Category: Baseball

The buzz out of Spring Training camp today came from the news that Bryce Eldridge will get some work out in left field. The Giants’ San Francisco Chronicle beat writer Shayna Rubin has the full breadth of the story summed up in this social media post:

Well, that’s a sweet capper to the story and I hope there’s a follow-up question in a couple of days asking what treat or gift his mom packed along with the glove.

But the news is not a total shocker. Eldridge began his pro career getting some time in right field for the ACL Giants and San Jose Giants. He was also a pitcher. So, you know, he’s an athlete. And he’s just 21 years old. Trying him around the diamond — especially during Spring Training — just makes a lot of sense.

Rafael Devers ought to be slated as the starting first baseman specifically because he’s just 29 years old. Having lived through my twenties and now thirties, I have to say that people should wring as much physical activity out of their twenties as possible. I am of the belief that Devers’ 1,270 games at third base makes him a great candidate to play most of the time at first base, and while he wasn’t amazing last season in the brief sampling he had with the Giants, he looked physically capable over there. Penciling him in there for the bulk of the work makes all the sense in the world. Rafael Devers isn’t baseball young and not nearly as young Eldridge, but he’s still young, so use the youth!

The Devers situation makes the Giants’ decision to callup Bryce Eldridge at the end of 2025 all the more questionable. He was already struggling at first base in the minor leagues. The team didn’t put him in the outfield after 2023. On top of that, he didn’t need to be added to the 40-man roster until after the 2027 season. So now, the Giants find themselves with the unenviable task of having to develop a 21-year old position player.

Developing position players of any age has been tough for the franchise since their move to San Francisco and it’s not a scenario any reasonable person should expect to work out well, even if you are feeling generous towards the Giants. Most prospects don’t pan out. There are already whispers that Eldridge isn’t going to be close to the player the Giants had hoped for — unless you want to discount Eno Sarris entirely.

There was already a lot of hype for and pressure on Eldridge, but with the September callup it would appear the Giants have transferred that pressure from the player and onto themselves. Maybe almost entirely. The Giants are tying up a roster spot on a 21 year old DH/1B unless Tony Vitello college coaches him up to being a good enough defender to be flexible for left field, too. That doesn’t seem like a guarantee, not only because Vitello has a whole roster to worry about, but because he’s aware that Eldridge is still very much a prospect. In response to a question about him being on the Opening Day roster, Vitello said of Eldridge:

It’s amazing that he was able to accomplish what he did last year but for right now I think he’s just got to mature as a player. He’s incredibly mature as a kid. But repetitions and conversations and just maturing so that he’s a complete player I think is the key to him becoming the best version of himself. And if he becomes the best version of himself […] he’s around the Giants pretty danged often and maybe even Opening Day.

So, now the Giants have to find field time for him to keep him in the lineup to see if he’ll hit his way onto the Opening Day roster. If he does, then that means the Giants have a meaningful power threat in their lineup. They also set themselves up for an extra draft pick through the Prospect Promotion Incentive. If it doesn’t work out it might become a reflection on the player down the road (especially if Eno Sarris’s prediction proves correct), but let’s not forget that the Giants have rushed him along because he’s the one prospect in several years that the industry has mostly agreed is a good one and has the type of (theoretical) power the lineup has sorely lacked since the championship era.

The other part of this that I think is worth exploring is what happens if Eldridge does stick and proves capable in left field. What happens with the outfield then? Does Jung Hoo Lee get more time in center than Buster Posey envisioned when they signed Harrison Bader? Does Heliot Ramos DH a lot more? All of that would seem to fall in “good problem to have” territory, but I can’t imagine Eldridge’s defensive ceiling being enough to supplant any of the current options, even if the bat plays. But at the same time, an outfield of Eldridge, Lee, and Ramos sounds, uh, pretty good — if all three hit to their expectations. I would hope that the Giants are trying to see if there’s something to Eldridge in the outfield that can actually stick, because making a 6’7” left-handed power hitter some sort of utility player strikes me as something that would’ve been condemned by most of the fandom had it been the plan of the previous front office, and it doesn’t seem like making a prospect positionless puts a prospect in the best position to succeed.

Eldridge could wind up as a left-handed Aaron Judge, who didn’t become AARON JUDGE until his age-25 season. So, development isn’t linear and it usually takes a decent amount of time. I’m not sure where “finding extra playing time for a prospect who has been rushed through the minors” falls, exactly. Is it evidence of desperation and they’re just trying to find something that makes him fit on the roster or are they simply trying to give him as many reps against major league competition as possible to aid in his development?

Well, that’s why we true baseball sickos watch Spring Training: to find out.

Nick Castellanos’ days in Philadelphia appear numbered. 

The veteran outfielder remains on the Phillies’ roster, “but there is no locker in the clubhouse for him,” per The Athletic’s Matt Gelb. 

The Phillies told the 33-year-old outfielder “not to report to the team’s complex this week,” Gelb added, as they look to get off his contract. 

Castellanos is expected to be traded or released “in the next two days.”

It’s been a long winter for Castellanos, who was reportedly on his way out of Philly in October shortly after the team was eliminated by the Dodgers in the National League Division Series. 

That was all but confirmed after the Phillies signed Adolis Garcia, leaving little room for a player like Castellanos on a roster full of other slow-footed sluggers like Bryce Harper and Kyle Schwarber. 

Last season, Castellanos, who turns 34 next month, posted full-season lows with a .250 average and an on-base percentage of .294.

The two-time All-Star also posted a career-worst negative-1.0 WAR.

He is due $20 million in 2026 in the fifth and final year of his $100 million pact with the Phillies. 

Castellanos also appeared to be butting heads with manager Rob Thomson during the season. 

After Castellano was pulled from a late August game for the slick-fielding Harrison Bader, he appeared to call out Thomson, saying there was “no conversation” about the move. 

