the Rocket was convinced for another relaunch. But this time, he was coming back for one last ride in pinstripes. After showing up out of nowhere in George Steinbrenner’s box at Yankee Stadium and announcing his return mere days after Hughes’ injury, Clemens put together a perfectly cromulent final campaign in MLB — but the Yankees would fall in the Division Series for the third consecutive season.

Roger Clemens
Signing Date: May 6, 2007
Contract: One year, $28 million (prorated to $18.5 million)

First, we have to talk about the spectacle at the Stadium that May afternoon. The Yankees had gotten off to their typical-of-this-era cold start, going 9-14 in April and entering their Sunday matinée with the Mariners two games under .500. They’d endured a slew of injuries to start the season that had already cost their strength and conditioning coach his job. The most painful one yet hit rookie standout Phil Hughes, who had to be pulled from a no-hitter in the seventh with a hamstring strain on May 1st.

New York needed a morale boost. So, at the seventh-inning stretch, with the Yankees leading 3-0, Clemens made his dramatic re-entrance.

Clemens’ short speech was not an all-timer, but there was an undeniable show-business element to the whole affair that we rarely see in sports outside of pro wrestling. Of course, fans at the ballpark and watching on TV could watch the whole thing play out, but those tuning into WCBS’s radio broadcast of the game would need to be told what was happening.

Leave the honor to Suzyn Waldman.

Of course, we are big fans of Suzyn here on Pinstripe Alley, so it is with great appreciation that I say her introduction of Clemens was a bit much. “Oh my goodness gracious! Of all the dramatic things I’ve ever seen — Roger Clemens standing right in George Steinbrenner’s box, announcing he is back! Roger Clemens is a New York Yankee!” she proclaimed. It’s safe to say the former theatre actress appreciated the drama of the moment, but the soundbite would take on a life of its own.

Clemens signed a one-year deal valued at $28 million. It was prorated to $18.5 million though since he signed late and did not make his season debut until June 9th, and in the meantime, he tuned up in the minors with Tampa, Trenton, and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

Let’s go ahead and fast-forward to June 9th. The Yankees were in a similar spot to where they were when Clemens announced he was back, sitting at 28-31 and battling Baltimore and Toronto for second place in the AL East, well behind the front-running Red Sox (39-21). Thankfully, the Rocket was in good form after the long layoff.

With the Pirates in town, Clemens pitched six strong innings, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out seven batters in a 9-4 win.

After this game, the Yankees would go 65-37 the rest of the way, though not because Clemens was at the top of his game. To be sure, there were sprinkles of vintage Rocket here and there, like consecutive eight-inning, one run efforts to begin July — which helped pare down his ERA from 5.32 to 3.64, the lowest it would go during the year. The first of those, a victory over the Twins, was the 350th win of his MLB career.

Regrettably, there were also some ugly nights, like August 2nd, when two days before his 45th birthday, Clemens was chased from the game after allowing eight runs in the second inning (only three of them were charged as earned runs due to a two-out error by Robinson Canó). This was clearly not the same Clemens who had recently won further accolades in Houston despite his age. This Clemens could usually scrape by, but couldn’t lead a playoff rotation.

Still, the Yankees’s second-half surge had begun in earnest, and they polished off the regular campaign by going 19-8 in September, securing the American League Wild Card spot. Clemens finished his final season with an even 6-6 record across 18 appearances (17 starts and one relief appearance) and 99 innings. He pitched to a 4.18 ERA (108 ERA+) with 68 strikeouts and a 1.313 WHIP — not too shabby for a guy who was born when Eleanor Roosevelt was still alive. Clemens’ last regular season start, fittingly, came at Fenway Park, where he held his original team to one unearned run on two hits in six frames. The Yankees won, 4-3.

As the Wild Card team, the Yankees would travel to Jacobs Field to square off with Cleveland in the ALDS. Cleveland that year boasted an intimidating pitching staff led by AL Cy Young Award winner CC Sabathia and Roberto Hernández — then known under his nom de guerre, Fausto Carmona. But in Game 1, it was Cleveland’s bats who led the way, clobbering Chien-Ming Wang and the Yankee pitching staff in a 12-3 win. Then in Game 2, the infamous Midges Game of Joba Chamberlain lore, Carmona dominated and the Bombers were walked off by Travis Hafner in the 11th inning.

So the Yankees went back to the Bronx fighting for their playoff lives as Clemens got the ball for Game 3. His start didn’t go as he might have hoped, with Cleveland scoring a run in the first and the second. In the third inning, after striking out Víctor Martínez with a man aboard, Joe Torre came to the mound. The trainer came with him, and Clemens subsequently exited with a hamstring strain, walking off a major-league mound one last time.

Hughes was brilliant in relief as the Yankees came back to win Game 3, 8-4. That was unfortunately the last gasp of the Torre Era Yankees, and they fell 6-4 the following night. They had been eliminated in the ALDS for the third-straight season and the fourth time in six years.

The surprise return of Roger Clemens to the Bronx had all the pomp and circumstance of a hero returning home. But the Texan flamethrower, fighting against Father Time, provided only a modest boost for a team already fully-stocked with late-career stars. This would probably have been the end for Clemens regardless, but the decision was made for him two months after his final start, when he was named as a PED user in the Mitchell Report. He became a lightning rod that no one wanted to touch, and his Hall of Fame trajectory was perhaps permanently imploded.

That 2007 playoff series was the last the old Yankee Stadium would ever host. In a few short years, there would be a new Yankee Stadium. Both Clemens and the old yard would soon enter baseball’s past together, and Clemens was acutely aware of just how little time he had left in the House that Ruth Built. After his first start of the season, he told reporters, “I’ve got to take a little deep breath now… this Stadium’s not going to be around much longer. It sure is a joy.”

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See more of the “50 Most Notable Yankees Free Agent Signings in 50 Years” series here.

Will Watson inherited athletic genes from his father, Brad, who played football for Puget Sound University, and baseball skill from his stepfather, Pat, who played baseball at Pacific Lutheran University. He attended Burlington Edison High School in Burlington, Washington, where he played varsity baseball for three seasons, as well as basketball and cross-country track. He earned Washington All-State honors in his senior season in 2021, posting a 0.24 ERA in 29.2 innings with 57 strikeouts. He went undrafted and after graduating and attended California Lutheran University in 2022, where he posted a 1.82 ERA in 34.2 innings with 18 hits allowed, 13 walks, and 40 strikeouts. Additionally, he appeared in 36 games as an infielder and hit .247/.346/.371 with 7 doubles, 2 triples, 0 home runs, 4 stolen bases in 5 attempts, and drew 10 walks to 29 strikeouts.

He transferred from Cal Lutheran and attended San Joaquin Delta College in 2023, appearing in 19 games for them, starting five. He posted a 2.97 ERA in 57.2 innings for the Mustangs, allowing 31 hits, walking 21, and striking out 82. The Seattle Mariners selected the right-hander in the 20th round of the 2023 MLB Draft, the 607th player selected overall, but he elected not to sign with his hometown club. Instead, he transferred to the University of Southern California for his junior season. He appeared in 16 games for the Trojans, starting 9, and posted a 3.93 ERA in 50.1 innings with 44 hits allowed, 27 walks, and 46 strikeouts. The Mets selected Watson with their 7th round selection in the 2024 draft, the 203rd pick overall, and signed him for $281,300, just slightly below the MLB-assigned slot value of $283,800. He was assigned to the St. Lucie Mets and allowed one run in 2.2 innings, giving up 2 hits, walking 1, and striking out 3.

