Category: Baseball

Bo Bichette wasn’t the only infielder the Mets added Friday.

The team also announced it claimed lefty-hitting Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the Rays.

The 24-year-old Cheng appeared in three games with the Pirates last season, going 0-for-7 with three strikeouts,

He was selected off waivers by Tampa Bay earlier this month before the Mets snagged him Friday.

The native of Taiwan has primarily been a shortstop in the minors and also spent time at second and third base.

He signed with the Pirates as an international free agent in 2019 and was designated for assignment by the team in December and figures to provide minor league depth at Triple-A Syracuse, since the Mets appear set in the infield after they agreed to a three-year, $126 million deal with Bichette, who will shift over from shortstop to third.

Bichette will join Francisco Lindor at short and newly-acquired Marcus Semien at second, while Brett Baty may have a utility role and another recent acquisition, Jorge Polanco could see time at first with Mark Vientos.

Chicago Cubs Executive Chairman Tom Ricketts announced at Friday night’s Cubs Convention Opening Ceremony that former Cubs catcher Jody Davis and pitcher Jon Lester will be inducted into the Cubs Hall of Fame this year.

Also, former broadcaster Vince Lloyd will be inducted into the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame and given a “Lifetime Achievement Award,” a new award honoring individuals who made a significant contribution to the Cubs organization over their lifetime. The 2026 Cubs Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place at Wrigley Field at a date to be announced later.

Ricketts said, “The Cubs Hall of Fame Committee selected three people representing three eras of Cubs baseball—fitting as the team celebrates its 150th anniversary. Jody Davis was a part of the legendary 1984 Cubs team that helped create a generation of fans across the country—legions of whom can still sing Harry Caray’s theme song for this durable catcher who made the All-Star Game that year. He rarely took a day off from catching and was a tough out who hit 129 homers as a Cub.

“Jon Lester was perhaps the greatest free agent signing in team history. He already had two World Series rings and when we announced his signing in December of 2014 as we headed into the 2015 season, it was an inflection point for this team. His leadership helped power our team to the NLCS that seasons. In 20216, in Game 5 of the World Series, with our backs against the wall, he earned the win with a six-inning performance that saved the series for us.

“For over 34 seasons, Vince Lloyd was the ‘Voice of Summer’ for Cubs fans. From the earliest days of Cubs baseball on television in the 50s all the way through the 80s on radio, Lloyd brought Cubs games into people’s homes. The former U.S. Marine brought the ‘Holy Mackerel’ to Jack Brickhouse’s “Hey Hey.’ For 23 years on the radio, he was the play-by-play voice alongside Hall-of-Famer Lou Boudreau, including the great runs of 1969 and 1984. Vince’s dedication to his craft on the radio made him like family to generations of Cubs fans.”

Davis was a Cubs catcher for eight seasons (1981-1988) and a two-time all-star (1984, 1986) during his tenure. He was a key member of the 1984 National League Eastern Division Champions team hitting .256 with 19 home runs and 94 RBI that season.

Lester played six of his 16 major league seasons with the Cubs, including the 2016 World Series championship team. A fierce competitor and big-game pitcher, he was Co-MVP of the 2016 National League Championship series and a two-time All-Star (2016, 2018). He played on four Cubs postseason teams and will go down in history as one of the greatest free agent signings in Chicago sports history.

Lloyd was a beloved and versatile broadcaster of Chicago sports for almost four decades and served 34 seasons (1950, 1954-1986) as a Cubs broadcaster. He called over 6,000 major league games in his career, including 5,000 for the Cubs. He started his Cubs broadcasting career on WGN-TV in 1950, broadcasting home Cubs games with Jack Brickhouse. In 1965, he moved to the radio booth to serve as play-by-play on WGN-AM where he spent the next twenty years. He was especially known for his trademark call, “Holy Mackerel!” and for ringing a bell after every Cubs home run. Lloyd passed away in 2003 and is receiving this honor posthumously.

The Cubs Hall of Fame will now include 68 plaques which represent individuals who dedicated their time to Cubs baseball, both on and off the field. Baseball legends, former players and managers, beloved broadcasters and announcers, team owners and front office executives grace the walls of the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame, immortalized at Wrigley Field since 2021 in the bleacher concourse under left field, open to all fans. The plaques included in the Chicago Cubs Hall of Fame represent individuals previously enshrined in the original Cubs Hall of Fame (1982-86) and in the Cubs Walk of Fame (1992-98).