In June, Castellanos was benched one game for an “inappropriate comment” to Thomson after getting taken out of a game against the Marlins. 

Castellanos has consistently ranked as one of the worst outfielders in baseball, sitting in a tie for last with Schwarber in terms of outs above average (minus-39) over the past five seasons.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman recently pushed back on the popular notion of "running it back" in 2026, arguing their latest roster -- fully stocked with familiar names and faces from a brief ALDS exit last season -- has the requisite makeup of a championship contender.

But the months-long argument about Cashman's architectural work and attitude means very little to Jazz Chisholm Jr. Whether or not the club is truly starting fresh with a rotten plan, he's on board with the group assembled and unbothered by the front office direction.

"We're running it back because, at the halfway point, we thought we built a team that was going to go to the World Series," the Yankees infielder said on Wednesday down in Tampa. "We still believe that, wholeheartedly. I don't see a problem with running it back with four MVPs on your team."

Not too long ago, Chisholm's future with the Yankees was somewhat in doubt. He was mentioned in base-level trade rumors during the offseason, and while he avoided arbitration last month with a one-year, $10.2 million contract, he's currently slated for free agency after the 2026 season.

It's still unclear if the Yankees envision a long-term relationship with Chisholm, but the two-time All-Star is coming off a highlight year. As their primary second baseman, he slashed .242/.332/.481 with a career-high 31 home runs and 31 stolen bases in 130 games, finishing as one of just seven players to produce a 30-30 campaign in 2025. He also earned Silver Slugger honors.

When asked about his personal goals for 2026, Chisholm set the bar rather high -- with his own twist on the "running it back" topic.

"Basically, the same personal goals I have every season. Go out there, win MVP, and go win a World Series," he said. "I can make as much money as I want, but if I don't have the MVP, I'm not going to be satisfied. That's more important than that."

Yankees pitchers and catchers officially reported to camp on Wednesday, and the first full-squad workout of spring training is scheduled for Thursday. 

Zack Wheeler appears to be a fan of spare ribs.

The Phillies ace and former Mets starter revealed Wednesday that he kept a rib that doctors removed during a September procedure on his right shoulder.

Wheeler hit the injured list last August with a blood clot in his “upper extremity” near the right shoulder before being diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome.

The 35-year-old ultimately underwent two separate procedures.

“You have to do a bunch of stuff to [the rib], so I guess it doesn’t decay,” Wheeler told reporters at BayCare Park in Clearwater, Fla., noting that Phillies head trainer Paul Buchheit helped “preserve” the bone.

“I just have it sitting in the house.”

The first procedure was thrombolysis performed by Dr. Paul DiMuzio at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in late August. Weeks later, he underwent thoracic outlet decompression surgery with Dr. Robert Thompson in St. Louis, per The Athletic.

The second surgery required the removal of his first rib near the right shoulder.

Zack Wheeler casually admits he has his rib just chillin' in his closet. pic.twitter.com/z97DN2fZqK

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) February 11, 2026

Wheeler, who spent his first five MLB seasons with the Amazin’s, was asked exactly where the rib resides now that he has it.

“It’s in my closet,” a laughing Wheeler said. “It’s just in a case.”

The right-hander said Dr. Thompson typically waits about a month before returning surgically removed body parts to patients, but expedited the process in his case.

“He gave it to me in a bag,” Wheeler added. “It was pretty gross.”

The blood clot and subsequent TOS procedure were a scary ordeal, but Wheeler’s recovery is going well.

While Wheeler will not be ready by Opening Day, team president Dave Dombrowski expects the three-time All-Star to be ready soon thereafter.

“I don’t think it’s going to be long that he’ll be ready,” Dombrowski said Tuesday, according to The Athletic.

Before the injury, Wheeler was in the midst of another spectacular season, sporting a 10-5 record with a 2.71 ERA in 24 starts.

Wheeler will be vital to the Phillies’ postseason aspirations, but his days in Philadelphia appear numbered.

Months before the blood clot, Wheeler said he would retire at the end of the three-year, $126 million extension he signed in March 2024 — even if he’s still an elite pitcher.

“Doesn’t matter. No,” Wheeler said at the time. “It’ll be easy to walk away.”

The desert sun hasn’t even fully stretched over Camelback Ranch yet, and Yoshinobu Yamamoto is already working on his follow-through.

Not on a bullpen mound. On a tee box.

As Dodgers pitchers and catchers report to spring training this Friday, video surfaced of the 2025 World Series MVP taking smooth, deliberate cuts on an Arizona golf course. The right-hander’s swing—compact, explosive, balanced—looks eerily familiar. The torque through his hips mirrors the whip in his delivery. The finish is pure Yamamoto, and it put’s Charles Barkley’s golf swing to shame.

“Our MVP has an amazing golf swing as well!” one Dodgers fan raved on Reddit, summing up what the internet quickly decided—Yamamoto doesn’t really do anything halfway.

Of course, he’s not alone. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts is a known golf addict. Catcher Will Smith and shortstop Mookie Betts can often be found chasing birdies from Scottsdale to Southern California when the schedule allows. A Yamamoto-Roberts-Smith-Betts foursome suddenly feels inevitable, a World Series-caliber scramble waiting to happen.

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Last October, Yamamoto owned the biggest stage in baseball. He went 3-0 in the 2025 World Series, allowing just two runs across 17.2 innings. He threw a complete game in Toronto in Game 2. He forced a Game 7 with a Game 6 victory. Then, on no rest, he delivered 2.2 scoreless innings of relief in Game 7 to secure the title—and his MVP trophy.

Now he’s chasing fairways instead of fastballs.

The Dodgers have reloaded with Edwin Diaz and Kyle Tucker, but Mariners superstar Julio Rodriguez isn’t exactly shaking in his spikes over the way Los Angeles has retooled this offseason.