Based on his pitching profile, Amazin’ Avenue ranked Watson the Mets’ 22nd top prospect coming into the 2025 season and the right-hander did not disappoint. Initially assigned to the Single-A St. Lucie Mets, Watson posted a 3.66 ERA in 39.1 innings, allowing 30 hits, walking 21, and striking out 43. He was promoted to High-A Brooklyn at the beginning of June and spent most of the summer in Coney Island, posting a 1.70 ERA in 63.2 innings, allowing 45 hits, walking 28, and striking out 77. At the end of August, he was promoted to Double-A Binghamton and ended the year with the Rumble Ponies, posting a 3.44 ERA in 18.1 innings, allowing 13 hits, walking 9, and striking out 22. All in all, the 22-year-old posted a cumulative 2.60 ERA in 121.1 innings over 28 games- 23 starts- allowing 88 hits, walking 58, and striking out 142.

Watson is slightly on the smaller side for a pitcher, standing 6’1” and weighing 180-pounds, but he is athletic. The right-hander throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot with a long, whippy arm action through the back. He drops and drives and gets good extension off the mound but is prone to rushing his delivery and having his upper and lower halves come out of sync and flying out early, negatively impacting his command. While not violent per se, Watson also throws with effort, which could be a health concern in the future given his stature and also can negatively impact his command.

Watson utilizes a five-pitch mix, throwing a four-seam fastball, two-seam fastball, circle changeup, slider and cutter. He primarily relies on his fastball and slider combo, liberally sprinkling in his changeup, cutter, and sinker depending on the batter and the situation he finds himself in. He works better east-to-west on the strength of his slider, his command sometimes negatively affecting his ability to work in the upper parts of the strike zone with his four-seam fastball or the bottom of it with his changeup.

His four-seam fastball is an above-average pitch at present. Watson experienced a bit of a velocity boost upon going pro, something he attributes to having access to professional workout equipment and elite coaching, and the pitch now sits comfortably in the mid-90s rather than the low-to-mid-90s, topping out at 97 MPH. With above-average spin rates, Watson has been able to regularly post slightly above-average induced vertical break measurements with the pitch as well as slightly above-average run, though working up in the zone to take advantage of that rising life has not been intuitive for Watson, whose arm slot and command problems cause the pitch to play down up in the zone. His two-seam fastball sits in the same velocity band and is almost identical to his four-seam fastball except for the extra arm-side run that it has.

Watson’s slider is his primary strikeout pitch against right-handed batters. Sitting in the mid-80s, his slider has also seen a slight velocity bump since turning pro and has improved from a fringe average offering to a slightly above-average pitch as a result. While not his best secondary pitch, it is his go-to, featuring sharp gyroscopic break recently tightened up by his 2025 velocity gains, improving its shape. The right-hander is able to throw the pitch to both sides of the plate, backfooting it to left-handed hitters and throwing it away to right-handed hitters. Watson’s cutter, in a vacuum, is a below-average pitch, having recently learned it from fellow farmhand Joel Pintaro over the winter, but when used in conjunction with his slider, is an effective combination, as the cutter sets up the slider.

His circle changeup is his primary strikeout pitch against left-handed hitters. The pitch sits in the upper-80s, also slightly up as compared to his college days. With a high spin rate for a changeup, it has less tumble than average, but a lot more arm-side fade. Like his slider, Watson can throw it to both sides of the plate, generally working down in the zone.

After nearly 6 months of trade speculation, Paul Toboni finally got a MacKenzie Gore deal done, sending the left-hander to the Texas Rangers in exchange for 5 prospects. While none of the 5 prospects acquired for Gore are top 100 prospects on any major publications currently, they all have unique skillsets that could put them in those talks in the upcoming 2026 season.

Of the 5 prospects, the most highly touted is shortstop Gavin Fien, the 12th overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft. Fien was MLB Pipeline’s 22nd-ranked prospect and my 15th-ranked prospect in the 2025 draft class, and was a favorite of many draft analysts who especially value summer circuit performance. In the summer of 2024, before Fien’s senior year, he demolished the top prep pitching in the country, hitting .450 with a 1.262 OPS in 68 plate appearances. The underlying numbers backed up Fien’s great success as well, most notably an 81st percentile contact rate, 90th percentile strikeout rate, and 97th percentile bat speed.

Much of the Red Sox scouting department loved Gavin Fien in the 2025 Draft. He had real buzz in the top five or six picks. Boston was seen as the floor.

Now, much of that Red Sox brass is in Washington.

Fien ranked as the No. 13 player in the Draft after a mammoth summer.👇👇👇 https://t.co/13Lhef7G9npic.twitter.com/fmMrXn6kor

— Joe Doyle (@JoeDoyleMiLB) January 22, 2026

Fien seemed destined to skyrocket up draft boards, but an odd senior season at Great Oaks High School in California held that back somewhat. He still finished his senior season with a 1.056 OPS, but he got off to a slow start to the year and finished below his sophomore and junior years’ marks of 1.133 and 1.147. Even without a ridiculous senior campaign, Fien still made himself a lot of money in the draft, going 12th overall to the Texas Rangers for a signing bonus of 4.8 million, with reports he was under consideration by the Cardinals and Pirates with their first round picks, 5th and 6th overall, respectivelly, as well.

According to Joe Doyle of Over-Slot, a fantastic site that covers the MLB draft extensively, the Red Sox scouting department was enamored by Fien’s abilities pre-draft, and it seems likely he would have been their pick if he had made it to 15th overall. With Paul Toboni and many of his Red Sox colleagues now in DC, they bring in a prospect they were very high on in last year’s draft class, someone they saw the potential to be a star in.

Fien’s professional debut after the draft in 2025 was short, just 10 games at Low A, and while it wasn’t anything remarkable, as he hit .220 with a 75 wRC+, he did show part of the reason he was so beloved by many draft analysts. In his 10-game debut, Fien had 4 extra base hits, 3 doubles and 1 triple, showing off the power potential he’ll have as he matures into his 6’3” frame. He also did a solid job of pulling the ball, a skill that is key in maximizing power output for hitters like Fien.

Defensively, while Fien is listed as a shortstop, he is likely destined for third base in pro ball, where he should be a natural fit thanks to his strong arm. This coincides well with Eli Willits in the organization, who is at the same level and, currently, plays the same position as Fien. Expect Fien to make his Nationals organization debut with the FredNats this season, where he will play third base right next to Eli Willits at shortstop, a left side of the infield that fans will watch grow up together in the minor leagues for years.

They're all the rage these days, with teams using them to free up their cash flow, players using them for long-term security and tax advantages purposes, and fans using the practice as reason to lash out at the Los Angeles Dodgers’ payroll.

Deferred contracts.

Teams love them.

Players manipulate them.

And Bobby Bonilla takes great pride in them.

Bonilla, 62, the six-time All-Star and World Series champion who once was the game’s highest-paid player, wasn’t the first player to receive a deferred contract – but none are more famous.

He has become known as the godfather of deferrals, with Bonilla and former agent Dennis Gilbert orchestrating an ingenious deal a quarter-century ago with New York Mets that has become a trend-setter.

Everywhere you turn these days, players and teams are negotiating contracts with massive deferrals.

Shohei Ohtani took it to a new level two years ago when he signed a 10-year, $700 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers, deferring a stunning $68 million a year without interest. The contract is reduced to $460 million in present-day value, saving the Dodgers $24 million a year in luxury taxes. And for Ohtani, it’s a savings of about $98 million, avoiding California taxes on the $68 million annual payments if he’s no longer a California resident in 10 years.

Free agent outfielder Kyle Tucker just signed a four-year, $240 million contract with the Dodgers, which not only included $30 million in deferrals, but a $64 million signing bonus that’s payable before he leaves for spring training. It’s a brilliant move considering the signing bonus won’t be subject to California taxes, saving about $9.2 million since he’s a Florida resident with no state taxes.

