Category: Baseball

January is drawing to a close, which means there will be a mad scramble for remaining free agents that have been left to twist in the wind. At some point, their demands for that extra year, those few million dollars, will fall by the wayside, tossed aside in the hopes of finding employment for the 2026 season. We can have a separate conversation about how the CBA has increasingly killed the middle class of free agents, but the way the market sets itself up these days, those players that are in that 1.5-3 WAR area are usually squeezed out of the game of finding long term deals. What we’ll start to see is more players start agreeing to deals that are one year if they’re lucky, a minor league deal with a spring invitation if they’re willing and able. The Phillies were already able to do that Friday night when they signed Dylan Moore to a minor league deal.

That makes it an appropriate time to see which players that are still on the market that might be attractive to the Phillies. This isn’t a comprehensive list, rather a smaller one of players that might fit a very specific need the team might have from the outside looking in.

Miguel Andujar

Michael Baumann over at Fangraphs wrote a great piece looking for players that might hold a platoon advantage that can be of use for teams looking to fill out their roster. One quote that kind of stuck out to me was this:

A short-side platoon bat — even an incredible one, like Refsnyder — is a bit of a luxury player. That goes double when the player in question is stuck on the lower end of the defensive spectrum. It’s not always easy to carry a guy like that, let alone invest in a good player for that role.

If the Phillies were looking at someone like Andujar, it would be specifically for that role, the one of platoon player with Brandon Marsh or Justin Crawford (or both). Andujar would be one that slides into the position of being a lefty killer from the right side, creating some kind of Frankenstein player with either of the two lefties that could raise the floor of the outfield as a whole. That might cut down on his playing time quite a bit, something he may not be interested in if he’s still harboring ideas of being a starter on a team, but it would give the team a serious weapon against southpaws.

Defensively, Andujar is a butcher. His -5 OAA in left field would be a significant downgrade for a team that looks to be making sure their outfield defense is at least average in the corners, if not something more. Putting Andujar there with either Marsh or Crawford in center would be inviting potentially disastrous results, which might also be the reason he remains a free agent.

Tommy Pham

Now, listen first before making your fantasy football jokes.

One of the bigger factors here is going to be age. Pham is 37 years old right now, but will play the 2026 season as a 38 year old as his birthday is in March. No team is going to be handing him a starting job, so it’s probably safe to say he’ll be open to a platoon position. In order to do that job, though, he needs to be good at it. He needs to be someone who is still hitting left handed pitching well.

Well, how does an 82 wRC+ against left handed pitching in 2025 sound?

That is going to be the issue with Pham. If he’s not able to produce against left handed pitching better than what he did in 2025, he’s going to be a liability with the team. Career against lefties, he’s got a 121 wRC+, so there is hope that he can repeat his past successes. His under the hood metrics suggest that perhaps last year was a bit of blip, so extending a minor league deal his way could give the team some depth.

Justin Verlander/Max Scherzer/Chris Bassitt

If you had to convince me that the team could use another starting pitcher, the argument from me would be minimal. As good as I think Andrew Painter is going to be, simply handing him a starting spot in the rotation might be a bit foolhardy. At the very least, he should have to win a competition to win a job, something he is projected to do considering the current candidates to do battle with him.

But what if the team brought in a veteran like this trio to actually pose a threat to his and Taijuan Walker’s spot?

Consider: neither of these three veteran pitchers would likely sign with the Phillies had they not been guaranteed a spot in the rotation. Even as they are in the twilight of their respective careers, there is enough pride in each one that they would not want to risk being cut and having to ride buses in the minor leagues, not to mention some milestones that are at least theoretically in reach that they would want to continue marching towards. They likely would not even want a minor league deal, something the Phillies would probably only be willing to offer to continue maintaining some flexibility in their roster.

However, these are at least some enticing names to look into to see if there is a fit.

One more time. With feeling.

If you follow our blog, you know that I have written probably a dozen articles this offseason outlining small upgrades the Guardians could make to their roster. From being told by Cardinals fans that St. Louis wouldn’t trade Willson Contreras to pointing out that Harrison Bader would fill a clear need on the roster and had to be affordable given that it was January, I have been foiled every time. Contreras went to Boston because they were willing to cover most of his contract and give decent prospects for the part they weren’t covering and Bader went to the Giants because God forbid Cleveland commit ANY money for 2027 because revenues won’t be a sure thing given the lockout so if a shortened season starts the Dolans/Blitzer want to have as little money committed as possible. I even wrote an article last week accepting the fact that there really isn’t a clear fit who would upgrade what they have now who is definitely available in trade or free agency.