The Seattle outfielder chatted with The California Post during Super Bowl week, and while he said he admired the way the Dodgers approached free agency after winning their second-straight World Series title, he likes the Mariners’ chances against the MLB’s overwhelming 2026 favorite.

“I think we’re going to size up really well on the field,” Rodriguez said of how the Mariners match up with LA. “That’s where we’ll do all the talk.”

The Dodgers return almost every key player from their championship roster, including Shohei Ohtani, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts and World Series MVP Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

On top of that, they opened up their wallet to lock in Diaz and Tucker, giving them a lineup that former MLB player Eric Chavez said “might be the best team ever constructed.”

But Rodriguez said out in San Francisco that he’s welcoming of the challenge, should the Dodgers ultimately stand in the way of the Mariners earning their own ring.

“I think they’re doing something good,” Rodriguez said. “I feel like they’re investing where they need to invest. They want to be able to compete. I think it’s going to be really exciting to face them this next season.”

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As for whether or not the Dodgers’ spending should lead to a salary cap, Rodriguez said he’s merely in favor of anything that will grow the game.

Rodriguez’s Mariners nearly played Los Angeles for the 2025 Commissioner’s Trophy, but they fell one game short.

The Blue Jays ended up taking them out of the postseason with a 4-3 victory in Game 7 of the ALCS.

The Dodgers then went out to beat Toronto in seven games to claim the championship.

The Cincinnati Reds officially reunited with Eugenio Suárez last week, adding the proven slugger to the lineup that the entire baseball world knew they needed. Whether or not he’ll play the position he’s played almost every day for the last ten years remains to be seen, but his bat will be in the lineup in some form or fashion most every time the Reds suit up.

The addition of Suárez wasn’t perfect, per se. Spencer Steer and Sal Stewart and Ke’Bryan Hayes and JJ Bleday will all see their paths to 700 PA impacted because of it, as this roster has beaucoup moving parts and nary a truly ‘established’ position player at one everyday spot outside of Elly De La Cruz. That’s perfectly fine, though, because a) said flexibility of the rest of the roster and b) the inevitability that some folks penciled-in now will miss some time for something.

The same can be said for the starting rotation at the moment, really. The impact of full seasons from Chase Burns and Rhett Lowder (and Brandon Williamson and Julian Aguiar) should, in theory, have every bit the boost of impact as bringing in Suárez offensively. That’s four starting options already, and that’s on top of Hunter Greene, Andrew Abbott, Nick Lodolo, and Brady Singer – a cadre that’s the envy of every franchise in the sport right now.

The old rule of chucking the ball from the mound still holds true, regardless – you can never have too much pitching depth. Just last year, for instance, the Reds had every single one of those names within the organization as well and still needed Nick Martinez to throw 165.2 IP (and make 26 starts). They still needed to trade for Zack Littell at the deadline and hand him 10 starts. Chase Petty and Carson Spiers each started twice, and the club nutured the return of veteran Wade Miley into a trio of appearances (and a pair of starts himself).

It’s Miley, in particular, that prompted this post. This time a year ago he was a veteran familiar with the staff and the club, a guy working his way through some things – injuries, age, rust – and leaned into signing with a club where there was both familiarity and upside. He was a bargain-bin veteran, a reclamation project, a potential ‘flip’ or ‘lightning in a bottle’ candidate – he was every single catch-phrase we’ve come to learn as Reds fans, though this time he was precisely that without being someone on who they had to lean.

For years, a guy like that would’ve been brought in and been thrust into a key role as soon as physically possible, even if that was despite not being physically capable. Though things didn’t go swimmingly for Wade last year, the fact is that the Reds got him for depth, didn’t need him in any real urgency, and spent their money on a little lottery ticket that didn’t have to hit big for them to have a chance at the postseason.

That’s the one real thing I do not yet see in Reds camp this year. They haven’t brought in anyone from outside the organization who has done it before, done it well, not done it recently, but maybe, just maybe, could be tweaked in a way that would unlock their ability to do it again. It wouldn’t need to be on Opening Day, per se. It wouldn’t need to be throwing 6 innings every fifth day right away, either. Ideally, it could be in a fashion akin to Martinez last year – a guy who can be a reliever and good at it, or slide into the rotation and chomp innings when the situation comes up.

Anyone who fits that role and is still on the market right now most definitely has their flaws. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t be unsigned, nor would we be talking about them as if they were only really to be leaned upon in a break glass in case of emergency scenario – or, unless they came into camp and showed they’d figured out what had put them so down in the first place and threw their way right back into the discussion.

There is one name out there that has kept popping into my head that ticks a lot of these boxes, though.

He’s twice been an All Star, won a World Series, and twice finished in the Top 10 of Cy Young Award voting. He’s also had major elbow surgery, missed a year, and pitched to just a 5.10 ERA (5.62 FIP) with a trio of franchises in his most recent two seasons. Still just 31 years old, he also grew up a Reds fan in Reds Country, and even was part of Derek Johnson’s final recruiting class at Vanderbilt before Johnson moved to the pro ranks to coach – a class that included the likes of Carson Fulmer, Matt Olson, and Dansby Swanson, among others.

That guy is Lexington, Kentucky’s own Walker Buehler.

Now, I do not know if his camp is holding out for a guaranteed spot in some team’s starting rotation. I do not know if he and his agent have priced themselves out of what remains of Cincinnati’s budget. I do also realize those ugly stats I’ve mentioned since he had TJ and missed the 2023 season, and that his average fastball velocity in 2025 (94.1 mph) was down from the upper 96 mph territory it sat during his heyday before surgery.

I also do not know if he’s willing to wait into the season to see what teams get smashed by the injury bug and suddenly need him more than they do now.