The statement issued to fans from New York Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury on Friday will have major ramifications on the future of the franchise. 

Drury wrote about his plan to “retool” the team in a letter awfully similar to the one former Rangers president Glen Sather and general manager Jeff Gorton released in 2018 when the Rangers planned to embark on a plan they described as a “reshaping” of the team. 

There’s a lot to dissect regarding Drury’s message, so let's dive into it.

The first notable thing of substance is Drury’s words to describe where the Rangers are right now in the standings (last place in the Eastern Conference) and how the team will not accept the status quo. 

“With our position in the standings and injuries to key players this season, we must be honest and realistic about our situation,” Drury emphasized. “We are not going to stand pat - a shift will give us the ability to be smart and opportunistic as we retool the team.” 

To state the obvious, Drury, along with owner James Dolan have accepted the reality that the Rangers will, in all likelihood not make the playoffs this season, let alone compete for a Stanley Cup, so they are essentially punting on this season with their sights set on the future. 

That leads to the next order of business: who will Drury look to trade, and how will he approach this retool as he phrases it?

“This will not be a rebuild,” Drury wrote. “This will be a retool built around our core players and prospects. We will target players that bring tenacity, skill, speed, and a winning pedigree with a focus on obtaining young players, draft picks, and cap space to allow us flexibility moving forward. That may mean saying goodbye to players that have brought us and our fans great moments over the years. These players represented the Rangers with pride and class and will always be a part of our family.”

Which players is Drury hinting at trading when he says that fans may have to say “goodbye to players that have brought us and our fans great moments over the years”?

For starters, Drury reportedly had an individual meeting with Artemi Panarin, who is expected to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, and informed him that he will not be offered a contract extension, while the team is prepared to work with him and agent Paul Theofanous to trade him anywhere he wishes to go. 

Panarin will almost certainly be dealt before the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline. 

According to Vince Mercogliano of The Athletic, other players who holds a no-move clause in their contract have been asked about how they feel about the retool plan and whether they'd be open to sticking around for it or would rather go elsewhere, which includes Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov, J.T. Miller, and Igor Shesterkin, who all sound like they're on board with the retool plan and expressed that they want to stay in New York, per Mercogliano. 

Meanwhile, Vincent Trocheck has a partial no-trade clause and is under contract until 2029 at a manageable cap hit of $5.6 million per year, making him a more desirable player to trade for the Rangers, as he could garner a high return from contending teams looking to make a Stanley Cup push.

There are also other veteran players set to become unrestricted free agents this upcoming offseason, headlined by Carson Soucy, Jonny Brodzinski, Conor Sheary, and Jonathan Quick. All of these players could be viewed as easy trade assets given Drury’s selling approach, but how much value could they really fetch on the open market?

There’s a grey area when it comes to Alexis Lafrenière and Braden Schneider’s trade availability because while both of these players are young and fit the team’s current window, they have failed to live up to original expectations placed upon them as prospects, and their value is quickly diminishing. 

Chris Drury Issues Message To Fans Announcing The Rangers' Intentions To Retool New York <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers/">Rangers</a> president and general manager Chris Drury sent out a message to fans on Friday indicating the direction the franchise will take as the trade deadline looms.&nbsp;

It’s unclear who Drury considers to be the Rangers’ “core players and prospects” he wants to build around, which is why it is difficult to predict which players are actually on the trade block outside of Panarin. 

On top of draft picks, Drury mentions the team’s desire to clear up cap space to allow flexibility moving forward. 

The Rangers are looking to get younger and accumulate more draft picks, but Drury was very specific in mentioning that this process is a “retool” and not a “rebuild”, meaning if they are able to build enough assets and clear up a sufficient amount of cap space, a trade or signing of a superstar caliber player in the near future is not entirely out of the picture.

Remember, the Rangers took this same approach in 2019 when, despite still going through a rebuilding process, the Blueshirts went out and signed Panarin to a 7-year, $81.5 million contract.

Drury ends the letter by letting fans know that his plan will begin to take shape within the “coming weeks and months” and with the trade deadline just a few weeks ago, Drury will likely spend the remaining time until the trade deadline fielding offers for some of his most prominent veteran players. 

This is what is in the pipeline for the Rangers in what will be a franchise-altering few months.