However, I think there are two clear exceptions that I would like the Guardians to pursue fervently until the season opens: Ketel Marte of the Diamondbacks and Nico Hoerner of the Cubs.

As you may have heard, the Diamondbacks pulled Marte off of the trade market after not getting any offers they liked enough to move their best player before his 10/5 rights vest. It is very possible they do not intend to revisit talks. However, I also think it’s possible they will listen before the season opens. This would be the opportunity for Cleveland to unload their prospect arsenal for a player who instantly transforms their lineup with consistent production. And, there is a very simple way to do it – offer the Diamondbacks Travis Bazzana and their choice of any pitcher not named Gavin Williams or Cade Smith.

I guarantee that deal would be done today if that offer was made. For his career, Marte is a good second baseman defensively with a 112 wRC+ against RHP and a 140 wRC+ against LHP as a switch-hitter. He is under team control through 2030 with a player option for 2031, his age 38 season. His average annual value for the deal is only $14.64M, so he would not be paid more than Jose Ramirez during that time period. He would give the Guardians two legitimate superstars finishing their respective careers in Cleveland. Additionally, Marte has been rumored to be amenable to come to Cleveland in a trade. That’s why you give up your top prospect and a good pitcher to get him if you can. (I love Bazzana and will not be disappointed to see him stay; Marte is one of like three players I would trade Bazzana for).

For folks concerned about Marte’s clubhouse presence, the entire kerfuffle about his taking more time off than some of his teammates liked said more about his teammates than it did about Marte. He has been a star in Arizona for his entire career and a leader on a World Series team in 2023.

In Hoerner’s case, he has a 120 wRC+ against LHP and a 98 wRC+ against RHP for his career. He is an excellent defender at second and at shortstop. The Cubs have his replacement in Matt Shaw. I would offer the Cubs their choice of reliever not named Cade Smith and negotiate from there, not going beyond a return of C.J. Kayfus. Hoerner is only under control through 2026, so, if you’re trading Kayfus, you need to pursue an extension with Hoerner (a good idea!). Landing Hoerner enables the Guardians to move Rocchio to second base and see how he performs there until Bazzana is hopefully ready to supplant him there in June, allowing Rocchio to become the utility infielder, hopefully upgrading that spot from whatever Daniel Schneemann and Gabriel Arias offer in that spot.

As a note, from everything the Athletic’s Guardians reporter, Zack Meisel, has said on his podcast, the Guardians are simply not interested in adding another left-handed hitters, so I am not examining the possibility of adding Boston’s Jarren Duran or Wilyer Abreu or Philadelphia’s Brandon Marsh.

Either a Marte or Hoerner move would be a clear upgrade for a team serious about making a World Series run. However, I don’t expect the Guardians to do anything until June-July, and, when they do so, I expect it to be acquiring a player on an expiring contract so, again, they have as little money committed in 2027 as possible.

As we enter the spring, just about everyone on the Washington Nationals roster has a lot to prove. This team is very short on proven commodities. However, there are three players fans should be paying close attention to. Cade Cavalli, Dylan Crews and Luis Perales have a ton to prove in 2025, and I will be watching them closely this spring.

Can Cavalli Put it Together:

Cade Cavalli is the player I am most fascinated by. After the MacKenzie Gore trade, he seems like the de facto ace. He had a bumpy road back from Tommy John Surgery, but showed flashes of elite potential last season. In his 10 MLB starts, Cavalli posted a respectable 4.25 ERA. 

I think he can get much better. His stuff is front of the rotation caliber and he throws plenty of strikes. However, his execution and command are not great. With the new pitching development team and a fully healthy offseason, Cavalli could improve that though. As the season progressed in 2025, he made some adjustments that helped him become an effective MLB pitcher.

Cade Cavalli is now the ace of the Washington Nationals' rotation.

Cavalli was throwing from a higher arm angle (43.9 degrees), over six degrees more in 2025, primarily due to his horizontal release point shifting over five inches farther than his midline, and adding nearly… pic.twitter.com/jm7Hn10xPn

— Corbin (@corbin_young21) January 23, 2026

There is room for a lot more though. His fastball averages 97 MPH and he pairs it with an awesome power curveball. The curve averaged 86 MPH and generated whiffs at a 40% clip. He used the curve over 30% of the time, which makes the high whiff number even more impressive.