What I do know, though, is that he’s pretty much exactly the kind of guy that would be nice to have around if, say, Williamson and Aguiar – both coming off their own Tommy John surgeries – don’t come back exactly the way they were before just yet. He’d be the kind of guy you’d like Johnson to work with and maybe, just maybe, rediscover enough form to take innings off Burns and Lowder to keep them fresh down the stretch. And while you hope he’d come in off the heap and land running the way Dan Straily did back in the day, he’d come into the team this time in a way more like Miley in that if it simply didn’t work out both sides could move on without denting the roster too badly at all.

We’ve reached the point of the offseason where some team is going to do it, and rightfully so. It sure does make a lot of sense for that club to be the Reds.

Well, the Washington Nationals have made a free agent signing. It is not exactly a sexy addition, but according to Jake Mintz of Yahoo Sports the Nats have signed Miles Mikolas. The 37 year old Mikolas had been with the St. Louis Cardinals since 2018. At his peak, he was a solid mid rotation starter but now he is a true innings eater.

Nats are signing veteran SP Miles Mikolas, sources tell Yahoo Sports.

— Jake Mintz (@Jake_Mintz) February 11, 2026

This is not going to be a pretty season for the Nats pitching staff, and they need bodies to soak up innings. That is exactly what Mikolas can do. Mikolas has thrown at least 155 innings every season since 2022, and has made at least 31 starts every year in that time. The results have not been amazing in that time, with a 4.51 ERA over the last four years, but he takes the ball every fifth day.

After a disastrous 2024, where Mikolas posted a 5.35 ERA, he bounced back slightly in 2025. He posted a 4.84 ERA in 31 starts last year. Mikolas is a control first starter. He has walked less than two batters per 9 innings for his career. That allows him to go deep into games and give his team a chance to win. Since 2022, he is tied for the second most starts by a pitcher.

Mikolas, 37, had a 4.84 in 31 starts for the Cardinals last year. He's tied for the second most starts in MLB over the last four seasons.

Nats now have a second player older than their new manager, Blake Butera.

— Jake Mintz (@Jake_Mintz) February 11, 2026

This is obviously not a flashy addition, and I think there were more interesting innings eating options available. However, he can be a mentor for the young pitchers and take the ball every fifth day. I cannot say I am exactly excited by this news, but I understand the appeal I guess.

Maybe Simon Mathews can do something to help him out, but old dogs like this do not really learn new tricks. One potential option could be to just really trim his 4-seam fastball usage, but he does not really have a standout secondary pitch either. This really is just the epitome of an innings eater.

Mikolas actually does have some history with the Nats. Back in the 2019 playoffs, he and Juan Soto had a bit of a feud over the Soto shuffle. Mikolas was not a fan of the move, and when he got Soto out, he grabbed his crotch as retribution. So, there is that.

Juan Soto and Miles Mikolas grab their junk at each other, a breakdown pic.twitter.com/jgt2g9MgXU

— Jomboy (@Jomboy_) October 12, 2019

I am not a massive fan of this move because I do not see any real upside, but someone has to eat those innings. With Mikolas in the fold, I wonder how the rotation will look. Before his addition, the rotation consisted of Cade Cavalli, Josiah Gray, Brad Lord, Jake Irvin and Foster Griffin. It will be interesting to see which one of those five get the boot.

Lord was much more effective in a relief role last season, so that could be the plan. Gray’s spot will be dependent on how he looks this spring. He has missed a lot of time due to injury and we will have to see what his stuff looks like. In a rotation full of question marks, the Nats now have a proven commodity in Miles Mikolas.

Previous Winner

Nathan Flewelling, C
19 | L/R | 6’2” | 200
A | .229/.393/.336 (126 wRC+) 439 PA, 6 HR, 9 SB, 20.3% BB, 27.6% K
A+ | 22 PA, 4 H, 5 BB, 6 K

The 94th overall pick from 2024, Flewelling made his debut at 18 years young and caught a full season (75 C, 26 DH), plus a five game cup of coffee (3 C, 2 DH). Taking the longview, he could grow into 50-60 grade power with 50 grade defense, which makes him one to follow. His plus zone awareness at the plate offsets his lagging contact, and most importantly for the position his ability to call games and frame pitches are already plus. A strong season with the bat at High-A could vault him into Top-100 consideration.

Rank	Player	Position	Votes	Total	Percentage	Last Season
1	Carson Williams	SS	14	25	56%	1
2	Brody Hopkins	RHP	19	25	76%	8
3	Jacob Melton	OF	14	28	50%	NA
4	Theo Gillen	OF	14	26	54%	13
5	Ty Johnson	RHP	12	25	48%	15
6	Daniel Pierce	SS	13	23	57%	NA
7	Jadher Areinamo	INF	15	28	54%	NA
8	TJ Nichols	RHP	13	28	46%	NR
9	Michael Forret	RHP	8	33	24%	NA
10	Santiago Suarez	RHP	11	30	37%	16
11	Anderson Brito	RHP	7	28	25%	NA
12	Xavier Isaac	1B	9	28	32%	3
13	Caden Bodine	C	10	25	40%	NA
14	Brendan Summerhill	OF	11	27	41%	NA
15	Slater de Brun	OF	10	25	40%	NA
16	Nathan Flewelling	C	8	26	31%	NR

Made a judgement call in Testers and am adding Cooper Flemming from the 2025 draft. It would be helpful for folks to add votes in Testers if you have an opinion on the next candidate profile! And remember, if you don’t see who you want to vote for, put them in Others.

Candidates

Jackson Baumeister, RHP
23 | 6’4” | 224
AA | 4.62 ERA, 4.15 FIP (15 GS) 62.1 IP, 19.5% K, 9.6% BB
AFL | 6 ER (1 HR), 9.0 IP (4 G, 3 GS), 10 K, 9 BB

A shoulder injury derailed what should have been Baumeister’s coming out party, as his previously plus breaking ball was expected to carve up Double-A. After a tough start to the year and two months on the sidelines, Baumeister returned in August and salvaged the season with a brilliant finish. The tough luck continued, however, in the Arizona Fall League, where a line drive struck him in the head, but he escaped without significant injury. Currently, Baumeister has taken on a fastball/slutter profile, with a slow curve in his back pocket, and has shown teachability and pitchability over the years. The former Seminole currently thrives on his frequently used major league fastball that may be better challenged by a promotion to Triple-A.