Bo Bichette has a friend waiting for him in Queens. 

The newest Mets star will reunite with Marcus Semien, with whom he previously spent a season in Toronto. 

During a postgame press conference at the end of that 2021 season, Bichette showed his immense respect for the veteran second baseman, which could indicate that he’s pumped to be reunited with Semien.

“Everything,” Bichette said when asked what took away from playing with Semien. “He’s meant a lot to me.”

The pair shared the middle infield in Toronto during Semien’s first and only season with the Blue Jays after leaving in free agency that winter for a seven-year, $175 million deal with the Rangers. 

Semien had signed a one-year, $18 million contract with the Blue Jays before that campaign. 

Both players enjoyed some of the best seasons of their careers in ’21. 

"Everything… He's meant a lot to me."

An emotional Bo Bichette reflects on what he learned from his teammate Marcus Semien this season. pic.twitter.com/GYSuCd3R06

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 4, 2021

Bichette, playing in his third big league season, made his first All-Star team, hitting 29 home runs with 102 RBIs while leading the American League with 191 hits. 

Semien’s year was even better. 

After slashing .265/.334/.538 with a career-high 45 homers and 102 RBIs, Semien finished third in the AL MVP voting. 

He also had a trio of firsts, making his first All-Star team and winning the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards at second base.

The Blue Jays went 91-71, but finished outside the playoff picture in a tough AL East. 

Bichette and Semien both joined the Mets from the junior circuit this offseason. 

In November, the Mets sent Brandon Nimmo to Texas for Semien in what David Stearns described as a better fit on the field, in the clubhouse and contractually. 

On Friday, Bichette joined him, signing a three-year, $126 million deal with opt-outs after the first two years to come to Queens.

The benefits of the Mets’ Bo Bichette signing are twofold. 

Not only are they adding a two-time All-Star to their lineup, but the Amazin’s seemingly stole him right from under the hands of a bitter division rival. 

All offseason, the Phillies were seen as one of the favorites — if not the favorite — to land Bichette in free agency. 

Earlier this month, The Post’s Jon Heyman reported that it “feels like there’s strong mutual interest” between the Phillies and Bichette as the two sides met to discuss a potential deal. 

As recently as late Thursday night, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported that the “Phillies are the overwhelming favorites to sign” Bichette, adding that the “Yankees and Mets will now be in a bidding war for outfielder Cody Bellinger.”

Less than 12 hours later, the Mets proved otherwise, landing Bichette on a three-year, $126 million deal with opt-outs after the first two years. 

Philadelphia was reportedly caught off guard by the shock signing. 

“The Phillies had agreed to Bo Bichette’s request for a 7-year, $200 million deal last night and believed they would sign him until the Mets swooped in with their 3-year, $126 million offer after losing out in the Kyle Tucker sweepstakes,” Nightengale wrote on X after news of the deal broke on Friday. 

After missing out on Bichette, the Phillies quickly pivoted, re-signing catcher J.T. Realmuto to a three-year, $45 million contract.

The Bichette deal came after the Mets were swooped in on themselves, losing out to the Dodgers on Kyle Tucker, who signed a four-year, $240 million pact on Thursday night. 

The Mets offered a four-year deal worth $220 million, which included no deferrals and was worth $60 million for each of the first two seasons and $50 million for the final two on the table for Tucker, per Heyman.

With Christian Vazquez’s contract finally off the books, the Twins have been searching for a new catcher behind starter Ryan Jeffers. According to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, Minnesota got their man in Caratini who agreed to a two year, $14M deal.

Caratini, 32, has spent the past two season with the Astros backing up Yainer Diaz where he managed slightly above-average offensive production, hitting .263/.329/.406 with 20 total home runs, 76 RBI, and a 108 wRC+. He appeared in 114 games for Houston in 2025, though just 49 of those came behind the plate. Injuries to Yordan Alvarez and Isaac Paredes left them in need of coverage at 1B and DH, where Caratini was a mainstay down the stretch as the Astros fought to stay in the playoff race. Caratini actually hasn’t caught more than 55 games since 2022, meaning he should firmly slot in behind Jeffers while providing some coverage for 2027 should they lose their starting backstop in free agency.