Tucker’s deal was a page out of Vladimir Guerrero’s playbook a year ago when he signed a 14-year, $500 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. He and his agents, Barry Praver and Scott Shapiro, negotiated an MLB record $325 million signing bonus. It allows Guerrero, a Florida resident, to be taxed at 15% of the bonus as opposed to the 53.5% of Canadian wages, saving him $123.5 million.

Veteran starter Max Scherzer still is being paid $15 million annually from the Washington Nationals in his original seven-year, $210 million contract, negotiated by Scott Boras in 2015.

The king of deferrals are the Dodgers, owned by Guggenheim, who have $1.0945 billion owed in deferrals to 10 different players from 2028-2047.

Look around, and virtually every major free-agent contract this winter has included deferrals.

• Tucker, Dodgers: 4 years, $240 million, $30 million deferred.
• Dylan Cease, Toronto Blue Jays: 7 years, $210 million, $64 million deferred.
• Alex Bregman, Chicago Cubs: 5 years, $175 million, $70 million deferred.
• Edwin Diaz, Dodgers: 3 years, $69 million, $13.5 million deferred.
• Devin Williams, New York Mets: 3 years, $51 million, $15 million deferred.

The clubs pay less in luxury taxes and have more disposal income to enhance their roster,  while the players are able to use it to negotiate a larger contract, while lowering their personal tax burden.

“You’re seeing it everywhere now in the large contracts," says Robert Raiola, director of the sports and entertainment group at PKF O’Connor Davies, a CPA and business consulting firm. “The deferred money allows teams financial flexibility for current payroll and luxury tax management.

“And for the players, it’s a savings, because most states are not going to tax deferred money as long as the players are not performing services in that state when they receive that deferred money."

Certainly, Cease’s $210 million contract is a prime example benefiting the Blue Jays and himself. His deferrals reduce his contract to $184.63 million in present-day value, lowering the Blue Jays’ AAV for competitive balance tax purposes to $26.375 million instead of $30 million. And for Cease, he’s not only spared Canada’s stiff tax rate on his deferrals, but also on his $23 million signing bonus.

While players have now embraced deferrals, there’s an enormous difference between today’s deferrals and Bonilla’s deal from 2025. Bonilla was paid 8% interest on his $5.9 million buyout, paying him $1.19 million annually for 25 years through 2035. Bonilla, with the guidance of his former agent, turned $5.9 million into nearly $30 million.

The contract now has become legendary, with July 1 now being called “Bobby Bonilla Day’’ in baseball, the day he receives his annual check.

“It’s a beautiful thing," Bonilla tells USA TODAY Sports. “It gets so much publicity now, it's become bigger than my birthday."

Bonilla, 62, who was a special assistant for the Major League Baseball Players Association, now is a spokesman for the Players Trust, a non-profit arm of the union. They will have their annual Playmakers Classic event on Feb. 18 in Phoenix, sponsored by Fanatics, with proceeds from the event going towards youth development baseball programs across the country and abroad.

“What is there not to be excited about?"’ Bonilla said. “It's going to be an awesome interactive event, and we get to see the retired and active players, have some nice wine, smoke some cigars, and then mingle with all the sponsors and everything. It's just beautiful."

Certainly, at some juncture during the event, Bonilla once again will be ask about the famous contract, particularly by players who may be considering deferrals in their next contract. Bonilla says he won’t hesitate telling them it was one of the best financial decisions he ever made.

“I wasn't afraid to put the money away," Bonilla said. “Everybody’s wanting their stuff now. I wanted to make sure that I had money later on. I was really, was never extravagant. I wasn’t a hermit or anything. I bought what I wanted.

“I had a couple of cars.

“But I didn’t have 12 of them."

Bonilla and Mets owner Steve Cohen have talking about having an event every year on July 1 to celebrate the occasion, a Citi Field “Bobby Bonilla Day," but for now, it remains on the backburner

“Me and Steve have talked about it," Bonilla said, “but he’s busy trying to bring a championship to New York. Steve's going to do everything he can to make it happen. I know how badly Mets fans want that championship, but in this game, you just have to be patient."

Bonilla was on that ’92 Mets team that resembled last year’s edition of the Mets with their star talent, bloated payroll, and miserable failures. They had several aging stars on their 72-90 team like 36-year-old Eddie Murray, but it also included a young 24-year-old second baseman.

Bonilla never envisioned the kid would one day wind up in Cooperstown, N.Y.: Jeff Kent.

“He was a great second baseman, just a wonderful player," Bonilla said. “I’m so happy for him. He was certainly worthy of getting in."

Bonilla also played with 10-time Gold Glove center fielder Andruw Jones in Atlanta, who’s also being inducted into the Hall of Fame along with former Mets center fielder Carlos Beltran.

“He was so special, so gifted," Bonilla said of Jones. “This is how good he was: I’m in left field one day, and the first pop-up hit to me, I lose it. Andruw sees that I lost it, yells, “Don’t worry, Bo, I got it. I mean, I gave no indication I lost the ball, but he recognized that, flies over, catches it, and laughs. He saved my butt. That’s how good he was.’’

Still, as thrilled as Bonilla is for Kent and Jones, he hopes one day another former teammate and close friend will receive baseball’s greatest honor. Yep, Barry Bonds.

“You know how I feel about Barry getting in," Bonilla said. “He belongs. I don't know what the hang up is with everybody leaving Barry off. I mean, statistically no one's even close. He was just so good. He’s the best I’ve ever seen, and it’s just crazy he’s not in there. We all scratch our head.

“So, I'm going to keep advocating for BB because I want him in there so bad."

In the meantime, if you ever need to talk contracts, and the financial advantages of deferred money, Bobby Bo is your man.

Sure, he won’t make the Hall of Fame, but that contract sure might.

Follow Nightengale on X: @Bnightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MLB contracts and deferred money: How Bobby Bonilla's infamous deal set the trend

Travis Bazzana was mentioned in MLB Pipeline’s preview for Australia’s WBC team. I found it funny that they acted like there was doubt if he would make the team… if Bazzana doesn’t make Australia’s team… we are in BIG trouble.

Chas McCormick, another interesting right-handed hitter who can play center, signed a minor-league deal with the Cubs. But, we’ve got Stuart Fairchild, so who cares? Right? Right?!

MLB Pipeline will reveal their top 100 prospects tonight at 8pm.

I noticed that ATC, the final FanGraphs’ projections system, released their 2026 projections. Only Jose Ramirez, Kyle Manzardo and Steven Kwan are projected for over 100 wRC+, and the pitching projections are mostly middling. I guess we will see if the Guardians can defy expectations yet again!

I am thinking of a pitcher.

He made 17 starts early in his career and the results were not good: 5.49 ERA, 1.341 WHIP, his teams were 5-12 in those 17 games.

Then this pitcher was traded — twice in one offseason, incidentally — and converted to relief. Almost immediately he became a dominant closer, eventually pitching in four postseasons and winning a World Series ring. He accumulated 330 saves, which ranks 17th all time.

You could look this up, but I will tell you who this is. It’s John Wetteland, noted as one of the earliest successful starter-to-reliever conversions.

Perhaps you’d like some more recent examples. I have some!

Wade Davis, who posted a 32-save season for the Cubs in 2017, began his career as a starter for the Rays. It did not go well, as he posted a 4.57 ERA and 1.452 WHIP in 88 career starts. The Royals acquired him, converted him to relief and he helped the Royals to the World Series title in 2015.

Brandon Morrow posted 22 saves for the Cubs in the first half of 2018 before missing the rest of that season with injuries. Perhaps if he’d been converted to starting earlier, he might have pitched longer. Morrow posted a 4.32 ERA and 1.324 WHIP in 113 starts for the Mariners, Blue Jays and Padres before being converted to relief in San Diego.

Andrew Miller was a starter for the Tigers, Marlins and Red Sox early in his career, posting a 5.70 ERA and 1.732 WHIP in 66 starts. His 547 relief appearances were much better — 2.95 ERA, 1.095 WHIP, 12.9 SO/9 inning ratio, along with 63 saves (he was mainly a middle relief guy).