Homer Bush Jr.
24 | R/R | 6’3” | 215
AA | .301/.375/.360 (122 wRC+) 546 PA, 0 HR, 57 SB, 8.8% BB, 17.9% K

Acquired in the 2024 Jason Adam trade, the starting center fielder at Double-A passed the test of advanced pitching, but just barely. He lacks in-game power due to a lack of use of his lower half in his swing, and he whiffed more often than you can for long term success with a low-power approach. His calling cards are Rays-grade defense and plus-speed, having notably swiped 57 bags in back-to-back seasons.

Cooper Flemming, SS
19 | L/R | 6’3” | 190

One of the best high school bats in the 2025 draft, Flemming surprisingly fell into the Rays laps in the second round. He has a too-quiet swing that lacks the load necessary to hit for power, but he’s historically compensated for that with a high contact rate that would have rated him as first round material if his defense projected to stick. The Rays were able to convince him to forgo an education at Vanderbilt by going above slot ($2.3m, Comp-A money).

Brailer Guerrero, OF
20 | L/R | 6’1” | 215
A | 249.338/.399 (119 wRC+) 222 PA, 6 HR, 9 SB, 11.3% BB, 29.3% K
AFL | 2 H, 0 HR, 2 SB, 3 BB, 16 K, 29 PA

Good news: the $3.7 million 2023 signee made the leap out of the complex league in his final teenage season. Bad News: He was injured yet again, with hamstring and knee injuries limiting him to 51 games for Charleston. The Rays tried to make up for lost time with an aggressive assignment to the AFL that resulted in only two hits in 29 plate appearances. He makes loud contact from a quick, quiet swing which he pre-loads by reaching back for even more power. He appears to make early decisions to swing, leading to a bit extra whiffs against anything off-speed, but that could easily clear up with some consistent playing time.

Trevor Harrison, RHP
20 | 6’4” | 225
A | 2.61 ERA, 3.26 FIP, 82.2 IP (17 GS), 22.4% K, 10.7% BB
A+ | 3.33 ERA, 4.26 FIP, 24.1 IP (5 GS), 23.8% K, 12.4% BB

Harrison entered the season as Baseball America’s top pitcher in the system thanks to a cleaned up delivery and high heat. He ran into some bumps in the road by running up his pitch count against batters, but he still made it over 100 innings in 22 starts. A power pitcher through and through, his hard slider flirts with cutter classification and could evolve into two distinct pitches down the road. It will be interesting to see how his change up plays as he’s challenged at higher levels, but for now he has premium stuff and the upside of a rotation anchor. (video)

OF Victor Mesa Jr.
24 | L/L | 5’11” | 195
AAA (MIA) | .301/.368/.510 (136 wRC+) 171 PA, 7 HR, 4 SB, 9.9% BB, 16.4% K
MLB (MIA) | 6 H (1 HR), 5 BB, 5 K (81 wRC+) 38 PA

This Cuban power bat already made his major league debut with Miami last year after bouncing back from a spring hamstring injury, and was dealt to the Rays in February. He profiles as a fourth outfielder but has an option remaining, so the organization may send him down for regular playing time and one last chance for something more in development. If not, he’s a center field capable on defense, which goes a long way for a platoon bat. In the running for the nicest guy in baseball.

Tre’ Morgan, 1B/LF
23 | L/L | 6’0” | 215
AAA | .274/.398/.412 (119 wRC+) 402 PA, 8 HR, 8 SB, 15.9% BB, 19.2% K

Morgan continued to hit without power in 2025, a great discouragement for some evaluators, but his present 50-grade hit tool and feel for the zone allow a major league projection. He continued his improved, quieter two-strike approach in 2025 that built on his success retooling his swing in the AFL last year. The Rays gave Morgan 14 starts in Left Field last season, and Baseball America called the defense “playable,” but his value is tied to his plus-plus defense at First.

Aidan Smith, OF
21 | R/R | 6’2” | 190
A+ | .237/.331/.388 (114 wRC+) 459 PA, 14 HR, 41 SB, 11.5% BB, 31.2% K

Acquired in the Arozarena trade, Smith became the prince who was promised, a five tool athlete with a strong bat, good face, and a preternatural glove in center field. That promise unraveled a bit in 2025, with his strikeout rate rocketing nine percent and his power stroke faltering after facing harder velocities in High-A, causing both his hit and power grades to drop into the 40’s. It was a full transformation into a “center field” profile, but with his ceiling that’s not a compliment. He plays with a fire, but the dip in contact rate left some evaluators feeling burned.

Brayden Taylor, 2B/3B
24 | L/R | 6’0” | 180
AA | .173/.289/.286 (77 wRC+) 437 PA, 8 HR, 17 SB, 14% BB, 27.7% K
AFL | .264/.400/.472 (.384 wOBA) 65 PA, 1 HR, 5 SB, 12 BB, 19 K

Taylor entered 2025 as a top-100 prospect after demolishing High-A (154 wRC+), and left 2025 as an afterthought on prospect lists, although he was selected as an Arizona Fall League “Fall Star” in between, where he worked to keep his chase rate low and his hard hit rate high. The juice must have been worth the squeeze, as the Rays have elected to invite Taylor to major league Spring Training this year.