With the 40 man roster full, the Twins will need to make a roster move before the signing can be made official. There’s several fringe candidates who could be designated for assignment to make room, but fellow catcher Alex Jackson will likely need to be moved either now or during Spring Training. Jackson is out of minor league options and the Twins are very unlikely to carry three catchers on their active roster with how they like to manage playing time and platoon their lefties.

Edwin Arroyo returned to the playing field for the 2025 season with AA Chattanooga after his 2024 season was lost to a shoulder injury (and subsequent surgery), and the results were more or less what you’d expect to see from a talented player with that kind of rust. On the whole, he hit .284/.345/.371 with only a trio dingers on the season, but it wasn’t until the 44th game he played (on June 11th) when he finally launched one.

From that point until season’s end, he hit .296/.356/.402 with an 8.0% walk rate and minuscule 13.0% strikeout rate, and all that came from a guy whose work defensively has long been lauded as MLB-ready at the most important spot on the diamond. That’s precisely the kind of player who found himself all over Top 100 overall prospect lists prior to his injury, and it’s worth pointing out that he just did all that in his age-21 season at the AA level.

There’s still a ton to love about Arroyo, and clearly you all thought the same. He takes home the #5 spot in this year’s Community Prospect Rankings because of it, as you voted him there with nearly 35% of the vote despite a crowded six-person ballot.

I doubt Arroyo ever morphs into a 20 homer kind of offensive player, but if he keeps that K-rate so tiny you can barely see it, he’s got a hit tool and patience at the plate that could see him hit .280 with a .340 OBP at the big league level. That paired with pretty elite defense at shortstop is a very, very valuable player.

It’s hard not to look at the current state of the big league Reds roster and not think they’ve got Arroyo firmly in mind in the near term, too. He’s got the glove to rotate in at both 2B and SS, and his ability to switch-hit means he can provide another lefty bat in the lineup when needed. Given that they a) cut Santiago Espinal to leave the short a middle-infield defender and b) traded away Gavin Lux to remove a lefty bat from the 2B mix, Arroyo hitting his way from AAA Louisville into the regular Reds rotation at some point in early 2026 sure does sound like a feasible proposition.

That’s your #5 prospect!

President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has said that he wants to add a veteran arm to the St. Louis Cardinals pitching staff. According to a new report, that might be free agent pitcher Griffin Canning who the Cardinals have been in contact with.

MLB Trade Rumors just dropped the word that the St. Louis Cardinals, the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets are interested in Griffin Canning. That’s apparently based on a report by John Heyman of the New York Post. He spent several seasons in the Los Angeles Angels organization before signing a one-year deal with the New York Mets last season. He suffered a a torn Achilles tendon which cut his season short. Before that setback, he had greater than 55% groundball rate and decent strikeout and walk rates, too.

Griffin Canning was drafted by the Colorado Rockies in the 38th round of the 2014 MLB June Amateur Draft from Santa Margarita Catholic High School and later by the Los Angeles Angels in the 2nd round of the 2017 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of California, Los Angeles. He has a major league record of 32-37 for his career with an ERA of 4.65.

Assuming that Griffin is fully recovered from his Achilles injury, you’d have to think he would be a prime bounce-back candidate and/or trade deadline arm. He might just be the affordable veteran arm that Chaim Bloom said he would welcome.

Using a playbook familiar to their front office, the Dodgers waited until the market for slugging outfielder Kyle Tucker dwindled before making him an offer short on duration but generous in dollars.

The result is the defending two-time World Series champion plugged the only hole in its lineup with another superstar — one regarded by many analysts as the prize of this free agency class. The contract Tucker agreed to Thursday night is for $240 million over four years, with a $64-million signing bonus and $30 million deferred. He also will be able to opt out of the deal after the 2027 and 2028 seasons.

It's a major development that caused immediate consternation throughout baseball. The Dodgers are in a league of their own when it comes to spending on payroll.

Or as ESPN analyst Jeff Passan put it: "Fans feel like this game is unfair."

To which Times columnist Bill Plaschke wrote, "So what? Who cares? If three consecutive titles blows up the game, so be it. The Dodgers’ only responsibility is to their fans, and they have more than fulfilled their civic duty, and that’s all that matters."

Projections early in the offseason put offers for Tucker at around $400 million over 10 years, but the only team that reportedly entertained a deal that long was the Toronto Blue Jays. The New York Mets made an offer close to that of the Dodgers, but Tucker opted for L.A.