One more? Raisel Iglesias made 21 starts for the Reds his first two years, posting a 3.88 ERA, which isn’t too bad — but he’s been much better as a reliever, with a 2.71 ERA in 579 relief appearances and 253 saves.

I remember when Aroldis Chapman first came to MLB, many said the Reds should use him as a starter. They never did — Chapman has never started a MLB game — but I believe that if he had started, throwing that many 100 mile per hour fastballs would have shortened his career. Instead, Chapman has 367 career saves and probably had the best year of his career in 2025 at age 38.

Now, to the subject of this article, Ben Brown. Brown has a 5.26 ERA as a starter (23 starts) and 4.79 as a reliever, not all that different, although the split was more pronounced in 2025 (6.30 ERA in 15 starts, 4.99 ERA in 10 relief appearances).

Brown also doesn’t have a varied pitching repertoire:

Brown’s fastball velocity was actually down a tick in 2025 (it was 96.4 miles per hour in 2024), but I believe that if he were to be used exclusively as a one-inning reliever, he’d tick back up, perhaps even to 98 or 99. The curveball can be devastating if used properly.

This is the repertoire of a relief pitcher. Modern starters need sliders and cutters and other offspeed stuff and Brown just doesn’t have that. Sending him to Triple-A Iowa to “work on that” is not anything that, in my view, would change this. Brown is 26 and he is, in my opinion, who he is.

“But!” some will say. “Justin Steele has a repertoire like this and he’s a starter!”

That is demonstrably false. Here’s Steele’s repertoire from 2024 (I’m using that because he made only four starts in 2025, though those splits were similar):

Brown doesn’t throw a sinker or slider, and while his curveball use is much higher than Steele’s, overall Steele has more choices of pitches — much more like a starter’s repertoire.

The Cubs have five good starters: Matthew Boyd, Edward Cabrera, Cade Horton, Shōta Imanaga and Jameson Taillon. They have Colin Rea as a swingman backing up those five. They will have Javier Assad at Triple-A Iowa ready to go if needed in case of injury. Steele will rejoin the rotation at some point this year. After that, top prospect Jaxon Wiggins is next man up.

Thus the Cubs already have nine available starting pitchers who will likely throw a pitch in the rotation this year. They don’t need Ben Brown to be a starting pitcher.

The Cubs do need relief pitchers who can dial it up to 98 miles per hour plus, and I believe Ben Brown can do that. Most pitchers do better with defined roles; Brown has never really had one with the Cubs. If they put him in the bullpen and assign him a setup role with the idea that he might even close games from time to time, I think he will become a successful MLB reliever.

Remember Andrew Chafin’s shirt? Perhaps Ben Brown could be the next “failed starter” to succeed in relief.

Andrew Chafin:

– 24.1 scoreless inning streak in relief (longest in MLB this season)
– 17 holds (3rd most in MLB)
– Part of combined no-hitter vs LAD
– Failed Starter

Will miss one of mine and every fan's favorite Cubs. OAK's getting a good one pic.twitter.com/DSUzvKNJbC

— Doug Wattley (@dougwattley) July 27, 2021

Hello folks! Let’s get this Friday started.

In Mariners news…

• The Mariners added a much-needed depth arm, agreeing to a minor league deal with former Rangers right-hander Dane Dunning.

Around the league…

• The selfsame Rangers made a big splash, acquiring left-hander MacKenzie Gore from the Nationals for a package of five prospects headlined by Texas’ 2025 first-rounder Gavin Fien.
• Bradford Doolittle at ESPN outlined the Hall of Fame voters’ prejudice against the modern starting pitcher, and how it could impact today’s aces.
• Davy Andrews at Fangraphs explained why he’s hoping Luis Arráez signs with the Rockies.
• Joshua Rodrigues at Baseball Prospectus dug into the bat speed data behind the top hitters in this year’s free agent class to understand how things panned out the way they did for them. ($)
• How did we get here with the Dodgers? Joon Lee breaks it down.

Happy Friday A’s fans!

In back-to-back days our division rivals have added to their rosters looking to improve their chances for the coming season. Two days ago the Los Angeles Angels came to terms with third baseman Yoan Moncada, bringing back a decent hitter with major health questions hovering over him. Moncada was a potential target for the A’s to upgrade at the hot corner themselves but evidently one or both sides didn’t see a path to joining forces.

Then yesterday afternoon we got news that the Texas Rangers made a bold move to bolster their pitching staff, acquiring left-hander MacKenzie Gore from the Washington Nationals for a massive, five-player package. Gore was considered one of the top trade target all offseason long and now finds himself in the AL West, where he’s set to face the A’s multiple times a year. It’s a small sample but in two career starts against the Green & Gold he’s pitched eight innings and allowed eight runs, so there’s that.

Texas surrendered their numbers 2, 6, 12, 16, and 18th top prospects to land the rights to Gore, who is under contract for just two more seasons. It was a massive package for a starter that has yet to fully reach his high ceiling. While the left-hander showed his immense potential in the first half last year with an All-Star selection, injuries and underperformance hindered him in the second half. Overall in his four-year big league career he’s sporting a 4.19 ERA, which is solid in its own right but not what the Nationals expected when they made him a central return piece for Juan Soto.

On the plus side for the Rangers he’s generally been durable and there’s nothing to suggest that’s going to change in Texas. Gore looks like a dependable arm that could have mid-rotation upside, but that’s a lot of prospect capital to cash in for that type of arm. That seems to be the going rate nowadays though. Texas may end up regretting giving up a few of those prospects down the line but for them, adding to a rotation fronted by JacobdeGrom is worth it, and they’re clearly expecting to contend again this coming year.

The A’s weren’t in on Gore by any means but his trade could have down the line implications for the Athletics. Baseball is a long season and the A’s have options for the starting rotation. At least to begin the year. As we have seen in recent seasons though that pitching depth can be tested early and run out by the time June rolls around. The A’s have understandably focused on different parts of the roster to upgrade (namely second base and the bullpen) but the starting staff has also been mentioned as an area that the team could use a boost.

There are still plenty of solid, durable arms on the free agent market that could provide a boost to an A’s team that has just two starters that pitched over 100 innings last year (plus JP Sears, but he’s no longer around obviously). Luis Severino and Jeffrey Springs aren’t world beaters by any imagination but they do soak up innings, and the A’s will need more than just those two to last long in their starts.

The other rotation options are exciting in their own right, but haven’t pitched a full MLB season. Jacob Lopez is currently penciled in as the #3 starter, but he nearly reached his career-high in innings pitched last year at just 92 IP and also went down with an elbow injury near the end of the year. JT Ginn looked over his own elbow problem but also reached a career-high in innings pitched overall at 90 (plus 20 in Triple-A). Luis Morales looked fantastic in his short big league stint but pitched a career-high 89 innings in 2025. Luis Medina is coming off a lost season due to Tommy John surgery. Gunnar Hoglund and Mason Barnett can’t be counted on to provide innings this season and Hoglund has his own extensive injury history. Lots of interesting names, little in the way of sure things.

Removing Sears and Osvaldo Bido and the A’s are in need of nearly 200 innings pitched just from losing those two pitchers alone. We’re not even factoring in the potential loss of Severino or Springs to injury/trade. The Athletics have to know they can’t go into the season with the current group as is and expect to get through the year happy and healthy, let alone contend. Injuries/ineffectiveness will happen to multiple of those names mentioned above. The front office would be wise to bolster the starting staff before the remaining options find other homes, and now that Gore is off the table those other options may find their phones ringing more often than they have all winter.