Jose Urbina, RHP
20 | 6’3” | 180
A | 2.05 ERA, 3.58 FIP, 92.1 IP (19 GS), 26.4% K, 8.2% BB
A+ | 2 ER (2 HR), 4.0 IP (1 GS), 5 K, 0 BB

Good pitchers grow and adjust, and Urbina has done that consistently at an age young for his level. Physically he has grown in strength, sitting at 96 with the fastball after flashing high octane in 2024, and technically he has grown, refining his dialed up slider and his two-plane curveball into complementary pitches — which lack plus command but are thrown with feel. He shouldered a starter’s workload at 19, and was awarded one additional start at High-A, where he allowed two solo shots and struck out five. Overall, the age, body, and body of work have him on the trajectory of top prospect lists in the near future.

In this edition, we look at the Cubs’ Japanese southpaw.

Shōta Imanaga, the ‘throwing philosopher’, has been with the Cubs for two interesting seasons now. It’s impossible to say whether Shōta, the crafty lefty with fool-me stuff is going to start a given game, or if his alter ego ‘Mike’ will take the ball for as long as it stays in the park.

Imanaga was an All-Star in that splendid rookie campaign, going 15-3, 2.91, allowing 1.4 HR/9, with a strikeout an inning. in 2025, Mike took the ball far too often, and the erstwhile Ace went a thoroughly disappointing 9-8, 3.73, allowed 1.9 HR/9 and struck out 7.3 men per nine-inning stint. The difference was solo homers, more or less. He threw less of them in 2025. 3.0 bWAR, 1.5 bWar, consecutive years.

Most prediction systems see him as even more average than that, with ERAs in the low 4s and win totals of 8 or 9. At that point, I can see the Cubs cutting their losses with Imanaga and just putting Jordan Wicks out there, since that’s what you get from him and he’s way cheaper. Or say Jaxon Wiggins is armed and ready. Something like that. Something Cub.

Might happen before the All-Star Game. You never know.

He’s gonna be okay but I suspect he is going to wear a different uniform next year. He’s 32 and has pitched a lot of innings. Mike is going to show up a few times. But good Shōta is very good indeed.

The stats above are kind of misleading. I remember 2025 as much worse than that. I recall Mike had really bad timing, at least. He needs to pitch in a cavern. Shōta doesn’t.

Spring Training is here! San Francisco Giants players are in action! Excitement — and more importantly, baseball — is in the air!

And still our Willie McCovey Memorial Community Prospect List marches on, as we grow oh so close to finishing our communal rankings of the top 44 prospects in the Giants organization. Only one more name and we’ll have a top 40!

Despite there being seven names on the ballot, the last chapter wasn’t all that close. Earning the title of the No. 39 prospect in the system is someone new to the list: second baseman Nate Furman.

Giants fans haven’t gotten to watch much Furman, as he’s only played 36 games for the organization. The left-handed hitter, who will turn 25 over the summer, came over the Giants in the 2024 deadline deal that sent Alex Cobb to the Cleveland Guardians (Furman was the player to be named later, with LHP Jacob Bresnahan — No. 11 on this list — the headlining piece). The short infielder, who was selected by Cleveland in the fourth round of the 2022 draft, was injured at the time of the trade, and didn’t debut with the Giants until 2025.

Unfortunately, his 2025 was shortened due to injuries as well. He was injured when the year began, and didn’t get on the field until late July, nearly a year after the trade had taken place. But once he got on the field, he wasted no time showing why the Giants love him. He played one rehab game in the Complex League, and drew two walks. He spent five games with the Low-A San Jose Giants, and hit 5-12 with two extra-base hits and three walks.

He spent the bulk of his time with the High-A Eugene Emeralds, getting back up to speed at a level he had conquered in 2024 while in Cleveland’s system. He conquered it for the Giants as well, playing 21 games and slashing .364/.490/.649, for a 1.139 OPS and a 211 wRC+. It was abundantly clear that he was way too good for the level.

Furman concluded the year with a brief stint with the AA Richmond Flying Squirrels, though it wasn’t his first attempt at the level — he played 13 AA games in 2024 before the injury. In nine games with Richmond, Furman didn’t slow down at all, hitting .387/.486/.484 for a .970 OPS and a 188 wRC+.

Those numbers are absolutely dandy, but the real reason for optimism probably comes from somewhere else: the Giants choosing to send Furman to camp as a non-roster invitee. That certainly speaks highly to how they view his skills considering his lack of playing time in the upper Minors, and the fact that players with more experience, like Diego Velasquez, were passed over.

In many ways, Furman mirrors the player he’ll be backing up in Scottsdale, Luis Arráez. He has arguably the best bat-to-ball skills in the entire farm, but struggles to use those skills for power, and his defense is quite suspect. But we know the Giants love contact skills, and across the four levels last year, Furman hit .369 with just an 11.7% strikeout rate.

Those K numbers underscore just how impressive his contact is (some of the strikeouts came by passivity). The Giants had 95 Minor League hitters with at least 100 plate appearances last year, and only six of those 95 had swinging strike rates under 7%. Furman led the way at 3.5%, miles ahead of second place (Turner Hill, 4.7%). His ability to put the bat on the ball is truly impressive. It’s just a matter of what he’ll be able to do with the ball when he does that.

Despite playing just 22 games in AA, it wouldn’t be a shock if Furman starts 2026 with AAA Sacramento, especially if he has a strong showing at Spring Training. That would allow Velasquez to continue developing in Richmond, while placing Furman in good position to establish himself as a depth piece for the Major League roster.

Now let’s add to the list, and a reminder that voting now takes place in the comment section, using the “rec” feature.