The Dodgers employed similar strategy in snaring first baseman Freddie Freeman and starting pitcher Blake Snell in recent years and closer Edwin Díaz last month, patiently allowing media hype to dissipate and waiting out the market before pouncing with short-term offers at astronomical yearly salaries.

The average annual value (AAV) of Tucker's contract as calculated by Major League Baseball will be a record $57.1 million, blowing past the previous highs set by the Mets' Juan Soto ($51 million) and the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani ($46.06 million) the last two offseasons.

Ohtani is now Tucker’s teammate, as are amply paid stars Mookie Betts, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Will Smith, Tyler Glasnow, Roki Sasaki, Freeman and Snell. And on and on. The Dodgers' estimated competitive tax payroll of $402.5 million is more than the combined spending of the A’s, Tampa Bay Rays, Cleveland Guardians and Miami Marlins.

Read more:Plaschke: Dodgers' ruination of baseball continues with Kyle Tucker, and it’s a beautiful thing

Who do the Dodgers have to thank for such largess?

Start with Ohtani. When the two-way star signed a record 10-year, $700-million deal two years ago, he agreed to take home a paltry $2 million a year and defer the remaining $68 million. That covers Tucker's salary and then some.

Don't forget the $8.35-billion, 25-year TV deal with Time Warner Cable (now Spectrum) in 2013 that created the Dodgers' SportsNet LA channel. Meanwhile, many teams have seen their TV revenue drastically reduced.

The settlement also approved the sale of the Dodgers from Frank McCourt to Guggenheim Baseball Management, the group fronted by Magic Johnson and run by Mark Walter that has greenlighted the lavish payroll spending.

And be sure to thank the fans who pack Dodger Stadium at each of the 81 home games, spending on parking, concessions and merchandise in addition to increasingly expensive tickets. Attendance last year was 4,012,470, a Dodgers record, the highest in MLB and nearly 600,000 more than the next-highest attendance, that of the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers averaged 49,537 fans per home game.

The response around baseball to Tucker's contract was as shrill as it was predictable. Cries for a salary cap when negotiations begin for a new collective bargaining agreement at season's end peppered social media. Some even advocated owners locking out the players if they don't agree to level the hot-stove playing field.

Anything to stem the spending of a franchise enjoying a revenue model that enables it to spend on salaries unchecked while breaking no rules.

"The Dodgers theoretically aren't doing anything wrong," ESPN analyst Chris "Mad Dog" Russo said Friday on "The Dan Patrick Show". "But the rules have to change. This is getting to be a joke."

Russo then proceeded to list the reasons players gravitate to Chavez Ravine: "Play in L.A. Winning team. Great organization. Good weather. Have a chance to be in the World Series every year."

Under baseball's rules, the Dodgers are punished financially for their gleeful spending. Competitive balance taxes — also known as luxury taxes — are imposed when payrolls reach certain thresholds. The Dodgers have blown past the highest level and must pay 110% of every dollar they spend above $304 million, meaning their commitment to Tucker will cost them $500 million — $240 million to the player and roughly $264 million to MLB in taxes.

By any measure that is a lot to pay a player who batted a ho-hum .266 with 22 home runs, 73 runs batted in and 25 stolen bases in an injury-marred 2025, his lone season with the Chicago Cubs. Tucker was a three-time All-Star during seven seasons with the Houston Astros.

What does MLB do with the luxury tax revenue? Half is distributed to small-market teams, ostensibly to increase their spending on salaries.

Tony Clark, executive director of the players union, concedes that the system might need tinkering but is adamantly opposed to a salary cap.

"We just completed one of the greatest seasons in MLB history, with unprecedented fan interest and revenues," he told The Times' Bill Shaikin. "While the free agent market is far from over, it is gratifying to see players at all levels being rewarded for their incredible accomplishments by those clubs that are trying to win without excuses."

Commissioner Rob Manfred, who will sit across the negotiating table from Clark when a new CBA is hammered out a year from now, is careful not to cast blame on the Dodgers while acknowledging that other teams and their fans are frustrated.

“The Dodgers are a really well-run, successful organization,” Manfred said during the team's spending frenzy a year ago. “Everything that they do and have done is consistent with our rules. They’re trying to give their fans the best possible product. Those are all positives.