Despite being in the 72nd percentile for whiffs, Cavalli only struck out 18.3% of hitters. That ranked in the 18th percentile. There is no way a pitcher with Cavalli’s stuff should be striking out under 20% of hitters. This spring, fans should be watching Cavalli’s execution with two strikes. If new pitching coach Simon Mathews can improve Cavalli’s ability to put hitters away, he will have a big season.

If I had to guess, Cade Cavalli will be the Nats Opening Day starter. The fact a pitcher with 11 MLB outings is the Nats Opening Day starter says a lot about the state of the rotation. However, Cavalli has a chance to be great, he is just unproven.

Can Dylan Crews Live Up to the Hype:

Coming out of LSU, Dylan Crews was one of the most hyped up college baseball players in the last decade. Along with his teammate Paul Skenes, Crews helped the LSU Tigers win the National Championship. Since leaving LSU, Skenes and Crews have been on very different paths.

While Skenes was winning his first Cy Young award in 2025, Crews was struggling to find his footing. Crews hit just .208 with a .632 OPS last year. There were long stretches where the former Golden Spikes winner looked lost at the plate. 

Coming out of college, Crews was supposed to be a can’t miss prospect. Skenes and Wyatt Langford may have had more upside, but Crews was the one that had no chance of being a bust. So far, that has not been the case. Crews, who is one of the most decorated college baseball players ever, has not been the same player in the MLB.

2023 Dylan Crews:

.426/.567/.713
182 WRC+
18 HR
100 R
70 RBI
1.54 BB/K

Build the Statue @LSUbaseballpic.twitter.com/9Zmt1uxIhC

— Reech (@Reech___) January 16, 2026

Even in the minors, Crews did not dominate the way he was expected to. He was good, but never elite. Crews did not torch the minor leagues the way Wyatt Langford did. In the MLB, he got exposed even more. His suboptimal angles have been a problem. Crews is hitting the ball on the ground too much and is not tapping into his power.

In 2025, Crews was also whiffing way too much. His issues against spin have been present for a while, but he was even whiffing against fastballs. Crews was an elite fastball hitter, even in his up and down MLB stint in 2024. That was not the case last year.

While Crews’ season was interrupted by injury, his performance was still concerning. He needs to get back to crushing fastballs. Hopefully the new coaching staff can help Crews rebuild his confidence. This is the first time Crews has ever failed, so I am curious to see how he bounces back. Spring Training will be our first chance to see what kind of adjustments Crews has made.

Can Luis Perales Throw Enough Strikes:

The prospect I am most curious about this spring is Luis Perales, who the Nats acquired from the Red Sox this offseason. Paul Toboni swung a rare prospect for prospect trade with his old club back in December. He sent the high floor Jake Bennett to the Red Sox for Perales, who is riskier but comes with a much higher ceiling.

Perales blew out his elbow in the middle of his breakout 2024 season. He had to undergo Tommy John Surgery, missing the rest of 2024 and most of 2025. Perales came back at the end of 2025, where he made a few appearances in the minors.

However, most of his action came in the Arizona Fall League. The results were interesting. His velocity was actually better than ever, sitting at nearly 99 MPH. Perales had a hard time finding the strike zone though. In 11.1 innings, he struck out 19 batters but walked 11.

Luis Perales (BOS) continues to look excellent following his return from TJS

In the AFL today, his fastball averaged 99 MPH with elite ride and his breaking balls graded out well. The Red Sox have a gem here! pic.twitter.com/egLKrALIQS

— Thomas Nestico (@TJStats) October 15, 2025

It is not uncommon for pitchers coming back from TJ to struggle with command at first. They have not pitched in competitive games for over a year, so there is some rust. These pitchers are also adjusting to their new elbow as well. As pitchers get further removed from surgery, the command usually improves.

Perales showed much improved command in his breakout 2024 season, but had some control questions before then. Command will always be a question mark for the flamethrower, but as long as he is around the strike zone, the stuff will play.

I will be watching Perales very closely to see what that control looks like. If it is back to those 2024 levels, he can be a front of the rotation starter. However, he has the chance to be a nasty reliever. His injury history, smaller build and control point to a bullpen role, but he also has a chance to start.