Luckily for the A’s there’s still 20 days until pitchers and catchers report and plenty of viable options. Names like Chris Bassitt (an old friend!), Nick Martinez, Zack Gallen, Zack Littel, Lucas Giolito and Erick Fedde aren’t exciting names but you know the one thing they all have in common? They’re innings eaters, all of whom pitched at least 165 frames (except Giolito and Fedde, who pitched 145 and 140 respectively). And they would be all but guaranteed a spot in the starting rotation should they sign on with our A’s. There may be some favorites in there but frankly any will do. The Rangers weren’t happy with their starting rotation and they went out and added an upgrade. It’s time for the A’s to do the same with their own addition to an unproven starting staff, before the remaining innings eaters find their home for the coming campaign elsewhere. Time is ticking for the front office to get a move on.

Have a great Friday all!

A’s Coverage:

• A’s 2026 Community Prospect List: De Vries Obvious For #1 Spot
• A’s prospect Mason Barnett has an atypical arm angle and an old school approach
• A’s spend weekend embracing Sacramento supporters
• Former A’s great Eric Chavez says Dodgers “might be the best team ever constructed”
• A’s had deal in place for Nolan Arenado prior to D-Backs trade
• Happy 104th, Betty White!
• Polarizing Prospects: #2, Junior Perez
• A’s land 3 of MLB Pipeline’s Top 50 international prospects
• Athletics hire former Rockies GM Bill Schmidt as Special Assistant
• Party Like It’s 1981! Why A “Split Season” Is The Way To Go
• A’s excited by lefty prospect Lin, a ‘Taiwanese Snellzilla”

MLB News and Interest:

• Texas Rangers trade for Nationals starter MacKenzie Gore for five prospects
• Twins sign lefty reliever Taylor Rogers to 1-year, $2 million contract
• Who might be the next starter moved after Peralta, Gore?
• White Sox plan to be active after Robert Jr. trade
• White Sox sign LaMonte Wade Jr. to minors pact
• How Bellinger, Peralta moves affect remaining free agents, trade market
• Yankees claim Marco Luciano off waivers
• Andruw has easy cap decision; Beltran’s to come later
• Beltran: Astros scandal doesn’t define me
• Friedman: Dodgers’ roster “feels pretty set”
• These are the top prospects at each position entering 2026
• Poll: Who will sign Eugenio Suarez?
• Today in baseball history

Best of X:

Jamie Arnold hard at work:

A's 1st-round draft pick Jamie Arnold… https://t.co/65zUev0MGN

— Bill Moriarity – A's Farm (@AthleticsFarm) January 22, 2026

Most definitely not. It was all Lindor’s fault:

Is Jeff McNeil a 'locker room problem' or just a dawg who hates losing? pic.twitter.com/eRGj1PkoQ0

— SleeperAthletics (@SleeperAth) January 22, 2026

Well, uh…. hopefully not…

"I think we're pretty confident that the Athletics thing is going to work out."@Brent_Rooker25 doesn't anticipate the A's being renamed to the Las Vegas Strippers. 😂 pic.twitter.com/roRieTZMNu

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) January 22, 2026

Welcome back (kind of) Bob Costas!

Bob Costas returns to NBC Sports, to host Sunday Night Baseball pregame showhttps://t.co/Q2vbmoCAOLpic.twitter.com/h0fu6XWoCo

— NBC Sports PR (@NBCSportsPR) January 22, 2026

Did the Rangers overpay for Gore?

Full trade, per ESPN sources:

Rangers get: LHP MacKenzie Gore

Nationals get: 3B Gavin Fien, SS Devin Fitz-Gerald, RHP Alejandro Rosario, 1B Abimelec Ortiz and and OF Yeremy Cabrera

A big return for the Nationals. Fien was the 12th pick last year. Evaluators love Fitz-Gerald.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) January 22, 2026

25. Michael Prosecky (89 points, 12 ballots)

When the Rockies signed Prosecky to a slightly over-slot $300k bonus after drafting him in the sixth round in 2022, most observers thought the left-handed pitcher would be ticketed for the bullpen. After all, that’s where the 6’3” hurler had distinguished himself in college as Louisville’s closer. Instead, the now 24-year-old made the transition to the starting rotation in his first full professional season and has stayed there ever since. As a prospect, Prosecky pairs a deceptive low to mid-90s fastball with a high spin rate curveball, slider, and change-up.

After a strong 2023 spent in Low-A Fresno, Prosecky was delayed by elbow inflammation in 2024 until mid-June, which limited him to 48 2/3 innings across 14 games for a combination of the ACL team, Low-A, and High-A. The good news was that he struck out a sterling 14.4 batters per nine innings, albeit against younger competition. Prosecky also received an Arizona Fall League valedictory, where he threw an additional 15 ¹⁄₃ innings with poor run suppression numbers (7.63 ERA, 2.02 WHIP, and 5.3 BB/9 rate) and strong strikeout numbers (13.5 K/9 rate). All told, across 22 appearances in four leagues in 2024, Prosecky ended up with 101 strikeouts in 64 innings pitched (14.2 K/9 rate), 30 walks (4.2 BB/9 rate), and 37 earned runs allowed (5.20 ERA).

In 2025, Prosecky went back to High-A Spokane, where he was 0.8 years older than league average. He stayed healthy and threw 88 2/3 frames of 3.86 ERA ball in 18 starts with a 1.26 WHIP, 9.4 K/9 rate, and 4.2 BB/9 rate. That’s a significant K/9 rate drop, but the run prevention numbers improved enough to earn Prosecky a post All-Star break promotion to Double-A Hartford, where he was 0.7 years younger than league average. In nine starts with Hartford, Prosecky posted a 4.97 ERA (4.81 xFIP) in 38 innings built on his 1.55 WHIP, 8.1 K/9 rate, and 5.4 BB/9 rate. Overall, it was nice to see Prosecky succeed against upper minors hitting.

Here’s Prosecky striking out ten in a start for Spokane last year:

Prosecky is ranked 22nd in the system by MLB Pipeline as a 40 FV player:

The 6-foot-3 left-hander does have the size and repertoire to potentially start, with a four-pitch mix. At his best, he runs his fastball up to 95-96 mph and can command it well, missing bats with it along the way. He has a slider that has late action with depth, a slower curve that he can use to steal a strike and an improving feel for his changeup as well.

Prosecky had thrown just 64 innings in college before topping 100 IP in 2023. The Rockies are hopeful that a now completely healthy Prosecky, who has generally been around the zone when he’s at his best, can hit the reset switch and start moving up the ladder again in 2025.

Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranked Prosecky in the 35+ FV tier and 30th in the system on the strength of a 60 future grade curveball:

Prosecky only sits 91-93 mph, but hitters don’t seem to pick it up. The southpaw has a short, vertical arm stroke that helps his heater play as an in-zone bat misser despite below-average velocity. He hides the ball forever and it appears to jump on hitters very quickly. He throws a classic 12-to-6 curveball off of that, a pitch that’s virtually indistinguishable from his fastball until it starts to bend with huge, bat-missing depth. Those two pitches give Prosecky a lower-leverage reliever’s foundation. Prosecky’s arm stroke isn’t always well timed, and his strike-throwing results have been mixed during this try as a starter. In the 2024 Fall League, Prosecky was working with a second breaking ball, a slider in the 82-84 mph range that looked below average. There’s definitely more variance here than is typical for a guy who sits 92, but Prosecky is tracking like a low-leverage lefty.

Baseball Prospectus ranked Prosecky 20th in the system last January:

Prosecky fails to light up the radar gun but gets by thanks to plus carry on a low-90s heater. With a four-pitch mix, Prosecky has more of a typical starter’s repertoire. What he lacks is reps, as a reliever in college who then missed time due to injury. Colorado sent him to the Arizona Fall League, where he continued to miss bats but also yielded runs in an environment more friendly to older hitters. A full-health season would see Prosecky end next year having handled a decent chunk of time in Hartford, continuing to miss bats. His floor is lofty as a bullpen piece, but as long as he seems startable he’s performed enough to merit the looks.