“I recognize, however — and my email certainly reflects it — there are fans in other markets concerned about their team’s ability to compete. We always have to be concerned when our fans are concerned about something. But pinning it on the Dodgers? I’m not in that camp.”

And if CBA negotiations reach an impasse and players indeed are locked out and go unpaid until they return, Tucker's contract provides a hedge for that as well — $54 million of his signing bonus is payable now.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

When the Mets agreed to a deal with Bo Bichette barely more than 12 hours after losing out on Kyle Tucker, it was easy enough to deem it a panic move by David Stearns, a quick pivot to lock up the best pure hitter remaining on the free agent market, even if he wasn’t an ideal fit defensively. 

But the more I heard about the signing of Bichette on Friday from scouts and executives, the more it seems only fair to give kudos to Stearns for signing a proven clutch hitter who could have a huge impact on the Mets’ often exasperating offense, and for being prepared to do it so quickly. 

“That doesn’t happen unless Stearns had already laid the groundwork for a deal,” was the way one executive put it. “I know Mets fans are down on him, but you have to give him credit. As much as they wanted Tucker, Stearns was ready when it didn’t happen. I’m sure Bichette was on their radar. He only turns 28 next year.”

Fair enough. Especially with reports out of Philadelphia that the Phillies were ready to sign Bichette to a long-term deal before the Mets swooped in with their short-term offer of $42 million per year for three years, with opt-outs after each of the first two seasons. 

That alone, taking Bichette away from the hated Phillies, should move the needle for some Mets’ fans. 

I’m not saying Stearns is suddenly off the hook for this mostly disappointing offseason. As I wrote Thursday night, letting Pete Alonso walk will never completely make sense to me, especially when he’d made it clear he was willing to transition into the DH role. 

And the Mets still haven’t addressed their top priority of the winter, the need to upgrade their starting rotation. 

But the signing of Bichette at least offers hope and intrigue for what else Stearns may do in the coming weeks, as well as serves as a reminder that he deserves the entire offseason before passing judgment, even if this baseball winter seems even more endless than usual.

That said, the Bichette signing comes with a lot of moving parts. Defensively, he ranked at the very bottom, range-wise, among shortstops, according to MLB Statcast defensive metrics, so it remains to be seen how he’ll do at third base. 

At least from afar, he doesn’t fit the Stearns narrative of making run-prevention a priority, and he also displaces Brett Baty, who could now be something of a super-utility man, perhaps splitting time with Jorge Polanco at first base, or be used as a trade chip for pitching. 

On the other hand, Bichette may be just what the Mets need to bring more consistency to their offense, especially in clutch situations. 

His overall numbers during his years in Toronto with the Blue Jays make it clear that he has been one of the better hitters in baseball, but what jumps out in looking at his numbers is how he has excelled in the clutch. 

For example, in 771 career plate appearances with runners in scoring position, he has hit .330 with a .527 slugging percentage and a .904 OPS. 

That’s no small sample size. 

Even more impressively, in 301 plate appearances with RISP and two outs -- the ultimate clutch situation -- Bichette has hit .310 with a .531 slugging percentage and a .904 OPS. 

He also has a career .318 batting average with an .890 OPS in what Baseball-Reference defines as high leverage situations.

For a Mets’ team whose RISP failures often seemed to overshadow whatever individual numbers players were putting up in recent years, Bichette could be an important difference-maker. 

And two scouts I spoke to say those numbers reflect what they’ve observed about him over the years. 

“He’s a gamer you want at the plate in big spots,” said one scout. “He can hit elite pitching.”

Added the other: “He’s a very good situational hitter, especially in run-producing at-bats, because he understands how pitchers are trying to get him out and he makes adjustments in the box. He’s a smart hitter.”

In addition, scouts and execs said Bichette will be a better fit in New York than Tucker would have been. 

“Bichette grew up as a big leaguer’s son,” said one exec, referring to his father, Dante Bichette. “Everything you hear is that he’s a good clubhouse guy who brings day-to-day intensity to the field and really burns to win. What you hear about Tucker is that he may not have been a good fit in New York because he’s a low-key guy.’’

So who knows, maybe losing out on Tucker will turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the Mets. 

Of course, they’re only guaranteed one year of Bichette, as they gave him opt-outs after the first and second year of his contract. But if he wants to opt out of $42 million per year next winter, it will mean he had a great season and will still be young enough for Stearns to justify giving him a longer-term deal. 