It will be interesting to see what the Nats do with him. If they move him to the bullpen, he could be in the big leagues very soon. However, if they want to continue developing him as a starter, things will take longer. Either way, Perales should start next season at Triple-A. If Toboni wants to let him rip in the bullpen, Luis Perales could be the Nats closer by the end of the season.

There are more players we could highlight, but these are the three that stand out to me. All three have so much to prove this year, but also have great upside. 2026 will be a year where these young players will have to prove themselves. With Paul Toboni improving the farm system, these guys could be replaced if they do not perform.

Meet the Mets

Despite being previously named the captain of Team Puerto Rico, Francisco Lindor will not be playing in the World Baseball Classic this year due to the elbow procedure he underwent at the beginning of the offseason.

With Freddy Peralta now in the fold, what is the state of the Mets’ rotation heading into 2026?

The Mets’ surplus of talent in the upper levels of the minor leagues gives the major league team plenty of depth this year.

Around the National League East

The Phillies have added some positional depth by inking Dylan Moore to a minor league deal.

Philadelphia’s rotation has some question marks heading into 2026.

The Braves have signed veteran left-hander Martin Pérez to a minor league deal.

Federal Baseball examined what the state of the Nationals’ farm system could be after another season of development.

Around Major League Baseball

After a strong rookie campaign, shortstop Jacob Wilson has agreed to a long-term extension with the Athletics.

After nine seasons with the Twins, president of baseball operations Derek Falvey is departing the club in what is being presented as a mutual decision.

Veteran reliever and former Met David Robertston has announced his retirement from baseball.

After making his major league debut in 2025, Mariners right-hander Logan Evans will now miss the entire 2026 season due to Tommy John surgery.

Another free agent outfielder is off the board, as the White Sox have inked Austin Hays to a one-year deal.

While Driveline is often viewed as an apparatus for improving pitching performance, many hitters are now taking advantage of its offerings as well.

Royals first baseman and noted New York Jets fan Vinnie Pasquantino has agreed to a two-year contract to avoid arbitration.

Yesterday at Amazin’ Avenue

Allison McCague was worried that we had forgotten just how abysmal Cedric Mullins was as a Met, so she offered us a reminder.

Prior to being traded to the Brewers, the Amazin’ Avenue minor league crew had ranked Jett Williams as the team’s fourth best prospect entering 2026.

While many of us have been focused on Freddy Peralta, Grace Carbone provided us with an introduction to Tobias Myers, the other player acquired from Milwaukee in the trade.

This Date in Mets History

Ralph Kiner signed on to join the Mets’ broadcast booth for their inaugural season on this date in 1962.

Giants star Willy Adames eager to bounce back after ‘challenging' 2025 season originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Willy Adames made his mark in his first season with the Giants, but he knows there’s always room for improvement.

Adames was a key offensive contributor for San Francisco, becoming the first Giants player with 30 home runs in a single season since Barry Bonds. He also hit .225 with 87 RBI.

When he caught fire, he couldn’t cool down. When he was slumping, it was bad. But Adames is finding the silver linings in the up-and-down season.

“It was a challenging year,” Adames told reporters Saturday at Giants FanFest in Sacramento. “Adapting to everything, the fans, the organization, the city, new stadium. But it was great. Obviously at the end of the year, we didn’t achieve what we wanted to, but I think we learned a lot from last year. And now we know we need to get better in some areas, and I think we’re doing a really good job to start creating a different culture and to be better on the field.

“For me, personally, I’ll just try to be more consistent and be better every day.”

Off the field, it was no secret that Adames quickly became the team’s energizer.

His infectious spirit and good vibes were contagious around the Giants’ clubhouse, despite how San Francisco was performing on the field.

But the Giants need more than just good vibes to compete in the NL West and get back to winning baseball.

Adames is up for the challenge.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

MLB Rumors: Austin Hays and the Chicago White Sox are in agreement on a one year, $6 million deal, per reports.

The Rangers were among a number of teams that were in on Hays, per Jon Heyman, and we talked about him earlier in the week in our write-up on available righthanded platoon DH/bench bat options. The 30 year old Hays is going to a team that is not expected to be a contender in 2026, but which gives him an opportunity to play every day. If he performs well, he most likely will get traded to a contender at the deadline anyway.

So the Rangers’ hunt for a platoon DH and righty bench bat continues. While Hays was a popular choice among folks here — and was apparently pursued by a number of teams — there are still players out there who could fit the bill, and with camps opening soon, guys who have been waiting to see if a full-time opportunity comes available will have to make some decisions.