Keith Law of the Athletic ranked Prosecky 14th in the org last February:

Prosecky was my sleeper for the Rockies last year, but after he went to an outside lab to try to boost his velocity, he came down with elbow inflammation and never got on track, throwing 63 innings total between the regular season and Arizona Fall League, with terrible results in the fall and in High A. Even when he did pitch, he was 90-94, down from 92-95 the year earlier; he barely used his slider; and his command was way off. When healthy, he’s got a four-pitch mix, with the slider his best offering and a changeup that could flash plus but didn’t sit there. There’s deception in his delivery to help the fastball play up as well, as long as he’s locating it. Let’s hope a full offseason of rest gets him back to his 2023 form, when he looked like he might be a mid-rotation starter.

It’s interesting to see the difference in evaluation on the curveball — for Law and MLB Pipeline, it’s Prosecky’s weakest pitch but for Longenhagen, it’s his best.

Prosecky has been a pleasant player-development surprise for the Rockies thanks to his jump up the pitcher role value spectrum and effectiveness in the role. He missed fewer bats in 2025 but took a step forward in run prevention at a higher level while throwing 126 2/3 innings. The Rockies didn’t protect Prosecky from the Rule 5 Draft this off-season but he wasn’t selected, so he will likely return to Hartford to begin 2026 and he will be a big league rotation option later in the season. I ranked Prosecky in the middle of my 35+ FV tier, 29th on my list.

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It’s no secret that the Mets were looking for rotation help this winter. Mets’ starters posted a 4.13 ERA and a 3.95 FIP last season, which doesn’t look so terrible on the surface until you zoom into the latter half of the year. After June 13 (the day after Kodai Senga suffered the injury that would derail his 2025 campaign), Mets’ starters posted a 5.27 ERA, the fourth-worst mark in MLB. Beyond that, Mets’ starters tossed just 796 innings in 2025, which ranked fourth from the bottom in the sport. That also amounts to an average of just under five innings per game, which put an unnecessary strain on their bullpen and caused all sorts of problems for the team.

The Mets have overhauled their lineup and their bullpen this winter, but the rotation has been mostly untouched. That changed on Wednesday night when the Mets acquired Brewers’ starter Freddy Peralta in a four-player deal that also landed them pitcher Tobias Myers. With that, the club picked up that elusive ace who can slot at the front of their rotation, which immediately turned the team’s enigmatic rotation into a strength.

Peralta led the National League with 17 wins and finished fifth in Cy Young voting last year. Even better than his 2.70 ERA and his 204 strikeouts, he threw 176 2/3 innings and made 33 starts. For reference, David Peterson led the club with 168 2/3 innings, followed by Clay Holmes at 165 2/3, and then Senga at 113 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old made at least 30 starts in each of his previous three seasons and has recorded at least 165 innings in each of those seasons. For a team that is starved for a veteran pitcher who can give them valuable innings, Peralta gives the club exactly what they needed.

As for the rest of the rotation, it remains largely intact, although they have floated both Peterson and Senga in trade rumors this offseason. It is still conceivable that the club could deal one of them to fortify another position, but with their lineup and bullpen mostly set, it’s unlikely the team will be inclined to deal either player. That means that it’s very likely that the starters currently on the club’s 40-man roster will find themselves in the Opening Day rotation, with Peralta a leading contender to take the ball against the Pirates on March 26.

Nolan McLean, who burst onto the scene with a 2.06 ERA, a 2.97 FIP, and 57 strikeouts across in 48 innings across eight starts last year, will almost certainly be a guarantee to make the rotation, and you could make a strong case for him being the team’s number 2 starter. McLean, who fell two innings short of qualifying as a rookie, will garner a lot of Rookie of the Year buzz if he can match or exceed his performance last year, but he is no longer an unknown commodity around the league. Teams will certainly have a scouting report ready to go for the 24-year-old, and how he adjusts to that will determine how much success he has in his first true go-around in the majors.

Beyond the top two pitchers, there’s a lot of uncertainty but a lot of talent. Peterson had an All-Star season in the first half (3.06 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 20.5% K%, 8.1% BB% in 109 innings across 18 starts) but faltered after the break (6.34 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 21.2% K%, 10.1% BB% in 59 2/3 innings across 12 starts) as he blew past his career-high in innings. He is set to make $8.1 million in his final year before free agency, which is a relative bargain for a left-hander who has demonstrated his ability, but he remains a bit of an enigma. If he can recapture what he did in the first half, you could make a strong case for him slotting in at the three-spot.

Behind Peterson, Holmes was the team’s most reliable pitcher and steadiest hand in the rotation. The right-hander, who took the ball on Opening Day last year, signed as an experiment, an elite closer-turned-starter, and it paid immediate dividends for New York. After throwing right around 63 innings in each of his previous three seasons out of the pen, he threw over 165 frames, second-most on the team. He led the team with 12 wins and posted a 1.9 bWAR, the best of his career. He’s likely a guy whom the team won’t want to run too deep into games, and at points last year he was mostly limited to five innings, but he excelled at limiting the damage and keeping the Mets in games, which was a huge factor in his success.

The back-end of the rotation could be the deciding factor in whether the Mets have a great rotation or an average rotation. Sean Manaea and Senga have a wealth of talent but were derailed by injuries and poor performance last year. Both were expected to front the rotation in 2025 but instead became afterthoughts as the team flailed towards a late-season collapse. However, Manaea excelled in 2024 and Senga was an ace in 2023 and the first-half of 2025, so there is proof that they can be successful. A six-man rotation will keep their arms fresh and could help increase their impact.

All in all, a rotation of Peralta-McLean-Peterson-Holmes-Senga-Manaea is a strong group, and while it is high variance, the ceiling is extremely high for this set of starters. The team could look to sign or trade for another arm, but at this point it looks like the rotation may be set. Tobias Myers can also spot start in a pinch, and Jonah Tong can easily be stashed in Triple-A and ready to go at a moment’s notice, though his big league cup of tea last year proved that he needs a bit more seasoning in the minors.

David Stearns could have another big surprise up his sleeve, but for now he has done well to acquire a front-end starter that was sorely lacking. And along with his recent additions to the bullpen and lineup, he’s done well to overhaul this roster and put together a squad that should be competitive in a very tough National League field.

It’s no secret that the Mets were looking for rotation help this winter. Mets’ starters posted a 4.13 ERA and a 3.95 FIP last season, which doesn’t look so terrible on the surface until you zoom into the latter half of the year. After June 13 (the day after Kodai Senga suffered the injury that would derail his 2025 campaign), Mets’ starters posted a 5.27 ERA, the fourth-worst mark in MLB. Beyond that, Mets’ starters tossed just 796 innings in 2025, which ranked fourth from the bottom in the sport. That also amounts to an average of just under five innings per game, which put an unnecessary strain on their bullpen and caused all sorts of problems for the team.

The Mets have overhauled their lineup and their bullpen this winter, but the rotation has been mostly untouched. That changed on Wednesday night when the Mets acquired Brewers’ starter Freddy Peralta in a four-player deal that also landed them pitcher Tobias Myers. With that, the club picked up that elusive ace who can slot at the front of their rotation, which immediately turned the team’s enigmatic rotation into a strength.

Peralta led the National League with 17 wins and finished fifth in Cy Young voting last year. Even better than his 2.70 ERA and his 204 strikeouts, he threw 176 2/3 innings and made 33 starts. For reference, David Peterson led the club with 168 2/3 innings, followed by Clay Holmes at 165 2/3, and then Senga at 113 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old made at least 30 starts in each of his previous three seasons and has recorded at least 165 innings in each of those seasons. For a team that is starved for a veteran pitcher who can give them valuable innings, Peralta gives the club exactly what they needed.