In any case, Bichette certainly seems like a step in the right direction toward helping Mets fans move on from all that has gone wrong this offseason while finally creating some enthusiasm for the 2026 season. 

Still, Stearns has more work to do, obviously. The Mets still need an outfielder, and most importantly, they need to upgrade the starting rotation. They’ll lose a draft choice by signing Bichette, because he turned down the Blue Jays’ qualifying offer, which might make it less likely that they’ll sign Framber Valdez, another free agent attached to a QO.

Can Stearns make a trade with his old team, the Milwaukee Brewers, for Freddy Peralta? The right-hander is available, one year away from free agency, and he’d give the Mets a top-of-the-rotation presence to go with Nolan McLean and what otherwise looms as a lot of question marks.

With that in mind, signing Bichette won’t change the complexion of this offseason by itself. But for Stearns, it was a win he desperately needed.

The Friar Faithful were caught off guard with the announcement of former San Diego Padres manager Bud Black joining the front office as an advisor. The hire provides an additional voice for Craig Stammen as he prepares to transition from a front office executive to a field manager.

Black’s resume is impressive

His resume is quite impressive, as Black has managed in the majors for parts of 18 seasons. He served as Padres manager from 2007 to 2015 and was the Colorado Rockies skipper from 2017 to 2025. His time in Denver saw him lead the franchise to back-to-back postseason berths in 2017 and 2018. 

Black is the second-winningest manager in Friars history with 649 victories. Heartache is part of his legacy with the franchise, as Black never led the ballclub to a postseason berth. 

Who could forget the Padres losing a one-game Wild Card playoff game against the Rockies in 2007? The Friar Faithful are still waiting for Matt Holliday to touch home plate. 

Black’s 2010 team fell apart and squandered a six-and-a-half game lead atop the National League West in August. A small consolation for him was being named NL Manager of the Year in the winter award season. 

Along with two managerial stints, he served as Special Assistant to the General Manager for the then-Cleveland Indians from 1995 to 1997 and again in 1999. Black held the same position with the Los Angeles Angels in 2016.

His other on-field positions include serving as the Angels’ pitching coach from 2000 to 2006. His staff played a crucial role in capturing the 2002 World Series title. Black also won 121 games with five different major league franchises during his 15-year playing career.

Black offers becoming a trusted mentor to Stammen

No one was quite sure what Black’s next career move would be after the Rockies let him go last summer. He could have taken time off and recharged the battery while waiting for a call from an organization about his interest in managing again. 

Instead, Black joined the Padres’ front office. Stammen has an opportunity to learn from a man who had some success as a major league manager. His experience will help him navigate through those rough stretches that occur in a baseball season.

The goal is for Black to become another sounding board for Stammen to bounce potential game strategies off of, discuss how to balance a batting order, and address other issues that arise. Given the complexity of the managerial role, he should seek insight from a respected former skipper.

There is no hidden agenda, as Black wants to offer guidance and not apply for his job. Managing egos inside the locker room can be as difficult as the games themselves. 

I may be naive, but I’m calling this potential mentorship a friendly conversation between two individuals who have a great passion for baseball. 

Stammen has never managed at any professional level, but Black could become an invaluable asset to his development. His baseball journey includes working in different capacities within several organizations.

Black’s vast knowledge will help Stammen make a smooth transition. 

Following the Bo Bichettesigning, the Mets made another move on Friday, claiming infielder Tsung-Che Cheng off waivers from the Tampa Bay Rays.

Cheng, 24, made his MLB debut in 2025 with the Pittsburgh Pirates where he totaled seven at-bats (0-for-7) in three games. 

The Taiwan native spent the majority of last season with the Pirates' Triple-A affiliate. In 107 games, Cheng slashed .209/.307/.271. He has a .736 OPS over five minor league seasons.

Although he hit just one home run last season, Cheng showed some pop in Double-A and High-A in years past and has 35 home runs in 507 career minor league games.

A versatile infielder, Cheng has played shortstop, second base and third base, adding to New York's stockpile of infield depth.

After getting designated for assignment by Pittsburgh on Dec. 19. the Rays claimed him on Jan. 7 before DFA'ing him on Jan. 12.

Remember when teams had no money, recoiled at the asking price for free agents and were content to let the marquee stars rot at home all winter?

Oh, how five days can dramatically change the baseball world.