Good morning, LSB.

The Rangers added another bat yesterday in the form of former first round pick Nick Pratto.

Former Rangers reliever David Robertson has decided to hang em up.

MLB dot com has a list of 13 “eye-popping” predictions for 2026 which includes one for Jacob deGrom.

And The Athletic has a Q&A with Team USA manager and former Ranger Mark DeRosa on how the roster is shaping up before the World Baseball Classic.

That’s all for this morning. Have a good weekend!

Austin Hays is reportedly signing a one-year deal with the White Sox, according to numerous report. 

The Mets showed interest in Hays to help fill their outfield need before landing Luis Robert Jr. in a trade with Chicago.

New York could potentially still use another outfielder as currently constructed, but it’s unknown if they remained in on Hays after the Robert Jr. acquisition.  

Instead, the veteran goes to the White Sox to likely be his replacement.

Hays is coming off a strong year in which he hit .266 with 15 homers and 64 RBI over 103 games with the Reds. 

Starling Marte is available, but Mike Tauchman, Randal Grichuk, and Kiké Hernandez could also be potential fits for the Mets.  

After a season where the Mets missed the playoffs by as narrow a margin as they did, “what if” questions inevitably abound in the post mortem analysis. Of all of those “what if” questions, one that looms surprisingly large is, “What if Griffin Canning hadn’t ruptured his Achilles?” It feels strange typing those words because when the Mets signed Canning to a one-year, $4.25 million deal last offseason, no one envisioned he would play as large of a role on the team as he did.

After leading the league in earned runs in 2024 and getting traded by the Angels and then non-tendered by the Braves, Canning found himself with a job in the Mets’ rotation to begin the season because of injuries to Sean Manaea and Frankie Montas. Canning looked like an entirely different pitcher in spring training, posting a 1.88 ERA and striking out 22 batters in 14 1/3 innings—a far higher rate than his career norms and a higher rate than anyone else on the team in Grapefruit League action. At the time when Canning was in the running for the 2025 King of Spring Training contest, I wrote:

The Mets have refined Canning’s pitch mix, adding a two-seam sinker and bringing back a cutter he used to throw to serve as a weapon against lefties. Canning’s changeup ranked in the top 20 in run value among starters last season and the Mets hope that some tweaks in sequencing can improve his results. The results in spring training speak for themselves. Hopefully Canning is another David Stearns success story: not a sexy acquisition, but one that will help the Mets weather a 162-game season with inevitable pitching injuries.

A David Stearns success story is exactly what Canning turned out to be. Though he didn’t maintain quite the prolific strikeout rate of his small spring sample size, Canning did maintain his momentum overall to begin the season, putting up a 2.47 ERA through his first nine starts. He did that mostly on the back of that changeup, which hitters batted just .188 against in 2025, and via a 55.2% ground ball rate over those first nine starts. Metrics like SIERA, FIP, and xERA are less kind to Canning’s impressive start because of the amount of contact he gave up, but he gave the Mets exactly what they needed from him: the ability to weather the storm.

Canning’s early luck caught up with him a bit in the second half of May and into June, over which he put up a 5.50 ERA in 34 1/3 innings, seeing his walk rate spike. Canning never got the chance to right the ship. On June 26, he suffered a non-contact injury, crumpling to the ground after stepping off the mound. It didn’t look good at the time and eventually testing confirmed the worst: a ruptured Achilles tendon that would require surgery and cost him the rest of the season.

It was truly a shame for both the Mets and for Canning. Canning lost out on the chance to parlay what was shaping up to be a renaissance season into a possible multi-year deal. As of this writing, Canning is still a free agent, though he has drawn interest from multiple teams, including the Mets. However, given the injury, the chances that Canning’s next contract is richer than the one earned in 2025 are slim. Meanwhile, the Mets lost what turned out to be, on balance, an above average starting pitcher from their rotation. All told, Canning ended up with a 3.77 ERA and a 107 ERA+ in 76 1/3 innings across 16 starts. Given the amount the Mets signed Canning for and the expectations of him entering the season, even this injury-shortened campaign was absolutely a bargain. But when one looks at what happened to the Mets from June 26 onward, the “what if” question inevitably creeps in. The starting rotation was the chief area of the team that failed down the stretch. Because of injuries and ineffectiveness, the Mets were forced to rely upon their young arms to mixed success. One can’t help but wonder if Canning simply xeroxing his first half output in the second half would have been enough to eke out that one extra win the Mets needed to make the playoffs in 2025. In that alternate universe, the resurgence of Griffin Canning and the successful transition of Clay Holmes to the starting rotation are heralded as victories by David Stearns and the Mets’ pitching apparatus that inspire confidence for 2026.