As for the rest of the rotation, it remains largely intact, although they have floated both Peterson and Senga in trade rumors this offseason. It is still conceivable that the club could deal one of them to fortify another position, but with their lineup and bullpen mostly set, it’s unlikely the team will be inclined to deal either player. That means that it’s very likely that the starters currently on the club’s 40-man roster will find themselves in the Opening Day rotation, with Peralta a leading contender to take the ball against the Pirates on March 26.

Nolan McLean, who burst onto the scene with a 2.06 ERA, a 2.97 FIP, and 57 strikeouts across in 48 innings across eight starts last year, will almost certainly be a guarantee to make the rotation, and you could make a strong case for him being the team’s number 2 starter. McLean, who fell two innings short of qualifying as a rookie, will garner a lot of Rookie of the Year buzz if he can match or exceed his performance last year, but he is no longer an unknown commodity around the league. Teams will certainly have a scouting report ready to go for the 24-year-old, and how he adjusts to that will determine how much success he has in his first true go-around in the majors.

Beyond the top two pitchers, there’s a lot of uncertainty but a lot of talent. Peterson had an All-Star season in the first half (3.06 ERA, 3.42 FIP, 20.5% K%, 8.1% BB% in 109 innings across 18 starts) but faltered after the break (6.34 ERA, 3.60 FIP, 21.2% K%, 10.1% BB% in 59 2/3 innings across 12 starts) as he blew past his career-high in innings. He is set to make $8.1 million in his final year before free agency, which is a relative bargain for a left-hander who has demonstrated his ability, but he remains a bit of an enigma. If he can recapture what he did in the first half, you could make a strong case for him slotting in at the three-spot.

Behind Peterson, Holmes was the team’s most reliable pitcher and steadiest hand in the rotation. The right-hander, who took the ball on Opening Day last year, signed as an experiment, an elite closer-turned-starter, and it paid immediate dividends for New York. After throwing right around 63 innings in each of his previous three seasons out of the pen, he threw over 165 frames, second-most on the team. He led the team with 12 wins and posted a 1.9 bWAR, the best of his career. He’s likely a guy whom the team won’t want to run too deep into games, and at points last year he was mostly limited to five innings, but he excelled at limiting the damage and keeping the Mets in games, which was a huge factor in his success.

The back-end of the rotation could be the deciding factor in whether the Mets have a great rotation or an average rotation. Sean Manaea and Senga have a wealth of talent but were derailed by injuries and poor performance last year. Both were expected to front the rotation in 2025 but instead became afterthoughts as the team flailed towards a late-season collapse. However, Manaea excelled in 2024 and Senga was an ace in 2023 and the first-half of 2025, so there is proof that they can be successful. A six-man rotation will keep their arms fresh and could help increase their impact.

All in all, a rotation of Peralta-McLean-Peterson-Holmes-Senga-Manaea is a strong group, and while it is high variance, the ceiling is extremely high for this set of starters. The team could look to sign or trade for another arm, but at this point it looks like the rotation may be set. Tobias Myers can also spot start in a pinch, and Jonah Tong can easily be stashed in Triple-A and ready to go at a moment’s notice, though his big league cup of tea last year proved that he needs a bit more seasoning in the minors.

David Stearns could have another big surprise up his sleeve, but for now he has done well to acquire a front-end starter that was sorely lacking. And along with his recent additions to the bullpen and lineup, he’s done well to overhaul this roster and put together a squad that should be competitive in a very tough National League field.

Recent transactions and discussions in baseball have turned attention back to the age-old complaints about wealth disparities that have plagued Major League Baseball forever. It’s hard to tell whether the current situation is meaningfully different, historically speaking, or if this is simply the same debate we’ve been having my entire life. Still, there are a couple of notable factors that suggest the current gap may differ from those of the past.

I first became aware of the small-market versus big-market dynamic during the Yankees’ “Evil Empire” era in the early 2000s. It was easy to be frustrated by that version of the Yankees. They reached the World Series six times in eight seasons from 1996 to 2003 and won four championships. George Steinbrenner didn’t mind running enormous payrolls, and that approach really stood out in 2003 and 2004, when the Yankees’ payrolls were more than 60 percent higher than the second-highest team. They began to feel like they were in a class of their own, completely separate from the other 29 clubs.

The Yankees are no longer the focal point of baseball’s financial anxiety, but the question now is whether the Dodgers and Mets are worse than those Yankees teams.

If you look strictly at payroll compared to the next-highest team or to the bottom of the league, the answer is probably no. That 2004 Yankees team ran a payroll nearly six times that of the lowest spender—and more than six times if you include the luxury tax, though the tax structure was very different then. Today, the Dodgers and Mets are clearly above everyone else at over half a billion dollars apiece, but the Dodgers are only about 45 percent above the Phillies, so the gap isn’t as extreme as it was in 2003. Similarly, the lowest payroll in 2026 sits a little over $100 million, which is still far below the top but not the six-to-one disparity we saw between the Yankees and Rays back in the day.

Those gaps are still significant—just not larger or scarier than they were 20 to 25 years ago. What gives me pause are the two massive contracts that were just signed. Both the sheer dollar amounts and the structure of those deals make me think the path toward even larger disparities between rich and poor teams isn’t far off. Some of the other owners appear to agree and will push for a salary cap in the next round of CBA negotiations. The Kyle Tucker deal seems to be the one drawing most of their ire, but I want to start with Bo Bichette, because I think a lot of nuance there is getting lost.

From a headline perspective, the Bo Bichette deal looks simple: three years and $126 million, an average annual value of $42 million. That’s a lot of money for a player who has posted between 3.5 and 5 WAR in four of the last five seasons. But he actually received more than $42 million per year in effective value. Bichette can opt out after 2026, has another opt-out after 2027, and receives $5 million if he exercises either one. That’s wild. Opt-outs represent pure risk for teams—they only get exercised when the team would prefer they didn’t—and here the Mets have to pay him on the way out, too.

On top of that, Bichette was extended a qualifying offer, meaning the Mets are also surrendering draft-pick compensation to Toronto. This deal could realistically turn into a one-year contract in which the Mets pay $47 million and a draft pick for a player projected at roughly four wins. That’s more than $12 million per win in total value. It’s an incredibly rich deal, and the team is shouldering almost all the risk. If Bichette struggles again, as he did in 2024, the Mets are still on the hook for more than $40 million per year. No small-market team can sign a deal like that, but the Mets can, because they’re in New York and their owner has more money than anyone could possibly need.

The Dodgers’ deal with Kyle Tucker is similar, only with even bigger dollars. He receives $54 million up front, a $1 million salary this year, $65 million in 2027, and $60 million in each of the following two seasons. That’s $240 million over four years, a $60 million AAV, though $10 million is deferred in each of the final three seasons. After accounting for deferrals, the luxury-tax hit is $57.1 million per year. That’s an enormous number—larger than the annual tax hit for Shohei Ohtani (because of deferrals) and Juan Soto, who sits at $51 million and carries that hit for 15 years.

Tucker’s deal is much shorter, but it’s also incredibly steep. When you factor in the Dodgers paying dollar-for-dollar into the luxury tax at their current payroll level, you could argue they’ve effectively agreed to pay $114.2 million per year for Kyle Tucker. He’s a 4.5–5 WAR player, which works out to roughly $23 million per win. Now imagine what a Bobby Witt Jr. contract would look like if he’s viewed as a seven- or eight-win player—and then consider the chances of him still being a Royal after 2030 (spoiler: he won’t be). If the Dodgers can afford to pay three times the typical $8 million-per-WAR rate we’ve come to think of as standard, very few teams can realistically compete.