Suddenly, everyone has found money under their couch cushions.

It began Sunday when the Chicago Cubs out-bid everyone for third baseman Alex Bregman, signing him to a five-year, $175 million contract.

The Boston Red Sox, who had offered $165 million, immediately pivoted and signed starter Ranger Suarez to a five-year, $130 million deal.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who had been sitting back since signing Edwin Diaz, pounced with a stunning four-year, $240 million contract for outfielder Kyle Tucker.

The Mets, who offered $220 million to Tucker, barely had time to blink, let alone shed a tear – and immediately turned around to sign infielder Bo Bichette to a three-year, $126 million contract.

The Mets not only dramatically improved their lineup – though Bichette has never played third base in his career – but stole away him away from their hated rivals in Philadelphia.

The Phillies, according to two persons with direct knowledge of the negotiations, met Bichette’s request on a seven-year, $200 million contract Thursday night. The Phillies believed they just had to cross the t's and dot the i's.

Instead, less than 12 hours later, Bichette is a Met, accepting four fewer years, but earning $13.5 million more a season.

He also has opt-outs after each season with a full no-trade clause. So if he doesn’t like New York or believes he can make a financial killing in a year as the potential No. 1 free agent, you’ll see him back on the market again making even more money.

The Phillies, who had acrimonious negotiations with catcher J.T. Realmuto all winter, turned aound and suddenly met Realmuto’s request for a three-year contract. They signed him to a three-year, $45 million contract after refusing to give him longer than a two-year deal all winter.

Add it all up, and that’s $716 million just on five players in five days.

Considering all of the money suddenly thrown around, the Yankees’ five-year, $155-160 million offer to bring back outfielder Cody Bellinger feels outdated.

No wonder Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball union said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports:

“We just completed one of the greatest seasons in MLB history, with unprecedented fan interest and revenues. While the free agent market is far from over, it is gratifying to see players at all levels being rewarded for their incredible accomplishments by those clubs that are trying to win without excuses."

Entering 2025, DJ Herz was expected to play a big part in the Washington Nationals’ rotation. Across 88 2/3 innings in 2024, he posted a 4.16 ERA, 3.71 FIP, and struck out over 10 batters per 9 innings, all with great underlying numbers. His 2025 season was cut short, however, before it could begin, as after a disastrous Spring Training where his velocity plummeted and control was abysmal, he got Tommy John Surgery for a UCL Sprain in April.

While Tommy John Surgery is no longer the career-threatening procedure it once was, with it becoming almost expected to happen to most hard-throwing pitchers in today’s game, the road to recovery is still long and winding. Typically, it can take between 9 and 18 months for a pitcher to make a full recovery, accounting for all factors such as recovery throwing program, physical therapy, and the ability of each player to adjust to the change.

Take, for example, Josiah Gray, who had his 2024 season ended in April due to Tommy John Surgery. Gray was knocked out for the entire 2024 campaign, and while many people expected to see him make his return at the end of the 2025 season, the coaching staff and front office decided it was best to hold off and let him continue his recovery in Palm Beach. Gray now appears to be fully healthy entering 2026 and will be a part of the Nationals’ starting rotation, barring any unexpected trades or free agent signings this offseason. In Herz’s case, the surgery was always going to knock him out of the 2025 season completely, but a return at some point in 2026 was not off the table.

So, can Nats fans expect to see DJ Herz back on the big league mound in 2026? While it’s a difficult question to answer without knowing where in his recovery Herz is, if there has not been any setbacks, then my expectation would be yes, we will see DJ Herz pitch in the big leagues in 2026. He will first need to begin his recovery process in the minor leagues, working his way from the bottom up. Herz will also need to adjust to a starter’s workload again, as he will likely only go 3 innings at a time as he is built up. When Herz makes his big league return, it possibly could be in a bullpen role, allowing Herz more time to recover while still building himself back up.

Overall, the main focus in 2026 for DJ Herz won’t be on recovering as quickly as possible to get back to the bigs, but rather focusing on getting himself 100% healthy and ready for 2027. Expectations of winning are once again low for this Nats club this season, and the last thing they need is for Herz to have a setback in his recovery in an attempt to win marginally more games than they would without him. A fully healthy DJ Herz is a problem for big league hitters, and if the Nationals are serious about contending in the near future, he will be a key part of that vision.