C’est la vie. Instead, we live in a universe where the outcome of the Frankie Montas signing and uncertainty surrounding Sean Manaea and Kodai Senga leave some lingering apprehension, despite the morale boost that was the Freddy Peralta trade. However, Canning’s story—injury-shortened or not—is reason for optimism; it is likely he did enough in 2025 to be given a chance by someone to prove it was not a fluke, despite the warning signs of regression. But it is unlikely that team will be the Mets unless a trade that subtracts from the current group of big league starters is still in the works.

Hello friends and happy Saturday! It’s the last day of January and spring training kicks off next month. As the offseason begins to wrap up, here’s the latest.

In Mariners news…

• On a recent radio appearance, Jerry Dipoto said he “wouldn’t say it’s likely at this point” that the Mariners bring back Eugenio Suárez.

Around the league…

• The A’s continued their spending spree, agreeing to a seven-year, $70M extension with young shortstop Jacob Wilson.
• The White Sox have signed outfielder Austin Hays to a one-year, $6M contract.
• Former Mariners utilityman Dylan Moore signed a minor league deal with the Phillies.
• Longtime righty reliever David Robertson announced his retirement.
• The Twins agreed to a “mutual parting of ways” with president of baseball operations Derek Falvey.
• MLB Network named its top 10 active center fielders in the sport, with Julio Rodríguez taking the crown.

Jaylon Thompson writes about what the Royals could do with their pitching staff.

KC is thin behind Lynch and Strahm for left-handers on the 40-man roster. It’s possible the front office decides to add someone before spring training. It’s imperative to have quality lefties as depth pieces and to offset injuries.

The Royals could convert some of their starting pitchers into long-relief help. One name to watch is left-hander Bailey Falter . He has some experience working in the bullpen, having made appearances with the Royals in 2025, and is still under contract.

David Lesky considers the players invited to spring training.

This is generally where the young players go, so it’s an easy look. AJ Causey and Dennis Colleran were prospects I mentioned recently who could debut in 2026. They are both absolutely making a case for a spot in the bullpen later this year when camp opens up. I think Shane Panzini is as well and I think Frank Mozzicato is too, though there’s an argument to be made that he belongs in a fourth category of a first-round pick that they just want to get a look at to see if he actually has a chance to even be depth in the big leagues.

Two of the more interesting pitchers on the list are Hunter Patteson and Chazz Martinez. I think they’re interesting because they’re kind of sneaky. They’re a little older, both 26, but neither has been mentioned much. Martinez was dominant in AA before struggling in AAA, but he struck out 45 and walked 11 in 43.2 innings in AA. He’s a lefty and they could use a strong lefty reliever. Patteson is also a lefty and he was dominant in high-A as a starter with a 1.99 ERA in 13 starts. I could see a shift to the bullpen there.

Pete Grathoff writes that MLB Network host Brian Kenny raved about Bobby Witt Jr., who they ranked #1 among shortstops.

“No. 1, yes, Bobby Witt Jr. He has emerged as one of the leading superstars in the sport,” Kenny said. “While the behemoths rule the coasts — that’s Ohtani and Judge — Bobby Witt owns the Heartland. He followed up his breakout year by playing 157 games, slugging a robust .501. Stealing 38 bases, playing stellar defense. He was a whopping plus-20. Plus-20! In fielding (run value). I’m throwing these absurd numbers out there. Plus-20.

“Witt is going into his age 26 season, and we now have two years of dominance. Best batting average, slugging, OPS+ at the position, and No. 1 defensively, as measured by the Statcast defensive metric, that’s fielding run value. Put it all together in WAR, that’s what No. 1 looks like.”

Philip Ruo at Royals Keep also breaks down the non-roster invitee list.

The Rangers sign former Royals first baseman Nick Pratto.

The Athletics sign Jacob Wilson to a seven-year, $70 million contract.

The Twins part ways with head of baseball operations Derek Falvey.

The Braves sign pitcher Martín Pérez to a minor league deal.

Teams are still in on free agent Zac Gallen.

The Orioles are interested in free agent Lucas Giolito.

What will the Red Sox do with their infield?