None of this is new, but it does present at least one possible silver lining. If other owners can force a salary cap, there may be a path toward greater balance and a more equitable game. On the other hand, it could also lead to a strike, and I really don’t want players in the middle and lower income tiers to get squeezed as collateral damage.

The cynical side of me suspects that owners are happy to point at the Dodgers and Mets so they can frame a salary cap as a principled stance, when in reality it’s another attempt to capture a larger share of league revenue. A salary cap paired with a salary floor—and a guaranteed percentage of league revenue for players—however, might offer a path toward a healthier overall baseball ecosystem.

Good morning! MLB Network just completed its annual exercise in ranking the top-100 players in Major League Baseball. You already know who number 1 is, and he doesn’t play for the Red Sox. But Garrett Crochet does, and he led the way for the Sox by coming in as the 12th-best player in the game. Rounding out the rankings for the Sox were Roman Anthony (41), Jarren Duran (58), Ranger Suárez (79), and Aroldis Chapman (81). Only four other teams in baseball have as many as five players on the list: the Dodgers (8), Yankees (6), Mariners, (5), and Phillies (5).

What’s interesting about the Red Sox rankings is that, with the exception of Crochet, the Sox contingent has a lot of variance. I would not at all be surprised if neither Suárez nor Chapman turned out to be top-100 players this year, while I also wouldn’t be surprised if Jarren Duran is on another team. As for Anthony, I would actually be disappointed if he’s only the 41st-best player in baseball. He has the potential to establish himself as a top-10 player as soon as this year and, if I had to wager on it, I’d tab him to finish at least in the top-30 in 2026.

Talk about what you want, think about whether your one of the top-100 anythings in the world, and be good to one another.

The people have spoken and newcomer pitching prospect Khal Stephen is our No. 8 Cleveland Guardians prospect. Stephen won convincingly, earning 40% of the vote, beating out Juan Brito (24.3%), Jaison Chourio (12.9%) and Jace LaViolette (11.4%). He is making his CTC prospect list debut.

Stephen was a second round pick (No. 59 overall) by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Mississippi State.

He didn’t pitch the year he was drafted, but Toronto debuted him at full-season Single-A last year, where he shredded opposing hitters. Over the course of eight games (seven starts), Stephen posted a 2.06 ERA with a ridiculous 1.97 FIP over 39.1 innings while striking out a whopping 31.4% of hitters while walking just 4.6% of them.

This earned Stephen a promotion to High-A, where Stephen continued to dominate. He dropped his ERA to a miniscule 1.49 while retaining an elite 2.70 FIP and an absolutely redonkulous 0.85 WHIP over nine starts spanning 48.1 innings. Despite the quick promotion, Stephen was named the Northwest League Pitcher of the Month for June

Stephen was promoted to Double-A, making one start and immediately being placed on the injured list with a shoulder impingement following his first start there. One week later, he was traded to Cleveland in a one-for-one deal for former Cy Young Award winner Shane Bieber. Stephen was activated three weeks later and made four starts with Double-A Akron. Three of the starts were spectacular, allowing one run in 4.0 innings twice and tossing 3.0 scoreless innings once. Unfortunately, one of those starts was a disaster, allowing six earned runs in 0.1 innings, which inflated his numbers at the level before the season ended.

Stephen possesses excellent control, striking out 110 batters versus 20 walks across three levels in 2025. He sits in the low to mid 90s and touches 96 with his fastball and every one of his pitches have the potential to be plus. I could easily see him being a mid-rotation starter for Cleveland for years to come if he stays healthy. Look for Stephen to begin 2026 repeating at Double-A, but if performs well, he could be promoted quickly and could make his MLB debut at some point this summer or fall if he continues to impress.

Now, it’s time to determine who is number nine in the Guardians’ loaded farm system! Your options are below:

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Juan Brito, 2B (Age 24)
2025 (CPX) 26 PA, .190/.346/.333, 1 HR, 0 SB, 11.5 BB%, 30.8 K%, 93 wRC+
2025 (AAA): 99 PA, .256/.357/.463, 3 HR, 4 SB, 13.1 BB%, 21.2 K%, 115 wRC+

Was lined up to make his MLB debut in 2025, but multiple injuries prevented the switch-hitter from getting his opportunity and it’s possible he could be passed up completely.

Juneiker Caceres, OF (Age 18)
2025 (CPX) 160 PA, .289/.419/.469, 3 HR, 5 SB, 16.9 BB%, 11.3 K%, 139 wRC+
2025 (A): 130 PA, .250/.331/.345, 1 HR, 2 SB, 6.9 BB%, 13.1 K%, 103 wRC+

Impressed at the complex league, then hit the ground running in a late season promotion to Single-A before running out of steam late in his age-17 season. Loaded with potential.

Jaison Chourio, OF (Age 20)
2025 (CPX) 27 PA, .261/.370/.304, 0 HR, 1 SB, 14.8 BB%, 37.0 K%, 95 wRC+
2025 (A+): 353 PA, .235/.380/.284, 2 HR, 9 SB, 18.7 BB%, 21.8 K%, 103 wRC+

Chourio was lining up to be Cleveland’s top prospect after a sensational 2024, but he was slowed in 2025 by a nagging shoulder injury and had a very average season. He’s looking to bounce back in 2026.

Josh Hartle, LHP (Age 22)
2025 (A+): 22 GS, 103.1 IP, 2.35 ERA, 3.06 FIP, 24.0 K%, 8.9 BB%, 1.05 WHIP
2025 (AA): 2 GS, 10.0 IP, 4.50 ERA, 2.79 FIP, 16.3 K%, 4.7 BB%, 1.50 WHIP

Acquired from Pittsburghin the Spencer Horwitz trade, Hartle was one of Cleveland’s most successful starting pitchers in its minor league system in 2025. Stands 6-foot-6, but doesn’t have a ton of velocity.

Jace LaViolette, OF (Age 22)
2025 (NCAA) 262 PA, .258/.427/.576, 18 HR, 7 SB, 21.8 BB%, 25.2K%, 120 wRC+

Cleveland’s first round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft, the 6-foot-6 LaViolette instantly becomes one of the top power hitting prospects in the system. Strikeouts and contact have been an issue, however.

Alfonsin Rosario, OF (Age 21)
2025 (A+) 354 PA, .268/.362/.490, 16 HR, 12 SB, 10.8 BB%, 25.1 K%, 139 wRC+
2025 (AA): 145 PA, .211/.303/.391, 5 HR, 2 SB, 10.3 BB%, 33.1 K%, 105 wRC+

One of Cleveland’s most impressive hitters in its minor league system during his stint at High-A Lake County as a 20-year-old. Rosario has a unique combination of speed and power, but will need to overcome his strikeouts.

Kahlil Watson, OF (Age 22)
2025 (AA) 253 PA, .247/.337/.461, 8 HR, 7 SB, 10.3 BB%, 28.5 K%, 134 wRC+
2025 (AAA): 176 PA, .255/.358/.477, 8 HR, 10 SB, 12.5 BB%, 26.7 K%, 121 wRC+

Acquired in the Josh Bell trade, Watson had his best season in 2025 after switching to the outfield from shortstop. Possesses a unique blend of speed and power mixed with great athleticism.

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers made a trade yesterday.

Kennedi Landry writes that the Rangers go from floaters to “win now” mode with their acquisition of MacKenzie Gore.

Evan Grant says that Chris Young is making a definitive statement on 2026 with the move.

Jeff Wilson writes that Gore has the potential to be one of the league’s best lefties.

Fangraphs’ Ben Clemens says the Rangers are aiming for one more shot at playoff glory (Gorey) with the move.

Keith Law thinks Fien et al in exchange for Gore is a hefty price to pay.

Ken Rosenthal has various other notes and rumblings from the trade.

And the DMN has five things to know about the newest Ranger.

That’s all for this morning. Happy Friday!