The list so far

1. Bryce Eldridge — 1B
2. Josuar González — SS
3. Jhonny Level — SS
4. Bo Davidson — CF
5. Dakota Jordan — CF
6. Luis Hernández — SS
7. Gavin Kilen — SS
8. Carson Whisenhunt — LHP
9. Blade Tidwell — RHP
10. Keyner Martinez — RHP
11. Jacob Bresnahan — LHP
12. Trevor McDonald — RHP
13. Argenis Cayama — RHP
14. Luis De La Torre — LHP
15. Trevor Cohen — OF
16. Jesús Rodríguez — C
17. Parks Harber — OF/3B
18. Carlos Gutierrez — OF
19. Drew Cavanaugh — C
20. Daniel Susac — C
21. Gerelmi Maldonado — RHP
22. Josh Bostick — RHP
23. Lorenzo Meola — SS/2B
24. Will Bednar — RHP
25. Yunior Marte — RHP
26. Joe Whitman — LHP
27. Joel Peguero — RHP
28. Alberto Laroche — RHP
29. Trent Harris — RHP
30. Carlos De La Rosa — LHP
31. Diego Velasquez — 2B
32. Lisbel Diaz — OF
33. Maui Ahuna — SS
34. Cam Maldonado — OF
35. Victor Bericoto — OF/1B
36. Reid Worley — RHP
37. Jack Choate — LHP
38. Rayner Arias — OF
39. Nate Furman — 2B

Note: Clicking on the above names will link to the CPL where they were voted onto the list.

No. 40 prospect nominees

Sabin Ceballos — 23.5-year old 3B — .670 OPS/102 wRC+ in AA (420 PA)

Jakob Christian — 23.4-year old OF/1B — .950 OPS/155 wRC+ in High-A (92 PA); .815 OPS/119 wRC+ in Low-A (318 PA)

Reggie Crawford — 25.2-year old LHP — did not pitch in 2025; 1.04 ERA/4.07 FIP in AAA in 2024 (8.2 IP); 4.66 ERA/4.93 FIP in AA in 2024 (9.2 IP)

Juan Sánchez — 25.2-year old LHP — did not pitch in 2025; 3.93 ERA/5.17 FIP in AAA in 2024 (34.1 IP)

Charlie Szykowny — 25.7-year old 3B/1B — .816 OPS/122 wRC+ in High-A (549 PA)

Jancel Villarroel — 21.0-year old C — .699 OPS/91 wRC+ in High-A (61 PA); .746 OPS/123 wRC+ in Low-A (372 PA)

Note: Each player’s first name links to their Baseball-Reference page, and their last name links to their Fangraphs page. All stats are from the 2025 season.

Left-handed pitcher Kris Bubic has won his salary arbitration case against the Royals, according to MLB.com reporter Mark Feinsand, and will receive his requested salary of $6.15 million. The Royals had offered $5.15 million.

Bubic had a breakout season last year, posting a 2.55 ERA in 20 starts, with 116 strikeouts in 116.1 innings, earning his first All-Star appearance. But he suffered a left rotator cuff strain in July, forcing him to miss the last two months of the season. Injuries have impacted much of his career – he missed nearly the entire 2023 season with an elbow injury that required Tommy John surgery. He returned in 2024, but as a reliever, and was effective with a 2.67 ERA in 30.1 innings.

The 28-year-old was originally a first-round pick in 2018 out of Stanford, who had mixed results in his first few years in the big leagues despite a plus change-up. Bubic has thrived under pitching coach Brian Sweeney, adding a sweeper that opponents hit just .194 against last year. He is eligible for free agency after the season.

Bubic is the first Royals player to win his arbitration case against the Royals since Andrew Benintendi in 2022. The Royals have 12 wins in 24 arbitration cases in club history. Vinnie Pasquantino also filed for arbitration, but the Royals avoided a hearing with him by signing him to a two-year, $11 million deal.

Eric Lauer is a 30-year-old (31 in June, so this will be his age 31 season), left-handed pitcher. The Jays signed him to a minor league contract in December of 2024. He had been a Jays draft pick in 2013, but he elected to play college ball instead and then was drafted in the first round of the 2016 draft by the Padres.

Since then he’s been a Brewer, Pirate, Astros and pitched in Korea. He pitched in 53 games, 52 starts in 2018 and 2019 with the Padres and 67 games, 60 starts over 4 seasons with the Brewers. And then made 7 starts in the KBO with a 4.93 ERA.

In the majors, he had a 4.30 ERA with 230 walks and 567 strikeouts in 596 innings with a 3.7 bWAR. I really don’t understand why he couldn’t do better than a minor league contract.

Lauer made five starts for the Bisons (4.50 ERA in 24 innings) and then Max Scherzer went on the IL and Lauer was called up. He wasn’t put straight into the rotation, but made three relief starts (9 innings, 1 earned), made a couple of starts, back to the pen (9.2 innings, 0 earned), then to the rotation for 13 starts (the Jays won 11 of them) and then back in the bullpen for September.

If I had the time to look, I’d love to know if that was the best season ever for a guy the Jays signed to a minor league contract before the season, but I’m sure it has to be top five. 9-2, a 3.18 ERA in 104.2 innings. Baseball Reference has him at a 0.8 WAR, FanGraphs 1.4.

Last year he threw:

• Four-seamer 46.5% of the time averaging 91.7 mph.
• Cutter 20.5% of the time.
• Curveball 14.4%.
• Slider 10.6%.
• Changeup 8.0%.

And he didn’t have much of a left/right split, with lefties having a

He’s earned himself a nice raise, though we don’t know how much he’ll be paid yet. He and the Jays went to arbitration; he’ll either make $5.75 million or $4.4 million. We’ll likely find out within moments of when I hit publish, because that’s the way the universe works.

I was wrong….the Arbitrator picked the Jays number, Eric will earn $4.4 million this year.

His role this year is still up in the air. Bieber being out to start the season might open a spot in the pen. And unfortunately, things tend to happen during spring training. If he doesn’t get a starting role, he’ll be good to have as a long man/lefty in the pen.

Steamer sees him as a reliever, pitching in 51 games, 3 starts, 66 innings, with a 4.13 ERA.

MESA, AZ — It has been nearly a decade since the Chicago Cubs won the NL Central in a full season.