How the Driveline facilities help MLB hitters.

Is there still value in platoons?

Baseball America lists Kansas as a team to watch in college baseball this year.

The NFL salary cap will be over $300 million this season.

Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn crashed and injured her left knee.

Who was the only person to win an Olympic medal and a Nobel prize?

Amazon will close all its Amazon Fresh retail stores.

A first look at the actors who will play each member of The Beatles in upcoming biopics.

Your song of the day is Count Five with Psychotic Reaction.

Robbie Ray confident Giants making right offseason moves to compete in 2026 originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Robbie Ray feels confident in the Giants heading into the 2026 MLB season.

After missing the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year in 2025, Buster Posey and Co. stuck to their promise of addressing pitching while making a big splash last week to improve San Francisco’s defense.

The Giants signed right-hand pitchers Tyler Mahle and Adrian Houser earlier this winter to bolster their rotation, and on Monday, added Gold Glove outfielder Harrison Bader into the mix.

These moves alone reassure Ray that the team is headed in the right direction.

“We’ve made some additions this offseason, picking up Harrison Bader, excellent centerfielder,” Ray told the media Saturday at Giants FanFest in Sacramento. “We’re making the moves to make this team really good.”

In 125 combined innings pitched with the Chicago White Sox and Tampa Bay Rays last season, Houser went 8-5 and posted a 3.31 ERA with 92 strikeouts and 38 walks.

Mahle has dealt with a handful of injuries through his career, and in 86 2/3 innings pitched for the Texas Rangers in 2025, he posted a 6-4 record with 66 strikeouts, 29 walks and a 2.18 ERA.

Mahle and Houser will join a rotation with Ray, Landen Roupp and Logan Webb.

“The two guys we added, I’ve seen them throughout their career. They’ve had some success, so it’s going to be a fun year,” Ray said. “We got some really good guys in the rotation. Obviously, Webby, you know what you can count on when he goes out there. But the new guys we added, I think they’re exciting players. Houser had a great year last year. Mahle, a few injuries last year but still had a great year.

“So for me, I think those guys round out our rotation pretty well.”

Last but not least, Ray is excited to have Bader’s defensive services on the Giants.

Especially for a team emphasizing winning with pitching and defense.

“Obviously, Bader is an excellent outfielder. I think Jung Hoo [Lee], when he was in Korea, he was in rightfield. So there’s going to be a little bit more comfortability there for him. I think just in general, making that move is going to help out our defense for sure.”

Only time will tell, but Ray is approaching the new campaign with the utmost confidence.

Download and follow the Giants Talk Podcast

I write three or four posts a week for this site, so I will beg an indulgence in this one. Writing in the offseason is challenging, especially when the Yankees adopt the “run it back” strategy they seem to have this year. There are endless rumors, smoke with little to no fire, and occasionally debates about who will get inducted in the Hall of Fame.

This winter has been particularly tough, in many ways because the free agent market never really seemed to fit the Yankees. Last year it felt like a very real bidding war existed between the Yankees and Mets for Juan Soto, but with the exception of Cody Bellinger, who it always seemed like was inevitable, there really didn’t seem like anyone on the market was a good match — especially given their apparent disinterest in Kyle Tucker, one offseason after nearly trading for him. We still talked about them because we had to talk about something, but it’s been a slog and I’m glad we’re just 11 days from spring training.

Looking ahead though, we seem to have to diverging paths over the next couple of winters, and neither of them make me that excited. For my own complaints that this winter was difficult to get through, next year represents a stark choice between two bad options. The free agency class is weak, with Tarik Skubal atop the table but perhaps unlikely to be a Yankee target given Hal Steinbrenner’s hesitance to splurge on less familiar players, and Jazz Chisholm Jr. the next-best option. I like Jazz a lot, but there’s just not that much buzz, or font for writing, about a cohort where he’s the second-best available player.

The other big offseason thought generator, the Hall of Fame, is also in a bit of a down cycle. Next year, Buster Posey is the only notable new name to the ballot and I do think he will get in, but there’s no Albert Pujols or similar Player of the Era for a couple more years (Jon Lester joins the ballot as well next year, but he’s definitely someone who would immediately get in). Chase Utley may very well find himself getting enough votes for enshrinement, and from a Yankee perspective, Félix Hernández is seriously trending upward as well, and Andy Pettitte has seen his vote share increase over time — but there’s really not much else to say.