They have reached the postseason just three times since 2017.

And they reside in the same division as their annoying neighbors, the Milwaukee Brewers, who won the most games in baseball last season while capturing their third consecutive division title.

The Cubs know all this, but on their first day of spring training, they boldly believe they are now the team to beat in the NL Central, and perhaps become the team that can finally derail the powerful Los Angeles Dodgers.

In the words of Cubs manager Craig Counsell, they have expectations, big expectations, and they worked awfully hard to have them.

They spent $228 million this winter, the second-most money in baseball, signing free agent third baseman Alex Bregman to a five-year, $175 million contract, trading for starter Edward Cabrera, and bolstering a team that earned a wild-card berth a year ago.

“Everybody’s optimistic right now, we all should be,’’ Counsell said. “I was optimistic last year at this time, absolutely, very optimistic. And we won 92 games. That’s good. You win 92 games, you take it. That’s a playoff team.’’

It just wasn’t good enough to knock off the Brewers, the Cubs finishing five games back in the NL Central.

Yet, with the Cubs spending their most money in an offseason since 2015 − the year before they won their first World Series since 1908 − and the Brewers spending only $3 million, it’s easy to see why expectations are soaring in Chicago.

Baseball Prospectus’ PECOTA projects the Cubs to win the division by 10 games over the Brewers, while FanGraphs predicts the Cubs to win the division by four games over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“I know the expectations are high,’’ said Jed Hoyer, Cubs president of baseball operations, “which I think is great. That’s what you want. I think the excitement in camp is palpable. I think the players are talking about it and the coaches are talking about it. I think that they’re excited about our team. They’re excited about our group, both from a talent standpoint and a camaraderie standpoint.

“So many of the guys were here last year. I think they feel like we had a really good season, but there’s unfinished business. And I think in a lot of ways that’s the best kind of spring training, when there’s a hunger. I think that the expectations don’t create anxiety, they create hunger with this group, and I think this group is excited to get started.’’

The Cubs certainly created plenty of versatility and depth when they signed Bregman to play third base, moving Matt Shaw to a super-utility role where he’ll play third base, second base and the outfield, while keeping Nico Hoerner at second base. They have a solid starting rotation led by Matthew Boyd, Cade Horton (who finished second in the rookie-of-the-year balloting), Cabrera, Shota Imanaga and Jameson Taillon, with ace Justin Steele possibly returning to the rotation as early as May. They also remain in talks with free-agent starter Zac Gallen. Gallen would not only give them a powerful top of the rotation, but provide insurance for the future with Taillon, Boyd and Imanaga eligible for free agency after the season.

“We have a lot of free agents,’’ Hoyer said, “that’s going to be a topic of conversation.’’

The Cubs also overhauled their bullpen with four new relievers − Phil Maton, Hoby Milner, Jacob Webb and Hunter Harvey − while retaining Caleb Thielbar and anointing Danny Palencia to be their official closer.

“I know I’m ready,’’ said Palencia, who saved 22 games and struck out 61 in 52.2 innings in his first season as a closer.

Really, the Cubs will tell you, they see no reason why they shouldn’t be playing at Wrigley Field until the leaves turn brown.

“Look at the rotation, the arms we have, the depth we have,’’ Boyd said, “it’s impressive. You think about what Cade (Horton) is going to do after his year of experience. You think about what the rest of us are going to do, the adjustments that we’ve made, and the experience that we’ve gained from last season pitching into the postseason. It’s all things that will make us better, collectively.’’

It has the Cubs with World Series dreams dancing in their heads, believing that even with the loss of All-Star right fielder Kyle Tucker, this team is built for a deep October run, resurrecting memories of 2016.

“That’s the expectation we hold ourselves to,’’ Boyd said. “It makes it more exciting when you know No. 3 (Bregman) is here, what he’s got to offer, Cabrera, and you go, 'Ok, here we go.’ We know your mission. It’s the same as last year. We came up short. It was a lot of fun. It was awesome. Very grateful for it.

“But ultimately, we didn’t go where we wanted to. Doesn’t mean it was a failure. Just means we didn’t get there yet.’’

Follow Nightengale on X: @BNightengale

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chicago Cubs dreaming of World Series after big offseason

The Mets aren’t the only team dealing with a superstar undergoing hand surgery.

Diamondbacks standout outfielder Corbin Carroll is undergoing surgery for a broken hamate bone in his right hand, according to ESPN.

Carroll will reportedly no longer participate for Team USA in the upcoming World Baseball Classic and his availability for the Diamondbacks’ season-opening road game against the back-to-back defending World Series champion Dodgers on March 26 is also uncertain.

The 25-year-old suffered the injury during batting practice Tuesday, per MLB.com, and joins the Mets’ Francisco Lindor and the Orioles’ Jackson Holliday as notable players to recently suffer the malady.

The hamate bone is “one of the carpal bones on the small finger side of the wrist, just above the ulna. The bone connects the wrist to the hand, specifically supporting the metacarpal bones of the ring and small (pinky) finger,” according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.

Such an injury obviously affects a player’s ability to swing, and Carroll would be facing an approximate six-week recovery period should he receive a similar timeframe to Lindor.

Such an injury is a tough blow for a Diamondbacks team coming off a disappointing 80-82 season and looking to rebound in the tough NL West.

Carroll showed last year why he’s one of baseball’s top young players, finishing sixth in the NL MVP voting by hitting 31 homers with 84 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.

He posted an .883 OPS.

For his career, Carroll has slashed .258/.341/.491 and has finished in the top-six in NL MVP voting twice while also winning NL Rookie of the Year in 2023.

He’s been durable throughout his career, appearing in at least 143 games in each of three full seasons in the big leagues.

The Diamondbacks had a relatively quiet offseason, acquiring third baseman Nolan Arenado from the Cardinals and signing first baseman Carlos Santana.