Then again, the other path is perhaps worse. We’re staring down the most likely work stoppage in a generation, with ownership reportedly ready to hold firm on a salary cap, and the MLBPA equally determined to not cross that red line. With disruptions in regional broadcasting networks and the increasing financial bifurcation between teams that spend and teams that don’t, it feels near-inevitable that we’ll lose some baseball, even if a full season’s cancellation still seems unlikely to me.

Collective bargaining negotiations will dominate coverage of the next offseason, but boy I’m not looking forward to talking about it. There will be a great deal of grandstanding, I don’t trust the PA to be able to effectively message around the issue, and the likes of Bob Nutting and Bill DeWitt will shed the wettest crocodile tears you’ve ever seen. The two paths ahead of us for 2026/27 are a skull-numbing lack of interesting things to talk about, or fret about the very future of the sport.

Spring training is just around the corner. I may end up enjoying it much more than usual.

San Diego Padres centerfielder Jackson Merrill had a difficult sophomore season in the majors. A hamstring injury and a concussion severely impacted his ability to stay on the field, which in turn hurt his overall number.  However, as the 2025 season ended, Merrill got hot and showed signs of regaining his 2024 form that saw him finish in second place for National League Rookie of the Year. Even with a down season, the expectations for Merrill are high. He was picked as the fourth best centerfielder in the game by MLB Network on the Top 10 Center Fielders, Friday. Merrill slotted behind Julio Rodriguez (Seattle Mariners), Wyatt Langford (Texas Rangers) and Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins.

Padres News:

• Spring Training is less than two weeks away and one of the top free agent pitchers, Framber Valdez, remains unsigned. Mark Feinsand of MLB.com lists his options of teams that could sign the left-hander, and he lists the Padres as one of those teams.
• Mason Milller came to San Diego from the Athletics at the 2025 trade deadline and wasted no time becoming a fan favorite. His mix of velocity and control was something that made Padres fans pay attention every time he came into the game. Jeff Sanders of the San Diego Union-Tribune says Miller is the unquestioned closer in the bullpen for 2026 following the departure of Robert Suarez.
• Members of the Padres baseball team went to various schools and other places for their Padres Community Tour, which allowed the players to meet with various kids and fans to say thank you for their support and the get those same kids and fans fired up for the 2026 season.

Baseball News:

• The New York Yankees have taken criticism from their fans for their lack of activity prior to their reunion with Cody Bellinger. That appears to have been just the beginning as it was reported the Yankees are showing interest in Paul Goldschmidt and Nick Martinez.
• Former Yankees reliever David Robertson announced his retirement from MLB after 19 seasons in the league.
• The Kansas City Royals and their first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino avoided an arbitration after agreeing to a two-year contract worth more than $11 million, which could get close to $16 million.
• The Athletics continue to lock up a core group of players before they move into their new stadium in Las Vegas. The team announced a seven-year, $70 million extension with shortstop Jacob Wilson with a club option for 2033.

The Royals avoided a potential arbitration hearing with first baseman Vinnie Pasquantino, signing him to a two-year deal Friday that will pay him $11 million and potentially up to $16 million with incentives, according to MLB.com reporter Anne Rogers.

NEWS: Vinnie Pasquantino and the #Royals are in agreement on a two-year contract to avoid arbitration, sources tell https://t.co/Ivs9s9EIaV. It's worth more than $11 million guaranteed and can max out close to $16 million with incentives.

— Anne Rogers (@anne__rogers) January 30, 2026

Pasquantino had filed for arbitration for the first time, requesting a $4.5 million salary while the Royals had countered with $4 million. The contract covers his salary for 2026 and 2027. He would be eligible for arbitration again before the 2028 season, and would be eligible for free agency after that season.

Pasquantino reached career highs in several offensive categories in 2025, hitting .264/.323/.475, and his 32 home runs were the eighth-most in the American League, while he finished third with 113 RBI. He played in all but two games last year, and he was a finalist for a Silver Slugger Award at first base.

Pasquantino had expressed some fears about going to an arbitration hearing, posting on social media that, “I’m about to go into a room and hear how awful I am…” A typical hearing will feature the player making the case for why he compares favorably with similar players that make the salary he is requesting, while the team argues the player is not quite as good, with the arbitration panel selecting one side or the other, not a number in the middle.

The Royals still have one remaining arbitration case with Kris Bubic. He has asked for $6.15 million while the team has offered $5.15 million.